Shell: So it's been wayyy too long since we posted our last fic, but we've finally gotten our act together and collaborated once more.

Rose: This one follows directly on from where 'We Fight or We Fall' finished and I'm sure you can guess from the title which little Boswell we'll be following... we've got one for each character in the works and they should hopefully come soon...except Shell is absconding to England soon *glares* and we'll need to work out how to Skype fics across or something...

Shell: Don't worry, I'll send you lots of photos of me in wonderfully old libraries to make you jealous :P Though come to think of it, with my track record with technology, this could be a lot more difficult than previously realised.

Rose: If you get the change, send me a picture of the street Bread was filmed on too ;) Or Joey, if you run into him. In fact, just send me Joey. Via air mail. In a nicely wrapped box.

Shell: Isn't the actor quite old now? ...or does Rose have a thing for older men? *raises eyebrows* Hey, remember that time we saw that guy who looked like Joey? He was wearing a leather jacket and everything?

Rose: The character, not the actor. I have no interest in real people whatsoever, only imaginary ones...and yes I am completely sane *kicks straightjacket under the bed, whistles* Yeah, the Joey lookalike. *sighs dreamily* I wish he would come back. We may have to just go hang out in Opera Bar in the hope of sighting him... or I'll just go on my own seeing as you're taking off to have adventures. *Pouts with jealousy*

Shell: Yep, there are quite a few fictional characters who have ruined me for all other men. *sorry guys*

Rose: *almost to herself* I wonder, is it a thing, being fictionsexual?

Shell: There's just about every other sexual nowadays, why not. *shrugs. Anyway, we should probably get on with the fic... that's what you guys came for...not just the crazy writing ramblings, but they come complimentary with every writer :)

Oh, and we forgot to say that this is a continue on from We Fight or We Fall, we'll be doing a series showing how each Boswell got started in the world of work...or stealing, swindling, bamboozling and flimflamming.

Rose: I said that... and also, we don't own Bread.

Shell: I totally read that, I just wanted to make sure people were aware. *whistles*

Rose: *kicks Shell's straightjacket under the bed*

Shell : Free at last!

Anyway...we got off topic again...ooops. *Looks at length of AN and grimaces.

'I can help out too Mam, I can use my body to earn some money.' Aveline offered. There was a tremendous clang as the rest of the family dropped their cutlery as one, Joey and Adrian staring open mouthed at their sister while Nellie hurriedly crossed herself.

'That's called prostitution, that is.' Billy remarked dully as Jack glowered at him from across the table.

'Whatever-do-you-mean-my-girl?!' Nellie's eyes looked like they were about to fall out of her head. 'I raised you a good Catholic girl- how dare you suggest you go out and act like that...that TART...' she was shaking with rage, the recent memory of Lilo Lil flooding back, and Joey hastily reached out to touch her arm.

'Noooo not that! I meant modelling, ever since I was little I've dreamed of being a model.' Aveline batted her wide eyes at her family. There was a pause while they all considered the proposition; Aveline who wasn't allowed to go outside without her rape whistle entering the seedy world of modelling.

'Are you sure you don't wanna consider this more carefully, Princess?' Joey's brow was furrowed in concern. 'If you're goin' out there into the world advertisin' your body, you need to be aware that there are dastardly types out there who might try to...violate you.'

'That's called sexual harassment, that is,' said Billy.

'Oh, God,' Adrian put his head in his hands. 'The next thing I know, she's gonna be walkin' up the street with a skirt that barely covers her thighs, becoming the centrespread of indecent exposure and rape articles across the nation! May I remind you that I 'ave a respectable job? My reputation is 'angin' by a thread! 'Angin' by a thread!'

'You'll be making sure you're wearing clothes won't ya?' Jack was frightened by the picture Adrian had painted. 'I don't wanna see ya in a bikini on the shelves of the newsagents now.'

'I won't matter now will it; I've got the body for it.' Aveline pouted.

'Joey,' Nellie had been getting more and more hysterical all this while, working herself right up into a frenzy, 'will you talk to her?!'

