enchanted
chapter 12, somethings are better left unfound.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Rory sat on John's desk in the betting shop, swinging her feet while he answered the phone. "Finn!" John called, passing Rory the phone. "Get in here and hold the phone." Rory passed the boy the phone as John walked out of the office leaving the blonde girl in Finn's care.

"I'm going to get Arthur so either wait here or go find your dad and aunt Pol," Finn told the girl as she jumped off the desk.

"Why can't I come with you?" she asked.

"Because you can't," he sighed.

"But I want to," Rory argued.

"But you can't," he rolled his eyes. "So go find your dad, Frey or aunt Pol."

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Since Tommy and John had both agreed that when Rory turned twelve she could be involved more just like Finn was at her age, she was now allowed to sit silently in the family meetings even though she had no idea what was going on. She sat on the steps next to Esme waiting for Tommy and watching Finn pace around the only thing that stopped his pacing was Arthur snapping at him, "Sit down, Finn." Esme sat with a book in her lap and Rory rested her head on her shoulder, reading over her shoulder.

"Where the bloody hell is Tommy?"
John asked.

"He's on his way," Polly replied slowly and pointedly.

"Right then, while we're all waiting patiently," Arthur said, standing up. "Whiskey, left over from the explosion," the men crowded round the table. "It's good stuff as well."

Once the men had their whiskey, John caught Esme's eye and after placing his glass on the table, he cleared his throat. "Right. Before Tommy gets here, I think there's a few things we need to get straight between the rest of us."

"You do?" Polly asked.

"Yeah," John replied. "Yeah, I do. I want to know, when did we all take a vote on this expansion south?!"

"You have anything to say, you wait for Thomas," Polly said firmly.

"Polly's fucking right," Arthur agreed.

"I see all the books," John said. "I see all the books, legal and off-track. Saw stuff you don't see, right? And in the past year, the Shelby Company Limited has been making one hundred and fifty pounds a day. Right? A fucking day! Sometimes more. So what I wanna know is why are we changing things? Polly, look at what's happened already. We haven't even step foot in London, and they've already blown up our fucking pub."

"Who said anything about Cockneys?" Arthur asked.

"Who else?" Esme replied.

"You know who did it, do you?" Polly asked, glancing sideways at Esme.

"Why would she know?" Rory asked lifting her head from Esme's shoulder. "You know though don't you?" she asked Pol who ignored her questions.

Tommy walked into the room, but Esme didn't even look at him as she said, "I'm told only family are allowed to speak."

"Everyone's allowed to speak," Tommy said, looking at Esme. "On your feet, Esme. Let's hear what you have to say."

John cleared his throat, "I speak for our household-"

"John," Tommy interrupted. "This company is a modern enterprise and believes in equal rights for women. On your feet, Esme."

Esme then passed her book to Rory and stood up to speak, "I'm not a blood member of this family," she began. "But perhaps, indeed, because I am not a member, I can see things in a different light. So I'll get to my point."

"That would be nice," Polly muttered blowing the smoke she had just inhaled.

Esme ignored this and continued, "As my husband said, Shelby Company Limited is now very successful. But London... I have kin in Shepherd's Bush and Portobello. It's more like wars between armies down there, and the coppers fight side by side with them, and there are foreigners of every description. And the use of bombs is the least of it. I have a child, blessed with the Shelby family good looks. I want John to see him grow up. I want us to someday live somewhere with fresh air and trees, and keep chickens or something. That's the life I want to live, but London... London is just smoke and trouble, Thomas."

"I'm not living outside. I can't live outside," Rory protested earning a glare from John for her to shut up.

"Thomas?" Polly repeated looking shocked.

Esme looked over at Polly and set her jaw. Polly had made it very clear that Esme's participation in family meetings were as about as welcome as Rory was, she believed Rory was too young to be around the meetings. She was old-fashioned, and believed that these meetings should be just blood members of the family, not outsiders.

"That's all I have to say," Esme said, sitting back down taking her book back from Rory.

"That was a lot of words. A lot of words," Arthur said, reaching for a glass of whiskey and handing it to his brother. "Wash 'em down with a nice drink."

Tommy took the glass, "Thank you, Esme. Firstly, the bang in the pub had nothing to do with London. Understood? The bang is something
I'm dealing with on my own. Secondly, we have nothing to fear from the proposed business expansion so long as we stick together. After the first few weeks, nine tenths of what we do will be legal. The other tenth will be in good hands, isn't that right, Arthur?"

