Redemption: A Dickensian fanfiction story

Chapter Two: Moving Forward

"Arthur!" Amelia called out. She knocked on Arthur's bedroom door. After no answer, she quietly opened it to find Arthur strewn across his bed, one arm dangling over the edge, still asleep. "Arthur." She hissed.

Arthur's eyes fluttered open. He blinked a few times and looked up to find his sister standing over him, fully dressed.

"Yes, Amelia?" He said slowly, annoyed.

"I wish to go into town for a few things. Why don't you join me?"

Arthur sighed and sat up. He held his head as the feeling of his hangover pounded in his brain.

"Arthur?" She kept on.

"Yes, Amelia." Arthur enunciated slowly. He stared at her with the resting bitch face he had perfected. "Give me two minutes." He almost snapped.

Amelia huffed, picked up her dress up around her feet, and left Arthur alone in his bedroom.

After giving himself time to find his footing, Arthur picked up the near empty bottle of whiskey on the floor by his bed and gulped down the last of it. He shook his head and shoulders and promptly got dressed. He opened his bedroom door and quickly met Amelia out in the hallway.

"Are you ready?" Amelia smiled.

"I suppose." Arthur sighed.

Both Havisham siblings stepped out into the bright day, Amelia adjusting the bonnet on her head, and Arthur wincing, being nearly blinded.

"Where are we going, dear sister?" Arthur walked a few steps behind Amelia.

Without a word, she continued walking and soon led him to the front steps of Mr. Jaggers' office. Arthur stopped short of the front steps and gave her a look. Amelia turned around to him and sighed.

"Arthur, please," she said again. "We need to discuss things with Mr. Jaggers."

Arthur scowled at Amelia throughout the entire walk into Jaggers' office.

"Miss Havisham, good morning." Jaggers greeted Amelia. He then looked at Arthur. "Sucking on a lemon, as usual, Arthur."

Arthur smiled at Jaggers, but it wasn't a pleasant smile.

Amelia followed Jaggers into his office with Arthur reluctantly following behind. They both sat down across from him while Jaggers got a few papers on his desk in order.

"Alright," he began. "Arthur, I'm sure Amelia has discussed with you what's going to happen from now on."

"No, actually. She's kept me here without so much as a word as to why." He turned back to Jaggers. "I assumed I'd be a guest in my own home for the rest of this miserable life."

Jaggers looked over at Amelia and tilted his head, allowing her to speak. She cleared her throat and then turned to Arthur.

"I'm renouncing father's will." She said quietly.

Arthur narrowed his eyes at his sister and raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Amelia shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"We're all we have, Arthur. Especially after everything that's happened. I can't bear to lose you, too. To know you're out in the streets, to wonder if you're alright, or–"

Jaggers held up a hand.

"Let's just get to it." Jaggers shuffled papers in front of them and laid them back out on his desk. "Since Miss Havisham is the main beneficiary of your father's will, she can legally renounce her share and do as she pleases. I have made some changes and Miss Havisham has decided to share everything your father has left evenly with you, Arthur."