A/N- I decided to do an imagine based on the song "You've Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two," from Oliver! because it is one of my favourite musicals, and musical songs. I've been playing with the idea of a female Fagin for a while now, and thought it may be a good idea to set it in Flee Bottom. I hope you all like it.
"Up, up, up," you called into the room, moving from bed to bed and shaking the shoulder of each child as you passed them, "It's time to get up," you added, a little louder than before as they all began to stir. The room was dark, the only light coming from the cracks and gaps in the wooden roof. Each child rubbed their eyes as they rolled from their makeshift beds, some sleeping on coats on the floor.
"The sun is hardly up," one of the older boys grumbled, and you turned to him with your hands on your hips, causing him to fall silent.
"When is King's Landing most busy, Roderick?" you asked him, leaning down slightly. He remained silent, staring at you as his face turned red. "Can anyone tell me when King's Landing will be most busy?" you announced to the room, standing back up to full height and moving away from the boy.
"In the morning, when the market is on, Miss," one of the small girls told you, and you turned to her with a smile. You ran a finger over the girls cheek and nodded.
"Right you are," you told her softly, "and why is it important that it is busy?"
"Because it's harder to see someone picking pockets if it's busy," one of the other girls announced.
"And it's easier to get distracted when the town is full of people," another boy called out to the group.
You let out a light chuckle. "Well then children, you must know that it is time for you to go out to work," you called out to them and you watched as the room emptied, the door clattering shut as the last child left. You heard the door creaking open again as you fiddled with a handkerchief one of the children had brought back the day before, it was clean, but the initial stitched into the corner would make it impossible to sell. You set it down, not looking up as you grabbed the dagger that was nestled against your hip, pointing it at whoever was moving towards you without looking up from your work. "How can I help you?"
"I'm sorry, I was just curious as to what was in here," a little girls voice told you, and you quickly glanced over at her, giving her a small smile.
"And what would you be doing alone in Flee Bottom?" you asked her, looking over her ratty clothes.
"I'm not alone," she started, pausing when you tutted at her.
"I don't like liars," you told her quietly, "Thieves and frauds I can stand, but liars truly grate on me," you continued and she nodded slightly.
"I can't go back to the Red Keep," she muttered and you nodded as you watched her.
"Why?"
She was silent for a moment, staring at you until you raised your eyebrow at her. "My father is Eddard Stark," she told you quietly and you continued to nod.
"He's a good man, he gave me some money for the other children," you uttered quietly, "you can stay with us for as long as you need, child," you told her and she smiled, a toothy smile, up at you.
"Where were they all going?" she asked, glancing at the door she had just come through.
"To work, child, they will explain when they return." She nodded in agreement and continued to survey the room, "It's nothing special, but it's home." The two of you fell into silence as you began picking at the stitching on the handkerchief before you.
"When did you meet my father?" she asked you, breaking the silence and causing you to prick your thumb on the needle you were using. You quickly moved your thumb to your mouth, sucking on the pin-prick to stop it from bleeding.
"Not long ago," you told her, around the injured digit.
"Why was he here?"
"Gods know, he was asking questions about my mother," you murmured back to her, glancing at the thumb for a second before going back to work. "What is your name?" you asked, glancing up whilst continuing with your work.
"Arya," she muttered, shuffling on the spot as she watched you.
*Time Skip*
"Children, you're home," you cheered as the door swung open again, only to pause when one of the boys came running over. "Roderick was caught by a guard, he was trying to get a coin purse off of some Lord's belt," he rushed.
"I will go and see if I can find him tomorrow, there is no need to worry, he will get a slap on the wrist and sent away." You frowned when he shook his head.
"He sold us out, miss Y/N," he continued, and you felt your heart drop into your feet.
"The it looks like you will all have to find somewhere else to stay for a while," you murmured, glancing over the crowd and landing on Arya, who was sitting in a ratty old armchair a few feet away. "Promise me you will all be safe," you demanded, passing out their meals and sending them on their way. "Arya, you will need to stay hidden if you are going to stay here," you told her softly, coming to crouch in front of her, "there will be city guards coming at some point and if they find you they will take you away."
She nodded, getting to her feet and shuffling around the room for a moment before, glancing at a cupboard in the corner, "do you think it will be too obvious?" she asked quietly, moving towards it. You heard the clanking of their armour before the knock came on the door.
"We'll have to hope so," you whispered, pushing her forward and piling some blankets over her, "try to be silent," you added before shutting the doors and plunging her into complete darkness. "Coming," you called, crossing the room as quickly as you could and pulling the door open.
"Evening, Ma'am," one of the guards muttered, looking around you and into the room.
"Good evening, Ser, how can I help you?" you asked him with a smile, but he was quick to shove you out of his way. "Excuse me," you cried, taking his arm only for him to lash out and smack you across the face. He marched around the room, glancing at each corner as another guard brought Roderick into the room. "Roderick, sweetness, are you alright?" you yelped, falling on your knees in front of him and running your fingers over his cheek.
"This boy claims you care for a bunch of no-good thieves in this house," the first guard told you, marching to a stop beside you. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for you to explain.
"Roderick was my sister's boy, he's always had a wild imagination," you told him, pressing a kiss to the boys forehead before pulling him into a tight embrace. "What did he do to earn his bruises?" you asked, glancing up at the cruel guard with Roderick's face buried against your shoulder.
"He was caught stealing from one of Jaime Lannister's squires, he's lucky that Ser Jaime is a kindly man," the guard grumbled, still glancing around the room.
"What were you thinking?" you hissed, pulling the boy away from you and smacking his lightly around the back of the head, "Your mother did not raise you to be a thief," you added, your face contorting into faux anger. "I am so sorry, Ser, if there is anything I can do to make up for the trouble," you started, getting to your feet and glancing up at him through your lashes.
The man looked down at you for a moment, his eyes lingering on your lips for just a second before drifting over to the boy clinging to your skirts. "No," he grumbled, "that will be all," he continued, glancing around the room one final time before looking down at Roderick. "If I see you out there stealing again I will have your hands."
"Thank you, Ser." You spoke softly, ushering the guard towards the door and hoping he wouldn't return to make his point known eventually.
The man finally smiled, glancing at your lips again, "it was my pleasure, Ma'am," he told you and you smiled after him as he made his way down the path and through the back alley. Your smile faded once he was out of sight and you slammed the door shut, rounding on Roderick and glaring down at him.
"What is wrong with you?" you spat at him, "stealing from Jaime Lannister's squire, do you have a death wish?" The boy whimpered as he backed away from you, shrinking slightly as you glared at him. "And telling them where we live, we cannot safely work from here now," you continued, shaking your head.
"I was scared," he yelped, his hands clasped together in front of him as he stared at the floor.
"We have rules here, we look out for each other, and you almost got us all in a lot of trouble, I would have been strung up by my neck if they knew what we did here," you hissed at him. You heard a clatter in the wardrobe and let out a long sigh, "Arya, you can come out now dear," you called out and the doors fell open, causing her to stumble out.
"I'm sorry," the boy cried, now sitting on the floor in front of you.
"You damn well better be, because we can't let this happen again," you told him, "now go and get some sleep, you stupid boy," you continued, your voice softening.
"Y/N, if they find me here they will hurt you," Arya muttered softly, glancing around the room, "I can't stay here anymore," she added and you nodded as you frowned.
"Where will you go?"
"I will try and leave King's Landing, there must be someone here that cares for my father," she told you quietly and you nodded.
"Be careful child, and write when you find somewhere to stay." You reached down and pulled the girl into a hug, before releasing her and pushing her towards the door, slipping a couple of coins into her pocket as she left.
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