Florence's pov we wake the next morning and dress in
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we still have the guns. not that polly knows. Tommy grabs my hand in his and helps me up into the car. we're headed to the fair. but first we're going to see johnny dogs and the lees about a horse. i get out the car and greet Johnny and he smiles "hiya lass!" i chuckle "hi johnny!" him and tommy talk about the horse and he gives johnny permission for a ride in the car. i glare as the Lees whistle my way and cat call me. i snap "keep ya mouth shut if ya don't want me removin ya tongues ya dirty bastards" tommy's head whips to me as one of the guys ask "what did ya say ya dirty whore" tommy snaps "the fuck did ya just say about my woman? hm? want a smile cut on that face of yours?" hot.
he says "i said she's a whore. just like ya mother." johnny tries to diffuse the situation. but it's no use. i go to join the action with a smile and tommy stops me "let us handle it love. would hate to get blood on that dress of yours" i kiss him "go get him puddin" with a grin and he kisses me deeply but shortly and i watch as the brothers cut the eyes and mouths of the lees. when they're done tommy grabs my hand and helps me back into the car and kisses me softly "won't let anyone disrespect ya...ever" i nod with a grin "i know" i turn to my brothers "you guys alright?" they send me a grin "never better! it's always fun to cut a disrespectful twat" arthur says. i chuckle and john says "it's always our pleasure to cut in your honor" with a smile as tommy drives.
we come home to chaos. fucking twat campbell. tommy and i decide we're going to have a bonfire in the street of us burning pictures of the king to get back at the fucker. he pulls me into a kiss and i chuckle. we have fun before turning in for the night.
next day
fucking thomas! he fucking invited the barmaid to the fucking races AS HIS DATE. and she's been fucking happy about it. jabs every fucking second at the garrison. oh! and ada is fucking pregnant by freddie fucking thorne. the right communist twat. i don't know what she sees in him. really. oh and our horse lost so now we'll have billy fucking kimber on our backs. "love" he calls softly. i glare "thomas" he says "i need you" i scoff turning away "why don't you go ask your barmaid. i'm sure she'll fucking jump for joy" he sighs "you heard" i snap "of course i fucking heard! but of course it's not like we have a label or anything so you can trot about with whatever woman on your arm as you please wherever you please." going to leave him he stops me grabbing my arm and i slap him away. "it's not-" i cut him off "it is. you're going on a bloody date with someone else. i got the message mr shelby. you don't want whatever this was anymore. and i won't beg you to." he calls "Florence" i flip him and leave
next day
i join john and arthur before the races. he asks "what are ya doin here thought you'd be with tommy on his arm" i scoff "you thought wrong. he has a new shiny blonde toy on his arm now. i'm here to work" he nods looking confused.
we go to the races and find the Lees trying to rob bookies. arthur cuts his ear off and threatens him taking the bag of money. we move to the next one. and i cackle having fun beating the shit outta the guy. taking out all my annoyance on em. my hurt. i smash his head into the sink and say "oh arthur!" and he turns "yes lovey" and i toss him the bag. i skip out the bathroom and find more people to terrorize and steal the money from. i pause seeing thomas dancing with grace. i roll my eyes and look away and continue. arthur offers "wanna take this to tommy? i know he'd be happy to see ya. especially because ya been havin a tiff" i say "it's not a tiff he's on a date with another woman. take it to him arthur ill wait in the car"
tommy's pov the only reason i asked grace to come is so she can be bait for Billy Kimber and his thirst for pretty women. i will not offer florence that way. i'd sooner die than offer her up like a whore for the taking. grace is easy. i turn and im disappointed seeing arthur giving me the money and not her. she didn't even sleep in our bed. she won't talk to me. won't look at me. i know i fucked up. but she won't even listen to me. i see his blood "you okay" he nods "just some bruises and scratches"
i nod "good job...and florence?" he chuckles "been goin off like a firecracker. pretty sure the lees are gonna have to bury a few men with the shit she did to em smilin and all. but tommy whatever the fuck ya doing. fix it. i ain't seen her this pissy in a while but she's hurtin. don't lose her" shit. i nod "it's just business" and he says "it ain't just business to hurt the one woman who's always loved ya tommy. fix it" and he hands me the money and leaves. fuck.
