Only Time Will Tell - A Peaky Blinders Story

Chapter 10 - Royal fires

The distant rumble of gunfire continues to keep Cass awake. That, and the moaning of the pained soldiers who are begging for it all to stop. She's currently tucked away in the corner of the hospital room, having managed to find a small space to rest for a while in between the mess of the over-filled building. If you can still call it that.

She groans tiredly as she tilts her head up to look at the sky. There are small holes in the walls and ceilings that make the winter nights impossibly cold, but at least she can look up at the stars like she used to at home. The dress and smock she is forced to wear has been made out of thin material – definitely not thick enough to keep her healthy.

She is pulled from her thoughts when a warm jacket is laid over her folded arms and legs. Her eyes shoot towards the person to see Alfred sending her a kind smile. If it were anyone else, she would have refused the warmth to keep them safe, but she knows that her Alfred would rather die than see her freeze to death.

"Are you alright, love?" he whispers as he crouches down to her level, even though he's probably still a foot higher than her. "As alright as I can be." Cass replies with a tired smile. Alfred grunts as he shuffles to sit next to her, wrapping his strong arm around her shoulders once he's comfortable. Cass lets herself relax into his embrace, grasping at whatever warmth he can offer.

She internally laughs at herself for being so relaxed in the midst of war. Although she knows this won't last long, she is grateful for the moments they get together. "I have new orders." Alfred whispers after a few moments of silence. "You're leaving." Cass says, both of them knowing that it wasn't a question on purpose. He always has to leave. "Yeah. But we'll see each other again. I know we will. We always do." Alfred replies, clinging on to the little hope he has left.

Cass shifts her weight to look up at him, smiling slightly even though he can see the fear in her eyes. she reaches up and pulls his head down to hers, placing her lips on his softly. They both let out a short sigh, but neither knows what they were feeling. They just wanted to hold onto this moment for as long as they could.

Cass is jolted awake by loud cheers beneath her bedroom window. She groggily sits up, annoyed that her calming dream was interrupted, and makes her way over to see what's going on. Instantly, her eyes are engulfed by flames. She can see Arthur, John, and Finn all standing around proudly whilst Tommy stands to one side talking to someone. He looks like he's business mode.

Without a second thought, she puts her coat and shoes on and joins them all. She takes a moment to study the fire closely and notices that they're burning pictures of the king. This must be a part of one of Tommy's plans.

"You alright, Cass? We were gonna wake you, but you looked peaceful." John says once he notices his sister. "I'm fine." She says bluntly, accepting his side hug to keep warm. "This is retaliation for that copper messing our city about. Tommy's got it all under control." Arthur says, noticing how his sister can't take her eyes off the commotion. "I figured as much." She replies simply, obviously not wanting to talk much.

Arthur and John share a look of concern before shaking it off and laughing with their youngest brother as he steals a sip of John's drink. The four siblings continue to watch the fire until Tommy sends the man away and makes his way over to them. He's the only one to notice that Cass's eyes have glossed over with tears, even though she's trying hard to stop them from falling.

"Right, boys. Go and get a drink. Finn, one dark mild." Tommy orders before dragging Cassie away from the group and into an alley, so they're not seen by anyone. He pulls her into his chest, his mind only floating to the one idea that her mind is stuck in France. "Are you ok?" he whispers to her, swaying them both from side to side in an attempt to calm her. "I'm so tired of the dreams, Tom. They never stop." She whimpers in reply, her cries more prominent. "I know. It's hard for all of us." Tommy says, keeping his soothing tone. "I just wanna know where he is." She sobs into his chest, grasping at the lapels of his coat to keep him close.

Tommy is left in a stunned silence. Who is she talking about? He knows his sister has been struggling with something, but he didn't know what. He still doesn't. Every conversation they've had about the war has been cryptic on both sides, but he did notice when she stopped herself from telling him something. He has to know what she's hiding from him, it's the kind of person he is. However, he decides right now that she just needs comfort. His patience can hold out a little longer.