Dottie could see from the kitchen window of Polly's house the light in her house. She could vaguely see Isiah standing in the kitchen, just by the sink. He must be washing up, or maybe he's cleaning. Maybe the girls are napping, and he's having a well deserved cup of tea. Or whiskey. Either way.
Dottie's trance is broken when she hears Polly stomps down the stairs in a fit of anger.
"What did you do with them? My tablets were in the bathroom cabinet. What did you do with them?" She asks in a worried and fast voice, throwing daggers at Micheal as Dottie steps in to the hallway and then in to the sitting room following the commotion.
"I threw them in the lavatory." Micheal answers simply.
"Tommy's orders?" Dottie guesses, tilting her head as she leans against the door.
She knows her mother shouldn't be addicted to the tablets the prison gave her, however she wouldn't agree with Tommy anymore. The next day she agreed with him would be the day she died.
"No. My own decision."
Polly begins to panic straight away. Her hands fly up to her arms, her nails swatch against her skin. "How am I gonna get through Christmas without them? They close everything. How am I gonna get through Christmas without them?" She mutters, relating her slurring words.
"I'll help you." Micheal injects, grasping hold of Polly as she pulls on her hair.
"They don't open anything." Polly continues to ramble, "fucking no apocethary, nothing."
"You can move in with me and I'll help you." Micheal tries again, however Polly crouches down, trying to pull away from his grasp.
Polly manages to pull away one arm. She grasps hold of one of the champagne bottles Micheal had brought, and slings it across the room. The crystal bottle shatters against the wall as Dottie's jumps back.
Micheal freezes.
"How am I gonna get through fucking Christmas, without... without anything?" She continues to pull at her hair as Dottie's stomach churns louder.
Her mother's worried murmurs remind her of her own panic about Reggie Smith haunting her.
Dottie's quick to move when she thinks of how her mother helped her when she was much like this. She shoves Micheal out of the way, and wraps her arms around Polly in a loose grip.
"It's alright, Mama," Dottie coos, "it's alright, I can help. We'll get you off those wretched things. It's alright, you'll be okay."
"You can move in with me and I'll help you—"
Dottie glares at Micheal, quickly letting him know he's no help.
Polly begins to shake, rattling around in Dottie's embrace. "Fuck off. Fuck off. Fuck off, Thomas Shelby. Fuck off."
"It's alright, Mum," Dottie says softly, "it's alright, it's just me. He's not here, he can't hurt you, Mama."
Micheal frowns at the word Dottie uses so much. Mama. He cringes, not even knowing or remembering the last time he called anyone mama.
Polly's body shakes as she now clings on to Dottie. "I just want the tablets." She cries, burying her face in to Dottie's chest.
"It's alright, Mum," Dottie says again, rubbing her hands up and down Polly's back, "it's alright, I promise. We'll get through this."
She wants to believe she can, she wants to believe she can help her mum, however with Micheal rolling his eyes it becomes a challenge to think that she can help.
"Tommy said to believe in spirits with you but I can't." Micheal moans, causing Dottie to raise her eyebrows. She goes to speak, to criticise her brother but stops when a pair of heels can be heard tapping against the floor.
"Hello, Polly. Hello, Dottie. Hello, Michael. Merry Christmas." Ada says, frowning slightly at the mess of the sitting room. "Door was wide open."
"Fuck." Polly hisses, pulling herself away from Dottie. "I spent the whole day tidying up, I wanted it to be nice. I wanted it to look nice."
Ada smiled softly, taking hold of her aunts hands. "All right, Poll, it's only me. It's okay. It's okay, we can sit. Sit and talk, we'll put things back together. It's okay."
Micheal swallows a lump in his throat, "I'll leave you three to it."
"No, you stay." Ada argues back, "Now listen, something's happened. Things have changed. Today, everyone in the family received one of these." She fishes in her bag to grasp a Christmas card.
One very similar, if not identical, to the one Dottie had previously questioned Polly over.
"What does it mean?" Dottie asks, looking between her mum, cousin and brother. "No ones told me."
"Tommy's called a family meeting." Ada continues, ignoring Dottie's question. "He wants you three to come."
Dottie scoffs, "you can tell him fuck off from me."
"Dottie, everyone received a black hand today. Everyone is on the hit list—"
"I don't even know what a black hand means," argues back Dottie, "I'm not even in the family anymore, if you haven't noticed."
Ada tilts her head, "a black hand is a death threat, Dots. It's from the same family who shot Grace, do you remember?"
A snarl works its way up to Dottie's face, curling upon her lips. "Of course I fucking remember. He almost killed me too."
"Tommy killed the old man, and the so , Luca, now wants us all dead," Ada continues, ignoring Dottie's attitude, "now there's a family meeting. Do turn up, Dottie. We want you alive—"
"I want my family alive," Dottie snaps back, "I gave birth in a fucking prison, Ada, do you not understand that?"
Ada squares her shoulders, "Dots, you've been through alot, but—"
"There's no buts," Dottie replies, "my two children are sitting at home without their mum on Christmas Eve, because of him. All because of him, Ada!"
Ada goes to speak again but Dottie carries on.
"The moment you realise everything he touched turns black is the moment you will get away, I swear to Christ."
"Alright, Thea!" Tells Micheal, placing a hand on Dottie's arm, "alright, Thea. We know you've had a hard time, we know you gave birth in jail, but—"
Dottie stares at Micheal with a dark look upon her face. Almost like an empty glare.
The phone ringing stops the two Gray siblings from staring at each other. Micheal is the one to answer, lifting it up to his ear.
"Michael, they're coming today."
Tommy's cold voice can be heard all around the silent room.
Micheal responds, "it's Christmas—"
"No, Michael, shut up and listen. Gotta get everyone out, get Polly and Ada and Dottie to Charlie's Yard." Tommy orders, "I've told Arthur but I can't reach John. When you've dropped Polly, Ada and Dottie, go to John's place and get him out. All right?"
"Alright," Micheal agreed, place the phone back down on to the stand.
"What the fuck was that about?" Questions Polly, already glaring at Micheal.
"We gotta go back to Small Heath."
YOU ARE READING
The Hanging Noose
Fanfiction1921 a strange man came to the Johnson's family home. He had asked for Dorothea and Micheal to return home, giving their mother a chance. They agreed to go, travelling from Kent to Small Heath, and had agreed to stay together. After all, they had d...
