Chapter 26

Pushing open the door to Finn's room, Edith sticks her head around the door, smiling at the sight of her brother still dozing in bed. She tiptoes into the room, sliding under the covers and resting her head beside Finn's on his pillow. He lets out a groan as she cuddles up to him, wrapping his arm around her nonetheless. "Morning." She whispers, letting her eyes drift shut again as she lets out a yawn.

"Morning," Finn repeats, turning his head to press a kiss to her forehead. "You ok?"

"Yeah. Just wanted to lie with you for a bit. Bon's gone off to the gym already. I thought we could talk." Edith replies, smiling as Finn nods against the pillow. "I'm sorry for what I said the other day."

"No, I should be apologising, Edith. You were upset and I wasn't helping." Finn cuts her off gently, rolling on to his side to face her. "Millie told me you have some news?" Edith smiles, heart beginning to pound as she contemplates how her brother would react to the news.

"I'm having a baby." She says softly, holding her breath as she feels Finn do the same beside her, nodding his head slowly.

"I figured you were going to say that...well, that or that you and Bonnie were getting married..."

"Oh...no. Not yet." Edith replies with a shaky smile. "We haven't really...that's not our plan yet..."

"I'm happy for you, Edith." Finn states, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Really happy. You seem so much more relaxed around Bonnie. And you've wanted babies for as long as I can remember..."

"I have." Edith agrees with a laugh. "Thank you, Finn."

"You'll name the baby Finn, right? After your favourite brother?" He teases eliciting a scoff from Edith as she pushes him away playfully.

"Dream on." She laughs as they both descend into laughter.

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Edith glances up from the cup she had been staring into, lost in thought, as the doors to the betting shop creak open to reveal Finn.

"Who was on the phone?" She asks as he shuffles past her, back through the double doors and into their kitchen.

"Tommy. He needs to see you at his house." Finn mutters in reply, letting out a long yawn.

"He called at barely 8 o'clock in the morning to tell me that?" She questions, raising her eyebrows at her older brother who shrugs, dropping down into the chair opposite her.

"Apparently. Said it was urgent." He replies, reaching forwards to take her mug in his hands, taking a long sip of her tea.

"When is it not urgent with Tommy?" She retorts, earning a small smile from Finn. "Think you could drive me over to Tommy's?" Finn grumbles in reply, nodding nonetheless as Edith potters around the kitchen, clearing her breakfast plates.

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By the time Polly arrives at Arrow House nearly an hour later, having woken to Finn's rambling phone call about his siblings fighting (and maybe a threat of death from one - or both- of them), she can hear Edith and Tommy's shouting from the driveway. Patting Finn's back as she passes him in the hallway, she hovers outside Tommy's office, where the shouts were increasing in volume, listening in on their conversation.

"He knows." Finn mutters as he approaches Polly, hands shoved deep in his pockets. "I don't know how, but he knows."

"Knows what?" Polly hisses, glancing back at Finn who sighs, rolling his eyes.

"That she's pregnant." He states, motioning towards the door leading to the room where Tommy and Edith were still arguing.

"Fucking hell..." Polly mutters, raising her hand to her forehead.

Inside the room, Tommy was pacing the floor behind his desk, frantically running his hands through his hair, chain smoking cigarettes as Edith stands in front of his desk, hands clenched at her sides.

"You're 18 years old!" He shouts, turning on his heel and pointing his finger in her face.

"I'm a fucking adult, Tommy!" She replies, matching his volume and tone easily, after all, he had been the one to teach the young girl to talk and fight back for herself at a young age (something he was very much regretting at this particular moment, as the volume of her voice was doing wonders for the banging headache raging behind his eyes).

"You are a child!" He retorts, pausing to glee at Edith who rolls her eyes.

"I am not!"

"In my eyes, you are, Edith. Ok?"

"No, Tommy! Not 'ok'." She snaps in reply, letting out a laugh as she runs a hand through her hair. "God you infuriate me."

"And you, me." He replies sarcastically, dropping into the chair behind the desk.

"What do you want me to do, Tommy? Eh? What?" Tommy sighs, rubbing at his eyes as he drops his head into his hands, running them over his head in exasperation. "Why don't you do what you've been wanting to do for years?"

"Oh go on, Edith. What have I been wanting to do for years?" He shouts, lifting his head to glare at Edith who meets it with an equally hard stare.

"Kick me out." She states, throwing her arms in the air. "Go on Tommy! Do it. Fucking kick me out. Grow a fucking pair of balls-"

"Enough!" Polly shouts, pushing into the office. "That's enough. Edith. Sit down. Come on, sit. You shouldn't be getting riled up like this."

"He's a fucking-"

"Alright, enough. We get it. Ok? You can fucking hear you two back in Small Heath." Polly cuts in, laying a gentle hand on Edith's shoulder as she runs a hand over her face.

"I thought you'd changed." Edith mutters, not looking up at Tommy as he raises his eyebrows. "After Grace. I thought you'd changed."

"Edith..." Polly starts, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

"No Pol. Let her speak." Tommy cuts in this time, breathing heavily as Edith raises her head to meet his eye.

"I thought you'd changed." Edith repeats, calm seeming to have overcome her as she looks over at her brother. "But you've not. You're still the selfish, self centred, arrogant-"

"Edith." Polly snaps, seeing the anger rising in Edith's eyes as Tommy looks away, over her shoulder.

"Stubborn, son of a bitch-"

"Edith." Her aunt tries again, pushing her hand harder onto Edith's shoulder as she begins to rise from her chair.

"And do you know what, Tommy? I'm sick of it! I'm sick of you treating me like a fucking child, whilst telling me to grow up. How does that make sense, Thomas? Eh? How?"

"I gave you freedom...like you asked...like Michael said you needed-" Tommy retorts, rising from his chair to match her defensive stance.

"Don't blame this on Michael!" Edith shouts, spitting the words out across the room at Tommy.

"I gave you freedom, and look what fucking happened. Eh? Look at you!" He exclaims, throwing his hand out in front of him, motioning to Edith.

"Look at me? Look at you! Fucking look at yourself, Tom. Take a long hard look in the fucking mirror, and tell me you're happy with what you see." She shouts, letting out a bitter laugh as she turns away from her brother.

"Stop it, Edith." Polly hisses, reaching out to grab Edith's hand, which is quickly shaken free of her aunts.

"I'm sick, and tired of your bullshit!" Edith exclaims, turning to face Tommy one last time, glancing over at her aunt before turning towards the door again. "Don't follow me." She mutters as she storms out of the room. Finn glances up from the spot he had picked on the floor as Edith passes him, catching Polly's eye who gives him a small nod as he rises from the chair, jogging out of the house to follow Edith.