𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔
𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠

The sound of the door slamming against the wall was what woken Aurora and Finn. The pair jumped and she opened her eyes to see Tommy stood there in the doorway. "Get up. Get ready." He demanded, pointing a finger at her. His head turned to Finn and he automatically frowned. "And what the bloody hell are you doing in here?" He asked.

Finn groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Must've fell asleep last night." He yawned.

Rory held her hands over her eyes to block out the sunlight that seeped through the window. "Why so early, Tom?" The dark haired girl asked agitatedly.

Tommy blew smoke from his cigarette. "We're doing it today." He said plainly before turning to the door and leaving once more. Aurora sat up, leaning on her elbows.

Finn remained in the chair he had fell asleep in and blinked a few times.

"Doing what?!" Rory's voice bounced off the walls as she shouted angrily. "Fucking hell." She sighed, throwing her head back down onto the pillow. Finn finally stood and rubbed his eyes again. "Jesus christ." He muttered, leaving the room without another word.

Aurora tried to remember why Finn had fell asleep in her bedroom and when she did, she sat there for a few moments thinking.

After they had returned to the house from being at the canal, Rory told Finn he could sit and talk for a while due to the fact he didn't seem to pleased about coming home at the time they did. Yes it was late but he was somewhat enjoying her company. He'd never admit that though.

He allowed her to change first before joining her. Finn had sat in the chair beside her window which was big enough for him to sit comfortably. It was similar to the couch they had downstairs except it was a chair.

They began talking about things and eventually the pair fell asleep, not caring to address Finn still being there.

"Rory!" Thomas scolded from downstairs.

"Coming!" Aurora shouted, quickly jumping from the bed and grabbing a pair of trousers from the wardrobe as well as a shirt. She almost fell when pulling the trousers over her legs but somehow managed to keep her balance.

After running a brush through her hair, she rushed down the stairs and scooped her shoes up from beside the door.

"Now will you tell me what we're doing?" She asked. Tommy took a breath. "Today is the day we finish things with Billy Kimber." He said, throwing a jacket at her.

"You bloody what?" Rory frowned, completely unaware at the plan he had been making.

"We're goin' the races. That's all you need to know, alright?" Tommy said with a stern tone.

"I thought I was grounded." Rory tilted her head. Tommy stopped to turn toward her. "So you heard us then?" He asked. She hummed in response and shrugged the coat over her shoulders. It was Ada's old coat but she didn't mind.

"Well today is an exception." He shrugged.

"You work in a strange way, Tom." She insulted, sneaking a piece of toast from the table. "Just go and bloody find Finn and make sure youse get down to the Garrison— youse already missed the family meeting." He dismissed her angrily.

"What's gotten your knickers in a twist?" She spoke under her breath and bit down into the still warm toast. "Finny!" Her voice was loud as she walked through to the den. "Ya brother wants us in the Garrison. Let's go." She nodded toward the door.

Finn fixed the collar of his jacket and followed her out of the door. "So did you find out what it is he got us up so early for?" Finn asked.

"Something to do with that Kimber fella. I didn't listen to be honest with you." She admitted, causing the boy to smile slightly.

-

The pub was almost full of basically drunk men and Rory had to guide her way through the crowd before making her way to John. "Alright trouble?" John asked, watching her sit up on the stool beside him, Finn hovering behind her.

"Suppose." She responded.

It wasn't long before John turned his attention elsewhere.

"Have you met her yet?" Finn whispered in Rory's ear from behind, causing her to jump slightly. She shook her head and looked at the blonde barmaid who Finn was referring to. "I've seen her around but never spoke to her. Why do you ask?" Aurora asked curiously.

"I'm not too sure on her. Seems a bit out of place, don't you think?"

"Why— cause she's from Ireland?" Rory accused him. Finn shook his head. "She's just always around. Every time i'm in 'ere, she's asking some sort of question." Finn told her.

"Maybe she's just a curious type of girl."  Rory excused, examining the blonde barmaid. "Or maybe she and your brother have something going on." Rory raised an eyebrow when seeing Tommy talking to her very closely.

Finn nodded slowly, taking that suggestion into consideration.

"Is that 'Siah?" Aurora peered over the Shelby boy's shoulder at Isiah who had just entered the busy pub with his peaky cap on his head. The boy walked with his hands in his pockets and his signature grin plastered onto his lips.

"Ya alright?" He threw an arm across Rory's shoulders when joining them at the bar. She looked up at him and gave him a genuine smile.

