The Darkness Within (Peaky Blinders) Thomas Shelby

39. Fireworks

I'm in a foreign state

My thoughts they slip away

My words are leaving me

They caught an aeroplane

Because I thought of you

Just from the thought of you

- Wings, by Birdie

The boys came walking up to Zilpha Lee's wagon, John at the front, leading them. Kiara had moved to head of the wagon before them, now standing with her uncle in front of it.

"You should see the size of her dowry." Arthur was saying as they walked.

"What?"

"Her dad's giving you a car." Tommy said, finally bringing a smile to John's lips as they took their final steps. "Will he do?" Tommy asked Zilpha.

She looked John up and down before nodding with a smile. "He'll do." She agreed before an outbreak of excited cheers erupted from the Blinders as Kiara rolled her eyes with a sigh.

They moved and crowded around where the ceremony was to be held and before long a girl in a white dress was led to the front of the crowd, but kept unseen under her veil, not that it mattered because John kept his back to her looking at Tommy and Kiara.

"Here she is." Tommy informed him.

"She better be under 50." John shot back before Kiara tapped him on the chest, bringing his attention to her before she reached up and pulled the toothpick from his mouth, throwing it to the ground.

"Go on." Tommy then urged, pushing him towards the front and the girl that now knelt with her back to them. Arthur patted John on the shoulder as he walked, and he walked slowly until he finally made it to the front and knelt down beside the girl.

"We're here today to join in matrimony, this man and this woman." Erasmus Lee began just as Polly arrived with Ada.

"You look well." Tommy nodded to his sister who was now heavily pregnant and she nodded back.

"Freddie couldn't make it?" Kiara asked Ada quietly.

"He's not talking to me and when he does he calls me a fucking Shelby even though I'm a Thorne now." She replied as Kiara gave her a questioning look. "It was me that told Polly about Stanley Chapman." She whispered as an explanation.

"Ah." Kiara nodded.

The girl took off her veil as John glanced over to her, a small smile playing on his lips before he looked over his shoulder to his family contently, obviously not completely let down by the arrangement.

Kiara smiled and shook her head at him as he turned back around.

"Do you John Michael Shelby take Esme Martha Lee to be your beautiful young wife? To have and to hold in sickness and in health until death do you part?" The ceremony continued on as everyone observed until they finally got the end. "There remains one more part of the ceremony. It's the mingling of the two bloods." He stated as John held out his hand and Erasmus cut a line along his palm with a knife before doing the same to Esme. "So the two families become the one family." He said as their cut hands joined together in a hold. "I now pronounce you man and wife!" He declared. "Well, John, kiss the bride will ya?"

John was hesitant at first, the situation clearly being awkward, but it was Esme who ended up kissing him as the crowd cheered and chuckled.

Tommy smiled as his hand found Kiara's and lightly pulled her into him where she rested her head on his chest as she clapped and he wrapped his arms around her, joining in the clapping in front of her chest.