Chapter 7: Day Off

A/N: A rather sensitive chapter between Fagin and little Nancy, and yes I honestly put down the more thing in her story, who's to say Oliver's the only child so bold, plus pay attention it comes into play later. Also PLEASE pay attention to the last thing Nancy says in this chapter it is going to be VITAL in this story!!!!!

Warning: Contains ideas of betrayal.

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When Nancy opened her eyes the next morning, sunlight was streaming into the flat. She hadn't the faintest idea in the world what time it was, all she knew was the boys were out and Fagin wasn't. Finally she sat up, stretching and yawning, as she walked over towards Fagin in his chair. Several cards lay before him on the table and every once in a while he would move one from here to there in an attempt to win at a game of solitaire.

"Good afternoon my dear, did you sleep well?" he questioned with a smirk. Slowly he moved a red six onto a black seven and snickered at his cunning.

"More or less," she said with a smile. Nancy wrinkled up her nose at the oddity of his game. "Is this what you always do when we're gone Mr. Fagin?"

"No no my dear, what I do while you're gone I can't do with you here," he said with a smile. Finally Fagin turned the last card on the table face up and smirked to himself. "You see," he said pointing "I win again." Nancy nodded and tried very hard to come up with a delicate way to approach the topic burning her brain. She watched silently as Fagin shuffled his cards and re-dealt to himself. He had moved a few cards around and then seemed like he was ready to re-deal as if he were out of moves. Silently Nancy looked at the game and then moved an eight onto a nine. Fagin smiled at her gratefully as his game proceeded splendidly after that. "Thank you m'dear."

"Not a problem," she said returning the smile. "I notice a lot of things others don't."

"That so my dear?" Fagin asked curiously as he moved a king into an empty space.

"Oh yes. Sometimes it's little stuff, like that there's one more move left on a card game. Other times it's not so little stuff like...that you 'ave a secret box full of jewels." Every muscle in the old man's body tensed and he didn't look up from his card game. Nancy watched Fagin very carefully while keeping an eye on all toasting forks and glass bottles in the room. No need to suffer unnecessary bodily harm in her opinion. Finally Fagin, very calmly, looked up at his young charge.

"'ow long 'ave you....known about this my dear," he said very evenly. Too evenly in fact, Nancy began to worry.

"Since two nights ago when we scammed the lads at cards." Fagin gritted his teeth and nodded very slowly.

"Did you see where I fetched the box from?" Fagin asked very quietly.

"No sir, just the jewels inside. I went back to bed after I saw you." Fagin bit his lip and stared even more intently at his card game.

"And the other boys...do they-"

"No," Nancy said. "I didn't want to say anythin' without talkin' to you first."

"And why is that my dear?"

"The way you looked at those things, it seemed like you need them to be kept a secret," she said in a hushed tone. She paused for a moment and then, she muttered her next sentence so gently Fagin barely caught it. "I know what it's like to need a secret kept," she whispered mournfully. Fagin looked up at the young girl gently.

"Did someone betray your secret once m'dear?"

"They were punishing me," she whispered. Fagin was surprised that what she was saying flowed from her lips so easily, but she wasn't in the flat anymore. Her eyes were locked on the cards but they did not see the game, she was looking at a scene from her distant past. "The folks in the orphanage you know? I asked for more food, just a bit more. So they decided that I didn't deserve to eat at all. It had been three days," she whispered. "I was so 'ungry. I snuck into the kitchen and nicked a loaf of bread...I've always been good at filching things y'know," she added with a smile. "My best friend, 'is name was Rob, caught me sneakin' back in. I made 'im swear to keep my secret an' 'e said 'e would, but when the parish beadle threatened to take the food away from all of us until somebody turned in the thief, 'e was the first to speak up. Did it right in front of my eyes. 'E was my best friend, I'd saved 'im from trouble loads of times, an' 'e peached just like that."

"That's awful m'dear, I'm very sorry, truly I am." Sadly Nancy reached up and pulled down her right sleeve to reveal a dull scar that looked as though she'd been branded.

"They weren't," she muttered bitterly. Fagin's heart was tender for the young girl and he decided not to cause her any more grief over it.

"You won't tell anyone about the pretty things you saw my dear?" he asked just to be sure. She nodded sharply.

"An' I mean it too," she added. "I may've gone down a bad path so far, but mark my words, one thing I'll never be is a traitor." Fagin nodded and ruffled her hair affectionately.

"No m'dear, I suppose not. Come on then," he said scooping up his solitaire game and dealing her some cards. "Let's 'ave a round for fun huh?" Nancy nodded and it was this peaceful scene of understanding that the boys returned to witness that night.