𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙧, Finn Shelby

- 46

- CHAPTER FORTY-SIX -

- IN WHICH EVERYTHING IS LOST

. . .

FOLLOWING BONNIE'S TRIUMPHANT win and the much more tragic death of Arthur, the next few days passed by in a blur of misery and sadness. Tommy became harsher and colder - of course that was expected of him at this point - but even so, he was still making everyone work just as hard as they would effected by the loss of a loved one or not.

Edward was clearly the most miserable he'd ever been. First the loss of John, now the loss of Arthur. They were practically partners in crime, and now he had no one his age to spend his time with. The two Shelbys had been like brothers to him, and just as life could possibly get any easier for the Irwins, it was being pulled out from beneath their feet.

Nancy could see how this was damaging her brother. The smiling, grinning and laughing mask that was kept on was doing the trick to most. He was a good actor. But how could one possibly fool the people closest to them. She knew him all too well, his smile was just the fakest cover up ever seen.

No one really knew what was going on in the minds of others. Isaiah was keeping busy with work, obviously his way of not thinking about the most recent situation. Polly was always out and about or locked away in her office, which was the same for Ada. Linda hadn't dared to go near the den, and Lizzie kept herself tucked away by Tommy's office.

The only one Nancy could really tell was suffering was Finn. He'd lost the brothers who really treated him similarly to the others. Tommy was often neglecting the youngest brother and therefore had the weakest of relationships out of them all. The Shelby boy was struggling though. He hardly left Polly's house, barely ever made it to his shifts at work, and by the sounds of things, was only just looking after himself.

As the third day came and went it became apparent that things were only getting worse for him. Whilst he hid a way at home, his work load was growing heavier. Nancy had been doing what she could to offload as much as she could for him, but eventually he would need to take over again.

So as the betting den closed on the fourth day, the Irwin girl found herself wandering in the opposite direction to the Jesus house. Rose Hill Manor was only a short walk away, and she knew it just as well as she knew the journey back to her own home.

She hadn't really intended on visiting Finn quite so soon, but something almost forced her in that direction. Shortly after she was finding the very same boy in the living room. He was just as bad as she had expected, but with sometime it was clear he would begin to feel better.

She helped him keep his mind off of it, finding various things to do around the large house that would keep him entertained for as long as possible. Then eventually she left with the promise to walk with him to Arthur's funeral the next morning.

"Michael's home." The front door closed harshly behind them, Finn falling into step with Nancy as she descended down the stoney steps reaching down to a cobbled pathway sectioned in the middle of the front garden.

"Oh?" She looked up to him with a more than surprised look. The last she heard Michael was somewhere in the midst of the middle of nowhere. He was camping out with the Gypsys where he was more than safe with the friends of Aberama Gold, at least that much had been promised.