𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟗
𝐀 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐓𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

Aurora sat, wide eyed beside the Christmas Tree whilst Karl opened up his last few presents. Ada was fidgeting by the door, biting her nails. Finn was at the phone, speaking to Tommy. "Auntie Rory— Auntie Rory, look!" Karl said with excitement as he lifted up the wooden train that he had unwrapped.

She hesitantly snapped out of her gaze to look. "That's lovely, Karl." She whispered.

Finn walked in and the room fell silent. "Tommy says we're to all meet at Charlie's Yard— he says he can't get hold of John or Esme to let them know." He said, watching Aurora's pale face twist into worry.

She nodded slowly and stood up, wringing her hands together. "You go to Charlie's Yard with Ada and Karl.. i'll go and see what's going on with John." She said with a slight nod. "But Rory—" Finn began, attempting to argue that it wouldn't be safe.

But her words weren't an offer or a suggestion, they were instructions.

"You go to Charlie's Yard. I'll go to John." She repeated, her eyes glued to the floor. "I'll stop by Polly's house first, see if her and Michael have recieved the news." She said, rubbing her forehead.

Before Finn could get out another word, she had already slipped out of the house and gotten into one of the cars.

-

Polly's door had been left open and Aurora could hear talking from inside. She hesitantly stepped inside, weary as she had not seen Polly or Michael since before they were locked away. "Polly are you home? It's me." She called out.

As she entered, she saw Michael first.

Polly spun around to look at her. "Has Tommy sent you, eh? Has he bloody sent you— what does he want this time?" She snapped.

Rory's eyes were wide. "Have you.. checked your post this morning?" Aurora swallowed hard.

Michael locked eyes with Polly.

"Polly, there's a job I have to do. But before I do that there's something I wish to talk to you about." She said sheepishly. Polly nodded slowly and Michael examined Rory carefully. "My mother got in contact, Polly. I know about the letters she had been writing to me— the ones you kept away." Aurora began, "and i'm not here to ask you why, i'm here to ask you if you know what she told me."

Polly shook her head. "I haven't a clue what you're on about."

"Polly, you cannot tell me that you didn't know me and Freddie did not share the same father." Aurora swallowed hard. Polly blinked a few times. "Yes.. I did know. But I did not know who the man was that your mother had an affair with."

Polly noticed the shift in her eyes. "Do you know who he is?"

Aurora's eyes glossed over as an overwhelming sense of guilt and fear filled her. "I don't want to believe that she's telling me the truth.. honestly I wish she had never told me."

"Rory, it can't be that bad surely.." Michael tried to laugh it off.

She shook her head. "Luca Changretta." Her words escaped as a mere whispered.

But Polly had heard her. Oh, Polly had heard her loud and clear. "Speak up, girl."

"Please don't make me say his name.." Rory said, a lump gathering in her throat. Polly shifted in her chair uncomfortably. "I should've known that I had seen your eyes before.." Polly shook her head, "I could have guessed."

"He plans on killing us all, Polly. And— and i'm scared. I'm really scared." She dug her nails into her palms. "And I don't want you to see me differently just because of who my father is. Because I am not him.. i'm not. I'm Rory."

Michael nodded in understanding, trying to make her feel better. "It makes no difference, trust me."

Polly looked at her funny. "I just pray that your boy will not have the same eyes as your damn father." Her words sent a chill down Rory's spine. "What?" She asked. Polly locked eyes with her. "Your baby."

Aurora's lips parted. "Polly what—" She looked at Michael.

"You're having a child, Aurora."

She shook her head in confusion. "What do you mean.." She asked again. Polly glanced at her stomach. "Have you been to the doctors?" Her tone was low.

"No.."

"You're having a boy— you're going to be a mother." Polly said bluntly.

Aurora's eyes glossed over and she covered her mouth, practically running from the house as she felt sickness wash over her. Polly's words had made her stomach turn. A baby? A boy? No, no not Rory. Rory wouldn't be a mother. Not yet. But, Polly was never wrong. Not with these things anyway. She knew Ada was pregnant by just looking at her.

Aurora didn't want to believe it. She couldn't believe it.

-

Rory gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles going white as she drove down the thin road to approach John's house. "Oh come on! Fucking move out of my way!" She shouted at the horse trailing in front of her. Frustration grew inside of her and she managed to go around it and soon enough she was outside of John and Esme's home.

"John— John!" She called out with panic.

The front door swung open. "Merry Christmas." John said cheerily, gun over his shoulder. "John we need to leave.. now. Get Esme and the children because we need to go." She explained.

John scoffed. "Did Tommy send you?"

"No, he didn't. I came myself because Luca Changretta is coming after us all."

"On Christmas day? Surely not. Come on, come inside and have some food. The kids will love to see you." John offered.

Aurora grabbed his arm. "You need to listen to me. Please just listen to me. I'm not joking, John. My mum told me, she told me that Luca is coming for us all. They don't care if it's Christmas or fucking Easter. They want blood. John, we need to go." Her voice was shaking.

John held her shoulder. "Alright, calm down Angel. We'll finish opening presents and we'll be on our way. How about that?"

