"Thomas is outside waiting for you." William said, walking into the bathroom where his step-daughter sat, her knees pushed up to her chest as she cried on the bathroom floor, "If you tell him a single word that's happened, it will be the last thing you do. You tell him you had a goodnight and you laughed a lot, got it? Say it! Do you understand."
"I-I understand." Chelsea whispered, pushing herself of the bathroom floor and staring back at William, "May I-May I go now?"
William didn't say a single word, he looked Chelsea up and down and moved aside, allowing her to walk out of the room.
Chelsea hurried as quickly as she could out of that hotel but stopped just at the exit. She quickly wiped her tears and looked at her reflection in the door, practicing her smile.
When she had perfected it, she hurried out of the hotel, Tommy jogged over to her and lifted her up into a hug, kissing her repeatedly on the head.
"Dad." Chelsea laughed, "Stop!"
"Are you alright?" Tommy asked, looking at the girl closely, "Did they say anything? If they did, I'll call Arthur and John boy up right now and they'll-"
"Dad, I'm fine." Chelsea said, jumping out of his arms and standing in front of him, "It was fun, actually. I had a good time, I laughed a lot as well."
"That's what I like to hear." Tommy said, stroking his daughters cheek as she smiled cheekily, "Come on then, kid. Let's get you back home."
★
Chelsea and Tommy walked down the streets, hand in hand as Chelsea rattled on about different things she could see in the streets, shouting out how beautiful the birds looked, how calming it was too walk past the market and seeing people laughing and smiling.
"Arthur and John have been going fucking mad." Tommy said once Chelsea had temporarily stopped talking, "They were tryna come here as well."
"You should have let them come!" Chelsea shouted, "How come you didn't let them?"
"Because, your uncles have a short temper. They would kill your mother and father if he saw them." Tommy said, his face cringing when he addressed William as Chelsea's father.
"Dad, don't do that." Ordered Chelsea, "He's not my father. You are my dad, not him."
When the father and daughter duo got back to Watery Lane, Chelsea was greeted by a very tempered Arthur and a serious John walking towards her with anger in their step.
"Oi! Chelsea! You alright?" Arthur shouted.
Chelsea rolled her eyes and decided to run up to Arthur and allow him to pick her up, just to prove that she was okay, "I'm okay, Uncle Arthur. Nothingness happened."
John suddenly lifted up her arms and checked her body for bruises.
"John." Chelsea giggled, "I promise I'm fine."
"Chelsea!" Finn shouted, running out the house, "Chelsea! You're back!"
Arthur placed Chelsea on the floor and the three men laughed as they watched the two run up to each other and hug tightly, both of them falling to the floor from the force they hit each other with.
"Right." Arthur said, clapping his hands together, "Come on, family meeting."
The five of them walked inside their house, Arthur sending Finn and Chelsea up to their rooms whilst they walked into the betting shop.
But Chelsea was too curious to stay in her room, instead she ran straight back down the stairs and pushed the shop doors open.
"Oh, Chelsea." Ada smiled, "I'm so glad to see you. Come here."
