𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

Being thirteen years of age felt like it dragged on for ages. Rory didn't truly feel that young. And she blamed that on the fact she was left to fend for herself from so little.

Aurora was mature for her age in the eyes of many people. And not just because she was drinking and smoking. Because she could hold her own, defend herself if she needed to. She could defend herself better at the age of thirteen than Finn could at the age of almost fifteen.

"Happy birthday!" The whole betting shop rang out as the Shelby family as well as Freddie and Isiah stood with happy smiles on their faces.

Aurora grew slightly red in the face and looked around. "What's goin' on?" She asked, standing in confusion.

"It's your birthday, love." Polly said as if she'd forgotten. Aurora nodded. "Yeah, I know." She told her. "But like.. what's all this?" She asked. Polly smiled and placed a hand on Rory's back. "It's time to celebrate your birthday properly."

Rory was excited but didn't show it. Never had she ever celebrated properly. Other than when she was very young and her mother was still around. But after that, the men were away at war therefore there was nobody to celebrate with.

"Ive got something special for you later," Polly whispered. Rory nodded once and sat at the table. "Right, back to work!" She heard Tommy order everybody.

Polly poured them both a cup of tea and got out some biscuits. "Tonight we'll go to the Garrison where i'm sure you'll be spoilt by John." Polly's comment made the girl smile slightly.

"Where's Finn?" She asked, noticing that he hadn't been in with the rest of the family.

Polly quirked up an eyebrow, causing Aurora to throw her arms up dramatically. "Am I not allowed to ask questions to do with the whereabouts of somebody I quite literally live with?" She asked quickly.

Polly nodded slowly and sipped her tea. "I believe he's out at the shops."

Aurora played with her hands and sighed dramatically. "When does it all get better— like.. when does it start getting fun?" She asked. Polly frowned. "Growing older. Bein' so young is boring." She complained.

Polly scoffed. "Don't wish your life away girl. Soon you'll find yourself wishing you were younger."

"Speak of the devil." Polly whispered, looking toward the door. Rory glanced over her shoulder at Finn who had made an entrance with a small bundle of flowers in hand. He cleared his throat and his face turned a light shade of pink. Polly grinned. "Er.. happy birthday." He pointed them toward her.

She shifted in her chair and looked at the flowers for a moment. "For me?"

"They are." He said, wishing she'd just take them from him and save him from the embarrassment that was beginning to grow inside him.

She reached for them and bit back her smile. "Thank you, Finny. They're lovely." She said, admiring the bundle of pink tulips. He swallowed hard and just stood there. "Where did you get them?"

"That new shop that's opened up the road. It was a hard choice— wasn't too sure what flowers you liked.. didn't want to get roses cause that's a bit like.. stereotypical ain't it? It's a bit predictable or something.." he rambled on.

Aurora almost burst out laughing at his sudden nervousness.

"Thank you Finn, really. I love them." She assured him.

Polly gave him a look of warning and he left the room to prevent embarrassing himself further.

Suddenly, Polly snorted with laughter and Aurora looked at her with complete and utter horror. "Polly! What a preposterous noise that was," Rory said before bursting out into laughter herself.

Polly cupped a hand over her mouth and shook her head in apology. "My dear girl, how you did not laugh sooner I do not know!" She exclaimed.

"It's like he's never spoken to me before!" Rory laughed.

"Do you believe me now?" Polly urged. Aurora's laugh soon died down at the mention of Polly's accusations and she pursed her lips together. "What a way to ruin the moment, Pol. Thank you."

-

"If it ain't our favourite girl!" Harvey called out when he saw her approaching. She grinned and shook her head. "How does it feel to finally be fourteen?" He asked.

"No different than being thirteen," she answered honestly.

Mike was the first the give her a hug, squeezing her slightly. "Feels like I haven't seen ya in ages," he said. She shrugged when pulling away. "It's only been two weeks." She said. "And I might have been told that i'm not allowed near you both anymore." She admitted to them.

"But yet you're still here?" Harvey asked.

"Of course I am. When have I ever followed the rules?" She let out a breathy laugh and pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and placing one between her lips.

"Y'know, when Tommy came and found you the other week— i thought he was gonna bloody cut me." Mikey said with slight relief.

"He wouldn't do that.. not if he knew it'd upset me." Rory assured him.

"Yeah well I wasn't too sure with the look he had on his face. He weren't happy at all." Mikey continued. Rory just blew the smoke from her cigarette into his face and wheezed with laughter when he scowled at her.

"So, what're you doing for ya birthday?" Harvey changed the conversation.

"Well, I'm not supposed to be here cause we're going to the Garrison but nobody is ready to go yet. But that's all we're doing I think." She said.

"And how do you feel now that Freddie is back?" He stole her cigarette. Her mouth parted and she smacked his arm. "That's mine!"

