"Molly get changed we're going to a wedding."
"You what?" Molly asked looking at her aunt.
Polly hit the back of her head at her tone "a wedding" she repeated.
"Whose?" Molly asked as far as she was aware John hadn't gotten Tommy's blessing and she doubted John would just go ahead without it.
"John's."
"Oh, so he is marryin Lizzie?"
"No." Polly simply said as she rooted through Molly's wardrobe to find something for her to wear.
"Whose he marryin then?" Molly said highly confused.
Polly placed her hands on her hips signalling question time was over. Molly made a motion over her lips like she was sealing them shut. Polly happy with this pulled a dress out of the battered wooden wardrobe and placed her Sunday best, reserved only for when she occasionally went to church with Polly over her desk chair, but she hated that dress, it was itchy, and the collar clung to her neck like it was chocking her.
"Do I 'ave to wear it?" Molly asked.
"Molly" Polly said sterner.
Yes, yes, she did. "Fine" she huffed and picked up the dress.
"Don't take too long" Polly said and then left.
Molly changed quickly and as she left her room she bumped into Finn on the stairs landing, he too was also in his Sunday best. Molly took comfort knowing they were both going to be as uncomfortable as each other. She tried to hide her laugh but failed, Finn punched her hard in the arm, but Molly just punched him back harder.
"Finn! Molly!" Polly yelled from the bottom of the stairs meaning she had seen the two children "get down 'ere now.
The two siblings grinned at each other before racing down the stairs, hoping to avoid being told off anymore. Molly stopped in shocked on the last step causing Finn to bump into her when she saw Ada of all people, a hand on her swollen bump sitting at the kitchen table.
"Ada!" Molly yelled. Ada stood just as Molly reached her throwing her arms tight around her older sister.
Ada closed her eyes as she held her sister close, she hadn't regretted her actions to hide away with Freddie, but she had regretted leaving Molly without so much as a goodbye. Finn hugged Ada next and while Polly gently smiled at seeing the three siblings reunite, she was very much aware of the time.
"Right, you lot, let's get a move on. We don't want to be late."
***
"So do you know who John's marryin?" Molly asked looking at up Ada as she walked alongside her throw the Lee family camp to the heart of it where the wedding was taking place.
"Not a clue" Ada answered bitterness filling her, because why would she be told who her brother was marrying.
"A lee girl" Polly answered shooting Ada a look, she didn't want Molly involved in her and Tommy's feuding.
"I thought Tommy hated em after they tried to blow me an' Finn up."
"Yeah" Finn mumbled kicking a stone in his path.
"Tommy's got a plan love, that's all you need to know" Polly answered.
Ada scoffed.
"And if this all goes right tonight the war with the Lee's will end."
When they reached where the ceremony was taking place John was already knelt before Johnny Dogs and his new Lee bride was knelt next to him. She also saw standing next to Arthur was Alice and Jamie. She waved at her friend before going up on her tiptoes to try and see over the heads of the people standing in front of her.
Molly nearly considered jumping up and down but before she could Arthur lifted her up and held her up to see. Alice watched them out of the corner of her eye and a soft smile was placed on her lips, the small normal gesture for the siblings reminded her that Arthur wasn't all demons there was still a part of him that was still the same as he was before the war. Her Arthur.
"Do you John Michael Shelby, take Esme Martha Lee to be your beautiful wife? To have, to hold, through sickness and health until, death do you part?" Johnny dogs said to the couple and the crowd around.
"Yeah, I do" John said.
"And do you Esme Martha Lee take John Michael Shelby to be your husband? To have, to hold, through sickness and health until, death do you part?"
"I do" Esme said.
"There remains one more part of the ceremony. It's the mingling of the two bloods. Where the two families become the one family." Johnny cut both John's and Esme's palms with a small knife. Esme picked John hand with her and squeezed them together.
"I know pronounce you man and wife" Johnny said holding his arms out while the crow around cheered and clapped "Come on John, Kiss the bride now why don't you."
