VIII. 1919

    "I didn't fucking do it !" She shouted back, hitting her hands on the table.

"How the fuck are we meant to believe you?" John spoke. What the fuck? She thought. "There is a warrant for your fucking arrest. You will hang. Dead. Do you understand that? Or are you too fucking stupid to get that through your thick skull, eh?" He spoke loudly.

It hurt that he thought she would do it. And stupid, last time she checked she didn't have four kids before the age of twenty-one.

"John" Polly hissed.

She had just woken up and went down to the kitchen being met with a hungover John, who was no in the mood for anything. She didn't even know how it started but now they were screaming at each other. Polly had come in from wherever awhile ago to stop the shouting but nothing could stop them as they fought. Arthur was just as hungover but left as soon as Vivian entered, already knowing the events that were about to take place.

"What Pol, she's a kid. She needs to understand what she did will get her killed." John snapped at their aunt. His face was as red as a tomato and he was out of breath, breathing heavily after each rant.

"She is a kid and you think she would kill a man. She's your baby sister." Pol snapped back at her nephew, pointing at her niece.

Vivian was shocked at John's word, but did not show the emotion on her face. She looked him dead in the eye when she spoke.

They walked into the all-too-familiar pub, and made their way into the snug. When she walked in she saw John, twirling a toothpick in his mouth and fidgeting with his hands, and Arthur.

John eyes filled with disappointment and anger at the sight of her. They hadn't spoken in a while, not since their last fight.

"All right John, there's only one man- no," Tom stopped, declining Arthur's offer, " There's only one man guarding the house." Vivian sat on the couch beside Arthur, as Polly sat in front of her and Tom behind John. "What's troubling ya?"

"Right," John cleared his throat. Vivian could already tell he was nervous and there was a small bit of her that found it funny, but remained still. "Polly, y'know what it's been like, since Martha died-" he spoke with small pauses, not meeting Polly's eyes. John didn't often talk of Martha, if ever.

"God takes the best first." Polly said, placing her hand on his. Martha was kind, and Polly treated her like a daughter and Martha treated Ada and Vivian like sisters. She was thoughtful and caring, and to Polly's pleasure, helpful.

"Truth is . . . my kids have been running bloody rings around me. Running barefoot with the dogs until all hours." He spoke still fidgeting with his hands. It was true, the kids were always full of energy. She loved her nieces and nephews but they are definitely a handful at times. Vivian didn't know what to say and didn't know what John was going to say. Looking at Arthur, he was thinking the same.

"Pol, give him ten bob for some shoes, Vivian, mind the kids later. Is that it, John?" Tom ordered. Vivian getting stuck minding the kids, seeing them for an hour or two a day was tiring enough.

"Tommy, it would be better to do this without you." Polly spoke sternly to him, almost raising her voice. Tom just huffed, throwing his box of matches on the small bar he leaned on. He was already sick of the little meeting or whatever it was, so were Arthur and Vivian to be fair. Vivian was playing with a small rubber band she forgot she had, pulling it and twisting it around her fingers, bored out of her mind, "Now what's your point?"

"What the kids need is a mother . . . so thats why I'm getting married." This definitely made the conversation more interesting. Vivian stared at him just like the rest of them, looking a bit shocked and confused.

"So who's the unlucky woman?" Vivian asked, full of curiosity, leaning on to the table, waiting for him to go on. It was very impulsive and surprising. She wondered who the woman was who chose to mother her nieces and nephew and who volunteered to put up with her idiot brother. Like who in the right mind would offer to marry a Shelby man.

"Vivian." Polly hissed at her, kicking her leg from under the table, "Does this poor girl know you're going to marry her, or are you going to spring it on her all of a sudden?"

"If you are going to spring it on her all of a sudden, can I be there?" She smirked as she spoke, earning a a sharp glare and another kick on the leg from her aunt. Her eldest brother glanced at her trying not to smile.

"I already proposed and she said, "yes.""John spoke. While the others all glanced at each other waiting to see who the woman was, Vivian tried to think of the woman.

There was only one woman that was around Waterly Lane more often nowadays. She was the reason Vivian wasn't babysitting lately. She had seen her walking into John's with bags of groceries or bringing the kids to and from school. Vivian never mention it but it was still a shock when she saw the pattern.

The Shelby girl looked up at her brother as she realised who it was. This was why he was so worried. She hoped it wasn't, for John's sake, but there was no denying the obvious. "I think there's a shell about to land and go bang." Tom said, lighting a cigarette. Vivian saw a small ghost smile on his face as he struck the match. She saw Polly glance at Tom and then back to John, waiting for him to continue.

