The Poisoned Rose

Chapter Seven

Polly walked into the nursery to see Rose sat on the floor with Katie, Charlie and the three other children of John. The six of them were playing together and all seemed to adore the woman. Polly joined them on the floor and began to play too, "The Balton's are here." Rose nodded at her before tickling Charlie. "You're good with children."

Rose smiled at her, "When I was young I always dreamed of having children."

"Not now?" Polly asked curious in the girl.

"I don't want any more children having to be mixed up with this business." Rose said.

"What about after when your family falls?"

Rose thought for an moment. "I don't think there's anyone for me to have children with." She helped the smallest boy of Johns - Jack - build up a tower of blocks. "Well done!" The young boy giggled as he watched her.

"Rose, can we all build the biggest tower?" Katie asked her with a small smile.

"Of course we can!" Rose told her as they all would play a block down then another one until it was getting very large, in the end for some of them she would pick them up so they could place one on.

Noise was heard from the outside so Polly walked over to the window, "The Balton's are leaving."

Rose picked Charlie up so he could place one on and then shouted to the rest of the children, "Quick, move back, it's going to fall." All the children ran back and burst into laughter as the tall tower fell down.

All the children came and hugged Rose's legs, "That was so fun!" Jack told her.

Lizzie walked into the room and was taken back with the mess she was met with, "Tommy wants to see Charlie."

"I'll take him down." Rose said as she was already holding him. "Children start to clear the blocks up, I'll be back up soon."

"Bye Rose." They shouted to her as she began to make her way downstairs.

Lizzie opened the door for her and Rose walked into the living room - Charlie was playing with her necklace - the men were all discussing something. "Here you go." She passed the boy to Tommy.

"Hello." Tommy grinned at his son. "Thank you."

"What was all that noise?" John asked her.

"We were building a large tower and it became too big so it fell."

"We?" John stared at her with an unknown look.

"The children and I." Rose told him.

"Did any of them get injured?" John worried about his children.

"I told them to run so no, none of them were hurt." Rose sat down next to Michael.

"How big did the tower get?" Tommy asked his son. Charlie put his hand out to show how tall it was. "Wow!" Tommy smiled at his son.

Rose watched the father interact with his son, a small smile playing across her face. "It was very tall."

"The Balton's were here." Arthur told her.

Letting out a sigh, she replied, "I heard."

"They've asked us to go and work with them." Tommy explained to her. "We accepted so now they trust us."

"So they should." Rose said. "How do they want to work with you?"

"We'll help them take on enemies and they'll tell us everything they hear." Tommy said still holding his son.

"Good." Rose leant back in the chair and stared forward.

Polly entered the room, "They've almost finished tidying up."

Rose smiled, "They're being very quick."

"They want you to go back up and play with them again." Polly poured herself a drink.

"What will we do when the Balton's ask us to help them destroy the Crawford's?"

"You'll tell them you will when in fact you'll go and kill them."

"ROSEEEE." A voice was heard from the top of the stairs.

"How soon do you think they'll take to ask us?"

"Not too long I suppose." Rose replied.

Suddenly the door opened and Katie and Joe walked into the room, John turned to his children but they were busy staring at Rose, "We've finished tidying up!"

"Can you please come and play?" Joe asked her.

"Of course." She turned to the men. "I'll see you all later on."

Charlie then began to struggle in his fathers arms, "Play."

Tommy shouted to Rose, "I think he wants to go back upstairs and play." He then passed the boy to Rose. "Enjoy."

Rose then followed Katie and Joe back upstairs.

Tommy smiled as he turned to his brothers and cousin, "Looks like she's settling in well."

"The children didn't even acknowledge me!" John said while shaking his head.

"They're taken with her." Polly said. "It's the happiest I've seen them in a while."

Tommy stared at his aunt, "Has she ever had any children?"

"No. Apparently she wanted some though but I don't think she wants any now though."

"Shame." Tommy said. "John's been wanting a wife to look after his children."

"I don't think he wants her to be his wife so she'll look after his children." Arthur said while smirking. "He just wants her to be his wife." John went bright red as they all laughed.

"You'll have to wait to see what she does once the Crawford's fall." Tommy told him. "She might just disappear."

"I hardly except that will happen." Polly told them. "I think she quite likes it here."

"She does fit in very well." Michael Said.

"I think she's tired of business." John said. "I think she likes being with the children."

When he stopped outside of the nursery he heard laughter and the children all talking happily. "Another tower!"

Rose made her way to the door and opened it more to reveal John, "Come and play with your children."

John followed her in and sat down beside his children, "You think I don't spend enough time with them!" He whispered to her.

"I know you don't." Rose told him, "They adore you, that is very clear. But if you never spend any time with them then as they grow, they will come to resent you which is not what you would wish for at all."

Staring at her, he replied, "Why do you care so much?"

"Because I understand what it feels like to grow up hating the man I should have loved." Rose smiled as the children started to rebuild the tower, "And even though you deny it, you love them more than anything so it would crush you."

"I love them more than being a Blinder?" He questioned her.

"Honestly?" Rose asked, "You do. You're not exactly like the rest, you love the fighting and the killing but there's a small part of you that wishes to escape and to be good."

John raised an eyebrow, "Do you want to know what I think about you?"

"Go on."

"I think you are lonely and that even after all these years, you still crave to have a family that loves you and that you can care for them. You don't want to kill people, you want to look after them."

Rose laughed, "Really, I never took you to be a perspective man John Shelby."

"I never expected you to like children, yet here we are."

She smiled, "Yet here we are."