Camden, 1924

Usually your songs were so sweet, something to cheer Alfie up at the end of a hard week in one of his favourite haunts on his territory.

Something about love and all those happy feelings you'd sing of, sunflowers, smiles, all melodic and joyous angelic laughter between songs as you'd joke back and forth with the audience. Alfie couldn't afford to be seen, didn't want to be seen, only wanted to see you, keep a memory of you in the gallery of his mind.

He couldn't tell what, but something had changed, your demeanor tonight was.. different, unaligned, something must have happened to dishearten you so.

Alfie sat through your usual performance, committing to memory and tapping his foot along to the usual songs you'd sing.

To put a long story short, he was concerned, and to his advantage, he owned the ground the theatre was on, so he was allowed to follow you after your performance.

You'd met him a few times, you'd connected him with a grizzly bear in your mind, big and burly and warm to the eye, he was kind, though you knew there were depths behind his eyes that even he couldn't fathom.

A knock on your dressing room door heralded the man, large black felt hat nearly brushing the top of the door.

"Darlin'," he said softly, "forgive me for pryin' yeah? But a bloke like me, yeah, he's been around the block a few times, knows a couple of things yeah?" he invited himself in and sat at your dressing table.

"Don't think I don't notice when you're not feelin' right eh? Cause you're not are ya? You're not and I can tell, because yeah, because I can see into your soul when you sing treacle, every time, you glow when you're feeling the words of your song.. but tonight I saw nothing.." he said, both his hands resting atop his cane.

"Now it's not a criticism darlin', I'm just letting you know I see you, and right now, my little bird's flown of somewhere far away hm? You don't have to be sorry, just let me know if there's anything I can fix yeah? Cause I'd turn this place upside down for you."