Hello everyone! Thank-you to Charlene Bates for reviewing both chapters one and two!!!! I owe you for this chapter:) And to those of you who had not reviewed, SHAME ON YOU!!

Nah, only kidding! But come on guys I know you all can do better then that! Please, please review for me. Please, pretty please???? With a cherry on top???

BTW: I'd like to also thank you so much Charlene Bates for letting me know that last chapter I made an error with a character name, instead of having Toby Crackit, I had Toby Crackpot!!! I feel ashamed!!! It sounds funny though, lol! Thanks Charlene!!!

The morning air was bleak and smelled strongly of rain. London had received a right bit of rain the night before, along with thunder and lightening. The mist from the previous night had lifted a little but the streets were still quiet for this time in the morning, even in the poorer and dirtier regions of London.

A completely drenched and cold Charley Bates made his way through the quiet and unusually empty streets. His eyes darted this way and that, moving in the shadows. The Traps would still properly be looking for him and he didn't want to make too much of an entrance. Those of the men and women already drinking and talking through the alleyways ignored him as he silently and discreetly past them.

He traveled through one more street until he stopped in the shadows of a corner, his eyes glued on an old blue faded door to the right of him. Mist came from his lips as he sighed. If there was one person he had left to turn to, although he was not completely sure that she'd help him…

Glancing cautiously around one more time he moved towards the faded blue door to his right. He knocked against the chipped wood and waited for the door to open. It didn't. He knocked again, more loudly this time and still the same result.

Charley glanced around nervously before he raised his fist to knock again when a voice from inside made him jump, "Keep ya bloody hair on, I'm coming!"

Charley heard the click of a lock on the other side as the door was swung open by a middle aged woman dressed in a red and orange dress the was too small for her. Her black hair was in tangles and her painted face and lips were messy and her corset was so tight her cleavage was defiantly eye catching. Her expression turned to confusion for a moment when she served Charley, who looked like a drowned cat.

She leaned against the door frame and raised an eye brow at Charley saying, "aren't ya a bit young to be here? Well, you better pay well, my girls don't come cheap."

"I'm looking for someone," said Charley, trying to stop his teeth chattering, "I was wondering if she was here."

"Oh really?" said the woman straightening up and folding her arms, "who?"

"Her name's Bet," said Charley looking up at the woman, "she a friend of mine."

The woman stared at Charley for a moment before smirking, "just a friend huh?"

Charley scowled and rolled his eyes, "It's nothing like that."

"Hm," still smirking, the woman moved aside for Charley to enter the house. Inside was dark as the woman closed the door behind him. She led him down a small hallway and then stopped at one door. She knocked and called, "Bet! Here's a boy here to see ya!"

Charley looked from the woman to the door. Shuffling could be heard from inside and he heard the familiar voice, "Hang on! I swear if it's you Frank again, I told ya the other night, I've had enough of ya! You can never put it in the right place!"

Despite the situation Charley couldn't help find her comments amusing and silently started to snicker from behind the woman at Bet's words. The door swung open and Bet's annoyed expression dropped when she saw the mistress of the house and Charley. Her blonde hair was straight and hung down to her shoulders as usual and she had a thin and ragged shawl wrapped around her tight fitted corset.

"Charley!" she exclaimed, "whatcha doing here?! You look like someone tried to drown ya!"

Charley eyes light up and unable to suppress his joy at being so glad to see her, he rushed forward and threw his arms around her waist. Finally! A familiar face!

"Have you heard?!" cried Charley loudly, "The Traps have got in on Fagin!"

What?!" gasped Bet as she pushed the boy away from her and grabbed his shoulders, "what's happened?!"

Charley opened his mouth to answer but suddenly stopped. He turned to see the mistress of the house, whom he had forgotten all together at seeing Bet, was standing right behind them, watching curiously. He pushed Bet into the room and slammed the door in the mistresses' face.

"We were at Toby's," whispered Charley, "and they followed Bulls Eye and found us!"

"Sykes' dog!" exclaimed Bet loudly, "I thought he'd gone!"

Charley shook his head, "he came back! And the last thing I know he took Oliver onto the roof and the Traps got into the place. And here's something else!"

"What?!" said Bet, her eyes wide and fearful, "what is it?!"

"Nancy," said Charley carefully, knowing how close the two girls were, "Bet, he murdered her!"

Bet's reaction was something Charley did not expect. Her hands dropped from his shoulders and they became limp at her sides. She bit her lip and slowly nodded her head and backing away from the boy. Charley too a step back in confusion.

"Bet?"

"I know."

"What?!"

"I know; I was there."

Charley eyes widened and all remaining colour drained from his face. Something in his head finally clicked.

