Not Just A 'Shelby'

Chapter 17: Nights well spent

This is a long one... sorry in advance.

Dot walked to the next house over on Watery Lane. None of the lights were on, so she had thought everyone went to bed, which was good because she didn't want to talk to anyone about the day anyways.

Walking through the door, she tried closing it slowly so she wouldn't wake up Finn.

"I was wondering if you'd come back tonight." Spoke the man on the sofa.

"Tommy, I really don't want to talk to you tonight. I've cried enough today." She spoke as she threw her bag next to him on the sofa and headed for the stairs.

"Dot." Tom called for her.

"What, Tom? Aye, you want to throw me against the wall again? Or how about the floor? Go on, show me how much of a man you are." She yelled at him, walking closer towards him, getting in his face. Tom showed no emotion to his sister. "Go on, throw one at me, just like Dad use to."

Tom finally met her eyes to see her crying again. "What?"

"You heard me. While you boys were off taking bets and making business for yourselves, I was here stuck taking care of Finn and getting beating out of the old man. Beatings that I never deserved. I thought I did back then so I took them. I didn't want him to hurt anyone else." She cried, sticking a finger at Tom. "And now you've shown me that your just like him Tommy."

Dot tried walking away from him but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into him. She started beating on his chest, begging him to let her go, but he kept her close to her, taking all the hits she threw at him. Finally she calmed down a little and pulled him closer, crying into him.

"I just don't understand why he would do that." She cried. "Why would he beat his own child? What goes through someone's mind to do that to their own daughter?" She cried.

"I'm sorry Dot. I'm so sorry." Is all Tom would say.

"Don't tell anyone about this, please. I've already told too many people." She begged him, finally looking up to him.

"I won't." He spoke, picking her up in his arms. He carried his sister to her room and let her get changed into her night wear.

"Thomas, will you sit in here, like when we were kids." She asked, pulling her chair next to her bed. She laid down in her bed and Tom sat next to her, watching over her as she fell into a peaceful sleep. One not filled with the nightmares of her father.

Dot woke to the sun halfway in the sky. She groaned as she realized that her family had let her sleep half of the day away. Rolling over on her bed to face the door, she found a note on the chair next to her bed that she had know to be occupied the night before.

Dot,
I am going to be out of Small Heath for most of the day. Please don't get into any trouble. John and Arthur are working in the betting den all day. Make sure nothing goes wrong please. We both know that the place would burn down if it wasn't for you.

Tom.

"He left without me, bastard." Dot mumble to herself. Even though she was still a little mad at him for being angry with her about Ada, Dot would rather be knowing what was going on and running around with Tom than having to babysit her two older brothers in the den. Groaning once again, dot pulled herself from the bed and headed for her wardrobe, pulling out her three piece suit and boots. She quickly got dressed, putting her watch in her pocket as well, and marched down the stairs into the kitchen where she found her brothers eating lunch. An extra plate was set between them

"Ahh, the dead finally rise." Arthur spoke from behind his paper.

"Haha, very funny." She slapped the back of his head as she walked by, sitting between the two.