Something was different about her today. She didn't have a drink in her hand — or a cigarette for that matter. And she wasn't being miserable. And to keep it that way, Finn kept his mouth closed. It only took him to look at her the wrong way and she was in a mood.

Aurora had kept her eyes glued to the barmaid and watched her and Tommy go into the back room. She raised a brow and shifted in her chair. She got up and discreetly snaked her way through the crowd again. "Where you goin!?" John shouted to her.

"Tell Tom i'll be back before you all leave!" She said as she left. Finn and Isiah shared a glance and Finn was going to suggest going after her but Arthur had already pushed a drink in front of his young brother.

Aurora wasn't eager to get back to the house on Watery Lane but she certainly wanted to get there quickly. "Polly!" She shouted, seeing if the woman was in before closing the door over.

Polly peered her head round the door and hushed her due to Karl sleeping.

"Sorry—" she took a breath and ran up the stairs. Polly was majorly confused at the girls behaviour. Rory might not be a Shelby but she certainly knew how things worked. And for them to be taking down a man like Kimber, they weren't going to do it with a cake and candles.

Aurora carefully reached under the bed and pulled an old sewing box that had been sat there for a while. Opening it up, she revealed a small pocket knife. It wasn't hers. It was John's but once when he was drunk he left it out on the table and she'd swiped it — never once did he ask the whereabouts of his blade.

Tucking it into her sock, she ran back down the stairs.

"What are you up to?" Polly asked, growing suspicious at Aurora's strange behaviour. Rory stopped in her tracks and tried to think of something. "Cigarettes." She said without thinking.

"You best bloody be joking." Polly said seriously.

"Bye Pol!" Rory said before escaping through the front door to prevent the older woman giving her a telling off.

-

Aurora walked as fast as she possibly could back toward the Garrison and was almost met with the chest of Tommy as he practically ran from the pub.

"Jesus—" she moved out the way. "We've been fucking betrayed." He shouted to her, not turning whilst walking toward Watery Lane. Aurora looked between Tommy and the doors of the pub with a frown. "Bloody what?" She muttered to herself and went inside.

"What's he mean we have been betrayed?" She asked anybody who would listen.

"Kimber and his men are already on their way down here but the Lee's are at the races. Somebody let slip. We're outnumbered." Arthur said, sounding slightly stressed.

John pinching the bridge of his nose and threw his head back. He kicked the chair away from him and swore a few times under his breath.

"But you can handle them, can't you?" Aurora questioned. Silence "Can't you?" She repeated.

"I don't— I don't know, alright?" John snapped. Rory's face formed into a snarl as she screwed up her features. "Alright it ain't my fault." She scoffed. "Where's Tommy gone anyway?"

"To tell Pol and Ada." Arthur spoke up, sipping on a glass of whiskey.

She nodded and decided that the two Shelby men weren't going to be much fun due to the recent news. So she chose to go and sit with Finn and Isiah. "So we're not going the races then." Aurora said with disappointment.

Isiah chuckled and shook his head. "Youse have been done over and that's what you're concerned about."

She raised a finger at him. "They have been done over." Aurora corrected.

"Yeah well you're basically one of 'em now aren't you." Isiah suggested. Aurora didn't argue. "You live with them and have done for the past few months." He reminded her. "Grew up with them too."

"Alright, Isiah, I get the idea." She stopped him.

-

Tommy stormed into the Garrison with a somewhat stressed expression and pointed to Aurora and Finn. "Go home. Go with Polly and Ada to the bullring where there's people." He instructed. Rory looked at Finn who just shrugged.

"But what if I want to stay here?" Aurora asked. Tommy took his gun from his pocket. "Aurora— Kimber and his men are already on their way. Go back to the house—" John walked back into the pub and interrupted him. "Tom, Jeremiah said they've been seen not too far from here." John said.

"Fuck." Tommy muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Right." He pointed at Aurora. "Stay 'ere." He demanded. "Finn do not let her go anywhere."

Aurora threw her arms up and shook her head. "Why me?"

"Cause you enjoy violence far too much and I don't trust that you'll stay in here." Tommy said.

After Tommy left to talk to the Blinders about what they needed to do, Aurora dragged a chair up to the window and Finn watched her in confusion. She stepped upon the chair and peered through the glass, a gasp falling from her mouth.

"You've got to be having me on— Finn, come here now!" Rory waved him over quickly. Finn rolled his eyes and went to her, taking a chair to also stand on. He looked out of the window. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"Freddie!" She tapped on the glass to show the Shelby boy. "That is him ain't it?"