"That's right," Arthur nodded.

"Now, some of you in this room have expressed your reservations. Fair enough," Tommy said. "Any of you want no part in the future of this company, walk out the door. Right now," with pointed stares at both John and Esme. Tommy added, "Go raise your chickens. But for those of you with ambition, the expansion process starts tomorrow."

And with that, the meeting was finished. Esme grabbed Rory's hand and walked home with John following behind them.

"Are you going to London tomorrow?" Rory asked her dad.

"Looks that way, sunshine," John replied and looked over to Esme who looked angry. "Rory go up to your room."

She didn't go to her instead she stood on the landing earwigging.

"I don't get what you're problem is," John told his wife whose face hadn't changed.

"We've been married two years and we've got six kids. I refuse to let them kids lose anyone else that care about them especially their dad. Henry is one and I want you to see him grow up so you better be careful when you go to London or I swear I'm taking the kids and going on the road," Esme told him and made her way upstairs make Rory panic because she didn't want to get caught so she ran into the bathroom.

"Can I go see Finn?" she asked Esme, standing in the doorway watching Esme fold laundry.

"Yeah, be back before dark though," Esme nodded, pointing at her.

"I will," she nodded.

The girl made her way to Polly's where she told her that Finn was at the gym making her cringe because the gym stunk.

"Dad?" she called from the bottom of the stairs.

"What?"

"Can you walk me to the gym? I wanna see Finn get beat up again. It's so funny," she shouted up the stairs.

John jogged down the stairs attempting to fix his shirt but made it worse. "I don't want to know," she cringed at his shirt being buttoned up wrong.

"Pass me my coat," he shook his head at her, fixing the buttons. Rory walked over to the coat rack grabbing his coat before attempting to grab his cap not realising he was now standing behind her and grabbed it before she could, "Which part of don't touch the cap don't you understand?"

"Which part of I was trying to be helpful don't you understand. Get it yourself next time then. Coat included," she rolled her eyes.

"Walk yourself to the gym then," he gently pushed her head.

"Fine," she replied, walking out of the house.

"Fine."

"Please tell me you haven't let her go out by herself," Esme asked from the top of the stairs.

"She won't go far before she comes back," he told her.

Rory had been gone fifteen minutes and John was still adamant she would come back but that wasn't the case. As Rory walked down the street a man grabbed her.

"John," Esme warned him, sitting on the stairs.

"She'll come back," he replied still standing in front of the door.

"She's been gone twenty minutes. Either go look for her or I will," she told him with a pointed look.

"I'm going," he replied opening the door.

"Have you seen Rory? She said she was going to come to the gym to find me," Finn asked John.

"No? I was joking with her and she set off by herself," John told his brother. "Wait, so neither of you have seen her?"

"No," Isaiah shook his head.

"Fuck sake. Where's Arthur and Tommy?"

"I don't know. Den maybe?"

"Go find her while I go find them and don't tell Esme," he said and the boys made their way to find the girl while John made his way to find his brothers.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

The man who grabbed her had pulled her into an alley which she had to pass to get the gym. He placed his hand over her mouth so she couldn't scream but that didn't stop her from thrashing to get him off.

"Stop fucking moving I'm not going to hurt you," the man rolled his eyes.

"Who even are you?" Rory asked the man standing in front of her once she got free from his grip.

"Billy Davis. Arthur Senior told me he mentioned me to you," Billy replied.

"That still doesn't mean I know who you are," she rolled her eyes.

"Don't get smart with me."

"I'm not getting smart with you. I want to know who you are and why you grabbed me," she said, folding her arms glancing the man over to see that he didn't have anything that could potentially harm her.

"You have her eyes," he commented.

"Who's eyes?" she asked confused.

"Your mum's," he answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I wouldn't know," she shrugged.

"They look just like yours."

"Is she dead?" Rory asked, holding her breath not wanting to know.

"No. She doesn't know I'm here though," he shook his head watching as Rory visibly relaxed.

"Why are you here then?"

"She left, three years ago. Thought she'd be here. Came to find her but found you instead," he replied, Rory didn't miss the subtle viscous tone making her panic.

"Rory!" Arthur's voice boomed down the street making Rory look at Billy.

