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Five

Sara visited the Dodger many times in the next few months, until the snow fell lightly and it got into November. By then, she was well known by Fagan and the boys he employed, as well as a friend to Bet. One morning when all the boys had just woken up and were eating breakfast, they heard the pleasant surprise of Sara knocking twice on the door, and calling her name after the manner of the Dodger.

"Morning boys!" She cried, smiling, and took off the heavy shawl she had been wearing to stay warm, revealing a large package she had brought. "I took some freshly baked buns from the kitchen this morning, who wants some?"

All the boys rushed towards her as she handed them to the boys to share. As they began to walk away with the food, she looked up at the smiling Dodger, who had stayed back. He then walked towards her and took her hands and smiled. "I'm 'appy to see you," He said softly.

Sara blushed and looked down, biting her lip even though she was smiling widely, trying to restrain her obvious excitement. She looked up, and replied, "I came here this morning to ask you something."

"Anythin'. At your service, Lady Sara." The Dodger grinned, and released her hands.

As the boys began to bustle out the door, shooed out by Fagan, Sara replied quietly, "I'd like to come on the game with you today."

The Dodger furrowed his brows. "No," he said stoutly, "you're respectable, and you ought to stay that way."

Sara frowned, and turned around, twirling her hair around one finger, "Oh Charlie?" She walked up to Charlie, and, making sure the Dodger was watching, pulled out her best feminine wiles. She pouted her lips into a playful smile, and she looked up at him through her eyelashes, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I was wondering if you might be able to do me a favour . . ."

Charlie looked at her, astonished. He knew, as well as the other boys, (though they were too clever to say it openly) that the Dodger and Sara loved each other. He looked over her head at the Dodger, who had begun walking towards them. He looked at Sara, who had now donned a triumphant grin, and leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "five, four, three, two, one."

"Come on." The Dodger said gruffly. "I don't like it, and you know I don't like it, but come on. But only on one condition."

Sara turned to him, and smiled. "Thank you. Anything."

"You never, ever put what you see into practice, unless I say you can. And," he added after Sara nodded in agreement, "You have to stay a fair distance from me, if anything happens. And if anyone calls for the traps and they chase me, you have to stay away from me, and do nothing."

Sara bit her lip, but she knew that if that was what it took, she would do it. "Alright. Let's go."

It had been a good morning for the Dodger, and Sara stayed out of his pocket picking, observing unobtrusively.

Sara had stayed close enough so he had known that she was still there all day, but far enough that anyone who had seen the Dodger steal wouldn't think Sara was involved at all.

"Over there. To your left, the man looking in that window." Sara whispered stealthily.

The Dodger turned, and gave her a small nod in approval. The man was exceptionally wealthy. He saw Sara walk ahead of him, and she winked, too far ahead of him and too close to the man for him to do anything.

"John!" Sara said in fake delight, pretending to be walking by and simply catching a glimpse of the man. She turned him so that the Dodger could easily take his wallet without anyone seeing, and began to talk to the young man as if they were best friends. She asked him about his sister, and how he was doing, and by the time their conversation had ended, the man had nothing else on him that was worth stealing, except his clothes.

"Tha' was great, but I don't want you a par' o' this." Dodger muttered, but Sara noted that praise also came with his disapproval.

The Dodger came up to a bakery with a stand outside the door. He saw the man who was selling the bread on it walk inside, and he quickly snatched up a loaf and walked away. The man came out almost right after, and the Dodger was a good few shops away before the man yelled, "Police! Thief!"

The Dodger didn't run, knowing he hadn't been spotted yet. He frantically looked around for a place to hide, or a side street to turn down. But the street went straight both ways, with only shops that were packed closely together. Now he wouldn't be able to get away. The Dodger panicked, and tried to think as the man cried, "He took off that way! Thief!"

He turned to Sara, and led her to the side of the shop. "They 'aven't seen me yet." He tried to explain, his heart racing even more about what he was about to do then the traps chasing him. She gave him a puzzled look, but he only saw it for a moment as he turned himself to having his back resting against the front of the shop, and put his arm around her waist and one behind her head, and softly kissed her.

Sara's heart pounded, as did the Dodger's, as their fear melted away and their eyes closed. Sara's arms instinctively went around his neck, and their heads were both spinning, barely hearing the traps run past them, lost in their own world. A moment later, when they broke off the kiss and reluctantly opened their eyes, still wrapped in each other's arms.

"I think we lost 'em," the Dodger smiled.