Chapter 24

"You're drawing." Finn comments as he walks up behind Edith, hands shoved deep in his pockets, as he heads towards his sister who was sat at the top of a hill overlooking Small Heath. "I've not seen you do that in a while."

Edith turns, giving him a smile as he approaches her, settling himself onto the grass beside her. "I needed an escape."

"Your three months away didn't do the trick?" Finn teases earning a small smile from his sister. He takes the pad of paper from her hands, holding it up at eye level to observe the picture she had drawn, the image matching perfectly with the view of Small Heath in front of them. Finn nods approvingly as he hands the paper back, laying back on the grass, hands clasped behind his head.

"It did." She replies, bringing her pencil back to the paper. "Then I saw Tommy. And all the calm disappeared again."

"Ah." Finn says slowly, nodding his head. "I see." She glances over at him, watching him as he shuts his eyes, sitting together in silence for a few minutes.

"I want my big brother back." Edith says quietly, biting her lip as tears pool in her eyes, her vision blurring as she continues to sketch her view of Small Heath. The facade that she had held since leaving Tommy's office that morning was now starting to crumble with her closest brother at her side, Edith finally felt she could let the hurt show.

"I know." Finn says softly, rolling on to his side, propping his head on his hand to look up at her. "I know you do."

"Do you not want that too?" She asks, shifting her body to face her brother, placing her sketch pad onto the grass beside her.

"It's different for me." Finn mutters, reaching out to squeeze her hand.

"How is it different?" Edith questions, furrowing her brow.

"Because I get it, Edith. I want to be a part of it all. You've always been against it-"

"Because they do bad things, Finn!" She exclaims, cutting Finn off as he sighs, shaking his head.

"Oh, Edith..." he mutters, running a hand through his hair.

"What?" She shouts, throwing her hands in the air. "What, Finn?"

"Give him a break, eh?"

"You're joking."

"I'm not. You don't know what's been going on since you've been gone-"

"Everyone's left, Finn! They're sick of Tommy's shit! I'm sick of Tommy's shit!"

"Then fuck off, Edith!" Finn shouts, bolting upright as Edith gawps at him, stunned into silence by his outburst. "Fuck, off. Go back to your fucking little caravan with Bonnie. Start the life you want. But don't sit here complaining, not doing anything about it."

"Fuck you." She spits, tears burning at the back of her eyes as she gathers her things into her arms, storming off back down the hill.

"Fuck." Finn mutters to himself, rubbing at his face as he thinks about his outburst to Edith, instantly regretting his choice of words.

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Without a backwards glance at Finn, Edith heads off down the hill, back into the muggy lanes of Small Heath, fighting back her tears as she lets her feet carry her back towards the Shelby offices. She finds herself making her way into Michael's office, collapsing into one of the chairs placed around his desk, head in her hands as she catches her breath from her fast walk through the town. Edith places her book and pencil case down on the table, walking around the small office, taking in the few possessions Michael kept in there. When she reaches his coat hanging by the door, she sticks her hands into the pockets, searching for a tin of cigarettes. With a small smile, she pulls a tin loose from one pocket, placing the cigarette between her lips, inhaling deeply as she lights the stick. She carefully places the box and lighter back into the pocket, frowning as she hears the tell tale sound of the metal tin hitting something glass in the bottom of the pocket. Dropping her hand back into the coat, Edith pulls out two blue vials, instantly identifying the contents of the bottles which she stores in her own pocket, ready to confront Michael when he returned.

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"What's this?" Edith asks, holding up the blue vials she had pulled from Michael's coat, making him jump as he enters the office, unaware his cousin had been sat there.

"Fucking hell, Edith. You scared me." He grunts, kicking the door shut behind him.

"What, is this?" She repeats, waving the vials in the air, holding them between her fingers.

"You know what it is." He states, throwing a bundle of papers on to the cabinet by the door.

"I want to hear you say it."

"It's snow."

"Huh. Really?" She asks sarcastically, tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah. Really. Now give 'em here."

"And what are you doing with snow? Eh?"

"What's it to you?" He asks snarkily, snatching the vials off his cousin, shoving them into his trouser pocket. "And what were you doing going through my things?"

"I was looking for a cigarette." She replies, waving the burning stick in the air.

"Well they're clearly not cigarettes." He snaps in reply, rounding the desk and dropping into his chair. "And you shouldn't be smoking anyway. What would Tommy say?"

"Fuck Tommy and what he says." Edith states in reply, lifting the cigarette to her lips again, taking a final drag. "Fucking prick."

"Excuse me?" Michael grounds out, eyebrows raised.

"He's a fucking prick." Edith repeats, leaning over the desk to pull another cigarette out of the tin Michael was opening.

"You shouldn't talk about your brother that way." He grunts, placing his own cigarette between his lips, reaching out to light Edith's for her.

"Ok. Then you're a fucking prick." She replies, dropping back into the chair, arms crossed over her chest as Michael sighs.

"Watch your language."

"You're not my father."

"No, but I am your cousin. Your older cousin. And you'd be wise to watch what you say around here." Michael states, motioning to the slightly ajar door behind them.

"Oh really? What's Tommy gonna do? Eh? Send me away? I'd fucking happily go." Edith replies, shrugging her shoulders.

"Edith, that's enough."

"Oh, drop the tough guy act, Michael. We both know that's not who you are." She states with a roll of her eyes.

"For fuck sake Edith."

"Bloody hell."

"All I'm saying-"

"Yeah! All you're saying is that I should let Tommy control my life!" Edith cuts him off, rising from her chair.

"That is not what I said." Michael says slowly, raising his hands.

"No but you're thinking it."

"Grow up, Edith." He sighs, shaking his head.

"You know, I came here because I thought you were the one person in this family I could turn to. How fucking wrong was I?" She questions, letting out a scoff. Michael freezes, his hand hovering above the documents he was reaching for.

"Edith-"

"No." Edith snaps, turning back to face Michael, letting the tears flow freely down her face. "No. I get it. It's fine. Things have clearly changed since I've been gone."

"Edith, come on. I'm sorry, let me help." Michael tries again, softer this time as he rises from his chair.

"I don't need your help." She states bitterly, swiping at the tears streaming down her cheeks. She turns on her heel, ignoring Michael's shouts after her as she storms back through the building and out on to the streets of Small Heath.

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Nearly an hour later, Edith finally reaches her next stop, leaning heavily against the door way to the house, she pulls out the cigarettes she had picked up on the way. Leaning against the house, she smokes through a cigarette before turning and knocking on the door.

"Aunt Pol? I want you to read my tea leaves."

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AN: I'm very conscious that I don't want Edith to become too 'whiney', but I'm keen to show the change in her character and the family dynamics so this is the route I'm taking her for now, but I think there will be another slight shift as the story goes on, and in how her relationships with different family members is also shifting and changing. Hope you're all enjoying!