***
Molly quickly decided she preferred the festivities part of the wedding more than the ceremony. The drinks were following, music was playing, and someone had gotten hold of fireworks. Jamie, Molly, and Finn stood and watched in awe having only seen the display once right after the war ended. But Molly's favourite part was the music, Lee men were singing and playing instruments Molly could only dream of learning to play. She danced with Finn and Jamie spinning in circles and jumping up and down. Maybe the alcohol she had had earlier gone to her head a bit.
Tommy was sat at one of the tables dotted around with Zilpha Lee, smiled fondly as he watched his sister dance.
"She's special that one" Zilpha said taking a sip of her black market champagne the Shelby's had brought.
"Oh, I know" Tommy replied flicking the end of his cigarette, the ask falling to the floor.
"We have young Lee boys who will need to be wed one day."
"And I wish you luck finding them a bride, but it will not be my Molly. Respectable" Tommy replied not taking his eyes off his sister, now hyperaware of anyone looking at her in a way he didn't like.
"You cannot shelter her forever, Thomas."
Molly giggled and started to dance with a drunk Ada.
"No, but I will for as long as I can."
Polly who had been watching her two nieces all night now approached Tommy and Zilpha, drink in hand. "You should tell Ada to slow down" Polly said to Tommy as Ada yelled out drunken and spun Molly around until the child felt sick.
"You think she'll listen to me?" Tommy replied.
"Tried stopping her but she's been drinking. she's been stuck in that little basement for weeks, what'd you expect? She's going off like a firecracker. Oh Christ, Tommy please."
"Enough now, you two" Arthur sighed holding his hands up as he got closer to his two sisters.
"But Arthur we're having fun" Molly frowned not understanding the issue.
"Yeah Arthur!" Ada said, grabbing Molly's hand and spinning around again.
"Ada! Molly!"
With a sigh Tommy following Polly's request went up to his siters "Ada, come on, have a rest. Sit down."
"Come and look Esme!" Ada yelled stopping her movement suddenly causing Molly to stumble and fall into Arthur, who quickly righted her "come and look at the family you've joined! Come and look at the man who runs it!" She yelled sitting Tommy's chest.
Molly was pulled backwards, away from the scene, she looked up expecting it to be Arthur, but it was Alice who had one arm wrapped protectively around her and the other around both Finn and Jamie.
"He chooses his brothers wives for them! He hunts his own sister down like a rat and tries to kill his own brother-in-law! And now he won't even let me have a fuckin dance with my own fuckin sister! Not even at a fuckin wedding!"
"Sit her down!" John yelled at Polly.
Ada suddenly began to pant in pain, one hand holding her swollen belly, the other holding onto Polly's arm as she bent over as her waters broke.
"Holly shit" Polly said looking from the small puddle on the floor to her niece "water. Right."
"Bloody hell Ada, you do pick your times" Arthur yelled.
"What's goin on?" Molly asked looking at Alice.
Alice who had remained composed the entire time smoothed down a piece of Molly and Finn's hair "Ada's having her baby."
Molly's mouth popped open.
"Why water though?" Finn asked,
"I uh-" her eyes frantically went back and forth between the two youngest Shelby's as she thought about her answer.
"Sorry for the interruption" Tommy said hastily approached them as Ada was loaded into one of the cars.
"Tommy thank god" she breathed.
"Nothing to do with god. It's time to leave and Arthur wanted to make sure you came with us, you can go with Polly, Ada, and I if you can bare the screaming.
Alice smiled faintly at Tommy and holding Jamie's hand tightly rushed off to the car.
"What about us?" Molly asked her brother.
"Finn go with Johnny Dogs, he'll bring you home. Molls you go with John, Esme, and Arthur. I'll meet you back at the house" he placed an affectionate hand on her head, when he let go the three siblings went their separate ways.
***
Of course, Molly was worried about Ada and the baby, but God was she having fun in the back of the car Esme's father had given John as he drove through the cobbled streets of small heath. Arthur next to her was not having as much fun. As John bumpily pulled up behind Tommy's car, Arthur all but jumped out.
"Please, please, please teach me how to drive John" Molly asked as she jumped out of the car.
"Course troublemaker" John said ruffling her hair "soon I'll have you drivin nearly as good as me."
"That" Arthur said pointing a finger between John and Molly "is a terrible idea."
Tommy was leaning against his own car with a cigarette in his mouth, when he saw them, he took a step closer to them "nice car John. How she run?"
