Mrs Gray

six.

six.
fire on fire

Shit was getting serious and fast.

Anna wanted nothing more than to nurse Michael back to health but after Arthur was a no show at an important business meeting, she knew she needed to step up. This became even more apparent after she found out why he wasn't there... two Italians had snuck into the factory and tried to kill him. Just another day for the Shelbys.

After much deliberation and Michael insisting he would be fine, she decided to begin working as usual again and spending evenings at the hospital with her little family.

It had all been decided but come the morning she was to go back to work, Anna was having second thoughts. As she applied her makeup, she could see Louis and Michael playing out of the corner of her eye. She would never get tired of watching them, Michael really was a perfect dad, who would've guessed?

He sensed her looking over and smiled up at her, a soft and genuinely happy expression on his face.

"Louis." He smiled, looking back at his son. "Where's mummy?" The small child turned to look at Anna with a smile which clearly resembled his dad's. "Louis, where's mummy?" Michael repeated, clearly wanting something more from the child.

"What are you doing?" Anna asked, confused as she walked over to the pair.

"Just watch! Louis. Mummy."

"Mummy!" The small child mumbled, looking up at her. He'd already said daddy of course but this was the first time she'd heard him say mummy.

"Awe well done baby." Anna beamed, picking up her child from Michael's lap. "When did you teach him that?"

"We've been practicing, haven't we Lou?"

"Mummy!" Louis said, still muffled but definitely more clearly now.

"I wish I didn't have to go in." Anna frowned, sitting on the edge of Michael's bed.

"Well you do. It'll be good for you, I promise."

"I don't want to leave you." She pouted, raising her hand up to cup his face and placing her forehead on his.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'll be here when you get back. The nanny will be here soon to take Louis anyway."

"You're right." She sighed, moving away from him, placing Louis on the bed next to his dad before leaning in to give Michael one final kiss before she would have to rip herself away from the both of them. "I love you both."

"We love you more." Michael smiled, placing an arm around Louis. "Bye mummy."

"Mummy!" Louis shouted as Anna left the room.

*

Anna began to think her decision may not have been for the best when she walked through the door and immediately heard her mother's raised voice. Once she'd rounded the corner, she saw that poor Lizzie was the victim of her mother's outburst this time.

"Good morning Anna Gray." Polly's voice was harsh and her stare was even more so.

"Full naming me, what have I done this time, eh?"

"Does Tommy know you're back working?" Polly asked, ignoring Anna's question. She most likely didn't have an answer, it seemed she just enjoyed being angry at people for no reason.

"No, I'll go see him in a bit."

Polly opened her mouth to respond but the sound of the door opening again distracted them all. Anna thought this was a blessing... until she saw who it was.

Linda.

"I said to Arthur while I'm in this fucking place I want something to keep my mind busy." She explained, putting her coat over the back of a chair and her hat on the table.

"What? You're going to take bets?" Polly looked over at the two equally confused women beside her in search of answers neither of them had.

"I've always been able to do addition and subtraction without pen and paper. But I'll need a telephone." The smug woman demanded.

"Linda." Anna spoke up, the three women moving closer to the blonde "this is a betting shop."

"Look. Arthur said yes. Tommy said yes."

"But did god say yes?" Polly interrupted, earning a stifled laugh from her daughter. "Gambling is a sin Linda." She taunted.

"It's not me that's doing the gambling. I'm just taking the bets."

"Well then." Anna spoke up again. "I'll be in my office." She looked smugly at Lizzie and Polly, knowing she could shut herself away from the woman while the others had to put up with her.

Shutting the door behind her, she sat back at her desk, enjoying the quiet for a minute. She could hear muffled shouting from the big room but chose to ignore it.

Her eyes wandered around the room, a small smile creeping onto her face as she reminisced on the countless memories her and Michael shared in this room. A wave of sadness washed over her as her eyes rested on his empty desk chair. She struggled to remember the last day she had worked without him. Must've been while he was in prison.

Sitting upright, she reached for the phone. One call to the hospital would be okay, right? He wouldn't annoyed at her checking up on him? She sat contemplating her decision for a second before Lizzie barged in the room, a wicked look painted on her face.

"Anna darling, you have to be here for this." Lizzie shook her head, leaving the door open as she walked away, hinting for the woman to follow her.

With a roll of her eyes, Anna placed the phone back on the stand and followed Lizzie out into the big room where Linda, Polly and a very uncomfortable looking Finn were sat around.

"Oh great." Finn threw his hands up in frustration when he saw his cousin come to join the conversation. "Yeah, lets get more people involved in this."

"Involved in what?" Anna smirked, leaning against a wall. Of course the women were up to something.

"We're getting Finn a whore." Linda piped up, looking very proud of herself.

"Excuse me?" She was not expecting that... especially not from Linda's mouth.

"He's a virgin." Polly informed her. "Oh, and he thinks he's in charge."

"Is that so?" Anna taunted, walking over to ruffle her baby cousin's hair, to which he quickly swatted her hands away, muttering 'get off' under his breath.

"So what do you reckon?" Lizzie asked Anna.

"Do it. But not here. Think it's about time he grew a pair."

"Literally." Polly laughed, earning subsequent giggles from everyone but the embarrassed young blinder.