"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Clara asked, as she and AJ made their way to where the meeting was being held.

   "Of course I'm sure! And Kaylin won't let you skip out of doing it anyway." AJ said.

   "Of course she won't..." Clara smiled, "I'm guessing she's the kind of girl who loves to be independent." 

 "Correct!" AJ laughed, "Ooh, we're here!"

 They stopped in front of a café that looked like it was about to collapse. 

  "Café Musain, hmm..." Clara read the faded words.

 "There you are!" A voice from the window above said.

    They looked up to see Kaylin and Courfeyrac leaning out the window, grinning down at them.

  "Come on up!" Kaylin waved her hand.

    They both entered the cafe which was pretty busy.

  "Ah! Brought someone new? She's lovely. Maybe she can knock something into that intelligent brain of Enjolras'. I'm surprised he's allowed a girl to come." A woman greeted them.

  "Clara, this is Madame Houcheloup. Madame, this is Clara." AJ introduced.

  "Lovely to meet you dear! It's not everyday that marble man lets a girl come to his meetings. Now, of you both go up the stairs. I, for one, don't want to get you both in trouble with the leader." Madame Houcheloup shooed them off.

   "Marble man?" Clara raised an eyebrow.

  "That's what he's known as. The marble man. For reasons you already know." AJ said dryly.

  Entering the upper room, Clara noticed all the boys and a few volunteers sitting around tables or standing. 

   "Ah! Clara! Welcome, to the Café Musain and to the group, Les Amis de l'ABC!" Grantaire came over, bottle in hand and gave a teasing bow.

   Clara laughed. "Lovely to see you again too, Grantaire!" 

   "She's not joining the group, Grantaire..." A voice spoke up.

 Clara looked over and noticed Enjolras sitting at a table near the window. He was writing and was surround by more sheets of paper and a stack of books. He was the only one who didn't look her way when she entered.

   "Mademoiselle Clara!" A voice exclaimed delightedly.

   "Gavroche! How lovely to see you again!" Clara bent down and hugged the boy who came barrelling into her arms.

   "Ah! So, your the 'wonderful 'nd heaven sent, beautiful mademoiselle Clara' Gavroche has been talking about!" Courfeyrac came up, grinning, "To be honest, I'm not surprised it's you!"

   Clara blushed at the praise Gavroche had apparently given her.

   "What 're yous doing 'ere, mademoiselle Clara?" Gavroche asked.

  "Well, I was invited, though more likely forced, to come here tonight." Clara explained.

  "Well, I'm glad yous here!" Gavroche beamed before grabbing Courfeyrac's hand and dragginf him off. 

  "Have you had your dinner yet? I mean, I know it's a bit early, I didn't know if you had eaten yet or not." Kaylin said, bounding over.

   "No, I haven't. We eat a little late at the palace. And anyway, my parents think I'm having dinner with AJ and her mum." Clara shook her head.

   "Now, that won't do! We can't have a hungry lady here, now can we?" Grantaire tutted.

  "Honestly, it's fine. No need to doing anything -" Clara tried to change his mind as she realised what he was getting at.

   "Nope. We're going to serve you dinner!" Grantaire took her hand and led her over to an empty table.

   "But Enjolras won't approve of this!" Clara protested. 

   "He won't mind. The meeting doesn't officially starts for another half an hour." Grantaire grinned.

   "Grantaire, don't over do it..." Combeferre warned.

   Grantaire paid no heed as he clapped his hands to get everyone's attention to start his 'show'.

  "Ma cheré, mademoiselle! It is with deepest surprise and greatest delight that we welcome you tonight," Grantaire bowed with great extravagance, "And know we invite you to relax, just pull up a chair, as the Café proudly presents... your dinner!" He sang while setting the place on the table in front of her. 

  Clara smiled gently, quietly enjoying the welcome and the surprise dinner she was getting.

  "Be... our... guest, be our guest! Put our service to the test. Tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherie, and we'll provide the rest!" Grantaire handed her a white dinner napkin.

   "Soup du jour! Hot hors d'oeuvres! Why, we only live to serve!" Grantaire produced dishes and dishes of food, "Try the grey stuff it's delicious. Don't believe me? Ask the dishes! They can sing! They can dance! After all, miss, this is France!" 

