CONTRARY - FINN SHELBY X READER; PART 47
(I forgot to copy some chapters onto here shhh)
You woke up to an urgent pulling of your hair, and sat up. One of the twins. Isaac. He gave you a cuddle, and you held him a bit tighter than necessary, then got out of bed, balancing him on your hip. You headed into the bathroom, washing your face, and wiping Isaac's with a baby wipe. The house was painfully quiet.
You poked your head into the nursery as you passed it. Rosalie was gone. Finn probably had her. Or Isiah. He had come to stay at yours for a bit. It was too painful for him to stay there, at the house that he and Ezzie had made their own. You didn't blame him. You hadn't been in Bonnie's apartment or vardo yet. You didn't want to.
You headed downstairs, sighing at the fact that there was no noise. Saoirse would usually be humming, or giggling, or reading a story to the babies and animals, or playing an instrument, or singing, or talking. Just making noise. But the only noise was the cat meowing. You shook your head to rid yourself of the sad thoughts, not wanting to ruin your day before it started.
You hummed, although it wasn't nearly as nice as Saoirse used to, and entered the kitchen, where your daughter was up in her high chair, and your other son was sat at the table, both of them eating toast. Your husband was sat with a vacant look on his face. He looked more than tired. He looked exhausted, and you knew it wasn't just a physical one. Finn had lost two of his best mates in the one go.
"Finn?" You said softly, putting Isaac next to Finley, who gladly grabbed some of his brother's honey covered toast, even after Finley tried to swat his hands away.
"Just â tired," Finn explained hoarsely, and you pursed your lips and nodded.
You made your way around the table to your husband, and leaned down, giving him a quick kiss, then pulled him into a tight hug.
Finn placed a hand on your knee, and squeezed it thrice, grabbing his coffee with his other hand.
"I love you too," You replied, grabbing the mug next to his own and sipping it, knowing it was meant for you.
"You staying home again?" Finn asked, feeling a bit more normal after his cry.
"Yeah, I think Jeremiah has things to do so one of the girls and I will be watching Jeremy and Bon-Bon." You explained, and your husband nodded.
Isiah needed a bit more help with the babies now that Ezzie was gone, and you were all too willing to help out with your niece and nephew, and so was the girls from your netball team. They were all absolute godsends, always bringing around food and offering to watch the babies and taking Saoirse to and from school, even though it was all out of their way.
"It's Poll's birthday today," Finn informed you, and you swore, then walked over to the fridge, grabbing a small box off of the top of it.
"Can you give her this just in case I don't see her?" You asked, and Finn nodded.
Rosalie, now done with her toast, squealed, wanting to get down.
"No, you're in baby jail because you keep on opening the baby gates!" Finn chastised his daughter, wagging a finger in her direction, and Rosalie giggled.
"Oh, Finn, don't put her in baby jail! She's just exploring, right ring-a-round the Rosie?" You defended jokingly, going and getting your daughter out of your chair, bringing her over to sit on your lap.
Finn reached over and grabbed the boys' toast, and told them to come around the table to the three of you. They did so. Finn balanced the pair of them on his legs, and listened as Rosalie babbled to the twins, and Finley babbled back to her, throwing in some of his big boy vocabulary in there, telling her about his adventures with 'Untle Tarl' in the 'orch' (they picked 'appas' together, according to Finley).
You scolded Finley when he said a certain four letter word starting with 'f', Finn just laughing, knowing that his uncle Arthur most likely taught him it (you had walked into Linda and Arthur's once and caught Arthur encouraging Finley to swear â "Come on, Finley, say 'fuck' and I'll give you a chocolate!" "...Buck." "Close enough, mate.")
"We'll get through this," You told your husband, who nodded, but you weren't sure how you would or how long it was going to take.
You just knew that you'd get through it somehow.
Thomas and Polly approached the group gathered in Charlie's yard.
"Happy birthday, Poll," Finn greeted, giving his aunt roses and a kiss on the cheek.
He then fished around in his pockets and gave her the box.
"From (Y/N) and the rest," He said, then stepped away from Polly, and Curly approached her.
"You grow grand in the horse shit, Poll," He congratulated in his own little way.
"Curly, pour some beer, aye?" Tommy asked, and Curly scuttled off to do it.
"The train to London leaves in an hour. Arthur, Michael, you're coming with me," Tommy said, trying to light his smoke.
"Tommy, I have to take Gina to the hospital today." Michael interjected, and Finn tried not to roll his eyes.
"A week ago, three members of our family were killed by Jimmy McCavern. The man we're going to speak to in London is establishing a relationship with Jimmy McCavern," Tommy took the beer that Curly offered, "So, cancel your appointments, and Ada can take Gina to the hospital."
Isiah bristled at this information, and Finn put a hand on his shoulder. He wanted to go with them too, but he knew that it wasn't the right time, or that he wasn't the best man for it.
"'Cause that's what women do," Arthur added, making Isiah scoff as he took a draw from his cigarette.
"Clean that shit off your shoes before you get in me car, aye?" Tommy told his cousin, taking a puff of his own cigarette.
