The cavalry

"She looked Daisy safe, but smelled rose wild"
-Wyatt

• Adriana •

"I won't be long" I said
"Don't stress princess, I can look after them, you'll be good for your dad won't you boy?" Bonnie said cheerily
"Yeah" Kaven nodded

It put me at ease slightly
I hated leaving Bonnie
But I wanted to talk to mum
To Tommy
To see what they were planning to do about these Billy boys.

"I really won't be long" I assured, kissing him
"Go" he smiled, cradling Noah in his arms.

•

I strolled down the canal
The girls at the betting den said mum was 'out'
And when I did find her, looking into a fire and standing by the water, she reminded me of the woman I met when I first arrived on watery lane

The gypsy princess with bare feet and souls in her eyes
Telling me and Michael how we were royalty and divine blood
That we were Shelby's.
That we were strong.

Yet the expensive coat she wore. The expensive perfume that flooded my nose only reminded me of the woman she is now
Business driven. It's not longer all about family

• Adriana's Outfit •

"Anna? Where's the baby?" She asked
"With Bonnie" I said. Her face gave me a response
"I can leave my children with their father, mum" I said

"I know" she said shortly, looking at the fire
"I just came to ask about Tommy? What he's planning to do about these Billy boys?" I said

Even their name was fucking stupid.
"He's waiting" she said
"Waiting?" I echoed
"We're waiting. He needs to be at peace with them for now" she said

"Why?" I asked
"Because they work for Oswald Mosely. And Tommy works with Oswald Mosely so... we're biding time" she said
"Aberama won't bide anything" I said

She looked at me, saying nothing
And telling me she knew something

"Michael is going to be reinstated" she said
"Is that a good idea?" I asked

"Of course it is. Michael is family, he needs reminding of that. And now he has proven he can be trusted, Tommy is doing so. He will oversee a shipment. Thomas is going to make one million from this deal" she said

"Or Michael is being driven by the money... and Tommy is keeping him close because he doesn't trust him" I argued
"Don't think so low of your own brother" she said

"It's hard not to when he's acting this way. Blowing us all off. Surprising us with a wife and a baby. It's hard to feel like a family when everyone is doing what they want" I said

She said nothing.

"Aberama will not wait for revenge mum. Has Tommy told him of this truce?" I asked
Still nothing
"Mum?" I asked
"I... Tommy is going to offer my hand to Aberama" she said

"In exchange for waiting?" I scoffed
"Because I want to marry him" she corrected
"Oh my god, mum... this is what I mean! When were you planning to tell me that? When you announce it to everyone?" I asked angrily

"You didn't exactly consider everyone else when you ran off to marry Bonnie" she said back
"It isn't the same. You know it isn't the same!" I shouted

"This affects everything. Everyone. The Golds want blood for this. And you're offering yourself in exchange for peace?" I laughed, unable to believe her
"You're offering yourself in a deal?. You've turned your own proposal into a business arrangement" I said

"I thought you cared" I said
"I do-"
"You don't! You don't... I don't care if you marry him, mum. I welcome it. But you're marrying him at a cost. Why would you do this for Tommy? When Jimmy McCavern beat me? Beat Bonnie. I nearly lost my child!" I shouted

"All for a truce. All for opium and political fucking justice. All for Michael?" I said angrily
"This isn't one or the other" she denied
"No. But you're not supporting me mum. Not if you do this. You're going to play nice with the man who nearly cost me everything. Do you know..." I faltered

It was too much to even think of
To relive
"Do you know how scared I was... lying in the mud... I couldn't get to Bonnie, I couldn't move. I... I felt nothing but pain in my back, in my stomach. I thought... I thought I'd lose..." I couldn't help but cry

"Thinking of Kaven and Florence hiding under the bed. Thinking of them finding us..."
"Anna"
"No. I need to go. I- I can't be here, I can't fucking look at you" I said, turning away.

• Bonnie •

"I have news" dad called out, approaching us
"Where's your sister?... Adelaide?" He called, as Estella came over from the horses
Adelaide appeared, as Esmeralda looked at dad suspiciously
"What have you done now?" She asked, hand on hip as she held her daughter on the other

"I will be getting engaged" he said, smiling
"What?" I laughed
"To who?" Estella asked amused
"Polly Gray" he answered

"What?" My head shot up
"Why the fuck would you do that?" Adelaide asked
"Language" Esmeralda said
"Dad. Since when?" She then asked

"Tommy told me today. And in return, we will hold off on killing McCavern" he said
"What?" Estella snapped

"Tommy needs him alive for now. So we will wait" he said
"You wanted to wipe them all out this morning. Now you're changing your mind for Polly?" I asked, unable to believe him

"I love her" he said
"We need to get them dad, they threatened our family. You threatened them back" Esmeralda said angrily

"You're the ones that told me to slow down" Aberama said
"No. We told you to talk to us before you run off and cause more damage. We didn't say make a fucking truce and wait" Esmeralda snapped

"It is done. And it is my decision" he said
"We nearly died" I said
"And they will die" he assured

I shook my head
"Something to say?" He asked
"Yeah. You're putting emotions above family. We all agreed they should die. They should fucking suffer. We just told you to tell us instead of leaving without a word. And now you're telling us to walk by them in the street for god knows how long" I said, getting angrier and angrier.

I stood up. I'm not fucking listening to this.
"Bonnie! Bon!" He shouted after me. Albeit with little effort

•

"Hey" Adriana said softly, joining me by the river
"Estella filled me in. You all heard about the truce then" she said
"He's selfish" I muttered
"Yeah" she breathed out, kneeling down in front of me

"Mum... it's like Michael being trusted is all that matters to her" she said sadly
"And can he be?" I asked

"I honestly don't know, he talks like he's from another world Bonnie. He... we haven't spoke in so long, he's like a stranger to me now" she explained

"Me and dad argued" I said
"I'm not surprised, Aberama seemed angry already when I got back. Let alone when I ripped into him" she chuckled

"Why can't things just be peaceful?" She sighed, letting her head fall against my chest
I weaved my hand into her hair
"Because we're Golds" I answered

She looked up at me, smiling
"And Grays" she added

She slowly stood up, entwining her hand with mine
"Swim with me?" She asked softly
"Now?" I asked
The sun was setting
The kids would be driving Adelaide insane

"Yeah. Now" she said, pulling me up
I stood, before she began to undress
And I ghosted my hand along her stomach, grasping her waist and kissing her gently

She hummed against me, helping me take my shirt off
"I've missed you" she said, pushing her dress down her body, falling to the grass

I watched her slowly get into the water
I really did get so lucky.
What she sees in me is just... impossible to know.

"Bonnie?" She called
I joined her, pulling her close as she kissed me back.

A sweet gentle kiss that turned hungry and needy
Slowly and yet so wanting.
It wasn't sexual

I was recovering
She was recovering from giving birth a week ago.
We just needed each other
To hold each other. To kiss each other
I just needed her to feel at peace again.

"Bonnie" she moaned against my mouth, wrapping her legs around my waist, as I held hers.
"Mm, I love you princess" I said
"I love you" she smiled against me

"Bonnie! Anna? Bonnie!" Estella shouted, her voice getting closer and closer
We pulled apart, before she found us

"Ugh" she said, looking at us in the water
"What do you want?" I asked

"The Keans and the Fury's have arrived" she said.

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