Title - It's A Fine Life
Chapter Title - Oliver's Story.
Author - OblivionsGarden
Genre - Romance/Crime/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort/Drama
Disclaimer - I do not own Oliver Twist or Oliver! in anyway, shape or form. I entirely own the plot for this fic and my original characters.

A/n - Please leave a review if you read, I'd greatly appreciate it. x

C.5

"I'll stay in this one, if you three don't mind, o'course." Lyra gestured to one of the small basket-beds beneath the window in the room where the older boys slept.
"Course not. Us three use those, so you sleep where you want to." Smiled Dave, pointing at the bunks along the wall.
"Thanks."
"Right then, who's up for a spot of dinner and gin?" Called Fagin and Dave, Lyra, Charley and Dodger hastily moved out into the main room, where they received a hot sausage and toast with a tumbler of watered down gin. Lyra sat in between Charley and Dodger as they took it in turns to point at various boys in the room and name them.
"Oh, and there's another girl, but she don't live with us." Said Charley, swallowing the last of his small meal. " 'Er name's Nancy."
"She'd bloody love to 'ear there's another girl around the place now. After all she always said we needy a lady's touch about the place." Dodger smirked, side glancing at Lyra who narrowed her eyes at the word 'Lady.' "So, you gonna tell us why you don't like bein' called that or what?"
"Long story." She mumbled, draining the remaining contents of her gin.
"We got plenty o'time." Countered Charley.
"Yeah an' we won't tell no-one neither." Added Dodger.
Lyra sighed. "Me dad always said me mum was a lady. And if I ever turn out like 'er or 'im then I shall kill me'self."
"Blimey, what are they like?"
"Let's just say they we're bad enough for me to prefer runnin' away and livin' on the streets than in their big 'ouse."
"Big 'ouse?" Frowned Dodger.
"Toffs." Was all Lyra said. Charley left to try and get some more gin from Fagin as Dodger leant a little closer to Lyra.
"They ain't all bad y'know." Lyra watched him curiously out of the corner of her eye. "I 'appen to me mates with a toff. Of sorts."
"How did that come to 'appen then?"
"Well, he was from an orphanage. He ran away, like you and just so 'appened I met 'im. Bought 'im back 'ere an'...I tell you what, I'll let 'im tell you."
"Ey?"
Dodger stood up from the bench and inclined his head to indicate that Lyra should follow him. Lyra did so, now thoroughly curious about this boy that the Dodger was speaking about. "Just gonna show Lyra some of the better places for our line o'business. Be back soon, Fagin."
"All right my dears."

Dodger lead Lyra through the gradually quietening streets of London. Everyone was either finishing their day of work and heading home or making their way to the nearest pub. Lyra pulled her coat tighter around her and dug her hands deep into the warm pockets against the cold October wind. Eventually, Dodger stopped, looking out at a long row of clean, white houses. Lyra heart skipped a beat.
"This is where they live." She murmured.
"Who?"
"Me mum and dad. Just down there, at the end." She pointed to the house on the very corner of the street with a strong look of distaste on her features.
"Well, good job Oliver lives up 'ere then, ey?" Dodger pointed to the opposite end of the street and started to walk forwards. Lyra, however, couldn't move. She couldn't stop staring at the large house she'd once lived in. "Y'alright?" Asked Dodger, retracing his steps back to her side.
"Uh, yeah. Just weird seein' it when I'm not there no more. D'ya know what I mean?"
Dodger nodded. "We 'ad to move from our old hideout but I still walk by every now and then. It was me 'ome for years, after all."
"Why'd you move?"
"You'll find that out in a sec, when we get Oliver."
"Doesn't he mind you comin' up 'ere to see 'im. I'm fairly sure most 'round 'ere wouldn't want us urchins on their doorstep." Despite the fact that she was walking slowly towards Oliver's house with Dodger, Lyra couldn't help but keep sneaking glances at her parents house, over her shoulder.
"It's a Thursday, so 'e'll be in 'is bedroom practicing his paintin'." Dodger bent down to pick up a small stone from the floor. "This way, only one who know's we're 'ere, is Oliver." They stopped just outside the house and Dodger hurled the stone towards one of the top windows. After a short wait, the curtains were drew back and a small boy peered down into the square, smiling when he spotted Dodger. "E's always been a mate, y'see. Thinks that cause I 'elped him when 'e ran away, he owes me his friendship. And between you an' me, it's nice to talk to 'im every so often. He's more innocent than the others, bit more naive. He's breath a fresh air when it gets overcrowded at Fagin's." Dodger frowned a little. He'd never been this open with anybody before but the look on Lyra's face was one of understanding and somehow, he knew she wouldn't say anything to anyone else.
Soon enough, the little boy that peered through the window slipped through the front door and ran over to the pair of pick pockets.
"Hello, Dodger." He beamed.
"Alright, me flash mate. This is Lyra, she's new to the gang. Lyra...Oliver Twist." Oliver stuck out his small hand and Lyra shook it, gently as the little boy stood before her looked as though he could break with the smallest amount of pressure.
"Nice to meet you Miss Lyra."
"So, since she's new. I thought we could take a walk and tell her your story. Her parents live down there you know." Oliver stared down at the house, clearly trying to remember who lived there.
"Mr and Mrs Blackwell are your parents?" he said after a minutes silence. Lyra nodded glumly as Oliver grimaced. "In all honesty, Miss Lyra, I can see why you left." Dodger did a double take at the small boy. Oliver Twist talking bad about somebody? What has the world come to? "The woman is very vain and very rude and the man is...well he's a bit like ." Dodger's eyebrows flew up into his hairline. "They both seem to think children should be seen but not heard."
"Now, wait a minute Oliver. Bill Sykes? The one who...y'know, beat up Nancy."
"Yes."
Lyra nodded. "Sounds about right."
"Blimey." Dodger removed his top hat and ran his hand back through his hair. "I get it now." He mumbled. "I woulda ran away an'all."
The three of them started to walk in no particular direction, Oliver and Dodger telling Lyra of all that had happened from the moment Oliver ran from the funeral parlor. By the time the story was told, Lyra was stunned into silence and they'd made a full circle back to the front of Oliver's house where the stars were now shining above. "We should get back before Fagin starts to panic." Said Dodger. Oliver shook both of their hands and bid them goodnight, promising them that he'd see them soon.

As Dodger and Lyra walked, she stayed silent for a while. She was thinking about everything the two boys had told her. "So, Nancy went back to Oliver's house and Mr,Brownlow fixed her up?" Dodger nodded. "She definitely didn't die then?"
"No, Charley said didn't 'e? There's another girl, called Nancy. Course, she's got a few scars from Sykes but, she's still alive."
"Good. She sounds lovely."
"I'll take you to the pub tomorrow and introduce you. Knowin' Nance, she'll be 'avin a sing song whilst she serves." Dodger smiled, happy that given all that had happened to Nancy, she was still the happy woman she'd always been. "So, what's your story then?" He asked, as they rounded the last corner and started up the steps leading to the gangs hide out.
"Oh, it's long and boring and really not as interestin' as Oliver's."
"You're very secretive ain't you?"
"He's very polite, Oliver ain't 'e. Was 'e always like that or just since 'e went to ?"
Dodger took the obvious change of subject as an 'I don't want to talk about it'. "Always been like that. Must'a been 'ow 'e was brought up in the orphanage."