Authors Note: Thank you for your patience everyone! I had a great adventure, hiking a portion of the Arizona Trail with my husband. We did almost 28 miles in 2 days - It was amazing but now I am lame and probably will be for a couple more days. Good news is I don't need my feet and legs to write. Here is the next Chapter, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 28

Airship Adelisa Aiglentine

Friday February 6, 1920

Finn POV

It was marvelous. They were flying off the eastern coast of the largest Hawaiian Island. Aoife said the natives simply called it the Big Island of Hawaii. He was up in the crows nest with her while the others were on deck below them.

They watched as one of the five volcanoes on the island erupted. There was some smoke puffing from a crater at the top of a peak, it reminded him of a factory smoking into the air back home.

Aoife had explained that the erupting volcano was called Kilauea and unlike some other volcanoes it wasn't an explosive one. It continuously released magma underneath the water's surface constantly enlarging the island. They'd been lucky to come on a day where some of the magma had breached the surface of the island and they could watch the slow moving vibrant glowing red tinted yellowish orange magma as it made its way into the ocean where it sent plumes of steam into the air as it met the cool water. The black lava rock and lush green tropical fol...foliage that was on this side of the island was...as Aoife put it true beauty.

She said they would circle the island once and then dock for the night in order to resupply. While they were loading up the new provisions Aoife'd take him to a green sand beach, a black one and a white one! They had a jar that he could collect a little bit of sand in from each place and he could mark on the jar where it came from. He already had some from their visit to George Town. He couldn't wait to see the different ones on this island.

He also had some stones and pebbles from both Chichen Itza and El Tajin. He'd been working on drawing pictures of both places. Aine had said they were coming along nicely. When he was finished with them she was going to show him how to add some color to his next piece. He already knew that his next picture was going to be of this.

Eirnin POV

Eirnin watched from the superstructure as the Shelby's enjoyed the view of Kilauea. He hadn't anticipated finding Ada Shelby to be so strikingly interesting. She had a wonderful mix of a soft innocence and a dark little spitfire about her. It hadn't truly been surprising to hear that she had a beau back home. He liked her. He enjoyed conversing with her and she was a pretty vision to rest one's eyes on. He however was not a cad and he wasn't going to get in between Ada and her beau. So he'd make himself comfortable in his position as her friend.

The way Aoife was with Ada's brother might end up making them in-laws at some point in the future. In that event he'd prefer to be known as a friend she can come to. Rather than the man that tried to break up her relationship during her short stint on an airship. If the idiot she was seeing ever mucked it up between the two of them, well then that was an entirely different scenario.

He turned from watching the Shelby's and started towards Carrick. They needed to go over the list of inventory items, they needed to get while they were here. Plus there was a small parcel that needed to be delivered to a cousin of the monarch who preferred living in the relative seclusion of Hawaii rather than on the more populated island of Oahu.

Aoife and Reilly would take Finn, Ada and Michael down to explore a bit of the island. Come the evening meal they'd attend the Hawaiian's Luau for roasted pig and other island delicacies down on the beach at sunset. Given the scarcity of airships that had permission to travel this region the islanders went all out when guests came. He was sure there would be native music and dancing. He had a feeling Ada and Finn would enjoy the fire and hula dancers. He knew Michael would given the female dancers attire.

Their visit here, while only for a day should still leave a lasting impression on each of the Shelby's. He would content himself with being a part of those memories.

Ada POV

The view was spectacular. The colors and the vistas. The humidity in the air and the light barely there sprinkle of rain from the pale gray clouds above. The volcanoes the tropical plants and just the atmosphere of the island was so vastly different than St. George. Both were beautiful but this was raw and elemental. Nature at its core showing proof of beauty and destruction, how powerful nature was.

Ada didn't know what it was about what she was seeing but she literally had goosebumps spreading across her skin. It was breathtaking and she felt so blessed to be able to witness it firsthand. She felt so far removed from the dirty air and muddy streets of Small Heath. Where her dream had been to find a man that her brothers couldn't scare away and live her life, perhaps in a relative calmness away from the bloody business her brothers were involved in.

