Disclaimer: I do not own Oliver Twist or anything associated with it. I also do not own Soul Eater or anything associated with it. I especially do not own the lyrics to "Where Is Love."
Hey this is kind of crossoverish, so yea. ENJOY!
Soul POV
"Maka, do you know how to pick a pocket?" Fagin asked, adjusting his coat so it hung properly on his shoulders. Maka stared at him, trying to decide whether he was joking or not, and remained silent. I knew, having been raised in this dump, that he was took Maka's silence for a negative. "Never mind that. I promised a game, right? So you sit by the fire and watch, then you can play." Maka nodded slightly, but didn't go near the fire. Instead, she just watched as Fagin grabbed an ivory cane and the game began.
First the boy named Kid walked behind him, carefully slipping a leather wallet from his back pocket. Fagin began to walk across the room as Garnet ran by, knocking the polished ivory cane out of his hands. Pretending to be an old man, Fagin stumbled. Two girls, the Thompson sisters, helped him up and returned his cane, one walking away with his pocket handkerchief, the other with his watch. I watched the "game" progress with a smug smirk. He was teaching us kids how to steal, but I was already the master of it all. I looked at Maka who stood still in slight shock, most likely caused by the game itself, but her viridian eyes still remained trained on the game as I then saw my own opening. I started to jog foward and bumped into him, relieving him of his chain watch, and walked away with a tip of my hat.
"Sorry, kind sir," I apologized cheekily.
After many more many more tricks and sleights of hand Fagin's formerly full pockets held only the filthy air of the room. "Well, that was quick," Fagin grinned as he examined his empty coat. "So show it off. What did you each get?" Hands shot up, grasping their stolen treasures, all except mine. I swaggered up to Fagin, swinging the chain watch on my index finger. The watch was the only thing no one had ever managed to steal from Fagin successfully. "You see, Maka? What a talent! You watch these two," Fagin declared, slinging his arms over Kid's and my shoulders. "Be a good, talented thief such as these two, and you will be the greatest woman who ever lived. It's a shame, though; these two are still very clumsy at times." He promptly raised his arms, revealing his wrist and chain watches.
"Hey, no fair! I earned that watch!" I yelled, trying to grab the watch from his scarred hand.
"No, I have somin' better for ya." A smirk spread across Fagin's lips. "You take the girl, Maka, out on her first job tomorrow. You've been staring at her for awhile now. It's only fair."
"I have not," I denied stubbornly, straightening my hat."Staring at flat-chested girls is not cool," I added, just as a little extra security.
"MAKA CHOP!" A hand slammed down karate style down on my head, leaving a small indent in my skull and flattening my hair.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! What's your problem?" I demanded, clutching my aching head and crushed hat. The other kids began to laugh, only to be silenced by my signature crimson death glare.
"It isn't cool to call a girl flat chested," Maka spat before stalking off, her arms crossed, and claiming what was formerly my hammock as her own.
The Next Day
I woke up on the hard beam that I had decided was now going to be my new bed. Fagin was still asleep, and a small dirty white owl perched on his soldier. That old man, why did he enjoy keeping that owl around? I do know why we tolerated it however, that owl didn't like people very much and when the runners, or anybody for that matter walked by he would squawk. I know from first handed experience, the sound that owl made was enough to deafen you, and is our almost fool proof alarm system. Still the thought of the sound made me look away from the small body of the owl and over to some of the younger children sleeping in a small heap of bodies and blankets. Then my eyes wandered over to Kid, Black*Star and a few others who were piled in various places throughout the room, and then to Maka. A peaceful expression graced her face as her chest rose and fell slowly. I smirked; she looks nice without a scowl. I carefully made my way to my flattened hat that rested on the other side of the beam, and made a somewhat futile attempt to bring it back to its former glory. Useless, I guess I'll be stealing one of these today. With that thought I jumped off the beam, landing silently on the ground below. I walked over to Maka and knelt down next to the hammock nudged her shoulder.
"Get up, I need to catch the men going to work to get a hat, and Fagin told me to take you. Come on." I whispered, she only let out a small moan that sounded something like 'no!' "Come on, god dammit I have to leave."
"No, no one else is awake!" She protested sleepily, on instinct I looked over my shoulder to make sure everyone was still asleep. I looked down at her then out the open window to where the clock tower stood five o'clock.
"Come on!" I whispered nudging her once more. She again did not wake up but instead twisted in the hammock to face the wall. I smirked as an idea popped into my head, that'll do. I picked her up and held her bridal style in my arms, she is so light. I kicked the door waiting for it to swing open and carried her out into the cold of the London morning. It took her about three minutes before she started to wake up.
"What in bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Maka yelled as she started to struggle in my arms.