   Clara giggled as Gavroche waved a couple of plates around in the air to give the impression of dancing plates.

   "And the dinners here are never second best!" Courfeyrac, Jehan and Bossuet joined in.

  "Go on, unfold your menu! Take a glance and then you'll be our guest! Oui, our guest, be our guest!" Grantaire took up the singing again.

 "Grantaire, I think that's enough -" But Grantaire didn't pay any attention to the leader's words and neither did anyone else.

  "Beef ragout, cheese soufflé, pie and pudding, en flambé!" Grantaire started producing more and more dishes of food, "We'll prepare and serve with flair a culinary cabaret!" 

   "You're surprised and delighted, but the banquet's all prepared! No one's gloomy or complaining, while the flatware's entertaining!" Courfeyrac came over.

   Clara ate with a smile while she now watched Gavroche waving handfuls of cutlery.

  "We tell jokes! I do tricks! With fellow mes amis!" Grantaire hopped onto a chair.

  "And it's all in perfect taste that you can bet!" Everyone else but Enjolras sang out.

  "Come on and lift your glass, you've won your own free pass!" Grantaire raised his own bottle as a toast, "To be our guest, if your stressed it's fine dining we suggest! Be our guest -"

   "Be our guest! Be our guest!" Everyone cheered.

   "Grantaire, I said don't over do it! Enjolras will not be pleased..." Combeferre pretended to frown but in truth, he was enjoying the spectacle.

  "Life is so unnerving, when Enjolras keeps on glaring. We're not whole, without a soul, to entertain..." Grantaire pretend to be mournful, "Ah, those good old days when we were children - Eh, Combeferre?" He nudged the said man, "Suddenly those good old days are gone..." 

  "Grantaire! Enjolras will be -" Combeferre tried to shush him but failed.

 "To long we've been sitting! Listening to Enjolras speaking, needing exercise, a chance to entertain!" Grantaire draped dramatically over Combeferre's shoulder much to everyone's amusement and Combeferre's dismay.

  "Most days we just sit around the café..." Grantaire sang dramatically, before he gave a Combeferre a hard pound on the back,  "Flabby, fat and lazy! You walk in and oops-a-daisy!" 

  "It's a guest! It's a guests! Sake's alive, well I'll be blessed!" Kaylin danced around with Gavroch on her arm, "Wine's been poured and thank the lord that Grantaire hasn't drunk it yet!" 

   "Hey!" Grantaire grinned while Clara laughed.

"With dessert, she'll want tea, and my dear, that's fine with me!" AJ joined in, teapot in hand.

  "Has Enjolras finally broken and allowed a lady in...?!" Kaylin added, hopping over and grinning at her older brother who took no notice.

  "Here's your tea! Piping hot!" AJ handed Clara a cup filled with steaming hot tea.

  "Heaven's sakes! Is that a spot?" Kaylin gasped, "Clean it up! we want the company impressed!" 

  "We've got a lot to do! Is it one lump or two?" AJ held out a sugar bowl.

"For you our guest -" Kaylin started.

 "She's our guest!" Everyone sang.

  "She's our guest!" Kaylin nodded.

 "She's our guest!" Everyone repeated.

   "Be our guest! Be our guest! Our command is your request!" Everyone sang, even Combeferre, as they raised their glasses, "It's been ages since a lovely lady's been, and we're obsessed!"

  "With your meal," Grantaire sang, everyone with him, "with your ease. Yes, indeed, we aim to please! While the candlelight's still glowing... Let us help you, we'll keep going..." 

   Clara gasped with delight as they danced around her, and Gavroche offered her a top up for her tea.

  "Course by course! One by one! 'Til you shout, "Enough I'm done!". And we'll laugh until we drive Enjolras mad!" Everyone sang heartily, "Tonight you'll prop your feet, but for now let's eat up! Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Please, be our... Guest!" Everyone dramatically sang and bowed to Clara who sat delighted at the performance.

 "Pudding?" Grantaire asked as he held out a plate in front of Clara, grinning.

 Clara burst out laughing and started clapping. "That was wonderful! Thank you so much! That was the best dinner I've had ever. Besides the dinners I've had with AJ's mum." Clara smiled, thanking them all. 