'Now, look, sweetheart...'

'I'm not gonna change me mind,' Aveline snapped. 'I've made me decision. I'm gonna do modellin'- I'll wear designer labels and pose, and I'll be in the glossies before you know it- 'cause I'm a natural-born star, aren't I?'

'Of course you are princess, now go and get ya beauty sleep, we'll sort everything out tomorrow.' Joey reassured her.

'You're not really going to allow her...?!' Nellie clutched at her heart. 'My baby strutting around half naked!' She crossed herself again, whispering a little prayer for good measure.

'Well at least she'd be able to pay for all of the pluckin', filin' and waxin' she does,' muttered a disgruntled Adrian.

'Jimmy Boswell, you take that back!' Nellie screeched.

Adrian was on his feet now. 'It's Adrian! Adrian! How many times? If I'm gonna keep me respectable job, I need a respectable name!'

'And what may I ask is wrong with the name Jimmy? It's the name you were given at baptism- you were christened before God as Jimmy, and Jimmy you shall be...'

'Aw, I hate this house! When I'm a model I'm gonna get me own flat!' Aveline turned on her heel and stomped out of the room. Nellie watched her go for a moment, then slumped forward onto the table, putting her head in her hands.

'I worry about her, Joey.'

'Don't worry mam, remember what I said before, we're a family and we pull together. We'll all look after our Aveline, right?' He glowered at Jack and Adrian as if daring them to challenge him.

'But I've got to go to work!' Adrian protested.

'How would your respectable boss of your respectable job react to your sister splashed across the covers of magazines in the nude?' Joey glared at him.

'It's only just 'anging by a thread.' Adrian gulped. ''anging by a thread!'

'Right, that's settled then.' Joey nodded.

'I can walk to the studio meself you know! I don't need an escort!' Aveline turned to glare at each of her brothers in turn. Her first attempt to get work as a model was, thus far, not going as swimmingly as she'd planned. In an attempt to 'protect her from all harm', her brothers had formed a protective guard around her, Joey and Jack flanking her, the former striding with a grim expression on his face, the latter loping along looking generally menacing (if in a slightly dim way.) Adrian brought up the rear, his briefcase strategically held up to cover those parts of her anatomy her skirt didn't quite reach.

People stopped and stared in the street -each look drawing an exasperated huff from Aveline- but soon shook their heads and carried on with their business upon recognising the Boswells.

'You're not comin' in with me!' Aveline tried to set down some ground rules for her overprotective brothers.

'Like 'ell we're not!' Jack argued.

'We'll stand outside the door, if there's any trouble blow on your rape whistle and we'll come right in.' Joey reassured her.

'I can't wear my whistle while I'm modellin'!' Aveline protested. Something had to be done about her brothers- she felt more like a circus freak on tour than a picture of style and class.

Joey shook his head. 'It's a bad world out there, sweetheart, the only ones you can trust are your family.'

'If this were Billy you wouldn't be goin' all overprotective!'

'If this were Billy,' said Jack, 'we wouldn't need to worry about rape. 'e'd scare all the modellin' agents away.' Aveline ignored his comment -deciding to act with class- and fished a piece of paper out of her handbag.

'It's not 'ere is it?' Adrian groaned. 'I can't be seen 'ere, my reputation is 'anging by a thread!'

'Then go 'ome, I'm going modellin'.' Aveline pushed open the door, forcing her brothers to fall into step behind her.

'I wasn't told about the male models.' The secretary frowned as the four of them entered.

'We're just 'ere to make sure our Aveline is treated right.' Joey said.

'Alright, well you'll have to wait here, you go straight through darling.' The secretary motioned at the door to her right.

'Don't forget your whistle!' Jack called out to Aveline's retreating back.

She was still in a strop with the whole lot of them the next morning. Aveline glowered into her breakfast, refusing to make eye contact with any of her brothers. Her session had gone fairly well, she thought- she's gotten herself a photoshoot for a sleepwear advert- but the memory of her brothers' humiliating frogmarch yesterday still lingered.

