Woohoo! Chapter 2! I feel like this one is written awkwardly at some points but I'm pleasantly surprised I actually got on with it!
Anyway, I'd like to include a bit of a TW for implied abuse the tiniest bit of period appropriate homophobia.
ENJOY!
As before, I don't own anything but my OC but I really would be the happiest girl on earth if I did.
"Right then pet, we 'ave all the houses joint together now but you're gonna have to bunk up with someone; Ada you can go back in your old room with the baby." Polly said as she gently pinched little Karl's cheeks and kissed his forehead.
"Ade you know I love you but I can't cope with babies at night-time," Kitty laughed, "I don't know if Finn would want me in his room, nor would Arthur. John has a wife now, so I suppose that leaves either Tommy or you, Pol."
"Well I don't mind, whoever you prefer. You can decide later anyway."
The women decided to take a trip to London to get Ada's things and buy Kitty some new clothes, the train journey wasn't too arduous but it lasted an age, as a ride to the capital city always did. Karl sat on Kitty's knee, being his delightful little self, pointing out cows and trees and people.
About an hour in, a man came round with a small cart full of sweet treats and cups of tea and coffee.
"D'ya want anything?" He asked as he stopped at the table.
"Oh no thank you, I don't have any money with me." Caroline answered with her angelic smile.
"That's okay, you and the kid can pick something."
"Oh how divine, thank you." She places Karl on the seat next to her and kissed the bus(train)boy on the cheek before taking 4 dum-dum pops: lemon, lime, cherry and butterscotch. The man with the cart stood stunned for a second, blushing, before he made his way further down the carriage. Kitty's hands were shaking, as always, so she passed two of the lollipops over to Polly who opened them for her.
"Caroline!" Ada gasped laughingly, "I can't believe you!"
"What?" She asked as she put a lime lollipop into Karl's expectant mouth, then the cherry one in her own.
"Why would you kiss a random man? And-"
"It's what's he expected of me, you don't get anything for nothing."
"And how did you get him to give you those for free?"
Polly suddenly butted in to the exchange, "That's what happens when you're beautiful Ada."
"Are you saying-"
"That's not true Pol, Ada's one hundred times prettier than me and she has a better personality to boot."
"How many men have you met who care about personality?" Polly chuckled, "Anyway, it's not all that good being pretty, is it pet?"
Kitty shook her head and carried on watching the world pass past the glass pane, Ada was sat across from her and couldn't help but stare. She was beautiful and her personality was perfect; but she was so secretive. When they were children she always imagined marrying her, until Arthur revealed that women being in a relationship wasn't really normal. So little Ada, aged about 7 with Kitty about 6, decided that maybe she adores her the same way everyone else seemed to and now at 19 she was still having to reassure herself that that was in fact what she felt.
The train screeched to a stop and all the passengers got off in a slow shuffle as those on long haul journeys reached up and pulled their array of bags down to take away with them. Outside, the weather had become ever more frosty and the group ran almost all the way to Ada's tiny London flat.
Kitty smiled disingenuously, "This lovely!" She exclaimed, she didn't want to upset the Shelby's since they'd done her such a giant favour. Plus, considering how dingy the apartment likely was when they first moved in, the decoration was beautiful. Karl had an exquisite crib and the shade on the lightbulb looked like tulip with frilled edges, an exotic orange rug lay in the centre of the bare cement floor and a large gilt-framed mirror took up one wall.
"Shut up Kitty," Ada smiled, "It's horrible, but London's expensive you know."
"Oh I know, I never hear the end of it."
Polly entertained Karl whilst the two girls set about packing up Ada's meagre belongings, as Kitty rooted through the nightstand for anything that could be considered delicate she noticed something. A little organza bag in which 2 big strips of ribbon were sat, one was baby pink and had 'Caroline' and a love heart embroidered on it, the other was baby blue and had 'Ada' and a star embroidered on it. They were tied together by the ends. "Ada, I can't believe you still have these! I used to wonder where mine was all the time."
