enchanted
chapter 26, kisses, confessions and arguments.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Eventually Tommy and Grace joined them, and the first thing Tommy did was raise a toast to his wife, holding up his glass with a cigarette hanging from his lips. "To the bride."

"To the bride!" Everybody echoed, getting to their feet.

"And now, according to tradition, my best man will say a few words." Tommy said.

"Go on! Here he goes! Go on, Arthur!" John cheered.

Arthur got to his feet. "Right, um, I'm not one for speeches."

"Sing then!" John called.

"I will later, John." Arthur replied, not really thinking about what he was getting himself into by saying that. "But, uh, I do have some words written down here on this piece of paper. This doesn't include everything that I want to say."

"Arthur, just read what we wrote down, okay?" Tommy whispered.

"I will, I will." Arthur said, putting down the paper. "But first... first, uh, a few words from... from the heart."

After Arthur said that Rory glared at Linda knowing that whatever he was about to say was because of her and her prophetic teachings because the old Arthur would have had a drink in him and would have the liquid confidence coursing through his veins, enabling him to stand before a crowd and speak clearly but since Linda claimed that alcohol was poison that should not be ingested.

Now, Arthur was currently sober, not falling prey to the clutches of alcohol save for a few moments of weakness. It was not enough to help him get through this speech, and it showed in the way he was stumbling over his words and Rory felt bad for him.

"This man here, my brother Tommy, helped me survive through some of the worst times." Arthur explained.

"It's a wedding, Arthur." Michael said. "Tell a joke."

"Yeah, tell a joke." John agreed.

"What I'm trying to say is that... my brother and the love of a good woman pulled me through that time." Arthur said. "Now Tommy also has the love of a good woman. Her name's Grace, like the grace of the good lord. And even though the circumstances of their union was tragic..."

"Alright." Tommy interjected loudly, standing up and banging his fist against the table. "Let's, uh... Arthur. Let's raise a toast, eh? To love, to peace, to marriage."

"Well done, Arthur." John commended. "Beautiful speech. Really nice. Really, really nice."

Rory watched Arthur leave with a sympathetic look on her face the looked towards her dad. "Will you leave him alone he was trying his best, the old Arthur wouldn't have acted like that, it's all because of Linda."

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Later on that night, Rory was standing with Polly by the bar, a glass of champagne in her hands. Fortunately, Ada had offered to take the kids to bed except Rory who stayed, and they were currently all in their rooms sleeping despite the music blaring from below them and Robert had decided (not on his own accord, Rory convinced him) to go home. Rory didn't know how Flo and Henry stayed asleep through the music.

As Polly refilled her glass, Grace approached them and Rory smiled as best she could without it looking fake. "Hello, Grace."

"You look absolutely beautiful." Polly complimented.

"Very pretty." Rory added.

"That dress does wonders for you." Polly continued as she and Rory shared a look.

Neither Polly or Rory had forgiven Grace for what she had done, bringing them closer than ever despite their argument a while back. Rory had always thought there was something off with Grace with the way she used to watch the Shelby's but now she was her uncle's wife she didn't like her even more considering she betrayed her whole family.

"Welcome to the family." Rory said.

Grace smiled. "Oh, I see. Tommy's order. No upsets tonight."

"Your hair, everything." Polly commented. "Beautiful."

"Upsets? Why would there be upsets?" Rory asked. "You haven't done anything else to cause another upset, have you Grace?"

"Do you know where he is?" Grace asked.

"Yes, yes I do." Polly replied.

"Nope sorry." Rory replied.

"You know, Tommy really wants to keep certain things a secret from me." Grace said.

"Oh, I really wonder why? I couldn't imagine why." Rory asked, still smiling a fake smile which turned real when Freya appeared beside her, wrapping her arm around her shoulder.

"It's very hard when you're man and wife." Grace sighed. "We were late coming down because we were having sex."

"Congratu-fucking-lations, do you want a gold medal?" Rory asked, sarcastically.

"Ugh, why did I show up now." Freya grimaced. 

"So afterwards, he told me everything." Grace said, ignoring Rory and Freya. "Royalist Russians buying weapons to fight the Bolsheviks in Georgia. A lost cause, Tommy says. And Churchill, that he's the go-between. But it's against government policy so everything must be kept a secret."

"And can you do that, Grace?" Rory asked, as she glared at the woman. "Or are you going to run off and tell somebody and get us all in trouble again?"

