And the thistle is a prickly flower
Aye, but how it is sweetly worn.

Curly comes crashing through the bedroom door and starts shaking him. He's already awake, and he halfheartedly swats at Curly.

"Fuck off, Curly," Tim groans. "Where do you get off thinking you can wake me up at this ungodly hour?"

"Walter Glass is in jail," Curly says.

Tim is suddenly wide-awake. "What the fuck? How'd you find out?"

"Faye Louise was prowin' around Buck's like she always does when Walt gets hauled in," Curly says. "Went home with her."

"Hope to god you wore a raincoat," Tim says tiredly.

"Shut up," Curly says. "I learned somethin', didn't I?"

"You want a cookie?" Tim says sarcastically. "A goddamn gold star sticker?"

"Please," Curly replies in an equally sarcastic tone.

Tim sighs. "Well, what's he in for?"

"Drunk driving with a suspended license," Curly replies. "Faye Louise don't expect to see him any time soon. Lordy, but she's pissed. She ain't even goin' to the hearing next week."

"She say anything about our deal?" Tim asks.

"Fuck me if I know," Curly replies. "I just wanted to get her into bed."

"I swear to god, Curly," Tim says. He rolls out of bed and starts shuffling toward the bathroom. He won't be able to get back to sleep.

"She'll be in bed until tonight," Curly says.

"Yeah? And why ain't you there with her?"

Curly looks hurt, and Tim wants to slap him across the face.

"Shut up," Curly says. "Go to hell."

"If Faye's called our deal, I'm already there," Tim says. He slams the bathroom door and locks it.

The house is empty when Tim gets out of the shower. He takes a swig of Dick's brandy and then decides he'd better take the whole bottle. He takes another few sips of the brandy, and then he stuffs it in his jacket pocket and starts toward Buck's.

XXX

Faye Louise doesn't show up at Buck's until late. Tim knew she wouldn't. She's drinking cherry flavored bourbon through a Red Vine when he finds her. She's done that as long as he's known her, and he's always thought it was disgusting. She's gotten Curly onto it, too, which makes it worse.

"Well, well, well," Tim says. He sits down next to her on the porch.

"You got two more weeks until your next pickup, Tim," Faye Louise says. She's always been a cool little chick.

"You slept with my kid brother last night," Tim says.

"OK, then you got six more weeks until your next pickup," Faye Louise says.

Tim snickers. "Believe I know your dirty little secret."

Faye sighs. "It's true. Curly gave me crabs."

He has to fight hard to keep from punching her, but he also has to fight equally hard to keep from laughing. He also doesn't doubt that what she said is true.

"Meant about Walter," Tim says.

"What about Walter?" Faye Louise asks. She's trying to be cool, but Tim can see the fear flickering in her eyes.

"Heard through the grapevine that he is … let's say unable to control his boys?" Tim replies.

"Don't know where you heard that," Faye Louise says. She takes a sip of her bourbon and a bite off her Red Vine.

"Who's in control of the Kings, then?" Tim asks. He thinks she'll drop her glass.

"Same person as always," she replies.

Tim had long thought that Walter Glass was just a figurehead, and Faye Louise was the real brains of the operation, but no one had ever confirmed it. Now, he's cornered Faye Louise, and she might as well have given him a signed affidavit.

"You know, Faye Louise," he says, "long as you're fucking my kid brother, you can't keep many secrets from me."

She gives him a hard stare, and he stares back just as hard. But she cracks first. He knew she would.

"I'm in way over my head, Tim," she says softly.

He nods and takes a sip of his beer. He's waiting on her to talk. The more she says, the better he can negotiate a new deal.

"Go on," he says.

"Walt's boys are dumber than a sack of hammers," she says. "If I left it up to them to find buyers, we'd be busted within a week."

"Well, if you're the second in command, why can't you lead?"

She snorts. "They don't take a chick seriously. Far as they're concerned, I just grow the plants. Walt and them do everything else."

They look at each other in silence for a few minutes. Tim takes a couple more sips of his beer, and Faye drains her glass of bourbon and finishes her red vine. Once again, she breaks first. If Walt could just stay in jail, Tim would be set for life.

"If you help us sell and help me keep the boys in line, I'll give you forty-five percent of the profit," Faye Louise says.

"Sixty," Tim says.

"Fifty," Faye Louise counters.

"Fifty-five," Tim insists.

"Thirty," Faye Louise says.

He snickers. "Fifty it is."

"Believe I said forty-five," she replies.

"God damn, you are smarter than Walt," Tim says. "But fifty is my final offer."

"Forty-five and I keep Curly out of your hair as long as we've got this partnership," she replies.

"You drive a hard bargain, Faye Louise," Tim says. "Forty-seven and you've got yourself a deal."

She's quiet for a minute, and he can see in her eyes that she's considering his proposition. Finally, she sighs and holds her hand out to him.

"Forty-seven and I'll keep Curly out of your hair," she confirms.

Tim wraps his hand around hers and shakes it.

"Walter's gonna be mighty pissed," he says.

"Walter shouldn't have gotten jailed for bein' dumb," Faye Louise says. "I'm in charge, and this is my decision. He don't like it, he shouldn't have done this."

Tim laughs. "I'll send Curly to pick up the order next week."

Faye Louise nods. "I'll blow him and we'll be even."

SE Hinton owns The Outsiders. The White Stripes own Prickly Thorn, but Sweetly Worn.

I've been wanting to write this for a while, but tonight I finally cranked out the first chapter. Brand New Colony will keep being updated, and Got to Move is still in the back of my mind. It'll be updated sooner rather than later.

I'd love some reviews! I've never done the Shepards before, so I'd love input. :D