"If he finds you, you're dead," she shrugged at him. She didn't notice Isaiah standing close to her pointing his gun at the man. Finn had gone to tell Arthur that he'd found her while Isaiah went to get Rory. She turned her attention to the boy standing next to her, "Let him go. If he's got a brain, he'll leave me alone and if not he's dead."

"I suggest you leave because if Arthur finds you he will kill you," Isaiah told the man, subtly pulling Rory closer to him as they watched the man walk away.

"Are you okay?" Isaiah asked once the man was gone.

"I'm fine so you can go back to not caring," she smiled.

"Where the fuck did you go?" John asked as both him and Arthur approached the two.

"Do you know someone called Billy Davis?" she asked. "Because he's just grabbed me and cornered me." John looked to Arthur panic written all over his face.

"What don't I know?" Rory questioned.

"What did he say to you?" Arthur asked.

"Said I've got me mum's eyes and that she left wherever she was three years ago and he thought she was here but found me instead," she told them, missing the way Isaiah inched closer to her. "Should I be worried?"

"No," John answered.

"Yes," Arthur answered.

"Maybe," Finn answered shrugging.

Rory looked between her two uncles and her dad with confusion written all over her face, "If you can't all give me the same answer how am I supposed to know?"

"You don't have to be worried, okay?" John answered. "Go back home, I'll be back soon. Finn walk her home."

The two plus Isaiah started walking down the street, "Do you think I've got to be worried?"

"He didn't look dangerous but looks can be deceiving," Isaiah shrugged.

"Are you okay?" she asked and the boy looked confused as he looked down at her.

"I'm fine, why?"

"Because you're being nice to me," she replied, biting her cheek to hide her teasing smile.

"Fuck off," he pushed her.

"And he's back," she chuckled.

"And you're now home so I can go," he nudged her towards the door.

"Bye," she waved at him earning the middle finger in response.

"You two confuse me," Finn said looking between his friend and niece.

"They confuse everyone," Esme interrupted them. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"Dad will be back soon," Rory replied, flashing her a smile.

"I didn't ask when your dad would be back. I asked where have you been?" she repeated.

"The cut, we went to the cut," Finn answered for the girl who shot him a thankful look and a half smile. Esme however looked unconvinced but took the answer anyway as she let Rory into the house. "I'm going to find Frey and Lottie," Finn told them, grabbing Isaiah's arm to stop him from kicking the back of Rory's leg.

"Tommy wants to see you, let's go," John announced as he walked into the house. Rory looked at Esme who looked equally as puzzled watching the blonde stand up.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

"Who's Billy Davis and why is he here?" Rory asked her uncle and now aunt Pol.

"Billy Davis is your mum's dad. If she left that means she went looking for you which means wherever she goes, he goes," John told her.

"So Arthur Senior was wrong then?" she questioned the adults. "He's known about me all along which means her lying and abandoning me was for no reason but now I'm not safe."

"Rory-" Polly tried to cut her off.

"No. If she left to come find me then I'm not safe and I'm going to have to go on the road with the Lee's aren't I?" she asked her dad who took great interest in the floor. "Aren't I?"

"I don't know, it depends on if he's dangerous or not," John eventually replied.

"What your dad means is-"

"What he means is the guys a controlling psycho who doesn't like the fact his daughter's had a kid without his knowledge and then left," she cut Pol off. "How did he even know about me? He sounded like he was from London."

"Get Esme talk to the Lee's," Tommy told John before speaking to Rory. "But from now you don't go anywhere without Finn or Isaiah-"

"But-"

"Or Isaiah and I don't care whether one day you like him and the next you don't," Tommy told her with a pointed look. "This is to keep you safe and so you don't have to live on the road for a while."

"Whatever," she huffed.

"Go on," Tommy waved her off, Polly following as Tommy called John back.

"Am I safe?" Rory asked her aunt.

"I'm not going to lie to you but I honestly don't know," Polly replied.

"What really happened the night she abandoned me?" she asked again.

"She didn't want to. She didn't want to leave you and what you said was right, she abandoned you for nothing," Polly whispered.

"You loved her didn't you? You treated her like she was your own didn't you?" Rory asked the woman but she didn't answer since John opened the door.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

While John and Esme were downstairs and her siblings were either asleep or playing in their rooms, Rory took this as her opportunity to go snooping to see if her dad was lying about knowing her mum.

"Where was she?" Rory heard Esme ask John while the girl was going through her dad's beside drawer.

The girl's gaze fell on some letters and counted them, there were twelve.