'So,' said Joey. 'When we walk with you today...'

'No you're not going modellin' with me!' Aveline yelled, pushing her breakfast away and running out of the house. She tottered as briskly as possible down the street, looking over her shoulder for the first three blocks before settling into a pace which didn't risk her ankles. For a few minutes, it seemed as if she'd succeeded. She'd made it out the house, she was going to get to that studio on her own, and hopefully shake off the image of an overprotected baby with a bodyguard...

The low rumble of an engine filtered through her hearing, but Aveline took no notice. A few cars passing wasn't anything to worry about. She kept on walking, but the rumbling not only did not pass, but seemed to be doggedly tailing her. As she carried on, it was joined by another, then another. Aveline frowned and turned, and her jaw dropped as she beheld the sleek black Jag, the higgledy-piggledy van and the work-issued blue VW crawling along after her.

'Alright there?' Jack leant out of the window of the van. Aveline glared at each of the cars before cutting through the park, going as quickly as her heels would allow. In his Jaguar, Joey let out a sigh before putting his arm out the window to motion for his brothers to follow him.

Aveline was worried her detour through the park would make her late as she rushed along, muttering under her breath about barking mad brothers ruining her chances at becoming a star.

'Next thing you know they'll be followin' me along on the catwalk.' She lamented to no-one in particular. A homeless man belched and raised his beer in response, wrinkling Aveline's delicate nose as she hurried away.

Aveline checked her watch as she neared the studio, heaving a heavy sigh of relief. She'd made it-no thanks to her brothers. She picked up the pace a little just to be on the safe side, raising her head from her watch and almost letting out a scream of frustration when she beheld the sight awaiting her.

The three cars were now parked in a row outside the studio, their occupants standing in a row, a little ruining-Aveline's-life army. She glared and stomped up the steps, intent on ignoring them completely.

'Forgot this, Princess.' Joey's arm shot out, dangling the whistle from his fist. Aveline pushed past him, bumping him hard with her shoulder as she went.

'If word ever got out about this...' she heard Adrian muter as she shoved her way inside.

Aveline crept down the staircase, high heels in her hand so as not to wake the rest of the family. It was with genuine relief that she'd enthusiastically accepted a job which required her to be at the studio at seven in the morning. She knew the rest of her family would be asleep and she'd be able to creep out to avoid the humiliating guard of honour treatment. Aveline crossed the loungeroom and gingerly opened the front door, stifling a scream as she almost ran head first into an already impeccably dressed and well groomed Joey.

'Morning princess,' Joey held up the leash of Mongy pointedly.

'Joey, what am I gonna do with 'im while I'm modellin'?' Aveline demanded.

'Take 'im in with you,' Joey shrugged. 'Have a good day now, tarrah' He watched Aveline desperately trying to keep pace with Mongy in her silly shoes, shaking his head as he wondered how she hadn't yet broken an ankle.

'Slow down Mongy!' Aveline whined. 'I don't look like a model when I 'ave to run!'

They got round three blocks or so before Aveline finally managed to slow the dog down, but after Mongy tired and began to walk at a not-so-neck-breaking pace, she began to feel a great deal more optimistic about the whole situation. Taking a dog with her to her modelling jobs wasn't as bad as being followed everywhere by her brothers- not by a long shot. And, perhaps, she thought, if she was lucky, some agent would see the two of them and cast her in a pet rescue commercial. They'd put double in the pot- Mam would be pleased. By the time Aveline was almost there, she was significantly happier about the whole thing.

It was only as she got to the door she realised Mongy was wearing her whistle around his neck.

It took a whole week of humiliation and various awful forms of 'protection' before Aveline finally managed to leave the house on her own. There had been protests, there had been fights, during which Aveline screamed at all the family members embarrassing her, Nellie screamed that she didn't want her only daughter mugged and deflowered on the road, and Billy screamed just because he wasn't getting any attention, but, after many long discussions, she had finally been allowed to attempt a day at modelling without some sort of escort.

'Are you sure you don't want us to come with you princess?' Joey asked her one last time at breakfast.

