A Criminal's Woman (Charley (The Butcher Gang) x Reader)

Ch. 3: The Life of You and Your Sister

Eleven years have passed. Now it's the year 1935. You're twenty years old, now. You and Rebecca are out on your own. You live with her in an apartment. She's twenty-seven years old now. Times are pretty hard for everyone at the moment, but it helps when your sister had influenced you to be a criminal like the guys and herself.

Unfortunately, though. The Butcher Gang eventually got caught by the police and arrested nine years back for breaking into a bank and threatening the lives of others in there. You and Rebecca were at their place, so you both dodged that bullet of getting sent to prison, yourselves. Even you as a child would've been put behind bars or in a mental institute. They would've been a bit easier on you though since not only were you a child, but you're a girl.

As for that one blonde girl who pickpocketed that older man walking by... She eventually got caught within months and also taken into police custody. She was let off with a warning, but she eventually committed another crime and was caught then. She was put behind bars, after. Her name was Carley Slicer. Little did anybody know, she was part of the Butcher Gang. She was just always out.

Right now, you and Rebecca are in the living room of your apartment. You're on the couch. She's sitting back, having a cigarette. You're leaning on the left arm of the couch as you listen to your radio playing a song. The song is Once in a While by Tommy Dorsey.

You loved your radio. Your most prized possession. Every place you went that had a place to plug it, you'd take your radio along. And of course, with being your dad's favorite child, he's the one who bought that for you. A late model of it.

Rebecca puffs her cigarette and exhales the smoke. She says, "Hey, (Y/N)." You look over at her and you say, "Yeah, sis?" She says, "I'm glad you're living with me." You say, "That's good to hear. There's no other person I really look up to. I've lived with you since I turned eighteen." She says, "Two years." 

You sigh and you say, "I miss the guys... Him especially." She says, "Still have your crush on Charley, huh?" You say, "Yes. As I grew, so did my desire to be with him. I knew I was too young, but I could dream, right?" 

She says, "Hey. You were a young girl in love. Well, you're still young... and still in love." You say, "You're young too, sis. You're not even thirty, yet. I forget how old the guys were then. I know Charley had to be in his 20s and Barley in his 50s, then." 

Rebecca says, "Charley was twenty-nine." You say, "I thought so." She says, "Barley... fifty-two. And Edgar... I believe he was nineteen." You say, "So, that makes Charley forty now. Barley sixty-three and Edgar thirty." She says, "Correct. It has been eleven years since the moment you've met them." 

You say, "I'd have that chance, now. To be with him. I'm an adult." Rebecca says, "Yeah, you would. It's too bad they're still locked up in a jail cell." You sigh. She says, "Don't fret, (Y/N). We'll figure out a way to bust the guys out. Or who knows? They might get bail." 

You sigh and you say, "Bail's so expensive, though. Fifty dollars." (That was a lot to bail someone out, back then.) Rebecca says, "Yeah. And hardly any of us are getting by like we used to." You say, "Criminals or not, these are hard times. It's a good thing we're part of a gang of criminals. Taking money from banks and all. You helped me through, sis." 

(1930s. The Great Depression era.)

She smirks and says, "Anytime. And you're right. Helps when you commit a crime and rob a bank. Better food than what we have to resort to, recently." You say, "Charley taught me all about not getting caught. Ooh, how I wish to hear his voice again." You sigh and you lay back, resting your head on the couch arm.

The next song to play is Cheek to Cheek by Fred Astaire. You say, "Oh, I love Fred Astaire." Rebecca says, "Me too." You turn it up a little bit and you sit there and relax. Rebecca finishes her cigarette and she puts it out. She sits back. She taps her fingers on the couch a bit to the beat of the song.

She says, "You and I will leave the apartment after this song's over." You look at her and you say, "Okay." She says, "We're heading to a diner. I have the cash that I've snagged from a woman's purse as she was sitting on a bench near Macy's. Poor old hag didn't even notice. I've got money for burgers." 

You grin and you say, "Well, alright." She says, "See? I'll do anything to make sure we make it through these ahem... 'hard times.'" You say, "But we can't be the only ones. I'm sure a lot of non-criminals do the same out of desperation." She says, "You got a point. I'm not taking you to Central Park. That's for sure. It's horrible over there. If it hadn't been for my criminal tendencies, you and I would possibly be in that state." 

(This is true. Back during the Great Depression, Central Park wasn't your beautiful park with trees, flowers, grass, etc. It was used for the homeless to build their shanty houses. Known as Hooverville. But hey. People needed somewhere to go, right?)

You sigh and you say, "It's a shame. It really is. That place could be used to make a lovely tree filled park instead." Rebecca says, "Oh, we'll be old ladies by then for that to happen." You say, "Yeah. I guess you're right." 

The song ends and Rebecca gets up. You turn your radio off and you get up, as well. You unplug your radio and you pick it up. Rebecca says, "Again with needing your radio, huh?" You say, "Hey. This radio is my most prized possession. I'll go crazy without it." She says, "Come on. Let's go." You and your sister head out of the apartment. You take your radio with you.

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A moment later, you and Rebecca are at a diner. You're at a booth. You found an outlet to plug your radio in and you have it on. It's the song Lovely to Look at by Eddy Duchin. There are two children sitting behind you that are turned to face you guys and listen to your radio as well. You look back and you notice them. A little boy and a little girl. You smile and you wave. They wave back. 

You say, "Want me to turn it up?" They smile and they nod. The boy says, "Yeah." The girl says, "Pleeease?" You say, "Alright." You turn the radio up. Rebecca says, "I feel like you have a weakness, (Y/N)." You say, "And that is?" She says, "Children." 

You say, "I just can't bring myself around to threaten kids, sis. Besides..." You lean in and you whisper, "Every criminal has at least one weakness, right?" She says, "You're not lying. Even Charley himself has one. I can't quite remember what, though."  

Your radio suddenly cuts the song off and you say, "Ugh. Hey. What gives? I was listening to that." The kids both yell, "Yeah!" The boy says, "Us too!" You suddenly hear this, "This just in, ladies and gentlemen! We interrupt your current program to break news to all of ya! Beware for what is coming for us. I've just received news that the notorious criminals known as the Butcher Gang have escaped from prison! I repeat. The Butcher Gang have escaped!" 

Everyone in there gasps as they hear this. You sigh and you smile whispering, "Charley." You and Rebecca listen in. The anchor says, "I suggest that the citizens of New York City stay in their homes before sunset. The Butcher Gang is on the loose. Watch out for these men. Especially Charley Piper, himself. He is the leader and extremely dangerous." 

A little girl on the other side of the diner hugs her mom and says, "Mommy!" Her mom holds her close and says, "It's alright, darling. Just stick with mama." You sigh and you smile. Rebecca smirks and says, "Well, look at that. Looks like they're out, after all." 

You look at her and you whisper, "Sis. We need to find them." She says, "I'll do what I can. You're right... We need to see them, again. It's been too long. It's time we saw them." You sigh and you whisper, "Charley, especially." She says, "You'll see him again. Trust me." You and Rebecca continue eating until she pays and you both leave. You take your radio along.