enchanted
chapter 44, i can hardly feel anything.

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Rory knocked on the red door and stood nervously rocking on the balls of her feet waiting for the redhead to open the door. "Oh, Rory I didn't expect to see you. Merry Christmas!" Lilian smiled at her opening the door for her to come in.

"My dad's dead and Esme's left, it's all Tommy's fault and I'm all alone again," Rory said and Lilian stood staring at her taking in the information that she already knew.

"How? Why has Esme left? Why is it Tommy's fault?" she questioned.

"Got shot by the Italian mafia who Tommy messed with and Esme left to keep the rest of my siblings safe she offered to take me but I refused, I love Isaiah too much to just leave," she winced. "Sorry I didn't mean for that to come out how it did."

Lilian shook her head, "No, no. I understand don't worry."

"He's not the same. Tommy I mean, he's changed. He changed after the war but he just seems to get worse as time goes on," Rory told her looking over at the photo that had a younger, smiling Tommy in it. She missed the man he was before, before Grace's death and before the war.

"I'm so close to leaving but I can't. I don't want to. I just want rid of the Shelby name, it's a curse," she said bitterly.

Lilian sat next to her, "When me and your dad were kids, we said we'd be together forever but that wasn't the case."

"Do you think if you were still together, he'd be dead now?" Rory asked, looking at the redhead.

Lilian shrugged, "I don't know, I wish I could answer that but I can't."

"I don't want Isaiah or Evelyn or even you to get hurt by my last name," she admitted.

There was a knock on the door and Rory knew it would be Freya. "She's in the living room," the redhead smiled at the blonde girl.

The blonde smiled at the woman and made her way into the flat, "Come on kid. I know you hate him but this meeting is to keep you safe."

"I don't care what he has to say, he's the reason my dad is dead. He's the reason your down a brother," Rory reminded her.

"I know, but I need you to come back to the shop because I need to know that even though you hate him, I'm not going to lose you too and by walking all the way over here by yourself, unarmed when you know the Italians are out for our blood isn't safe. We both saw the black hand, Lily got served, the meeting is for her safety too so get up and let's go," the blonde walked back over to the door, passing Lily her coat and holding the door open. "Now."

The woman sighed before standing up, holding her hand out for Rory to get up, "Come on, you know she's right. You don't have to speak to or look at him just listen." She pulled the blonde girl up and out of her flat and they walked back to the betting shop.

"She's always bloody right," the girl grumbled.

"Will you come to the funeral fire please? I don't want to be alone," Rory asked and Lilian pulled her into a side hug, kissed the top of her head and said, "Yes."

Tommy had stopped speaking when he heard the door and Finn, Evelyn and Isaiah had snapped their heads towards the door where Rory had walked in with Lilian following, "She stays because by extension because of me she's involved in this. She got served the black hand too I saw it," Rory said as she glared at Tommy walking past him.

She had no idea what was said as she stormed off but by the look on Polly's face it was about Michael. "Is he going to be okay?" Rory asked.

"They say it's 60-40 in his favour," Tommy told her and she nodded not meeting his eyes but Lilian's.

"There's no percentages. It's only the hand beneath him that stops him falling. I spoke to someone, my son will live," Polly interrupted Tommy.

"Michael and John were shot because we killed someone. Vincente Changretta. Now his son Luca has came to take revenge. Men from New York and Sicily are in Birmingham, these men will not leave our city till our whole family's dead. That's how it works, an eye for an eye."

"An eye for an eye, a dad for a dad, right? So what's next, Luca was his only child, he hasn't got any siblings so it can't be sister for a sister or brother for a brother although you three have lost your brother but he can't lose anyone," Rory spoke and turned her attention towards Arthur. "Did you and my dad kill Mrs Changretta?"

The man didn't answer so she took that as a no. "Well, you lot don't have a mum except Michael but what was the point in shooting him? he's not a brother to you or a dad, he's simply your cousin. So what would it be for him? A cousin for a cousin?" she continued.

"It's called a vendetta, Rory," Tommy told her.

"Aurora," she snapped and he looked at her questioningly. "My name to you is Aurora and I know what a vendetta is I'm not stupid."

"Yeah, well, the bullets been written. It says Luca. When the time comes, and it will come, me as the oldest brother will put this bullet into his fucking head," Arthurs voice was low, threatening and promising as Rory's, Freya's, Lottie's, Lilian's and Evelyn's eyes all fell onto that one singular bullet.

