enchanted
chapter 24, tommy's wedding.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

2 years later, 1924

A lot had changed in the last few years. Esme had given birth to her second child - this time a beautiful little girl named Florence and she had a look of Rory when she did a few things, she had the same hair as her, Esme's eye colour and the same smile Rory had when she was a baby. Rory was now fourteen years old and Evelyn was now dating Finn, they had been together a few months.

Arthur had gotten married to a woman named Linda. She was very religious, and it baffled everyone, Rory the most, as to why Linda wanted to join a family that were closer the Devil himself than they were God. Rory had a strong dislike to her pretentious ways and they way she treated Arthur as if she was better than him which annoyed Rory because why would you marry someone then treat them as if you're better than them made no sense to her but as long as he happy, Rory was happy for him.

Freya had decided that she wanted to go back to school so she and Lottie only went to school three days a week and the other two days were spent at the shop.

Tommy had also gotten engaged to Grace Burgess, the very woman who betrayed them years ago. The girls wanted to like her for Tommy's sake, but knowing that Grace was the reason for her dad almost getting killed in a shootout against Billy Kimber made her liking for her disappear almost entirely. Still, she made Tommy happy. Once again it baffled the girls but as long as he was happy.

"Will you hurry the fuck up and wake up for christ's sake," Eve sighed at Rory's sleeping figure. "We're going to be late to your uncle's wedding!" Rory didn't move, didn't even flinch at the brunette who was practically screaming in her ear to get up. "Louise!"

"I'm here. I'm here," the woman sighed. "Flo's crying again."

"I'll go feed her," the brunette sighed, looking at the blonde who hadn't moved. "She's all yours."

Louise looked at her niece with an amused look, "You know, you and Lily are the same. Always asleep and murder to wake up."

Rory's eye opened looking to her aunt, "Are you mad? Mentioning Lilian where my mum and dad could hear you." 

"Get up and get dressed before your dad decides to throw water over you." The girl watched the woman leave, looking at her retreating figure with a confused look. How did she know Lilian?

The Shelby girl decided to sit up when she heard Esme walk up the stairs, "Ro? You up?"

"I'm awake if that's what you mean," she muttered tiredly, letting out a yawn. 

"Progress I suppose. Did you say that Robert was coming to the wedding?"

The girl had forgotten that she'd agreed that he could come to the wedding with her. "Yeah. He is, I think he said he was meeting me there."

"Frey and Lots are here," Esme told her before she left the girl to get ready. 

Freya burst through Rory's bedroom door dress in hand. "Aunt Pol said me and Lots have to get ready here with you and Eve." The girl threw her dress on the chair. "So what are you wearing?"

"My blue dress I think Esme said I had to wear."

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

"They make me sick," Rory complained to Isaiah while the two of them walked behind Finn and Eve.

"You make me sick," Isaiah rolled his eyes.

"You all make me sick," Freya commented, rolling her eyes at their behaviour. "I thought you two were past your bickering?"

"Well, you thought wrong."

"Your boyfriend's here," Isaiah pointed to where Robert stood, watching the girl walk towards him, Freya taking her place. "Why is she even with him? He's a prick."

Freya bit her cheek sharing a look with Lottie, "Jealous are we?"

"No, I'm just saying," he argued, trying to walk quicker.

"Just admit you're jealous," Lottie chimed in.

"But I'm not?" 

"Whatever you say." 

The girls shared another look, "He's definitely jealous."

Tommy and Grace's wedding brought together two families, and to say they clashed would be an understatement. On one side of the church, you had the Shelby clan, loud and chaotic, while on the opposite side of the church to them was  Grace's family, dressed in their cavalry uniforms despite the Shelbys being informed that they wouldn't be dressed as such which annoyed John so he complained making Rory roll her eyes and tell him to shut up. Florence fussed in Esme's arms and held her chubby arms out for Rory to grab her making her snuggle her into her and immediately shushing. 

"How do you do it?" Esme asked and Rory shrugged.

"I'm clearly her favourite," she replied kissing the top of Florence's head.

The church bells began to ring, signalling the arrival of the bride, and a chorus of schoolboys began to sing In the Bleak Midwinter. Jeremiah Jesus then entered the church, wearing his preacher's robes, and he wasn't exempt from the sneers and shocked faces of the cavalry across from them making Rory's face turn into disbelief towards them it was almost as if they had never seen a black preacher before, bringing their shock.

A few moments later, the trumpets began and John sniffed bitterly, "Here come the fucking cavalry. Late as usual."

"Do you ever stop complaining? You sound like me," Rory told him just as Grace started walking down the isle with her dad and Rory looked at her veil that covered her whole face then asked out loud, quiet enough for only her parent's to hear. "How do you reckon she sees in that?" John coughed a laugh while Pol tapped her shoulder.

