trepidations

[ivegotmypride]

She hadn't needed to use the gun. The next person to walk through the door had been Bill. Nancy'd sorted it out- he'd already agreed to keep her secret long before. Nancy knew, definitively, he was on her side. He hated the old bastard, and he knew what the man did to girls, same as he knew what he did to boys, and he knew what the street was to Nancy.

So Bill had let Jackie stay at their flat for the night- though he got his bed make no mistake. Nancy'd set up as best a spot as she could for Jackie to curl up, and even so she'd fallen asleep with the other girl in her lap, once more. But they couldn't hide away for ever, Bill'd told them that flat out. They had to return to the den. Pretend everything was normal, test the waters and see what Jem'd done told everyone.

She'd hoped, now that they'd had time to cool, she would not have need to bring the pistol along, tucked into her basket like it was nothing.

Comments

[ivegotmypride]

She laughs again, leaning against the table and drinking the gin like it was water.

“No, no, were polite just in case the Queen stops by for supper.”

[knowntoherfriends]

"Manners are important, you know that." It helped to keep a mark distracted while you lifted from them

[ivegotmypride]

“You don’t get my manners. Not today.” Perhaps never again.

[knowntoherfriends]

Fagin shook his head, as if deeply hurt by this.

[ivegotmypride]

“What?” She demanded, crossing her arms again

[knowntoherfriends]

"Such a shame it has to be this way," was his only comment.

[ivegotmypride]

“Like what?” Nancy didn’t like this. Not at all.

[knowntoherfriends]

"All these secrets."

[ivegotmypride]

“Secrets? You’re the one always keeping them. Not us.”us. Her, Bill, Dodger.

[knowntoherfriends]

"And yet you kept Dodger being a girl secret."

[ivegotmypride]

“To save her from turning out like me!”

[knowntoherfriends]

"You don't want her to be loved?" Fagin shot back at her. "After all, you've got that, ain't you?"

[ivegotmypride]

"She is loved! By her friends- by me. Something you wouldn't understand nothing about."

[knowntoherfriends]

Fagin gives a look. "I understand better than you, my girl."

[ivegotmypride]

She barks a laugh at him again. "You? You only love money."

[knowntoherfriends]

"No one only loves money."

[ivegotmypride]

"You're not proving me wrong."

[knowntoherfriends]

Fagin gave a dismissive wave, as if trying to wipe away what Nancy was even saying.

[ivegotmypride]

“Name something then. Go on.” He didn’t get to dismiss her like that. Not anymore.

[knowntoherfriends]

"You lot. Wouldn't take care of none of you if I didn't."

[ivegotmypride]

“You love us? Please-you only love us till we stop bringing you coin. If I stopped coming by, helping out and bringing you goods? If Bill stopped? We wouldn’t be here then.”

She swallows a bit more gin.

“If you loved us you wouldn’t hurt us like you do.”

[knowntoherfriends]

"You think what you like, my girl, but I ain't never turned one of you out yet."

[ivegotmypride]

“Because you want us to keep your secrets. Any one of us could go out a mark on you. Surprised someone ain’t done you in yet.”

[knowntoherfriends]

"That's loyalty, my dear."

[ivegotmypride]

“Loyalty. Or self preservation. And you’re king of that. I don’t doubt your sell the lot of us out to save your neck from the gallows!”