enchanted
chapter 36, eve meets lily. 

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When she got outside, she saw Evelyn without Henry and her heart dropped, her face paled and she felt bile coming up. "Where's Henry?" she asked running up to Eve.

"With you isn't he?" Evelyn replied just as panicked.

"No, I thought you had him," Rory said looking around for her dad.

She ran up to him. "Henry's gone," she panted.

"What?" he asked as his face mirrored Rory's, pale and panicked.

"They've taken him. They've taken Henry and Charlie," Rory told him. "I'm sorry I thought Eve had a hold of him because Flo wouldn't let go of me. I'm so sorry, dad," she sobbed.

"It's not your fault," he reassured her, stoking her head. "Finn!" he shouted the boy over.

"What's happened? Why are you crying?" the boy asked.

"Go tell Tommy they've taken Henry, Rory go tell your mum he's been taken and take Eve with you I can't lose anymore of my kids, go find Polly and tell her," he instructed the two teen who went off in separate directions.

"Aunt Pol!" she shouted before crashing into her.

"What? What's happened?" she asked confused.

"Someone's taken Charlie and Henry," she informed her and Esme's face dropped. "What?"

"I swore Evelyn had a hold of him but he must have wondered off, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

"It's fine, it's fine, stop crying. Does your dad know?" Esme asked.

"Yeah she told him and he's told Tommy they've gone looking for them now," Evelyn told her putting her hand on Rory's shoulder.

John's involvement and arrogance with the Russians and Italians would cause him to slip up. Now their revenge was being taken out on two innocent toddlers. Esme watched the rest of the visitors act so oblivious and calm. They laughed politely and told anecdotes whilst Rory and Esme cried and cried. Esme felt like her world was crumbling around her and all she could do was observe.

"Esme? Come on sweetheart, we're going to sit by the phones in the den as the boys go and look," Polly explained softly as she lead her out to the car. "Eve get Rory, they're shutting down all the junctions to make sure they can't get anywhere."

John wanted nothing more than to hold her and tell her it would be okay, but he had no other choice that to get in the car and search for his son and nephew before anything unimaginably hurtful happened to them.

"Get in that car, we'll go to the betting den and sit by that fucking phone until someone rings with information. John won't let a single thing happen to that boy, just like Tommy won't let anything happen to Charlie. Esme I swear on the holy bible you'll have your son back within a day," Polly held Esme's cheeks and spoke with such passion it seemed to ignite something inside the woman. She nodded and got into the car with the girls following.

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Esme paced the betting den while Rory stared at the phone waiting and Evelyn stood by her side. "A watched pot never boils," Polly remarked as she watched the mother and daughter duo.

"Didn't ask, don't care," Rory said without looking back.

Ada burst in through the door. She saw Rory and Evelyn staring at the phone, Esme pacing and Tommy crouched in a corner, her heart splitting.

"Tommy, there's a man outside. A priest," she explained as her hand fell on Esme's back since she was now sat down.

"Stay there," Tommy ordered the five of them as he disappeared into the night.

"Who's 'them'?" Rory asked.

Polly and Ada looked at each other, giving each other confirmation to spill.

"Russians," Polly stated and Rory rolled her eyes. 

"When is my dad and literally every fucker in this family going to stop getting involved with the wrong people?" she asked.

"Where are you going?" Esme asked panicked as she watched her daughter go up to the door not wanting to lose her as well.

"Out," she replied bluntly and closed the door behind her.

"It's dark!" she called after her.

"I'll go after her," Evelyn told the woman who she saw as a second mum and the woman nodded.

"Be careful."

"I will," she smiled as she ran after Rory.

"Where are you going?" Evelyn asked when she caught up to her.

"I don't know, away from here," she replied walking in the direction of the stables. "Go back and check on my mum and find Freya and Lottie." 

"No I'm not leaving you," she argued.

"Right then, where I'm going you can't tell anyone. I mean anyone, not even Finn and especially my mum and dad," she told her.

"Why? Where are we going?" Eve asked confused.