   "We're glad you enjoyed it, Kaylin was fussing in the kitchen getting the food ready and getting on Madame's nerves..." Jehan said.

  "Well, thanks a lot! I really appreciate it." Clara smiled.

  "Did yous enjoy the food and the performance, mademoiselle Clara?" Gavroche asked, grinning.

  "I did very much, Gavroche!" Clara gave him a hug.

 "Good!" Gavroche beamed before dragging Courfeyrac to another table.

  Clara glanced at Enjolras who was looking up slightly at them all with amusement in his eyes which disappeared in a flash, returning once again to it's marble gaze. He returned his attention to a book laid open in front of him.

  "Clara? What are you doing here?" 

 Clara froze and turned around. There, standing at the top of the stairs was her brother.

   "Sébastien? What are you doing here?" Clara asked, eyes wide.

 "I asked you the same thing." Sébastien frowned slightly, "Enjolras? What's going on."

   They all turned to look at Enjolras who had gone back writing and didn't even look up. 

  "Don't look at me or ask me, ask her." He drawled, picking up a map to study. 

 "Clara? An explanation. Now." Sébastien's mouth pulled into a straight line.

    "We invited her here." Kaylin interjected.

  "And Enjolras allowed it? I find that hard to believe." Sébastien scoffed.

 "They forced me to..." Enjolras spoke up, confirming what his sister said.

   "But... You know what, I should have know..." Sébastien sighed, but there was a hint of a smile on his face.

   "And what about you? Have you been coming here all this time?!" Clara questioned her brother.

  Sébastien hesitated before nodding, "I've been one of them for a long time. France and the people are more important than my title." He said. 

   "And you didn't tell me?!" Clara raised an eyebrow, "I would have understood, I would have supported you!" 

   "How was I supposed to know that?! I didn't know you felt this way until a couple of weeks ago and we had that conversation on the balcony!" Sébastien exclaimed.

   "Point taken..." Clara sighed.

  "Well, now that we're all here... shall we get started?" Enjolras rose to his feet.

  Clara took her seat next to Kaylin and AJ. 

    "So what normally happens at these meetings?" Clara asked, whispering to AJ.

   "Well, Enjolras gives a short speech, then we do a lot of planning for the next rally and other things." AJ explained.

  "Sébastien is our insider. Getting information from the National guard and your father... then he passes them on to us." Kaylin said.

   "I guess that explains the reason why he's always gone from the palace." Clara said.

  "Yeah, he comes here, or my home, or goes to help with the rallies." Kaylin nodded.

  "When's the next rally?" Clara asked.

  "Are you planning to go?" AJ raised an eyebrow. 

   "Yeah, I might go and just listen..." Clara smiled.

   "Or you can help hand out leaflets! That's what AJ and I do most of the time." Kaylin suggested excitedly.

  "That could work as well!" Clara agreed.

 They listened to Enjolras give his small speech.

  "He's a good speaker, he has a fantastic way with words..." Clara whispered to Kaylin.

   "He does, doesn't he?" Kaylin smiled, "He's always had this gift of public speaking and writing speeches. Our tutors when we were young were amazed by his skill. They said that with a gift like that, he could go on to be the best. When we were young, he used to wake me up during the night and we would sneak down to the kitchen. Any maid that was still up would make us hot chocolate and Enjolras would recite speeches he had made up, to me, the maid, and a bunch of empty chairs... " 

    "Wow! Did you ever get caught?" Clara chuckled slightly under her breath.

  "Nope! It was fun... at least then, Enjolras went to sleep. These day, he sometimes pulls an all-nighter. It isn't really good for his health, but I leave him to it..." Kaylin sighed, "Nothing can get him to leave his speeches and planning to rest."

   "They've got thousands of ammunition and gunpowder, never mind firearms and canons. If we can get some of those, store them and destroy some others, we could have a better chance." Sébastien informed Enjolras.

   "Looks like we're planning now." AJ whispered, "Come on!" She grabbed Clara's hand and dragged her after Kaylin.

  "And where exactly can we store the ones we'll keep for the actual day. The destroying part will be easy..." Enjolras was looking at a list that Sébastien had given him.

  "I would be able to store a little bit, but not much." AJ spoke up.

   "Okay, that's one place... where else?" Enjolras took a new sheet of paper and wrote AJ's name down.