"You know it's begun." Polly said, placing a hand on Rory's arm as she sensed the tension raising between the teen and other adult. "They started the business tonight."

"No." Grace said awkwardly. "I didn't. But you just told me, so thank you. Let's not forget I used to do this for a living."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten, sweetheart." Polly replied "And neither has Rory or Freya. It's only Thomas that has forgotten what you are."

"A backstabbing, two-faced bitch." Rory said and before Grace walked away Rory added quietly so only she could hear her. "You ever put any of my family in danger again and I will kill you, I don't care what Tommy will do to me."

"Ladies and gentlemen." A man spoke over the microphone. "The bride and the groom will now dance alone."

"You better hope Tommy's actually on the dance floor." Rory said. When Grace was gone, she turned to Polly. "You know, Esme heard one of Grace's relatives talking earlier. 'It's all blacks and gypsies', he said. I swear, if I hear one more comment like that, I'll hit someone."

"I know exactly how you feel." Polly said. "And truthfully, I wish Tommy had never gotten married to Grace."

"Me too." Rory replied.

"Me three." Freya added, her arm still around Rory's shoulder as she directed the girl towards her parents.

"Something about her just doesn't sit right with me, never did even when I was eight years old I didn't like her."

"Agreed." Polly nodded. "Now come on let's go find your mum and dad." Rory smiled at Pol calling Esme, Rory's mum.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Later that night, Tommy had spoken to Rory but she didn't tell him about Lilian and she thought he didn't know she was still hiding something but he knew. Tommy always knew when she hiding something or lying but didn't push her to tell him knowing it would only anger the girl. Grace also kept what Rory said to her a secret but Rory figured Grace would tell Tommy at some point.

Once the boys had finished their business for the night, Rory watched an angry, shirtless Isaiah walk past her making her furrow her brows in confusion, "'Siah?" she called stopping him from walking and he turned around with a angry look in his eyes.

Once he saw the look on Rory's face the look had washed away and he had calmed down instantly. "What happened?" She asked him again in a soft tone.

"Just Grace's family being racist." He replied and anger washed over Rory's face.

"And what did you do about it? Please tell me you did something about it."

"He challenged me to a boxing match and-"

"You won? Tell me you won! Please tell you won!" Rory interrupted. "Sorry, sorry carry on." She apologised.

Isiah chuckled. "Yes I won."

"Oh thank god!" Rory sighed in relief then looked down at his bloody, bruised knuckles and sighed again. "Come on let's go clean your hands."

When they got to Isiah's room, the boy followed behind Rory as she walked into the bathroom and sat him on the toilet while she wet a cloth to clean his knuckles. When he hissed she apologised and looked at him through her lashes. "It's fine." He assured her.

"All done." She told him standing back letting him get up.

After a few seconds of staring at her he cleared his throat. "Right, yeah well I'll uh I'll let you get back to Flo and Henry or you could stay, you don't have to if you don't want."

"No. I'll stay they'll be asleep anyway." She told him and made her way out of the bedroom. "Shouldn't you be selling snow and not fighting the cavalry cunts?"

"Shouldn't you be with your boyfriend?" He retorted.

"My what?" she asked, looking at him over her shoulder.

"Your boyfriend." He repeated.

"What are you talking about? I don't have a boyfriend."

"So why is that new blinder, what's he called..." He tapped his hand on the bed thinking of the boys name. "Robert I think he's called, telling everyone you're his girlfriend?"

"I have no idea but I'm not." She shook her head.

"Oh."

Rory almost missed the hopeful tone in his voice. Almost. "Why? You jealous?"

"No. Just checking no one has taken my spot of being number one at annoying you."

"Trust me, no one is ever going to be able to do that." She grinned at him.

"You invited him to the wedding but you aren't together?" Isiah asked.

"I didn't necessarily have a choice, he knew you'd be here so he invited himself." She shrugged. 

"What do you mean "you didn't have a choice" and why does it matter if I'm here or not?"

"Like I just said, he invited himself and appeared but I sent him home." She shrugged again. "And he doesn't like you."

"I don't like him."

"Why?" She asked, moving so she could face him while he spoke to her.

"Because I don't think he's good for you and I think he's using you." He replied, refusing to meet her gaze.

