enchanted
chapter 05, first day back.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

True to her word, Rory showed up at school on time and kept her promise to her dad that she wouldn't get into any fights although like she said and like Polly warned her people would annoy her all the more because they knew she would kick off. And also true to her word she would defend her family even to teachers so here she was once again sitting in Mr Carlton's office, the man in front of her sighing before he spoke. Miss Clark sitting beside her biting her cheek to stop herself from laughing at the woman sitting on the other side of who was glaring at the eight year old. "Well, what are you going to do with it?" the teacher asked harshly.

Rory gasped, her head whipping to the teacher, "I am not an it!"

"You, Lady are an ill-mannered and rude little girl. You get that from your mother," Mrs Smith spat, her index finger pointing in the girls face. The mother insult flew over Rory's head.

Rory smacked the woman's finger out of her face, "And you a rude old hag who's about to lose her eyes and her job when my dad and uncles find out what you said about us!"

"Okay, Rory," Miss Clarke placed her hands on the girl's shoulder to sit her back down. "Calm down. I know but don't argue with me and make it worse for yourself." Rory huffed and throw herself back into the chair, glaring at Mrs Smith.

"I don't think this school is the best place for you if you're going to keep disrespecting my staff and fighting with my students," Mr Carlton cleared his throat. "Mrs Smith go back to your class and I'll deal with Aurora."

Once Mrs Smith left, Mr Carlton sighed, "I don't want to have to ring your dad again."

"He won't be in anyway, he'll be at work so you'll have to ring the shop," Rory shrugged. "If you do can you ask for Arthur?"

"Before I ring your uncle, tell me again what happened," Mr Carlton told her not wanting to face the wrath of the Shelby's once.

"I was sat doing my work and Henry called me names again so I ignored him and the Mrs Smith agreed with him so I shouted at her then she screamed at me to come here," Rory shrugged, not mentioning the fact she did call the teacher a stupid bitch.

"And what did Henry call you?"

"He called me stupid and said his mum said I'd go nowhere in life because I'm a Shelby," she told him with her arms crossed.

"And what did you say back?"

"Nothing," she replied. "Until Mrs Smith said his mum was right and I wouldn't go anywhere in life except married off, being on drugs or spending my whole in the betting shop."

Mr Carlton sighed before asking, "What did you say back to Mrs Smith?"

"I called her a stupid bitch who didn't know anything about my family," she muttered.

"I'm going to have to ring your uncle to come and get you," Mr Carlton told her watching her nod. She knew that would be the outcome to her behaviour but she just wished that her dad and aunt Pol wouldn't shout too much.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Arthur sat next to the girl while Finn and Isaiah stood outside waiting to walk her home. "I'm sorry to have to do this but I can't have her disrespecting my staff as much as Mrs Smith was wrong, Aurora shouldn't have swore at her," Mr Carlton told him.

Arthur nodded slightly, "I apologise for her behaviour Mr Carlton and I'll tell John how she's been today. How long this time?"

"Two weeks," Mr Carlton replied and Arthur and Rory both stood up and made their way to the door.

"Just tell your dad you've been sick and fake something for the next two weeks," Arthur told her. "Finn, Isaiah walk her home."

The boys nodded and the four went their separate ways, Arthur back to the Garrison and the other three to the shop. "What did you do this time?" Isaiah asked.

"Called a teacher a stupid bitch, " Rory shrugged kicking the stones on the pavement as they walked round the corner.

"Why?" Finn asked.

"She was being horrible," Rory told them as she opened the door to the shop and walked into the kitchen where Polly was standing.

"Why aren't you at school?" Pol asked her, the blonde's eyes widening.

"Threw up."

"No you didn't, why aren't you at school?" Polly asked again, grabbing her coat. "Please don't tell me you got expelled again," Polly sighed.

"Okay, fine I won't tell you then," Rory muttered.

"Oh, for Christ sake Rory what have you done now?"

"Before you shout hear me out," Rory held her hands up, the two boys and now Freya and Lottie, looking at her. "A boy said I wouldn't go anywhere in life and said I'd either end up being married off, on drugs or spending my life working in the betting shop and the teacher agreed so I called her a stupid bitch and then got kicked out for two weeks." Polly sighed and shook her head because she was more like Lilian than the Shelby's cared to admit.

"Get some more food before we leave," Polly told her sternly before leaving.

"What are you doing here?" Rory questioned the boy that had wandered into the kitchen. "You know the shop is there and that you're not allowed here don't you?"

