A Voiceless Lioness (Peaky Blinders)

I'm here

(Leo's P.O.V.)
"Goodnight Leona!" Masie yelled from down at the workshop. I lifted my head up from the documents that I was holding, to reply to Masie with a nod and a smile. She turned around and followed everyone else through the door as the garage was closing for the night. Only Willow and I remained here to finish up some last things. The sound of my telephone ringing filled the silent room. "I'll get it for you" Willow said as she made her way to the telephone. "Leo! It's Tommy" she announched turning to me. I nodded and motioned for her to give the phone to me. To communicate through a phone isn't that difficult. I will sign and Willow will translate it towards the person on the other end of the line. "Hello Darling" I heard him through the phone, "I reserved a table at Adremo". I lifted my hands and signed a responce to which Willow happily translated "7 Pm. I'll be there". Then I heard my office door open and I turned to look who had come through. My jaw instantly clenching in anger as I saw who it was. Mark Ryder, the one who gave me the burn mark. "We are closed" Willow told Mark after I finished signing. "Hang up" he ordered me. From beside me Willow made a move to hang it up but I put my hand up, telling her not to move. "Who's there?" I heard Tommy from the other end of the line. "Hang the fucking phone up!" Mark continued. "Leona! Who is there!" Tommy urged on. I ignored Tommy and continued to glare at Mark who stood in front of me. "Leo-" before Tommy could even finish I had hung up the phone. I didn't turn my head towards Willow to sign to her, I just kept my eyes on the mam. "go home, Willow". "Leo, I don't think-", "go home" I loudly ordered her and my eyes snapped towards her. I didn't care that my throat hurt or that I felt my vocal cords break slightly. I wanted Willow gone. She quickly glanced towards the group of three men before back at me. She was hesitant at first. "Don't worry, Willow" Mark spoke sweetly, yet you could hear that he was a danger, "I know sign language" he began but signed the last words and showed her an eerie smile. Willow moved carefully but with a hurry, passing the group of men. Once Mark knew that Willow had left, he turned to me and smiled "oh how I have missed you". I felt goosebumps run over me as a cold shiver ran down my spine, my body still reacted out of discomfort. But I managed to hold my confident posture. "What do you want, Mark?". "Can't a man visit his girl?" He questioned, "be carefull, Ryder. I'm not your girl" I angrily signed at him. He stood up, irritation forming in his eyes, and walked over to me before leaning down and roughly grabbing my neck. Fingers tightening around my neck. "Do I need to remind you, who actually owns you" he told me into my ear. Then trailed his lip over esr and down to my neck. Before he even had a chance to kiss or bite down, I had grabbed my gun and pointed it at him. Rage burned in my eyes. Mark laughed and turned to his mates "looks like her fire returned". He turned back to face me "but I'll extinguish it again". I pushed the gun against his head to which he chuckled darkly, not believing my threat. I clicked the safety off, but it still did not faze him at all. "Oh my love" he said, the disgusting nickname left his lips. Never did I dispice something more than being called my love and that was all thanks to Mark Ryder. "I'm still here and you're still mine and if I can't have you no one will. And believe me, not even your brother or Thomas Shelby can stop me". He gripped my throat tighter and left a rough and harsh kiss on my neck before pushing off of me and walked away. Immediatly I stood up and fired my gun straight towards Mark. But due to my shaking hand I missed. Mark just turned his head slightly so he could look at me from the corner of his eye "missed me, my love" before he left my office. His mates trailing behind him. I still had my gun raised for some time. But my hand began to shake more and more, then I quickly clicked the safety back kn before I dropped it to the ground. My body began to shake and sweat began to form om my face. I sat down onto the floor. A panic attack. Its not like a cold or a coughing fit. It's like something clawing inside your chest trying to get out. And when it finally does, then going back to routine is like trying to breathe through ruptured lungs. You think you're breathing fog but it's actually smoke. And you think you're healing with every deep breath but you're actually hurting. I needed Koda. I needed Koda to try and help me overcome this attack. She needed to help me stop seeing the flashbacks of Mark. I needed her, to overcome the feeling of disgust as I remembered his forced touch. I gasped for air  but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find the air I needed. My chest tightened and tears pricked my eyes. The sound that surrounded me made it look like I was under water. But then somewhere, far away, a voice called out my name. "Leona!". I didn't recognize the voice immediatly. But the more often it was voice, the more familiar it became. "Leo!". Then my office door swung open, then with a loud bang it hit the wall. Tommy stood in the doorway.

(Tommy's P.O.V.)
Although Leona was looking straight at me, her eyes showed she was not realizing what exactly was going on around her. She was to stuck in her panic attack. "Leo" I breathed and ran up to her. When I touched her shoulder she flinched. I had to find a way to calm her down. Koda, my mind told me. "Koda!" I yelled turning around to look for the dog, "Koda! Here girl!". Nothing. I turned around to face Leo, who was now desperatly trying to grasp for air. What are other things that calm her down? The Bluebirds! No, not an option, it was to late for them to be singing. I had only one option and that was to try and do it myself. I slid down to my knees and took her head in my hand. "Leo, look at me. Please look at me" I spoke out trying to remain calm myself, "just slow down your breathing". No reaction. She tried to get her head free and I saw the pure terror in her eyes. What was she seeing in her mind, the war or something else. Seeing her like this terriefied me. I regrabbed her face in my hands, to steady her, this time with more care, more love. Before placing my head against hers.

"I know you're scared. But I'm here" I whispered to her. The only replies I got where shakey breaths. "And I will stay with you. I'll be you're Bluebirds". She finally was able to take a deep breath so she could begin to calm down. "You're safe, my Darling".

Published: 9th of May 2023

Please leave a comment if anyone knows from what movie/serie the GiF is. For the life of my I couldn't find that out.

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