𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟓
𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬

Rory's eyes watered as she stared into the damp gravel that sat beneath her feet. The sound of horses and rolling wheels seemed to be a sound that felt haunting.

People stood forward and placed flowers down as a gesture of respect.

Despite the confirmation that Arthur Shelby was indeed still alive, it all felt too real as the Thorne girl watched what was supposed to be his body being led down Watery Lane, eyes watching.

She felt a strange sense of familiarity consume her. Not many people had a good word to say about the eldest brother yet there they stood on the edge of the pavement to pay their respects and mumble words of sorrow — just like people had done at Freddie's funeral.

Finn stood with his hands clasped behind his back as he watched in despair.

Aurora bit the inside of her lip and looked up at him. It was obvious that he was avoiding her gaze.
Aurora hadn't told him of his brother's survival.

She had made a promise to Tommy that she wouldn't tell a single soul.

—

The funeral had been private — quiet. Once leaving Watery Lane, not many people followed apart from the family. That was until Audrey Changretta had turned up, Rory's grandmother. She appeared with a white flag and not many words. "Please, once we are finished." Was all Tommy could ask of her.

Rory seemed to glare at the older woman. The word family tasted like poison when thinking of the Changretta's.

Soon enough, few members of the family gathered in Tommy's old home on Watery Lane, Rory included. She stared at Audrey from across the room and kept her lips sealed tightly.

"Your note— talks about making terms for peace. But my son says there are no terms. You took my husband and my son.. we took two of your brothers." She spoke.

Rory wanted to jump in and mention Tommy's late wife. But she didn't.

"The vendetta is done." Tommy spoke with eyes glued to the table.

"We say the vendetta is won. We will take everything you have— all your businesses, signed over to us. You agreed to this and my son will kill you all." Her eyes shifted to Aurora, "one by one."

"The vendetta is won," Tommy spoke, "that's it. No more killing."

"Who did you think you were Mr Shelby?" She asked coldly.

—

Now, the majority of attendants sat in the betting shop in silence. Rory and Finn sat beside the fire in the living room whilst Karl forced a toy horse into Finn's hands.

Her knees were pressed against her chest and she glanced at the clock on the wall before standing abruptly. Finn looked up at her. "Where are you going?" He asked gently, a look of defeat still present across his soft features.

She hesitated. "Tommy asked to see me." She said, disguising her lie carefully.

Finn almost rolled his eyes as he turned back toward his nephew.

Aurora refrained from sitting back down and went to retrieve her coat from the rack. "I'll see you later tonight—" She said whilst stood at the doorway. Finn hummed in response and before he knew it she was gone, the door falling closed behind her.

Rory hugged her jacket around her as she began to walk through the fog. She walked quickly through the streets, the fear of being followed sitting in her mind.

It didn't take long before she got to where she needed to be. Her eyes travelled up the tall building — the height of it making her feel small and vulnerable.

With a shaky breath, Aurora pushed open the door that was decorated with gold handles and shiny glass. Her eyes scanned the room, reading over the various signs.

"Excuse me," she stopped a young girl — at least in her twenties, "where is the hotel's restaurant?" She asked.

The girl looked over to the far end of the room and pointed. The girl had dark features much like herself, "down that way," her accent was weak as she spoke. She wasn't from Birmingham that was for sure.

Rory thanked her with a nod and as she began walking, her footsteps became heavy and her heart filled with doubt.

She paused at the doorway and looked through the glass to peer into the somewhat busy restaurant. After a long debate with herself, she finally decided that there was no going back.

She walked inside and was met with dim lighting and a red and gold interior much like the Garrison. It was playing jazz music and people sat with glasses of fancy red wine whilst wearing expensive clothes.

Aurora looked down at her long, fur coat and grew grateful that it hid her plain dress.

Her eyes scanned the room and within moments she was met with a pair of eyes that made it seem like she was staring at her own reflection.

Luca examined her from a distance.

Her feet moved before she could even think and she found herself approaching him.

Luca stood, one hand buried deep into his pocket. She kept her expression blank as she reached the table. "Please, sit." He offered, nodding toward the red velvet chair. She did as he said and he soon sat back down. "I didn't expect you to take me up on my offer," his accent was thick.

Aurora had reached out to him — she had a message passed on that she wanted to talk to him so Luca invited her to the hotel, said he had things he wanted to speak with her about.

She inhaled quietly and didn't remove her eyes from him. "I want to know what it is you could possibly want to say to me?"

Luca leaned back, clearly relaxed and not threatened by her presence. "Aurora," her name rolled from his tongue perfectly, "it saddens me that you are on their side," he spoke to her as though she was a young child, a hand over his heart.

She shook her head slowly. "I'm not a baby."

"Maybe not." He breathed, leaning forward. "But you are my daughter. And to us," he tapped a finger on the table, "family means loyalty." He whispered.

