Chapter 4
AN: I forgot to say that this story is set in season two, and in response to a review, Elijah is an OC character like Bessy and is the son of Jeremiah (older than Isiah).
"Here," Bessy says softly, taking a shirt from the wardrobe, climbing on to the bed beside Elijah, holding out the shirt for him to slip his good arm into. The young couple had spent most of the past week cooped up in the Shelby house, Bessy nursing Elijah as he recovered from his shoulder injury, doing work for her brothers from her bedroom as Elijah slept. He lets out a hiss of pain as Bessy moves along the bed behind him, helping him to slowly move his other arm into the sleeve. "Sorry." She whispers, pressing her lips to his shoulder, resting them there until his body relaxes under his touch again, Bessy continuing to run her hands gently down his sides. "Are you ok?" Elijah nods, letting out a sigh as she wraps her arms around his chest, resting her head on his back, on the good side of his body. "Let me help you." She crawls back around to his side, slipping off the bed and on to the floor in front of him, carefully buttoning up the buttons of the shirt.
"Thank you." Elijah states quietly, cupping Bessy's cheek with his hand, pressing light kisses to her forehead as she works. Bessy smiles up at him, closing her eyes as he brushes his thumb across her cheek.
"Do you need anything?" She asks quietly, opening her eyes to look up at him again as he shakes his head.
"Just you." He replies with a wink, Bessy rolling her eyes at this.
"We've only just got up!" She laughs, rising up on to her knees, tucking herself between his legs to be closer to him.
"But I bet you didn't sleep much, did you?" Elijah asks, joking aside as his eyes lock on Bessy's, her own eyes betraying her tough exterior. "Come and lay down, love." He carefully shifts backwards on the bed, Bessy rising to her feet to join him under the covers.
"The boys need me back in the shop." She says, attempting to stifle a yawn as she snuggles up to Elijah.
"They've managed all week without you in there, and they can wait a couple more hours, while you rest." He protests, wrapping his good arm around Bessy to keep her close.
"Hmm, true." She hums, letting her fingers dance over his chest. "I'll miss you when I have to go back down there."
"You see me everyday." Elijah laughs, twirling the ends of Bessy's hair around his fingers.
"It won't be the same though." Bessy replies with a yawn, throwing her leg over Elijah's to pull herself closer to him in the single bed they had been sharing.
"How about, I bring you a cup of tea, or a biscuit, or even some more paperwork to do, give you an excuse to see me?" He teases, Bessy laughing in response as she nods.
"I'm going to hold you to that Mr Jesus." She laughs, pointing her finger at him as he presses a kiss to her forehead.
"Go to sleep, Bess." He says gently, running his hand down her arm as she yawns again. "I'll still be here when you wake up."
————————
A few hours later, Bessy weaves her way through the betting shop, making her way to Tommy's office at the end. She knocks before entering, her older brother giving her a gentle smile as she pushes the door open. "Alright, Tom?" She says softly, settling into the chair in front of his desk, dragging it closer to rest her elbow on the desk, head in the palm of her hand. "These are all finished," she continues, placing the pile of paperwork onto the desk, thumbing through them to run Tommy through the contents of them all. "And then I got a message from Uncle Charlie earlier, Curly wants you to come and have a look at one of the horses. Did you want me to come too?"
"No, that'll be ok Bess, I need you here. Arthur and John are out today, I could do with you hanging around while I'm out too." Tommy replies, taking a look at the paperwork for himself.
"Oh, ok." Bessy replies, slightly disheartened by how quickly Tommy had shut the idea down, having hoped to have been able to spend some time with her brother. "What do you need me to do?"
"You can help Scudboat count up todays takings?" He suggests, glancing up at Bessy who nods.
"Is everything ok, Tom?" She asks, touching her hand to his to get his attention. He looks up from the paperwork and frowns, "Yes. Why wouldn't it be?"
