By Order Of The Peaky Blinders

Chapter Thirteen

"Uncle Charlie, will you help me?" Viola asked the man who blinked at her but set aside his newspaper, staring up at her with idle curiosity, wondering where his darling great-nephew was.

"He's with Tommy, boys day out" she answered his unasked questioned

Uncle Charlie nodded and then narrowed his eyes "Ya didn't come 'ere alone did ya?"

Viola huffed at his overprotectiveness and waved a hand over her shoulder where Tim was hovering by the gate, the lad wasn't allowed in due to his stupidity last week but Viola was safe as houses within the yard. Charlie nodded his head in approval, seeing Barrow as well who was chatting with some of the washerwomen.

"So, will you?" Viola asked a nervous twitch to her fingers.

"A course I will, lass what's wrong?" Uncle Charlie asked her turning back to the topic at hand

"I want another piercing" She stated bluntly

Uncle Charlie smirked at her in amusement "Tommy likes them, aye?"

Viola blushed lightly "I like them as well, they're beautiful"

"Alright, lass, where do you want it?" Uncle Charlie asked her, looking pleased by how she was whole heartedly embracing their culture.

"My ear, I don't think I'm quite ready for anywhere more adventurous" Viola admitted

"And your husband would kill me" Uncle Charlie added dryly as he nodded and stood up, leading her into an attached stable room which half he'd turned into a office, and he gestured for her to sit in the creaky swivel chair.

Charlie moved about the office, picking up a pair of his own gold hoops- ones his own mother had worn, once upon a time along with a needle that he doused in some alcohol before flaming it in a candle, prep done he came over to Viola.

"Won't hurt a bit lass, where do ya want 'em in your ears?" He asked

"Just behind my normal set, and I've given birth I don't think getting my ears pierced will be any more painful" she stated dryly and Charlie chuckled as he picked up a charcoal stick to use to mark the spot he'll pierce

"Aye, 'magine ain't much you'll consider painful after that...you excited about the little 'un comin'?" Charlie asked her with soft eyes, happy about a new Shelby prince/princess joining them.

"It's somewhat early days" Viola hummed "I only noticed thanks to morning sickness and...such"

Charlie noted the red dusting her cheeks but decided not to comment, merely quickly piercing her ears and murmuring an apology when tears sprung to her brown eyes.

"There, done and pretty as a picture" Charlie told her softly and Viola glanced into a shaving mirror to stare at the small gold hoops, clearly old but well loved and she smiled at her uncle.

"Thank you, Charlie" she grinned before hopping to her feet and pressing a kiss to one sooty cheek.

"Yea, yea. Go an' show off to yer husband, alrigh'?" Charlie said gruffly, shooing her away and she went giggling in amusement.

Tommy lamented the price of success when he was forced to leave his home and actually work, he strode through the streets of small heath, ignoring people who were bidding him good morning as he walked. It had started out a wonderful day, his nightmares hadn't turned up and he'd spent most of the night worshipping his wife after spending the evening play with horse dolls with his son. Not that Rian did much with them apart from throw them at him but still.

A groan escaped Tommy as he rembered the picture his wife had made that morning, bare to the world and bathed in dawn light, brown hair strewn wildly about with those hoops catching the sunlight...perfect. His. Stailc tintreach, Tommy's Goddess...and Tommy hadn't failed to notice just who those hoops had belonged to. Uncle Charlie had only a few trinkets left of a mother he'd loved more than anything, the fact he gave them to Viola?