Hello! Just a very quick disclaimer, this is a repost of a story I started ten years ago and then kind of abandoned. However, I have recently found myself going back to it and completing it without posting. When I went back over the whole story as I completed it, I noticed a load of errors that needed cleaning up, so I thought considering it's been so long I may as well delete the old version and repost a new one. I doubt there is anyone still here from the old days, but if you are thank you for your lovely reviews on the original story, I read them all and appreciated it. I did consider leaving the old one up, but thought just starting again would be cleaner. This version is just cleaned up a bit, no major plot changes and I'm sure there are still many errors! I'll be posting as I edit the old chapters so should be pretty quick, as I said it is completed content wise so there will be a conclusion this time. Thanks all!

Chapter One: Spanish Prisoner

Her legs were bouncing up and down as she glanced around the room.

"For God's sake, Lizzy, relax will you!" the blonde sitting next to her hissed.

"I hate these places, Jane," Lizzy replied, running a restless hand through her brunette hair for the third time in a minute. "We shouldn't be here."

"No, we shouldn't but we are so just deal with it."

"Do you think they know?" Lizzy pondered, subtly gesturing towards the front desk.

"Know what?"

"You know …. who we are, what we are?"

"Well, seeing as we both have criminal records and we had to give our names at the desk, I think it would be safe to assume that they are aware," Jane said idly, flicking through her magazine as calm and poised as always. Nothing ever ruffled her, nothing ever fazed her.

"Great," Lizzy grumbled. "Fucking Lydia …."

"Don't start Lizzy," Jane sighed. "I had enough of that on the way over here."

"Well I'm sorry, but I've just realised we are sat in the middle of a police station despite the fact that we are grifters…"

"Are you trying to get us both arrested?" Jane asked, seemingly paying more attention to her magazine than to her companion. "I for one would like to spend tonight in my own bed, not at the pleasure of Her Majesty."

"Well, it's true!" Lizzy lowered her voice to a whisper. "We should be as far away from these places as possible, not popping down the station for a cup of tea. Jesus Christ, these are the people that spend all day trying to lock us up."

"Stop talking Lizzy." Jane sing-songed under her breath.

"Let's just get out of here. Forget Lydia, it's her fault she's in here anyway, I told her to be more careful."

"She'd do the same if one of us got locked up. We are a family, that means we take responsibility for each other when we need to." Jane patiently explained.

"Seriously I keep getting funny looks." Lizzy ignored her, glancing around darkly.

"That's because you are acting like a mental. We have a job to do so let's do it ok? Just leave me in peace while we wait. There's an article in here about a newly discovered Gauguin, gotta be worth millions…. wonder what the securities like around it…."

"Unbelievable!" Lizzy exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air "You are literally planning your fantasy robbery in a police station!"

"She's joking," Jane assured a passing police officer in uniform who had stopped in front of them after Lizzy's outburst. Luckily he smiled at them, probably distracted by the blonde beauty, and moved on shaking his head.

"Right, you are not to speak again. Ever." Jane said firmly.

"Elizabeth Walker and Jane Morgan?" a voice called out into the waiting room.

"Thank God," Jane muttered as they stood up and sought the source of the voice.

"It's Bennet actually. The surnames." a young girl of about sixteen smirked at the police officer next to her as Lizzy and Jane walked up to them. Lizzie recognized the officer, had seen him before. Thought he might have arrested her before….

"Not in this station it's not," the police officer said angrily. "The fucking Bennet's. We don't recognize your ridiculous practice of taking on the same name. It didn't even work for The Ramones, and they were The fucking Ramones, not tin pot criminal scum like you lot."

"I think I like this one," Lizzy grinned at Jane. "Feisty."

"Sign this." the office sighed, thrusting the clipboard into Jane's hands.

"With pleasure officer." Jane smiled sweetly.

"Whatever," he dismissed. "And I swear to God Lydia, if you end up in here again there'll be no more short stays, I'll make sure of that. The same goes for any of the Bennets."

"Thought you didn't recognize that name in this establishment?" Lizzy smirked, causing Lydia to laugh loudly and even Jane to crack a smile.