Michael looked at him in a way that said that he wasn't impressed with his older cousin.
"Michael, they will give it and give it until your case is proven, and then they'll take it. From you, but mainly from me." Polly said, looking at her son, then at her nephew.
"Polly, you go to the hospital and speak to Aberama Gold. You tell him there is a strategy in place to avenge the death of his son and daughter, so not to do anything rash. And take with you the heartfelt condolences of the whole family," Tommy instructed his aunt, making Isiah frown.
Isiah knew Tommy meant his words, that he was truly sorry that Esmeralda and Bonnie had died, but couldn't the man say it with a bit more emotion?
"Why me?" Polly questioned as Tommy took a sip of his beer.
"Because Aberama Gold is in love with you. He even got an haircut," Tommy replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "And the smell of your perfume might help ease his pain."
Finn's mind drifted to you teasing him about Aberama being his 'favourite uncle', and he fought the urge to snicker.
"Tommy, I'm forty-five years old today." Polly informed her nephew, clearly not having it.
"Forty-five years old and still breaking hearts, eh?" Tommy said, and Arthur said a 'yeah' in agreement.
"To Polly," Tommy announced, raising his glass.
Everyone else followed suit, raising a toast for the matriarch of the family.
"Curly, organise two wagons to take the souls of Esmeralda and Bonnie Gold's souls to heaven," Tommy commanded, and Curly nodded, "Isiah, fetch his boxing gloves from the gym to burn with his body. Grab anything from your house that Esmeralda would want gone up in the smoke with her."
"Ezzie," Isiah muttered softly, knowing how much his wife hated being called by her full name.
Finn clapped Isiah on the shoulder, and led his best mate to his car, not wanting to leave him alone.
You bounced Rosalie and Bonnibel on your knees as you read them a story, the boys drawing on a piece of paper with Dorothy. A car pulled up outside, and the dogs started barking. Finn Junior hopped up onto the bay window seat to see who it was.
Dottie walked over to the window to see who it was.
"Mary Bone and her baby," She announced, and grabbed the girls off of you, allowing to go and answer the door and tell the dogs to stop barking.
Mary came up the walk, the setting sun making her look all the more gorgeous, cradling a baby wrapped in a purple blanket. You welcomed her in, and ushered her to the kitchen, putting on the kettle for the pair of you.
"Is this bubby then? Oh, gorgeous!" You cooed, and she chuckled, turning the baby in her arms so you could see them better.
"Her name is Cara," Mary stated, and you cooed even more, telling her how pretty and romantic her name sounded.
"She's going to be a heartbreaker when she gets older," You said jokingly, going and grabbing two teacups and putting sugar and teabags in them.
"Hope not â I hope she'll be like her father, falling in love with the one woman and staying with her," Mary replied, and you grinned at her.
"Who's the father? You didn't tell me you were in love!" You complained, going and grabbing the biscuits from the pantry.
"I'm not the one he's in love with," Mary admitted, and you clucked your tongue sympathetically.
"Oh, Mary. Any man would be lucky to have you," You consoled, and grabbed the chocolate you stashed earlier, then going and sitting back across from her, snapping it in half and giving her the big piece.
She took it gratefully, and you pulled over Jeremy and Bon-Bon's stroller, Mary setting Cara down in it after you reclined the back of it. You got up and poured the now boiled water into the teacups, and milk, then carried them back over to the table, setting Mary's down in front of her.
"I didn't just pop around for a visit," Mary said as you settled back into your own chair.
"Oh?" You asked, confused, looking over at the woman as she rocked her child back and forth in the pram.
You picked up your teacup and took a sip.
"Cara; she's," Mary began, but paused, then sighed, looking away from you, "She's Finn's."
You gasped, and your grip on your teacup loosened, sending it clattering onto the table, sending lukewarm liquid pouring across the table and into your lap.
"What?" You questioned, your voice quiet, eyes narrowed at the woman across from you.
"She's Finn's," Mary repeated, still not looking at you.
"How dare you," You said through gritted teeth, standing up and making you way around the table to her, stopping in front of her.
She still didn't look at you.
"As if Finn would touch the likes of you â He has a wife. My husband would never," You spat, "And the next time you accuse my husband of that shit, you look me square in the eye."
Mary looked at you, and smirked, "Well then maybe you don't really know your husband, because on those nights you'd stay home while he and Isiah were out drinkin', he'd come and seek me out, and we'd head to darkest corners of the bar."
You scoffed, rolling your eyes as you picked up the teacup in front of Mary.
"I'm serious, (Y/N)." Mary continued, standing up, following you across the room to the sink, "He wanted to feel the touch of a real woman. One he wasn't forced to marry."
"Well, he seems to enjoy my touch, we've got three kids to show for it," You snarked, not missing a beat, turning to face Mary, "And you'd hardly be able to call yourself a real woman after saying you slept with my husband."
"Oh, but I am," She replied, feeling terribly bold, "See, the difference between me and you, (Y/N), is that you're a girl, and I'm a woman. You dress yourself in whatever's fashionable, change with the trends you know, you paint your nails silly colours-"
"Yellow's my favourite colour," You interjected quietly, looking down at your now cracked nail polish.
