Another love

Part Seventy - Three

"Tommy! Stop!" Sarah screamed as he turned around to face her, gun pointed to his head, surprised to see her doing the same, "if you go, I go."

Tommy slowly dropped the gun to the ground and closed his eyes as Sarah let out a sigh of relief. Tommy slowly looked at her and then eyed his gun.

"You emptied the gun, didn't you?"

Sarah sighed "Actually Arthur did, but I 'ave em if you change your mind, and I will go with you, if you do, but I know you won't." Sarah told him as she tossed the bullets onto the muddy ground.

Tommy stared down at the bullets in contemplation before following Sarah back to the house. As they approached closer to the house they saw a van with a white flag tied to the front, Tommy squeezed her hand tighter, both of them exchanging a wary look. Once they walked in, the phone was ringing and Sarah let Tommy go to answer it as she lingered in the hall, looking out at the driveway where the van was now parked up. There was a pit in her stomach that she knew wouldn't go away, it was only the sound of quiet footsteps that distracted her.

"Charlie?" Sarah frowned, "It's early, you should still be in bed."

Charlie looked worried as he looked at her, "Is my dad and Lizzie back?"

Sarah's forehead creased in confusion, "What do you mean? Where's Lizz - your mum?" Sarah corrected herself, knowing how confusing it all must be for Charlie.

"A car picked her up late last night to go to aunt Polly's."

"What car?!" Sarah asked urgently

"A black Rolls-Royce, why?"

Sarah looked back to Tommy's office before pulling Charlie in for a hug,"Listen to me, go back to your room and play, I'll come and get you and take you out for a posh breakfast, eh?" She told him as she kissed the top of his head.

The young boy nodded and looked back up at her, "Ok."

Sarah gave him a gentle push in the direction of the stairs and smiled at him until he was out of sight as she went back to Tommy's office, finally catching the end of his phone call

"Ever since you began to build your empire....you've had a crutch to lean on. Last night, we kicked away that crutch. From now on, it will be us that you lean on. Please be aware, Mr Shelby, that the deaths of your people are your own responsibility, because you consistently fail to understand your own limitations."

Sarah rushed to the window, and sure enough there were four body bags, there should've only been two. Without waiting for Tommy, Sarah ran straight outside as she eyed each of the body bags, when her eyes met Tommy's they both thought the same thing as she stepped back and allowed him to slice open each bag. Once he got to the third Sarah's hand flung out as she grabbed his wrist, she was too scared that her theory was right, that the last two bodies were who she thought they were, but Tommy gently took his hand from hers and kept his hand steady. Her hand flew to her mouth, as she squeezed her eyes shut at the sight of her, Lizzie Stark. Tommy's head fell into his hands, this was his fault. He'd pulled her into this world, married her, treated her like shit and then left her as a target. He was meant to keep her and the children safe. 

However, as painful as losing Lizzie was, the worst was yet to come and they both knew that as they eyed the final body bag, now certain of whose body may within it. Sarah's heart was pounding in her ears as he sliced open the bag, it was as if time had stopped, and there was nothing left, everything in their world collapsed, and there lay Aunt Pol. Sarah waited for Tommy's screams of anguish, but they never came. He wasn't angry, he was distraught, he never thought this would happen to Polly. Instead of screaming, he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet and sobbed, softly but inconsolably. Yes, Polly Gray was gone.

7 days later

Sarah slowly walked into the stables and leant against the barn door, watching Tommy tend to the horses. He seemed in peace. Sarah knew he wasn't sleeping and that he was still using opium and alcohol to soothe him, she didn't want to interrupt him but knew that she had to.

"Tom." She called to him quietly, as his head perked up, "Ada just phoned. She wants to know if you'll be home tonight?"

Tommy didn't answer her, he just stared at the horse. He'd been staying with Sarah since the funerals, and had shown no interest in going home nor continuing business, or even speaking to any of the family. He just wanted to be with Sarah and the horses until the feeling passed, but the truth was it would never pass, and Tommy needed to accept it.

Sarah slowly approached Tommy as if he was a wild animal and hesitantly reached out to squeeze his arm, "Tommy?" She whispered.

"Tell her I 'ave things to do." He replied.

Sarah sighed, she'd tried to be patient with him, but her patience was slowly wearing thin.

"Tommy-"

"You said you'd help me." He snapped, finally making eye contact with her.

"I'm trying, Tom, but you're drowning me out with all these fucking substances."

When Tommy didn't answer her, she decided to drag him away from the horse by the collar of his shirt, much like Polly had done to him and his brothers when they were children.

"This can't go on, do you hear me?" She yelled before slowly releasing him

Tommy sighed at her before reaching in to his jacket to pull out another vial of whatever it was he was using this time.

"It helps me."

"I can help you Tommy, but you have to want it."

"Where are you going?" He called after her as she headed out the stables.

Stopping at the barn door she turned back to look at him, her face serious, "You weren't the only who's made deals."

Tommy slid the vial back into his jacket as he slowly walked to her with a frown etched onto his face

"What deal?"

Sarah hesitated for a moment until Tommy asked her again, "They called my house, said what they did was necessary, but said they're capable of sympathy."

"The fuck does that mean?"

"It's means, we can take one of them, free of charge, no retaliation."

"One of them? In exchange for the four murders they committed?" Tommy scoffed in disgust at their offer.

"Five, if you count Bonnie. And yeah that was the deal, and I-"

"And you what?"

Sarah looked to the ground and built up her courage before resuming their eye contact.

"I said yes."

"You said yes? You didn't think to discuss this with me first? Don't you think that we all deserve our justice for Polly, for Lizzie?"

"Yes, I do." Sarah sighed before walking over to embrace him, "but we both know even with this free pass it won't be enough, one life for what they did won't be enough."

"Who did you agree on?" He asked as she pulled away from him.

"Jimmy. Once I'm done, I'll be back for you, to help you. I just need to do this first."

"One last job?"

"Yes, one last job. Then you will go home, get sober and live a long life that Pol would want you to be living." She told him as she held his face in her hands.

"Alright, as long as you're by my side."

"I told you I would be."

"No, in the house, everything, because I need you. Fuck, I fucking love you."

Sarah nodded and pecked his lips "I love you too, come on." She told him pulling him away from the stables.

A/ n - Seassoonnn six!! I think this is the season I'm most nervous to write x P.S - please don't hate me for killing off Lizzie and Pol, it just made sense within the story!x