Staunch Fate

Chapter 9

The yelling seizes the moment Polly walks in, murder in her eyes. At her side, Michael starts pointing out people and names. Some she knows like Arthur who is about to start protesting but is cut off by an excited Ada.

"Is it her?" She points at Anna, and a small smile starts showing on her face.

"That's Sallyna Boswell." Arthur mumbles.

Polly draws it out as long as she can. Walking further in, looking at everyone and only then does she answer. "Yes."

Ada's the first to move. She envelopes Polly in her arms whispering to her. Arthur goes to Tommy who stands closer to the doors, still mumbling and glaring at her. John follows behind giving her a cheeky little smile which in turn makes Esme glare at her too. The uppity one her brother tells her is Linda, he waves at Finn to come closer. The young man hesitates for a moment, watching around at the others and after a moment of silent reflection, he walks to them.

"Anna, this is Finn our younger cousin." That earns him a glare.

"I thought she was dead." He tries to whisper at her brother.

"Really Finn." Michael exasperates while Tommy glowers over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He mumbles staring at the ground.

"He's got a point though." John comes to the rescue of his younger brother while Anna pats Finn's arm, gifting him a reassuring smile.

"I would know my daughter. You think I would let a fraud trick me?"

John looks at Arthur who looks right back at him, with a twitch to his mustache he points at her back.

Polly responds with her finest glares, pointing at the table. "Sit." She orders in a clipped tone and everyone follows but for Anna who lingers back with Tommy.

"You asked for this."

"You've got a point. I would have preferred to stay locked up at the mausoleum." She sarcastically replies.

"It's infinitely quieter." He brings her to the rest of their family with a hand on her back. Arthur is still weary of her.

"Arthur, bear. Haven't you missed me at all?" Another twitch of his mustache. "Are you still mad at me?"

"Never was I mad." He hesitates. "Not at you."

Tommy draws her chair. Everyone's eyes are on her except for Linda's who is whispering feverishly at her husband. It's like no one draws breath for a second before everyone is yelling again. Questions fly at her at Tommy and Polly too. Anna keeps quiet, smiling at Thomas as he tries to find his pack of cigarettes. Only Polly answers them.

"This must be overwhelming." Ada says to her.

"It's less mad than what I expected." John snorts at that.

"She's a witch." Esme tells them.

"It's nice to see you, Esme. Married too who would have thought." They glare at each other before they burst out laughing.

"You married yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Did he die on you?" Anna shakes her head, bringing out the misplaced pack Tommy is still searching for. He pretends to be unimpressed by her antics. Nonetheless, he offers her one and takes one for himself but before he goes searching for his lighter Anna has it already lit up in front of him. He leans in, eyes locked in on hers.

"Little thief." He says so quietly.

Polly watches them like a hawk, clearing her throat and bringing everyone's attention to her. "When should I be expecting you home?" They hesitate.

"Well, you see. We thought it best if I remained at Arrow house." Polly's feathers are ruffled. "Charles has gotten used to me living there. It would be unnecessary to upset him. We can see each other whenever we want after all." They are varying reactions to her proclamation. Ada has a knowing look in her eyes combined with a pitying smile. Arthur the poor sod seems oblivious and John's eyebrows are strung up seemingly doing all his thinking for him. Only Polly has a tight smile frozen on her face.

"If you think that's for the best." Her mother looks crestfallen.

Tommy clears his throat. "I'll be going to London this week. Anna and Charles can stay with you till I return." He gruffly tells her.

"If you'd have us."

"Of course. Yes. I missed that baby, haven't seen him in months." Tommy pointedly ignores her glare.

Linda says little if anything at all. Only glares at her with a fake smile. Esme and she reminisced about the rather violent rivalry between their clans, bursting out laughing at the embarrassing anecdotes they share. Ada is by her mother's side, whispering and holding her. Anna feels both joy and jealousy. Joy, for Polly, has someone close enough to understand her, and jealousy, of course, because if she wasn't taken, it would have been her there comforting her mother. Or maybe not.

Tommy is by her side, holding her hand hostage in his own on his lap. He ignores everyone or at least he makes it seem that way. Anna knows he listens to every word spoken and every breath taken. He is on edge. This side of his she hasn't seen before. She wonders how bad things are if he is feeling so uncomfortable amongst his family. He cracks a small smile, a lift of the corner of his lips nothing more at one of John's stories.

"You used to run away. Did you know that? Always running at Charlie's yard."

"Oh god, John. Yes. She would slip by Pol and run down the street as fast as her little legs could..." Ada takes over much to her brother's frustration.

"Not too fast." Arthur grunts.

"Ada used to play the mom. Spanking you in the middle of the street before returning you to a frantic Polly." John picks up the story but is again interrupted. Esme by his side pats him on the arm laughing at him.

"All the times she'd run away you'd think Pol would be calmer. But no. She was always running around and screaming herself hoarse." Arthur says gesturing wildly around.

"She wasn't even one when she first did it. What did you expect I'd do after I lost the baby." Polly huffs.

"Every time me and Arthur caught you, you would cross your arms just so." John demonstrates making Arthur laugh loudly.

"Yeah, and her glare was something fierce."

"Still is." Tommy finally joins.

"And what did you do?" She asks him in return.

"He would take you with him. To see your pony while he worked at the stables shoveling shit." John tells her smirking.

"Charlie was always happy to see you. Oi! Happy. That was the name of your pony. Wasn't it?" Arthur asks Polly.

"Yes, that blasted thing." She says crossly. "I still have your little stuffed horse. You couldn't sleep without it. Excuse me." Polly chokes up and runs out the front door.

"I'll go." Ada goes to stand up but Tommy stops her and follows Polly out the front door.

"It's a lot to take in." Arthur tries and Linda hums beside him. Strangely enough, she sounds both condescending and worried.