'No, I don't think I'll ever get another job modellin' cars after Jack threatened the man last week.' Aveline told him, flatly ignoring Jack.

'I didn't like the way 'e was fiddlin' around with your clothes.' Jack scowled at the memory.

''E was the stylist, that's 'is job now isn't it.' Aveline explained for the umpteenth time.

Nellie's head snapped up. 'Someone touched your clothes?!'

' 'e was...' Aveline began again, but it was too late.

'Some backstreet white slaver has been putting his dirty paws all over my daughter!' Nellie shrieked, tossing her head dramatically in a mix of fear and rage. 'Oh, Joey, I knew this modelling thing was a bad idea- didn't I say it was a bad idea?'

'Relax mam, Jack sorted him out.' Joey reassured her seeing his sister's distress at the thought of another two weeks of stalking.

'Yeah, we'll spread the word around telling folks what'll 'appen if someone so much as looks at our Aveline.' Jack's meaty fist hit the table with a satisfying thump.

'We'll let you go alone on this one, but you 'ave to take the whistle and I'll give you my mobile phone. If you don't answer it when we ring you, you'll 'ave us all out in force to find you.' Joey decided.

Aveline scowled, but reluctantly accepted the phone Joey passed across the table. A mobile was better than a troupe of security guards or a guard dog, she conceded. And so, with the mobile phone stuffed in her tiny handbag and sticking out the top, her whistle around her neck ruining the line of her beads, and the eyes of her entire family on her, Aveline stepped out of the house and into the street.

She got about three steps before it rang.

'Aveline, oh, Aveline! Why haven't you rung? What's happening to you?'

'Mam!' she cried. 'I'm only 'alfway up the street! If you looked out the window you could still see me!'

'Right, well you be sure to ring us just as soon as you get there!' Nellie commanded.

'I will mum, turrah.' Aveline shoved the phone unceremoniously back into her bag. She tottered along, ignoring loud prospects from passing cars as she made her way to the modelling job.

'What's wrong?' Jack demanded as he picked up the phone.

'Jack, mam told me to ring as soon as I arrived at the place.' Aveline explained.

'That stylist man 'asn't put 'is 'ands all over you again, 'as 'e?' Jack was audibly scowling. 'I'll come right down and put 'im in 'is place!'

'No, Jack. I just rang to say I got 'ere safe.' Aveline hung up the phone and after taking a deep breath to compose herself, entered the studio.

Still shuddering with mortification, Aveline prepared herself for her day's work, and presently she was all smiles as she posed, her long legs draped elegantly over a washing machine while the photographer clicked away and instructed her to lift her head, drop her chin or put her hand on her hip.

It was all going perfectly well, until...

Rring! Rring!

'Aw, no!' Aveline cried at the precise moment the photographer clicked the shutter, resulting in a photograph of her pulling a rather odd facial expression.

Rring! Rring! Aveline stepped down from her perch on the washing machine and began to totter off set.

'Just leave it love!' The photographer growled.

'I can't, me brothers will all be down 'ere if I don't answer!' Aveline cried, rummaging through her hand bag.

''Ello?'

'You make sure you're not doin' anything unrespectable you 'ear!'

'Is that you Adrian?' Aveline frowned.

'My job is 'anging by a thread!' Adrian lamented. 'Also mam said that if any man touches you she'll send us all down there.'

'No-one's touched me!' Aveline sighed. 'Everything's fine, I'll ring when I'm done.'

'Now can we get back to it?' The photographer glared at her as she hung up the phone.

'Of course,' Aveline said sheepishly, clambering back up onto the machine and repositioning herself. 'Sorry.'

The photographer shook his head. 'Okay, now lean forward just a little b-' Rring! Rring!

Not again, thought Aveline, but she made to get down anyway.

'No- you stay where yer are, love,' said the photographer, raising a finger in warning. Ignoring Aveline's wails of protest, he strode across the room and snatched up the mobile.

'What is it you want?'

