Little Roe's Trouble (Peaky Blinders)

Cheeky kids

(Tommy's P.O.V.)
The bettingshop was a mess. Chairs where thrown to the ground, cabinets smashed, four cashboxes stolen. "It was the Lee family" Scudboat explained as I walked further to look around. Finn had came and told us that we had been done over. Undoubtedly it was payback for Roelynn hurting Ansel Lee. I stopped when I spotted something. I grabbed it and turned around to show everyone what I had found "They left these". "wirecutters? Why would they leave wirecutters?" Polly questioned. "Nobody move" Arthur said and began to step carefully as soon as he caught on aswell, "I think our friends are playing the game" I said with a nodd, "what game?" Polly questioned moving further, "aunt Polly don't move" John immediatly ordered and she stopped before giving him a nervous look. "Erasmus Lee was in France" I continued, "whenever we gave up ground to the Germans, we would leave behind booby traps" I explained to Polly. Because everyone else knew what was going on. "and we would leave wirecutters. As part of the joke" I added looking around. "Somewhere in here is a hand grenade" John said, "holy jesus" Polly exclaimed. Everyone of the men began to tread lightly in search of the hand grenade. "No, its not in here" I said shaking his head, "it would've gone of by now". I turned around and walked out the bettingshop. I stopped in my tracks as I saw Roelynn sitting in the car, while Ms Honey stood beside her. "Roe?" I loudly said gaining her attention, "which door did you open to climb in?". "I didn't. I climbed in" she replied with a giggle. "I tried to tell her not to climb in as to not scratch the car" Ms Honey said apologizing. At this moment I could care less. "Roelynn. Listen to me" I told her while stepping toward the car, "I want you to climb out the exact same way as you climbed in". Hayley looked confused but also frightened by my behaviour "Tommy what is happening?". I ignored her and kept my eyes on Roelynn. "Climb out. Exactly. How you climbed in" I ordered and she just watched me. "Roelynn" I warned her as I saw her cheeky grin form. The one she always has when she was about to do something I told her not to do. "Roe!" I yelled as soon as she opened the door and ran out laughing. I grabbed the grenade immediatly. I turned away and loudly yelled "clear!" Before throwing it. Everyone on the street immediatly dove for cover. Before running towards Roelynn to pick her up and run away from the grenade. I heard it go off with a loud bang and I instantly felt Roe flinch and grab onto me harder. I turned around to make sure Roe and Ms Honey where alright. The loud bang of the grenade made the ground shake and I flinched as I remembered the war. I looked back up and sighed in relief as I realized both of them where alright. I put Roe down and went to my knees. I grabbed her face with my hands so I could make her look at me. I noticed she was a bit teary eyed, probably because of the loud bang. She always was, and still is, scared of sudden loud noises. Luckily we got her over the thunder and lighting and she now loved it. "This is why you always have to listen to me" I told her sternly but you could also hear the fear in it. She nodded understanding me before leaning forward to give me a hug. I then stood up and I felt her grab my hand.

Hayley also made her way over towards us to check on Roelynn, like a concerned mother she pulled her into a protecrive hug. "It was the Lee family" I told her after she gave me a question look. "This needs to stop-" before Hayley could finish I nodded and grabbed Roe's hand again.

"I got you ten minutes with her" Johnny told me as we continued through the crowd of Lee members. I was glad that Johnny could tagg along because he had been running with the Lee family for a while but always would do something for us Blinders aswell. "You can atleast say thank you" he told me but I didn't reply to him. To focused on Erasmus Lee who was following my tail with a gun in his hands. We arrived at the red wagon that belonged to Zilpha. Johnny knocked on the door and a nearby Lee member opened the door to the wagon. Zilpha stepped in the opening and looked at me and then at Roe. "She can stay outside" Zilpha told me. "For both our protection. You won't kill me knowing she is out there. And we won't kill her knowing you are with me" Zilpha explained, which is understandable. I turned my head to Roelynn "stay here with Johnny-dogs". I turned back to Zilpha and followrd her inside the wagon. "Put your hand on the bible" Zilpha told me and held the bible out to us. "I don't believe. But I didn't come here to lie" I told her, "this war is cutting us all up". "My child almost got killed" I told her in Romani, "my child". Zilpha laughed "you're all children. Besides, she beat up mine". "On our mother's side, we are kin. Let us talk familie business" I told her. "No, you come here to apologise" she told me harsh, "it's that simple. You apologize for your daughters behaviour against my son". I shook my head "you can't compare the two. One was life or death, not the other one". "And yet your child has no scratch on her. But my child has a black eye, busted lip and bruises all over his face" she snarled leaning forward. I realized we weren't achieving anything as I glared at her. I had to step away before I was going to start a bloody war that neither sides could afford. "Next time. Come for me, not for my child" I told her before standing up to walk out. "Roe!" I called out telling her it was time to go. I turned to Johnny-Dogs "where is she?". "Roelynn!". He shrugged his shoulders "I told you to watch her" I snapped annoyed and began to look for her. "Roelynn!". Then I halted when I saw something. Zilpha also stopped and wore the same expression on her face that I held. In front of us, Roelynn and Ansel where playing together. Acting like the whole ordeal of her beating up Ansel, hadn't happened. Like they were great friends. Both me and Zilpha called our children. The two of them instantly looked up and held shocked expression, obviously being caught in the act. Zilpha grabbed her son and I took Roe by her hand and we both told them we don't want them playing together. Roe's face instantly fell into sadness as she looked towards Ansel. I also noticed he looked dissapointed and sad aswell. "I don't want Roelynn to go" Ansel said before I left with Roe. "I don't want you with her. She fought with you" Zilpha told him. Then the two kids looked at each other and held an expression that told us parents they where hiding something. I looked down at Roelynn and with my look she knew I was telling her to tell me. "I didn't want to play football" Roe explained and lowered her head, "so Ansel helped me to get kicked from the field". "It was my idea" Ansel said also looking guilty now aswell. I turned to Zilpha and by her facial expression she also knew what was going on. Ansel intentionally let Roe punch him to get banned from the football field. "Why would you let her do that?" Zilpha questioned her son, "because she is my friend" he simply replied with a shrugg. "I gave him some candy in return for helping me" Roe added. I chuckled after realizing what a cheeky buggers they are. Thinking of a plan, implementing it and then keeping it a secret from both parents. All in the name of bloody friendship. Zilpha turned to me before apologising for the grenade. And I also apologized for the damage Roe had done to Ansel's face. The two kids had a grin on their face as they realized that we parents  apologized. "Next time, don't punch a friend" I told Roelynn, "how else where we supposed to get her banned?" Ansel questioned. To that I had no asnwer.

Published: 16th of March 2023