Finn squinted. "Yeah, yeah it is. I thought he was locked up?" Finn looked at her.

"He was." She whispered, stepping down from the chair and moving toward the door. "Rory, Tom said to stay here." Finn reminded her. She shook her head and held the door open for a moment. "Do you seriously do everything he says?" She asked.

Finn stayed silent and she sighed, leaving the Garrison.

"Fred!" She called out, a strange excitement filling her. A feeling she hadn't felt in a long while. Freddie turned as well as some of the other Blinders and he lowered his gun. "Rory?" He asked.

A wide grin was displayed across her lips. All the hatred she held against her brother for his actions over the past years seemed to vanish just as quick as it appeared.

Much to the sibling's disappointment, they didn't get to share another moment with each other due to Kimber and his men approaching from the distance. She swallowed hard and took a few steps backward. "Get inside," Freddie nodded back toward the pub.

She nodded once and practically ran back to Finn.

Finn snapped his head toward her and tapped his fingers against the table. "There's loads of 'em out there, Finn." She said with slightly panic. Finn stood. "They'll be alright. They always are." He tried to reassure her.

She chewed on her bottom lip anxiously and paced. Finn was unsure what to say.

It was when she reached down and took the knife from her sock and began playing with it in her hands that he payed more attention. "Where'd you get that?"

"Does it matter?" She retorted. Finn refrained from saying something that would spark another argument between them. Aurora noticed his shift in eagerness and pursed her lips together. "Sorry." She apologised.

The sound of the small clock on the wall seemed to tick loudly, echoing between her ears. Although it was only Aurora who seemed to take any notice to the noise. It felt like nails on a chalkboard or a chair scraping against the floor. It was making her head hurt.

Aurora winced and held her hands over her ears. "Shut up!" She shouted making Finn jump. "Jesus Christ, Rory." He said.

She ignored him and leaned her hands against the bar and kept her eyes closed, wishing the noise would stop. "Stop it." She whispered. Finn made his way to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, resulting in her pushing it away and placing a hand on her chest.

It was happening again.

Her breaths sounded more like wheezing as she struggled to breath. Finn began panicking slightly as he watched her tap her palm against her chest lightly, clearly struggling to get oxygen.

"Rory, are you—" Finn didn't know what to do to help her. But he wanted to help her. "Rory." He spoke again, placing two hands on her shoulders and forcing her to sit down despite the fight she put up.

Nobody knew the reasons behind the Thorne girls panic episodes. Not even herself.

"Rory it's okay," he assured her. Suddenly, a gun shot sounded and Aurora jumped from the chair and shoved past the Shelby boy. She ran outside and stopped in her tracks at the site of Danny Whizz-Bang face down on the floor.

Finn had followed her out and was stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders again.

Ada was stood in the middle of it all with Karl in the pram. "Ada get out the way!" Freddie demanded. She quickly moved to the side and Aurora looked around.

Bang.

Tommy stumbled backward, gripping his shoulder. Dread filled Rory and she tried to run forward but Finn had managed to grab her.

Bang.

A bullet was fired right between Billy Kimber's eyes and he fell backward. Freddie dropped his gun and made his way to Ada and the baby. "Tommy," she muttered when realising Freddie wasn't aware she was there.

-

After saying goodbye to Danny for a second time, Aurora made her way over to Freddie and wrapped her arms around him which caught him completely off guard. "You alright, Rory?" He asked, wrapping an arm around her.

She hummed and held him tightly. "Are you back for good now?" She asked, pulling her head back to look at him. Freddie nodded. "Hopefully, yeah." He said. He looked over his shoulder at Ada. "I think there's someone you ought to say thank you to," Freddie suggested, his eyes now on Tommy.

"Tommy?" She asked.

Freddie nodded. "He's the reason i'm here." He said.

Rory didn't hesitate and moved back toward the Shelby man who was sat alone with a glass of whiskey resting in his hand. She pulled a chair beside him and sat, catching his attention.

"How's Arthur?" She started with. Tommy shrugged. "Well he's probably a bit embarrassed that he failed to hang himself, eh?" Tommy tapped his cigarette on the ashtray. "But he seems to be enjoying himself." Tommy nodded toward Arthur who had gotten Finn by the back of the neck and was shaking him gently, laughter escaping his lips.

"Thank you, Tom." She said. He looked to her. "For getting Freddie out," Aurora added. Tommy let out a breath and kissed his teeth. "I told you it wasn't me who had shopped him."