'Greetings!' even from across the room, Aveline could hear the voice issuing from the phone. 'And who might I be talkin' to, please? Or rather, to the point, what have you done with OUR SISTER?' Aveline was up in a flash and across the room in less than a second, despite the platform shoes she had on. She made a lunge for the phone.

'No-one's doin' anythin', Joey!' She hissed. 'Why can't you lot leave it? I can't even do five minutes of modellin' without one of you ringin' up and spoilin' it!' she jabbed the disconnect button as sharply as she could, snapping one of her fake nails in the process and crying out in pain.

'Well, now look what you've done,' said the photographer. 'I can't take sophisticated photographs with your 'ands lookin' like they've done manual labour all night! Sit on that 'and, love, and stop answerin' the phone. Now, can we please get on with it?'

'Yes.' Aveline's voice shook as she repositioned herself on the washing machine, careful to keep her bad hand out of sight.

'Right, now let's try and get a few good ones before your phone rings again shall we.' The photographer joked but there was a hard edge to his voice which suggested he found the situation less than amusing. Aveline adjusted her smile and began to pose, leaning one way and then the other, smiling seductively at the camera.

Rring! Rring!

'Alright, we might as well wrap it up there, I've got a few good ones and we're not going to be able to do much more with these constant interruptions.' The photographer sighed.

'Thank you.' Aveline did an awkward little curtsey and tottered over to her bag. The phone stopped ringing as soon she reached her purse. 'Aww no.' Aveline squealed, dialling the number for home as quickly as she could with her fake nails.

'Aveline is that you?' Nellie sounded panicked as she answered the phone.

'Yes, I'm alright, I've finished modellin' so I'll be 'ome soon.' Aveline explained.

'Hold on, I'll go and see if I can catch the boys.' There was a pause and Aveline could picture Nellie running out to the cars to stop the irate boys who were bent on harming whoever had their sister.

'Are you alright?' Jack panted over the phone a minute later.

'Yes I'm fine, I'm gettin' ready to come 'ome now.' Aveline explained again.

''Ere, give me the phone. How are you princess?' Joey asked kindly.

'I'm done modellin', I'm on me way 'ome.' Aveline repeated.

'Okay, well be careful.' Joey cautioned.

Aveline sighed and disconnected. Casting an 'I'll be off, then,' in the general direction of the photographer, she got together her things and prepared for the journey home.

As Aveline turned into their street she saw Jack sitting in Granddad's chair outside the door, peering up the street eagerly for her.

'Ah good you're alright then,' Jack smiled. 'I was about to come looking for you with Mongy but Joey said we should allow a few more minutes for those silly shoes of yours.'

'Aww Jack, I'm fine!' Aveline protested but she smiled at the care her brother showed for her.

'You better go in, mam's been worried.' Jack ushered her inside.

'Aveline, Aveline is that you?' A fretful Nellie can running from the kitchen.

'Mam?' Aveline only just managed to get the word out before Nellie threw herself on her daughter, wrapping her in a hug which would rival a python's.

'You're never going modelling again, do you hear me!'

'Mam!' Aveline protested as her mother all but crushed her ribs, 'I can take care of meself, you know!'

'From now on you stay in the house, my girl, where we can keep a strict eye on you! There will be no more violations of any kind- when our Joey rang you, he said a feller answered the phone- a man! I don't like this lot you're mixing with, Aveline...'

'Mam...' Aveline protested again. 'I'm not doin' anythin'! I'm makin' money! That was the whole point! There'll be no violations of any kind, and...' she wrested herself from her mother's grip and stood, defiant, 'I'm goin' modellin' again, whether you like it or not!' And with that she stormed upstairs.

Nellie stared after her in despair.

'Don't sweat, Mam,' said Joey, coming up behind her. 'We'll take care of her.' There was an almost wicked tone in his voice, as if he was already plotting some sort of elaborate protection scheme.

'We'll take care of her.'

We should not be allowed out...

*Exachange glances*

*Both Shrug*

*Both push straightjackets further under the bag and hide them under piles of books*

Shell: We swear we're not crazy...

Rose: Shhh.

...Please Review *Smile innocently*