Amelia had been staying in her room for days, shutting herself off from the world and the rest of her family. Finn was the only one who noticed her withdrawal, and he soon told his older brothers about the girl's changed behavior. John, Arthur, and Thomas tried to get her to go out and join them, throwing parties and even starting fights to try and cheer her up, but nothing seemed to work. They were getting desperate for a solution and were worried about her state, afraid that she might do something drastic.
The girl sank further into her misery each day, not wanting to raise a child from her experience with Theodore, but perhaps it was her only chance to be a mother, something she had always desired. She was trapped inside her mind, unable to reconcile her conflicting thoughts and feelings, and felt lost and alone, not knowing how to find a solution. She was afraid of what might happen if she kept the child for her own desire, but she was also afraid of losing her chance to become a mother. Her confusion only grew and her depression worsened, and she didn't know what to do.
"C'mon, Amelia. It's Michael's birthday. Let's go to the Garrison for a few drinks and have a good time," John said, trying to convince his sister to come out.
"I don't feel like it. I don't want to see anybody." She just said, getting tangled in the sheets. Her brothers were on the other side of the door, but she could hear them sighing.
"You haven't seen us in days. We've been worried about you. This is your family, come with us." Arthur spoke this time, trying to open the door, but it was locked from the inside.
"I'll just ruin the mood, Arthur." Amelia sighed.
"Amelia, you're coming. You've been alone long enough. We're worried, don't you get it?" John rested his forehead on the door as he spoke, his tone growing desperate.
"I know you are... But I don't want people to see me like this. It's embarrassing." Amelia answered from inside the room.
"It's not about that, you're being selfish." Arthur added.
"Please, Arthur, let me be." The girl sighed once more, closing her eyes.
"Don't be a twat, we're not taking no for an answer." John insisted.
"Will ya stop bothering me if I go with ya?" She asked.
"Yes. Yes, for fuck's sake, just come with us. We're not letting you be a miserable loner like this, especially not tonight." John said.
"Alright, if it'll make you happy, I'll come." Amelia spoke as she stood up from her bed, staggering back a little and holding onto her nightstand tightly so as not to fall. Fortunately her brothers didn't seem to notice.
"Good then, get dressed, we're going out in 10 minutes." John said.
"Fine. I'll get ready now."
"Better bloody do. We won't wait for you if you make us late, you hear?" Arthur spoke in a louder tone, knocking once on the door.
"Oh, sod off." Amelia got dressed and prepared to go out for the night, finally opening the door and going out to meet her family. She was well dressed and looking better, but she still showed signs of stress and worry on her face. She was feeling a little anxious now that she was going to come out of hiding, but she put on a brave and optimistic face and hoped that everything would be okay.
Arthur, Amelia and John were walking towards the Garrison, talking along the way. Arthur tried to lift her spirits and get her to open up about what had been bothering her, but she remained silent and did not want to share her feelings. John simply stayed silent and watched his sister, wondering what could be wrong with her and hoping for the best.
"Come on, Amelia. You can't keep it all inside, you know? Talk to us." Arthur said, gently nudging his sister.
"I'm fine, honestly. I'm just tired, that's all." The girl shrugged her shoulders.
"Oi, listen now. We've known you for ages, girl. You're not a good liar, so cut the crap." John said in a stern voice, looking at her.
"Well, maybe I am lying, yeah? Maybe I'm not fine, but I don't want to make a fuss over nothing, alright?" Amelia spat at her brother, growing annoyed.
"Well, maybe it ain't just nothing. You've acted off for days, girl. Are ya in pain or somethin'?" Arthur asked as the girl shook her head, sighing.
"Just a bit sick, that's all. Don't ya worry about me." She said.
"See, that's what I'm on about. You're not yourself, you're acting weird and vague. Come on now, tell us. We're family, ain't we?" John spoke, placing his arm around his sister's shoulders.
