Chapter 19

"Judging by all the bags, I'm guessing you're running away? Again?" Her aunt asks, as she potters around the kitchen, back to Edith who drops her head into her hands, groaning in response. This was not an uncommon occurrence for the family, the boys all having run away to Aunt Pol at some point in their childhood; yet Edith's stays had always been more frequent, and eventful, usually starting with a teary eyed Edith on Polly's doorstep, and ending with drama when her brothers would come home from work to find their youngest sister missing, promptly turning up at Polly's to drag her back home. The Shelby siblings always headed for their Aunt's, knowing she wouldn't push or question them, giving them food, a warm place to stay, and endless cuddles in Edith's case.

"Can I just stay here Aunt Pol, just for a few days? Until I decide what I want to do, what I need to do." Edith all but begs as Polly settles into the chair across from her, nodding.

"And young Bonnie?" Polly asks, pushing a tea cup across the table to Edith. "Where is he? Where does he fit into all this?"

"He's at the gym. Training." Edith replies, cupping the tea cup to warm her hands. "He can stay with his dad, while I'm figuring everything out."

"Does he know you're here?" Polly's questions, Edith nodding in response. "Then he can stay too. If that's what you want."

"Thank you Pol." Edith breathes out, resting her head on her arms on the table.

"And what about your brothers? Do they know you're here?" Edith shakes her head this time, Polly frowning at this. "Not even Finn?" Edith shakes her head again, Polly letting out a sigh. "It won't take them long to figure it out Edith Mary. You know that. What are you going to do when they come knocking, eh? I'm not dealing with them."

"You don't have to Pol. I'll deal with them if they come around. I don't think they will though." Edith replies with a frown.

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Later that evening, Edith wakes for her nap on the sofa to shouting coming from the hallway, immediately recognising her older brother's voice.

"Bonnie. Move out of the way. I know Edith is here. She needs to come home. Now." John growls, hands on Bonnie's chest, clutching at his shirt. Bonnie places one hand on John's chest, giving him one shove to push him backwards.

"John. Edith's asleep. She's safe, she doesn't need to go anywhere. You need to leave. Just give her some time." Bonnie counters, remaining calm despite the red faced, angry Shelby in front of him.

"You don't get to tell me what to do, gypsy boy." John snaps, pointing his finger in Bonnie's chest, the younger boy simply raising his eyebrows in response.

"John..." Bonnie starts again, only to be cut off by Edith who steps into the hallway behind him.

"Just fuck off John." She says in a bored tone, crossing her arms as she leans against the doorframe of the living room. "Fuck. Off. Go back to your wife and children. Just leave me the fuck alone."

"Edith, come on. We're going." John states, attempting to push past Bonnie who lays a hand on John's chest once again, pushing back to stop him moving past. John looks down at Bonnie's hand in disbelief, shaking his head, letting out a sigh before speaking again. "Tommy wants you at home. Where we're all together. And you're safe."

"I'm safe here." Edith stubbornly replies, still not moving from her spot further down the hallway.

"Arthur's been hurt." John tries again, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Edith. Please."

"How?" Edith asks, heart pounding at the thought of one of her brother's being injured. At John's lack of response, Edith raises her eyebrows and tries again. "How did Arthur get hurt John? Was it the Crimleys?" John let's out a growl of frustration before replying. "John?"

"No." He grounds out.

"Then how?" Edith questions.

"In a fight." John replies, Edith nodding slowly in reply, raising her eyebrows once more, this time at Bonnie who gives her a sympathetic look.

"So he let his temper take over? And got hurt in the process? Well boo fucking hoo. He's a big boy. I'm sure he'll be fine." She replies, turning to head back down into the living room. "If Tommy wants to see me, he can come and get me himself, John. He'll stop getting you to do all his dirty work for him."

"Huh. Like you can fucking talk, Edith." John calls back, Edith flipping him off as she pushes open the living room door, disappearing again, leaving Bonnie to see John out of the front door.

"Was that your brother I heard?" Polly asks, making Edith jump, not expecting to find her aunt sat in the armchair in the corner of the living room.

"Fuck, Pol, you scared the shit out of me." Edith breathes out, hand on her chest as she drops on to the sofa.

"You said you're brothers weren't coming around." Polly comments, Edith dropping her head on to the back of the sofa, closing her eyes.