"Remember when I told you about that woman who stopped Robert that time?" she asked and the girl nodded. "She's my birth mum."

Evelyn's jaw opened, "What? I thought Pol had ordered her to stay away from you."

"Well she's like me, stubborn and doesn't listen to instructions," she replied as they walked up the stairs leading to Lilian's apartment.

The two fell into a comfortable silence which was broken when Rory knocked on the door.

Inside the apartment Lilian looked confused as to who would be visiting her this late at night and grabbed her gun from her drawer and opened the door.

"Rory?!" she exclaimed and opened the door for the two girls to enter and popped her head out of the door looking around but saw nothing.

"What are you doing here this late? Who's this?" she asked as she sat down on her sofa. "You can sit down you know I won't make you stand up," she told them smiling.

As they took a seat on the other sofa Rory replied, "My little brother's been taken and I can't stand to be in the betting den anymore it's suffocating and this is Eve my best friend and Finn's girlfriend."

Evelyn smiled at the ginger woman as Lilian spoke, "What do you mean taken? And hi."

Evelyn smiled and waved at her as Rory said, "He's been taken by someone that isn't a Shelby and wants revenge on Tommy."

Lilian didn't know what to say or do except stare at her.

"Are you glad you left yet," Rory joked. "This would be your life and it isn't nice." 

"I regret leaving. I regret it every time I look at you. I regret not being there to watch you grow up" Lilian told her.

"Do either of you want a drink? I've got tea," Lilian told them standing up.

"Yeah we'll have a cup of tea," Eve answered for them both and stood up to help while Rory looked around the house, looking at the photos that were scattered around.

The first one she came across was one of Lilian and what looked to be a young Ada, Arthur, Tommy and John all together which was clearly taken before Finn was born then the one next to it was the same people except it had a baby which Rory guessed was Finn.

The third she came across was a photo of Lilian, Pol and a woman she recognised as her grandmother, Martha, her dad's mum.

The forth photo was one of Lilian and John as teens and she picked it up inspecting it closely to see the same necklace she wore on her neck.

"Is this necklace yours?" Rory asked still staring at the photo.

"Yeah, well it was my mum's but I wanted you to have something of mine besides your blanket," the woman replied walking over with a teapot as Eve followed her with the cups.

"Told you Finn had a ball head, good luck if you ever have kids their heads will be massive," Rory told Evelyn beckoning her over and pointing out the baby in the photo.

Rory looked at the date of the photo in her hand and read March, 1910.

"This was taken four months before I realised I was pregnant with you," Lilian told her looking over her shoulder to see which photo she had picked up. Most of them being the family photo's she was included in but the odd one of her and John whether it be as kids or teens.

Lilian looked at the photo and then to Rory then again at the photo as she relived the day she realised she was pregnant.

July, 1910
The ginger teen stood in-front of her mirror in her bedroom, ignoring her father's calls from downstairs for her to hurry up otherwise they'd be late for dinner.

She noticed the way her blue dress sat differently she couldn't explain it except it just felt off so she turned to the side and ran her hands down the side of the dress trying to smooth it out and seeing if that would help. It didn't.

She stared at her reflection before looking down at her stomach. "No I can't be," she thought pushing any pregnancy thoughts aside, her hands moved her brain could catch up and her left hand smoothed over her growing bump. It was then when she realised they weren't as careful as they always was and she was indeed pregnant. It all made sense now, her emotions being all over the place, crying over stupid and pathetic stuff then it hit her she was extremely late for her period.

As she inhaled a deep breath she stood up straight and refused to tell anyone about her pregnancy because it would only make her dad mad.

The next day she made her way to a nurse to determine whether or not she was pregnant. When the nurse was done she confirmed Lilian's suspicions and she was indeed pregnant.

"So, you realised you were pregnant by looking in the mirror because your dress didn't fit you properly?" Eve asked confused.

"Yep, it made no sense to me either," Lilian replied.

There was a loud knock at the door. "Go hide in the bedroom and don't make a sound," Lilian whispered to the girls and waited until they snuck into the bedroom and closed the door before opening the door.