The more she saw and the longer she was away, she was coming to realize that the world was far more diverse and stimulating than she'd ever allowed herself to believe. There was so much to see, so much to learn, to experience. She wanted to see it all.

Not only that but she no longer wished to get away from her brothers. Her time away so far had shown her that they were far more important in her life than she'd ever imagined them to be. She missed them and she worried for their safety.

She was doing very well in her self-defense training. She was now knowledgeable enough to spar with Aoife at speed and they'd been teaching her more complex moves. They were currently beginning close quarter fighting.

Chen had even suggested adding in a couple of the moves from his own martial arts style. She'd learned that there were many forms of martial arts. In order to help her prepare to learn the moves Chen wished to teach her, she'd taken to doing what was called Tai Chi in the mornings along with her deck run and yoga exercises. The fluidity of the movements and the pace that you moved through the motions at was relaxing and invigorating at the same time.

By the time they returned to England she had no doubt that she would be sad the journey was over, as she now knew there was so much more to see. Yet she would be happy and excited to be home and to see her family again.

Ada turned as Carrick started to shout out orders to the crew to get the ship under way again. She was looking forward to going dockside and exploring a bit. She noticed Eirnin standing on the superstructure speaking with Carrick, staring out at the island below them. He had become a good friend, she thought it funny because she'd never thought she'd have a male friend.

It was that thought that had kept her up at night sometimes. When it wouldn't leave her alone. She cared for Freddie, they had fun and he wasn't going to let her brothers scare him off...yet she'd come to realize that she didn't consider him a friend. Weren't you supposed to be friends with the man you were romantic with? Or perhaps they just hadn't gotten there yet.

There were times when Eirnin would compliment her or she'd see a look in his eyes when he looked at her. Her heart would flutter or she'd feel herself starting to blush. It was confusing and disconcerting, but he was never inappropriate. Sometimes she'd wonder if she was seeing and hearing things that weren't really there.

She'd been disappointed when she hadn't heard from Freddie on Christmas. Angry and fed up when she'd received that stupid note he'd sent in the post. The more she thought about it the more she realized that Freddie continually put her in the uncomfortable position of keeping their relationship from her brothers, mainly Tommy. Aoife's question on Christmas had stuck with her and it bugged her that she couldn't come up with an answer. Why was Freddie putting off telling Tommy about them? Why was it always just a little bit longer with him?

Out here, up in the air she didn't have to hide and she felt more free than she ever had. She felt like she should be able to tell Tommy no matter what. It didn't matter that something had gone wrong between the two of them. Tommy would be mad, might even forbid it, but he was going to be ten times worse when he found out they'd been sneaking around behind his back.

She remembered a good natured conversation she'd had during a rare girls night that had been spent in Aine's cabin. They'd been talking about their men and something Aine had said had struck her. It was a piece of advice that their great grandmother had given them when they were younger. Your man should be proud to show you off and if he keeps you in the shadows you're probably not a priority, just an option, you need to let that one go.

It was something to think about. She'd come to the decision that she needed to have a serious talk with Freddie. She wasn't going to hide them anymore, and if he had a problem with that well then they were going to have a problem.

Michael POV

They'd had a great day exploring a bit of the island. Aoife and Reilly were great guides. They'd borrowed some horses and gone for a ride. Ada had ridden with Reilly and Finn with Aoife leaving him to his own horse. Thankfully due to Tommy he had some experience riding.

He didn't speak about it much but he had been confused when Tommy had shown up at his childhood home. It had turned out to be one of the best things that had happened to him. He'd been lied to about his real parents, his mother. All his childhood he'd been told that he'd been taken from his mother because she was unfit. A drinker with a drug problem who was unstable and unable to financially take care of her own child.

It was the first time he'd realized that the police, the government could be the enemy and that they didn't always do what was right. They'd taken him and apparently his sister away from their mother because a jealous neighbor had noted a set of fine new sheets that just happened to have been nicked from a hotels laundry service. It hadn't helped that she was gypsy and related to the Shelby's who at the time were as illegal in their dealings as they came.