Polly's footsteps came back and Rory noticed the woman's hat still on the table as she entered, "Who are you talking to?"

"The-" She pointed to the boy that was standing behind her mere seconds ago. "No-one." Rory watched her aunt freeze after putting her hat on and adjusting her coat before walking through to the shop with Rory following after she took one last glance as to where the boy was standing.

"It's a good day," Polly commented.

"Where's John?" Tommy asked.

"Garrison," Rory told him.

"Why aren't you at school?" he asked.

"She got kicked out again," Polly rolled her eyes.

Polly spoke gaining Tommy and Rory's attention once again, "He says he wants a meeting about a family matter."

"It's and end of the world matter actually," Rory huffed.

"After he's said his piece , he'll come back and take his place with Scudboat," Polly told them while adjusting her hat.

"Scudboat? John will be here in ten minutes," Polly told him as they walked past.

"All right," Scudboat nodded.

"Five," Tommy corrected, pointing at him.

"Can I stay with Scud?" Rory asked.

"No," Polly replied.

"But I don't like my dad right now," she complained.

"I don't care, you're coming with us. You always complain about not being able to sit in at the family meetings, well nows your chance," Polly told her.

With a huff she followed after her aunt and uncle, "Fine."

"Come on," Tommy told her, twisting her body by her shoulders for her to follow them.

"Where are we going and why haven't you shouted at me?" She asked confused.

"Garrison and your dad can shout when he finds out," Polly told her.

As they walked down the street, Rory looked back and saw a man with a horse walking towards the betting shop.

"That's so weird," she said but neither adults paid attention to it thinking she was talking about the gravelled road in front of her since she always complained about it.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Rory followed after Tommy and made her way to sit next to Arthur in the snug of the Garrison. "Alright John," Tommy cleared his throat. "No," he said to Arthur turning down a glass of whiskey. "There's only one man guarding the house. What's troubling you?"

John cleared his throat and looked over to Rory who was avoiding eye contact with him, "Polly, you know what it's been like. Since Martha died."

"God takes the best first," Polly replied sympathetically, placing her hand over his.

"She wasn't really the best was though?" Rory muttered earning a glare from Polly, a side eye from Arthur and John and a blank stare from Tommy.

"Truth is, my kids have been running bloody rings around me. Running barefoot with the dogs until all hours," John listed off.

"No we haven't and you wouldn't even know. You're at the Garrison until the early hours of the morning. We see you for ten minutes a day and that's before bed because Louise sleeps over until you get home and then is there first thing. I sleep at aunt Pol's it auntie Ada's almost every night," Rory disagreed. "And you got rid of the dog because apparently we didn't look after it when it was you that wanted it in the first place."

"Pol, give him ten bob for some shoes. Is that it, John?" Tommy asked, boredom lacing his words.

"Tommy, we'd be better to do this without you," Polly replied.

"If he's going can I go too?" Rory asked.

"Which part of you're staying with us didn't you understand? No you can't go," Polly asked the girl who leaned further into Arthur, "Now what's your point?" she asked John.

"What the kids need is a mother."

"No. We need our dad," Rory stated.

John ignored her and continued, "So that's why I'm getting married."

Polly looked to Rory who had a sour expression on her face while Arthur looked at Tommy.

"Does this poor girl know you're going to marry her or are you just going to spring it on her all of a sudden?" Polly asked.

"I've already proposed and she's said, "yes."

"I think there's a about to land and go bang," Tommy commented.

"Go on Pol. Ask him who's he's marrying. Ask him who's going to my new mum," Rory told the woman making everyone except John look at her.

"What is she talking about? Who are you marrying?" Pol asked as John drinking his drink with a gulp.

"It's um... It's Lizzie Stark."

Everyone laughed while Rory spoke up. "Bang!" Rory exclaimed.

"John, Lizzie Stark is a strong woman and I'm sure she provides a fine service for her customers-"

John cut Polly off but shouting, "I won't hear the word. Understand? Do not use that word."

"What word is that, John?" Tommy asked sighing.

"You know what word that is."

"Everybody bloody knows," Arthur chuckled.

"I don't, what's the word?" Rory asked.

"There isn't a word, Rory," Tommy told her. "Go get a drink."

The blonde had slid off the booth and made her way to the bar where Grace was stood, "What can I get for you?" she asked.

"Water, please," Rory smiled at the Irish woman.

Grace came back with a glass of water for the girl. "Can you do me a favour?" Rory asked.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Can you open the hatch thing and ask Tommy if I can come back in yet?"

