Rising | Thomas Shelby

getting close

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Thomas left my house in the early hours of the morning after helping me clear up my place. I tried to put my mother's room back to normal as much as I could but a lot of things had either been smashed or nowhere to be found.

We didn't talk about what the kisses meant for us. We obviously confessed something to each other, i'm just not overly sure what it was we confessed to. When he left he gave me a quick kiss goodbye like it was the most normal thing ever, like a wife kissing her husband goodbye before work. It was so unlike us but it had so come naturally.

I had actually managed to get some sleep, either the thought of Tommy and the happiness of us finally getting together had fully relaxed me to the point my mind just turned off for a few hours or the sobbing I did wore me out to the point my brain couldn't go on any longer. Either way i'm just grateful to get some rest.

Last night, we also discussed business. Tommy did the digging behind Grace like I asked, he found out she was lying. The references she showed Harry were fake, they had never heard of her before.
I told him to get close with her, even though I will hate to see it. I think if we make her think she's got the upper hand, we might see her slip up or even fall in love with Thomas and come clean herself. At the end of the day, nobody can resist Tommy's charm no matter how hard you try.

I was working with her. Getting to know Grace and I found out is that for someone so reserved and secretive herself, she asked a lot of questions and tried to stick her nose where it truly didn't belong. What's your relationship with Thomas? How long have you known him? Why does he get things for free? Why did he order you to go with him the other day? Harry told me he hasn't looked at any woman since the war, why is that? Is that true? The other day he asked me if I was whore, is he always that blunt? The girl wouldn't stop. I knew then that she was definitely hiding something, but I acted clueless giving her very false but very detailed answers to her questions. This bitch can try to play this game but I won't let her win.

She was clearing the spittoons out the back, I'm watching her. She waits for Thomas to get right up near the door before throwing the contents out of the bucket. I nearly laughed at her confidence. I make eye contact with Tommy but he doesn't react, so she has no idea i'm listening in. She apologises like she didn't just stand around for ages, waiting to do that.
"I'm Grace, by the way" I hear her introduce herself. Thomas knows who she is, knows her quite well at that.
So desperate for conversation she turns the topic to the horse. "Do you have something to say to me?" Tommy questions already bored with her unneeded, waste of time conversation.
"The other night you came into the pub when I was singing, you said singing wasn't allowed. I'd like there to be one night a week where there is singing." She stated, making demands like she isn't just a barmaid.

At this point I tell myself to calm down. Jealousy was making me very ugly and I didn't like it. I thought it was quite sweet that she wanted a singing night. Kind of.
"Harry was too afraid to ask you and Scarlett told me to ask you myself so..."
"But you're not afraid"
"I am, I just love to sing." Yeah well, I love cake and you don't see me demanding baking evenings.
I'm so busy telling myself off for being so jealous I miss the rest of the conversation until I hear Tommy tell her he wants to take her to the races. Stay calm Scar. He is literally doing as you said, he is getting close to her.

I go back to busying myself, when I hear her coming up. "What took you so long aye?" Acting oblivious to anything that had just happened.
"Thomas just asked me to the races!" She said giddily, "if I didn't know any better I'd say someone already has a crush" I tease, raising my eyebrows at her. She just scoffs and gives me a nudge. Hold on, she actually might already have a crush on him. How the fuck does he do it?

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Fixing the collar of my coat, I was heading out the pub doors when in comes Tommy. I can't help but smile at the thought of the night before. He didn't return the smile. "What's happened?" I ask timidly.
It was evident that it was bad and it was fresh. "Ada and fucking Freddie Thorne is what happened." He is pacing backwards and forwards.
"Hold on, your Ada? Our Ada? Freddie Thorne? Well fuck me. Did not see that one coming" I found it all
quite entertaining.
"She's pregnant Scar" Until then. I nearly dropped the cigarette I was holding. What was Ada playing at? Did she love him? Did he love her? Shit.
"Holy shit" was all I managed to get out.
I went behind the bar, grabbed a fresh bottle. "Cmon" I grabbed his hand before walking him to the Shelby household. I let him sit down. I pour him a drink and put a cigarette in his mouth, lighting it for him.
"First time i've ever lit your fag" Trying to get his mind off of his sister and onto something else. He weakly smiled at me.

I started to run my fingers through his hair, it always used to calm him down. "Thomas, I remember Ada fancied Freddie the whole time growing up. Maybe they're in love, Tommy. Maybe this isn't such an awful thing. Look, I know she's your baby sister and this isn't something you want to happen but what if he marries her, aye? Then the worst thing is, is that you don't like your brother in law." I slightly chuckle, not wanting him to think of this as something awful and unfixable. "Give him a chance Tommy, if he doesn't do the right thing then hate him for all that he is but not until you give him the chance to do the right thing."

He let out a sigh. Leaning down so he was laying on my chest as I continued to comb through his hair. He lets his eyes close and really calm down. He knew I was right and that he needed to give Freddie the oppurtunity to do the correct thing.

As he lay there, I start to take in my surroundings of the shop. The amount of money laying on the table. He had successfully managed to fix the races. Monaghan Boy had lost third time so all of the thousands of Birmingham's bets now sat in their laps. I already know Kimber is very aware of the Peaky Blinders now.

Polly walks in after a while and Tommy sits back up. "So Monaghan Boy finally lost?" Polly still didn't know who I was, or what we had planned.
"I taught you well" she says after finding out Tommy had already paid back everyone around Small Heath area. "And you fixed the this race without permission of Billy Kimber?" Polly starts. Here we go.

Tommy starts to take a sip of his drink but she snatches and throws it right behind me. Tommy wraps his arms around me to protect from any glass landing on me.
"I obviously didn't teach you well enough, Rule number 1 you don't punch above your weight"
"Billy Kimber is there for the taking" Thomas replies cooly. "Says who?" Polly retaliates.
"Me" I pipe up deciding it's about time I start explaining myself.
"Oh love, please shut up" Polly sighs. "No, I won't shut up Polly. I'm came back here on business didn't I? Aren't you curious on where Ive been? What I had meant when I said I had done what I needed to do?" Polly is surprised at my sudden outburst. I had grown up with people belittling my ideas and plans and ive had enough.
"I've created my own business Pol, kinda like this one. I have an army of men, that do whatever I want them to, whenever I want them to do it and onto whoever I want. Have you heard of a man called Fredrick Hayes?"
"Yes Ive heard of him, what you work for him do you?"
"Mm, something like that. You see Pol, you could ask anyone, even the people in the highest places if they have seen Mr Hayes. Not a single living soul has ever met Fredrick Hayes, nobody has seen him, flesh or photograph. Nobody has even heard him speak. You know why that is Pol don't you?"
Polly stared at the girl, quite impressed with what she meant by her little speech.
"You mean to tell me, that you're Fredrick Hayes?"
I just smiled up at her. "It nice to finally let you know. Sorry we didn't bring you in on this plan sooner Pol, but we thought we'd wait until you started figuring things out but long story short, we plan to and we will take down the King Kimber himself."