enchanted
chapter 27, "who's the carrot top?"

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Rory walked to the betting shop by herself but had a gun so it was fine she guessed, her dad hadn't left anyone to walk her so she grabbed the stolen gun from her bedside drawer and made her way to the betting shop. Tommy was with Ada in London, Arthur, John, Finn and Isaiah were at a meeting, Evelyn, Freya and Lottie were at school and Esme was at the betting shop. Rory hadn't spoken to either Ada nor Isaiah since Tommy's wedding which was few weeks ago. Rory avoided Isaiah at all costs since the kiss and Eve, Freya and Lottie all tried to sort it out but the girl wouldn't entertain the idea.

The whole Lilian thing was supposed to be something Rory "would figure out she was better off without her" Pol said but Ada didn't agree. Ada believed Rory needed to at least know her birth mum still cared because she didn't have that growing up she had Pol since the Shelby siblings mother had passed. Robert just simply didn't allow Rory to see Isaiah and because Rory loved him she didn't speak to Isaiah.

While in the library in London, Tommy asked Ada what was wrong with Rory at his wedding but Ada would not give any information.

While on her way to the betting shop she sensed she was being followed so turned around and no one was there so she faced forward again and then jumped grabbed the gun in the pocket of her jacket.

"Why are you following me again?" Rory asked the woman in front of her while having a tight grip on the gun.

"I told you I'd look out for my dad but-"

Rory sighed, "I told you to leave me alone, my dad can't know you're here and I can deal with your dad I'm fine."

Before the woman could answer an armed wrapped around Rory's shoulder. "Who's this?" Robert asked, kissing Rory's head.

"Nobody she was just leaving," Rory replied and walking away with Robert.

"Where are we off too?" Robert asked and his smile turned into pursed lips and his nostrils flared when he saw Isaiah smiling at Rory as him, Finn and Evelyn walked past. Evelyn and Rory had drifted from each other since Rory started dating Robert, they hardly spoke, they were civil with each other and smiled at each other as they past in the street but no words other than a "hi" were exchanged from either of them. It made Rory sad that she was losing her best friend but at least she Robert right?

Wrong.

Robert hated Isaiah which made it hard for Rory because Robert made it so hard for her to be in the same room as Isaiah since he was convinced Isaiah had a crush on her and she was his not Isaiah's. If Rory was even within 10 centimetres of Isaiah, Robert would shout and scream at her. He would never lay a hand on her knowing she would hit him back or John, Arthur, Tommy, Finn, Michael, Pol, Esme and Evelyn would kill him.

Stood in an alleyway the same alleyway that haunted Rory, Robert stood shouting at the girl accusing her of cheating on him.

"Is it even considered cheating when we're not even together and I'm just someone you're using me to make Frances jealous?" Rory asked confused and flinched when Robert smacked his hand against the wall, his hand centimetres away from Rory's head.

"It is if I say so. And if I was using you, you wouldn't know about it," Robert harshly told her.

"Well I do because I see the way you look at her and besides I haven't even spoken to Isaiah since Tommy's wedding so you don't have to worry or even accuse me of something I am most certainly not doing," Rory shrugged, moving his hand away from her face.

Lilian was walking past the alleyway when saw the boy who was filled with rage and her daughter moving his hand away from her face. "Rory!" Lilian called. "If you want to go see Tommy's new horse before he gets back, we need to go now." Robert jumped back from Rory and the girl let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Are you okay?" she asked Rory who nodded slightly but Robert answered for her, "She's fine, we were just leaving." He gripped onto her arm pulling forcefully away from the woman.

"She's not going anywhere with you," the woman replied stopping Robert from walking.

"Who are you to stop me? You're not my mum now move out of my way," he ordered with a glare.

"No. Let go of her arm and you can leave but she's not going anywhere with you," she replied standing her ground and Robert let go, Rory instantly moving her other hand to rub the red hand print that would most likely bruise. With one last glare at Rory, Robert stormed off without Rory.

"Thank you. The one time I'm glad you followed me," Rory chuckled.

"Who is he?" the woman asked.

"My boyfriend sort of, I don't know actually," she replied shrugging.

Lilian stared at her daughter, "You have my eyes you know."

"I know my dad and your dad told m. Can I go now?" Rory asked. "You didn't want to know me so now I don't want to know you."

Lilian's face dropped slightly, "You can go yes."

Rory made a move to leave before Lilian cut her movements short, "All I ever wanted was for you to be safe, you know."

"Safe? You call being targeted by everyone who hates Tommy safe? You call nearly being raped at the age of eleven safe? I would be safer on the road with my mum's family, far away from you and the Shelby last name," Rory said harshly. "I fucking despise you and I hate Ada for leading you straight to me. You and me aren't related at all, as far as I'm concerned you're nothing to me except a stalker and Esme is my mum because she's been there everyday since I was eight years old!"

"It wasn't Ada," the woman shook her head. "It was Tommy."

"What?" Rory's face dropped. "What do you mean it was Tommy?"

"Tommy came to see me a few years ago, you were eleven and he told me about my dad trying to find me but found you instead and I told him I wouldn't see you unless it was approved by your dad and Esme but then you came to see me. I had to tell him where you were because I didn't know where my dad was and I had to know you got back safe," Lily told her.

"But I'm not safe," she shrugged. "And it's not like you actually cared, you never even visited I had to find you."

"You seriously think I didn't come and check on you from time to time? If I didn't do you think I would know that your favourite animal is a horse, especially you're horse Dusty and your favourite places are the cut, the stables, the field because you, Freya, Lottie make daisy chains there and the park because you're dad and uncle Arthur used to take you before the war," Lilian argued.

Rory looked confused, "How long have you been following me around?"

"Since the day I gave you up," Lilian revealed, looking down.

"So, how come you never spoke to me before now?" she asked.

"Because I made a promise to your dad that I'd never see you so my dad would stay away but as long as I didn't speak to you I figured I could watch you grow up from a far and that's what I did," Lilian told her.

Rory stayed silent and avoided the woman's gaze.

"I don't expect you to believe that I do love you that's why I gave you away but there is not a day that goes by where I don't regret not staying in Birmingham and me and your dad could have worked something out."

"I wanted to know you when I was younger but now I have a mum and it's not you and I'm sorry but I can't do this right now I've got too much going on and I can't be dealing with you appearing out of nowhere and suddenly playing mum again," Rory told her and Lilian nodded watching her daughter leave but this time on Rory's terms.

"Rory!" Freya called, looking down the alley where Lily was. "Who's the carrot top?"

"You'll never guess," the younger blonde muttered.

Freya pondered while she fell into step with her niece, "Yeah you're right, I'll never guess. Just tell me."

"You can't tell my dad though," Rory made her swear that she wouldn't tell John. "Or anyone actually."

"Not even Lottie?"

"Not even Lottie," Rory turned her head to look at her.

"Fine," the girl huffed. "Now tell me."

"The carrot top as you call her is also known as Lilian Davis who is-"

"Your birth mum, oh my god. You met your birth mum," the realisation dawning on her.

"I already met her. Isaiah went to London with me."

The older teen gasped, "Why didn't I know about this?"

"I thought my dad told you," she shrugged.

"No!"

"Oh."

"Why is she back?" she asked.

"She's been back ages. Just didn't say anything."