Disclaimer: Not mine. Apart from Lettie. The boys are based on the ones in the musical Oliver!

A/N: Salutations! Another chapter of pickpockets, teasing, poker, little kids arguments, and unrequited love. Aw. Isn't that sweet?

Well, maybe to you, but not to Dodger, that's for sure.

"I'm gonna be an actress when I grow up, Dodge," Lettie said firmly, biting into her bread roll.

"Really?" Dodger asked uninterestedly, leaning against the bed. It had been a few weeks since Lettie had arrived, and the irritable, annoying, pesky, and utterly sensitive girl had become completely fascinated in him.

Not that he could blame the girl, of course. It was all Fagin's fault. Fortune Teller that he had been, he had been landed with looking after the girl. He had been the one to take her out on the job, and yes, he had been the one to show her the ropes, tell her who was who, and show her what to do. And Fagin, wise man that he had been, had instructed Lettie to stick to Dodger. Like glue. And stuck she had.

It had been like having a little shadow following him around everywhere.

"Yeah. On the stage an' everythin'."

A very talkative little shadow.

"Don't you ever talk about anything else?" He grumbled, swinging his feet and kicking the sideboard. It was better than kicking Lettie.

"What do you want to talk about then?"

Dodger fought the urge to groan, "Nuffin'."

"Nothin'."

"Nuffin'," He forced a grin on his face and pointed to two of the boys in the corner of the room, "You see Charlie and Jamie? They'll talk about something with you," He shoved her gently on the shoulder, "Go on then."

"Fagin said I was s'posed to stay with you."

Dodger would really have to talk to Fagin. Surely Lettie understood that Fagin hadn't meant all the time.

Although, knowing the sadistic Jew, he probably had meant that.

"When we're on the job, remember? You can talk to the other boys if you want."

Lettie looked as if she was thinking, "Will you come with me, Dodge?"

Do not hit girls. Do not hit girls. Do not hit girls.

"NO," Dodger snapped, jumping up and grabbing Lettie by the shoulders and marching her over to Charlie and Jamie, "Will you two please look after her for an hour or two?"

Jamie, a tall fair-haired boy with an over-sized coat and an over-sized grin, smirked, "What's the matter Dodger, your small charge gettin' too much for ya?"

Do not hit Jamie either. He's taller than you. He'd probably knock you out. But it'd be worth it just to see him with a broken nose. And everyone would thank you for it. He's a pain in the proverbial anyway. You'd probably get a medal for it.

"I didn't say that," Dodger ground out, teeth gritted, "Just look after her, will ya?"

Charlie put an arm around Lettie's shoulders, ruffling her hair with his free hand. Lettie grinned angelically and blinked sweetly up at Dodger. Dodger rolled his eyes, "Aw Dodger, don'tcha like lookin' after her? She's really sweet when you get to know her."

Dodger glared dangerously at Charlie. Charlie Bates was his best friend. They were pals, blood brothers, team mates, fighters against the world, the Two Musketeers, you hurt me, you hurt him; you hurt him, you hurt me, all for one, one for all, swords in the ceiling, all that. And now Charlie was siding against him with a girl.

"She is not sweet," Dodger snarled, "She's a demon in a dress."

Jamie chuckled appreciatively, chucking Lettie under the chin. Charlie rolled his eyes, grinning, and Lettie…Lettie giggled.

"Lettie, I was insulting you," Dodger told her, completely perplexed.

"I know. I thought it was funny," She beamed up at Dodger in a way that, had she been seventeen and not seven, he would have deemed flirtatious, "You're funny, Dodge."

Urgh. Oh, God. The kid was flirting with him.

Dodger could feel his face turning a bright red. Charlie started smirking, and Jamie's grin spread wider. Dodger was sure his face was going to split in a moment. Although that may have been just wishful thinking.

"Well, look at that," Jamie said smoothly, "Dodger's got a sweetheart."

His face was definitely on fire.

"Isn't that sweet, Dodger?"

Probably could fry an egg on his face.

"You gonna go all soppy like Tom and Bet then, Dodge?"

They should start using his face for cooking the sausages on at dinner time.

"So what other qualities does our dear Artful have, Lettie-girl?" Jamie asked Lettie, looking far too pleased with himself, "What other things endears him to you?"

Oh Lord. That was taking it too far. Surely the girl wasn't actually going to….

Lettie opened her mouth, completely unabashed, "Well," She started, "He's very clever. He knows a lot about stuff…."

"I'm getting out of here," Dodger muttered darkly, retreating to where some of the boys were playing cards.

"What's the matter Dodger?" Warren, a small rabbity-looking boy with dark curly hair and a pale face, asked him, "Why ain't you lookin' after Lettie?"

"She ain't my little sister, is she?" Dodger retorted, taking a swig of gin. He shot a glare at Warren that told him that in no way, shape or form, was he going to carry on with the discussion of Lettie.