"The Cronical," he whispered staring at Bet, who remained silent with tears in her eyes, "it was you."

The silence in the room dragged on until Bet said, "Ay, it was me who found Nancy. I knew who had done it and when I called for help they asked me who and I said William Sykes."

Charley stared at Bet. It had been shocking enough that Nancy had told on them and told the Traps where Oliver was but for Bet to dib in Bill Sykes…?

"What was I to do Charley?!" cried Bet suddenly glaring at Charley, "I couldn't stand by and let him get away with it! What would you have done?!"

What would he have done? Charley lowered his eyes as he too realized if Bill had done the same to him, if Bill had murdered Dodger back at Toby's when Dodger had thrown all caution to the wind and attacked Sykes, he would too have told the police what had happened. He would have peached just like Nancy…

"I know why you're here," said Bet, her glare dropping; she sounded more miserable then he had ever heard her, "I know why and I can't help ya."

Charley raised his eyes again and he stared at her pleadingly, "Please Bet, please. I dunno what I'm going to do. Where'm I going to go?!"

"Ya can't stay here that for sure," said Bet, "get out of London."

"That won't help, I was born here, I got no where to go to," said Charley starting to feel desperate. Why had he hoped that Bet would help him? She was in the same situation as he was, except she had somewhere to stay.

"I-" started Bet when a voice on the other side of the door interrupted her. It was official sounding and gentlemen-like and it sent a quire of fear through both criminals.

"This way gentlemen. He'll be in one of these rooms, as the lady said!"

The sound of doors opening and closing could be heard from the other side, Charley backed away from the door as Bet gasped.

"He said the name Fagin," they heard the mistress' voice, "I will get some pay for this I presume?"

"It's all taken care of madam," said another voice.

Oh no, oh no, oh no! Charley grabbed hold of Bet's skirt and clutched it in her fist, "please don't let them have me! Bet please!"

Bet bit her red painted bottom lip before she pulled herself free from Charley's grip. He glanced over his shoulder at the door, the voices were coming nearer. He turned sharply when he heard the sound of a chain rattling and his jaw dropped.

"What the-!"

Bet had pulled a section of the wall away and behind it was a dark passage way. Not even Fagin had something like this! Or at least as far as he knew.

It was secured together by two chains, attached to a single chain that Bet was holding in her hands. She wrapped it securely around a leg of the bed next to the wall.

She rushed to the set of draws in the corner and pulled them open quickly and was muttering to herself. She emptied the contents of the first two draws to the ground. She rummaged through the fillings but did not find what she was looking for as she pulled open the third draw and took a nervous and quick glance at the door.

"What are ya doing?" asked Charley as he too took glanced at the door.

He heard the mistress' voice, "In that room down there sirs. The girl's name is Bet. I'll just get the key."

"Bet!" said Charley purely terrified now, "Bet there co-"

He felt someone suddenly grabbed his hand and he was being pulled towards the opening in the wall. Bet shoved him roughly into the passage and stuffed a piece of parchment into his hand saying quick and urgent, her voice coming in gasps.

"There is a man living in a small cottage just south of London. His name is on the paper, he's a friend of Fagin's," Charley watched as she untied the chain from around the bed's leg, "get yourself here, past Old Jim, you'll find him. And don't hang about, the mistress knows about this passage."

The sound of keys jiggling outside the door could be heard and Bet scrabbled to her feet, the chain in her hands, "Go, and don't worry ya about me."

"You can't stay here!" cried Charley his eyes widening, "you-"

Bet suddenly grabbed him by his wet coat, "Remember this, the Traps aren't the ones after ya!"

"Whatcha mean?!" asked Charley staring at her pale face as her red lips quivered, "of course the Traps-"

"Follow the passage and past Old Jim," Bet's voice spoke over him as she pushed him back further into the passage, "Goodbye Charley."

"No! Bet!" the sound of the room's door's lock clicking and as Charley jumped forward to pull the girl into the passage. But it was too late.

Bet let the chain in her hands go and the wall swung towards him, shutting him into darkness, resulting in him running straight into the wall; the forces threw him backwards onto the floor.

He lay here in the silence and darkness for a moment until he heard Bet's screams, "No! No! Let me go! Charley run! Go! Run!"

The Traps! Charley gasped and scrabbled to his feet in the darkness. The floor was moist and muddy and he slipped slightly as he staggered from the floor. He stretched out his hands; the parchment that Bet had given him was tight in his fist.

He blindly felt along the wall his for his way in the darkness, trying to hurry as fast as he could, tripping and staggering sometimes on the uneven earth, the cold brick wall of the passage way his only light to the end.