Ada blushed, "I'm too sentimental I know, I don't know why I kept them."
"No, it's lovely. Let's put them on." Kitty pulled out the bracelets and Ada unknotted them for her and fastened the one with her name on her own wrist, before putting the other on Kitty, who ran her fingers over the cherry red floss and sighed, "You always embroidered so beautifully."
Her eyes welled with tears as she hugged Ada and sniffled, "You don't know how much I've missed you."
"You're going to make me cry silly! Let's pack up and move on, we'll have plenty of time together now." Ada consoled her.
After their quick stint of hysteria they got on with what they were doing and discovered that all the important items housed in the flat fit into 2 small cases, which Ada and Polly carried. The group took the short walk to a small row of shops where Kitty was reluctant to buy anything but the necessary items: 2 blouses, 2 skirts, a dress, stockings and some underwear. Polly threw in some hair ribbons and a small handbag, despite Kitty's adamant refusal.
The trip home was quicker, as always, everything was darker and colder, the people on the train more tired and the tracks bumpier. Kitty herself was almost falling asleep until she jumped awake at the sight of a tall, muscled man, with dark hair and a mousey brown overcoat. Her breath became shaky and she hugged Karl just a little bit tighter, her chin resting atop of his head as he slept.
"Are you okay?" Polly asked, looking over at her in concern.
"Fine, fine." Her hand was out on the table and Ada gently took it to comfort her.
The man turned around, it was him. His eye blazed with fury and he beckoned the girl towards him with a single finger.
"I'm-I've-I'm…" Kitty took a deep breath,"I'm going to the toilet, I'll be back in a second." She said before placing Karl on the seat beside her and basically running away, at such a speed where no one could offer to accompany her. Ada looked back and noticed a familiar man walking slightly ahead of Kitty, but since she couldn't put a finger on who he was, dismissed him as a random passenger and went back to the book she was reading.
In the coal room at the back of the train, Jude Addington had Kitty cornered. He had grabbed her arms and pinned her to the wall of the carriage to prevent any prospect of escape, "Where 'ave you been? Ya dad's missin' you."
Kitty didn't reply, she couldn't bring herself to speak around him, Jude terrified her more than anyone else on earth. He'd cast a dark shadow over her life since she was a toddler and her father had only enabled him, encouraged him even. Now the pair controlled every aspect of her life.
"Answer me child."
"I-I-I-" She sighed in frustration, "I'm visiting an old friend, I'll be back early tomorrow." For once she felt no remorse for her lies.
"Am I not good enough for you now? Fucking some other man? Who?" He shook her, hard, "Who?" He hissed in her ear.
"It's-It's a girl."
"No one told me you were a dyke, to think I proposed to you." Jude snarled at her, with the smug smirk he always seemed to wear.
But you forgot to mention I said no, Caroline thought to herself, she struggled to get free - Jude laughed maliciously as he held her back with a single hand, eventually he kissed her and left a hickey high on her neck before slapping hard on the cheek and making his way out of the room. Before he exited he turned back and said, "If you're not back tomorrow, I'll hunt ya down. Trust me." Kitty knew what he said was true, he always did like her to know she had no control over anything.
Kitty attempted to gather herself, she tucked some stray hairs behind her ears and smoothed down her dress. Her shaking was hard to control but she tried her best to walk confidently and upright down to her seat, but to no avail, Polly noticed straight away, the change in her demeanour was obvious instantly. They were 2 stops away when Polly said that she had to speak to Kitty in private later that evening.
At the house, once Karl and Ada had gone to bed (the latter, although unbeknownst to the rest of the household, was still awake, wondering how on earth she had become enamoured with mystery under the guise of an angel) and the boys had sat down to ponder and smoke in the living room, Polly pulled Kitty aside into the bathroom. The former put the plug in the bathtub and turned the tap on.
"Turn around." Polly ordered.
Kitty did as she said and felt her the buttons at the back of her dress being tampered with, "What are you doing Pol?"
