Cross my heart - Tommy Shelby

•20•

"I'm assuming this is your first pregnancy?"

Eliza sat on the examination table, it was cool on her flushed skin. The feeling of even being in a midwifes presence for her own use was disorientating and overwhelming.

"Hm?" Eliza felt herself getting lost in her thoughts, "Oh erm, yes it is."

The nurse gave her a warm sympathetic smile, "We're here to help and support you Mrs Shelby."

The woman's gaze lowered again to the clipboard in her hands, which Eliza assumed held details about her.

"Do other women always feel this-"

"Anxious and overwhelmed?" The nurse answered for Eliza, "Yes, it's not rare for women who are having there first to feel that way."

The ex pilot just sighed deeply, it was the fear of the unknown that she hated. Eliza had no idea what would happen in the future- anything she had been even remotely sure about a few months ago had most defiantly been screwed over.

Eliza sat still as the nurse poked and prodded at the small bump on her torso, watching intently as the other woman measured her waist with a small measuring tape and continued to jot it down on the clipboard.

By the time the clock had ticked past noon, the appointment had finished and the younger Fenton sibling walked out of the hospital with a sense of relief.

It was as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

That was until she spotted the brunette haired woman from the waiting room, stood outside of the brick building, her arms folded.

Eliza desperately wanted to run, but she knew that the sudden movement would make her sick and also alert the younger woman to her whereabouts.

She may as well get the whole ordeal over and done with, Eliza began to shuffle her feet over to where the woman was situated.

"Erm, excuse me?" Eliza timidly asked, slightly scared for the "chat" that would ensue, "You wanted to talk to after my appointment?"

The younger woman had deep brown eyes, and short choppy hair. She had a prominent bump and if Eliza was being honest- looked relatively harmless.

"Of course Missus Shelby." She pointedly spoke, "Just tell me why you're using my family's name and then we can both go our separate ways."

"One of the members of the Shelby boys booked the appointment for me- as a favour." Eliza mumbled, "I didn't know he put Shelby down as a surname for me."

The woman seemed slightly confused, "Tommy, Arthur or John?" She pressed further.

"John I assume?" Eliza relayed what she could remember from John's speech about the importance of seeing a midwife throughout the duration of her pregnancy.

"You must be Eliza then." The woman finally caught on, "I'm Ada- John's younger sister."

Everything finally clicked into place for Eliza. It now made complete and utter sense as to why Ada looked so confused and angry at the idea of some random woman using her family's name.

"How did you-" Eliza began.

"If John had met a women he loved enough to have a another child with he would've introduced them to us now," Ada explained, "otherwise any other woman he impregnated would go to a different place to Y'know- get rid of it. You're the only other person he'd do this for, you are his best mate after all."

Eliza had to admit it made sense, Ada was anything but dim.

"So you're the girl that Tommy refused to stop going on about." Ada smirked gently, raising her eyebrows, "What's the deal with him?"

Eliza tensed up, so there was a history between herself and Tommy. She was almost sure of it now, "Honestly," She began, "I don't know- I can't remember."

They had begun to walk together now, detouring around the cut as both women continued to chat.

"I desperately want to remember everything, it's so bloody frustrating." Eliza ranted on, "Everyone treats me like fine fucking glass, like I'm going to break. It's like-"

"Like you're being wrapped up in Cotten wool." Ada finished for her, "I understand."

Eliza felt ten times lighter after ranting to the only sister of the Shelby's.

Although she loved John and Harry- she could never rant like this without feeling as if she'd hurt their feelings.

And the last thing she needed was to feel guilty.

"Y'know, I once lost my memory." Ada stated, "Forgot all about my brothers leaving for the war or Freddie." She said the words bitterly, "but Polly took me to places that held memories and showed me pictures- it helped a lot, maybe I could help you do that, make you feel more in control."

Eliza's eyes shone with unshed tears, "You'd do that for me?" She choked out.

Ada smiled slightly, "Yes, us girls need to stick together. It's a cruel, tough world- we all need a little help once in a while."