The Hanging Noose

Thirteen

There was a slight rift between Dottie and Micheal. Micheal had tried to hug his sister, but she pushed him away, taking a bottle of vodka up to her room. Polly had watched the interaction, allowing Dottie to leave the living room before she berated Micheal.

Dottie came back down two hours later. She had on an emerald flapper type of dress, it hugged her body in all the right places. Her hair was perfectly styled, her legs covered with some tights. She had on her favourite pair of boots, much to Polly's dismay.

Polly had driven the silent siblings over to the Garrison in Small Heath. Once she had pulled up, she had forbid either one from moving.

"Right," she says, taking the keys out of the engine ignition, "I want you two to talk. You need to be okay with each other."

Micheal fumbles with his hands whilst Dottie looks out the window.

"I have done everything for you." Dottie suddenly says, very quietly as she stares out the window. "Everything i have ever done has been for you... and now you don't need me."

Micheal's mouth becomes dry. He clears his throat. "I do need you, Thea."

"Do you know how much you've hurt me?" She asks, her voice cracking.

Polly frowns, trying her hardest from saying anything. She swallows a lump in her throat.

"Thea, I will always need you. But I need you as a sister. You don't have to be a parent anymore." Micheal responds, causing Dottie to sniff. Micheal groans, the frustration growing within him.
"Mum. Help me out."

Polly let's put a exhausted sigh. She grasps hold of Dottie's hand, stroking the skin softly with her thumb.
"Sweetheart, Micheal still needs you."

Dottie shrugs, "whatever. Can we go in now?" She doesn't wait for answering, opening the car and slamming it shut once she's out. She walks up to the Garrison doors, and turns round, looking for Polly and Micheal.

Micheal runs his hands over his face.

"She'll get over it," Polly says, expecting Micheal to agree, however all he does is huff.

"She's stubborn as fuck, Mum. No she won't, she'll bring it back up later tonight."

Dottie taps her foot against the cobbles, crossing her arms over her chest. Micheal and Polly both exit the car, joining the girl together before they enter the pub as a trio. Micheal smiles as the whole family greets him upon entering the snug. Dottie is pulled in fo Ada's arms, and then in to John's arms, then Tommy's.

Arthur smugly hugs her next, and she scans the snug. Her eyes fall on Reggie Smith.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" She asks harshly to Arthur, yanking him close to her lips by his sleeve.

Arthur looks round, looking at Reggie before he looks back at Dottie. "I thought I should make him part of the family. You know, if you're going to be seeing him. Mhm."

Dottie raises her eyebrows. "I slept with him. That's all."

"I— uhh... I don't want to know, Dots," Arthur stammers before he looks towards Micheal. He tugs his sleeve away from Dottie's hold.
"Hello young Micheal! Finally eighteen," he says, throwing an arm around his shoulder, "how does it feel eh? You're an adult now! Let's celebrate."

Dottie grasps hold of Ada's thin wrist. She yanks her out of ten snug, closing the door as Tommy clears his throat.

"Eh," Tommy interrupts, "give him mild only. Don't want him late tomorrow morning."

"Reggie fucking Smith is in there," Dottie explains, looking at Ada with wide eyes, "I-I'm sorry for grabbing you."

Ada tilts her head, "oh Dottie... was he the bloke..." her words trail off as Dottie nods.

Ada smiles softly to her younger cousin. She lifts up her hand to push back a couple of strands of Dottie's dark hair behind her ear.
"You could do a lot worse."

"Ada!" Dottie exclaims, trying to hide her smile.

"Eh? Don't shoot the messenger, but he's lovely. Been helping the Blinders out for a while, he's a good lad."

"What's Micheal going to think?" Dottie asks causing Ada to frown.

"Why? It's none of Micheal's business."

"We had an argument," Dottie looks down to her shoes, "he doesn't need me, and that's fine but... but I'm struggling. With this. With having a family, you know. It's always been just us two, and now—"

"Now you've got cousins and a mother?" Ada finishes causing Dottie to lift her head up. Ada's heart breaks as she looks at the tearful younger girl.

"It feels like he's forgetting about me."

Ada lets out a forced chuckle, "oh you silly woman. Come here," she responds, pulling Dottie in to her chest and wrapping her arms around her. "Micheal will never forget about you. Not now, not tomorrow and not in fifty years time. He will always need you, you dopey mare."

Dottie half smiles, her head crushing against Ada's chest, Ada's heartbeat soothing her worrying and loud head. 

Ada lets out a sigh, rubbing her hands up and down Dottie's back. "You've got us now, as well. You've got me. I've never had a sister, I've always wanted one," Ada pulls her head back, taking a look at the girl, "I hope you can trust me like a sister. Mmm?"

Dottie nods as Ada cups Dottie's face, her thumbs wipe away any stray tears.

"Now don't cry," Ada coos quietly, "you're too pretty to cry. Plus your handsome man is waiting for you."

Embarrassment runs up to Dottie's cheeks. She glows with redness, "he's not my man."

With a small smirk, Ada wags up and down her perfectly plucked eyebrows. "Not yet, but he will be."

"Oh shut it."

She grins, stepping back, "now go on. Go back in. You look perfect."

Dottie nods, "thank you, Ada. I mean it."

Ada screws up her nose, as if she's saying not to worry, before Dottie lets out a large breath and opens the snug door. Micheal now sits between John and Tommy, with Polly talking to Finn and Arthur walking away from the hatch with a gray in his hands. He uses one hand to place a decanter down in front of Reggie, then does the same for the last two decanters and for the table filled with Shelby's.

Dottie rolls her eyes as she looks at Reggie Smith, who sits smirking at her in a black suit. He had a white shirt on underneath, hiding his tattoos only Dottie knows about.

"Hi," she says, moving across the room to sit next to him. "How did you manage to convince my cousins that you could be in the same room as me?"

Reggie tilts his head towards Dorris. He lifts up one of his legs, placing his ankle down against his knee. Dottie looked down, noticing the veins in his hands popping tightly against his porcelain skin.

"I had to bargain my way in," Reggie says, his voice just as smooth as it was the night they slept together. "Had to convince your cousins, a lot. Have to do some extra shifts."

Dottie nods, "but it's worth it?"

Reggie nods, leaning his head down. "Anything to spend five minutes with a princess."

Dottie's stomach flips as Reggie smiles at her, lifting up his hand to push her hair back behind her ears.

"You look stunning tonight. Like a film star."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhm," Reggie responds, leaning down slightly, "my trousers are getting tight."

Dottie turns her head, a smile working it's way ip to her lips. She hits his chest, "can't ever be cute for one second, can you?"

He shrugs, "well... I didn't get you in to my bed by being cute, and I don't intend to start. Now, what do you say about ditching this?"

Dottie hums.

"I've got a bottle of champagne at mine."