enchanted
chapter 09, blinders vs kimber.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Rory was woken up by Tommy walking up the stairs and George shouting that Katie had wet the bed again.

"Rory!" Tommy shook her awake making her jump awake.

"What?" she asked groggily.

"Get up now, your dad's nearly ready  you're going to the betting shop with Esme because I know you refuse to go to school," Tommy told her.

"It's not that I don't want to go it's just I'm never there because I always get kicked out," Rory replied.

Tommy stared at her blankly before sighing, "Just get up and get dressed."

"Okay, okay," she answered getting up from her bed.

Esme couldn't be bothered arguing with her about school because she knew she wouldn't win despite Rory being nine which is why she was now knocking on Pol's door with Esme beside her waiting for the door to open so she could drop the rest of the kids off at school.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

"What are you doing here? And why aren't you at school? You've only just gone back," Pol asked confused seeing her niece at her doorstep.

"Because I got kicked out again," she replied.

"What did you do this time?"

"Punched a kid in the face," she shrugged. "Broke his nose again, no big deal."

This time she got kicked out of school for three weeks was because someone had called her the spawn of satan just like her family and Rory took great offence to that because she was the complete opposite of her family so she looked the boy in the eye told him to repeat himself, which he did and in response to it Rory punched him the face, breaking his nose, and kicked him in between the legs then bent down and said, "I'm not evil or the spawn of Satan but I am a Shelby so I've got a temper." And walked away. The boy then went and snitched on her resulting in her being kicked out.

"No big deal? Rory you broke his nose again," Pol pointed out since she was the one that had to go pick her up from the head teachers office then bring her home to clean her hand of blood from the boy's nose.

"Well he asked for it," Rory replied and Esme coughed a laugh.

"You're not funny. You were supposed to stay in school. You promised me the first time you'd stay in school," Pol reminded her of a promise she made a year ago.

"Yes but I'm hardly there anyway because I spend more time here, at yours or at my house because I've been kicked out," Rory replied rolling her eyes earning a smack on the arm from Pol.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, young lady, come in your aunt Ada's here."

Rory gasped and hugged Esme goodbye and ran into the living room where Ada and Karl were. "Ada!" she squealed sprinting over to her nearly knocking her over when she reached her.

Ada huffed in surprise at how forceful her niece actually was. "I missed you," Rory whispered.

"I missed you too and I'm sorry," Ada replied, smiling.

"It's okay I forgive you. Now can I hold the baby?" she asked.

"Go sit down then and be careful," Ada replied nodding her head towards the sofa where she had already sat down at the corner waiting for Pol to pass her the baby.

"Hold his head," Pol instructed.

"I know how to hold a baby, Pol," she sassed back with another eye roll making Pol give her a stern look and Ada laugh.

While Rory stared at Karl in awe in her own little world, Pol and Ada spoke about Pol's kids. When Karl fell asleep in Rory's arms she didn't move at all, sitting like a statue so she didn't disturb the sleeping baby.

The sofa dipped next to her causing her to blink out of her trance and look at Ada. The woman smiled at the sight of her and her son knowing that some day Rory would be a good mum to her own child if she had them.

Pol told Ada about when her children got taken away. That clicked in Rory's mind why Pol was as protective of Rory as she was because she didn't want her to have the same fate as her children.

"Tommy didn't do it, he didn't tell the police where Freddie was," Rory piped up.

"How do you know?" Ada and Pol asked.

Rory shrugged, "I just know, I can see it in his face. He didn't snitch."

Ada didn't know whether or not Rory was telling the truth so just ignored her while Pol looked over at the girl then back over at Ada saying, "There's something about today you need to know."

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Esme grabbed Rory's hand walking with her over to John while Tommy went on about something to do with replacing Billy Kimber. Rory had no idea who that was or what a bookmaker was but stood listening anyway. Esme wrapped her arm around Rory's shoulder pulling her closer to her when she tried to walk over to Finn still listening to Tommy.

"Any other questions?" Tommy asked looking around.

"Is Finn going?" Rory asked looking at her uncle.

"I don't know yet, I haven't decided probably," Tommy replied.

Rory groaned, "That's not fair, you're all going to the horse race and I'm stuck at home."

"We're not going to the races for the race, Sunshine so you're not missing out on anything," Scudboat informed her to stop her pouting.

"Oh, that's alright then," she replied and the adults laughed at how quick she got over her pouting.

Pol then spoke up and walked over to the door, "Does anyone object if I bring a newcomer to the meeting?" she asked before opening the door revealing Ada and Karl. "I'd like to introduce the newest member of the Shelby clan."

"Welcome home Ada," Tommy smiled genuinely at his sister.

"We named him Karl. After Karl Marx," Ada announced.

"Karl bloody Marx," Arthur and the rest of the room chuckled. "Let me get a look at him."

