Sunbeam

31) Bar Fight

"Kezia, hopefully you've had time to calm down," Arthur Senior says, approaching his eldest daughter. He'd spotted her as soon as he'd stepped foot into the Chain with his eldest son.

"What are you doing here?" Kezia asks.

"Arthur here suggested I probably shouldn't go to the Garrison, so here I am, no ulterior motives, just thirsty," Arthur Senior states, clapping a hand on Arthur's shoulder, "let me get you both a drink."

"I don't want anything from you," Kezia scoffs, glancing at her brother, "what are you doing?"

"Getting a drink?" Arthur replies confused.

"I meant with him, you blundering idiot," Kezia states, "this whole chasing his affection and attention may have been understandable a decade ago, but not now, you're fucking everything up."

"He's your brother, don't you speak to him like that," Arthur Senior intervenes, watching Kez finish her drink and slam it down on the counter, turning to him, just glaring for a moment before shrugging, "fuck off and go die."

"Kez," her eldest brother scolds.

"It's alright, son," Arthur Senior chuckles, "wouldn't expect anything else from this fucking dyke, still going around snogging girls? You're a filthy mistake, it's no wonder nobody loves you."

Kezia doesn't think twice before swinging at him, punching him square in the face causing him to stumble backwards, whilst she reaches for the barstool she'd just been sat on, raising it to smash over his head but being stopped by Arthur who was struggling to stop her from smashing the chair over their father.

"Kez, you don't want to see him, fine, don't, but this ain't the answer to your problems," Arthur says, as Kezia lets up her hold and he finally manages to wrestle the chair from his sisters grasp.

"You're defending him even after that?" Kez asks, "it's great to know where I stand with you, great to know what I am to you- a fucking filthy unloveable dyke."

"Kez, you know that's not what I think," Arthur sighs.

"Really? Because if that was anyone else, I wouldn't have had time to reach for the chair let alone throw a punch because you already would have, if anyone else said that to me, you'd give no second thought to them being killed," Kezia states.

"He's our dad," Arthur says.

"That excuse is getting real old, Arthur," Kezia scoffs, "you were the one complaining that you had already lost a sister, well, Arthur, by defending him you've just lost the other, and that is completely your fault, congratulations."

"Just let her go, she ain't worth it," Arthur Senior says, wiping the blood from his nose.

Arthur seems conflicted as he looks between his father and sister, bowing his head, "I'm sorry."

"Right," Kez nods, starting to walk away, stopping when she hears a loud crash behind her, Arthur had grabbed the chair and smashed it over their fathers head, standing over their father who was now on the floor, "she is worth it. She is to me."

Arthur Shelby Senior quickly pushes himself to his feet, grabbing one of the wooden shards and shoving his son up against a pillar, "you're a fucking disappointment, son."

"I'm glad," Arthur replies, "I'm realising now that I'd rather be a disappointment than be anything like you."

Kezia gets between them, pushing her father away from her brother, "come on, Arthur, let's go."

"He's already given me what I need, ain't that right, boy?" Arthur Senior chuckles, "never wanted you for anything else."

"You were just here for the money?" Arthur asks, "everyone was right."

"You gave him money?" Kezia questions and her brother shamefully nods.

She grabs an empty bottle from one of the tables, slamming it over her fathers head, the glass shards shattering to the floor, as she holds the sharp remains of the bottle neck to his throat, "hand it over."

"...no," he says.

"Don't think I'll hesitate to fucking shoot you," Kezia states, beginning to pat his jacket to feel for the wad of cash the other hand still holding the bottle to his throat. She locates it in one of his pockets, pulling out every single note and shoving all but one into her pockets, the spare she places on the bar, "for a new chair."

"Let's go," Kezia says, grabbing her brothers arm and dragging him out of the pub, "you're a fucking moron, but... thank you."

"I-I should've listened," Arthur stutters, "I'm sorry."

"You should have listened," Kezia nods, "but you've come to your senses now, before too much damage was done. You will be handing this money back to Tommy and you will be telling him the stupid thing you did."

"Yes Kez," Arthur says, following after his sister who was storming back towards their house.