"Now I ain't saying she's a gold digger,

But she ain't messin' with no broke, broke..."

----------GD----------

"That is an interesting way for one to sleep."

Vincent Crummles awoke with a start, snorting as his eyes opened and looked groggily up at the person standing before him. There was a bright light coming from somewhere, and it was confusing him to no end. Bright light? Wasn't he in his bed? He looked down.

Apparently not.

In fact, Vincent Crummles woke up from sleeping face-down on his stage, his hands in the exact same position they were the night before when he attempted to lift himself up and go to sleep in his own quarters.

"What happened?" he asked the mysterious person, sitting up on his knees and-with assistance from the mysterious person-standing up. He rubbed his eyes, then his face, then noticed his hair was askew. He cursed under his breath.

"Mrs. Crummles told me you fell asleep while rehearsing your part the play."

Crummles opened his eyes again and tried to clear his vision. When he eventually stopped seeing double, his face brightened. "Nicholas! Dear boy! It's good to see you again…and as one person!"

Nicholas Nickleby grinned and allowed Crummles to give him a hug. "We were passing by and we thought we'd come to see you."

This gained a puzzled look from Crummles, and he dusted off his velvet blue overcoat and black trousers. "May I ask…who is 'we'?"

Nicholas handed Crummles his black top hat and chuckled. "Madeline and Nicky." He quirked an eyebrow. "Have you not heard? My son, Nicky?"

Crummles blinked. "Have…." He nodded. "Oh, absolutely. I've heard of N-Nicky." Crummles narrowed his eyes at Nicholas. "If I've heard of said Nicky, I wouldn't have asked, ay?"

Nicholas shook his head as Crummles took his top hat from his grip. "I assume you'd want to come out and meet them?"

There was a small silence; this angel of a man as a father? It seemed nearly too good to be true. So many good things done by one Nicholas Nickleby II…now to be carried on to one….

"Nicholas Nickleby the Third?"

"That's correct."

"Ah. I must see this child…I do believe Mr. Nicky will be, undoubtedly, the Messiah." Crummles set his black hat on his head delicately and cheerfully followed Mr. Nickleby out of the theater.

Not very good on my part...it should get better.