Wotcha! Welcome to my brain. First, this is my first fanfiction, so please r&r. Secondly, Gia, one of the characters, has a backstory, and a rather complex one, that I have not written, but may do so in the future.

Gia smiled. She had always loved London, with its bustling yet mysterious air. She nudged Annie, the girl next to her, and said,

"How do you like the big city? Pretty different from back home, eh?"

"You could say that again. But the city is wonderful." Annie's pale blue eyes darted from shop to shop. Gia looked over at one of the stalls nearby.

"I'm just going to take a look at those dresses, we need some clothes to fit the time period." With a swing of her long golden braid, and a cheerful twirl of her threadbare green dress, Gia was gone.

Annie spent a few minutes taking in the landscape, which reminded her a little of the Ramblings, and a little of the Way. But that was where the similarities ended. The people here dressed strangely and talked in a strange manner about things she would probably never understand.

Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her, getting louder by the second. She turned around and saw a cart clattering towards her, going to fast to stop. Annie stood, paralyzed. Astonished by the sight of the cart, unlike any she had seen before, she hadn't recognized the danger until it was upon her. As the cart closed in, the driver trying madly to stop the horses, Annie closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, it took her a few seconds to realize that she was not dead. Then she saw the reason for this. A boy, out of breath, lay next to her on the cobblestone. She got up, helped him up, and dusted herself off. The boy had dark brown eyes and silky dark hair. He wore a worn hat and coat. He looked like he fit in this city, and he was young, maybe only a year or two older than her.

"Try not to get yourself killed. I do hate it when pretty girls die." He tipped his dented hat at her, and she blushed. As he was about to leave, she stopped him.

"Wait! I must know your name, you just saved my life." The boy stopped and turned around. He wondered if he should tell this girl his real name. The fewer people knew who he was, the better. But he looked at her innocent face, and felt that if he was going to trust anyone, it would be this girl.

"Jack. Jack Dawkins. And you?" The boy, Jack, raised his eyebrows at Annie.

"Annie Malone. Well, goodbye Jack Dawkins."

"Goodbye, Annie Malone"

As the boy walked jauntily away, he bumped into Gia. Gia had lived on the streets before, and could feel her pocketbook slip into the boy's hands. Quickly, she snagged a piece of paper from his breast pocket. She knew that pickpockets rarely have money on them, but they keep important things close to their hearts.

As the boy muttered a quick apology and hurried away, Gia smiled, knowing she could use the paper to barter with the young thief. When she returned to Annie, she quickly excused herself, not giving Annie a chance to tell her what had happened.

Soon afterwards, Gia was waiting at the end of an alleyway. She had been in London before, and knew that Jack would take the quickest escape route.

Just as she suspected, it wasn't long before the thief came through. Stepping out of the shadows, she grabbed his arm. She looked at him angrily.

"Give it back." As Jack turned towards her, she caught her breath, and her grip loosened. He shook her off him.

"Why should I?" he challenged.

"Well, first of all, if you want to be a successful pickpocket, you might want to try some fuller purses. Secondly, if you give me my pocketbook, I'll give you this." She pulled out the piece of paper.

"How do you know I want that?"

"Well, you keep it near your heart." The boy reached under his coat into a hidden pocket.

"How did you..."

"This isn't my first time on the streets of London. I wonder what a scoundrel such as you could possibly..." Gia stopped short. She had unfolded the paper, and now saw a drawing of a woman.

Jack smiled. "Cat got your tongue?"

Gia looked back and forth from Jack to the picture, astonished. "You... remind me of someone. Is this your mother?"

"That's nobody's business but mine. Now give it here." The two exchanged the pocketbook and picture. And, with another tip of his hat, the boy disappeared into the foggy maze of London.