Grace nodded before going to ask. "Not just yet, Rory. I'll let you know when you can come back," Tommy told her.

"Okay," she huffed.

"Why are you so glum?" Harry asked.

"They said I could go this meeting and then kicked me out," she sighed taking a sip of her water.

"Do you need help?" she asked the two people behind the bar.

"You can wipe the bar if you want?" Grace asked, passing her the cloth.

"Okay!"

Rory began wiping the bar before a breathless Finn came running in, "Tommy! We've been done over!"

"Get Rory," Arthur told him and Finn walked over to her.

"Arthur says you've got to go."

"Where Frey and Lots?"

"Lottie is at the shop, I told her to wait there and Freya is in Tommy's car."

She nodded before passing the cloth back to Grace.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

"What the bloody bell happened here?" Arthur asked Scudboat as Rory looked at the den that was trashed.

"Maybe it's a good thing I didn't stay earlier," she commented.

"It is a good thing that you didn't stay," Scudboat agreed.

"The Lee's. All of them. Cousins, nephews, even their bastards..." Scudboat told Arthur. The two watching as Rory got closer to Lottie who held out her hand for the blonde to grab.

"They've taken anything they can lay their hands on," Polly told the men and Rory. "Four cash boxes."

"Is this why you tell me to stay away from the Lees?" Rory asked.

"Yes," John replied.

"They left these," Tommy told them

"Wire cutters? Why would they leave wire cutters?" Polly asked.

"Nobody move," Arthur instructed them.

"Would now be a bad time to tell you that there was a boy in the kitchen earlier?" Rory asked and everyone looked to her.

"What do you mean? Why didn't you tell us?" Tommy asked.

"I tried telling aunt Pol but he disappeared and I just thought he'd gone back to the shop," she shrugged. "Then I said it was weird that the man with the horse with the wagon was walking towards the shop but neither of you said anything."

"You could have made it a bit clearer Rory, I thought you were complaining about the gravel again," Tommy's voice rose a bit at the end.

"Don't shout at her Tom. She didn't know," John told his brother.

"I think our friends are playing the game," Tommy nodded.

"Don't be stupid Tommy, you don't have any friends," Rory commented as she held onto Lottie's hand.

"What game?" Polly asked.

"I don't like this game," Rory said.

Polly went to move into the office when John stopped her, "Aunt Pol. Don't touch anything."

"Rory, Lottie stay there don't move at all," John ordered the girls.

"I really don't like this game," she murmured as Lottie squeezed her hand.

"Erasmus Lee was in France," Tommy told them.

"Shit..." Scudboat cursed and slowly got up.

"Whenever we gave up ground to the Germans, we'd leave behind booby traps, set up with wires," Tommy continued. "Then we'd leave wire cutters as part of the joke."

"This joke or game isn't funny," Rory said.

"Somewhere in here there's a hand grenade," John spoke.

"Holy Jesus," Polly sighed.

"I don't want to die," Rory panicked.

"No one's dying, come here," Arthur said as she got closer so he could pick her up. "See if anything happens it will hurt me before you."

"But I don't want you to get hurt." Rory held out her hand for Lottie to grab as she gently walked over to the two.

Arthur turned around and finished what John was saying, "Attached to a wire. Don't move any chairs or open any doors."

John and Arthur moved around the room cautiously scanning for the wire. "Go easy, John Boy. Go easy," Arthur warned.

"Be careful," Rory warned him.

"Talking to me now?" John asked.

"No but I don't want you to die when I'm still mad at you," Rory replied.

"No," Tommy shook his head. "Boys, no. It's not in here. If it was in here, it would have blown by now. It was my name on that bullet Erasmus sent. He's set up a trap all right. But he's set it up just for me."

"Finn and Freya are in your car," Rory told them as Tommy rushed off.

They heard the hand grenade go off from the shop which made Rory squeak and hide her face in Arthur's neck while he rubbed her back. "It's alright, Sunshine."

"Is your head okay, Scud?" she asked.

"It's alright," he nodded, patting her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Lots?"

"I'm fine, Roro," the brunette nodded as Arthur put Rory down so she could go wait for Freya, Finn and Tommy to get back.

The blonde and brunette found themselves sitting on Freya's bed when the older blonde girl walked into her bedroom followed by Finn. "Are you both okay?" Rory sat up.

"We're fine," Freya nodded. Rory looked to where Finn had a grip on his twins wrist, careful not to lose her. "We just know not to pretend to be Tommy now." Rory stood up and wrapped her arms around Freya and then Finn.