The authorities hadn't been able to pin anything on the Shelby's or his mother so they'd done the worst that they could at the time with the neighbors testimony which was taking her children away from her, didn't matter that the accusations of her being unfit weren't true.

Last time he'd spoken with his mother she'd asked if he might be able to write her while he was away. He'd heard that Tommy received letters from Aoife and he'd spoken with her about it. She would post his batch of letters to his mother when she posted hers to Tommy. It was the least he could do, he understood the uncertainty between them, they'd lost a lot of years and memories.

She hadn't been there to see him grow up, to hold him when he'd been scared during thunderstorms or to celebrate his birthdays or accomplishments. He hadn't been able to grow up beside his cousins, knowing the love of his real mother and the people of his blood. They only had now, and they had a lot to make up for. He actually looked forward to writing about the things he was experiencing.

They'd seen beaches, dried lava flows, flowing magma and ridden up through the hills, jungle type forest areas filled with all number of tropical plants and flowers, even saw a waterfall as well. They had just arrived back at the beach where the Adelisa hovered above. There was no docking station here and they'd had to take a makeshift cargo lift down from the ship.

He saw what looked to be most of the crew along with Merle and John's boys out on the beach. There was also a slightly larger group of islanders there. The women wore floral headdresses, grass skirts and some type of brassiere type tops. They had necklaces made from flowers around their necks and were handing the same necklaces out to the Adelisa's crew.

He heard Ada ask what was going on. Reilly explained that the islanders had invited them to a luau. Which basically meant a feast typically accompanied with entertainment. They were handing out lei's which were what they called the flower necklaces. It was a traditional welcome gift given to guests of the island.

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Michael had to admit, some of the food looked strange, like the raw fish but everything tasted grand. He'd been told the names of everything but there was no way he could remember them all or know how to spell them correctly. There was poi, kalua pig, chicken long rice, laulau, lomilomi, haupia and poke.

The show the islanders had put on was of traditional music and dance. Men wore a grass skirt or cotton looking shorts and would stomp in rhythm along with the beating of the drums while tossing and twirling fire sticks or moving slatted bamboo sticks called pu 'ili's. The women performed what Aoife called a hula dance where they're hips seemed to move while their upper bodies remained still but they waved their arms in fluid motions. Some had large feather covered, well the best he could describe them would be rattles that were called uli uli's.

At one point in the evening three of the female dancers came and took the girls away. They came back dressed as islanders and began dancing with the rest of the women. It was clear Aoife and Aine had learned how to hula dance on previous visits. Ada was a bit unsure but she kept pace and seemed to have a good grasp of the motions and steps. He could tell she was having a grand time, he didn't think he'd ever seen her smile that huge.

Reilly had grabbed Finn and himself and one of the fire dancers joined them and began to teach them how to twirl and throw fire sticks, theirs were unlit of course. He had to admit he enjoyed himself immensely. He did have one thought though, he'd have loved to see John out here trying to do this stuff. He could imagine Arthur joining the revelry and drinking the native beer. Tommy would be sitting back in his seat staring at Aoife as she swayed and moved with the beating of the drums. His Mum would be out there with the girls, dancing away or watching him with a smile on her face.

It was a night he'd never forget and he was looking forward to trying to describe it in his letter.

Reilly POV

Reilly had to admit that Finn, Ada and Michael, along with the little Shelby's had grown on him. They were all easier to read than the Shelby that Aoife was involved with. Granted Tommy Shelby had been through four years of the war which no doubt fundamentally changed him.

He had become close with Michael, they'd spar and play cards, talk about women together. He'd gone so far as to ask Michael about his cousin Tommy. He'd wanted to know what he was like before the war. Michael had told him about his own past and how he'd only recently met Tommy and the rest of the Shelby's himself.