"Well, why don't you like her?" The smaller boy asked. He knew no fear, "She's sweet."

"Everyone says that!" The Artful Dodger wailed, "Everyone, and what they don't seem to understand is that she ain't sweet, she ain't innocent and she ain't angelic, she's this little evil, devious little fiend that is taking far too much pleasure in making my life hell!"

"Really?" Warren blundered on, "'Cos Barney and Tom told me that she really likes you…."

"Warren," Dodger said dangerously, "You like playin' cards, right?"

"Yeah."

"If you carry on, you ain't gonna have any hands to deal them cards, you get my drift?"

Warren gulped. Smart kid, "Sure thing, Dodge."

Dodger shook his head, pushing his top hat back on his head, "Good. Deal me in."

So that was good. No more taunts. No more teasing. No more implications. Just playing cards with the older boys (and winning), with a mug of gin and a particularly good hand….

"Hullo Dodger."

He had just imagined that voice. It couldn't be possible that the owner of that voice was sitting down right beside him…

"Are you playing cards?"

Or maybe he was just going mad. Maybe it had finally happened. He'd gone insane.

"Can I play?"

His thoughts broken off, Dodger wheeled around, "NO."

Lettie pouted, "Why not?"

"Yeah, Dodger, why won't you let your sweetheart play cards?"

Dodger turned round and shot a glare at Jamie. It was a glare of Death, Destruction and Utter Doom.

Jamie didn't even flinch. Damn him.

"What?" Jamie protested, "She's pretty; I'll have her if you won't."

"I won't let her play," Dodger ploughed on, ignoring Jamie's last comment, "Because she don't know how to."

Safe in the knowledge that he was safe, Dodger turned back to his hand and began shuffling through the cards…

"Yes I do. I was just taught how to."

Damn.

"Fine!" He yelped, "But you're gonna be losing all your money anyways."

Lettie smirked, "We'll see," She folded her hands demurely into her lap and watched Barney unwisely raise the bet, "Can I have my cards, please?"

All in all, it wouldn't be so bad. She'd play once, lose, give up…Dodger shook his head as he put down his cards, confident that he was going to sort Lettie out once and for all….

"Is that it?" Lettie beamed cheerfully down at Dodger's three of a kind, "I got a Straight!"

Or not.

Dodger blinked disbelievingly down at Lettie's hand, "But…how the….you didn't…."

"Quit while you're ahead, Dodge," Charlie said coolly.

"Don't be daft," Dodger snapped, "It's just beginner's luck. She'll go out on the next hand."

Or the next.

Or the next.

Five hands later, Lettie had won every single game. Dodger was still glowering at her as she scooped the mound of coins into her pockets.

"Who taught you to play poker?" He demanded.

"Jamie, Baccy and Ace," She nodded over at Jamie, Baccy, a surly looking boy with dark hair, a grimy face and a pipe stuck in his mouth, and Ace, a fresh-faced boy with a fez stuck on his head, all three of whom were grinning back at him.

Oh great. Typical. The three best card players in their age range, and they had to teach Little Miss Innocent how to play poker. Bloody brilliant.

"It's an awful lot of money, ain't it Dodger?" The girl asked cheerfully. Dodger's only answer was a dark glare at her.

"You lost a load of money in the last game, Dodge," Lettie ploughed on, leaning closer to him, "But don't worry," She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "I'll share with you if you like."

Jamie burst out laughing, clinging onto Baccy's shoulder. Warren and Barney had identical disgusted looks on their faces, and Charlie grinned widely.

Dodger groaned and banged his head on the table.

Is it disturbing that I started manically laughing halfway through this chapter?

Bwahaha...I loved tormenting Dodger in this chapter. And no, I do not feel sorry for him at all...I'm evil. Really evil.

Ok, time to thank the usual suspects: touchnotthecat (Meh. Post it back again) jumanji (I'm evil. I don't feel sorry for him at all) and Queen OF the Badgers (Apologies. A one-sided crush doesn't really count as something too gross, does it?)

Ok, just for fun...who is who? Here is my little guide to the pickpocket boys.

Warren: The boy who Fagin calls Charlie (but there's two of them, so...) and keeps the watch after 'Pick a Pocket Or Two'.

Jamie: The tallfair haired boy with a brown/green jacket who groans 'Oh, not again' when Oliver comes in. I LOVE that boy. He has the best expressions ever.

Baccy: The boy who sits next to Jamie in the first scene. Wears a strange hat, blue waistcoat and seems to have a pipe permanently attached to his mouth.

Ace: Oh, come on, there's only one boy in Oliver! with a fez.

Charlie: The boy who goes with Dodger and Oliver 'on the job'. Complains about the lack of sausages for breakfast.

Dodger: I think we can all tell who Dodger is.

I'll have to make a little picture guide to this...I have WAY too much free time, but it'd be fun...

Remember...REVIEW!