𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒊𝒓𝒆 » 𝐀. 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒

❝𝒗𝒊.❞

𝐞𝐬𝐭. 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧, 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

After overworking and ignoring her body, Nora woke up in excruciating pain. Her injuries were throbbing, and she was struggling to get out of bed. She notified Clara that she was putting herself on bed rest for a few days. By midweek, she was on her opium medication and dragging herself around her home. By midday there was a small knock on the door. "Just a minute," she mumbles. She rises from her couch and drags herself to the entrance as she slowly opens the door. Ada and Karl were at her door with bouquets of flowers and baskets of bread. "Oh hello there!" "Nora!" Karl cheers as he hugs his aunt's legs. Nora was too weak to pick up the little guy. "Oh Nora you look awful, come." Ada puts the bread and flowers down as she walks her to the couch. Karl climbs on Nora's lap as she swaddles him with a blanket. "What are you doing here, Ada?" Nora mumbles, confused, "Did Tommy send you?" Ada had moved out to live in a new fancy house Thomas had purchased. The house was a step up from her own, but she didn't know if she could genuinely trust Ada now that she and Thomas were back in frequent contact. Ada pours tea for them both, "You know we couldn't stay here forever, Nora." "I would've...I would've had you." "Even though I live there now, it doesn't mean you can't talk to me, like old times. I wouldn't have made it through if it wasn't for you." "Are the flowers and the bread your way of saying thank you?" "Well, no. I stopped by your office first, and they were sitting there, waiting for you." Nora smiles, knowing exactly who they're from.

"Thank you for bringing them over. It's good to see you." Nora sighs, hugging her little Karl. "Nora, you look sick, I think I should take you to the hospital." "Ada...I'm fine. It's gonna be okay. The tea helps." "When was the last time you ate?" "I don't... I don't remember. I'm fine, see?" She put Karl aside and stood up quickly. She felt her head spin before she crashed on the floor, passing out.

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Nora wakes up with the bright hospital and natural light hitting her eyes. She moans and whines as she notices her new bandages. "Not this..." She turns and finds Thomas standing over her. "Oh Christ." She spits as she sits up, "Ada called you. Of course she did." Thomas pulls up a chair and sits next to her bedside, "Alright, what happened?" "Don't worry about it." His face twitches in frustration as he strokes his chin. "You understand that I can't fucking help you-" "Who said I needed your fucking help! What are you even doing here?"

Thomas lights a cigarette as he takes a deep breath, "Come back to Birmingham-" "Absolutely not." "If you stay here, Sabini will attack you again." "How the fuck did you-" "You think I'd expand in London and not keep tabs on you, Nora. It's the only way I can sleep at night." Nora scrunches her face shaking her head, "I will not be going down this road with you. Sabini caught me lacking once, it won't happen again. I don't need you or your help. If he finds out that we're related that'll just make things worse for me and the girls and I can't have that." "Your gang of ladies?" "They're my family." Thomas scoffs, "Family...family, eh?" "That's what I said." "You'll leave them in a few years when things get tough then?" Nora threw a quick slap across his face, as tears stung her eyes. "You know exactly why I left. You know exactly what you could've done to make things right. But your reasons, your orders, you're the leader. You thought I would've been able to stay and do your bidding? I love my family. I love mum, I love Arthur John, Finn, Ada. But for you to not be there for me when I needed you most? And for everyone to take your side? It was the first time I realized in a long time that I'm not a Shelby by blood, and it hurt. I was in a position to remove myself from a place where I felt like I didn't belong. So that's what I did. And I landed on my feet with people who support me. Can you understand that?"