"No!" Aurora snapped, "please, John. We need to go to Charlie's Yard just like Tommy said. Please." She begged.

John cupped her face. "Listen, we're alright here. We're the Peaky fucking Blinders," he grinned.

Rory let out a breath and shook her head, teary eyed when she realised he wasn't going to listen to her. "Don't get upset, Angel. It's Christmas." John frowned, his hand still on her cheek.

Esme had made her way outside, arms crossed. "Tell Tommy Shelby that we can look after ourselves." She hissed.

John gave Esme a look of warning.

"It's not fucking Tommy— it's me! Why won't you listen to me! We're in trouble. All of us!" She cried, fighting the tears.

John shook his head slowly, not understanding her urge to get them away from the house.

The sound of clicking caught their attention and they all looked to the side, the same horses approaching them. John stared, cautiousness filling him. "Get in the house.." he mumbled, taking his gun from over his shoulder.

Rory didn't move.

"Rory, get in the fucking house!" He demanded when the hay bails fell and three men appeared, guns pointed.

She stumbled backward, heart pounding as shots began firing. She covered her ears and squeezed her eyes closed. But that only lasted a few seconds. "John.." She whispered, "John, stop!" She shouted.

Esme had rushed inside to the children.

Rory opened her eyes and was met with a scene of horror as John tumbled to floor, dropping his gun. "John?" She asked. Aurora felt time stop. Then it began moving in slow motion. "John?" She asked again, moving toward him once the horses began moving again. "John, you're okay aren't you?"

John had his hand pressed to his shoulder where blood was seeping through his clothes.

"Esme!" She screamed, "Esme help me!" Her voice was frightening. "Call a fucking ambulance!" She screamed when seeing Esme stood at the door, frozen.

Aurora shook her head and cupped John's face. "Can you look at me?" She asked, applying pressure to another wound he had. John slowly turned his head to the side to look at her.

Her eyes were blurred with tears and she felt as though she couldn't breath. "You're okay." She whispered with a nod. John smiled slightly. "I'm okay.." he whispered.

Rory ran her thumb across his cheek. Neither of them said a word. She just stared at him.

"Do you want to know what Polly told me just now?" She whispered, trying to keep him awake. John nodded slightly, leaning into her hand. "I'm going to have a baby, John. A little boy, hm. What do you think of that?" She asked.

His lips parted. "A baby?" He breathed.

"Yes.. a little boy." She confirmed. "And you're going to be the best uncle." She forced a smile as a tear fell from her eyes. "Do you hear that? The best uncle."

John blinked slowly.

"And me and Finn will get married soon and.. and you'll dance with me just like we said. It'll be just like when I was a little girl." She explained. John smiled slightly.

"You'll be beautiful in a white dress.." He managed.

She shook her head. "And you'll get to see me in the white dress, John. I just need you to hold on for me. Esme is getting you some help." She said. "Can you hold on?"

John blinked hard and grunted.

"Do you remember when I was a little girl and it was snowing on Christmas day— and we snuck off whilst Polly was making dinner so we could throw snowballs at people's windows." She recited the memory, smiling as tears fell from her eyes.

"Don't cry," John said as tiredness took over his eyes.

"I'm not— i'm not. I'm okay." She lied.

John used his thumb to wipe the tear that was rolling down her cheek. "I don't want to die.." He whispered.

That sentence broke her heart. She felt a pain in her chest. It was like it had actually broken her heart. She closed her eyes for a moment and pursed her lips into a line as she felt them tremble.

"You won't die, John." She said, squeezing his hand. "I'm not going to let you die. It's not your time yet." She said, swallowing the lump in her throat.

And, thankfully, an ambulance had came into view, speeding down the road.

"Look— they're here now. They're here to help you." She said, some sort of relief filling her.

John breathed unsteadily and stared at her face as she watched the ambulance. The face he was looking at was the face of the somebody who showed him what it felt like to be a father for the first time. A face that he never got sick of, one that brought a smile to his face.

His ears began ringing and he could see Esme kneeling at his other side trying to talk to him whilst Aurora begged the paramedics to do something. His vision went blurry but nevertheless he reached for Esme's hand.

She tried talking to him but he didn't respond.

Aurora felt herself shut down as she watched John get lifted into the back of the ambulance. She wrapped her arms around herself and leaned against the wall.

Esme watched, completely distraught as her husband's body was carried away.

Aurora felt tears spilling and she walked messily toward her car again, not listening to Esme's shouts as she walked. She pulled open the door and fell into her seat. Her hands were stained with his blood but she didn't do a thing. She started up the car and began driving.

She couldn't let him go. No, not yet. It was supposed to be her before him. Before Finn. Before Arthur. Before all of them.

Two years ago, that's what she thought would happen.

But now, she was driving aimlessly, wondering if she'd get to see John smile ever again or hear him call her Angel one more time. The thought of him dying was sickening. She didn't want to imagine what it would be like to not have him there.

To not see his cheeky smile or playful cackle when successfully annoying someone. Or the way he got when he was drunk. Or when he found out somebody he loved was hurt or upset. The way he would protect anybody he loved.

Just John Shelby.

He was too full of life to be leaving her behind just yet.