#ada thorne

Teddy had gone to Limehouse, London, after being explicitly forbidden to do so. Maybe she just wanted to do it anyway. Maybe she’d done it because she’d been explicitly told not to. Either way, after Finn had told Isiah he couldn’t, Teddy had agreed to go. Abarama didn’t care; he liked Teddy and he was happy to have her by his side. She was one of the best shots in the family. As they’d made their way through the crowd of kids, underneath the pretty lanterns almost obscured through the smoke and dirt of the place, Teddy and Abarama had followed Isiah into one of the decaying buildings. With one swift kick, he’d forced the door open. Teddy had sighed, tried to banish the image of her disapproving brothers from her mind, and followed inside.

They’d been carrying out an assassination, because Tommy had ordered them to “introduce themselves” to the criminals and local gangs of Limehouse. He’d asked Abarama to do the job for them, and Isiah had offered a helping hand. Naturally, Finn heard of it first and had wanted to help, but eventually thought better of it. Teddy had not. “So, a pimp, right?” the youngest Shelby had asked, as they’d passed by dozens of shocked women left and right. Maybe it was because she was a woman, but somehow that made the task a lot easier. Some of these women were not women at all: they were girls, and Teddy had gripped her gun even harder. And there he’d been: behind a red curtain. A tiny little girl had pointed them to him. And then everything had happened too fast. The first shot had come unexpectedly through the door. They’d crouched down low, but the second one came fast. Thank God for Abarama Gold and his gypsy magic of being able to walk through walls. And then it was done.

It had taken a while for Teddy to realize the second bullet had hit her.

*****

Everything was a blur after that. Ignoring Teddy’s protests, they were taking her to Ada’s apartment. Abarama simply picked her up and carried her up the stairs like she hardly weighed a thing. Once upstairs, Isiah stood still for a moment, looking around the apartment and admired all the fancy things acquired by the eldest Shelby daughter over the years. Teddy only worried about her reaction if they were to ruin any of said fancy things.

“Put something down for the blood,” Teddy hissed, “My sister’ll fucking kill me.” Isiah knocked over a vase in the process, “Fuck.” But Teddy reassured him, “Arthur gave her that, and she’s always fucking hated it. Don’t worry.” “No, do, indeed, worry,” a booming familiar voice came from the corridor and Ada entered the room. With a sigh, Abarama tossed the youngest Shelby onto the couch. Teddy cursed and Abarama ordered, “Get her some booze.” “Why?” Ada demanded, now joining them. Teddy tried her very best not to meet her sister’s eye, but she had this thing she did which made it almost impossible for anyone to ignore her. Aunt Polly used to do the same thing. Suddenly, Teddy didn’t feel so grown up with her 20 years of age now but felt very small again. Where the fuck was that man with the booze? Thank fuck Isiah appeared with a bottle, only for Ada to snatch it out of his hands before it could reach Teddy. “Fucking hell, Ada,” she groaned, “I need that!” She held the bottle just inches away from Teddy’s grasp, “Not before you tell me what happened.” “Nothing happened!” Teddy tried to reach for it, but was yanked back by Abarama, who told her, “You’re going to rip that bullet through. Sit still.”

“Nothing happened, but somehow you still ended up with a bullet in your arm. That’s funny, isn’t it, Mr. Gold?” Ada glared daggers at both gentlemen present. “I’ll go get Finn,“ Isiah mumbled, while quietly making his exit. He didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire. Actual bullets he could deal with; feuding Shelby sisters he could not. “It wasn’t his fault, Ada,” she groaned, “I volunteered.” “Of course, you fucking volunteered. You know, even since you were eight years old, you always fucking…” “Alright! Can you please do the whole fucking speech afterwards? I need Mr. Gold here to take out the bullet. So, Ada, please, just give me the fucking bottle!” With her signature eyeroll, Ada handed her little sister the gin, “Just wait ‘till I tell Tommy about this.” Teddy opened her mouth to protest, but Abarama had taken her arm and started feeling around for the bullet. It took everything in her not to scream. But she’d be damned if she’d give her sister the satisfaction. “Miss Shelby,“ Mr. Gold said conversationally, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to restrain your sister.” “I will be doing no such thing,” Ada took the bottle from Teddy’s hands and took a sip, “She made her bed, she can fucking lie in it.” “Ada!” “I mean it, Teddy. I’ve had enough. I go day and night worrying about a brother ending up dead, and now I have to worry about you too? No, fuck it. You can chop that arm off, Mr. Gold, for all I care. Might save her from the noose.” She seemed genuinely angry, and Teddy was too surprised to come up with a witty reply. Seconds later, Finn stormed in, with Isiah hot on his heels. “Teddy, what the fuck!” he bellowed. “Spare me. Ada already did,” Teddy ground out, but when she looked up, Ada was gone. She wasn’t given much time to process it all though, because Abarama ordered Finn to take hold of his little sister. “Are you ready?” he asked, throwing some of Ada’s most expensive gin onto his hands. “No, but hajt.”