"Let it fuckin' be, would ya?" Amelia entered the Garrison without another word, walking faster to get away from her brothers as she entered the private room and sat down next to her sister-in-law. Esme smiled at her and placed a hand on her leg.
John poured beer for the group, but Amelia refused to accept it. She sat silently and did not participate in the conversation, keeping her thoughts and feelings to herself. She seemed lost in her head, trying to compose herself and process everything that had been happening. She struggled to fit in and make sense of the world, feeling like she didn't belong there and like she was a stranger in her own family. She was having a hard time being there with others, finding it difficult to relate to them and their happiness and joy.
The room filled with applause, cheers, and laughter when Polly came in with the birthday boy behind her. Michael was the center of attention, his face beaming as everyone hugged him. Amelia looked on silently, unable to join in with the rest of the group, finding it difficult to be there, watching everyone celebrate and be happy. She felt out of place and uncomfortable, her worries and troubles weighing on her shoulders, making it hard for her to enjoy herself.
"Michael." Thomas spoke, giving the boy a black box.
"What's that?" Michael asked, opening it and showing a pocket watch.
"So you're never late for work." Thomas smiled at him.
"Welcome to the business, Michael." John patted his shoulder with a smirk.
"So he's in the business now?" Amelia spoke, everyone looked at her. "Helping create a respectable business?" She scoffed, her brothers scowled at her, but she kept her head held high.
"Amelia." Esme whispered making the girl sigh.
"Welcome to the business, Michael." She said shaking her head. After that, Amelia remained quiet, unable to contribute to the conversations or join their activities. The others were busy playing poker and enjoying their night out. She was struggling to find the energy or strength to join in, but she couldn't find the words to participate, and she just sat quietly, stuck in her own world.
She refused all the drinks that were offered to her, not sure if she was going to keep the child but determined to do nothing to harm it while it was still developing inside her. She held a sense of responsibility and guilt, feeling like she had to do everything she could to protect the unborn baby, even if it meant denying herself things that she wanted. She was torn between her emotions and her desire to be a mother, feeling stuck between two equally difficult decisions.
Amelia stayed lost in her thoughts until everyone began to move and leave the pub. She was the last one to leave, followed out by Finn. She continued to stay silent and lost in her thoughts as they headed back home, the only noise being she and her brother's footsteps.
"Well, that was a good night, wasn't it?" Finn tried to engage in a conversation as they headed home, his speech slightly slurred and his accent sounding thicker.
"It was." Amelia responded in a soft voice, still lost in her thoughts and avoiding looking at him. She was overwhelmed and worried, her mind filled with a mixture of emotions and thoughts, feeling exhausted and drained after what her life had been through, wanting to get home and just be alone.
"Come on, don't be a sourpuss. It was Michael's birthday, we had to celebrate. You should be happy about that, at least."
"I am happy." She said quietly, forcing a polite smile. Amelia didn't want to argue with her brother or start a fight, but she just wanted to be left alone right now. She was tired and frustrated, and was already dealing with the stress of her unwanted pregnancy.
Amelia looked up to see Theodore standing in front of her and her heart sank. She was scared and nervous, not knowing what to expect from the encounter. Esme, in front of them, looked annoyed, while John seemed happy with the situation. Theodore gave Amelia an apologetic smile and she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable and scared. She wanted to avoid any fight or confrontation, but that situation was too intense and difficult to ignore.
"Hey, Amelia." Theodore said softly, as if trying to be gentle and delicate in his approach.
"Hello," she spoke nervously, trying to keep her cool but feeling very anxious and uncomfortable. She looked away from him and didn't know how to react or what to say next. She felt like there was a lot of unseen tension between the two of them, and she didn't want things to get awkward.
Finn walked away, thinking that it was just a simple couple's fight. Esme tried to keep Theodore away from Amelia, but John pushed her toward the house. That caused a fight to break out between Esme and John. Amelia was caught in the middle, unable to do anything to stop the confrontation and feeling overwhelmed by the situation.