Michael had told him what he could. That Tommy was hard to read, but that he wasn't always the cold intimidating man that most people saw. That he looked out for his families best interest, he was making an effort to try and operate more legal businesses than illegal. You had to get to know him and he had to be comfortable with you in order for him to allow himself to relax in your presence. It was only then that you'd see the warmer side of him as it were. It was apparently there though and that was reassuring.

He wasn't comfortable with the thought of his sister being with a cold, hard man. She was hard enough herself, she needed a man that would soften her. The thought of Aoife in Tommy's arms when he realized she hadn't been in the Garrison when it blew up entered his mind. He supposed that proved that Tommy wasn't as cold or hard as he seemed. It also proved that Thomas Shelby did indeed soften his sister. As she'd been damn soft and tender even, with him in that moment.

He still wouldn't give the man his seal of approval until he witnessed Tommy's caring side for himself. He needed to see that he wasn't made of stone. It couldn't be a private moment brought on by duress.

Airship - Adelisa Aiglentine

Sunday February 8, 1920

Aoife POV

Aoife was glad that everyone had a grand time on the island. Ada had been sent away with her own set of uli uli's and Finn and Michael each got a puka shell necklace. While she doubted they would ever wear them back in Birmingham she knew they would treasure the memories that it would remind them of. She'd seen Eirnin take a few pictures with his camera of the boys twirling their fire sticks and the girls dancing. It was a good memory to capture.

They were on their way to Fiji now and she had galley duty in the morning so she knew she should try and get some rest. Her damn brain wouldn't seem to shut down for the night though. She tossed and turned and stared up at the hammock above her. She'd even moved to the hammock to try and allow the gentle sway to rock her to sleep. Still nothing. Finally she got up and went to her desk.

She'd already written Tommy about his families adventures around the ruins in Mexico, and about their day on the Big Island. There was really nothing new to report to him. Clear skies, smooth sailing, everything tickety-boo as Alfie said. So what to write?

February 8, 1920

My Tommy,

It hasn't been but a day since I've written you last but for some reason rest eludes me tonight. There is really nothing of consequence to impart. I just figured if I'm going to be awake I might as well do something constructive. Writing you appealed far more than going below and hitting the punching bag.

I hope everything is still going all right for you all back in Birmingham. I look forward to reading your letter about your thoughts on our cargo. Hopefully everything will be able to work out to your satisfaction.

My mind won't stop this evening, though I don't know if it's really my brain that won't or something else. There are no specific thoughts running around bothering me, no questions that I need answers to. It just won't seem to shut off. I've considered having a glass or two of whiskey to try and slow its process but I'm not big on using it for medicinal purposes.

If I start writing nonsense please disregard it. I'm just going to write down whatever comes to mind.

I suppose I know of the serious relationship you had in the past and you've told me a small bit about what you did in the war. It's only fair that I share the same with you.

As you've heard the Adelisa was conscripted when the Colonies joined in the war effort. When I said she sailed with her original crew plus Colony soldiers, I was including myself among them. You said you were a sapper. I was a dealer. I'm a good shot, excelled in long range. An airship has a wonderful vantage point.

While you were below the ground working to save those fighting above, I was in the air. Removing targets the military deemed important enough to want off the field. Some of the others would keep count, like a score. I didn't, I found it to be in poor taste, they were the enemy and it was us or them. To them we were the enemy. Bottom line they were all someone's loved one and each number represented at least one broken heart wherever home was.

The others didn't seem to care that it didn't interest me and decided to keep count for me. More so that they could measure themselves against my so called record. According to them I can't be beaten. They told me what my number was. Now anytime someone dies by my hand I see the counter tick over to the next number inside my head.

It's laughable isn't it, for someone who didn't want to count I've now got a permanent counter inside my own head ticking the numbers up one by one. It is what it is, and I've no doubt it will continue to rise for as long as I choose my own survival over my enemies. I just wish I'd never heard the number.

There, enough of that or I will need a glass of whiskey before bed.

