Title - With A Little Help
Chapter Title - Not the same
Author - OblivionsGarden
Genre - Romance/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort
Disclaimer - I do not own Oliver Twist or Oliver! in anyway shape or form. I only own my original characters, and the plot for this fic.

A/n - My second Oliver! fic. Yaaay (: Please leave a review if you read, I'd really appreciate it (:
I'm keeping Nancy alive because I love her too much to not include her. Bill however is dead and Oliver is with Mr,.Brownlow.

Summary - Bethan Owens life had been simple. Up until the age of four that is. Her father passed on and her mothers near lost her mind with grief. With no home and no money she's forced to pick a pocket or two. So when an offer of shelter comes from a strange man in a green coat will she accept? Or will she refuse because of the secret she's been hiding from him. Dodger/OC and Charley/OC.


A slightly stooped old man, wonders up and down the market place, making eye contact with nobody. He keeps his head bowed low, the brim of his hat shadowing his elderly face. He watches people, busy with their day to day lives. Earning their keep. He chuckled to himself. What a way to live! Working! You didn't need to, not if you didn't want to. And did he want to? Of course not.
Unnoticed by those around him, he slipped a hand into the pocket of a nearby gentleman and transferred the bulging wallet into his own coat. He continued down the street as a leisurely pace, so not to arouse suspicion, and smiled at how easy his line of 'work' was. After a while, he rested his feet and sat down on a small wall at the end of the road. From there, he was able to watch everyone pass by and pick out more potential victims. He also watched two of his boys, hard at work, their small grubby hands darting in and out of coat pockets. Charley Bates and The Artful Dodger, His two top workers. The Dodger spotted the old man and made in his general direction, a stolen bread roll in his hand. However, as the boy walked, a young girl about a head shorter than and not paying any attention to where she was going, walked straight into his chest. As the old man watched, he saw words of apology being spoken, and a small hand, quick as a flash, produce a handkerchief from a royal blue coat pocket.
Dodger, who usually tossed the food to the old man and wondered on so no one knew they were together, was surprised when Fagin beckoned him over. As he reached the old man's side, he shook his head.
"No one watches were they're goin' 'ey, Fagin?"
"I think she knew exactly where she was going, Dodge." Fagin smiled a little as he took the bread roll from the boys hand. Dodger frowned. "Check your pocket, m'dear." His brows still furrowed, Dodger slipped his hands in his pockets.
"She stole my handkerchief!"
"Shush! Keep your voice down!"
"Sorry, Fagin." Dodger said, his face full of anger and confusion.
"Didn't think you'd be gettin' your pocket picked, did ye'?" Fagin teared off a peace of the bread and hands it back to Dodger.
"No. Especially by a little girl."
"What'd she look like?"
"I dunno. Just a normal girl, I guess."
Fagin stared around the market place for a while but couldn't spot the young lady anywhere. "Back to work, Dodge." He muttered as he rose to his feet. He spent the rest of his day wondering about town, seeing if he could spot the young girl, but it was no luck. She was gone, along with a perfectly good handkerchief.

It was another four days before Fagin heard word of the girl. He'd told Dodger to keep an eye out for her, his excuse being that he was curious as to where she acquired her skills. Dodger had thought it a little odd, given that Fagin only usually recruits male pickpockets, but he wasn't too bothered. She had to be good to have been able to steal from him without him noticing. He was the Artful Dodger after all.
Dodger and Charley had been out working when Dodger spotted her. She was in the same dirty, moss green dress with a tatty black shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders. He went straight over to the Three Criples where he found Fagin sat in a darkened corner.
"She's back." He said, sitting down beside the man. He went to take a sip of gin from the old man's glass but Fagin stood up.
"C'mon Dodge. Off we go."
They returned to the market place to observe her steal two apple and a small roll of bread. Fagin followed her, telling Dodger to stay behind. The girl, who had a keen eye for anything that could mean trouble, spotted him easily. She stood her ground, pretending not to have noticed but ready to flee if needs be.
"Hello my dear." He said as he reached her side. She side glanced at him, taking in his stooped frame, straggly hair and tattered clothes. Likewise, Fagin had noticed the dirt and holes on her dress, the worn shawl, scuffed boots and unwashed brown hair. It hung limply in light waves to her waist, hiding half of her pale face. Her plain brown eyes were suspicion of him already and he knew he needed to gain her trust. "Hungry?" She shook her head, too fast for an honest answer. "No, I noticed your skill earlier. I 'spose you can get food when you like 'eh?" her eyes widened and in a second, she'd turned on her heel and fled. "Strange." Fagin muttered under his breath before making his way back to his shady corner in the tavern.

Later that night, Dodger joined him. He sat beside the old man and laid his top hat on the table. Fagin noticed that Dodger's elbow was started to come through his jacket.
"Could do with gettin' a new coat, Dodge." The old man commented, poking his finger at the hole.
"No at all!" Dodger defended. "It fits me proper now, I'll get Bet to sew it or somethin'." Just like his top hat, Dodger had grown up with his over sized blue jacket and he wasn't about to let either one go. Fagin chuckled a little and shook his head. "What 'appened with that girl anyway?"
"She ran off."
"I saw that. Why?"
Fagin shrugged and poured the lad a tumbler of gin. "Scared, I 'spose."
"Of you? Surely not." Dodger smirked and downed his drink before bidding the old man farewell and heading back to their hideout. The Three Cripples wasn't as lively since Nancy stopped going.

A/n - Just a short intro chapter. What do you think?