A/N: 17 reviews overnight?! You guys are really, really cool. Seriously. Well, anywho, sorry for the long wait. I just had to be suspenseful.
Disclaimer: Like Eddie Redmayne, Oliver Twist does not belong to me. I really, really wish Eddie Redmayne did, though.
Chapter 4
In which Chastity begins working at the Three Cripples-
You're so quiet
But it doesn't faze me
You're on time
You move so fast, makes me feel lazy
Let's join forces I left my house But I wish I could feel it all for you
We've got our guns and horses
I know you've been burned
But every fire is a lesson learned
Left my clothes
Door wide open
Heaven knows
You're so worth it, you are
I wish I could be it all for you
If I could erase the pain
Maybe you'd feel the same
I'd do it all for you
I would
Chastity walked the alleyways of London, her brown leather boots making no sound on the cobblestone. She had walked this same path since she had been eleven, three years ago. Now she was fourteen, and everything had changed a great deal in those three years. Now everyone in the slums of London knew who she was, but not just because of her skill as a pickpocket. As she had grown older, her beauty had blossomed along with her. She had lost her ratty appearance and her figure had elongated, along with her facial features. Her matted hair had 'untangled' itself and curled gently, but remained pinned up in the same shiny black ribbon. Her and Victoria's friendship remained as strong and as unbreakable as ever, and they roamed the streets together, with Chassy sometimes teaching Vicky how to pick a pocket or two and Vicky teaching Chassy some of the things she had been taught at her old school. Chassy had just been to one of these lessons, and was going over it in her head as she climbed the rickety wooden staircase leading to the hideout. She knocked on the door and said in a slightly bored voice,
"Plummy and slam." At her voice, the door swung open and she strode in, bidding a hello to the lad at the door. She climbed up the stairs and pushed open the door, revealing several boys her age at the table playing a game of cards. At the sound of the door opening, one of the boys looked up and grinned at her.
"Chass, yer back! Come over an' play a round, Dodge's winnin' too much." At this the boy in the top hat snorted and laid another card down on the table.
"You're jus' bad at cards, Charley." Chassy walked over to the table and turned out her pockets onto the table, a few apples rolling across the wood. She sat and reached for a glass bottle of gin, peering at the contents. She frowned at the low amount of liquid left and swallowed the remaining amount in one gulp. At this moment a tall man with a wide-brimmed hat came up the stairs, hanging his coat on a peg. He sighed and pulled several wallets from his pocket.
"Ain't nobody on the streets today..got practically nothin'." he grumbled, sitting down at the table next to Chassy. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout.
"Ooh, Fagin, I'm so sorry. We can't all be prodigies, can we?" Fagin swung his arm around, aiming for Chastity's stomach, but she quickly scooted down the bench, dodging the blow.
"Gettin' a little old, ain't we, Fagin?" she said breezily, studying her nails. Fagin narrowed his eyes at her. Dodger and the others chortled.
"Yew better watch 'oo yer callin' old, girl," he said menacingly, but a smile twinkled in his eyes.
Chassy grinned at him and stuck out her tongue mockingly. Fagin just shook his head and stood up, heading for the old fireplace to start preparing dinner. Chassy leaned back against the table and took a bite of an apple, staring at the ceiling and drifting in and out of conciousness. She was stirred out of her stupor when Nancy burst through the door and bid a cheerful hello to everyone. She waved hello, rather groggy, and missed the pointed look Nancy gave Fagin, who winked at her and cleared his throat.
"Alrigh', boys, I need ya to go out an' get some food fer dinner." All of the boys groaned, but got up and trooped out the door, talking all the way. Chassy cracked her back and sat up straighter as Nancy and Fagin sat across from her. She raised an eyebrow at their grim expressions.
"Alrigh', what's up? Yew both look 'alf dead." Fagin sighed deeply and leaned forward,
"Well, dear, me and Nance 'ave been talkin' an'..we've decided you've gotten a little, well...old for picking pockets-"
"Old? Fagin, I'm fourteen!" Chassy interrupted, incredulous.
"Well, that's the thing," Fagin continued carefully, "Gerls don't normally pick pockets, not at your age. Your quite a pretty gerl, too, so Nancy and I went ahead and got you another job..at the Three Cripples," he finished. Chassy stared at him, gobsmacked, and slowly shook her head.
