𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟓
𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬

It had been three months since Tommy's attack. Three months since Aurora had seen the state he was left in. Three months of her living at Arrow House, looking after Charles.

She sat, watching Finn lift him into the air. She had a certain look in her eye as she watched the interaction. Finn hadn't noticed. She smiled slightly, hearing the laughs escape Charlie's mouth.

"You're good with him, Finn." She said genuinely.

Finn hummed and placed the boy on the couch beside her and she fixed Charlie's hair carefully.

The door opened and in came Mary, Tommy's maid. "Miss Thorne.." She began, "Mr Shelby has returned home." She told the pair.

Rory's eyes widened and she looked at Finn. She lifted Charles from the couch and walked out into the hall, afraid that Mary was referring to Arthur or John rather than Tommy. But, she had indeed been referring to Tommy.

"Oh my.." Aurora whispered, her mouth open. Tommy stood, a tired look in his eyes. "You're home?" She asked.

Tommy shook his head slowly. "What are you doing here?" He asked. But, his voice was full of relief. He was glad she was there. He needed a familiar face. It also calmed him to know that she had been there for Charlie. "I did what you'd have asked me to do if you were conscious when I visited you." She told him.

"My boy.." Tommy whispered.

Aurora carefully handed the boy over to him, sure not to hurt Tommy as she didn't know how stable he was.

Tommy stared down at Charlie who had reached up to touch his dad's face. Tommy felt a lump in his throat. It was the first time in three months that he had been able to hold his boy.

Finn appeared beside Aurora and he nodded at Tommy. "How are you, brother?" He asked Tommy.

Tommy nodded slowly. "Alive."

"Good, Tom. It's good to see you back home." He said honestly. He glanced at Rory. "We can get out of your way if you'd like. We wouldn't want to annoy you whilst you're home resting."

Tommy shook his head. "You can stay. I can't expect you to leave at this hour, not after looking after my son."

Rory smiled. "He's missed his father. He asked for you of a night."

-

That next morning, Rory and Finn headed back to Small Heath. They didn't mind it though. They knew that Tommy would need time to fully recover now that he was back at home.

But, seeing Tommy's face was a complete relief for the pair of them.

It would only be a matter of time before he was back finishing off business.

Speaking of business, Rory walked through the offices, stopping when Michael stood abruptly. His office door was open. "Rory," he called out to her. She turned to face him. "Tommy says that you have something— the bullet with Hughes' name on it."

She stepped into his office and reached into her pocket, pulling out the bullet that was now back in the ring box. "What business do you have with it?"

Michael took a deep breath. "I told Tommy that i'd be the one to put a bullet in that fuckers brain." He said.

Her brows raised with surprise. "Okay.. but why?"

Michael's eyes shifted. He cleared his throat. "I know who he is— what he does. And when I was a young boy.. with my other mum, we would go to church and he was the Priest at the time." She had a feeling that she knew where this story was going, "he hurt me, Aurora. Along with many other children. But nobody ever did anything about it. So, i'm finally doing something about it."

She nodded and slid the box toward him. "Michael, i'm so sorry.." she said. He shook his head, not wanting sympathy. "I assume you won't want Polly knowing about what you plan to do?"

"It'll upset her to know." He said.

Aurora nodded. "Okay," she said.

-

Aurora sat by the fire, staring at the baby photographs of the Shelby boys that sat on the fireplace. They were in black and white, old pictures. "You alright, Angel?" John walked through. She hummed and looked at him.

"What was it like when Martha first got pregnant?" She asked him.

John took a seat in the arm chair behind her and she placed her hands under her chin as she leaned against his knee to look up at him.

John cleared his throat. "Well— we were both quite young. A bit younger than you and Finn. And, at first, I was scared shitless. Her dad was ready to murder me when he found out but she didn't care. Martha had always wanted to be a mum." He began telling her and she listened carefully, sitting in the same position as she used to all those years ago when he'd sit and tell her stories. "And I remember, Aunt Pol sat me down and she said to me that I needed to be there, no matter what."

"Did you want to keep the baby?" She asked.

"It wasn't my choice but— yes. I loved Martha enough to want to stay. And, seeing the look in her eye when she walked out of the doctors, I knew it was the right thing to do." He answered. "Why— you ain't pregnant are you?" John asked quickly.

Aurora shook her head. "No, no i'm not pregnant." She laughed lightly, sitting up straight. "But I wish to have a kid one day. Maybe a little girl." She said.

"Don't rush into it. It'll happen when you least expect it but.. at the right time." He said honestly. "You'd make a good mum, Rory. I can see it in your eyes." John said to her genuinely.

She hummed and played with the hem of her jumper. "Do you know if I ever get married," she began, sparking his attention again, "will you walk me down the aisle?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Has Finn proposed?"

"No." She said, "just a question." She assured.

John nodded slowly. "If you wanted me to." He said honestly. "I'd step in for that dance too.. you know— just like when you were little and had the father daughter dance at school." He said. She smiled softly, remembering. "Really?"

"You're like my kid, Rory. You always have been."

Aurora looked at him sadly and pursed her lips into a line.

"Mine and Arthur's little Angel, eh? You ain't so little anymore though, are you?" He sighed. "You should be proud of yourself."

"I am.. I think." She said.

"Good." John replied. "That's good." He added.

Rory sat and began thinking. "John, i'm scared." She blurted out, not wanting to have admitted that. She was supposed to be strong. John sat up straight and looked down at her. "I'm scared that they're going to kill you.." she swallowed hard.

John shook his head slowly. "What are you talking about?"

"The Changretta's."

His breath hitched. "They won't, Rory. They won't kill me."

"They might." She argued, "they killed Grace. That bullet was meant for Tommy. John, what if they try to kill you or.. me. Or—" she paused, realisation falling over her, "or Finn."

John shook his head. "I won't let them come anywhere near you. D'ya hear me? Everything's gonna be alright." He pointed a finger at her.

She bit down on the inside of her cheek.

The door closed, followed by footsteps.

"Rory, are you here?" Finn's voice sounded. John nodded toward the door and he stood, slipping through into the betting den.

When Finn stepped inside the room, Rory stood to her feet and smiled slightly. "You alright?" He asked, placing his jacket on the chair. She nodded and walked to him, wrapping her arms around him.

He was taken aback but nevertheless hugged her back. "Is everything okay?"

She hummed. "I love you."

"Yeah, I love you too. Are you sure you're okay?" Finn asked again, worry filling him. She nodded. "Everything's fine." She said.

The thing about Aurora was that she didn't believe that she deserved to be loved. Not in the slightest. But, ever since Finn, she let go of that thought. She was growing to be familiar with what it felt like to be loved by someone who loved her because they wanted to and not because they needed to.

It was nice to have somebody like Finn. They were both so different yet so similar.