"There's been some bad blood between us," Tommy carried on, Polly letting out a laugh as Thomas looked to grow impatient and aggravated and everyone cast their eyes on Rory who sat there glaring at him.

"And I wonder why that is," the blonde muttered as Freya squeezed her hand as a signal to shut up.

"Until this business is settled, we stay together. And we stay here, Small Heath, Bordesley... We know every face, and every man is a soldier in this army. These men are professionals, they're good at what they do so we're going to need more than we have. I've sent a message to Aberama Gold," he continue ignoring his niece.

"No. No, Tom!" Johnny's eyes widened.

Rory looked confused and asked Johnny, "Who? Who's Aberama Gold?"

"He's a fucking savage," Johnny told her and she nodded.

"Right, lovely."

"I'll get you 50 Lee boys, good men, Tom," Johnny told him.

"I don't need good men, Johnny for this I need bad men," Tommy replied.

"Tommy these men are fucking savages, you know, heathens Tom.
They don't even let them in the fire so they come and steal our horses you know, steal them from their own Tommy," Johnny told them.

"They didn't look like savages or heathens when we went to see-" Lottie began but was cut off by Freya's wide eyes and her talking over the girl. Only Esme, Freya, Eve, Lottie and Rory knew about the time Esme took them down to the Lee camp to see Bonnie's fight.

"Can we just get back to what we were originally here for please?" Freya spoke up, eyes wide while Rory cast a look at her aunt knowing she had a crush on the Gold boy.

"They're not going anywhere near my fucking horse, either of them," Rory snapped.

"Thomas, it's bad men who started this. Men who thought they were bigger than everyone else, men who bit off more than they could chew, men who fuck over their own family, men who kill children's fathers on Christmas fucking day," Lilian argued.

"So this is the plan Thomas? This is the plan? Bullet with a name on it, help from a bunch of savages...?" Polly questioned mockingly.

"We're gonna go on the offensive, I've spoken to Moss. Moss is putting out word, eyes and ears so we can find him. The truth is, the police are busy with the revolution, Moss says they're expecting strikes and riots when the weather gets warm and the bolshevists-"

"The bolshevists couldn't plan a fucking picnic, he's reading the wrong papers," Ada interrupted him.

"Ada, real or not real the coppers don't give a fuck about us, alright?"
Tommy raised his voice. "Which means that here today in this room we have to agree to end this war between us. Take a vote."

Arthur, Ada, Lizzie and Charlie voted for peace.

"Peace," Finn added.

"Shut up, Finn," Arthur told him. Lilian hadn't even recognised Finn with him being a baby last time she saw him properly.

"Why can't I say peace?" He asked quietly while Rory quietly laughed.

"Arthur, let him have his say. Freya does so it's only fair. Finn, sit at the table."

The boy had sat in front of Lilian and next to Rory who was looking at her hands finding her ring particularly interesting.

"My son's not here to speak. So I'll speak on behalf of us both. Truce," Polly spoke bitterly.

"Eve?" Tommy asked casting his eyes to the girl sat next to Ada.

She looked towards Rory who nodded her head. "Peace," she said quietly.

"Lilian? Like Ror- Aurora said, you're involved in this and it's my fault. You have been a part of this family since you were 11 and I should have never found you-"

"Peace," Lily nodded.

"Freya?"

"Peace."

"Lottie?"

"Peace."

Tommy nodded, "Aurora, I know you hate me but what's your vote? Peace or not."

She looked around at everyone who were either looking at her or Lilian, there had been 9 votes for peace, 2 for truce and whatever Tommy had voted for. "I hated you, my dad hated you for sticking them in jail, nearly hanging him and you weren't there with them-"

"What-" he interrupted, growing impatient.

"I'm not fucking finished, you asked my vote now I'm getting to it. Shut the fuck up and let me fucking speak," she snapped before continuing, "But unlike me he was never bitter towards you and he didn't want the family to fall apart, my family fell apart because of you but this one," She pointed to everyone. "This one won't, so I'm voting peace but after this don't expect me to speak to nor see you, Thomas. After this I want out of the Shelby name".

Tommy nodded. "10 for peace, 2 for truce and 1 abstention. Let's get on with the war." Tommy concluded.