"It's, er... It's Lizzie Stark." John said. Everyone laughed, even Tom but Vivian was staring at him, making sure he was being serious. She was right. Her brother and the local whore, my god. Arthur sounded like a duck and Polly was wheezing while Tom just chuckled. She glanced over at Tom. She hated the fact she knew but she had heard about her Thomas' relationship — if you could call it that — with Lizzie Stark.

"John, Lizzie Stark is a strong woman, and I'm sure she provides a fine service for her customers-" Pol spoke but was cut of but John sudden exclaim.

"I won't hear the word! Understand? Do not use that word." John raised his voice. While he was trying to be so serious, it made it more funnier. Vivian couldn't help but scoff at her brother. And he had the cheek to call her stupid.

"What word is that, John?" Tom teased his brother, trying to get a rise out of him.

"You know what word that is." John said, looking down, probably regretting his life by the looks of it.

"Everybody bloody knows." Arthur said, trying not to burst out laughing. Vivian found John being frustrated, so funny. How could he tell his family this news and not expect a couple laughs.

"Everybody can go to hell." John threatened. It was so funny, seeing his face all scrunched up.

"Whore. That word?" Tom teased even more. Vivian stared at her brother as his family teased him. For once he was serious, unlike Thomas, "Or prostitute? How about that one."

He was already pissed at her, why not, "Hooker? sex worker? harlot? Lady of the night?" Vivian butted in, keeping a straight face as she listing more words. She loved this irritated side of John, especially when they were pissed at each other. She was going to take the opportunity to take the piss out of her brother.

Tom pointed at her in agreement. "How about any of those, eh?" Tommy said.

"Fille de joie?" Vivian spoke in a french accent, making Arthur chuckle even more and causing Polly to hide her face.

"Right, I want it known, if anyone calls her a whore again, I will push the barrel of my revolver down their throats and blow the word back down into their hearts." John threatened again. This was truly the highlight of Vivian's week.

"Men and their cocks never cease to amaze me. John, Lizzie Starks never did a day's work vertical." Polly explained to John, who looked like he was going to blow.

"She's changed. All right. People change. Like-like with religion, eh?" John tried to convince his family, standing up. "Lizzie Stark has religion, eh?"

"Well she's definitely been on her knees but I doubt she's praying." Vivian mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear. John sent her a quick I-swear-to-god-I'll-kill-you glare to his sister.

"No! No, she doesn't have religion. But- But she loves me" And she was the stupid one, my fucking god.

Polly looked at her nephew like she was about to explode with laughter and to be fair to Polly, she could go on for days telling John not to marry a whore, and you would think John was smart enough but no, he wasn't.

"Now listen, Tommy. I won't do it with out your blessing. But of all the people in the world, I want you to see it . . . as brave" Tom didn't meet his brother's eyes and instead looked at the ground in complete boredom.

Seeing her brother like this, asking Tom for his blessing, made her pity him. He was desperate and stupid and his family wasn't helping. But he wasn't doing this for him, he was doing this for his kids. He wasn't marrying for love, he was marrying her for help. Not to be his wife but to be his kid's mother.

"Oh, its brave all right." Arthur added, speaking into his glass, before downing the whiskey.

And of course Polly kicked in, "Brave is going where no man has gone before . . . and with Lizzie Stark, John that's not what you'll be doing." She laughed.

"Listen Tommy. Welcome her to the family. As someone who's had a hard life. All right? Because I need someone. The kids need someone." John pleaded but before he went on any further the door opened revealing an out of breath Finn.

"Tommy! We've been done over!" Finn huffed in exhaustion. Arthur sat up quickly while Polly grabbed her jacket and they all stormed out the door, except Vivian. Before she followed her family out the door, she downed the whiskey that Tom had refused earlier. She was stuck in the house being watched constantly, she deserved a drink for being framed.

    Arthur poured a badly wounded Scudboat a glass of whiskey as he held his head in pain. The shop was destroyed and John wasn't helping when he kicked a chair, "Jesus Christ" John hissed in frustration.

"Well that's not helping." Vivian spoke with a smirk as John glared back at her.

Kol had joined them and stood next to John. He stood near Scudboat, looking around the den. John had told the Jones man about the engagement the previous day, receiving the same reaction, which was not a surprise.

"What the bloody hell happened here?" Arthur asked, as the family scanned the place. Scudboat, still catching his breath, went on to answer the eldest Shelby, "The Lees. All of them. Cousins, nephews, even the bastards." Vivian spotted her brother walking to the group, with wire cutters in his hands, looking down at them, knowing exactly what it meant but Vivian had no clue.

"They've taken anything they can they their hands on..." Polly explored the offices, "four cash boxes." She pointed out before looking at Tommy. He went on looking at the wire cutters.

