This is a kind of gender bender story, the reader character is female, but she pretends she's male to get on in life. This is only the first part, so things will play out more in the parts still to come. After this chapter it will be John x Reader, but for this first one, I begin with my favourite baker. Hope you enjoy.

"Richie!" Alfie called out from his office; a young man popping his head out from around the corner at the sound of the baker's voice.

"Yeah, boss?" The man asked, as he walked over to where Alfie now stood in the doorway.

"Don't ya forget that we av that meetin tomorrow, I want ya in early. I want ya ready for the Shelby's." Alfie told the him, as the man took a cigarette from its holder, lighting it and taking a deep drag as he followed the gangster into his office.

"No worries boss, I'm more than ready for any Shelby." The young man replied. Alfie shaking his head at the comment, doing his best to hold back the smile that always wanted to spring to his lips when he saw Richie.

Unknown to the young man, Alfie was well aware of what the boy he had taken to calling the face of the business really was. After all, he wasn't stupid, and as soon as he had laid eyes on the young man, he knew there was something different about him. Richie was well spoken, intelligent and always wore well-tailored suits with a shirt and tie, a cap perched on his head and a long black overcoat that swept behind him as he walked; yet under all that lay the truth.

Before Alfie had hired him, he had made it his business to ask around about the man who was as handy with his fists as he was with a knife and gun. Admittedly he had had to go to the other side of London to find out the truth, but when he did, Alfie couldn't help but be more intrigued.

According to his sources, Richie was in truth a young woman called (Y/n), an orphan that had grown up alone on the streets of London since her parents had died. Life had always been hard for her, as it was for many in the capital, but despite being a girl, she had gone out of her way to learn to fight, and she had fought for everything, for food, honour, pride, money, and especially her life. She had taken to dressing like a boy, cutting her hair like the other around her and strapping her breasts down when they became noticeable as she grew. By the time she was in her late teens (Y/n) had gained quite a reputation for herself, everyone but everyone knowing not to mess with the young woman.

But as the time passed, she wanted more. When the war ended, she had decided to move to another part of the city, trying to fit in with the men returning home. It was hard building up her reputation again and she had taken to telling everyone that her name was Richie, always referring to herself as a man, so that no one would know what she really was; well aware that being a man would allow her to do things that as a woman she could only hope to achieve.

Richie had been introduced to Alfie by one of the men that worked for him, and when he had found out the secret of the young man, he had to hire him, finding himself curious about what the outcome would be of her being one of his boys. He hadn't been sure how long Richie would last, but a year later Richie was still by his side, more faithful to him than any of the others that worked for him, and to Alfie, such loyalty was important. Such loyalty deserved loyalty in return, the baker never telling anyone else about Richie's secret, and as far as the other boys were concerned, the young man was just one of them.

Over time, the others had taken to calling Richie 'The Dandy', as when he made his way through the streets, he cut that much of a fine figure of a man that he had become one of the most eligible bachelors in that part of London; and wherever he went, the girls seemed to levitate to him. The whole thing making Alfie chuckle to himself whenever he was alone in his office.

"I'm sure ya are Richie, but I just want ya ta be careful. Never drop ya fuckin guard, yeah.........." Alfie told him, as he patted him on the shoulder.

"Now get outta here." The baker ordered, looking on as the young man swaggered out of his office. Alfie shaking his head as he watched Richie make his way down the stairs, for as perfect as the disguise was, there were still subtle indications that he was every inch a woman. And a man with any kind of eye would notice that seductive swing in the hips as she walked away; Alfie not only wonder why no one else had noticed this, but also what might actually lay underneath that well-tailored suit.

                                                       >>----------------------------------<<

As Richie and the other boys sat in the bar playing cards, drinking whisky, and smoking cigars, one of the girls sauntered over to him and perched herself on his lap.

"Richie, will you dance with me please?" She pleaded, her sickly-sweet voice making him roll his eyes.

"Look lass I don't dance, why don't you go and find someone else to annoy; can't you see I'm winning here?" Richie replied, pointing to the cards and the money in front of him.

"But Richie, I'm bored, please dance with me." She continued, leaning into him and quietly telling him what she'd let him do to her after they'd danced. Richie abruptly stood up making the girl fall to the floor on her backside.