Teddy felt Finn’s arms tighten around her, first like a hug, then like a chokehold. Teddy threw her head back and silently prayed to the Madonna. At first she didn’t feel much, but then the pain starting cutting through her. She clenched her teeth and hissed. “Look at your sister, man,” Isiah laughed. “Maybe she should be the new Peaky boy, eh?” “Shut up,” Finn replied from behind her, as Abarama was still digging into her arm, “It’s not like Tommy’ll let her live after this.” Teddy let out a sudden scream as Abarama tugged at her arm. “Do you even know what you’re doing? Teddy called out, “I’m not a fucking horse you know!” He pressed on the skin again to persuade the bullet to move, by way of reply. And Teddy let out another, “Tu beng,” through her teeth. Abarama only laughed at it, and added, “Well, the horse did die. Finn, hold her tighter. Now stop talking, bitta chavi.” And then he took the blade and cut open her arm, and Teddy didn’t have much to say anymore. And after a while, “Got it!“ He held the bullet up proudly. Finn slapped Teddy proudly on her back and his little sister grinned up at him. Apparently, he had forgiven her: that was one brother down. Unfortunately, that’s when Ada came back in and ordered them all to get out. Teddy got up to leave as well, but when she met Ada’s gaze, something told her to sit back down again. “I’m sorry, sister. They broke Arthur’s vase,” Teddy took another swig of the gin. She pulled a face: she really did prefer whiskey.   “Fuck the vase,” her sister sat down next to her, “And fuck you! What did I tell you! And what did Tommy tell you?” “Please, Ada, not now…” Angrily, Ada took the bottle from her once again and snarled, “Close your eyes.” “What? why…” But then the elder Shelby splashed some of its contents onto her arm and Teddy nearly fainted. She screamed something feral and high-pitched, and then she slumped forwards into Ada’s arms. “Sterilization,” her sister explained, dryly. “Serves you right.”

Teddy tried to breathe again and protested, “Fuck, Ada! What the fuck…” But she never got to finish that sentence either. Ada slapped her once, hard. Then she sat back and looked at her sister with a kind of fury that was almost unfamiliar to Teddy. “Tommy doesn’t need to…” “Oh, he’ll know.” Teddy scoffed and rolled her eyes, which earner her another slap. “Ada, why…” And a third slap. Finally, Teddy shut her mouth. After a few moments of silence, in which Ada tried to compose herself, she said, “Listen to me, you fucking bone-headed little devil, we Shelby’s don’t get involved. We let others do that for us. And don’t even think about calling me a ‘socialite’ again, because I will slap you again.” Teddy held up a hand in defeat. She had no intention of getting hit again. Her head was still spinning. “We have a chance,” her sister continued, “Because Tommy has given us a chance. We have money and we have power, and we’ve left our past life behind us. And you’ve got a precious, albeit wasted, young life ahead of you, Teddy! Three inches to the left, and that would’ve been gone.” “Three inches to the right though…” Ada held up a hand but decided against it, “Listen to me, Teddy, you’ve got nothing to prove. You have got nothing to prove.” Teddy looked down and sighed, “But I do, though. I’m not like you, Ada. I never will be.” “I know,” she sighed from the soul. “You never were.” “No, I mean…” she groaned. This wasn’t easy to explain. Because even though they were sisters, they never had much in common. And it had never been easy for them to talk about things, because oftentimes it felt like they didn’t speak the same language. “I’m not…” Teddy started, but she was lost for words once again. She wanted to tell her she could never become a lady like Ada could. She’d never know how to behave in polite society, even if she wanted to. She only knew the life her brothers led when she was little, and it was all she ever wanted to be. But if she was really honest; it was all she could be. She wasn’t smart like Ada, or pretty like Ada, or stoic like Ada… She wasn’t anything: just fuck-up Teddy. But Ada understood, “You’re still so young, Teddy. You can learn all of that. But you won’t if you get yourself killed.” “Yeah, I know…“ Teddy shrugged, “I just want to show them I can do it. Even though I’m the youngest. Even though I’m a girl.” “Sweetheart, no one is doubting you can.” “Tommy is.” Ada burst out laughing, “Tommy is going to thrash you, you do know that, right? Just like you’re seven years old again, because you’re acting like a bloody child!” Teddy scoffed again and rolled her eyes. She was not looking forwards to that confrontation.

Ada looked at her little sister and softened. She thought about how she was when she was little, so stubborn too, but also still adorable somehow too. To her, she still looked the same. And somehow all of this, all of the Shelby drama, all the killing and all the danger, was bearable if only they could be certain that Teddy would be safe. If only they could make sure no harm would come to her, it would be worth it. Ada knew Tommy felt the same. Everything was permissible and anything was bearable, if it meant they could keep her out of it all. But somehow, they still had failed. She was the one thing they loved most, and they had failed her. But she couldn’t tell her that. And so. Ada asked her the one thing she was most afraid to ask, “Teddy, did you kill a man?” “No, but I wish I had,” the stubborn thing grumbled. “Jesus Christ, Teddy!” “I mean it, Ada. He was fucking selling kids. Kids, Ada!” “Listen, I’m glad the fucker is dead, but I do not want you involved, alright? Teddy, not you!” “Why not me?!” “Because I cannot lose you too! And… I worry about you, alright?” Teddy blinked, “Alright.” They were uncomfortably silent for a while, “Alright, I get it. I’ll be more careful, Ada, I promise.” Ada took another sip of the gin and handed it to her little sister, “Well, this has taken years off my life.” They smiled at each other

And then a cheeky grin spread across Teddy’s face, “Does that mean you love me, Ada? Because I think it does…” “Fuck you.” *****

Some translations (imperfect):

Hajt = go on, hurry up

Tu beng = you’re a devil, you’re evil

Bitta chavi = little girl ***** Masterlist