Chapter Fourteen – Taking Risks
When Bill awoke the next morning, he found himself shivering slightly from the cold. Only then did he realize that his blanket was missing. Starting up he saw Nancy, huddled in her bed, with two blankets wound in a cocoon around her.
Ordinarily Bill would have been angry about this; that girl stealing his blanket indeed! He knew, however, that getting het up about it would be childish, and a child was something Bill wasn't anymore.
Even as he thought this he saw Nancy stir and blink herself awake. He continued to watch her as she sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, attempting in vain to tame her tousled hair. As she turned and found herself facing Bill she gave a small start of surprise, her mouth wide open in shock; clearly she hadn't expected to see him standing there.
"Uh…mornin' Nancy," Bill said awkwardly. He would have said something more, but Fagin's bashing and clanging of pots and pans indicated that grub was up. Shrugging he made a swift exit, grabbing his hat and ramming on it his head as he did so.
Nancy grinned. That was the first time he'd called her by her name.
--
Breakfast was the usual chaos and Nancy looked a bit apprehensive about it all. The boys were particularly rambunctious this morning, even Ezra and Archie were chattier than normal. Bill seemed a bit apart from the gang this morning, absentmindedly sipping his gin and choosing not to participate in the conversation.
"Now then my dears!" cried Fagin, banging the toasting fork on the table by way of restoring order. "I don't know what you're all so chatty about this morning but it'd better stop y'hear? Else we won't play the game this morning (gawd knows we need the practice)!"
That shut the lads up. They hadn't played the game in what felt like years (and probably was). This was Fagin's way of initiating new members of the gang and honing the skills of the older hands. As of late the boys had started to get a bit slack, especially a certain Mister Sykes, and Fagin felt it was time to re-inspire them.
The box of trinkets was produced and soon the game began. At first only Bill, Jeremy and Morris played but, one by one, the others joined in too, even Nancy. Some of the boys worked together, others alone. Once or twice Fagin would catch one of them and they would have to abstain from the fun for a brief period before rejoining with fresh vigour.
All the time the game was being played, Bill kept an eye on Nancy. Maybe it was because she was the only girl, maybe it was her style of picking pockets, maybe it was to amount of trinkets she was managing to swipe undetected…Bill was impressed, despite himself.
Once, he and Nancy both reached into the same pocket at the same time. Needless to say Fagin turned around and caught them both as they hastily withdrew their hands. As they headed to the table (Morris chuckling at Bill's expense and getting whacked about the head with a wallet by Jeremy) Nancy whipped a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Bill; the same one they'd both been after! She offered the older boy a small smile, which Bill found himself returning.
The fun couldn't last however. Soon Morris and Jeremy had got into a heated argument (about what no-one was quite sure) and Fagin called off the game, sending everyone out to work. He kept Bill and Jeremy back though, telling them they needed to have 'a little chat'.
"Right then," he said, all business, sitting down at the table and gesturing at the boys to do likewise. "I think you'll both be very pleased to know that I've found you both a house."
Jeremy and Bill looked at one another; Bill was excited but Jeremy looked a little apprehensive, even scared. Bill shrugged it off and turned his attention back to Fagin; the older man didn't seem to notice Jeremy's lack of confidence.
"It's Number Twelve, Bloomsbury Square… only about half an hour from here…"
As Fagin began to rattle off a list of directions, Bill looked over at Jeremy again. The sixteen year old definitely wasn't his usual self; as Fagin continued to speak he grew paler and paler, quite alarming under his mop of red curls. Bill frowned.
"Well, that's that, my dears," Fagin finished, jerking Bill back to his senses. "Eleven o' clock I want you to leave, alright? No later. Any questions?"
Both young men shook their heads. Fagin, pleased, ambled off to his quarters without another word, intending to catch up on sleep and remake his newspaper hat (he was actually quite fond of it, really). As Fagin's curtain swished shut behind him, Bill turned once again to Jeremy, the latter wringing his hands in his lap and biting his lip as if his life depended on it.
"Wot is the matter wiv you?"
Bill hadn't meant to be so blunt, but he couldn't help it. He'd waited years to go housebreaking, overcome all his insecurities and now Jeremy; spunky, loudmouthed, incredibly extroverted Jeremy, was having second thoughts?
"Wot d'ya mean?"
Jeremy looked over at Bill, eyes wide.
"Wot d'ya think? You! Wot you actin' so strange fer, eh?"
Jeremy averted his eyes, and there was a moment's pause as he tried to find the words he so desperately felt he must say.
"I…I'm scared Bill. It's such a risk…we've never done this before…we could get caught so easily!"
Bill scoffed. "We've waited years for this, 'aven't we? 'Course it's gonna be risky; that's part of it! You sayin' pickin' pockets ain't risky? Ain't everythin' we do 'round 'ere risky?"
Jeremy nodded reluctantly.
"I know tha'! But-"
"But?"
"I dunno…it's just…this is different…it's not just risky it's downright dangerous…"
Bill hated Jeremy at that moment. He was dragging back all his old worries and fears, causing his insecurities about the housebreaking scheme to resurface, right when he needed such feelings quelled.
"Look, I know it's dangerous but we've gotta do it, y'hear? We can't pick pockets like we used to…if we don't do this Fagin'll throw us out for sure!"
Bill couldn't help a note of panic in his voice; he knew he could take to the streets again, he was certainly strong enough, but he didn't want to, he couldn't….he couldn't leave the gang now. He hated sounding so needy, even inside his own head, but it was true. Fagin, Jeremy, Norman and Frankie, Ezra and Archie, even Morris! And Nancy…
How did he feel about her?
He hadn't the slightest idea.
"If I refuse to come you'll drag me there yerself, won't ya?" Jeremy asking, joking now.
Bill couldn't help but chuckle.
"Even if I 'ave to drag you there meself, you're comin'. We'll be careful. I promise."
Little did Bill know that his promise would be broken.
A/N: Housebreaking the next chapter, I promise you. ^^
Please R&R! =)
