Peaky Blinders. One shot and imagines

Gone, but never forgotten - Tommy x Reader

For cereal1257. Hope this is ok.

Now, for this story, Tommy and Grace have been married for a long time, and reader character is their teenage daughter.

Tommy made his way through the cemetery. He had already made this trip so many times; but he would keep coming back, as he could never and would never forget. He had left Arthur and John in the car, back at the gates; telling his brothers that he wanted to be alone with his beautiful girl.

Grace had insisted that she be buried here, that it was more appropriate. That a place to grieve was needed, and as Tommy stopped before the simple marble headstone, placing the single red rose that he had brought with him, atop it, he had agreed. The head of the Shelby family firm, crouching down and removing some leaves from the still fresh-looking mound of earth. His now teary eyes looking to the inscription, that felt like a knife through his heart.

                                                                 Here lies (Y/n) Shelby.

                                                                  Beloved daughter of

                                                             Thomas and Grace Shelby.

                                                              Gone, but never forgotten.

Tommy had been delighted when Grace had told him that she was with child. And when his wife had presented him with the sweet, tiny, slumbering girl, wrapped up in a soft blanket, he had promised his daughter that he would protect her from everything. He would keep her away from the family business; keep her away from all the chaos that that side of his life entailed; but most, he would protect her from all the boys that he knew one day would line up at his door. And if he couldn't be there to send them away, he was sure that all her uncles, that her aunt Ada and great aunt Polly, would happily do it for him. The new father sure that no young man, would ever be good enough for his little girl.

His little girl............that was always what she had been. No matter how grown up she had appeared; no matter how many times Grace had told him that he had to let her be the young lady that she had become, she was and would always remain, his little girl. A little girl that would now never age. That would never do all that she had wanted to do. Would never marry and have children of her own. Tommy dropping to the floor completely; his head in his hands. The Birmingham gangster tearing at his hair, as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

She had been such a lively child, into everything. Her smile, her giggle able to brighten even the darkest heart. Grace had often said, that when (Y/n) was born, she had lost her husband. That Tommy loved (Y/n) more than he would ever love her; and in a way, she was right. He still loved Grace, nothing would change that; but he had lost his heart to the little girl that thought he was the sun and moon. The little girl that couldn't sleep until he had come home to tuck her in, and make sure that there were no monsters under the bed.

Tommy couldn't help but hate himself, blame himself for what had happened. Couldn't help but despised his own reflection, as his thought about the pride that had made him take his daughter to the Shelby Charity Foundation Dinner that night.

He hadn't thought it was wrong to want to show off the two beautiful girls in his life. He was proud of them both; proud of his wife and the daughter that was as smart as she was beautiful. He had thought that they would be safe at his own event, with the family there. Thought that they would have nothing to fear. Yet he had been wrong.........so wrong. Tommy not realising the lengths that Vincente Changretta would go to for revenge. And it had been this underestimation that had caused the death of his beloved child.

The evening had been going well. Tommy and Grace milled around while Arthur, John and Finn kept an ever watchful eye over their niece. The three men making sure that no young gentleman could even get close to (Y/n). But then, his world, Grace's world had been turned upside down. And no matter what they did now, it would never be the same.

(Y/n) had come to join he and Grace just after the toast to the king. A man, dressed as a waiter, suddenly stepping out of the crown with a drawn gun; calling out "For Angel", as he took a shot. The bullet not hitting him, not hitting Grace; but hitting (Y/n), before Arthur tackled the assassin. (Y/n) falling back into the arms of her parents. A single tear rolling down her cheek, as she had told her mother and father that she loved them, before the light had left her eyes.

"Tommy.............." A voice came. Tommy pushing his hair back over his head and wiping the tears away with his sleeve, before placing his hand on the deeply inscribed words in the stone.

"Tommy, let's get you home.............." Arthur continued, as he and John stood behind their grieving brother.

"Fuck off............" Came the curt reply. Tommy angry that his brothers had left the car when he had told them to say there.

"But Tommy, Grace..............."

"I said, fuck off, Arthur..............." Tommy continued, as he slowly got to his feet.

"Tommy, we know how you feel. We miss (Y/n)..............."

"What do you mean, you know how I feel. You have no fuckin idea how I feel. My daughter is dead because of me. Because of this family. I have lost my child and I will never get her back. So, you have no idea; no fuckin idea at all, Arthur. Now LEAVE ME ALONE." Tommy shouted, as he looked at Arthur. The older Shelby unable to look at his brother, as Tommy glared at him.

"Tommy............" John began, only to find his brother's fist connecting with his jaw. John falling to the dirt. His eyes wide, as he looked up a furious Tommy, who was being held back by Arthur. Tears rolling down Tommy's cheeks, as his older brother turned him around, and pulled him into his arms. The desperate father, clawing at Arthur's coat, screaming into his chest as Arthur held him. John getting to his feet and joining his brothers. Placing his hands on Tommy's arms, and helping Arthur hold him up, as Tommy's knees seemed to buckle.

Both men knew that there was nothing that they could do, nothing that they could say to take their brother's pain away. Nothing they could do to bring (Y/n) back. But Grace needed him. Tommy had to be with his wife now. The family knowing that she was hurting just as much as her husband was.

"Come on Tommy. Let's get you home. We'll come back tomorrow, yeah.........." Arthur said, as he and John took Tommy's arms and slowly led him away. Tommy taking one last look at the headstone. A soft whisper leaving his lips, before he allowed his brothers to lead him back to the car.

"Gone............but never forgotten................."