"I thought I told you to piss off, I've got better things to do than you! I know all about you, you've had every prick in London so go and find one of them idiots to fuck with!" The anger in Richie's voice evident to everyone as he looked down at the girl, causing a few shocked glances. The girl getting to her feet and slapped him hard across the face before walking out of the room. Richie sitting back down in his chair to resume the game of cards, pushing a stray hair slick back over his head.

"Oi Dandy, what was all that about? That lass was all over ya, ya should have taken it!" A voice said. Richie glaring across the table at the man that dare speak.

"I swear, the next one of you fuckers that calls me Dandy I'm gonna shove their teeth down their fuckin throat, do you hear me?" He replied, his voice low and menacing. The rest of the men at the table nodding nervously, knowing that any threat that came from Richie's lips, was real.

"And I wouldn't touch that slut with a ten-foot barge pole, she's had more pricks than a fuckin hedgehog!" Richie continued, the boys around the table laughing, but no one daring to look at him.

"Come to think of it Richie, I ain't ever seen ya with a lass, is there something wrong with ya?" The man continued, chuckling to himself as the room fell deadly silent, all eyes turning to Richie. Watching as he stood from his seat and took out his gun before placing it on the table. The young man balling up his fists, before he leaned on them, pushing himself nearer to the man and glaring at him as he got closer to his face.

"Who the fuck do ya think ya talkin to ya piece of shit? You either apologise now or I swear I'm gonna shoot you in the fuckin face!" The man who asked the question, gulping as he physically began to shake.

"I didn't mean nothin by it Richie. Fuck, it was just a joke, I'm sorry, alright?" The man apologised, as Richie leaned closer, huffing hot air into the man's face through his nostrils.

"Well, the next time ya feel like making a joke at my expense, will be the day they find ya floating face down in the fuckin Thames, do you understand me?" The man turning pale as he nodded frantically. But before Richie could say anymore, a big hand was placed on his shoulder pulling him back from the man's face.

"Come on Richie, he ain't worth ya time. And anyway, if anyone's gonna kill him, is gonna be fuckin me, right........." Alfie said, as Richie stood up straight, putting his gun back into its holster while still glaring at the man.

"We've got a big meetin in the mornin lets get ya outta ere!" Alfie continued, handing the young man his coat and hat. Richie picking up his winnings, but not before throwing his cards in to the man's face. Alfie making one last threat to the man, who smelled as though he had shit himself, before following Richie out of the pub to the car where Ollie was waiting.

"What was all that about? Ya got more important things ta do than fuck about with a prick like that, yeah? Tomorrow the Shelby boys will be ere from Birmingham, they wanna do business with us. I want ya ta meet em with me cos I'm sending you up to Birmingham with em for a while. I want ya ta be my representative up there, I trust ya to get the best outta the deals for me. So, I don't need ya shooting some silly fucker, cos he called ya manhood into question, yeah." Alfie growled, watching Richie out of the corner of his eye. Richie nodding his head as he stared out blankly into the darkness.

"Right?" Alfie continued, shoving his shoulder to get Richie's attention.

"Right. No problem, Alfie, whatever ya need...................but I should have just bloody killed that bastard, makin fuckin insinuations about me!" Richie responded. Alfie for once wanting to diffuse the situation. Knowing that if he didn't, Richie would probably end up back in the bar.

"Don't worry, yeah. I'll sort it out. But............ he did have a point; I can't ever remember seeing ya with a lass." Alfie said, quietly chuckling to himself.

"I just av standards that's all, I ain't interested in some cheap slut throwing herself at me; and just cos ya ain't seen me with a lass don't mean I don't have one!" The young man by his side replied indignantly. Alfie unable to stop himself from laughing out loud, as he heard the slight panic in Richie's voice.

"It's all good, I was just takin the piss. So, ya do have a lass then?" Alfie continued with a knowing smirk on his face, curious as to how Richie was going to get out of this.

"Yeah I have, her name's............(Y/n). She's a good lass, she doesn't mess around; and she's clever too." Richie explained, looking nervously into his boss's eyes as Alfie smiled strangely at him.

"Good. That is what I like to hear. You'll have to bring er around one time so I can meet er." Alfie replied, watching Richie nod nervously before turning the conversation back to the impending Shelby visit.