"Yeah, and i'm having some." He scoffed.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, her dark hair beginning to move in the gentle wind. "It's nice to have him back. When he ain't with Ada, he's down at the pub." She said. "I thought he'd be a bit more different and.. i don't know, take more notice of me? But I was wrong." She shrugged.

"Sorry, Rory." Mikey said apologetically. She shook her head. "It's nothing new. I'm used to it from him." She admitted. "Anyway, i'll take that back," she snatched the cigarette from her friend, "and i'll be off." She said.

The pair nodded and Harvey wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We'll see ya when we see ya, Thorne." He dismissed.

Aurora nodded and walked off without another word, throwing her cigarette onto the floor and stepping over it. To her surprise, she saw Finn leaving the house by himself.

"Finn?"

"What're you doing here? Thought you'd already be down at the pub." Finn stayed. Rory frowned. "Well nobody was ready so I went on a walk. Where are they all?" She asked.

"They've already left. They went without telling me though." Finn said, slightly annoyed at his family's actions.

Aurora nodded in understanding and linked her arm around his. "Well you can walk with me instead, Shelby." She offered. He didn't argue and just began walking along with her.

The walk down to the Garrison consisted of the happy laughter of Aurora and the discrete grin of Finn as he somehow made her laugh. Happiness grew inside him when realising he'd actually made her laugh. She wasn't laughing at him but more because of him.

As they got closer to the well known pub, they spotted John and Isiah leaning against the wall, smoking.

John pushed himself off the wall and opened his arms. "Angel!" He shouted, clearly already tipsy. She came away from Finn, leaving him with a slight disappointment. She was quick to accept John's embrace, comfort falling over her at the familiar Shelby.

"Come on, come inside. We're all waiting." He said, hand on her shoulder and leading her through the doors.

"What was that, Shelby?" Isiah nudged his friend. Finn looked at him, "what?" He asked. Isiah smirked. "I could hear her laughing from a bloody mile away." Isiah told him. "Must be something in the air— youse are usually fighting like you want to kill each other."

Finn shrugged and avoided Isiah's eyes. "It's her birthday. I can't be horrible to her today can I? That'd be cruel." Finn excused.

Isiah hummed in amusement and the pair entered the pub. Cheers erupted at the sight of Aurora and she smiled widely. Arthur was first to steal the girl and wrap his arms around her tightly.

"You're growing up, eh?" He teased. Aurora scoffed and shook her head. "Enough of that, Arth." She said.

"I'm only messing with ya, Angel." He assured her, pulling away and briefly cupping the side of her neck.

Ada sat with her hand intertwined with Freddie's, sat at a table with Esme and John. "What's gotten Finn so cheery today?" Ada asked, her eyes on her youngest brother. John shrugged. "He walked down with Rory, didn't he. Probably something to do with that." He suggested.

Freddie furrowed his brows together. "What d'ya mean?"

John looked up and looked between Ada and Freddie. "What? You tellin' me you don't see it? Our Finn definitely fancies your Aurora. Even if it's just a little bit." John stated. Esme stifled laugh and held John's arm.

Freddie didn't know what to say. He hadn't been around enough to even notice that the pair ever spoke to each other.

"She's beautiful," Esme spoke up. "Your sister." She turned to Freddie. Ada nodded slightly in agreement. "Looks just like our Ma." Freddie huffed. "Same mannerisms and all."

"Don't say it like it's a bad thing," Ada scolded, her voice slightly high pitched, "your mum was beautiful too."

Freddie said nothing and looked over to his sister who was dancing around with Isiah, her laughter bouncing off the walls. Something he hadn't heard in a long time. He watched with slight regret, starting to feel the guilt of leaving her.

She was right. He truly was like their father. He left her all because he was selfish. And Freddie was beginning to realise this.

"Your Da was an ugly fucker though," John joked, pointing at Freddie and cackling at his own statement. This made Freddie stifle a laugh for the first time since being back.

"I never thought i'd say this but you're right John boy." Freddie said.

"Alright that's enough!" Isiah breathed, a hand on his chest. Aurora threw her arms up in the air and groaned. "It's my birthday, Siah. Come on now!" She complained. Polly laughed at them and Tommy shook his head. "No, that's enough now Rory, let him sit down." Tommy said.

She rolled her eyes and threw herself down in a seat.

"Here," Polly began and reached into her coat to retrieve a small, red, velvet box. She handed it to Aurora and she stared down at it. "Open it." Polly instructed.

Aurora did so and set her eyes on a golden necklace that had a small diamond on it. She tilted her head.

"It was your mother's." Polly said. "Before she left, I remember she gave me it and all she said was 'when the time is right,' and i believe that the time is right. It's time I gave you this. She hadn't told me why she was leaving the necklace in my possession but I soon figured it out."

Rory smiled slightly and looked back to Polly. "Thank you, Pol."

"No worries, dear girl."

-

A lot of time has passed and somehow, the Thorne girl had still managed to get herself drunk despite everybody claiming to have been supervising her and what she was drinking.