"Here we go," John laughed and leant against the wooden pole holding the ceiling up.

"Hey, he looks just like me," Arthur placed his infamous flat razored cap on little Karl's head.

"That's his arse that looks like you Arthur," John joked.

"He's alright," Arthur then went on. "He's a Shelby," he passed the baby onto John.

Finn was desperate to get a look at his nephew so he shoved Rory out of the way.

"Oi," she shouted slapping him upside the head.

Finn winced, "Ow!".

"Rory play nice you've already seen him, Finn hasn't," Esme told her looking up at her.

"I know but there was no need to shove me out the way," Rory pointed out.

"That's true, Finn stop shoving people and Rory stop hitting people for christ sake," John scolded.

She didn't listen and then went on to shove Finn out of the way just he did to her to look at Karl once again even though he fell asleep in her arms a few hours prior to the meeting.

"Rory!" John hissed. "What did I just say to you?"

"I didn't hit him, I just shoved him," she shrugged.

Arthur laughed at her answer. "She's got you there, brother she's got you there," he told John smirking and ruffled Rory's hair despite her protests for him not to.

"I give up with you lot," John sighed and Esme smirked at Rory and Finn's bickering and fighting.

Ada watched Rory and Finn fight which then escalated to Rory pinning him down saying, "Stop shoving me and I'll stop hitting you."

Finn squirmed and tried to pry Rory off him with no success. "Say you'll stop shoving me and get off you and I'll stop hitting you," she told him again forcefully.

"Rory, let him go," Freya attempted to tell the younger girl.

Pol walked over to the duo and pulled Rory off Finn and stood in front of her, "What did I tell you? Stop fighting with people this is why you keep getting kicked out-"

"But-" she tried to interrupt, Pol then proceeded to say, "Don't interrupt me I'm not done. You keep getting kicked out of school because you keep picking fights with people for no reason and I don't care what your excuse is this time, I don't care what he did or what he said. Stop fighting with people especially your family."

"Fine," she huffed and bumped Finn's shoulder on her way past whispering. "This isn't over."

John looked down at his daughter giving her a stern look. "What?" she asked shrugging.

"I give up, I just give up," John said sighing, pinching the bridge of his nose,

"Like you were any better, my teacher taught you and said I'm exactly like you so I don't get your problem," she replied walking away from everyone.

"I'll go," Ada told her brother following after her niece.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

The blonde girl had managed to walk all the way to Charlie's stable before Ada caught up to her. There was a new horse in the stable that Rory had never seen before so she walked over to it and stroked its head, giggling when the horse leaned into her touch.

"She's yours, you know," Ada told her making Rory jump.

"What?" she asked confused.

"The horse, she's yours. I got her for you because I felt bad about leaving you and I know how much you want a horse," Ada replied smiling at her niece.

Rory opened her mouth to thank her but was interrupted. "But pull a stunt like that and I can easily give her away to someone else. You can't just walk away from us, one: you're not old enough to go anywhere by yourself and two: there won't always be someone to follow after you and anything could happen to you," Ada listed off walking over to Rory and the horse.

The horse, Rory's horse, was white with grey specks. "What are you calling her?" Ada asked.

"Dusty because her grey bits, they make her look dusty," Rory answered and the horse made a noise pushing her head further into Rory's face which made Ada laugh and Rory giggle.

"I think she likes her name," Ada told her.

"Thank you and I'm sorry for running away," Rory told her hugging her side.

Ads kissed her head. "It's fine, come on let's go back," holding her hand out.

Rory nodded and grabbed Ada's hand and they began walking home.

"How much trouble do you think I'm in?" she questioned.

Ada chuckled, "Oh, a lot."

"Oh good," she replied sarcastically.

"You'll be fine."

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

When they got back to Pol's, Polly had given Rory a lecture about how she shouldn't run off and people can take her and things like that to scare her from doing it again. Ada had fallen asleep and Rory was sat on the sofa opposite also asleep but laid across the whole sofa.

The door slammed and Tommy burst in, "Ada, wake up. You, the baby and Rory get into the Bull Ring, where there's lots of people."

"Rory, wake up go with Ada. Now!" Tommy told the sleeping girl.

"What's going on?" Pol asked.

"We've been fucking betrayed," Tommy answered running his hand through his hair. "Somebody let slip, Kimber's men are on their way here."

Pol walked over to Tommy. "Yeah, but you can handle them Tommy?" she asked looking between Ada, Karl and Rory.

"It's just us, all the Lee's are on their way to Worcester. We're outnumbered, fuck!" he stressed slamming his hand on the table making Rory jump and move closer to Ada.

Pol looked at him confused. "But who else knew today was the day you were moving on Kimber? you said you kept it a secret, who else did you tell," she asked and Tommy sighed, closing his eyes and clenching his jaw and Pol's face changed knowing exactly who he told. "There's only one thing that could blind a man as smart as you Tommy. Love. It was that barmaid."