"They left these." Tommy announced, holding up the wire cutters, as if it explained the meaning — which it didn't.

"Wire cutters? Why would they leave wire cutter?" Polly asked just as confused as Vivian. Vivian saw Arthur tense up and hold out his arms in warning, as he told them, "nobody move" with his voice coming out as a bit distressed. She saw John glance around quickly, with the toothpick balancing on his lip.

"I think our friends are playing the game." Tom spoke, calm and collectively, as if what he just said meant something — to Vivian at least — while the boys caught on quickly, and Vivian knew she was the only clueless one here when Polly asked, "what game?" She was sick of the vague responses coming from her nephews. She strutted towards the office but was stopped by John.

"Aunt Pol. Don't touch anything." John spoke with many dramatic pauses and holding his hand out as if Polly was one of his wild kids.

"Erasmus Lee was in France." Tom looked around and spoke calmly. Vivian thought the situation was all too dramatic, but she didn't move in case.

She saw Scud's eyes widened as he came to realisation. "Shit" Scudboat breathed out. He stood up slowly.

Was she missing something? "I'm sorry but what the fuck is going on, because I'm sick of these vague answers." Vivian let out looking at her brothers and Scud who all didn't meet Vivian's eyes and looked around gingerly.

"Whenever we gave up land to the Germans, we'd leave behind booby traps, set up with wire. We'd leave wire cutters as part of the joke." Tommy spoke and before he want on, John spoke for him, "somewhere in here there's a hand grenade." Vivian's eyes widened slightly, realising how serious the situation had become.

"Holy Jesus." Polly sighed out in even more concern and stress, as she stood at the door.

"Bloody hell, and I actually thought no one was gonna die today." Vivian huffed out receiving glares from every angle, putting her hands up in surrender.

"Attached to a wire." Arthur spoke as they all move slowly around the trashed betting den. "Don't move any chairs or open any doors. Go easy, John boy. Go easy." Arthur reminded.

"What use is that gonna do, John's already kicked everything here when he was having his little temper tantrum, it would have blown up by now and we'd be burnt." Vivian spoke and all eyes were on here — getting another glare of John.

"No, boys, she's right, it's not here." Tom confirmed, "It was my name on the bullet Erasmus sent. He set up a trap all right... but he set it up just for me."

As everyone listened to his words, Vivian's face melted, her mind went through all the places the grenade would be until she remembered, "Tom, your car." She looked at him but before he could move, her face melted when she realised what her little brother's favourite game to play was. "Shit, Finn" She sprinted out the door, followed by Tom. She felt her blood run cold as she shoved through the locals on the street.

Tom caught up with her as they turned into the garage, seeing Finn at the wheel. Vivian's face went white, hoping to god that she was wrong about the where about of the grenade. "Finn" Tom's voice rang out through the garage.

"Stay exactly where you are" Tom stepped close, slowly and calmly, while Vivian froze for a moment.

"I was pretending I was you." Finn giggled, unaware his life could be on the line.

"Which door did you open to get in?" Tom asked, gingerly. Youn could hear the fear in his voice, fear of losing his brother.

"I didn't, I climbed in." Finn giggled agin, quite proudly. Vivian could feel her eyes watering, as she stepping behind Tommy.

"I want you to climb out the exact same way you climbed in, okay?" Tom told him but Finn didn't listen, as he thought it was part of the game. He jumped out opening the door, giggling. "No, no Finn" Tom exclaimed as Vivian ran toward her little brother, tears rolling down her face. She grabbed hold of him, pulling him closer to her into a tight hug, as Tom shouted "clear".

It all happened too fast. Tom had his arms wrapped around the two, as the grenade went off. She heard both her brother's heavy breathing and the loud ringing in her ears. It didn't stop, it kept ringing and ringing and ringing. She was so lost in thought she hadn't realised Tom was kneeled down in front of Finn, telling him something but the ringing drowned out his words. She didn't even remembered moving from her brother's arms but she kind of wished he never let go.

" Vivian, you alright?" Tom shook her shoulder, snapping her back into reality. She could just hear the words coming out of his mouth. She looked at him, shocked, looking around. She saw her little brother who almost blew up, she saw the men out side who were inspecting where the grenade went off, and then she saw her older brother.

"Vivian-" Tom started but was cut off by Vivian whose eyes were glowing with rage and tears.

"What the fuck was that?!" She raised her voice, "you start a fight with the Lees and almost cost the life of your brother!" Her voice broke as she spoke the last bit, tears on the verge of falling. She couldn't imagine losing any of her family and she couldn't imagine how she would feel if she didn't make it to the garage in time. "What if we weren't here in time, eh? I don't care if you have a fucking plan to rule the world but you do not sacrifice this family to get to the fucking top!" The ringing didn't stop as she screamed at him. They stared at each other as she calmed down, trying to focus on the sounds around her. "Fix this." She spoke quietly, but loud enough for him to hear.