"What if it's not Grace? What if it's some random person?" she asked again. "I don't think I should joke about it because Tommy looks like he's going to cry."

"Will you be quiet?" Linda snapped from beside John.

Rory covered Flo's ear that was sticking out due to her other one being in Rory's shoulder from leaning on it and said, "Will you just fuck off."

"Be quiet, Rory," Polly told her with a pointed look.

"Okay, aunt Pol," she smiled at the woman turning to give Linda a dirty look then looked towards John who was holding a smile at his daughter's behaviour.

One look at Polly told them that she wanted to rub it in Linda's face that she had more authority over Rory than she but not as much as John and Esme having backed off a little bit since she knew how serious Esme was about stepping up to be Rory's mum and essentially taking her and Ada's places as the maternal figures in her life hence why she agreed to be quiet once Polly said so. John subtly high fived his daughter for managing to piss Linda off, again.

Grace reached the altar, standing beside Tommy as he lifted the veil.
When he saw his future wife smiling at him, Tommy Shelly looked almost happy. Happier than Rory had seen him in a long time. Maybe there was hope for him after all.

"Dearly beloved," Jeremiah began, as Tommy and Grace faced him. "We are gathered here today to join together in holy matrimony Thomas Michael Shelby and Grace Helen Burgess. Two souls that have come together to be as one, united in life and in death."

The service went on for some time, Rory's arm had gone dead so she passed the baby back to Esme. Eventually, Jeremiah got to the words Rory remembered from her dad's wedding, "Do you, Thomas Michael Shelby, take Grace Helen Burgess to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Tommy replied.

"Don't fucking know why," Rory muttered not thinking anyone could hear her but Eve did and tapped her arm telling her to shush.

"Do you, Grace Helen Burgess, solemnly swear to love, honour and obey 'til death do you part?" Jeremiah asked.

"I do."

Rory felt someone's eyes on her so she looked towards the person. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she locked eyes with Isaiah. "What?" she mouthed, her eyebrows still furrowed.

"Nothing, you just look very beautiful," he mouthed back and she smiled and faced forward again when Esme's tapped her shoulder, the girl looked down at the floor taking an interest in her light blue floral dress to hide the red that burned her cheeks and ignoring the glare Robert was giving her from beside Isaiah.

"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife," Jeremiah finished and Rory looked back up her cheek colour gone down slightly, now they were just pink.

Cheers erupted from the Shelby side of the church, while on the opposite side Rory could see the cavalry clapping politely. Rory, Eve and Esme rolled their eyes and Esme looked at John, speaking over the deafening cheers, "This is going to be a long night."

"Too fucking right," John muttered. "Those fucking cavalry pricks have done nothing but eyeball us since we got here."

"If they annoy you, just punch them," Esme suggested.

"Oooo can I punch them?" Rory asked excitedly.

"Yes," Esme replied while John replied, "No."

Over the past 2 years, Rory had noticed Lilian popping up wherever she went whether it be the Garrison, outside the betting shop, the cut or even her way to school, she hadn't told anyone about it because it's not like she would speak to her, she promised to stay away but to keep an eye for her Billy.

With the night ahead of her to look forward to, Rory looked down at her sister, sleeping soundly in her arms as they filed out of the church and stood on the steps for a family photograph. She was standing between Katie and Alice as they smiled for the camera. Eve stood in the middle of Freya and Lottie who were on the other side of Katie.

After that came the task of getting everyone back to the house, and while John focussed on the guests, Esme gathered up the kids. If there was one thing she had excelled at over the past few years, it was how to handle the kids despite them being used to only listening to Rory and Freya. Henry clung to Rory's leg and her still holding a sleeping Florence in her arms. While Katie and Alice stood beside Rory, holding each other's hand. "Alright kids," she started. "Let's go have a party!"

All except Rory smiled in excitement, instead Rory was stood holding eye contact with Isaiah once again.She couldn't help herself from looking for him every time she entered a room or in this case every time the Shelby's walked past, he'd be there already staring at her waiting for her to look up and every time without fail she would look up and hold eye contact until one of them either blinked or were forced to look away. "Where are you going?" Esme called after Rory.

"To find Eve or Frey or Lots or dad or Arthur or Ada or Finn or even Michael!" she called back, the woman rolling her eyes as she disappeared from sight. On her way to find John she walked past Isaiah who was talking to a girl who wanted cocaine, the boy grabbed Rory's arm stopping her from disappearing out of his sight again.

"Sweetheart, I am young, informed and, uh, very- well equipped," the boy grinned at the girl standing in front of him. "You chose your man wisely."