"Finny," she held her hands out. Finn raised a brow and put out his cigarette. "Dance with me." She proposed. Finn shared a glance with Tommy who just gave him a look that said 'just do it to keep her happy,' so he did. He got up with a sigh and took the girls hands in his, letting her pull him away from the table.

And soon enough they were dancing and spinning around with each other. Polly and Ada clapped their hands along to the music happily and watched. John was cheering and Arthur was laughing with his arm slung around Johns shoulders.

"Careful or you'll make her sick," Tommy warned.

"Oh i'm alright Tom! Swear it!" Aurora shouted as she spun. Finn laughed at her and shook his head.

"Tell her to sit down." Freddie said to Ada. "She's having fun, leave her be." Ada refused. Freddie sighed and slouched in his chair.

Finn grabbed Rory's arms in order to stop her from falling and forced her to keep still. "Okay— just five minutes, yeah? Sit down," Finn urged. The girl nodded and sat, throwing her head back and sighing.

"Tom!" She called out. "Tommy!"

He pushed himself off the wall and went to her. She hummed when spotting him. "Will you dance with me?" She asked. Tommy shook his head. "I think that's enough dancing for you." He said.

Aurora groaned and crossed her arms, slouching in her chair and getting somewhat comfortable.

-

Rory sat on the doorstep of Watery Lane, now completely sober but with a cigarette in between her fingers. The warm, night air consumed her mind and she stared up at the moon.

"What're you doing out here, eh?" Freddie asked from the door. Rory shrugged. "Needed a moment I suppose." She told him.

"You used to do this when you were little." He observed. "You'd sit at your window and stare at the sky for ages." He said. Rory nodded at the fact and didn't shift her gaze. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The moon."

Freddie looked up. "I suppose." He said, slightly nonchalantly.

"Listen, Rory." Freddie caught her full attention, "me and Ada— we're gonna go to London for a bit. With the baby." He said. Rory knitted her eyebrows together. "Am I coming with?"

"No, not this time. Sorry, kid."

"Not this time," she mocked. "When was there ever a first time?" She asked.

"We'll only be gone a while. Just while we get things back to normal." Freddie said. Rory shook her head and scoffed. "They're normal here." She said. Freddie bit his tongue. "You couldn't have waited could you— to tell me? You just had to let me finish my birthday with a bitter taste in my mouth. God, you always find a way to make it about yourself, Fred."

"What're ya talkin' about?"

"You know what i'm talking about." Rory hissed. "You're just as selfish as dad was. Y'know, when you came back I thought i'd finally get to keep my brother for a little while. I thought being locked up would've changed you. But I was wrong."

Freddie took a deep breath and looked away. "I've got a family now. Ada and Karl, they're—"

"Just as much your family as I am." She cut him off. "You seem to forget about me time and time again. I'm sick of it. So go on, fuck off and go live in a nice house in London. At least the Shelby boys have the decency to treat me like their own! I'm not even their family!" Rory stood to her feet and shoved passed her brother, leaving him outside.

Tommy's eyes followed the girl as she stormed through the house and he raised a brow.

"Who's upset her now?" Arthur asked. Tommy kept his eyes on the door. "Freddie." Tommy replied bluntly. Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose with a groan. "Does he never bloody learn. That's his little sister for crying out loud!"

But Tommy didn't reply because Tommy made a b-line to the front door where Freddie still was.

-

Finn had heard the chatter among his family about the upset Thorne girl and took it upon himself to go and find her. When entering her room, he saw her sat on the window ledge with her legs dangling outside.

"You alright?" He asked cautiously. She said nothing. Finn stepped inside and shoved his hands into his pockets. "What did he do this time?"

"He's going to London with your Ada. Did you know?" She spoke through gritted teeth. Finn shook his head although she couldn't see him. "Is he not taking you with them?" Finn asked.

"Clearly not." Aurora shrugged. "Shows how much he cares, doesn't it?"

"I'm sure he cares about you, Rory." Finn tried to tell her but she was having none of it. "No, he doesn't. I'm just a chore to him— another thing to look after other than himself. And now that Karl is here, he'll do anything he can to leave me here. And I don't care anymore. If that's what he wants, so be it. I'd rather be here anyway." Aurora ranted.

Finn sat on her bed and eventually she swung her legs around and moved from the window to the mattress. Finn could see the tears collecting in her eyes.

"Rory." He began.

She shook her head, knowing that if she was to talk, she'd burst into tears. Finn sighed and pulled her in, not thinking before he did so. Something he never usually did. Finn Shelby was known for being an awkward teenage boy who seemed like he would never be able to even talk to a female. But seeing Rory upset over her deadbeat brother angered him slightly.

The pair of them sat there and said nothing. They just held each other. And for once in a long time, Rory didn't feel like she wanted to kill him.

Everything seemed to go quiet whilst he was holding her. All she could hear was his heartbeat and all he could hear were her quiet sobs.

And in that moment, it was just them. Even if it was for a little while. It was just them.