"Yeah beautiful. Really small." John replied.
"John's gonna teach me how to drive Tommy" Molly said with a beaming smile.
"Your sisters in there giving birth and you're all talking about the bloody car" Polly scolded from the house doorway as Esme went in to help.
"Not much us men can do now Pol. Tommy said.
"Except go get drunk" Arthur said loudly.
"Right, come on. You to Molly" Tommy said placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Really?" she asked looking up at him.
Tommy half shrugged "not much you can do to help in there."
Molly let out a noise of delight as Arthur wrapped an arm around her.
"There's one man who should be here" Polly said stopping the four in their tracks.
Tommy paused and took a step back towards Polly "you're right Pol, Freddie should be here."
"Is that a heartbeat I hear inside that chest?"
"The truce lasts till sunrise. Oh, my oath. Tell Freddie it's safe."
Polly grinned and ran back in the house to tell Ada.
"Right boys-"
Molly let out a little cough.
"And Molly, let's go wet this baby's head."
As soon as they got to The Garrison whiskey and beer was ordered and the Shelby's took residence in the private room. The men drank the whiskey and Molly drank the beer.
"To beautiful women" Arthur said in a drunk toast, as Grace walked in to top the drinks up.
John downed the rest of the whiskey and slammed his glass down "I should go, I should go, It's my wedding night."
"Nah, nah, you sit down. You don't want to be around women when there's a baby comin, have another."
"Besides I think she's a bit bust right now" Molly said finishing the last of her beer off. She had only had the one, but she had long since lost count of how much her brothers had drunk.
Arthur raised his glass at Molly, the alcohol inside spilling over onto the table. "Good point."
"So, you think her husband will take the advice and stay away?" Grace asked refilling John's drink.
Molly frowned at the question.
"Would you like another?" Grace asked Molly.
Normally she'd say yes but with Grace an odd feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, she didn't trust the woman "No."
"Ah, no. Freddie will be there. Nothing will keep him away" John said his words slurred "Tommy said it's alright for him to be there. Isn't that right Tommy!" John yelled as Tommy rejoined them.
"That's right, I'm all heart tonight" Tommy said stealing a quick glance at Grace.
As Grace left the room Arthur and John burst out laughing.
"You know what John boy?" Arthur said wrapping his arm around John's shoulder still laughing "I think it's that lovely barmaid, that pretty barmaid that's just walked out, that's made our brother go all soft."
"Drinks to that" John slurred.
Molly reached over and stole the beer in front of Tommy and drunk from it. She was glad Tommy was happy of course she was but Grace, there was something...not right. Maybe if she got the chance to speak to Grace, she would be able to truly tell.
At the point Arthur and John decide to sing was when Tommy removed himself from the private room in favour of the bar.
After two songs, Molly joined him.
"They're very drunk" she said to him.
"I don't think there worried about it right now" Tommy replied "maybe in the morning they will be."
"Would you like me to open that champagne now?" Grace asked.
Before he could answer the door to the Garrison flew open and Polly stormed in.
"It's a boy" she announced but there was on joy in her tone, only anger.
Arthur and John stagged out the private room as Polly charged at Tommy.
"Pol? Polly?" Woah, woah, woah" Tommy said in a panic as he held her back. Arthur and John seemed to temporarily sober up and managed to pull her away.
Molly sat on her bar stool, frozen in shock unsure what she could do to help.
"But the police came and took the father away!" Polly yelled; Tommy looked shocked "don't you dare look at me like that!" She wrenched herself free of Arhtur and John's grip and spat at Tommy's feet. "You liar!"
She left the pub and a few minutes later without a word to Tommy Arthur and John left to.
"Tommy" Molly whispered. How had everything gone so wrong so quickly? Had Tommy really sold Freddie out on tonight of all nights? Tommy startled looked away from the door to his sister like he had only just remembered she was still there but of course she was still there.
"Tommy-" she cursed herself with what she was about to ask but she had to know "did you tell the police bout Freddie?"
A look of hurt flashed across his face "no."
Molly looked at him, really looked at him and that little feeling she got whenever someone lied around her never appeared. "I believe ya."
But if Tommy didn't call the coppers, then who did?"