"Fagin, tha's not fair! I bring in jus' as much as the boys, sometimes even more!" Fagin merely shrugged and gave her a sad smile, as if she was eleven again. Chassy's hands curled into fists, her knuckles turning white.
"I see what yer doin'," she said, her voice shaking with rage, "I'm gonna work there a lot, ain't I?! An' I'm gonna be a good little gerl an' make those nasty men 'appy, ain't I?! I see wot yer doin', alrigh'! Yer makin' to turn me inta a pitiful, side-o'-the street, whore!" she spat, face red with anger. She could see the pain in Nancy's face, but she didn't care. Not now.
"Vicky's agreed to do it," whispered Nancy. Chassy looked at her, shocked.
"Vicky's gonna be workin' there?!" she slumped back, defeated; "Looks like she's gone mad, too," she said, all the rage out of her voice. She sat there in silence for a few minutes, eyes fixed on some point in the distance.
"Alrigh'," she breathed, voice trembling again, "I'll do it. Migh' as well, seein' as you're all utterly crazy." Nancy and Fagin sighed in relief, and Fagin gave her a weak smile,
"I knew you'd see reason, Chassy." Chassy grimaced.
"Oh, I ain't seein' reason. Not yet," she said softly, "Fagin, I'm gonna 'ead off to bed now," she said, firmly. With that she stood up and strode over to a small room, shutting the door behind her and locking it with a click. Fagin and Nancy sat together in silence for a few minutes before Dodger and the other boys came through the door, their faces contorted with shock. They took a seat at the table and after a few minutes of eating silence, Dodger finally spoke up,
"That didn' go over well, did it?" he said. Nancy looked up from her meal,
"You were listenin'?" she asked, annoyed. Dodger looked at her, the hint of a smug smile on his face,
"Course we did. Didn't you 'ear us? Ace sneezed once." Nancy just shook her head. She stood up and made her way to the door.
"I think I best be leavin' now," she said softly, still shaken.
And slowly, one by one, everyone went to sleep.
o0o0o0o0o0o
Chastity awoke late in the afternoon to a sharp rap on the door.
"Chass? You up?" came Dodger's voice, from the other side of the door. She groaned and rolled over,
"Now I am," she grumbled into the floor. She heard a small chuckle and his voice came again,
"Well, Fagin says to get up, Nancy's waitin'." she heard his retreating footsteps.
"I don't want to be a whore," she whispered into the wooden floor. She sighed deeply, and despite her a bad feeling in her stomach, pushed herself up and walked over to the mirror on the wall, studying her reflection. She ran her fingers through the meanest looking knots and tied up her hair loosely with the black ribbon. She unlocked the door and walked through, ignoring all the stares from the boys. She guessed they had been listening on and her and Nancy's conversation, she probably would have done the same. She climbed down the stairs and met Nancy at the door. Nancy smiled, and Chassy weakly returned it.
"Let's jus' get this over wit'." she mumbled, and the two walked in silence to the Three Cripples. Waiting outside the door was Victoria, and her face lit up at the sight of the two girls. Chassy breathed a sigh of relief and rushed over to greet her friend, wrapping her arms around her neck.
"Vicky, I think we've gone crazy, agreein' to this," she said solemnly. Vicky just laughed and pulled away.
"I don't really mind. All the money I earn will buy food for Mother and I." Chassy just nodded and Nancy ushered the girls inside and towards a door, which swung open to reveal a dressing room. A lady with curly brown hair and a purple dress clapped her hands and smiled cheerily at their appearance.
"Ah, the new recruits! Why don't you have a seat on that chair, dear, and I'll get your lovely friend fitted." she said, gesturing for Chassy to sit down, and grabbing Victoria by the hand and leading her into a small room. Chassy waited for a fifteen minutes, nervously wringing her hands until Vicky returned clad in a shimmering purple dress with a dangerously low neckline. Her lips were covered with a peach lipstick and her cheeks were rouged. Chassy had to admit, she looked quite pretty, but for such a horrible cause. The woman smiled and waved Chassy up with her hands. Chassy let out a deep breath and stood up, following the woman.
"You're a pretty one, aren't you? We won't have to put much makeup on you! Now, what's your name, dearie?" she said cheerfully. Chassy opened her mouth but found she could not make a sound, and she swalowed the bile at the back of her throat and said softly,
"Chastity." The woman turned to grin at her, and stood her up on a stool in front of a mirror.
