Underneath It All- Tommy Shelby Fan Fic

A Small Favor With Big Strings

Morning broke revealing a still but misty sky. Amelia loved her quiet walk to work, it was the perfect time to reflect and just breathe. Dressed in dark blue dress and matching coat Amelia had made more of an effort to her appearance in order to boost her morale. A lady that was dressed for the day was a lady who would conquer- her mother would say.

A small sigh fell from her lips as she remembered her dearest mother, a sweet but firm lady who believed that a woman should always dress to impress. Gina Crostwell, Amelia's mother was a astute lady to had taken great care in raising her, ensuring she had the best education and options. When Amelia decided to become a nurse Gina stood by her, chin held high and took on her father in a battle of words.

Amelia smiled to herself remembering her mother. It was pretty obvious who Amelia took after.

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Amelia was just opening up when a hand grabbed at the back of her coat, spinning around to face her attacker she was faced with a severely battered woman. A busted lip, a bruised jaw, severely swollen eye and disheveled clothes and no coat.

"Help me" she whispered.

"Oh my, come on get inside. Quickly!" and she grabbed at the woman and pulled her as quickly as she could out of the street view. Trying to spare the woman's pride she instantly pulled her to her office. "What's your name?" she breathed.

"Jessica Harth" she croaked, tears falling down her bloody face.

"Okay Jessica, you're safe here okay? I'm going to get you fixed up" Amelia gently placed her down on her chair and began to open up her kit. Jessica began to shake behind her so she began to prepare a strong tea. Jessica had started to shiver as she took the warm cup of tea. Amelia ripped off her coat and placed it on the woman's shoulders.

"I'm sorry-I shouldn't of come!" Jessica cried as she tried to stand up. Amelia gently pushed her down and assured her she wasn't going to let her walk out until she had taken a look at her.

"What happened?" Amelia asked as she began to clean the ladies face. No judgment.

"My-my husband" she breathed "he gets like this sometimes. It was my fault, I had dropped his dinner, I'm so clumsy" and she began to sob, her chest heaving up and down.

"This is not your fault" Amelia soothed, patting the ladies back in a circular motion "You don't deserve this okay? Believe me when I say that Jessica" and she noticed the cut above her right cheek was still bleeding so she would have to stitch it.

Jessica had let her begin the stitches and Amelia was suddenly grateful for having something to do with her hands. Amelia wanted to run out that place, find this brute of a man and kill him with her bare hands.

"Do you have somewhere to go?" Amelia asked breaking the silence.

Jessica's eyes suddenly went wide with terror and she tried to stand up "I can't leave him, he'll find me or he will hurt my children"

Amelia began to feel panic and tried her best to soothe her "Okay okay just stay until we've got you all fixed up okay?" and she offered the woman a gentle smile. "You can always come here Jessica, whenever you need to. I'll always be here" she offered meekly.

Jessica tried to smile but Amelia could see that it pained her to do so, she decided to quickly get her fixed up and offered her some pain killers. Jessica took two but refused to take the bottle in case her husband found them.

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All day Amelia was unsettled by her morning and couldn't get the woman out of her head. Amelia tried to imagine turning a blind eye and that didn't sit well, she tried to imagine going to their house and getting them but that would be worse. Frustration rose in her chest and she started to feel as if at any moment she would suffocate.