Twelve letters all addressed to her from the same address in London.

Could they be from her?

"What are you doing?" Katie asked, scaring Rory.

"What are you doing?! Don't sneak up on me like that!" she placed her hand on her chest to calm herself down.

"Just thought I'd come and let you know that mum and dad are about one drink away from coming upstairs so you might want to hurry your snooping up," Katie told her with her eyebrows raised before going downstairs to stall her parents so Rory could do whatever she was doing.

The girl decided to grab the letters, that were opened. He wouldn't notice right? No, he never uses his drawers anyway.

Or so she thought.

The girl made her way to her bedroom with the letters in hand and closed the door loud enough for Katie to hear but not loud enough to be considered slamming the door so she wouldn't get shouted at by her dad or Esme. Katie bounded up the stairs with John following to put her to bed making the girl panic and shove the letters under her pillow and lay on her bed with a book (that was upside down.)

"Didn't know you could read upside down," John commented with an amused smile. Rory's eyes widening and John's eyebrows furrowing. "You okay, kid?"

"Yep," she replied quickly and sent him a smile. John tucked both of the girls in and kissing their foreheads before going back downstairs.

Rory snuck out of bed, the letters safely tucked under her pillow to earwig once more on John and Esme's conversation.

"Remember when I told you about her birth mum and how her dad hated me?" he asked and the woman nodded. "Well he's back which means she could be back and none of us have noticed."

"What does that mean?" Esme asked.

"It means if he doesn't leave her alone she'll have to go to Ada's or on the road with the Lee's until they disappear again," he sighed and Rory sat on the top step, her head against the wall. Esme had noticed her as she walked to hang Rory's coat up but didn't say anything to John.

"I don't want to leave, dad," Rory spoke up.

"Why aren't you in bed?" he asked now standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Can't sleep," she shrugged making her way downstairs.

"I don't want you to leave either but if it means you're safe then you have too," he told her as she walked up to him and hugged him. "By some miracle he'll leave you alone so you won't have to leave." He kissed the top of her head.

"Come on, go to sleep now," he said as he placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her towards the stairs.

"Promise me that I won't have to leave," her voice cracked.

"I can't promise that and I hate that I can't promise you that," he shook his head.

Rory made her way to her bedroom where she laid staring at the ceiling, the bedroom silent except for Alice's soft snores. She decided to sneak downstairs and into the kitchen where the lighting was better so she could read one of the letters. She carefully opened the letter how Freya had taught her when they used to open the letter's during the war that they shouldn't have had before Polly had proof read them, before pulling it out of the envelope. Inside she found a photo, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at it.

Who were these people and why was the letter addressed to her?

The blonde flipped the photo over to make out in scribbled writing, "Lilian and baby girl, 10.12.1910." 10.12.1910, the day she was born so that meant that the woman, no, teenager in the photo must be her mum and the baby her. Billy was right, she did have her mother's eyes.

"Rory?" James asked pulling her out of her thought.

"What?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Rory let out a shaky breath before turning to face her brother, "I'm fine. Go to bed."

"No you're not," he shook his head. "What's wrong?"

"If I tell you, you have to promise me that you won't tell dad or Esme," she sighed.

"I promise," he nodded. "I pinky promise." The boy held out his pinky for her.

Rory's lip curled into a soft smile as she entwined their pinkies, "I found a photo of my mum."

"Really?" James asked in surprise. He was ten but not stupid, he got that from Rory and everyone knew that Rory wanted to find her mum.

Rory showed him the photo of her as a baby and James looked at. "You have her eyes, you know," he commented before disappearing upstairs with her following. The blonde tucked the photo back in the envelope and back under her pillow and closed her eyes to try to go to sleep.

After what felt like hours of tossing and turning the girl sighed as she swung her legs over the side of her bed and opened the door making her way to her dad's room.

"Esme," Rory shook her awake. Rory still hadn't had the confidence to call the woman 'mum' yet even though she did see the woman as her mum.

"What is it?" she asked with her eyes still closed.

"I can't sleep," she whispered. Esme moved closer to John so the girl could lay next to her as she wrapped her arm the girls middle keeping her from falling off the bed before pulling the covers over them again.

"Stop worrying. Everything will be fine," Esme whispered, stroking the girl's hair.

"Okay, goodnight," Rory whispered.

"Goodnight," Esme replied, kissing the girl's head as she kept stroking her hair which eventually made her go to sleep.