"Tommy wants me home." She replies. "He sent John to do his dirty work. As always. But if he'd really wanted me home, he would have come himself. He knows I don't listen to John, that sending him here would not bring me home."

"I see."

"I'm not going home Pol. Not this time." Edith states with a shake of her head.

"Ok. If you say so." Polly replies, pushing herself up from the sofa. "I'll leave you two alone." Edith turns her head, giving Bonnie a smile as Polly heads out of the room, Bonnie dropping down beside Edith on the sofa. The pair sit in silence for a few minutes, both of them resting their head on the back of the sofa, staring up at the ceiling until Edith breaks the silence.

"I should go home. Shouldn't I?" She asks quietly, turning her head to look at Bonnie, head still resting on the sofa.

"I'm not going to tell you what you need to do, love." He replies, taking her hand in his to intertwine their fingers.

"But Arthur's been hurt. I'm a bad sister if I don't go and make sure he's ok, aren't I?" Bonnie frowns, shaking his head.

"Edith. Arthur is an adult. He makes his own decisions. He's got your brothers and Ada with him, I'm sure. You decide what it is you want to do." He says, giving her hand a squeeze. "Whether you decide to go home, or stay here, I'll support you. You know that, right?"

"I know." Edith replies tearfully, closing her eyes once again. "I'm staying here. I need some time away." She sits in silence again for a few minutes, Bonnie watching her as she nervously twirls the rings around her fingers, biting her lip.

"What are you thinking about?" He asks softly, gently brushing some hair off her forehead.

"What to do." She quietly replies, sighing at his gentle touch. "I think I want to go away. Like, away, away. Away from Birmingham."

"Where do you want to go?" Bonnie asks, still threading his fingers gently through her hair.

"Anywhere but here." Edith states, voice remaining quiet. "I need to get away." Bonnie simply nods, reading Edith's expression, knowing her well enough to know she hadn't finished yet, deciding to wait to hear what else she wanted to say. "I have money from Uncle Charlie. Remember he was away for a week, and I looked after the horses? He gave me some for doing that. And I've got money Tommy gives me every month. I've been saving that up."

"And I've got some from the company, for Blinder business." Bonnie adds. "We can use that too."

"Are you sure?" Edith asks, Bonnie immediately nodding in reply. "So we've got enough to get us through for a while."

"We do. Let's get away then. Travel south, see where we end up." He suggests, pressing a kiss to her temple. "How does that sound?"

"What about your boxing?" She asks, turning her head to look at Bonnie who shrugs.

"I have my license now. It will still be valid when we decide to come back, if we decide to come back." He adds hastily, Edith nodding along. "I'll find gypsies to fight wherever we stop. We can meet up with my sisters. They'll know of men looking for fights."

"Does that not scare you? Fighting random men?" She asks with a frown.

"It's what I did before I came to Small Heath, Edie." Bonnie explains gently.

"Still. It makes me nervous." She states, brushing the backs of her fingers across his cheek before intertwining their hands again. "But. I know that it's what you do. That you're good at it. So. I'll stand by you. Of course I will. Just like you are with me." Bonnie gives her a grateful smile, pulling her hand up to his lips to press a kiss there. "When can we leave?"

"Give me a couple of days, get things sorted with dad, try and get word to my sisters that we'll be travelling again, get a caravan sorted for us with everything we'll need." Bonnie replies. "Does that sound ok?"

"Yeah. That sounds great. Thank you, Bon." Bonnie presses a kiss to her head in reply, pulling her into his arms to lay them both back against the sofa cushions. "Pol said you can stay here with me, if you want to." She says quietly, resting her head on Bonnie's chest, feeling the vibrations in his chest as he hums in response.

"'Course I'll stay with you, love." He replies in the same tone. "Can I suggest something, Edie?" Edith nods, motioning for Bonnie to continue. "Tell your brothers. At least one of them. Or Michael. I'll need to tell Mr Maine that I'll be gone for a while, that'll get back to Tommy pretty quickly. He'll know you've gone with me; I think it would be better coming from you than anyone else. Don't you think?" Edith reluctantly nods, biting her lip.

"I'll phone Finn before we leave. You tell me when we're ready to go and you let Mr Maine know, and I'll get ahold of Finn." She decides after a minute of silence, the young couple falling back into a comfortable silence as they rest by the fire.