The brunette scoffed. "So just because you don't think he's good enough for me he's automatically a bad person? Get off your high horse Isiah, you're just jealous because someone actually likes me and isn't after me for the reasons you want girls."

"Ro, I didn't-"

"Shut up." She snapped. "And don't call me that."

Silence fell over the two of them and they had unknowingly moved closer to each other and since they were laying down because Rory wanted to read her book that she couldn't in her own room because of Henry and Flo.

"Since when did you read?" He moved so he was resting on his arm and facing her.

"Since I've basically dropped out of school and Louise is setting me books to read as homework because she's basically my teacher now." She replied, flipping the page.

"I think this is the most we've ever gotten on in the five years we've known each other." Isiah spoke out loud.

"Well done now you've jinxed it."

"No I haven't, I'm just saying." He defended himself.

"Yes you have."

"Whatever I'm not arguing with you. I can't be bothered." He huffed.

"Well, that's a first," She replied, watching him roll his eyes. There was a silence again but this time it was awkward. "'Siah?"

No reply.

"Are you asleep?"

No reply.

"Oh my gosh, what is wrong with you? I said I was sorry! If you're going to be a child about it then I'm going." She didn't get an answer once again so she got off the bed, making her way to the other side of the room and into the hallway. "What are you doing?" She questioned when she was thrown over his shoulder and taken back to Isiah's room. "Arthur will kill you." She laughed when he threw her onto the bed and they began play fighting again only this time Rory didn't win.

"Say sorry and I'll let you go." He told her, holding her wrists tighter.

"What happens if I don't?" She asked watching his face change.

"Aren't you really ticklish?"

"You wouldn't." The brunette shook her head.

"But I would. So either apologise or I'll make you apologise."

Of course she didn't say anything so he began tickling her. "Okay! Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry for being a bitch!" She breathed out, the grin on her face wider than before. "There happy now?"

"Yes."

"Let go of me then," She whispered. "Why are you looking at me like that?"  Her eyes flickered between his eyes and lips just he was doing the same to her.

"Tell me to stop I will." He whispered as she swallowed thickly.

"What if I don't want you to stop?" She whispered back as he began leaning towards her. Rory's heart was racing as he caught her lips with his in a passionate kiss. Goosebumps raised on her skin as his hand made its way to her cheek as she kissed him back.

There was a knock at the door making the two break apart but they weren't quick enough because Freya burst into the boy's room, "Isiah have you seen-"

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed with wide eyes. "Isiah, she is my sister!"

"I'm your niece actually and it was only a kiss, jeez."

"Closest thing I have to a little sister." The blonde glared at her.

"What about Lottie?"

"Stop changing the subject! Why are you two kissing anyway?"

"I'm going to go now." Rory made her way to the door but was stopped by Freya which made her groan and Isiah laugh. "Just let me go!"

"Fine but if I catch you two kissing again I'll chop both your heads off!" Freya glared at them, mainly Isiah before she let Rory leave.

She walked back to her shared room with Flo and Henry with Freya following.

"I'm just looking out for you." She told her.

"I can look out for myself, Frey. Besides it was only one kiss it's not like it's going to become a regular thing." Rory told her aunt, while she was getting her pyjamas.

"I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Freya, drop it. It's not going to happen again." Rory sighed.

"Fine." The teen grumbled before she left the room to go find Lottie.

Rory got changed and moved Flo over so she wasn't on the edge of the bed and laid down next to her, looking at her watching her sister stir in her sleep and cuddled into Rory's chest making her wrap her arm over her body and Henry's body to stop him from falling off the bed.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in." she spoke, quietly so she didn't wake her siblings but loud enough for the person to hear. "Oh, it's you. Thought you were Freya again."

"No, just me." Isiah shook his head and closed the door. "What's that?" He pointed to the bruise on her arm.

"What's what?"

"The bruise on your arm." He repeated, grabbing her arm gently. "Did I do that?"

Rory laughed. "You didn't even grab my arm and even if you did it wouldn't leave a bruise that quick."

"Who did it?" He asked again, clearly not dropping the subject much to Rory's annoyance.

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes or I wouldn't be asking. Either tell me or I'll find out myself."

"It doesn't matter, Isiah. Finn grabbed me the other day when we were arguing, I went to walk out and he grabbed me. No big deal, he didn't mean it."

The boy took a closer look at her arm. "Finn's hands aren't that big and he wouldn't have grabbed you so hard."