"I don't know," she replies quietly, pulling her hand back. "You've just been really quiet. Distant." Tommy's brow furrows again, watching as Bessy takes a cigarette from the case on the desk, lighting it as she leans back in her chair. "Is it about me and Elijah?"
"Why-" Bessy cuts her brother's question off with a shake of her head. "You've barely spoken to me since Eli got shot, it's all business. We never used to be like that."
"Bessy," Tommy sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose before copying his sister's actions, taking his own cigarette as he rests back in his chair. "It's nothing to do with that. We've just been busy, eh? I bet you've not seen much of John and Arthur either, have you?" Bessy pauses for a moment before shaking her head.
"I guess not." She replies quietly, turning away from Tommy to look out of the window into the shop. "Are you ok, ya know, with me and Elijah?"
"Can I tell you something, Bess?" Tommy asks, leaning forward in his chair, Bessy nodding in response. "I already knew."
"You what?" Bessy chokes out around her cigarette. "How?"
"I saw the looks you two give each other. How the minute you left a room, Elijah would follow you. The little touches when you thought no one was looking." Tommy smirks as Bessy's eyes widen, the younger sibling letting out a groan.
"But are you ok with us being together?" She asks again, leaning forwards in her chair.
"Would it change anything if I said I wasn't?" Tommy replies, Bessy quickly shaking her head. "And are you happy?" Bessy nods this time, earning a small smile from Tommy. "And you love him, don't you? I can see it in your eyes."
"I do." Bessy whispers, taking another drag of her cigarette.
"Then why wouldn't I be ok with it?" Bessy nods, tears forming in her eyes as she rises, rounding to Tommy's side of the desk where she drops to her knees, reaching up to hug him. Tommy hugs her back, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before pulling away. "Now get back to work, eh?" Bessy lets out a giggle, pressing her own kiss to his cheek as she rises again. She pauses as she gets to the door, turning one last time to smile over at Tommy. "Thank you, Tom." She says gently before slipping out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
————————
"Well, hello there!" Bessy calls as she enters the living room, finding all of her brothers sat around the fire drinking. "Is this a brothers meeting, or can I join too?"
"Nah, come on in." Arthur replies, Bessy deciding to flop down on the sofa beside him, laying her head in his lap.
"How's Elijah?" Finn asks earning a growl from Arthur.
"Shut up, you." Bessy chides, lifting her hand to slap Arthur lightly on the chest. "He's fine, thank you Finn. Just gone back home."
"About bloody time." Arthur grunts, Bessy sitting upright at this, turning to him with a glare.
"Arthur." She snaps, punching him in the arm. "Enough." She flops back onto the cushions again, head back in Arthur's lap as he huffs, taking a sip of his glass of whiskey. "He's a good guy. You all know that. He went to war with you!"
"That doesn't mean we're happy with him dating our baby sister." Arthur protests, Bessy rolling her eyes in response.
"Let's face it, Arthur. Whether we like it or not, Bessy's going to date Elijah. Nothing's going to stop her." John pipes up, Bessy tilting her head to look at her twin, nodding in agreement.
"I think we can all agree, there are worst men Bessy could have gone for." Tommy joins in, earning a thankful smile from his sister, grateful that he would stick up for her following their earlier conversation. "And as much as I hate the idea of our Bessy having a boyfriend, don't give me that look Bessy-Jo, we're your older brothers, we're allowed to dislike the idea of you dating; John is right, Arthur, if we banned Bessy from being with Elijah, I'm sure she'd date him behind our backs."
"Doesn't mean I'm happy with it." Arthur moans, reaching over to pour himself another glass of whiskey.
"He's your friend, Arthur!" Bessy protests, looking up at her oldest brother who raises his eyebrows at her.
"Yeah, our friend, not yours Bessy-Jo." John teases, trying to lighten the mood, earning an eye roll from his twin. "Who said you could take him and turn him into a love-sick puppy following you around all the time?"
"Oh God." Bessy groans, running her hands over her head as John chuckles. "Can I leave now please?" She jokes, earning laughs from her brothers.