Aurora blinked quickly. "To me—" she stopped him, "family means nothing when i'm staring at the man who never once tried to be a father to me." She said, "even now I think that calling you a man is too much of a compliment."

Luca laughed under his breath. "It shows what kind of people you grew up with, Aurora."

A sudden thought crossed her mind and all of a sudden, she felt she wanted to ask him why he hadn't wanted to be her father. "Did you never once want to find me?" She asked, "did you not wonder where I was— or if I was alive?"

Luca stared at her and tutted. "I did."

"So why didn't you come looking for me?" She asked him. He didn't reply. "Do you know how different it could have been for me if you'd have been around— if I had a father?"

She wasn't saying that wanted her upbringing to be different. No, she was grateful for the Shelby's and all that they had done for her. But she just wondered what it would have been like if he had stayed. If her mother had stayed.

"You know— some nights, as a child, i'd sit and wonder if it was my fault, you know? That I had been abandoned.. Freddie would tell me it was my fault."

"Your brother— he was.."

"No." She stopped him. "You don't get to tell me what you thought of Freddie. He was my brother." She refused, "and you're no better than he was. In fact you're worse."

Luca nodded slowly. He didn't agree. He didn't know Freddie. "Why did you want to see me tonight?"

"I want you to stop." Aurora said confidently, "put an end to this war." She looked down at her hands. "I get why you've done this.. I understand that it's because, to you, family means loyalty, right? An eye for an eye or whatever you say. But I think you're going too far." She looked him in the eye, "you've got your revenge.. we took two of yours, you took three of ours: Grace, John and Arthur."

Luca listened carefully — not caring to mention the deaths of the relatives he had brought over to fight with him.

"Don't you think you've done enough?" Her voice trembled. "I want you to look at me," she whispered, "your kid."

"You know, people say you look like ya mother but no, no you look like me. You're your father's daughter— through and through." He leaned forward, pointing a finger between them both.

"I'm not like you— not in the slightest."

"Maybe not but you sure as hell do look like me, kid." He let out a low chuckle.

"And i'll carry that burden for the rest of my life." She insulted.

"You're funny," he pointed at her with a shake of his head.

"What will it take for you to stop this madness? You're bringing hurt to everybody— to me." She complained. "Dad—" the word slipped out without her even thinking. Her eyes grew wide. Luca's softened. "I'm having a child.. I don't want to have to raise a fatherless child."

He seemed to shift in his seat.

"I want my little boy to know who his family was." She explained, "I want him to feel the love that I never got to receive." She said, "the love that I never got to receive because of you."

He looked down.

"It's your fault my mother ran off— your fault that Freddie's dad left.. because you had an affair with my mum. Which means it's your fault that Freddie didn't love me." Her voice grew aggressive. "So I want you to do this for me. If you have any ounce of love or sympathy within you, I want you to stop this.. for me."

Aurora knew her request was a reach. She was unsure if Luca even knew what the word love meant — or sympathy. And she sure as hell questioned whether or not he'd be willing to do something for her.

"You want to make Tommy Shelby suffer." Aurora stated, "and you have. More than you know." She said. "I know that isn't going to change your mind but— what you're doing is destroying me.. us." Her voice began to tremble.

She felt dramatic — the word 'destroying' was a strong word to use but in the moment it was the complete truth.

"Aurora.." Luca spoke strongly. "This is a war—"

"I know!" Her fist collided with the table.

She could tell by the look in his eyes that her speech hadn't changed his mind.

Although, a part of Luca felt extreme guilt as he listened to his daughter. He questioned his own thoughts — everything he had ever done regarding Aurora seemed to weigh heavy on his shoulders now.

"What you don't realise— is that you think you're winning this.. but you aren't— you're not even close." The corners of her lips turned upward and his expression fell. "You'll soon come to realise."

She pushed her chair away from the table. "Part of me believed that you could find it within yourself to be a good man— to be my father. But no, no you can't even do that. Nothing will take away the pain you have caused and nothing will take away the hatred I have for you." She said before spinning on her heels and storming out.

—

Aurora walked back into the house and, much to her surprise, Finn still sat beside the fire. She paused in the doorway and he glanced at her. A frown settled on his face and he was quick to stand when seeing her watery eyes.

She didn't try to refuse him when he walked to her. She didn't try to blink away the tears.

The moment that he wrapped his arms around her, she began to sob. A hand covered her mouth as she felt Finn's hand hold the back of her head. A panic had filled him. "Are you okay?"

She held onto him tightly, a fistful of his shirt in her hand. Aurora pulled back slightly to look at him. "It's all going to be back to normal soon." She whispered to him, holding his face.

He stared at her with uncertainty.

"And we'll get married.. i'll have the baby and we can go back to the way it was."

"What are you talking about?" He shook his head.

Aurora forced a sad smile. "You'll understand soon, Finny. I promise."

- So, honest opinions please. I wrote this chapter in one sitting which is the first time in a long time i have done that for this story.
- I am not going to apologise for how emotional Rory is as a character.