Gangster's Heart // Tommy Shelby fanfic

Now???

1 year ago

"What?" Johnny splattered his whiskey across the table. Tommy didn't seem fazed at all; he nonchalantly wiped his coat, maintaining an unchanged, stone-cold expression.

Taking a bottle from his office table, he poured another drink into his now empty glass.

"I don't want her to go through all of that again," Tommy uttered in a low voice.

"But making her think that you died is insane," Johnny fumed, ignoring the whiskey before him.

"Take care of her, Johnny," he continued, ignoring his anger.

"You're a selfish bastard."

"That I am," Tommy replied silently, gulping down his whiskey. He knew that the road to recovery would be long and hard if he managed to survive by some miracle. The thought of Anna seeing him like that, weak and dependent again, would break his heart.

She deserved a better life.

~

Tommy woke up in a dimly lit cottage in the middle of the woods, the scent of pine needles heavy in the air. He felt an excruciating pain in his chest, and his vision was blurry. He struggled to sit up, his body weak and trembling. With great effort, he reached out for the telephone on the bedside table, his hand trembling as he dialed Arthur's number.

"Arthur," Tommy croaked, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's me, Tommy."

There was a moment of silence before Arthur's concerned voice came through the line. "Tommy? What's wrong?"

"I... I don't know," Tommy gasped, his chest tightening with pain. "I'm in a cottage... in the woods... can't breathe properly."

"Stay calm, Tommy," Arthur replied urgently. "I'm coming over."

Tommy nodded weakly, even though Arthur couldn't see him. "Hurry, Arthur," he managed to say before the pain overwhelmed him, and darkness closed in around him.

It had been three months since the surgery, and Arthur was the only person from his family and friends who knew Tommy was alive. A burden he had to hide for months, even attending his funeral and pretending to cry about his dead brother. The tears he shed were not that fake, though; they were tears for an old Tommy, strong and independent. Now, he was glued to his bed, depending on Arthur's help and opium.

Arthur stormed into the old wooden cottage in a panic to find Tommy passed out on the bed, his hand clutching the telephone speaker.

"Tommy! Brother!" he ran to check his pulse. It was steady, and he let out a sigh of relief. Looking around, he picked up a tiny bottle of opium, carefully examining it. "Fucking hell," he muttered as he noticed it was empty. Grabbing Tommy's face, he gently smacked him to wake him up, only to receive a disapproving grunt from the suffering man before him.

"You're out of your medicine," Arthur stated, his face reflecting the worry he felt, clutching his stomach. In response, Tommy nodded, squirming in pain.

"I'll call Johnny to get you more," he continued, ready to get up in panic.

"Wait!" Tommy yelped, his voice raspy from agony.

Arthur turned around in confusion, furrowing his brows.

"How is she?" Tommy asked, gulping to relieve his sore, dry throat.

"She doesn't speak to us, Tom. She... she's not well."

"Time," Tommy mumbled silently.

"Yeah, time," Arthur repeated, completely confused, not getting what Tommy meant, but he decided not to dig further. All he wanted to do was get some opium to ease his pain. Seeing his little brother suffering was worse than anything, even if he didn't show it as much. His life had changed dramatically. Being in charge of the family business and taking care of his "dead" brother was taking its toll on him.

"You'll get better, brother, you're stronger than all of us," he said, patting his hand.

~

Anna woke up to the familiar warmth on her face. She opened her eyes to see Tom licking her face, waiting for her to wake up. A gentle smile crept onto her face.

"Do you want to go for a walkie?" she cooed in a sleepy voice.

Tom barked enthusiastically in reply.

Rising from the bed, she skillfully covered her dark circles with makeup and slipped on the first dress she found lying on the floor, a white one.

She and Tom embarked on their usual path to the nearest forest. Anna's mind drifted as Tom happily ran around, sniffing everything in sight. However, her reverie was abruptly shattered as she noticed a figure standing behind the trees in the distance: a tall silhouette wrapped in a long black coat, a hat concealing their face.

For a fleeting moment, she felt her heart skip a beat, as if she had seen him. Yet, it couldn't be. She brushed the thought aside, chiding herself for such a stupid thoughts, and called Tom, swiftly returning back home.

While entering her house, her heart still racing, Anna couldn't shake the feeling of unease. She ensured that all the doors and windows were securely locked, attempting to banish the image of the mysterious figure from her mind. But it lingered.

"I'm telling you, Harry, I feel like I'm losing my sanity. It looked exactly like him," Anna spluttered as Harry poured a beer for a customer.

"Same coat, hat, figure," she continued, leaning against the bar next to him, staring intently at his cheek.

"Anna, you should be careful. Don't walk in those woods alone," Harry turned towards her with a concerned look, almost convinced she was losing her mind.

Anna grunted in reply, "you're not listening to me!" she screamed.

"I am!" he screamed in frustration, "I am," his voice calmer now, but the concern in his brown eyes remained unchanged. "That's why I worry about you, Autu- I mean Anna. Tommy is dead. He. Is. Dead. It's been over a year; you need to move on, stop being ridiculous. Don't walk in the woods alone; that situation could end up badly."

"I want to see him again," she pushed out frantically, ignoring everything he had said.

Choking on his frustrated scream, he punched the air, hyperventilating to calm down. "Are you insane?" he grabbed her shoulders.

"Yes, it's a good idea. I'm going back," she smiled maniacally, saying it more to herself than to the fuming Harry before her.

"No, you're not," he shook his head.

"Yes, I am," she pursed her lips, frowning.

Sighing, he turned around to calm down and collect his strength not to snap. "Fine," he mumbled, "but I'm coming too."

"Aww, Harry," she cooed happily, jumping on his back, hugging him tightly.

"Don't touch me," he rolled his eyes.

"You love me," she smiled sweetly, letting go of him and taking a step back, giving him a chance to turn to face her.

"I don't," he raised his eyebrows, pushing back a smile.

"Let's go, Harry," she jumped up happily.

"Now???"