Chapter 21: A Flame Extinguished

A/N: Thanks for being so patient with me guys, sorry it took forever to update. Please remember who and what Nancy is in her life and that this story isn't going to be a happy one much longer. Remember that this is rated T, there will be no inappropriate things described so fear not.

Warning: Contains swearing and the beginning of Nancy's life as a prostitute.

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"Nancy," Fagin said gently as he stared at the young woman before him. She was staring out the window, seated in a chair just like she had been so many years ago. He could almost see that little six year old before him, were it not for the fact that Nancy was so obviously no longer six. Still, it was getting late, far too late for her to be up if she planned to work the next day. "My dear," he chided "it does you no good to wait up all night for them, Bill will be back." She did not move her eyes from the pane in front of her, she did not turn around. Finally she heaved a heavy sigh and responded without moving whatsoever.

"I believe we've been through this before, you don't know they'll be back in one piece."

"It's no different then any other job Bill has ever-"

"Yes it is," she snapped. She didn't care to elaborate on the subject and instead changed her tone quickly. "He's never been gone this long Fagin." That much was true, Bill had never been out past dawn, and that was very apparently occurring on the horizon.

"Perhaps that means the job is going well my dear," he tried with a smile. This only made Nancy feel as though she'd been stabbed when worry overrode her system once again.

"Or perhaps they got caught." Fagin was about to open his mouth to retaliate when there was a loud clinking outside, the knocking on the door and then-

"Lemme in Fagin!"

"Bill!" Nancy shouted in relief, not caring for who she woke up in the process. She leaped from her chair and rushed to open the door for him. Upon doing so she saw both Sikes and Dodger standing there, a grin from ear to ear.

"Our biggest haul ever Fagin," he said talking right past Nancy's smiling figure. "You won't believe the stuff we snatched."

"There's 'ardly anythin' left," Dodger said with a laugh.

As Fagin began counting up the wares both Bill and Dodger were turning out of their pockets he was coming to some startling conclusions. Nancy was officially the worst pick pocket in the gang, which was depressing considering how much promise she had shown as a little one. She was barely bringing in enough to earn her keep anymore. He kept stealing little side-glances at the young woman, asleep in her bed as it were. She had apologized to Bill for yelling, thanked heaven he was alright, and promptly crashed and fallen immediately into an unrivaled slumber. It could not go on, him paying Bill like this and having Nancy bringing in so little. There was no place for her anymore in the gang, something had to be done. Instantly, Fagin was on his feet and, donning his hat, he disappeared into the dawn on his way to the Three Cripples.

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"Hats on boys," Dodger cried with a smile. "It's time we were off!" Everybody scuttled around getting ready to go. Dodge had taken to doing this every morning, though Nancy could never figure out why. Her guess was that being such close friends with the most respected member of the gang, in other words herself, had given the lad a little extra confidence. She was reaching for her shawl when Fagin's voice stopped her cold in her tracks.

"Not you my dear," he said, his tone grave. "You and I need to talk." Instantly Nancy knew something was wrong, she'd never heard Fagin's voice like this before. She was aware, suddenly, of every eye in the flat trained on her, knowing the same things she did. Nancy slowly let her fist unclench from around her shawl, leaving it hanging on a nail in a low beam, before turning around with a bright smile on her face. She had to act like this was nothing out of the ordinary, if something was wrong, there was no good in worrying the boys. Dodger looked up at her, his eyes full of silent questions, as did everybody else.

"Go on then," she prodded Dodge with a smile "get out and I'll catch up with ya in a minute." Dodger was suspicious, no beyond suspicious of the whole scene going on before him, but there was just something in Nancy's smile. It was so warm, so reassuring, and behind all that, it was loaded with warning for him to play along. He knew he'd get the full extent of it later. Giving her a smile that showed he most definitely understood, he turned about and marched straight out the front door, the other boys following, reassured by his confident facade. Nancy stood watching them go with a smile and as soon as they were gone, she walked over to the table and slumped down before Fagin. "Did you 'ave to make such a scene of it?" she asked as she grasped for a gin bottle. Fagin handed it to her,but there were no chuckles at her apparent weariness.

"Nancy," Fagin said, completely ignoring how the young girl had scolded him. "Do you remember the first housebreaking job Bill ever went on?" She nodded and a smile cracked on her worn features in spite of herself.

