Loving Gwen Baker (Thomas Shelby/Peaky Blinders)

Chapter Two

Gwen sat on the curb outside of the house and cried for a long while, before a pair of shiny black shoes appeared in front of her.

The strawberry blonde had a shocking sense of deja vu, when she looked up to see Thomas Shelby. However, unlike how he had consoled her before he went away to war - he did not sit beside her, he did not offer her a hand up, he didn't not offer her kind and warm words as he held her. He just stood there and finished his cigarette before he uttered anything.

"Come on," He said, nodding his head towards her front door. "Let's talk inside."

Rather than offer her a hand, he took her elbow and eased her off of the ground.

They entered her - the - freezing cold house, and Tommy made her sit at the table while he went to put the heating on.

Nothing.

He pulled a second cigarette out of a carton from the breast pocket of his coat, and held it between his lips as he opened her cupboards to find tea.

Empty.

"Have you already moved out?" He asked, finally lighting the cigarette.

She kept her eyes on the table in front of her, on a split in the wood that her mother had accidentally made when she had been cleaning up some spilled paint.

"No." She murmured.

She heard him leave the kitchen, and enter the lounge, before she could hear him climbing the stairs.

He wouldn't find anything. She had had to sell most of her belongings so that she could pay the bills. The only room that had been untouched, was her parents, and Gwen hadn't stepped foot in there since that fateful day when she had found her mothers swinging body. The door had been kept closed since.

Tommy returned to the kitchen, and threw his cigarette end out of the window.

"I'm sorry about your mum." He said, "Pol told me she passed away."

It angered her when people said 'passed away' as if it had been an accident. "Yeah, thanks." She said.

Although she and Tommy had been almost friends before the war, France had changed everybody. The Thomas standing before her now, was a completely different person than the kind, sweet man who had consoled her when her father died, and who her mother approved of as a potential future husband.

"And Pol told me about the bakery."

She said nothing in response to that, she couldn't even look at him. She was embarrassed, of course, she was a girl who could not live up to the expectations placed upon her. Everyone had told her that she was going to do so well...but look at her now. She couldn't even afford a loaf of bread, and she couldn't even afford a sewing set to take in her own dresses.

Gwen pulled her sleeve back onto her bony shoulder when it slipped down. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked at Tommy with a steel gaze, "If you're here to remind me of my failures, Tommy, then please just leave."

He lit up another cigarette, "I want to help you."

"I don't want any help." She said, "Polly's already offered, and I've already said no."

"Yeah, well, I'm not Polly." Tommy said, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "And if you want me to rent this house to you, then you better listen to what I'm about to say."

Gwen frowned at him, "You're the one that bought my house?"

"I'm the one that bought your house."

"Why?"

"Because I know you." He said, taking the seat on her right at the circular table. "You wouldn't have sold it if you could help it. You may not have been in France, but I can see that the war has taken its toll on you." He looked like he wanted to say something else.

He had always looked like he wanted to say something else.

"I don't want your pity."

"You're not getting it." He said, "Now, you're going to do some work for me on a Friday. You know where I live, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Good." He said, "The work you're going to do, will pay for your rent."

She frowned, "What?"

"Don't artists charge an arm and a leg, these days?"

"I'm not an artist." She said, "I haven't painted since..." Since ma. "For at least a year."

"Then you better get some practice in." Was all he said. He stood up and glanced around the place once more, causing Gwen to bite back the urge to swear at him.

"I'll tell Harry you've got the rest of the day off. I'll be sending some lads round to get the house straight." Before she could say anything to object, he had turned on his heel and left with a swish of his black coat.

Polly had arrived to take her out for the afternoon. They had gone for lunch, before the Shelby aunt insisted they go to the market. Gwen walked beside the older woman - who had taken it upon herself to look after her for the last few years - as she purchased a loaf of bread, some butter, milk, jam, tea, sugar, and some fruit.

After Polly had paid for the groceries, she walked Gwen back to her house.

"The boys should've been done by now, we've been gone a good couple of hours."

Gwen was startled when they walked into the house. It had practically been gutted. All new kitchen counters had been put in, the place had been cleaned up and given a fresh lick of paint...it looked like it had done when her parents were still alive...and that bought tears to the strawberry blondes eyes.

"Right, first things first. Let's get that heating on."

"I haven't paid the bill."

Polly ignored her, and the radiator kicked in straight away. The Shelby aunt moved to the kitchen counter, and began unpacking the groceries.

"What are you doing?"

"These are for you." She said, "I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. Now sit down, while I make us a cup of tea."

Gwen did as she was told, looking around the kitchen and peering into the living room where her sofas had been cleaned and reupholstered. It looked so light in the house now, for the curtains had finally been opened for the first time in over a year.

The garden that had been overgrown, had been cut back and Gwen felt the urge to go out and plant some flowers - something she had always done with her dad on weekends.

"Thank you." Gwen accepted the tea cup from Polly as the older woman slipped into the dining chair beside her.

"It's alright, love."

"I mean it, Pol. I've been rude to you these past couple of years, and I know you've only been trying to help me." She looked down at her hands, "I thought I could do it myself...but after putting the house for sale." She shook her head, "I regretted it straight away. It's made me realise that I do need help."

"We're here for you, love." Polly said, "Just focus on yourself, at the moment. That's what's important."

Gwen swallowed and looked down at herself. She had once been slim, with a full chest and curved hips...but now? Under her dress, her hip and rib bones were visible, she could fit her hand around the top of her arm, and her chest was almost flat. Anorexic, she had heard people murmur.

"I just forgot about myself." She murmured, "When dad died, I had to work so much to pay for the bills. I didn't have time to stop. Then when mum...I was more focused on working to try and forget-" what I saw. "I just forgot to look after myself."

"You're a lovely girl, Gwen." Polly said, "But you've got to start looking after yourself now. Take today as a positive. You've got a second chance here now, don't waste it. Get yourself better, enjoy yourself again. God knows you deserve it."

"I will, Pol." She offered a small smile, the first real one she had given anyone for a long time even though it still didn't light up her entire face. "Thank you for today...and for the past few years."

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