Chapter 4

AN: The next few chapters are going to be leading straight on from each other - I had to break them all up as it was getting quite long!

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Edith sighs, pushing herself up from the sofa she had been curled up in, at the pounding on the front door. She tries to lower the toddler in her arms down on to the sofa, receiving a squeak of protest from her youngest nephew. "Alright, alright." She soothes him, rubbing a hand up and down his back as she walks to the door.

"Mr Gold." She greets the gentlemen stood on her doorstep. "What can I do for you today?"

"We're here to see Tommy." He states, as if it were obvious. Edith leans her hip against the door frame, glancing over to Bonnie who was stood beside his father, a confused look etched on his face.

"You know he has his own office, right?" She questions "He doesn't live here."

"We were told to meet your brother here, so here we are." Aberama explains, motioning inside the house as he asks "So, may we come in?" Edith sighs again, stepping back from the doorway and allowing the two men to enter as the back door swings open revealing Tommy. Edith hurries over to him, giving a small smile as he runs his hand across the back of his nephews head.

"Really Tom?" She whispers as he pulls off his coat. "You couldn't have met them at your office? I'm not your secretary ya know. I don't greet your business associates for you."

"I know Edith," he responds, hand on her arm. "I was hoping to be back before they got here so I could tell you myself. It's just for today, this was the best place to meet." Edith narrows her eyes at her brother who squeezes her shoulder and begins to head towards Aberama and Bonnie. "How about you take the baby upstairs, eh?" Edith nods, shifting the baby on her hip and walking out past the men to the stairs.

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Edith stirs from her daydream at the sound of the door slamming downstairs. She glances down at the sleeping toddler in her arms, still holding him gently in the rocking chair of the spare room. She hears footsteps coming up the stairs, deciding to stay were she is, figuring her brother was heading her way. When Bonnie's figure fills the doorway she looks up in surprise.

"What are still doing here?" She asks. He motions inside the room, silently asking her he could enter; she nods and he pads softly in.

"Tommy and my dad have gone out." He explains, pulling up the chair from the desk so that he is sat opposite Edith. "They've asked me to stay here with you."

"Why?" She questions with a frown, sitting up straight and holding the baby closer to her.

"They've just told us to wait here until they get back." He replies vaguely with a shrug. Edith's frown deepens as Bonnie glances around the room.

"But why?" She repeats "Is it business? Something's going on?"

"I can't say." Bonnie says gently. Edith shakes her head with a sigh, eyeing the boy as she resumes her rocking in the chair. "Who's baby is that?"

"John's." She states, watching as his eyes rise to meet hers. "Did you really think he was mine?" She asks with a laugh. Bonnie shakes his head and leans back in his chair.

"I didn't know what to think." He explains "I hardly know you Edith."

"Yet you kissed me the other day..." she quips, nudging her foot against his shin.

He lets out a small chuckle, relaxing into his chair as he smiles at her in response. "Yes, I did."

"And you'd like to do it again?" She asks cheekily, biting her bottom lip trying to contain her grin.

"Edith!" Bonnie exclaims, letting out a surprised laugh. "There's a baby in the room!"

"Eh, he's asleep." Edith replies with a shrug, running her hand down her nephew's back. "He doesn't care."

"Still." He protests, deciding to change the subject for now. "What's his name?"

"Theodore. We call him Teddy."

"Cute nickname. How many children does your brother have?"

"Six. Esme, John's wife, she's desperate another girl." Edith explains with a laugh, pressing a kiss to the top of Teddy's head.

"Esme Lee?" Bonnie asks, smiling at Edith's actions

"Well, Shelby now, but yes, how did you know?" Bonnie lifts one shoulder, quirking his head to the side with another smile. "Of course." Edith says, not needing to hear his response. "I guess your family knows every other gypsy family around here, huh?"

"You're a gypsy too." He points out, sitting forwards in his chair, elbows resting on his knees. "Your mother was, right? And your father too."

"What, how did you..."

"My father felt it, remember?" Bonnie cuts her off gently.

"Right." Edith murmurs, thinking back to the first day she had met Aberama Gold.

"Can't hide it princess." Edith rolls her eyes, smiling nonetheless at the nickname Bonnie had given her. Teddy stirs in her arms letting out a soft whine, bringing the teens' attention back to the present.

"Shhh," Edith whispers, leaning her head down next to the toddler's, rising from her seat to place him on the bed in the corner of the room.

"How many other nephews and nieces do you have?" Bonnie asks, following Edith with his eyes.

"Nine. Ada, Tommy and Arthur all have one son each, John has five boys and one girl." she replies quietly, tucking the child into bed. "and one more on the way Polly bets."

"Esme's pregnant?"

"Polly thinks so. John hasn't said anything." Edith presses a final kiss to Teddy's cheek, before motioning for Bonnie to follow her out of the room.

"I haven't met your Aunt Polly yet." He comments as the pair head towards the stairs. "I think she's the only one I've not seen."

"No. She's not herself at the moment." Edith replies, her tone of voice indicating she didn't want to continue talking about the matter. Bonnie accepts this, following Edith into the kitchen where he watches her fill the kettle and place it on the stove.

"What?" She asks, turning to see him stood leaning against a chair intently watching her every move. "What?" She repeats with a nervous chuckle, pulling at a strand of hair as he shakes his head with a grin.

"Hmm," he hums, pushing away from the table and towards the counter she was leaning against. "How about that kiss you promised?" Edith ducks her head down with a smile, their faces inches apart when she looks back up, snaking her arms around his neck.

