Heart of Gold | B. Gold ✓

37 | Big and Strong

Despite feeling as though she died, Fawnie found herself moving her fingertips. The pain was still present but she knew she had to move. Something happened, she could feel it in her bones. A deep groan sounded from her chest as she brought her left hand up to her neck, the blood was nearly dry but the cut was open and sore.

Fawnie forced herself to change her position as she glanced around slowly, the steam was gone but the dim lighting did nothing to help her see. She pressed her injured hand against her throat and used her left one to push herself up to a sitting position. Everything in her body told her to stay put and lie down, to stay a dead woman but she had to see her family. She had to know that Tommy and Arthur were okay.

She had to know if Bonnie won. So many things rushed in and out of the forefront of Fawnie's mind, her family, her boyfriend, the vendetta, Victoria, everything made itself apparent as she tried to ignore the raging thoughts.

The effort she needed to lift herself up made Fawnie cry out in pain, the motion made fresh blood seep from her wounds. She folded her legs beneath her and decided to take a break. It felt hard to breathe which came to no surprise for Fawn. After all, she was choked with wiring. Fawn made sure to keep pressure on her neck despite the red hot pain.

Once she felt she could stand, Fawn pushed off of the floor and used the wall for support once she finally stood on wobbly feet. Her vision wavered for a moment before she squeezed her eyes shut. White spots dotted the inside of her eyelids as she rubbed her eyes.

Ironically enough, Fawnie walked like a newborn deer as she stumbled out of the shower room. The tiles of the walls were still moist from the steam but the floor was surprisingly dry. The closer she got to the doorway, the more she could hear shouts and cheering. The fight must be over then? Out of the corner of her eyes, Fawn saw Arthur lying on the ground near who must have been the bastard who strangled her.

"Arthur?" She tried to ask but no sound came out. Fawnie knew she shouldn't waste her energy making sure he was alive but she did it anyway. Arthur had always tried his best despite failing often in being a good parental figure. He was never fit to be an older brother anyway. His skin was still warm and it made Fawn sigh in relief. She felt the side of his neck carefully to avoid touching the reddened wound.

When she felt nothing, Fawnie felt tears pool in her eyes. She leaned her head on his side and sat with him for a moment. She couldn't remember the last thing she said to him due to the pain, but she knew it didn't matter. Not now, not now that the man she grew up seeing as her eldest brother was dead... especially when she should be dead too.

Suddenly, there was no sound from outside a room and it unnerved Fawnie greatly. Then there were gunshots, she flinched into Arthur but stayed incredibly still otherwise. After a moment, Fawn pushed away from Arthur with a sad expression.

She saw a gun on the ground and picked it up. Fawn checked for a safety switch and made sure it was off, she wouldn't be making that same mistake any time soon. With each passing second, it became easier for Fawn to ignore the throbbing in her right hand and the burning in her neck. And so she worked her way toward the ring once more, hoping to find the rest of her family intact.

Her slow pace made the short walk back seem like an eternity. Especially when her mind wouldn't stop working through what happened the entire way. Tommy told her to stay put, to always be with one of the ladies... but Fawnie and her damned curiosity led her to pain once more. It no longer surprised Fawnie that she put herself in a compromised position.

It has happened time and time again... but she never learns. Maybe now I will. She thought sourly as she turned down into the blue hallway. She could see the crowd from there, even if her eyesight was a bit blurry. Although one thing stood out to her, Tommy stood in the middle of the boxing ring with his black pistol in hand.

His eyes were wide and distraught as he panted. Tom kneeled down and held his head for a moment before Fawn saw uncle Charlie struggle to calm Thomas down. Fawnie understood why he freaked out, Tommy just dealt with the death of Arthur... and maybe even her own passing. Charlie pulled Tommy into his shoulder and that's when their eyes met.

The same shades of blue with different degrees of pain in them clashed as she stared at Tommy from the shadow of the hall. Fawnie wasn't sure if he was relieved to see she survived or if he was scared she was a ghost. If anything, she wasn't even sure she was alive. The pain made Fawn dizzy and only now did she feel the lightness in her head.

One moment she leaned on the wall and the next, she heard something fall... maybe the gun, maybe her, she wasn't sure. Fawnie just wanted to sleep.

━━━━

The sun shined brightly down on the field as Fawnie ran up the hill, laughing all the way. Finn followed behind her, barely keeping up due to him nearly falling. "Finnick! Hurry up he's gonna get you!" She pointed behind her brother at John who rushed toward the pair with a mischievous grin.

Finn screamed and picked up the pace. John was quick, but not nearly fast enough to catch his younger siblings. "Save yourself!" Fawnie yelled and jumped at John, causing them to fall onto the warm grass and roll down the hill. Despite being caught by John, Fawn couldn't stop laughing as her big brother made sure to keep her from getting hurt.

Once they made it to the bottom of the hill, John helped her up and ruffled her hair. "You're a cheeky bugger, deer."

"What kind of twin doesn't save the other?" She asked with a smile.

"Suppose you're right, come on then, aunt Pol's gonna have our heads if we're late." John joked. Finn stood on top of the hill, watching his siblings with a hand over his eyes to block the sun.

Fawnie scratched the back of her head, "Don't suppose you could... give me a lift?" Her brother gave her his typical look whenever she asked to be carried via his back, "You're legs are longer!" She argued,  "Plus you can't get big and strong 'less you do stuff!"

John chuckled at Fawn, "If I'm doin' all the lifting how are you supposed to get big and strong?"

"Pol said I haven't got to be strong since I've got the best big brothers in the world! Plus I'm a lady you know, Jonathan." She refuted.

"You? A lady? That's not a word I ever expected to hear about you!"

A pout graced Fawn's flushed face, "That's mean, I'm tellin' Winnie!" John's eyes widened upon hearing Fawnie's threat.

"What? You're a Shelby, no Shelby woman is a lady! They're queens."

"Damn right we are!" Winnie shouted down the hill with her hands on her hips, "Polly said get up here or starve!"

Fawnie and John's eyes met as they silently agreed to hurry the hell up. "Hop on!" John exclaimed before leaning down for Fawn to climb onto his back. Once secure, John runs up the hill even faster than before. Fawn made sure not to choke her brother.

As soon as they made it up to the top, John set Fawn down before he dropped onto the ground. "You hooligans alright?" Tommy asked as he eyed his siblings, Fawn nodded but John shook his head.

"Feel like I'm dying, Tommy."

"Oi! We'll have no more of that talk, now come and eat before Finn touches everything."