"Do I remember? Cor! What kind of a question is tha' Fagin?"

"A significant one my dear. You and I had a conversation that night about....about what it was you would be doing when it was time for you to move out in the world." Instantly Nancy's throat tightened at Fagin's words. She clamped her teeth down on her lips and did not lift her gaze from the table as she spoke.

"Is it really that awful Fagin?" she asked, defeat washing over her. She'd known for a year now she wasn't earning her keep, but was Fagin really going to kick her out? "I know I 'aven't been doin' the best, but it's 'ard work an' I-"

"I know my dear," Fagin said "believe you and me I know. The fact of the matter is that if you wish to stay-" Nancy's eyes brightened at those words, so he wasn't getting rid of her after all. "you're going to 'ave to do something besides pick pocketing to earn your keep." Nancy was downright chipper now, and far to cheery because she was naïve of what it was Fagin was about to ask of her.

"What do you propose Fagin," she asked smiling. She knew it wouldn't be housebreaking, he had promised her against that. Still, she couldn't imagine what it was he would want her to do. Fagin bit his lip looking at her, this was tearing his heart out, it really was.

"I 'ave a few...friends, my dear, what work down at the Cripples. I spoke with them just this morning and they agreed that they'd be glad to have you working there." Nancy smiled, a bar maid, that wouldn't be so bad. It would be almost fun, laughing and joking with customers, she couldn't understand what would be so bad about that at all.

"Like a barmaid you mean?" she said smiling. Fagin looked up into the girl's smiling eyes and instantly from his expression she knew she had it all wrong.

This was killing Fagin, it really was.

"Not...exactly my dear." Now a small frown appeared on Nancy's features and her brow creased in concentration. She couldn't think of any other line of work down at the Cripples, except the barmaids. She'd gone in there during the late afternoon and seen them, looking a bit over the top with skin showing and make-up caked on, but of course that was because they chose to look like that...wasn't it?

"Then what exactly is it you want me to do Fagin." Fagin heaved a heavy sigh, he couldn't tell her, he just couldn't. He wouldn't be the one responsible for delivering this news, the girls down at the tavern could do that.

"Come with me Nancy my dear, meet my friends. They'll explain better then I could."

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"YOU EXPECT ME," Nancy was thundering off after the situation had been explained to her "TO SLUT AROUND WITH MEN LIKE SOME TWO BIT WHORE?" Fagin winced at her words, the tavern was empty this early thank God, but it didn't stop a scene from being caused. Fagin's "friends" as it turned out happened to be the prostitutes that worked in the tavern. One of which, who went by the name of Clara, Nancy was speaking with currently.

"Nancy, my dear," Fagin cautioned putting one hand on her arm and one hand on her shoulder. Instantly she snapped out of his grasp and rounded on him.

"DON'T YOU my dear ME! Are you completely OUT OF YOUR HEAD!!!" Fagin instantly winced away from her words. He'd never seen her this angry, she was livid.

"Come then Nancy it ain't so bad," Clara was trying to reason. "The customers are all real nice and what not." Which was a lie. Nancy could see from the bruises on Clara's collar bone and arms that that was a lie. And then it hit her like a ton of bricks, she had no choice. It was this or the streets, there was absolutely nothing in between for her.

"I suppose," she muttered numbly. Fagin literally reeled away at her words. This was worse then her screaming, because this was Nancy as he'd never wanted to see her. Broken. Like a shell she stood there, lifeless, numb. Agreeing with everything Clara was now rattling on about. How much fun it would be, and how the girl's would all treat her just like family.

"Are you in then?" Clara asked. Her smile was too bright, too bright for what she was about to be a part of. The corrupting of a courageous and beautiful young woman. Nancy nodded, her throat was dry, she could not respond to anything anymore. "Great. Come with me, we'll find you a dress you won't look 'alf bad in," she said smiling. Nancy turned her back fully on Clara and looked Fagin dead in the eyes. That was enough to tear the old man's soul out, because those eyes that he adored, the ones usually so full of life and laughter were dead. They were not crystalline or anything close to it any longer. They were just blue, just there. Like the rest of her. It was as though the fire that had always burned in Nancy had been blown out in one simple morning.

"I'll see you at home tonight Fagin." And with that, Fagin watched her be lead off, and for the first time in his life, Fagin felt guilty.