Reaching For You - BBC Dodger

Waxworks.

Arthur was up bright and early the next morning, the small hut on the roof leaking water straight onto his forehead. Rubbing his eyes, he crawled out of the dumb thing, careful not to stand on Charli, before stretching and making his way down the flight of stairs, creaking as he went down them.

Throwing himself on the old bar chair that sat at the head of the table, he flopped his head upon the cold wooden surface before sighing - he already knew that this was going to be a looonggg day.

Up above Fagin's room, he heard Jack's quiet snores from Tom's old bed. Emotional, boy, Jack, Arthur noticed that his emotions - and lack of thoughts - usually got him into all sorts of situations; such as running from a cotton mill! Of course, he understood why he did it, he got told all about the beatings and starvation that took place there, but what he didn't understand was the lack of planning that took hold - Jumping out a window could have killed him!

Sitting by that table, Arthur swore that he will always try to look after the smaller boy, even if it could end him.

As time passed, Jack's restless sleep slowly got louder as he relived memories. He tossed and turned before slowly going back to a more peaceful sleep. Fagin walked in just after this insignificant situation and glanced at Arthur, who looked up to see who it was.

"You alrigh'?" Fagin asked as he lowered himself into his chair.
"Yea, just tired that's all" Arthur replied, rubbing his eyes yet again.

A hush fell upon the two, each doing their own thing until Fagin decided to speak up:

"How's tha' writing thing going alone"
"Slowly; painfully slowly"

Fagin chuckled to himself as he shook his head slowly; he's always had a soft spot for Arthy which is why he seems to go hard on him when he messes up, not that Arthur realises this.

Suddenly Bill bursts through the door, causing the oy to bang his knee from the sudden jump.

"Fagin! Listen, listen!"
"Shut up, Bill!" Fagin whispered back to the loud man's excited tone.
"Oh, yeah. Shush, shush, shush."
"You'll wake the kids up. What are you doing here?"
"I've just been talking to an old mate of mine down the pub and I've got a job on. And it's a big 'un."
Fagin nodded his head whilst Arthur rested his head on his hands, his interest peaked.

Bill continued: "So, I'm gonna need them two new sprats tomorrow night"

"Tomorrow night? Ha ha, I'm not a miracle worker, Bill. These things take time; the kid's had a bit of a knock hasn't he Arthur? It turns out the orphanage down on Smeaton Street that blonde went to over there," Fagin says whilst pointing to Arthur who furrowed his eyebrows in offence, "used to be his gaffe. And the girl, well I mean, she's straight out of the nest; still got the country shine on her."

"So what?"

"Well, they'll need a couple of weeks o' training before I let them loose in front of the public."

"what are you talkin' about? Polly says that the boy's very quick with his mitts, a real wizard with the cards, and if you can shuffle cards you can shuffle pockets!"

"Yeah, but it's giving him the guts to do it, innit? That's what takes the time." Fagin tried to reason with the now-angered man before him, trying to make some distance between the both of them by raising his hand slowly. This tiny movement angered Bill even more.