"-And you're still graceless. Awkward. However, I, the proper woman I am, I don't keep up with the styles. I dress in clothes that suit me and my body, I don't change just because something new is in style it all cycles back anyway, I paint my nails sensible colours, not childish yellow, of all things, and I have grace only you â and other little girls â could dream of," Mary finished, and you looked down at the ground.
What she said was true. She was five years your senior, three years Finn's senior. She was Ezzie's friend first, but got roped into your friend group easily. You never got on with her as well as the others, just because of your age difference, and partly because you were jealous of her.
She never walked into a room, she floated, her dress billowing around her, she never talked, she chimed, her voice sounds so angelic that it would be a crime to say she just talked, and every move she made was so precise, so calculated, that you'd think she was dancing. She never missed a beat, stepped out of formation. She was perfect, in every sense of the word.
Now that you were thinking about it, Finn could've slept with her. You wouldn't blame your husband, either, if you were single and she swung your way you'd try to bed her without hesitation.
She was gorgeous. You doubted her story of her sleeping with Finn a little less now.
"Here's what we're going to do," You said abruptly, wanting to stop your train of thought before it got worse, "We're going to get a blood test, to see if the baby has a blood type that could make her Finn's daughter. If she does happen to have a blood type that could make her my husband's daughter, then we're going to get Polly Gray to do paternity test. Our way. The gypsy way."
"If, and that's a big if, Cara is Finn's daughter, then I'll make sure you get money. I'm bad but I'm not fucking cruel," You reassured her, then dipped your finger in her tea.
After finding that it was lukewarm, no longer boiling hot, you threw it on her, the soggy teabag hitting her square in the face.
"Now, you absolute harlot, get the fuck out of my house before I grab a knife from the drawer and stab you with it," You threatened, placing the teacup into the sink, and she nodded, scurrying across the room and picking up her daughter, then hurrying out of your house.
You watched her leave out the window, and sighed, going over to the table and packing everything up, washing up the teacups and wiping up the spilt tea with a wet rag. You sniffled as you did so.
"Fuck Mary Bone, fuck her and her being so fuckable â and fuck anyone else who looked at my husband!" You ranted to the four walls as you scrubbed at the floor violently, then threw the rag up into the sink.
You were too mad to cheer when it made it in.
"Dot, you alright in there? I just need a minute!" You called out, your voice cracking as you did so.
"Yeah, they're all getting tired now, you're right!" Dorothy hollered back, packing up some of the toys the kids were using.
You thanked God that you had a friend like Dot, then the phone rang. You sprung up to answer it.
"Hello?" You croaked, and winced at how bad you sounded.
"(Y/N)! Baby!" Finn shouted, and you sighed, knowing your husband was probably off his face on booze and snow, "Solve an argument between me and Billy here, yeah? Now, when you mop, you - you vacuum the floors first, right?"
"Yes, Finn, you vacuum the floors first," You huffed, wiping your eyes with the back of your hand.
Finn whooped over the other side of the phone, "I told him that! Hey â you don't sound too good. D'ya need me home?"
"I'm fine, you stay out," You reassured your husband, not wanting him to come home yet.
"Okay. Love you, see ya when I lay eyes on ya next," Finn said, then hung up the phone before you could even reply.
You tsked, and sighed, heading out of the kitchen and up to your room to change clothes.
Finn stumbled into the stables, to the cot you always had set up for him when he came home shitfaced. He woke up still drunk this morning, so he decided that it was best to sleep it off before going to you and the kids. He had to tell you that Tommy wanted Billy to stay with you and him, so he could keep an eye on the man.
Finn heard someone clear their throat, and he looked up. You were sat on the cot, an unimpressed look on your face.
"Hi," Finn greeted quietly, and you gestured to the bale of hay next to you.
He went and sat there, confused. Usually you'd just leave him be.
"Finn, in ten days' time, you're getting a blood test because Mary Bone came here yesterday and said that her new baby was yours," You told your husband, not wanting to beat around the bush.
"What?" Finn asked, feeling dread creep up inside of him.
"She said you slept with her, and that her child is yours," You repeated, looking at your husband, "She's wrong though, isn't she?"
Finn studied your poker face, and shrugged, making your jaw drop.
"I'm fairly sure she's not," He said hurriedly, "But I'm usually too shitfaced to remember anything."
"Finn Theo Shelby!" You thundered, "If you got her up the duff I'm taking the kids on the road!"
Finn stood up, albeit with a struggle.
"You can't do that to my kids!" He protested, and you scoffed.
"I can and I will," You challenged, "I've got more right over them than you do, and you know it."
Finn stayed silent, mulling over your words.
"And if you have a problem with it, then you should go to Tommy, although I don't think Tommy would care about it," You snapped, and Finn looked utterly wounded.
You touched a nerve. You knew it.
"Get out," Finn hissed, and, instead of apologising, you plumped Finn's pillow and walked out of the barn, leaving your husband there in his misery.
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