𝐆𝐔𝐍𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐃𝐄𝐑 » thomas shelby

six

"Good of you to join us. Where have you been all day?" Asks Polly, while she and Dorothy sit in the kitchen of the Shelby home. Ada walks down the stairs past Dorothy and Polly to the counter.

"In bed." Answers the brunette. "Couldn't sleep. Then I couldn't wake up. Then I was cold and then I had to go for a wee. Then I was with this bear on a boat, but that was just a dream. Then I was hungry."

Ada sits down at the table with a glass of jam and a slice of bread. "Why are you reading the paper?"

Polly looks over the edge of the papers at Ada, while Dora takes a sip from her tea.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Asks the older woman sceptalically.

"I've never seen you read the paper. I've only ever seen you light fires with them."

"BSA are on strike." Polly puts the papers on the table and lifts her cup of tea," The miners are on strike. IRA are killing our boys, ten a day" Explains the Shelby's aunt while Ada practically breaths her bread slice down. Dora shares a glance with Polly, before the older one looks back at Ada. 

"What?" Asks Ada seeing both women's glances.

"Stand up." Commands Polly. "Why?"

"Just stand up." Repeats Dorothy. Ada sighs and puts her bread down, Polly does the same with her cup. Dorothy turns in her seat to have a better look at Ada and Polly in front of her.

"Side on." Tells Polly her. Ada follows her instructions and Polly grabs her breast making Ada jump and tries to get away.

"What are you doing?" Exclaims the young woman. Dora has to hold her fist in front of her mouth to not laugh out loud, but she can't help the snicker leaving her lips.

"Ada, how late are you?" Dorothy's eyes widen in realisation, when Polly asks that question.  

Ada sighs. "One week."

Meeting Polly's eyes Ada corrects herself. "Five weeks. Seven if you count weekends. I think it's lack of iron. I got some tablets."

Dorothy purses her lips, kowing that it definitly wasn't because of the lack of iron. Polly sits down in Ada's previous seat.

"But they didn't work." It wasn't a question, but a realisation. Ada sits down in another chair, facing Polly and Dora. "No."

"Your brothers are not going to like this." Points Dora out. Ada shakes her head. "Don't say anything, to any of them. Promise me."

"Alright." Dorothy nods her head after a second. "Whose is it?"

Ada sighs, knowing what the other woman means. "If I'll tell you, you will tell the others."

"I promise I won't, I just want to try and help." Reasures Dora, leaning slightly foreward. Ada looks at her with big eyes, concerned swims in them, before she whispers. "Freddy Thorne."

Dora closes her eyes for a second, knowing who Freddy is. A friend of Tommy and an communist.

"Please don't tell anyone this, most of all don't tell Tommy." Dorothy bites her bottom lip before she slowly nods. "I promise."

Polly clears her throat. "Ada, we'll go to the nurses office in the evening, just to make sure." 

Ada nods looking at the ground. Dora sighs quietly and gets up. "I have to go, Nick's waiting on me. Ada..."

Dorothy stops mid- scentence not knowing whether to congratulate or apologise to her, but even without ending the scentence Ada understands through nodding. Dora squeezes Ada's shoulder slightly. "Goodbye."

Polly nods at her in goodbye while Ada says a quick 'bye'.

°

The next day around mid-day, when Nick is on a break, Thomas storms into the shop. Dorothy furrows her eyebrows. "Tommy, what are you doing here?"

The man doesn't answer but digs in his pocket after something, he pulls it out and puts it on the counter in front of Dorothy. The woman looks at the bullet with wide eyes, before lifting it. 'Tommy' is caved on the side of it and the brunette's eyes wander towards the ice blue once of the name's owner.

"A decleration of war from the Lee's." Explains the man emotionless. Dora puts the bullet back down and sighs. "What the fuck did you do, Tommy?"

"We had an incident with some Lee boys at the fair, and it didn't end well. I just thought that you should know, so you wouldn't go anywhere close to them." Dorothy nods at Tommy and rubs a hand over her face. He then let's his hand fall and takes a step backwards.

"I'm taking Grace to the races." Dorothy's eyes widen and her throat thightens at the thought of Tommy at the races together with the blonde spy. Nevertheless the brunette nods not meeting Tommy's eyes.

"Dora. I would have loved to take you, I just don't want you to get involved with a man like Billy Kimber." Tells Tommy her, after seeing her slight hurt expression. "No, no. It's better if you take her, we need her to give the wrong informations to that bloddy inspector."

Tommy nods not really knowing how to respons, instead he puts his hand on top of hers, which is resting on the counter, and squeezes it lightly. Dorothy looks at their hands and moves it around to lock their fingers together. "Just be careful, Tommy."

The dark haired man walks around the counter, their hands still locked. He puts his free hand on her cheek and looks into her eyes, a certain softness swimming in it. "I always am, love, eh."

Dorothy smiles, biting her bottom lip. "In your dreams, darling."

The man in front of her lets out a deep chuckle and puts her into his chest, hugging her. One of his hands rests on the back of her head, while the other one rests around her back, pulling her into him. Dorothy reacts quickly and puts her arms around the mans torso. "I didn't know that Thomas Shelby is a hugger."

Tommy kisses the top of her head. "Only for you."

The two let go of each other and Tommy peacks the woman's lips. "I'll take you to a race sometime, I promise. But hopefully without Billy Kimber there."

Dorothy smiles softly at the usually cold man and nods. Tommy throws one last look at his girl before he leaves the small flower shop.