   "I would be able to, again though, not much." Courfeyrac said. 

 "Me too..." Combeferre nodded. 

  "I can hide some in the Elephant!" Gavroche piped up, "No 'ne but the other street kids go there..." 

   Enjolras nodded, "Those could work as well..."

   "Sébastien, how about the two places we got? You know, the one you got for your birthday and my one? No one goes there but us. And we've got the keys to it." Clara spoke up slowly, looking at her brother.

   "Of course! Why didn't I think of that before." Sébastien snapped his fingers, eyes lighting up with excitement.

   Everyone looked at the two, wondering what on earth was going on.

  Clara turned to explain. "For our sixteenth birthdays, our parents gave us mansions for our very own to get away to and to have friends over."

   "The mansions are on the outskirts of Paris, mine on the West side, and Clara's on the North." Sébastien added.

   "No one is allowed to go there, not even our parents. They're our own private estates." Clara said, "They're very secluded, thick woods surrounding the gardens." 

  "I can see what you're getting at..." Combeferre looked impressed.

  Enjolras studied the both of them, thoughts flying through his mind. Then, he nodded. "That's actually not a bad idea... Hmmm..." He thought before scribbling down a few things.

   "Another question," Courfeyrac said, "How are we going to steal the ammunition, firearms and gunpowder?"

  "It would have to be at night..." Enjolras mused over the question.

  "They change the night shifts around the barracks every..." Clara tried to remember what Captain Allard had told her that day at the barracks, "every forty-five minutes. But for the building where they keep the ammunition, they have ten guards for each floor, five floors above ground, two below, total of seven floors. That's seventy guards inside. They then have twenty guards patrolling outside the building. They rotate the watches every two hours there." 

  Sébastien and everyone else stared at her.

  "How do you remember all that?!" Sébastien gaped.

 Clara shrugged, "I just do... Anyway, they have four groups of five soldiers, each group patrols outside the barrack walls, one North, one South, one East, and one West. Those are the ones that change every forty-five minutes." 

  The whole time Clara was giving the information, Combeferre was writing it all down, and Enjolras was eyeing her with narrowed eyes. To be honest with himself, he was impressed she had remembered all that information, but he didn't show it and he wasn't going to admit it.

  "Enjolras? Do you think we can do it?" Kaylin asked, looking questioningly at her brother.

  He was silent a moment. "If we do that, then we would have to get as much as we can and need. Maybe split into three or four groups. The last group then has to get the stuff out while someone goes back to destroy the rest, to make it look as if everything was destroyed and nothing was taken." He started to plan slowly.

  "We'll need transport then, to get the stuff to the mansions." Sébastien said.

  "Carriages?" AJ suggested.

  "Those could work. That would mean, one from each group stays with their carriage while the rest go in." Enjolras bit his lip in thought.

   "What can I do?" Gavroche piped up.

  Clara thought before her eyes lit up, "Gavroche, you have friends at the Elephant, right?" She asked. He nodded. "Well then, if it's possible, could they help as well? We could use a few small people on the job." 

   Gavroche's eyes lit up, "Oh 'm sure they'd like to! What 'll we do?" 

  "You can keep watch, and also have one at each mansion to open the gates for the carriages. How does that sound?" Clara suggested.

   "'Kay! We can do that!" Gavroche nodded vigorously.

  "When will this happen?" Jehan asked.

     "I'll give a bit more detail at the next meeting." Enjolras said before looking at Clara, "It's seems like this won't be the last time you'll be here..." He said.

  Kaylin and AJ squealed excitedly.

 "Yes! I was actually planning on smuggling her in at the next one!" Kaylin laughed.

  Clara smiled before she turned to Enjolras. "Thanks..." She said.

  "You'd better not let us down..." Enjolras replied.

  ~|~*~|~⚜~|~*~|~

    Chapter 7!!! I had fun with this one!!! I don't own the rights for the song or the video at the top, all rights go to Disney and the owner of the video... I just made changes to the song to fit the story! :) 

   But anyway, hope you all enjoyed it!!! Next one's a bit more Enjolras and Clara!!!

  Thank you once again and I'll see you all in the next one!!! And please, if you find any mistakes or anything like that, don't be afraid to point them out!! I would be really grateful :) 

  Claire xxx ⚜