"I thought Tommy said no snow?" Rory whispered in his ear, ignoring the looks from the girl standing infront of her.

"Sunshine! There you are," Arthur placed his hand on her shoulder.

"What?"

"Kitchen, let's go," Isaiah dragged her along towards the kitchen following Arthur.

"Hang on, why do I have to go?" she whined. "Will someone go tell Esme where I am before she thinks I've gone missing again."

"You, sweetheart, have to be here along with us all because you have a tendency to punch people when they annoy you," Isaiah smirked as they got closer.

"Stop flirting with her! She's too young for boyfriends," Arthur shot Isaiah a dirty look from over his shoulder, seeing his niece and the blinder boy walking too close for his liking.

"He wishes I'd go out with him," Rory teased with a dirty look earning a nudge from Isaiah. "I have a boyfriend Arthur!"

"You do?"

"Yes, you know the boy who's here at the wedding with me?" 

"Oi!" Finn exclaimed as Rory pinched whatever was in his hand and put it in her mouth before he could snatch it back. "Go get your own."

"Where's the fun in that? If I did that I wouldn't be able to watch you get annoyed now would I?"

"Piss off," Finn pushed her towards Tommy but Isaiah caught her before she fell.

"What did I just say about the no flirting thing?" Arthur grumbled.

"I wouldn't call catching me before I fall flat on my arse flirting, Arthur stop being dramatic," Rory rolled her eyes.

"Right, boys, you're all here," Tommy lit his cigarette.

"Not a boy!" Rory called, shaking her head.

"You fight like one," John pointed out.

"Today, this is my fucking wedding day," Tommy began and Rory knew this was either going to be a massive speech or someone (most likely her) would get shouted at.

"You don't say, here's me thinking everyone and the cavalry just shows up at your house everyday," Rory spoke up, her words laced with sarcasm.

"Rory," John warned, finding humour in his daughter's sarcasm before turning back to his brother. "You said there'd be no bloody uniforms."

"Nevertheless... Nethertheless, John... Despite the bad blood, I'll have none of it on my carpet. Now for Grace's sake, nothing will go wrong. Those bastards out there are her family and if you fuckers do anything to embarrass her, your kin, your cousins, your horses, your fucking kids, yes Rory I'm talking about you when I say kids, you do anything..."

"Eh! Why me?"

"Tom?"

"What?" Tommy yelled at Isaiah.

"What about snow?"

"Now that is who you should be talking about not me," Rory grumbled.

"Yeah, their women are sports, I'll say that..." John cupped the back of Isaiah's head to ruffle his hair.

"Dad, seriously?" the blonde grimaced.

"No. No. No. No cocaine," Tommy pointed in the boy's face before he pointed in Rory's.

"Get your finger out of my face or I'll bite you," she warned.

"No fighting, Aurora. I don't care if they look at you the wrong way, I don't care what the excuse is. No fighting. At all," he warned her.

"Alright, whatever."

"I'm serious."

"Alright! No fighting," she nodded, looking over to Michael who was smirking at her knowing she was going to get into a fight with someone sooner or later.

"No sport," he pointed in John's face. "No telling fortunes. No racing."

"No fucking sucking petrol out of their fucking cars," he gripped onto Finn's chin and then smacked his cheek while Rory tried her best not to laugh.

"And, you, Charlie, stop spinning yarns about me, eh?"

"I'm just trying to sell you to them, Tom."

"Even I could do that. Tommy, my uncle, the devil himself, marries traitors and expects everyone to forget what she did because he's so madly in love with her," the blonde teased with smile, Isaiah's smile dropped and swatting her arm when he watched Tommy turn around.

"Rory!"

"Well she is," she shrugged.

"No bad mouthing me or Grace," Tommy pointed at her again. "The main thing is, you bunch of fuckers, despite the provocation from the cavalry, no fighting."

"Hold on, you want me to just take whatever insults they throw at me because they're in a stupid fucking uniform?" Rory asked.

"Yes because I want no fighting on my wedding day!"

"Stop yelling at me!"

"My tasks for you today are to, not get into any fights with anyone, Finn and Isaiah included, no bad mouthing me or Grace, don't upset Grace, stand there and take whatever the cavalry throw at you and make sure Isaiah doesn't sell any snow."

"Are you delusional?" she scoffed. "You obviously are because there's no way I'm standing there and letting some prick in a uniform insult me."

"Sunshine, just do as he says," Arthur told her with a smile.

"Whatever but if I do end up hitting someone of your fucking head be it Thomas, can I go?"

"Go," he pointed to the stairs. Everyone watched the girl walk towards the stairs before turning back around.

"Wait, I don't know the way back. Why don't you have a sodding map?" she grumbled, standing beside Isaiah.