"Get out of my station." the officer sighed again wearily, pushing Lydia towards them before turning on his heels and walking away from them.

"Yes sir!" Lydia saluted his disappearing back, before promptly howling with laughter again.

"Let's get out of here," Jane ordered.

Lizzy held back a smile as Lydia bounced down the steps of the police station twirling with laughter, hair blowing wildly in the wind. The girl was the most frustrating human being she had ever met, stubborn, at times mean, self-destructive, idiotic, clever, funny, awful. Everything a teenage girl often is, but heightened to even further extremes. Not normally the type of person Lizzy would associate with, too young, too wild, but by some bizarre twist of fate they found themselves as family.

Ok, not strictly family in the traditional sense of the word. But they were part of the Bennet clan, a small crime ring that operated in Central London, and when she said small, she meant small. This was not some Mafia shit, not some drug cartel. It was just a loose group of lost kids and young adults who occasionally got together to steal stuff and con people out of petty cash. There was a strict code though, passed down by the leader, Thomas Bennet. You only steal from those who can afford it. Luckily, in London these days almost everybody could afford to lose something.

The three women, well two women and one girl, headed down towards the South Bank, Lydia laughing as they went.

"What the hell were you doing South of the river anyway?" Lizzy asked, annoyed. It had been a trek for them to get over here. Bloody tube maintenance.

"You know, this and that." Lydia laughed and Lizzy rolled her eyes at Jane.

The family was headed up by Thomas Bennet, an amazingly disinterested crime boss, and his wife Frances, a woman who had never quite achieved what she had wanted in life. She wanted the lifestyle, the cars, the jewelry, the money, and she had hedged her bets on Thomas to achieve this. However, despite his obvious ability and talent it soon became clear that it just didn't appeal to him. He was far happier plodding along, doing well but not too well, staying under everyone's radar. Initially, he had taken more of an interest in the everyday running of his organisation and all of its members had been recruited personally by him. However, these days he just let everyone get on with things. He'd provide the fence for any stolen goods a member of the gang bought in, he'd recommend a couple of soft targets now and again, and he'd help you out if you were desperate, but he kept his distance. And it suited everyone. There was just one requirement.

Total loyalty.

That's what had first appealed to Lizzy. It had been Jane who had found her, sixteen and alone in the city, her parents probably dead, no family, and just a trail of nothingness to fall back to. Jane bought her a coffee and was nice to her, was generous. So obviously Lizzy stole her handbag when Jane went to the toilet. But just as she was getting clean away, she stopped and caught her reflection in a shop window. What the hell was she doing? A person shows her kindness and this is how she repays it? She was better than that. So she trudged back, head down and embarrassed into the café. When she finally looked up from her shame, she saw Jane smiling broadly, two plates of chips in front of her. The rest was history. Lizzy had been introduced to Thomas Bennet who had taken to her immediately, and she was in. She was taught how to pickpocket, taught the Three Card Monte, how to work 'The Badger', how to count cards, how to win at poker, how to sneak into a mansion quiet as a mouse and never leave any trace. She had been taken in by a group of people whose sincerity and loyalty were absolute, and she perversely became a better person for joining a criminal organisation.

It hadn't always been plain sailing. She and Jane had both appeared in court a few times and just last year been given a suspended sentence for attempted burglary. Her fault completely. Now at the age of 22, she was beginning to move slightly away from the family. She entered more legitimate card games and robbed fewer houses, she and Jane moved out of the traditional Bennet neighbourhood into their own place. She started looking out for bigger scores, for bigger players. For now, they were doing alright. Not spectacularly, but they were getting by. Yeah, they were doing alright. They were small time, for now.

For now.

"So, whatcha thinking Lizzy?" Lydia linked her arm through hers. "Wanna go and get totally wrecked in Camden?"

Lydia was a newer addition to the group, along with her sister Kitty. They were teenage pickpockets who had made Covent Garden their playground over the summer months. No one knew where they had come from, they never spoke of any family, never spoke about anything of substance really. Lizzy thought they had a slight midlands twang to their accents, but Jane disagreed. It had been Frances who'd discovered them, with Lydia's hand in her handbag. She'd been instantly smitten with the two girls, who were everything she liked in people, ie pretty vacuous, albeit in a charming way.

