The yawn that escaped Fawn's lips was long and loud, Lizzie gave Fawn an amused smirk to which Fawnie just sighed tiredly. It was hardly daybreak when Thomas woke Fawnie with the news that she would be getting a real position at Shelby Company Limited and she had yet to receive any news. She's just been waiting for Tom to be free so she can get into the office, sign a stupid contract, and be on her melancholy way.

"What the fuck is he doing?" Fawnie practically whined as she slid down the chair so her arms were the only thing holding her up from the floor.

Lizzie shrugged, "May Carleton." 

Strangely enough, Fawn recognized the name. "The horse lady?" Another shrug from Lizzie, "She takes care of my Jerome... fast bastard." By then, Fawn was just mumbling whatever came to mind. "Could you wake me when Thomas comes out? I hardly slept last night."

"Sure, just don't drool on the leather." 

━━━━

A hand pushed Fawnie's arm and she shook her head in her sleep, "Fawnie, get up, we've got to go." Her eyebrows furrowed as she rolled over and opened her eyes, Thomas stood above her with a stoic expression. She tried to find any bit of emotion in his eyes but to no avail. 

"Go?" Tom nodded, "Where? I thought I was to sign some contract then go to the den?" 

"Nope, we're going to King Maine's." Thomas leaned down to help Fawn up, "Up you go then," He hauled her by her armpits and once Fawn could sit up, she pushed his hands away. 

"I can stand meself, Thomas." Fawn glanced around the reception area and when she found it was empty, she gave Tom a perplexed look, "Where's Lizzie?" 

His jaw tensed for a moment, "She's on lunch." Fawnie nodded and pushed herself up to stand, she covered her mouth when a yawn managed to escape. "Why have you been so disrespectful lately?"

The question makes Fawnie shake her head wordlessly, "The fact that you can't put two and two together is what makes my anger justifiable." Fawn patted Thomas' shoulder, "We aren't going to talk and makeup, big brother. It takes more work to gain my trust once more. You should know that." She turned away from him and made her way to the door, "Why're you just standing there? Haven't you got to go?" 

Even though Fawnie did not want to go to King Maine's gym, she knew it was better to just go silently than argue with Thomas. Among the aforementioned physical similarities, Fawnie's just as stubborn as Thomas Shelby — if not more so.

━━━━

The smell of sweat and blood hit Fawn like a sharp slap to the face. It reminded her of the paint shop and how she couldn't tell what parts of the red that covered her were blood or paint. Her scalp still held a crimson tint if Fawnie looked hard enough... the pain she went through when trying to scrub the murder and car paint from her skin was excruciating.

But Fawnie didn't stop until Polly forced the cloth from her hand. "You're going to dry your skin out if you keep scraping at it like that." Polly didn't understand, neither she nor Arthur mentioned that Fawnie was the one who killed half of the hitmen. Fawnie wanted to think that it just never came up, but it was at the tip of her tongue for days after it happened.

"I killed a man, aunt Pol. What do you think of me now?" 

It would be so easy to say the words... to let Polly know that her youngest niece has finally shaken hands with the devil himself. Fawnie could feel the change in herself, the sense of self-loathing, the hate for her life to have been preserved for the loss of another. The feeling is very present now, even as Fawnie walks into the gym with a matching expression to that of Tom's face. 

The feeling that Fawnie has been living on extra petrol ever since the day Winnie sacrificed herself for her little sister. 

"Oi, Fawn, pay attention to where you're walking," Thomas practically yanked Fawn out of the way of a young man who was skipping a rope. She blinked a few times before prying Tom's hands off of her upper arm, Fawn shot him a dirty look because she knew he used too much force to gain her attention.

Fawnie crossed her arms over her chest and focused on walking, she forced herself to not think about really anything because everything made her feel like shit. Tom stopped in front of a ring, inside a scrawny young man and a taller, wider man fought... well, the taller man mostly took hits. With one last right hook, the boy in the white tank top sent his opponent sprawling.

Her eyes widened at the sight of Bonnie's face, he smirked proudly and leaned on the ropes, "Next." 

King Maine shook his head, "You're not at the fucking fairground now, son. Get down and skip me 200 for taking the piss out of a fine fighter." Bonnie's face dropped in disappointment before tossing his gloves down onto the floor, he gave Fawnie a small grin before he exited the ring. "He's got a head on him, that boy." Mr. Maine sighed.

Fawnie stood off to the side as the men conversed, looking about curiously. She's never said it out loud before, but when she was younger, she wanted to be a boxer. That dream was lit aflame when the boys went off to war. Fawn's not weak, she can't be. And if she's made angry enough, she can knock a grown man down with one punch.

"And a fist. So what do you say, Mr. Maine?" The man stood between Thomas and Mr. Maine looked familiar, but Fawnie hadn't been introduced to him yet. 

Mr. Maine nodded, "He works hard. He's game. I'll need to work on his defense. Right now, his left hand is just good for wanking." Fawnie shook her head in amusement at the trainer's words... Bonnie did seem to rely on his right hand for the finishing blow. 

Fawnie slowly made her way back toward her brother, not liking the glances the men were sending her way. "You don't have to earn your money. We're paying you anyway. Is he ready?" Tom's words confused Fawn, he's never been the man to waste money... what's changed?

"Is he even registered?" Mr. Maine sounds worried and entertained at the thought of not earning his money's worth for training a random off the street.

Thomas received a paper from his coat pocket, "I put him down as a welterweight, Midlands division. Amateur turning pro. Just need your counter signature." The unfamiliar man holds up a pen in a threat, Fawnie's not stupid, she knows threatening when she sees it.

King Maine shakes his head, "What? Like I'm going to say no to you boys?" He took the pen and signed the sheet, Fawnie turned her head toward Bonnie, he was skipping the rope at a rate she knew she'd struggle with... if Fawnie was honest, she hasn't skipped rope in years. 

"Just tell us, is he ready?" Bonnie's skips seemed to speed up under Fawnie's watchful eye.

"In 30 years, I've never seen a raw boy so ready."

Bonnie jumped one last time and dropped the rope, "And that's 200, Mr. Maine." He sauntered over toward Thomas and the man Fawnie doesn't know, "So who am I fighting first, Mr. Shelby?" 

"When you step in the ring, Bonnie, who do you see across the canvas, eh?" Fawn rolls her eyes at Tom's stupid question... she knows exactly what he's doing, it's clearly a test to see if Bonnie can handle what's to come.

"I see myself. Forty years old having done fuck all, except tramping the lanes." Bonnie's accent isn't like those around her and Fawn found herself liking the sound of it, "I see my life wasted. I won't let it happen. Me, I'm going to be a champion."

Her brother leaned closer to the young boxer and spoke in their mother tongue, Romani. "When this business is done... you'll be champion of the world G-word Boy." Fawnie found herself smiling at Tom's words of reassurance. "Fight out at Camden Town. Boy's name is Goliath." Thomas began walking away but turned around to give Fawn a look, "Let's go or you'll be walking home." 

Fawnie gave Bonnie and the man a smile, he tipped his hat at her, "Bonnie," She nodded before following behind Thomas. "What's got you so impatient?!" She shouted at the back of Tom's head while they walked toward the exit.

Author's Note: 

Thank you all for 2.8k reads <3