"Promised, huh?" She teases as Bonnie's arms wind loosely around her waist, gently tugging her closer to him so there was no room left between them. He smiles, leaning his head down to allow their lips to meet, slowly at first, deepening as Edith tightens her grip on him, running a hand from the back of his neck up into his hair. She sighs into the kiss, tugging gently on Bonnie's hair as his hands roam from her waist to her hips. He pulls back for air, both of them breathless as he trails feather light kisses down her neck to her shoulder where he stops with one final kiss as the kettle boils over with a whistle. Edith presses her final kiss above his ear, gently unwrapping his arms to tend to the stove. "Come on, I'll bring this into the living room." She says softly, rubbing a hand down his arm as he nods, catching her hand in his and pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist before turning to head down the hallway.

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"Stop!" Edith giggles as Bonnie digs his fingers into her sides while peppering her neck with light kisses. "Bonnie!" She squeals, squirming in his arms until he finally relents, head falling into the curve of her neck as he laughs.

"Shhh!" He chides, still laughing himself. "You'll wake the baby." Edith sighs, laughter still rising in her chest, letting out a few giggles as she settles herself back into the comfortable position they had found. They were sat in front of the fire in the living room, Bonnie leaning against the arm of the sofa with Edith sat, back to his chest between his legs, stealing gentle kisses from each other as they talked. Edith lets out a breathy sigh, dropping her head backwards to land on Bonnie's shoulder, looking up at him through hooded eyes.

"What time is it?" She yawns, Bonnie turns his head to look at the clock behind them.

"Nearly 7 o'clock." He responds, intertwining their hands.

"It's getting late," she muses, closing her eyes and squeezing his hands in hers. "Why's Tommy not back yet?" At Bonnie's lack of response she opens her eyes again, looking up at him once more. "Bonnie." She says slowly, turning to fully look him in the eye. "Where's Tommy? What's going on?"

"It's just business," he tries to reassure her, holding her face gently in his hands. "Dad and Tommy said they had something to deal with. Something with your brothers. They didn't tell me what, thought that the less I knew the better it would be, what with me staying here with you and Teddy." Edith shakes her head, letting it fall against Bonnie's hands, him holding her head up.

"What about Michael?"

"I don't know." Bonnie replies honestly, shaking his head. "I guess he's with them, they didn't say."

"And why didn't they take you with them?"

"To stay here with you. They wanted you safe. I was the first option. I was here anyway, it just made sense. Hey. Hey, look at me Edith, look at me." He gently tugs Edith's head up to meet his eyes. "It's all gonna be fine love, ok?" She lets out a shaky breath, nodding her head slowly. "Come here. Let's take your mind off things, eh?" Bonnie doesn't wait for a response as he closes the gap between them once more.

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The front door slamming abruptly wakes Edith from her slumber against Bonnie, who had moved them to the sofa at some point during the evening.

"Shit!" She exclaims, quickly pushing herself off Bonnie, pulling at his arm to make him sit up as he watches her, bemused as she quickly moves to the armchair on the other side of the room, throwing herself into it.

"Edie?" Michael calls as he walks through the house to the living room.

"Hi," she calls softly, smiling at him as he sticks his head round the door. He lets out a silent breath, unbeknownst to Edith as he sees her, safe, in the armchair. The men they had been dealing with all evening had put Michael on edge, more so than he'd like to admit.

"You ok?" He asks, earning a confused look and a nod from his youngest cousin.

"Fine. Why?"

"Just wanted to make sure." He says before being nudged out of the way by John.

"Teddy upstairs?" Her brother asks abruptly, clearly still bitter from their argument at the previous family meeting; Edith rolls her eyes at the contrast in questions from her cousin and brother.

"Yeah." She replies, standing up to follow him upstairs. "He's been an angel." She says softly as John pushes the door to the spare bedroom open. "The other kids ok?"

"Yeah, they're with Esme and her family. Why?" He responds quickly, glancing back at his sister before bending to take his son in his arms.

"I was just wondering. It's not often you ask me to watch just Teddy and not the others too." she replies, smiling as she presses a kiss to Teddy's head, him stirring and reaching a hand out to his aunt. "Hi," she coos. "I love you."

"We're heading there now." John explains, rolling his eyes at Edith confused look. "To the Lee's camp. To meet Esme. She got the kids straight from school earlier, I wanted her to have some time to rest before she did, which is why I asked you to watch Teddy. I just didn't think I'd be this late to pick him up."

"It's fine." Edith says quietly, crossing her arms over her chest as they head back out of the room, eyeing the loose blades on John's cap. "What happened tonight?"

"Business."

"I don't need you to give me all the details John, but something would be good. I've been sat here all night worrying about you all."

"We're all fine." John assures her, nodding to Aberama and Bonnie as they reach the bottom of the stairs. "Just had to deal with some bad people, 'k?" Edith nods, pursing her lips in a frown as John heads to the door. She steps forward quickly, pressing a kiss to his cheek, one hand resting on Teddy's back. "I'll see ya later Edie, yeah? Finn's out back, he'll be in in a minute."

"Yeah. Night." She calls, leaning back against the banister.

"We'll be off too." Aberama says, swiftly following John out the door. "Goodnight Miss Shelby."

"Goodnight Mr Gold," she replies politely, glancing down as Bonnie's hand brushes hers as he walks past, fingers meeting very briefly.

"What the hell was that Edith?" Michael's exasperated voice carries through the hallway, making Edith jump as the door shuts behind the three men.

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AN: I'm not really sure how I want Michael to react yet, or what Edith's going to say...any ideas are welcome!