"Vivian, listen-" Tommy started by again was interrupted

"I'm done listening to you."

Before he could speak, she had already storming off. He turned to Finn making sure he was okay. The truth was, when he saw Finn in the car his heart dropped and when he jumped out of the car, Tom couldn't imagine going home that day, knowing what he caused. Vivian's words stung but they were the truth, so he did. He fixed it.

    She hadn't left the stables in what felt like centuries. The Greene girl was asleep next to her as they leaned against a haystack, beside one of the horses. They had drunk about a bottle each in the past few hours. They had laughed until one had knocked out. Vivian stared at the wall ahead of her while Janet head was rested on her shoulder with a empty bottle of whiskey in hand. She stared into space as the sound of humming filled the stable. The cool breeze made her shiver.

The familiar tune pained her as she tried to placed where she knew it from. It was annoying her and by annoying her it took up mind off of the events of today, but it only distracted her for so long.

She knew she should be home on house arrest but she couldn't be anywhere near Tom. She only hoped he was far from the stables. She wondered if the family knew what happened, if Tommy told them but she didn't know. They had to know right?

And then her mind went to her younger brother. She forgot that she had not only left Tom but she also left Finn. She didn't even know how he was, or if anyone was there for him. It was no secret that the younger Shelby gets lost in the bunch, whether it's forgetting to feed them or breaking empty promises that never meant anything. She couldn't believe that she was so pissed off at Tom that she forgot that Finn was the one they nearly lost today.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She whispered, turning her head slowly.

Although she was not expecting a response, her friend replied drunkenly, "Goo' 'ay, So." The Shelby girl chuckled at her gibberish, pushing Janet away softly until she lay on the floor. She stood up, tugging the blanket over her friends form before she left. Her hurried walk turned into a run as she got colder. Without a jacket, she had to run. The cold air motivating her. She wanted to get home to the familiar warmth of the fireplace.

She wasn't meant to be out, as she said before, there was a false warrant out for her arrest. As she ran, she thought of the actually person responsible for the murder and how it was blamed on Vivian. The chilled wind hit her face as she sprinted through the streets she knew too well, while her mind was somewhere else. It wasn't long before she got home. When she got to the door, she didn't bothered doing it quietly as they knew she was out. A part of her was surprised to find no one waiting for her. It saved her a lecture or an argument.

Slamming the door, she rubbed her shoulders warming up. Dragging her feet up the stairs, automatically skipping the creaky steps as a force of habit, she walked along the landing and heard quiet whimpers.

Vivian knew she wasn't meant to wake Tom from his nightmares, no matter how loud he was, so she never did and respected his wishes. It broke her when listening to him but she just covered her head with her pillow and dreamed she was somewhere else. But as she walked past Tom's bedroom the whimpers got louder as if she was walked towards them. She then realised it wasn't Tom.

She pushed the door open slightly to her younger brother's room and saw him, back to the door and covering his ear with his hands. Vivian slowly stepped forward towards him, not wanting to startle him. His almost silent cries saddened Vivian greatly. She reached her hand out, touching his back to get his attention. At first he didn't move but Vivian felt him shaking. She sat down on the edge of the bed and touched back for the second time, this time getting his attention.

The boy flinched at her touch, removing his hands from his ears. Turning around with a tears in his eyes, threatening to fall, shocked at her presence but sat up and wrapped his arms about his sisters neck. Vivian felt his tears on her shoulder. She hugged him back, comforting him. She heard him sniffling, as he tried to hold in any more tears from falling. She knew he didn't cry often but when he did it was heartbreaking to see and hear. He didn't like to cry in front of people, especially his brothers, and even though he didn't want to cry in front of Vivian, she was a great comfort as she always listened to him, and always had time for him, unlike many people in this family.

"I'm sorry." He whispered into her shoulder.

"You didn't do anything wrong." She spoke reminded him.

"But I was in the car." He didn't meet her eyes as he spoke. He was still shaking.

"And there shouldn't have been a bomb in the car." She whispered back. She didn't know what else to say to comfort her brother, so she just sat there as they hugged. He was eleven. He shouldn't be crying and shaking about being blown up in a car, he should be playing with his friends, laughing. He didn't deserve to feel like this.

NOTES

Heyyy!!! Short chapter but had to publish something. Back at school and I'm trying to write longer chapters, so good luck to me. Hope you are having a good day or evening. I also hope that I continue posting something every Saturday. The next chapter will be better.

For updates and edits, my TikTok is vvioletneklace.wp . See you next week xx