"You lazy bum, you wouldn't wake up." I said looking down at her then over to the mouth of the alley.
"Well I'm up put me down!" Maka yelled again, why did she have to be so loud?
"Fine," I shrugged placing her back on the ground, "but you know you liked it." I stuffed my hands in the pockets of my worn checkered pants to shield them from the morning cold.
"Yea sure I loved it, that blue jacket smells like shit," she scoffed sarcastically, giggling.
"I could have left you alone with Fagin for the day, while I went to steal a replacement for the hat, you know the one that was Maka-choped into oblivion!"
"Truce okay?" She said shyly after a moment of silence.
"Sure, whatever."
"So where are Kid and Garnet. . .the rest?" She asked after a small silent pause.
"Asleep, they would rather catch the business men coming home with full pockets, I would rather have them with a hat." I answered coolly with a slight shrug.
"So we got up hours earlier than everyone else for a hat that you get later? That's stupid," Maka chided tightening her scarf around her neck.
"Shut up!" Needless to say we walked the rest of the way in complete silence. I scanned the river of suits and briefcases until my eyes stumbled on a black top hat that had three red small down feathers. Perfect. "'Ey Maka, stay here I'll be back." With a small nod in response from the girl I disappeared into the ocean of people and to my new hat. It was almost too easy to steal the silk hat, but still fun. I wore it proudly back to where I left Maka but she was gone, a different blonde stood in her place clutching her striped scarf.
"Garnet, where is she?" I asked, but it was not Garnet who answered.
"We came to look for you and Maka," her head hung, her cowboy hat creating a wall covering her guilty eyes that stared at the scarf.
"Liz, where is she?" I questioned again, she looked at Garnet who looked back at her. "Where is she damn it?"
"She was kidnapped by Free,-some girl was with him. S-she was a few years older th-than me she didn't try to stop him." Garnet then started to cry burring his face in his own scarf. "We w-were hiding and we did nothing." Liz stood silent and I looked at her for confirmation, she nodded.
"We better go tell Fagin," I ordered weakly as they just stood I started to yell."Come on, get moving." I was already sprinting half way down the street but they heard me. I will find you Maka.
At Thieves Kitchen (Home of Fagin's Gang)
"Are you sure it was Free?" Fagin asked pacing the length of the room.
"Of course I'm sure!" Garnet yelled stamping his foot, Maka's striped scarf still clutched in his tiny hands. "There was a girl with him too, it wasn't Marie she looked totally different."
"It's okay Garnet," a little girl named Robin said standing next to him.
"No it ain't I didn't try and save her or nothing. I just watched as Free took her." Garnet suddenly started to find an interest o his muddy boots as he stared down at the floor.
"To bed all of ya, Dodger come with me. You too Kid," Fagin ordered as I saw a silent tear run down Garnet's face. I walked over to him, and knelt down so I was his height.
"Garnet it was my fault, I left her alone; all for a damned hat too. Go to sleep I'm getting' her back." I faked a weak smirk, but it was very believable to the little blue eyed boy.
"Come on Dodge," Fagin called from the door.
"Well you heard him," I stated as I got up and went toward the door where Kid already stood.
"Thanks Dodger." he smiled before turning away to find a suitable bed Maka's scarf held tight still in his small hands. I left then out the open door and into the night with Fagin.
"This isn't good." Fagin deadpanned, lighting a cigarette.
"I know that!" I shouted at Fagin, how stupid does he think I am?
"Free is a murderer, and didn't Garnet say there was a girl with him? He must be grabbing followers now too, he is getting more powerful." Kid said looking anxiously at the ground.
"No, no not that," Fagin paused taking a drag of his cigarette."She is new, she might say somethin' that gets us in a lot of trouble."
"That's what your worried about?" I inquired shock and anger darkening my crimson eyes.
"What ya worried about then?" Fagin asked as he took another drag of his cigarette and looking down at me curiously.
"Fagin you disgust me sometimes," Kid said in his proper English accent unlike the cockney English that the rest of us had been raised with.
"I'm going to find Marie, she'll help me." I said leaving the alley appalled with the man that stood there.
"Tell her I said 'hi'," Fagin yelled jokingly. I spat back at him narrowly missing and cursing under my breath. Kid just loomed like a ghostly shadow against the alley wall looking sad weakly waving goodbye.
A/N: Oh no Maka! What will happen to her? Will Free kill her? Will Soul save her in time? You must read to find out. I hope you liked, please review =]
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Up to this point Shenzuul has been a super awesome beta, but as of late it has been hard for her to edit this story. So I would first like to thank her, and ask if anyone can help me out and continue to beta this.
THANKS! *waves frantically*
~Angel