"Such a pretty name, for such a pretty girl! You can call me Lizzie. Now, dear, please take that lovely dress off." Chassy stared at her, taken aback.
"What?" she managed to croak out. Lizzie clucked her tongue and shook her head, as if she had heard the same statement many times before.
"Don't be embarassed, dearie. I just have to get you fitted for a corset and patch up your dress a bit." Chassy gulped, but she finally obeyed, the whole time her eyes did not leave the mirror as Lizzie measured her waist, and much to Chassy's horror, her bust.
"Your quite small around here, dear. We'll have to fit you into the Pusher." Chassy's heart jumped up her throat.
"The Pusher?" she asked, voice quavering. Her question was not answered, however, as a corset was tightly wrapped around her waist. She struggled to breathe as Lizzie pulled the strings tighter and tighter, until Chassy swore if the strings were pulled any more she would pop. Chassy's breath caught in her throat as she realized why this corset was called the Pusher. The corset had extra padding and forced her breasts up and out, making them appear bigger. She couldn't stop the tears of hate forming at the back of her eyes, but bit down hard on her lip to stop them from bubbling to the surface. She would not show her weakness. As Chassy stood there, two women that she had not noticed before appeared from the back of the room and began brushing her hair and applying minimal makeup, just a smear of gray over her eyes, making the blue pop even more. Lizzie had finished her 'alterations' and now slipped the dress over her head, which now had a considerably lower neckline and a few inches off the bottom.
"Take off those boots, dear, I've got some nice black shoes for you." Chassy obeyed and slipped on the black flats Lizzie had brought over. They were soft and silky, but she much preferred the molded leather of her old boots.
"Right then, dear, you're all done! Now, it's off to work for the both of you!" said Lizzie, steering Chassy off of the stool and back into the room where Vicky and Nancy were waiting. She spoke louder, adressing the both of them,
"You'll be working as bartenders for now, but we'll get you a higher paying job later. Now, go on out there and give em' a show!" she exclaimed cheerfully, ushering them out the door and into the bar. Vicky gripped Chassy's hand tightly, echoing her own horror. Chassy turned to her and managed a weak smile.
"Jus' be nice. At the end of the night we get paid." she whispered. Vicky's eyes widened and she nodded once, put on a big smile, and headed bravely over to a table. Chassy took a deep breathe and headed over to the table closest to her and put on her cheekiest smile.
"An' what can I get fer yew gents?" she said, and leaned on the table. The men smiled back and stared at her hungrily, making her skin crawl.
"A round of gin fer us, dear. An' make it quick," drawled one of the men. Chassy winked at them and headed over to the bar, filling up cups and bringing them back to tables. This pattern continued most of the night, sometimes the people at the table would chat with her. She was still angry, but she let her haughty demeanor drop and allowed herself to have fun. She danced with the other ladies and hummed along to the songs. She continued fetching drinks and noticed Fagin and the gang from the corner of her eye. She winced and tried to ignore them, she knew that if they met her eyes all hell would break loose. So she kept on fetching drinks and humming along nervously. As she distractedly served some men near the front, one of them must have noticed her humming, as he leaned forward and said shakily,
"I 'ear yew hummin', gerl. Why don't ya get up there an' perform a song fer us?" Chassy blinked a few times at their request, confused. Sing? She didn't recall singing before, not ever. Still, she decided, it just might get them to tip her. She grinned and nodded,
"Jus' fer you." She
thought for a little bit, and cleared her throat, singing in a loud, clear voice she didn't know she had posessed,
"I've got my ticket for the long way round
Two bottles of whiskey for the way
And I sure would like some sweet company
and I'm leaving tomorrow – Whaddya say?"
The bar became silent, as all heads turned towards her.Her eyes met Vicky's and she smiled. Vicky instantly understood and continued with her,
"When I'm gone, when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me by my hair
You're gonna miss me everywhere
Oh I know you're gonna miss when I'm gone
I've got my ticket for the long way round
No one but the prettiest of view
It's got mountains it's got rivers
It's got sex it'll give you shivvers
And it sure will be prettier with you."