"No Lydia, we are not getting wrecked," Jane replied firmly, drawing her hood closer around her angel-like face, a few strands of blonde hair escaping down.

"Where you staying at these days, Lyds?" Lizzy asked, curious.

"Oh, you know, here and there…" Lydia deflated a little.

"I thought Mary King was putting you up?" Jane narrowed her eyes.

"Well, we may have kinda had a little party without telling her…."

"Oh for fuck sake, Lydia," Lizzy half shouted. "That's the third time in four months!"

"I know, I know," Lydia muttered, looking up with big eyes at Jane. "It was stupid."

"Don't give me those eyes young lady," Jane chuckled. "They won't work on us."

"I heard you two have got a new place…." Lydia said quietly, a half grin on her face.

"NO!" Lizzy and Jane shouted at the same time.

"Come on guys! It'll be fun! And I promise we'll be on our best behaviour."

Lizzy laughed.

"No Lydia. We ain't gonna fall for it. I know exactly what you two are like."

"But Lizzy…"

"Hey, hey," Lizzy interrupted. "I said we wouldn't fall for it. That doesn't mean I don't know someone who will."

"Who?"

"Frances," Lizzy said, causing Jane to laugh. "For some reason, she thinks the sun shines out of your arses and Tommo ain't gonna go against her. He's such a pussy these days."

It was mainly in affection Lizzy said this, but there was some bite behind it. She respected her father figure's decision to step away from the family he built, indeed she was doing the same, but she didn't respect his pandering to Frances, who in her opinion was a pretty awful woman. Lizzy still loved her in a way, but she didn't have to like her.

"You know, that ain't a bad idea sis." Lydia pondered thoughtfully.

She took the whole family thing very seriously did Lydia. Lizzy had been the same when she was her age. Sometimes Lizzy looked at Lydia and wondered what had brought her here, to this moment with them, what had made it so she had no one but her sister, nothing but that love to rely on. Why was she like she was? But that was a dangerous game to play. Everyone had their shit, it was best not to go digging around in it.

"Anyway," Lydia began. "I think Frances wanted to see you both anyway, so we should go now if you two ain't busy."

"God, what does she want?" Lizzy groaned.

"Be nice Lizzy," Jane admonished her. "She's always looked out for us."

"Yeah, be nice to mummy Lizzy!" Lydia grinned.

"Don't call her that, it just encourages her," Lizzy warned and both the girls laughed.

"You any idea what she wants us for Lyds?" Jane asked.

"It'll cost you a Nando's," Lydia replied quick as a flash, a wide smile adorning her face.

"I'll get you a coffee." Jane attempted to compromise. She got on better with Frances than Lizzy, but she was also aware that you should always know what the woman wanted before you saw her. Gives you time to prepare a tactic for rejecting whatever it was in the most tactful way.

"Fine," Lydia said, backing down as easily as they all knew she would.

"So…." Lizzy prompted after a few seconds of infuriating

"Well, the rumour going around town is that there's a new crew putting down roots in the city. And they're recruiting."

"This happens every other week," Lizzy dismissed. "Why so important this time?"

"Firstly, they're British which makes a change," Lydia smirked. "And apparently, this lot is big time, the real deal. Proper Vegas, Monaco, high rollers."

"You got a name?" Lizzy asked sceptically. Lydia was unsurprisingly prone to exaggeration. It would probably turn out to be two blokes from Glasgow here on a short con spree.

"Charles Bingley is one."

"Never heard of him." Jane cut in, clearly a bit disappointed.

"Him, maybe not," Lydia smirked, relishing having one over on her friends. "But he ain't coming alone."

"Spit it out, Lydia." Lizzy pushed her lightly.

"Alright, alright. So, what do you lot know about a certain Will Darcy?"

Lizzy and Jane looked at each other.

"Will Darcy?" Jane said astonished after a while. "Well, fuck me."

"Fuck me, indeed."

This was about to get interesting. Very interesting indeed.