Cross my heart - Tommy Shelby

•3•

Warnings: swearing

"So what did you boys get up to last night?"

The Shelby family were sat around the kitchen table, eating their breakfast together.

"Oh you know us Aunt Pol," Arthur spoke through a mouthful of egg, "We'd never get into any bloody trouble."

Tommy found himself looking up from the morning paper, lip curled up in disgust at the sight of his older brother shovelling his mouth full of food.

The Shelby's Aunt just rolled her eyes, "My angels." She nodded mockingly.

Tommy sat at the end of the table as he sipped at his coffee, "Think our John 'ad the best night out of all of all of us."

The older woman just looked at him, beckoning for him to continue with a small "Oh?"

Tommy locked eyes with his younger brother, "Aye- body full of alcohol and a pretty girl on his arm." His jaw locked, "Expect you'll need to replace that bed 'ey Johnny boy."

John looked over in Tommy's direction, his face flushed in frustration and anger, "She's just a mate- She's like another sister to me." John looked as if he was about to blow a fuse, "and if you must fuckin' know Tom- we didn't fuck."

Tommy bit back once more, he didn't know why he was getting angry over the matter. His brother had been with plenty of women before and he hadn't been bothered by it before.

"Then why'd she leave this morning."

John stood up from his seat, "Because she crashed in my room. Yes- we were in the same bed- we slept on opposite sides of the bed!"

Tommy could see that his younger brother was getting infuriated with him and it gave him a sense of satisfaction over the matter, "And she stayed the night because believe it or not I don't want my best mate to wonder the streets of Small Heath in the middle of the night and end up dead in a fuckin' ditch!"

"If you say so brother." His simple words, had touched more nerves within John, As they wound each other up.

"What the fuck is your issue with Liza, hm?" John looked as if he was ready to swipe everything off of the table in a fit of anger.

But the question actually stopped Tommy from responding, what was his issue with this girl?

It wasn't as if she was a particularly fresh face around Small Heath, unlike Grace who had just turned up one day.

But Tommy couldn't help but think there was more to Eliza Fenton. He knew he had seen her elsewhere, that they knew each other under different circumstances.

He knew her eyes and that was one thing he was undoubtably sure of.

"John sit down and eat yer' bloody breakfast." Aunt Pol's voice brought the young gang leader back into the room, "And would someone like to explain who this 'Liza' is?"

"Eliza Fenton, Harry's younger sister." John huffed, "I met her in France when she was stationed with me for a year or so."

"A nurse?" Polly probed

"A pilot." John replied, "and a bloody good one at that- Sergeant and all."

Polly looked over to Tommy again, "And why is it you have a problem with the poor lass, Thomas?"

He rolled his eyes in response, shaking his head as he did so. He refused to answer.

The youngest Shelby sister, who had a mouth full of jam toast, spoke to the room.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say our Tommy is jealous." Ada teased.

Tommy sighed at his sisters antics and stood up stiff, "I'm gonna get a head start on work." He muttered as he exited the room, a trail of smoke lingering behind him.

"Right fuckin' leave without answering! Leave us in the bloody dark Tommy, yer' fuckin' prick!"

That was all Tommy caught of the shouts coming from his younger brother, as he shut the heavy front door behind him and began his journey to the boatyard.

//

The first thing Eliza did when she got upstairs, was check on her brother. Despite being almost two decades younger than him, she was still fiercely protective of Harry.

She gently peeped round the door to his bedroom, checking that he was still safe and well. Which he was.

Only he wasn't asleep as Eliza had expected, instead Harry was sat on his bed with numerous photo albums scattered in the spare space.

He had a glazed look on his face, as he gently touched and turned the pages.

"Y'know it's almost been 15 years since you came and lived with me."

Eliza smiled meekly, "Nearly 15 years since mother passed away then." She sat on the edge of his bed, glancing at the grainy pictures.

"She made me want to be a pilot Y'know." Taking a deep shuddering breath, she continued, "When she got sick, she always talked about 'ow she wished she could be a bird. 'Ow she wanted to fly and be free of any pain." Eliza looked at her brother intently, "And when she passed- I wanted to fly high with her, be free. Bein' a pilot is the closest I could get."

She felt a soft kiss on her forehead.

"She'd be proud of what you've become, El." Harry muttered into his younger sisters hair, "And so am I."

//

The art museum was open and light, Grace's heels clicked on the floorboards- causing a slight echo to occur.

She feigned an interest in the art around her while walking around the maze of corridors that would lead her to the meeting place.

When she arrived, she noticed that the inspector had already arrived.

Grace liked the inspector just fine, it was an honour to work with him. He was... eccentric and harsh, but that was what made him a good leader.

"Grace." Campbell nodded his head in her direction.

"Inspector Campbell." she murmured back.

"Any more news that has been revealed regarding the Shelby's?" His gruff voice was low and calculating.

"No." She sighed, twiddling with her jacket sleeve. "There is a new aspect of this operation that we must look at- there's a girl, I believe she is aware that I'm a spy and she is also close to John Shelby."

"Do you know her name my dear?" Campbell turned to look at the next painting along.

"Her name is Eliza Fenton." Revealed the golden-haired girl.

"Very well," Campbell spoke with authority and finality, "I will find what files come up within the system- then we can find whether she'll be a major threat." He took a final look at Grace, "until then- lay low."