"Taking your dress and slip off, arms up kitten."
Kitty followed her orders without another thought, "Why?" After all, Polly had cared for her since she was tiny and the girl wasn't a prude in any form of the word.
"I need to check something." She answered as she looked over the girls bare midriff and thin limbs, she was all angles and blue veins covered with a veil of damaged opaque skin. Stained with bruises and love bites, as well as cuts of varying ages. She looked so frail Polly could've cried, "Who's done this to you Kitty? Don't lie to me pet, is it that Addington still?"
"No, no, it's my own fault, I never get anything done when it should be." Kitty answered, looking down to avoid Polly's eyes.
The older woman circled her, whilst she shook her head and tutted, "And the cuts? It has to stop…Would you like to take a bath?" Polly was of the sentiment that a warm bath improved any and every situation, without fail.
"Yes please." Kitty replied timidly, suddenly overwhelmed by Polly's interrogation - although it was something she received every time she'd visited. Polly always knew what was going on. She turned away while Caroline undressed and climbed into the warm bubbly water, where she sat with her knees tucked under her chin. "I think I'm going to go to bed soon, will you ask Tommy if I'm alright to sleep in his room?"
"Of course pet." And with that she went out the room, Kitty smiled to herself as she heard Polly shouting at the boys to shut up which was subsequently followed by deeper voice and a roar of laughter. Caroline got out of the bath and wrapped a towel around herself, then she dressed. Her new nightgown reached just past her knee, the sleeve just past her elbows, the hems were edged with white lace. After admiring herself in the mirror she sat at the dressing table, waiting for Polly to come and plait her hair.
"Am I alright to come in Kitty?" Thomas's deep voice rumbled.
"Yes!" She called back, when he walked in Kitty skipped up to him and hugged him tight, Tommy lifted her up and stood her on the rose print cushioned stool she had sat on a few moments ago so that they were the same height. Kitty pressed her forehead to his and draped her arms around him like a necklace until Polly bustled in and separated them so that she could braid Caroline's hair for bed.
In Tommy's bedroom, Kitty sat cross-legged on the bed, she was reading a book out loud to John's children, who had decided they wanted a bedtime story from the newcomer. After one chapter of the Secret Garden, Esme came to collect them. All of the children - including Caroline -went and said goodnight to Polly before they went to bed.
Tommy and Kitty sat side by side on his bed, she leaned her head on his shoulder as they talked.
"Have you been eatin' Kitty?"
She looked up at him and frowned, "Yes."
"Honestly?"
"Today I ate a dum-dum pop."
"What flavour?" Tommy laughed.
"Cherry."
"Well," He lowered his voice to a whisper, "You know I love sweets, I've still got that special tin...You can 'ave some if you don't tell Pol."
Kitty nodded as Tommy inwardly patted himself on the back, the girl had always been an extremely unenthusiastic and picky eater, at some points her disdain had turned into a fear of food but in her youth the Polly's efforts had kept her healthy. Her father, on the other hand, would've gladly let her waste away to suit his companions obsessions with her ethereal appearance. Thomas offered up the tin and Kitty picked out 2 more dum-dums and some liquorice, he kept it on hand in case it would be useful later.
"Since you've asked me an annoying question, I'm going to ask you one. Do you have a girlfriend yet? Or someone you fancy?"
"You know there's no room in my 'eart for anyone but family." He laughed.
"Don't lie to me Thomas Micheal Shelby, I see plenty of pretty girls around Small Heath and it's about time you got married!"
"'Ang on, married?"
"Yes! I want to be a bridesmaid and just imagine how divine your babies would be."
"absolutely divine?" Tommy mocked, "How anyone could ever get tired of the way you speak I don't know."
"Speaking of that, I'm tired..." She yawned and hooked her index finger on her nose as if to comfort herself.
The duo hugged and Tommy ruffled her haired, "Right then, I'll sleep on the floor, you can sleep on the bed."
Tommy got up off the bed while Kitty lied down and got under the covers, she was asleep within seconds.