Chapter 19: The Hat

A/N: Well, I thought about it and why not follow the sequence of events. We meet Jack Dawkins, he is presented as the Artful Dodger, what next but the child's hat, eh? This chapter for Coralyne, who seems a bit of a Dodger fan such as myself. Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers. You guys are the bee's knees.

Warning: Contains comedy, odd money storage, and hats.

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Watching Dodger try to fit into the mourning routines was, admittedly, amusing. First of all the child didn't seem to take to kindly to getting up as early as the rest of the gang had to rise. He seemed so out of place, bumping into people and several things because he didn't quite mesh with the routine everybody had formed there. He was so painfully and obviously out of place that Nancy took pity on the kid.

"Here, next to me then Dodge, 'ave a sausage." The child sat down and passed her a grateful glance, to which she merely smiled and passed him a plate.

"Who's 'e goin' out with then Fagin?" James inquired. Usually the new ones didn't go out right away, but it was clear Dodger was as new to pickpocketing as an old man was to living. Not at all.

"Nancy I believe, since she brought 'im back. 'Sides, she's the only one without a partner." Nancy grumbled under her breath but kept a smile on. There was no need to be rude, but she hadn't got somebody new to work with for a reason, nobody could replace her old partners. Nobody. Fagin had said it though, so she didn't really have a choice in the matter. She quickly finished her breakfast and tapped the new kid to inform him it was time to leave. He left his breakfast half-heartedly and followed her to the door. He really didn't want to leave the food that was on the table behind, he'd never seen so much of it before. Which was pathetic really considering the gang lived on practically nothing to begin with.

"So you like working alone?" Dodger asked as he and Nancy moved towards London. She shrugged and tried to think of a delicate way to explain it.

"Not that really so much as that I used to work wiv a couple of kids that were real gems. It feels wrong working with anyone else." Dodger hung his head and tried not to look as disappointed as he felt. But boy alive did he feel disappointed!

"I could jus'...go then. 'Ave Fagin believe we're workin' together even though we're not." Nancy took notice of the child's mood and instantly corrected her error.

"No! No of course not. It'll be great 'avin you along Dodge. I'm sure of it." She watched as a smile spread across the young boy's face. Too nice for me own good, she thought. It wasn't as though him beating her at cards had been a personal blow, he'd simply played his best. Slowly Nancy could feel the anger sliding away from her, she was never one to stay riled up for long. No need for causing unnecessary drama, no need at all. As they entered the streets Nancy smiled as Dodger picked a handkerchief off the man next to them right off the bat. She smiled and nodded her approval and he beamed in response to her silent praise.

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"I'd say we're just about done for the day Dodge," she commented as she sat down at the fountain in the center of town. Her pockets weren't very heavy but his were, he was a natural at this, a downright natural! They were just getting ready to head back to Fagin's when Nancy noticed something very strange. There was a man at a nearby stall paying for goods before tucking his change in a rather dashing black top hat on his head. Quickly she tapped Dodge, distracting him mid-pick, and yanked him off to the side.

"What was that for?" he asked put off.

"Watch this guy?"

"Who...the toff wiv the 'at?" She nodded and pulled him back slowly as they both anticipated him making his next buy. Dodger witnessed the man's odd choice of money storage as well, before looking at Nancy with eager eyes.

"Stay 'ere," she said inching away from the boy already. "I'm gonna try and nab it." A small frown creased the boy's features as he watched her move away. He didn't enjoy being left behind as she went for the glory. That wasn't how he was used to doing things. Besides, this was his kind of a challenge. Nancy was on her tip-toes now behind the man, ready to yank the hat from his head and run. It was then that Dodger saw the danger before Nancy did, but he would risk too much by crying out to warn her.

Several things happened at once. The man turned to see Nancy reaching for his hat. Nancy's eyes doubled in circumference, and Dodger leapt through the air and snatched the hat from the man's head, still running.

"Stop, thief!" The man cried taking off after Dodger. Nancy pealed off in the other direction and swerved around the corner. She'd grown up on the streets her whole life, but, unbeknownst to her, so had Dodger. As she was turning the alley to yank Dodger off the street and from the crowd's view, Dodger came flying around the same corner and smashed into her, sending them both to the ground. Money flew in the air and rained on them like confetti as the pair of them laughed at how ridiculous they both looked. They instantly had to stifle their laughter and crawl back up against the wall to hide from the passing crowd. The pair of them waited until every last foot step had faded away, barely daring to breath the whole time, before erupting into giggles once again. Finally the pair of them sat there, leaned up against the wall and trying to calm the hysterical laughter that kept bubbling up from inside of them.

"You know you're a natural at this kid," Nancy said giving Dodge a little nudge. He smiled and nudged her back.

"Not 'alf bad yourself."

"That was brilliant," Nancy commented as she remembered the gentleman's shocked face as Dodger removed his hat mid-leap. At this point, Nancy looked down to see the hat in question clasped in Dodger's hands. Smiling she reached out for it. "Here now, lemme see this thing," she said grabbing it. She placed it atop her head and looked very uppity for a moment before they both snickered and Dodger plucked it from atop her auburn curls. Very proudly he deposited the thing on his own head. Nancy stopped for a second, looking at the way it sat and decided it looked just right on the boy. Oversized and gentlemanly seemed to be his fashion of choice anyways. Delicately she reached out and readjusted the hat so it looked just right and then gave him a smile. "Wear that," she said smiling. "It looks nice on ya kid." They both snickered before Dodger gathered up the money about them and placed it in his pockets. Then, joking around for lack of better things to do, they began giving each other nudges back and forth a few times. Finally, Nancy rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand to pull him with her while she rose to her own feet. "Come on," she said laughing.

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"We're back," Nancy announced as they entered the flat. Her and Dodger were the last two in, their little run in with danger had seemed to cause this.

"Wonderful my dears, and 'ow was business?" Fagin inquired as the two of them settled in at the table.

"Nice and brisk as usual," Nancy said beginning to empty her pockets. Now Fagin took notice of the Dodger's new head wear and smiled lopsidedly.

"Cunning hat my dear," he said addressing none other then the Artful Dodger himself. "Wherever did you get it from?" Dodger and Nancy looked at each other briefly, and then burst into laughter all over again.