"And I told you that I believed you." She retorted. "I think it was that pretty barmaid of yours," she guessed. Aurora hadn't seen much of the blonde barmaid but she'd heard enough to know who she really was. She had managed to piece the puzzle together and figured that Tommy had felt something toward the woman and foolishly trusted her with information he shouldn't have.

And sadly it landed them with a man down and Tommy with a broken heart as well as broken trust.

"The next time I see her, i'll cut her myself." Aurora threatened. Her words made the corners of Tommy's mouth turn upward and form into a smile. "Might as well call you a peaky blinder now, Aurora." He joked.

"Don't tempt me with a good time." She said. "I'd love to be a blinder." She said, taking his hat from his head and shoving it onto her own head. "I think I quite suit it, don't you?"

"Ya brother would kill me if I made you a blinder— give me that." Tommy chuckled, taking his hat back.

Aurora smiled genuinely and looked back to Freddie who was cradling Karl in his arms, Ada at his side. Ada smiled at the girl and waved her over. Tommy nodded at Rory and she left him, joining her own brother. Freddie looked down lovingly at his son and then to Rory.

"Do you want a hold."

Aurora nodded and carefully accepted the baby from Freddie's arms, looking down at him softly. Freddie's arm was over Ada's shoulder and she had a hand on his chest.

"I'll look after you," Aurora whispered to Karl, quiet enough that nobody heard her. "More than anyone ever looked after me." She promised. "Nobody will ever break your heart like how they broke mine," she finished.

"A toast!" Arthur shouted which caused everyone to look at him. "To our Ada and her husband Freddie— and their beautiful baby boy!" He raised his flask.

Everybody who had a drink raised it and cheered. "And to the Peaky fucking Blinders!" Arthur said with a big grin.

"Having a baby on your hip looks natural," Polly spoke, scaring Rory. She met Polly's eyes and smiled slightly. "Well, Polly, i'm far too young for a kid yet." She laughed slightly.

"Your mother was only fourteen when she had Freddie. Your father was almost sixteen." The older woman informed her. "Your mother was strong, really strong. And I think she deserves a lot more credit than you give her."

"She abandoned me." Rory said bluntly.

"Yes because she was left with the burden of being unable to provide a good life for her children. I'm not saying it was right of her to leave the way she did but unfortunately that's what happens sometimes. Being a mother isn't always easy."

Aurora listened intently.

"She did love you, y'know. I remember her face when she found out you were a girl." Polly said.

"You knew her?" Rory asked. She didn't know that her mother and Polly had known each other on such a level.

Polly nodded once. "I was the one who held her hand during the birth. Both times. I remember watching her eyes light up when you began walking and talking and all that stuff. She loved you more than anything, Rory. Especially you." Polly explained. "So when you began growing to look more and more like her, she realised you deserved to have the life she didn't get. Whether that has happened, I'm not too sure."

"I didn't know that." Aurora admitted.

She looked back down at Karl and a strange feeling came over her. "Did you know my dad?"

"He was gentle when he was sober but the moment alcohol touched his lips, he became a different man. He wasn't there at your mothers side at either of the births. He was too busy spending his money at the boozer." Polly said.

"Must be where Freddie gets it from." She said. "But I know he'd never hurt your Ada." Aurora assured the woman.

"Freddie wouldn't hurt anybody." Polly said. Ada finally took Karl back from the girl and Polly ushered Aurora to take a seat. Polly gently placed a hand over Rory's.

"We love you like you're one of our own, Rory. Never forget that." She said. "And I just want what's best for you."

Aurora looked away, feeling ashamed. "I'm fine, Polly. I swear." She said. Polly raised her eyebrows. "Is that why you're drinking everyday?" Polly challenged.

"I'll try and stop, Pol."

"And Finn," she nodded toward the boy who was laughing with Isiah and John. "He cares for you too." She said. Rory scoffed. "No he doesn't." She refused.

"He does. He's just stubborn and won't admit it. I see the way you look at each other when the other isn't paying attention." Polly said. "When you aren't acting like you hate each other, I see it all." She continued.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Aurora shook her head.

"Don't I?" Polly tilted her head with a grin. Aurora just took a breath and decided not to argue any further.

Polly Gray was known for being wise. More often than not, she was correct in everything she said. Aurora couldn't recall a single time that Polly had been wrong about something.

But even still she decided to ignore the woman's statement. Because Aurora wasn't sure if she wanted to believe what Polly had said.