undergrounds | June Catch All for Dodger

Inside the den, the angry footfalls of a petite ginger storming up the stairs could be heard before her voice called out, "Plummy and slam-!" No sooner did Nancy slam the door behind her did she look around the room. "Everyone out! Except you, Dodger." She pointed a dark-painted nail at him.

"Nancy, my dear, surely-" Fagin started as he approached the girl, his hands out to calm her.

"And you too, Fagin, you make sure to leave as well," she turned to the old man. "I've got words for the Dodger and they ain't for any of your ears."

Rather than risk the wrath of a very upset Nancy, and judging by the way the glassware was clattering around her, it was far better to disappear out the front door. Keeping her finger on admittedly her favorite of the whole gang of thieves, she waited until the last of the boys and the old devil himself was out before she spoke again.

"Where the fuck d'you go about getting off, Jack Dawkins, telling Cooper something that wasn't none of his business?"

He'd been expecting this. He didn't move from his seat, didn't even trust himself to turn and look at Nancy. Of course she'd shove the ol' devil out, when it was his fault the Dodger went and opened his mouth in the first place.

"Alright, Nance?" he said, trying for a smile. It didn't really come, but then, he wasn't really trying. "Ain't ... rightly sure what you're goin' on about there. Speak about a lot of things, I do."

Oh, there are no smiles in the den today. Just Nancy's lips set in a firm line as she puts her hands on her hips, glaring at the boy.

"You know exactly wot I'm referring to, Jack, don't play dumb with me." The Cockney in her accent always seems to rise whenever she's mad, with no need to try to disguise it.

"Ain't playin' dumb," he muttered, he was playing for time. He sighed, and swung round on the seat. He kept his eyes lowered, gaze on the floor rather than trying to meet with Nancy's own glare. He felt... Well, many things came to mind and none of them were good. He knew he had to tell Cooper what he did, but he'd not liked doing it, and had felt worse since.

"Nance, there's a lot you don't know about that..." he starts, trying to think of the right way to say it. "Got me reasons, an' good ones they are, too."

"Oh, are they?" She crossed her arms over her chest, continuing to glare at him. A few cabinets opened and closed.

"What are they then? Come on. let's hear the brilliant reasons you've got to tell my boyfriend about Bill!"

She's angry. Oh great. The Dodger swallows heavily, screwing his eyes shut. He wishes she'd let some of the others stay, it would be easier to deflect with the others around.

"Well, thing is, Nance," he starts, his voice not really up to the words, "people were talkin', an' things were bein' said, an' it needed to be done..."

"People an' things? Oh, real specific, Dodger. Real bloody specific. D'you know what else? Cooper an' I've been talkin' and things were bein' said and NONE OF IT needed to be done! Why do you fucking thing I hadn't told him a damn thing about BIll? That wasn't your story to tell! D'you know what that does t'me?"

If anyone was going to know anything about her, she had to be the one to tell them.

"Reckon I've got an idea." Oh this was not going well, and it was going to get worse before it got better. "The old man, Nance, he's been blowin' air only it ain't just air lately, an' if he speaks to people... Well... Had to get in before him, keep it from gettin' bad."

"Speak plain!" She demands. "Don't dance around it, you say exactly what and why and who, d'you hear me?"

"Fagin was going to go blowin' his mouth." It's snapped out and the Dodger glances towards the door with a bit of worry. He's not really supposed to have let on that he knew was Fagin was planning...

"Bull shit. Last time I saw Bill-" she'd been seventeen, crying her eyes out, looking at him through bullet-proof glass. "-he swore he'd kill the old devil next time he saw him. Ain't no way they're talking. Try again."

"He's been down the nick, sends me down every so often." Usually to remind him what'll happen if Fagin ever decided that he'd had enough of him. The nick wasn't exactly his ideal home...

"Your bloke had to go an' get himself on the Council, didn't he?" The Dodger said, sounding annoyed. "Fagin worked out you ain't said nothin', an' it wouldn't look good fer the bloke if it all came out."

"That's why I didn't tell him," she all but growls. "He can't claim he didn't know if it all comes out! I'm trying t'keep my new record clean!" Now if the press ever finds out that Cooper's dating not only an ex-blood worker, but the ex-girlfriend of infamous werewolf criminal Bill Sikes?

"Why do you fucking think I tried to break up with him when he first started runnin'? To avoid something 'zactly like this!"

"Ain't my fault Fagin wants to mess it all up!" The Dodger is on the defensive. Because it's not his fault. He just wanted to make sure they had a chance against Fagin being... well himself, really.

"He washed his hands of me. Devil should know if I wanted to put the mark on him I could have done it already. Ain't like I don't know a trap or two, besides now bein' a close personal friend of the god damn president!"

"Might have washed his hands of your but that don't mean he ain't still pissed about how you up an' left! It ain't as easy as you made it seem Nance, an' he ain't gonna stop till he's got what he wants. You know that!"

"Easy!" Nancy barks out a laugh. "Oh, you're hilarious, ain't you, Dodger? You don't leave this place. It gets into your bones and takes its hold of you and the only way you will ever leave is if you die. Fagin made sure of that. And don't you bloody forget it, 'cause he certainly don't."

The plates have ceased their rattling.

"Think I don't know that?!" There's a crack in his voice. "Think I ain't tried?!"

"You're the favorite." She tells him coldly. "You got it easy. Before Bill saved me?" He remembered that night as well as she did, she was sure of it. She'd locked eyes with him, from across the room.

"And you still got family outside. I never had nothin'"

"Yeah," there's a lot of bitterness in his voice. "I'm the favourite." Nancy didn't know what that meant, what it really meant. And family outside? He didn't even remember his mother. The woman had willingly gave him over. As for whoever his Dad was... well that wasn't a thing.

"It's all fun an' games when you're Fagin's favourite," he spat.

"Don't talk to me like that," Nancy snaps at him. "Not now- not when you could very well have gone and ruined the one good thing that's happened to me in god knows how long."

"Bully for you." It's too bitter. "Not like you ain't gonna leave him the minute Bill gets out anyway."

A loud crack echoes across the den as Nancy slaps him as hard as she can.

"You're just jealous you've never stood a chance with me."

He's really not sure what hurts more.

"Like I'd want it."

She rolls her eyes.

"Please. Just another way you'll always be second to Bill." She turns to go.

June Catch All for Dodger

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)