"It's alright, Esme. You can go." Amelia said softly, nodding at her. But Esme didn't let him approach, she kept Theodore back and gave him a nasty glare. She was determined to protect Amelia and was not going to let this guy hurt her again. Amelia saw the tension between them and felt more nervous and uncomfortable. She tried to keep her cool and not react, but she didn't know what to say or how to deal with that situation. "Please."
Esme finally let go of Theodore's arm, but she didn't take her eyes off him. She was still not going to let him anywhere near Amelia.
"I just need a few minutes with her alone. I promise, it's nothing bad. I just want to talk." Theodore spoke, looking at Esme.
"What's going on? What's all the fuss about?" John was confused by all the tension and conflict, wondering what was going on between his sister and her boyfriend, but he was too drunk to understand what was happening.
"Keep out of this, John, it's none of your business." Esme spoke, keeping John away.
"Wha- What are you talking about? It's my business, she's my bloody sister." He was slurring his words now and was mostly incoherent, unable to understand what was going on.
"Just go away, please." Amelia pleaded quietly. John was barely standing at this point, and was mostly relying on Esme's help to stay upright and able to walk. Esme continued to monitor the situation from afar, making sure that Theodore wasn't getting near or trying anything with Amelia, who was trying to stand her ground but feeling frustrated and stressed.
"Look, Amelia. I know I've been shitty to you. I've hurt you badly, and I know that. But I'm really sorry, I really am. I was going through a lot at the time, and I'm a different person now. Give me a chance to make it up to you. You don't know what I'm feeling, we could be so good." Theodore spoke once Esme and John were our of sight.
"No." Amelia said bluntly.
"But come on, please. Give me another chance. I don't wanna lose you, I love you so much. We can make this work, let's just try again. It'll be different this time, I promise." Theodore's tone grew softer, getting closer to Amelia.
"Alright, fine. But this is the last chance, alright?" She said softly, giving in but still feeling apprehensive about the whole situation.
"It's pretty late." The boy commented looking at his pocket watch. "You could come to my house get some rest."
"Yeah, sure. It's late, and I'm tired. I could use some sleep right now." The girl nodded, feeling exhausted. "But just sleep. Nothing else."
"Good, that's my girl. Let me walk you home." He offered his hand to escort her back to his house, and she accepted it reluctantly.
They arrived at his home, and he leaded her into his bedroom. She sat on the bed nervously and uncomfortably, not sure what to expect or how to act. He stood next to her, and she felt like she was trapped and vulnerable. Amelia was scared and nervous, wanting to leave but feeling like she couldn't.
"Amelia, look at me." He whispered gently, getting closer to her and trying to make her look at him.
"What do you want?" She murmured nervously, keeping her eyes on the ground and avoiding his gaze. She thought he was still going to try and manipulate her, and didn't want to let him have that chance.
"You've been avoiding me for weeks now." Theodore spoke in a whisper.
"I wasn't avoiding you, I've just been busy." She answered.
"Ah, busy and can't make time for me. I get it, I do." He took a snort of the white powder in his hand and smiled at her. "Want some?" Amelia shook her head. "Oh come on, you never want to have any fun. Lighten up, Amelia." He leaned back and looked at her, smiling. "Just let go, you don't have to be so uptight all the time." Theodore leaned in closer to her, his hand slowly moving downwards towards her neck and unbuttoning his pants. He whispered to her, his tone shifting towards a more sexual and intimate one. "Come here, no one will know. I know you want this just as much as I do."
"No. Please, stop." Amelia began to resist, trying to push him away, but he was persistent and kept moving forward. He pulled her close and presses himself against her, his hands moving along her neck and lower body. "Please, don't."
"Shhh... just relax, all it'll be so good for both of us..." He got closer to her, his tone turning angry and aggressive. Amelia could only sob as Theodore forced himself inside her, moving aggressively and panting.
Amelia felt trapped and powerless, like she had no control over her body. Her feelings of anger and resentment towards him were growing stronger, although she tried to suppress them for the sake of being back with her family, alive.