𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒊𝒓𝒆 » 𝐀. 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒

❝𝒙𝒊𝒊.❞

𝐞𝐬𝐭. 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟏

Nora was getting antsy. She hadn't heard from Thomas in days and was tired of speaking to her mother. She had told the story to death and it had her rehearsing what she was going to say if the police came barging down her door.

Self defense. It was self defense.

It wasn't the furthest thing from the truth. If Alfie had left her alone, and let her retrieve her things he wouldn't be... out of commission. Nora didn't know if she wanted to hear if he was alive or dead, because it seemed as though either way, she's fucked. She was making her peace with it. She was writing goodbye letters when her mother stormed into her room with a bag of things.

"Mum?" "It's for safe passage to America. You have family there don't you? On your mother's side? A cousin" Nora's heart dropped to her stomach, "Louisiana, I believe..." was her soft spoken response. "Haven't heard from them since her funeral." "Well they'll help you out, you're blood." "You really wish for me to leave?"

Polly slammed her bag down on the table, "No, Eleanora. No I don't want you to fucking leave, I didn't want you to leave Birmingham either, but you did. I pleaded, and you fucking left. Look where we are now!" Nora was rendered silent by her outburst, picking up her things and leaving the room, Polly followed.

"Where do you think you're going?" "Not to America-" "Eleanora, they will hang you-" "Then let them." Polly halts in her tracks as Nora turns to face her, "You just said it. My actions brought me to where I am now, why run? To blood that I haven't seen or heard from since I was a child? Let me just accept that this? This is my fate." "You're giving up then?" Polly's voice cracks, and in that moment waves of empathy hit Nora at once as she realizes how all of this was affecting her mother. "Mum. What difference would I make if I was dead or in America? We could never see each other-" "I would come visit. We could write, I could ring you. That, anything is better than you hanging for the death of that bastard."

Before Nora could respond Thomas enters the room and shuts it behind him. Nora and Polly are startled but surprised to see him, since they hadn't heard from him. Thomas moves to sit in the parlor as his aunt and cousin follow at the edge of their seats. He lights a cigarette as Nora sits in front of him.

"He's alive."

Nora sighs hoarsely, she wasn't sure if it was a sigh of relief or horror. "How do you know?"

"I went to see him where he lies, in the hospital. You almost nicked him for good, you missed the stomach by an inch." "What did he say, Tom?" "He and I have made an agreement to keep this incident under wraps, we know how Alfie feels about the police. He's made it clear he will leave you and your enterprises alone, and the Jews are no longer welcome in Jezzie territory. If Nora wishes to return to London, she is more than welcome to do so."

Nora gazed at him, lips parted, "I don't believe it-" "You shouldn't," Polly interjects, "Tom this is Alfie Solomons, how could you possibly take his word?" Thomas takes a puff from his cigarette, "Because he's in love Pol," Nora and Polly share a glance at each other before turning back to him, "He's still holding out, hoping for the day he gets Nora back, even as she's cut him open, and that is his weakness, a weakness we can use."

Nora remains silent just processing everything as Polly rises from her seat, "You're not going back to London-" "Wh-mum!" "Eleanora-" "Pol. Hold on. Nora...if you wish to return to London, to your business and the Jezzie's, I think it's best you have some help, some protection. There's always room for expansion. You have stability across these enterprises, but we would be stronger, as a unit."

Nora narrowed her eyes, knowing where he was going with this, "You want me to merge with you." "You're a part of this family Nora, there's no reason to be ashamed in that-" "I'm not ashamed-" "We have a family business, there's room for you here." He pulls out a stack of papers from his coat pocket handing it to Nora. She quickly glosses it over, "A contract, to own my businesses?" "Partial ownership, Nora. Read carefully." Nora keeps reading, "Forty five percent?! Are you out of your fucking mind?" "Nora-" "No. I don't need the whole world, my businesses are fine as they are without your involvement."

Thomas reaches into his pocket again and puts a bullet down on the table. Nora gulps and looks back up at him, "Is this some type of taunt?" "Take a gander at it." Nora grabs it and scans it, finding the name Arthur Shelby Sr. scribbled on it.

"Is this real?" She looks up at her mother whose eyes are focused on Thomas, fixated with rage. "We want you to come home, Nora. Come back to the family. You're a Shelby. I know how badly you were hurt. For years on end, you suffered in silence. So you find that bastard, and put a bullet in his head. By order of the Peaky Blinders." She looks at the bullet, holding back tears before moving back to the contract. "Change the ownership to thirty five percent and I will read this over with my lawyer, in London. Give me two days."

He puts out his cigarette, "Alright, thirty five percent. Two days."

Nora felt a different type of relief having that bullet in her hands, it was worth considering Tommy's offer. She rushed back to London and spoke with her own board, confided in them the past few days and read over the contract with them. They made an agreement that the contract was genuine, with no loopholes to be found. Her lawyer signed the contract as did she before she was back in Birmingham in two days time, meeting Tommy and her mother in the Garrison. To her surprise, the rest of her family and the Peakys were around as well, drinking and partying. Tommy locks eyes with his cousin as a small smile creeps on to his face.

"There she is." He approaches her with a wide smile as Nora hands him the signed contract, "Tommy what's going on, what's the meaning of this?" "We're celebrating, Nora." "And what exactly are we celebrating?" "The return of Eleanora Gray!" John interjects as he wraps his arm playfully around Nora's neck. "Family back together again," Arthur steps in as Nora smiles sadly, wondering if he knew about the bullet. He raises his glass as Tommy hands her one, "To Nora." "To Nora!"

Nora giggles, feeling a familiar warmth she hadn't felt in years. She couldn't help but be grateful; she was home.

end of part i