"Christ, since when did you become an expert on Finn's hands. I said Finn gave me it now drop it before you wake Henry and Flo up and I hit you."

"It was him wasn't it?" 

"Who? Finn? I just told you it was." She told him, hoping he'd drop it.

"No. You know who."

"He didn't mean it, 'Siah. I was in a mood and wanted to go home and accidentally barged him."

"That's not an excuse though, Ro." He whispered.

"It's fine. It's not going to happen again, don't worry."

Florence began to stir, whinging and fussing only to go quiet at the sight of her sister. Rory held her arms out for the little girl to crawl into, lying on her chest while she stroked her hair, lulling her back to sleep. Isiah stayed quiet, watching the blonde settle her sister with a small smile on his face. 

Rory broke the silence when Flo had fallen back asleep. "What are we?" She asked the boy who was sitting next to her.

"What do you mean?"

"Isiah, we kissed. That's not nothing." Rory sighed.

"I don't know what you mean. You're not the only girl I've kissed you know."

"I know." Rory rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying it has to mean something to you."

"Rory, it was a kiss. It didn't mean anything."

The girl's heart dropped. "Oh."

"Rory, come on it can't have meant anything to you, it was just a kiss," He shrugged.

"Yeah, just a kiss." She nodded, her voice quiet. "Look, I'm going to go to sleep so unless you're staying."

"I'm not going until you tell me what's wrong with you." He shook his head.

"I think I- nevermind, it doesn't matter. Night."

"Aurora." He warned.

"Isiah." She responded in the same tone. "I think I like you."

Isiah stood and stared at her while Rory avoided his eyes. "I'm going to go."

"Seriously?" Rory scoffed. "I should have listened to Freya."

"So should I." He agreed with a small nod before leaving.

Rory moved her siblings to the middle of the bed, using the spare pillows to stop them from rolling off the bed. The girl quietly opened the door and made her way to Ada's room.

"What's up?" The woman asked, groggily having been awoken by her niece's knocking.

"Can you just watch Flo and Henry? I would ask Eve but she's with Finn and I feel like if I disturb them one more time Finn'll take my eyes and Katie's with James down the hall and if I ask her to watch them again, she'll bite my head off." She asked her aunt, who she still wasn't on speaking terms with but her siblings safety came first, always. 

"Yeah, sure. Where are you going?"

"Need to speak to my mum." She replied, watching her aunt nod and enter the room where Flo and Henry were before making her way to her parent's room. 

She knocked and waited for Esme to open the door. "Mum, I messed up."

"What happened?" She asked, bringing the girl into a hug.

"Me and Isiah kissed and then told him I liked him after he told me the kiss meant nothing to him." Rory sniffled.

"Oh, sweetheart." She sighed leading the girl to the bed.

"Why are you crying? What happened?" John turned to his daughter.

"Don't get mad but me and Isiah kissed and the he told me the kiss meant nothing to him and then I told him I liked him and he walked away." She sniffed and laid beside him, cuddling into his side. "I should have listened to Freya."

"Aren't you glad you didn't though?" Esme asked, stroking the girl's hair as she was now cuddled into her side since John had disappeared.

"Yes and no." She shrugged. "Why didn't I just keep my mouth shut?"

"What's done is done but at least you kissed him."

"I suppose." She nodded, looking up at Esme. "I'm glad you're my mum."

"Me too kid." Esme kissed the top of her head. "Go to sleep now. Your dad will back soon."

"Where's he gone?"

"To kill Isiah for making you cry. Go to sleep." She told her, still stroking her hair until the girl fell asleep.

"Please tell me you didn't kill him." Esme sighed as John entered the room.

"No. I let Frey, Lottie and Eve do it." he laid beside her. Rory stirred when John laid down, she moved her head to lay on his chest.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

"What did I say to you?" Freya asked the boy. "Let me remind you. I said; do not hurt her and you made her cry!"

"You can be such a dick sometimes." Lottie commented with a sigh.

"Can you go?"

"Stay away from her." Freya pointed at him with a glare.

After Lottie and Freya had left Eve stayed back. "You know Isiah, you can be really stupid at times," Eve sighed, hitting her best friend's shoulder. "You're like my brother but Rory was my sister first and if you hurt her again I swear I'll hurt you."

"Eve." he called as she reached the door.

"What?"

"I didn't mean to hurt her or make her cry." He told her.

"But you did."

"I know."