At this point all of the other girls working there caught on and joined in for the chorus,
"When I'm gone, when I'm gone
When I'm gone, when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me by my hair
You're gonna miss me everywhere
You're gonna miss when I'm gone
When I'm gone, when I'm gone
When I'm gone, when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me by my walk
You're gonna miss me by my talk
You're gonna miss when I'm gone ."
People started clapping drunkedly, but the clapping died down and people returned to their conversations. Chassy turned to the two men, smiling excitedly. The man returned her smile and handed her a pound note, and her eyes widened.
"There'll be more if you keep singin'," he said with a wink. Chassy smiled even brighter (if that was possible) and turned away, coming face-to-face with Lizzie, who grinned and grabbed Chassy's hands.
"That was wonderful, dear. We'll have to appoint you as singer, won't we? Well, you and your friend are of for the night. Remember to come back tomorrow, and I'll pay you then. Well, goodnight," she gushed, and headed off to another table. Chassy rushed over to Vicky, who squealed excitedly,
"Oh, Chass, that was amazing! I didn't know you could sing like that!" Chassy shrugged,
"I didn' neither. But...I think I wan' to go 'ome now, I'm pretty beat. I guess we'll be back again tomorrow.." she trailed off, her exhaustion apparent. Vicky simply nodded and hugged her quickly, then turned around and left. Chastity took a deep breath and made her way over to where Fagin and the gang sat. Most of the boys were wide-eyed, even Dodger seemed impressed; while Fagin just appeared pleased with himself.
"Well done, m'dear, well done! I didn' know yew 'ad tha' lovely voice in yew," he said, rather smugly. Chassy just glared at him,
"Well, I want to go 'ome. I can't stand this place no more." To her surprise, Dodger stood up,
"I'll take 'er, Fagin. Be righ' back," he said calmly, and walked out the door, Chassy close on his heels.
"Yew did do good, ya know. Yer a really good singer," he said, and Chassy could tell he meant it. She smiled,
"Thanks. I 'ate that place more than anyfink, though, makes me wanna 'url," she grumbled. Dodger just smirked and walked on,
"I guess a livin' is a livin', though, right?"
"Yeah, an' all o' my livins' is goin' to Fagin," Chassy grumbled. Dodger just laughed and continued on. They soon reached the hideout and walked inside. Chassy rooted throughout the 'pantry' and emerged, grimacing, with a large bottle of gin in hand. She sat down at the table and unscrewed the bottle, taking a large swig. She sighed deeply,
"Ahh, I needed tha'." Dodger smirked and sat down next to her, taking a drink as well. They sat that way a while, taking turns.
O0o0o0o0o0o
Chassy leant back against her chair, the empty bottle of gin clamped tightly in her hand. She smiled crookedly at Dodger, who was staring at her deeply, leaning on his hand.
"Wot 'chu starin' at me for?" Chassy slurred. Dodger looked confused, but said slowly,
"I was jus' noticin'...how pretty yew are in tha' dress." Chassy flushed even darker red, but she laughed it off,
"Yer lyin'. I know yew 'ate me."
"No I don'."
"Yes, yew do."
Dodger sighed deeply, annoyed.
"I don' 'ate yew. I jus' didn' wan' yew to know tha' I care 'bout yew," he drawled, but his eyes grew wide and he clamped his mouth shut when he realized what he had said. Chassy snickered,
"Tha' was supposed to be a secret, wasn' it?" Dodger didn't say anything, but continued to stare at her, eyes narrowed in thought. His gaze made her uncomfortable, and she shifted nervously in her chair. He began to move closer to her, until their noses were nearly touching.
"I think...I think I should kiss yew," he said slowly. Chassy took a shaky breath,
"Well, then, why don't ya?" she whispered. A hint of a smile played at his lips, but he leant forward slowly and pressed his lips to hers. She recoiled slightly at first, but he felt warm and soft, so she kissed him back and placed one hand on the back of his neck. He pulled back slowly, and looked into her eyes, a puzzled expression on his face. Frightened by his silence, Chassy questioned,
"Wha'?"
"Well..it felt...nice," he concluded, grinning cheekily. Chassy let out the breath she had been holding. She looked down at her feet, and then up again. She bit her lip and smiled,
"Wanna do it again?"
A/N: Ah, the matchmaking properties of alcohol! Anyways, you know the drill. 20 reviews for next chapter!