i finish the deal and the prick wants grace. i tell her to go with him not caring. two hours. i get in a car with a woman and wait. i huff and bust in just to see him about to rape her. i tell him she's a nasty whore with the clap and we leave. i drop her off at the garrison knowing it's where she'd go. my love. i take a minute to collect my thoughts and i go inside to hear screaming from Flo. she's fighting grace. beating the shit out of her. arthur, john and a few others try to get her off of grace. but she won't let up. grace is bloody and no match.
once florence gets like this...she's got tunnel vision with one thought on her mind. murder. grace grabs a bottle and hits florence with it. fuck! it just pisses florence off more and she goes at her. i step between them "darling! darling! it's me. just breathe okay. calm down for me" soothingly. "tommy" grace winces standing and i check florence over and glare "the fuck did you do grace?! huh?! the fuck did you do to my fucking wife!" florence says "you fucked her" what?
it's quiet. i say "darling i-" she moves away "don't even try to deny it. i love you, and you took her on a date and fucked her" heartbreak in her voice on her face. i glare at grace "you tell her that? you fucking lie to her to set her off and hurt her? grace i don't fucking know what the fuck you're thinking but i'm going to make this so fucking clear. i love her. my wife. the love of my life. not you. never you. you were a distraction. a piece i needed because i would not use her for it and you're easy. get the fuck out. get the fuck away from me and my fucking family" i turn to my girl and cup her face "look at me lass"
she does. i tell her "i love you. only you. i fucked up. i know that. this is all my fault. i made ya a promise. when we started taking this over. i would not sell you. use you as a pawn for men the way he did. you'd be shown respect and valued and you'll have your independence and dignity. i was upholding my promise. i hurt ya and i am sorry for that. but i could not take ya with me today. that does not mean i want someone else. that i love ya less or not at all. it was business and a way to protect ya. and i'm sorry that hurt ya." i kiss her hand softly. staring into her eyes so she knows im tellin the truth. she's the only one that can tell when im not.
she asks "why didn't you tell me" i sigh "i was going to. but you already heard about it." she says "before you did it. why didn't you tell me? you always do." i sigh "shit just kept happening and i kept being unable to sit and tell you. and i wanted to. and i'm sorry" she nods and i kiss her softly "haven't been able to sleep without ya darlin. missed ya so much" she replies "me too" i say "let's get ya to polly and get ya cleaned up. ya still bleedin love" she waves me off "i feel great!" with a laugh. i note the side eyes from patrons at her. they all talk and think she's crazy. if they went through a fraction of what she did they'd be worse off.
she's never been...normal. i never wanted her to be. i love her as she is and as she was and as she's going to be. i remember being called out of the tunnels because she got hurt pretty badly. i didn't even know she was there. that she followed us into war. that that was the reason my letters to her went unanswered until i saw her in that medical tent. she had gotten shot. they had found out by then that she was a woman disguising as a man. but they kept her on the front lines. i got called out of the tunnels again. this time because of the gas poisoning. they found her reaction to it odd. she didn't blister. she didn't choke much, get lung issues, she didn't die. it just messed with her mind. i didn't think she could get even more perfect but she did.
i tell her with a chuckle "still gotta clean your wound love" she nods and i say "you got grace good" she grins as if she won a prize and says "she's lucky she still got eyes and teeth and isn't wearing a smile" the Glasgow smile. one of her favorite inflictions of many. she takes joy in hurting people that oppose us. she revels in it. i think it's sexy. i get her into the car and say "maybe one day love"