I told you I'd never given my heart to any man. That's true, I haven't. I told you that most of the men who appeared to be interested in me changed their mind when they met Aine. That is also true. However there was one that didn't. I'll be honest here and tell you that for a time I thought he might be able to handle me. I didn't give my heart to him or I kept myself from falling for him, however you want to look at it. I came to realize he wasn't what he seemed to be and I ended it before it really began.

His name is Jasper Anderson. He hails from Sydney, Australia. He's not a Grounder or an Airman but a Subaquaman. He was born and raised on a submersible, traveling beneath the surface of the sea, seeing the same places I had just from a different perspective. He was interesting and I enjoyed speaking with him, sharing our different experiences. I won't lie. I did find him to be attractive in his own way.

He wanted to get more serious. Thought we'd be a good match for one another. We did share a few moments, nothing more than a kiss here and there. Luckily I came to learn that I wasn't the only Airman he was interested in. He had also been seeing a woman by the name of Lydia Colson. Apparently he'd been seeing her far longer than he'd been seeing me.

Lydia is actually a lovely woman, I'd met her before I became acquainted with Jasper. Turns out she knew what he was doing and why, she also supported his efforts. I can't even imagine how she could, but I suppose I don't have to, I am not her.

I have no idea on whether you know anything about the hierarchy of Airmen. There is one, I don't think about it often as it usually doesn't affect me. I suppose in this I must admit to my own arrogance. I don't think about it or have problems as some do, because I am a member of the upper echelon of this class system. When you are hardly ever subjected to the negativity of your society, it's easy to forget that it is not the same for others.

For a short while I tried to live as much of my life as I could outside of this system. I came to realize that all I was doing was running away from a part of who I am. Whether I agree with it or not, it is in place and I am in it. I digress, where were we...

Jasper is in love with Lydia, has been for years. Subaquamen are apparently no different than the rest of us, they too have a social hierarchy. Jasper is upper echelon. Lydia is considered an Airwren, the bottom class in our societal system. Jasper wanted a way into the Empyrean Class, the highest class there is. He told me he did not bore of my company and I presented a challenge that excited him. The goal was to marry into the class and to keep Lydia on the side.

Apparently this practice is common among his society. I'm afraid I do not share well, nor do I think that I should have to. I am not anyone's spare-time or sometime, and I won't waste my time with anyone who thinks I am. I told him to take a swan dive off the Adelisa. I refuse to accept someone simply to have a man in my life, I don't need one. So why should I settle for anything less than everything?

That is what I want Tommy, everything. I'm fairly certain that this is what you were trying to tell me that first time we kissed. That something important that I needed to know so I would understand. You wanted everything and you were prepared to take it. You just wanted me to know that you were going to.

I have three words to say to you. I'm going to take a piece of my great grandmothers advice and not allow words that must be heard to go unsaid. I will wait to say them but only because the first time should always be done while physically present. I want to look into eyes when I say them.

I have no idea if I'll ever give you this letter, if you'll ever read it, perhaps this one is more for myself than for you. I don't know. I guess we'll see... After all, I wrote it, it must want to be heard.

Ever Yours,

Aoife

Aoife stared at the letter before her and contemplated on whether Tommy would ever see it, she didn't have an answer. He certainly deserved to know. She placed the letter in the stack of other letters waiting to be posted. Until she came to her decision in its regard, she'd keep it safe with the rest.

She turned off her light, grabbed her pillow and blanket out of the hammock and moved back down to the bunk beneath it. Cuddling up in her blankets warmth she closed her eyes and thought about the man she'd just written to. Thoughts of him bouncing around her brain before it finally seemed to click off and she found some rest.

As always, comment away!

Big thanks of appreciation to Hannah - DanaPearl - TheOne - Lily - Lillian for your continuous comments - It's always nice to hear from repeat commentors, lets me know you're still hanging in there with me. If there are others that have commented more than once you may just pop up under guest but thank you to you too, you know who you are.

Of course I also thank those who've commented once, every little bit helps to keep me going and lets me know the story is still on the right path! Love to all, I hope you find yourselves living your own adventures!