Chapter 5: Consider Yourself At Home
A/N: A funny/touching chapter. Really not much to say for this one except enjoy. Also pay close attention to how many times the line "consider yourself at home" is said in this story. I'm playing at something with the way it passes through the "generations" of famous pick pockets at Fagin's so stay on your toes.
Warning: Contains a thieving, lying, acting, gambling six year old, some ticked off boys, and a rather touching moment on the behalf of Bill Sikes.
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It was later that evening after dinner that Fagin began to put on his coat. All the boys went on with their activities in a somewhat passive manner, but Nancy paused to stare at the strange old man. She'd never seen him leave the flat before, she was beginning to think he was a total recluse as a matter of fact. Either way she noticed that he was ready to go out for the evening and that was strange, even by Fagin's standards.
"Uh....Fagin?" Nancy said curiously. The boys stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her with equal curiosity. "Where are you going?" All the boys snickered openly at how green she was, finding it quite amusing that she was questioning his choice to exit the flat. Quickly they turned back to their games and left Fagin to explain himself to the new girl.
"Just to run some errands my dear," Fagin said chuckling gently. "Bill," he said acknowledging the burly boy with a pipe hanging from his teeth. "I'll trust you to keep an eye on things shall I?" The boy nodded sharply and turned back to his cards. The boys waited until Fagin had exited and then utter chaos broke loose.
"Go to bed!" was the first thing Bill snapped at Nancy. Nancy immediately crossed her arms over her chest in an upset manner and Bill simply sneered at her.
"No! Why should I? Fagin let's us stay up way later then this!"
"And 'e left me in charge! Bed!" Nancy made no move to sleep and this enraged Bill severely. Ace had to remind him she was young and stupid and a girl and not worth the trouble. Finally Bill calmed down and Nancy drew a stool up to where they were playing cards at the table.
"What're ya playin?" she asked.
"Speculation," Bill said throwing a coin into the pot as he turned up a jack.
"Spec-u-what?"
"Speculation," he said not taking his eyes off Johnny who was laying down a card.
"Come on Nancy join us." Ace had no sooner said this then won the round. He hauled the pile to himself and smirked at the other boys.
"Don't know 'ow to play," she said.
"I'll teach ya," Ace returned. He handed her a sixpence, which she had learned the first day the old one didn't mind them keeping out of the wallets so long as they never took more then three at a time, and set her up with three cards. "See now," he said dealing three cards to everybody. "Everybody gets three cards, and the one I turn up, is trump." Nancy nodded and turned to play eagerly, not knowing that she'd repeat these words to many a boy including a little sandy blond haired child named Oliver Twist years later.
When Fagin returned to the flat that night he saw many miserable looking boys lying about as Nancy continued to rack up sixpence and take a swig from a gin bottle.
"That's eight games in all. Anybody else wanna 'ave a go at it then?" she asked smiling. The boys groaned with murmurs of 'beginners luck' and 'stupid kid' before leaving little Nancy without opponent as they walked off to bed. Fagin chuckled gently as he hung up his coat and took his hat off.
"Playing cards my dears?" he asked.
"Losing at cards," grumbled James as he rolled over in his bed.
"You always lose," said Ace smiling.
"Hey shut up!"
"You shut up!"
"You shut up!"
"Shut it the both of you," growled Bill. He paused before looking over his shoulder at Nancy and then again at Fagin. "Beginner's luck, she walloped the lot of us at cards. Lost a whole week's earnings I did," he growled. He let his head sag lazily into his chest as Fagin smirked. He patted Nancy's curly red hair and smiled at her.
"Well done my dear," he whispered into her ear. Nancy nodded and dropped all the coins into Fagin's pocket.
"What the 'ell?" Bill said watching them closely. Fagin continued to chuckle and Bill set straight upright. "You set us up," he growled. Fagin nodded and smiled. "Tought 'er 'ow to play! You ol' devil! You cheat."
"No no Bill," he said smiling. "No cheating, just thinking." Bill looked mad enough to kill before he rolled over with mutters of 'avaricious old skeleton'. "Well done Nancy my dear," Fagin chuckled before going off to bed.
"Goodnight my dears, to bed all of you." The boys all went off to their separate corners of the flat before one by one they snuffed out their candles. Nancy had taken off her shoes so she could tread on silent feet over to Bill's bed without him hearing.
"Bill," she whispered.
"What the 'ell do you want ya she devil?" he groaned without turning around.
"I saved you your money." Those words made the burly thief turn about and stare at her in shock.
"Wot?"
"Your money," she said smiling. She reached into her dress pocket and held out all of Bill's coins. "I stiffed it from the old 'un when 'e wasn't paying attention, you can 'ave it back, 'ere." Slowly he took the money out of her hand and stared at her in shock. Suddenly he reached over and yanked his shoes on.
"Come with me," he said gruffly. He headed for the door but Nancy didn't follow. He stopped and turned before motioning at her to follow but she shook her head.
"I'm not wearin' no shoes," she said. He walked back over and picked her up in his arms. She buried her head in his chest as he carried her to the bridge outside the flat. He sat down with his back to one of the posts on the railing and set her on his lap so she could face him without having to sit on the ground.
"I need to talk to yer," he said. She hadn't heard his voice ever sound so soft before, there was something really comforting about it. "Now," he said slowly. "What is it 'bout me that makes you wanna do such nice things fer me, huh? Fagin told me you lied bout the pockets and that ya picked um by yerself, and now this. Wot fer?" Nancy shrugged as she picked absentmindedly at the end of her dress.
"You don't like me," she said. "All I've ever wanted is to feel welcome. The guys look up to you, I figured if I was on your good side I was on theirs."
"What is it with you women and feelin' at 'ome then?" he said more to himself then anybody else. He was startled severely to see her crying. "Come then wot're ya bawlin' fer?"
"I never 'ad a 'ome," she said with tears streaking her dirt caked face. "Me parents didn't love me none, and those orphanages, they're downright awful," she choked. "You boys 'ave fun, like a family. I just wanted to be part of it, but instead you acted like I'd ruined everything," she said sobbing. Bill froze for a moment, not sure how to respond, and then he pulled the young girl into a hug.
"Aw," he said dismissively "you didn't ruin anythin'," he said compassionately. It was quiet between them for a moment before he spoke again. "I never 'ad a family neither," he said. "Well I mean, I used to, but they didn't want me. Me mom, wasn't supposed to get pregnant, an' me dad was a regular right down bad un'. 'E was 'orrible to me 'e was." Nancy had stopped crying and she took her head off his chest long enough to pierce him with those eyes of hers.
"What'd 'e do to ya?" she asked. He chuckled in a strange manner and pulled her head back into his chest.
"Not fit fer young ears," he said quietly. "I know it wasn't fit fer me." They were quiet for a few seconds before he continued. "Ya know what Nance," he said smiling. "Consider yourself at 'ome." She looked at him curiously and he smiled as he gave her small hand a squeeze. "Everybody deserves to feel like they belong," he said quietly. Nancy never said a word, and even years later neither of them acknowledged it, but she felt a tear drop onto her head soon after that. That was the first and last time Nancy ever saw Bill Sikes cry. But it wasn't in a sad way, it was in a way understanding. She had made it to his good side, she was finally where she belonged.