"I'll deal with Grace. If you set eyes on her again, you might kill her," Pol told Tommy and made her way out of the door.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Ada had a different idea instead of going to the Bull Ring and since she was watching Rory, the girl had to go along with whatever Ada said. So as they walked down Garrison Lane, Rory walking behind Ada sceptical of the whole thing because she had no idea what was going on nor what Ada had dragged her into.

When they saw the two groups facing off, guns raised towards each other, Rory's eyes widened. "I'm not going to get shot am I?" she asked nervously.

"No, I won't let anything happen to you and if my plan works then no will get shot," Ada whispered back.

"Move!" Ada snapped at Kimber's men, pushing through the crowd with Rory walking beside her.

Karl began crying in his pram, and Freddie Thorne lowered his weapon. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I believe you boys call this 'No-Man's-Land'," Ada replied.

"Ada," John said loudly. "What the fuck are you doing and why is my daughter in the line of fire standing next to you? Have you lost your mind?" John shouted. "Get her the fuck out of here!"

Rory stared at her dad not knowing what to do. "Rory, go inside the Garrison," Tommy instructed her knowing both him and Ada would never forgive themselves if anything was to happen to her.

She looked up at Ada who nodded telling her to go inside so that's what she did. Standing away from the door incase anything happened but close enough to still listen to Ada talking.

"And fight if you want to," Ada added, before pointing at the pram. "But that baby ain't moving anywhere. And neither am I."

A tense silence followed once Ada finished speaking, during which time she stood between the two armies waiting for something to be said.

Freddie looked unsure, as though he was ready to lay down his weapons and cease the fighting for the safety of his family, but everybody else remained impassive.

"They're right, you know," Kimber said eventually. "Why should all you men die? It should just be them who's caused it."

After Kimber said that a gun shot rang and Rory paced the Garrison the suspense of not knowing who got shot bothering her making her run her hands through her hair.

"What if my dad got shot? What would happen to me? What if it was Tommy or Ada or Karl or Freddie or Arthur?" the voice in her head went on worrying her even more. Lottie and Freya opened the Garrison doors and Rory let out a relieved sigh. "Well at least you two are okay."

"I promise you, neither of us are going anywhere," Freya reassured the girl. Rory found herself standing between the two girls, Freya wrapped her arm around Rory's shoulder while Lottie grabbed a hold of her hand.

Another gunshot rang making tears well up her eyes.

"Enough," Tommy demanded making Rory sigh in relief hearing his voice meaning he was okay. "Kimber and me fought this battle one on one. It's over. Go home to your families."

John dropped his gun and rushed into the Garrison kneeling in front of his daughter hugging her. Rory pulled away looking over for any sign of injury on him. "I'm okay, I'm okay," he reassured her holding the sides of her face. "Don't ever do that again okay? You scared me. That's twice today," John told her hugging her again. Freya and Lottie also looked over John who reassured them that he was okay.

The rest of the Peaky Blinders came into the Garrison and Jeremiah was removing a bullet from Tommy's shoulder and Rory cringed at his screams.

Once he was all bandaged up, they filed into the snug and gathered around Danny Whizzbang's body which Rory gasped at not knowing how to take his death. As she stood between Scudboat and John, the latter had an arm around Rory's shoulders, not intending on letting her out of his sight incase Ada was going to involve her in some suicide mission again.

"Now we can bury him properly," he said. "In the grave we dug for him."

"Yeah," Tommy agreed. "It's high on a hill. He'd like that," Tommy held up a bottle. "To Danny Whizzbang. May we all die twice."

The bottle was passed around as everyone repeated the toast. Finn removed his cap and stared at Danny's body.

Tommy sighed, "Come on. The day is ours. Let's celebrate."

With one last look at Danny's body frowning and saying, "Bye uncle Danny, I'll miss you." She didn't want to believe he was actually gone even though she had just seen his lifeless body. Rory didn't want to believe that her uncle Danny had survived a four year war just to die at the hands of Billy Kimber.

"Rory," Finn shook her shoulder. "Come on."

"No," she shook her head. "I don't want to leave him."

Finn had disappeared from the snug leaving Rory to silently cry.

"Rory, come on," Esme wrapped her arm around Rory's shoulder.

"I don't want to leave," she repeated. "I don't want to believe he's actually gone. I won't believe he's actually gone."

Esme's heart dropped at her words a she began to kneel down in front of the girl, "He hasn't actually left you, not really. He'll always be with you. He'll always be looking over you."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"I don't know, I believe. I believe that your uncle Danny hasn't actually left you and you have to believe it too," Esme replied. "You have to believe in ghosts though."

"I believe in ghosts," she said as she wrapped her arms around Esme's shoulder pulling her into a hug before they walked out of the snug.