Chapter 5
AN: I've switched the order of the episodes around a little bit for these chapters, hopefully it's not too confusing!
————————
Rosie pads quickly down the stairs, passing Polly in the kitchen as she heads to the door. "I'm off out Pol," she calls. "Tell John I'll be back in time to help him and Scudboat close up later." At Polly's nod in reply Rosie heads out the door and down towards to docks.
"This is ridiculous Ro." Ada moans as Rosie ducks under the bridge where Ada is sat smoking a cigarette.
"I know." Rosie replies softly, holding out her hand to pull Ada up and into a hug. "I don't see why I can't just come and see you in your..."
"It's not safe." Ada interrupts, leaning her back against the brick wall of the bridge. Rosie frowns in response, copying Ada's motions.
"Thought it was called a safe house for a reason." She teases, laughing as Ada groans and bumps her hip against Rosie's.
"Not funny Rose."
"Sorry." She chokes out between giggles. "I miss you Ada."
"Hmm, miss you too." Ada hums, linking their arms. "How is everyone?"
"Fine," Rosie lights up a cigarette, taking a draw before passing it off to Ada.
"Heard Arthur had to carry you home from the Garrison the other night."
"What?!" Rosie exclaims, choking on the cigarette smoke. Ada smirks as Rosie coughs, trying to catch her breath. "Who told you that?"
"I have my sources." Ada winks earning an eye roll from Rosie. "What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Uh huh."
"Yeah right. I'm guessing it had something to do with that idiot brother of mine?" Ada muses, turning to face Rosie, propping herself up with her shoulder against the wall.
"Which one?" Rosie teases
"Oh give over Rose. You know which one. You're not very good at hiding your emotions you know."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Rosie squeaks our indignantly
"It means," Ada drags out, taking the cigarette back from Rosie, pointing it at her as she speaks "that I know you're in love with Thomas."
"Ada.."
"Don't try and bullshit me Rose. I know it's true. You talked about them finding out my secret, well now it's your turn. They're not fools Rosie, they know as well as I do your feelings for Tommy." Ada replies
"He kissed me." Rosie blurts out, groaning and shutting her eyes as she dramatically slides down the wall to sit.
"Finally!" Ada exclaims with a laugh, taking Rosie's hand to help her down on to the floor beside her. "I may be angry at him right now but I can't deny how much you both care for each other."
"Not really." Comes Rosie's quiet response, head coming to rest on Ada's shoulder. Ada gives her an inquisitive look, poking her in the side to make her continue. "We had a big argument. About you and Freddie and the baby. And I lost my shit at him a little. Maybe a lot." Ada snorts earning a glare from Rosie, holding her hands up in mock surrender. "Then he kissed me. Then he stormed off. Then he ignored me for a week. Then I couldn't take it anymore, so lost my shit again. Just a little. Stop smirking at me! Then I got drunk with Arthur and he brought me home. Now here we are."
"Bloody hell Rosie! I've barely been gone a few weeks!" Ada laughs. "Clearly I can't leave you alone without you losing your head." Rosie groans again dropping her head into her hands.
"That's why you need to come back! Or at least let me move in with you! I could help with the baby!" She protests
"Ok firstly, I'm not coming back." Ada says, counting each point off on a finger. "Secondly, would you really want to move into a tiny, mouldy, stinky basement room with me and Freddie fucking at all hours of the day?"
"Ada!" Rosie shouts, sticking her tongue out and fake gagging.
"Oh stop! It's exactly what you want to be doing with my brother!"
"Ew Ada!" Rosie laughs, pushing her friend's shoulder as they both start to laugh. "Shut up. You're disgusting."
"Yup. A few weeks in that basement will do that to a girl." Rosie shakes her head, shuddering.
"I hate that you're stuck there Ada." Ada shrugs, now resting her head on Rosie's shoulder.
"It'll do for now."
"This will all blow over before the baby's here Ada, it will." Rosie sighs, laying her head on top of Ada's.
"You can't know that Ro."
"I know." She responds, slapping her hands on her thighs.
"I think you should talk to Tommy." Ada says after a while of sitting, the two girls passing the end of the cigarette between themselves.
"I will." Rosie says softly. "I shouldn't have lost my shit. I feel bad for that. I just saw red, ya know? I was so angry for you, at him, I just..."
"I know Rosie." Ada whispers "you don't need to explain yourself to me." Rosie nods slowly, biting her bottom lip.
"Right," she eventually says "I need to get back and help John. And talk to Tommy. Better let you get back to lover boy anyway, can't leave him alone without a fuck for too long." She teases, helping Ada up.
"Piss off." Ada giggles, pushing Rosie away from her as move out from under the bridge.
————————
"I've asked Lizzie Stark to marry me." John states, his family failing to hold back their snorts of laughter, all but Rosie who looks at the young Shelby sympathetically
"What?" Rosie asks gently. "John." She reaches out to take his hand in hers.
"Rosie. I'm going to do it." John says, pulling his hand away from hers, Rosie shaking her head slowly.
"John, Lizzie stark is a strong woman, and I'm sure she provides a fine service for her customers." Polly states, only to be cut off by John.
"I won't hear that word!" He exclaims. "Understand? Do not use that word."
"What word is that John?" Tommy taunts his brother
"You know what word that is."
"Everybody bloody knows." Arthur pipes up, making the Polly laugh
"Everybody can go to hell." John states
"Whore. That word? Or prostitute? How about that one?" Tommy continues, intentionally pushing John to the edge of his temper.
"Right, I want it known, that if anyone calls her that again I'll push the barrel of my revolver down their throats!" John shouts, looking around the room at the family gathered there.
"Alright! Alright!" Rosie jumps in, rising from her chair, stopping the taunts. "Let John day his piece. That's what you always say, isn't it Pol? Everyone gets their say."
"You can't think this is a good idea Rosie?" Arthur asks incredulously.
"Well...not completely...John, just listen!" She replies, watching John slam his hand down on the table.
"None of you are listening!" He exclaims in response, the rest of the family still trying, and failing to hold back laughs.
"You'd be better marrying Rosie!" Polly jokes, laughing at her nephew's announcement.
"Uh..." Rosie laughs uncomfortably. "sorry John. I love you, really I do, but I'm not gonna marry you."
"No offence Rosie, but I don't wanna marry you either." John responds, Arthur and Polly snort. Tommy meets Rosie's eyes over the top of his brother's head, she quirks her lips into a frown, ducking her head down again.
"Nah, I think Rosie's got her eye on someone else." Arthur teases, Rosie and Tommy both rolling their eyes at this comment.
"I think this meeting's over." Tommy states, taking his hat from the side and heading out of the snug, leaving Polly and Arthur laughing and Rosie, still sat looking at John sympathetically.
————————
"What do you think about John and Lizzie?" Rosie asks, joining Tommy in the living room later that evening.
"He's not going to marry her." Tommy responds, swirling the whiskey in his glass. He indicates to the glass in his hand, silencing asking Rosie if she wanted one. At her nod he stands, pouring her a glass, passing it to her before sitting on the other end of the sofa she had curled up on.
"Hmm, I don't think so either." She says around the glass, raising her eyes to meet his.
"He won't." Tommy says again, Rosie nodding slowly, eyebrows raised.
"Look, Tommy..." she stops abruptly at his hand raising, motioning for her to stop.
"It's late Rosie," he grounds out, downing his drink and standing from the chair. "I've got to be up early tomorrow. Can we talk later?"
"Oh. Um. Sure." He nods once, heading out of the door before she could say anything else. "I tried Ada." She mumbles under her breath, looking up at the ceiling with a sigh. "Fuck you Tommy Shelby."
