by order of the fucking peaky blinders

39

"Peace" Finn talks, "shut up Finn" Arthur says, "why can't i say peace?" Finn asks Charlie, "Arthur, let him have his say. He's 19." Charlie says, "my sons not here to speak, so i'll speak on his behalf. Truce." Polly tells them, "five for peace, two for truce" Tommy counts all eyes turning to the youngest Shelby sister, who was biting her thumb nail in thought, her blue eyes meeting Tommys as she eyes him up and down. "Respite" Charlotte says, moving her hand away from her mouth, and Tommy nods. "Lets get on with this war then" Tommy says walking off. 

"What the fuck does that mean?" Arthur asks his sister, who chugs her drink, "postponed, a hiatus" Charlie replies, exiting to go see her sons who were laughing at Diego whilst Harrison looked embarrassed to be related to him and Scudboat just looked unamused.

-

"Lottie, can you come here?" Tommy questions pulling her out of her conversation with Jeremiah. "What is it?" Charlotte asks walking away from the crowd with her brother, "when the time comes don't be alarmed alright, i suspect there's some low level gangsters surrounding tryna make a name for themselves, but this place is crowded by Aberams men, a shot is fired, it will be our side. Alright" Tommy tells her, and she nods, going to walk away but he catches her hand, "im sorry, for everything, im so fucking sorry okay, but i need you now Lottie, i fucking need you. I always need you. This year has been fucking hell. I love you, of course i care for you, you're my baby sister. I fucked up, i know i did, but im fucking begging you, i don't know how to do this without you" Tommy pleads, she had him wrapped round her finger, big bad Thomas Shelby was begging and pleading. That was a privilege no-one else would get. Not Arthur. Not Ada. Not Finn. Not Polly. Grace wouldn't have even gotten that. 

"I said respite didn't i?" Charlie says, taking deep breaths, all she wanted was to embrace him, he looked so broken, he knows he was wrong. She'd already forgiven him, she wants to let him in, to comfort him, but how? How could she trust him? Yes, she'd forgiven him, he was truly sorry, but she couldn't forget. She told herself thats why she was pulling away, she couldn't trust him. But she did, that's the issue, she trusted he knew what he was doing, she trusted that he had a plan. She trusted him, even though she shouldn't. She forgave him, even though she shouldn't. She loved him, of course she did, he was her brother. 

"Come here" Charlie says hugging him, making him freeze, quickly recovering holding her close, kissing her temple. "Now, lets get this done. For John" Charlotte says, "For John" he repeats with a small smile as she walked off to stand with Finn.

"This is how John wanted to go. On this smoke, and the truth is, we died together once before. Arthur, me, Danny Whizzbang, Freddie Thorne, Jeremiah, Harrison, and John. We were cut off from the retreat. No bullets left, waiting for the Prussian cavalry to come and finish us off. And while we waited Jeremiah suggested we sang In the Bleak Midwinter. But we were spared, the enemy never came, we all agreed. That everything after that was extra. And when our time came, we'd all remember-" Tommy says, "you'd remember that God spared you, but what did you do with that extra time, eh Thomas?" Polly interrupts, and he ignores her stepping to the side next to Jeremiah as Arthur lit the caravan alight. Everyone watching as the caravan went up in flames. 

When all of a sudden a gunshot rang and everyone but Charlie, Arthur and Thomas ducked for cover, reaching for their guns, "do not return fire! I repeat do not return fire!" Tommy yells. "The men doing the firing are on our side, i took the trouble of getting an invitation to Aberama Gold." Tommy tells them as everyone gets back onto their feet. "Oh fuck! Now its begun" Johnny swears, "you put us out in the open on purpose, to use Johns funeral as some sort of fucking beacon." Polly exclaims angrily at her nephew, "we were never in any danger Polly" Arthur replies. "Finn! Diego! Go to the yard and light the fires" Tommy orders as Polly comes storming towards him, "you set a trap with us as fucking bait" she yells, pointing over at a group riding over on horses, "who's dead?" Polly questions. "Our enemies" Charlotte tells her. "Oh not this again. The two of you fucking scheming" Polly says, "who's dead?" she repeats, "some no good fucking italians who heard about the vendetta, and tried to make a fucking name for themselves, that who" Tommy answers, "you used your own brothers funeral. When did we vote on this eh?" Polly asks.

"Curly, get a boat ready to take the bodies to the city, and another boat for anyone, anyone who wants no more part in this. Cause this is how its gonna be" Tommy shouts and Polly walks away scoffing. "I'm not staying here Arthur, i'm going home" Linda says following in the direction of Polly, "oh yeah, homes 57 Watery Lane. You go there and lock the doors" Arthur says holding the key up, but she ignores him walking away, sighing Ada snatches the key following the other ladies. As the men on the horse stop in front of them a long haired grey man, leading them "500 hundred each, 1000 for the brace. Where do you want them?" Aberama says, "Charlie, Isaiah take them to the yard" Tommy bosses and the two nod, leading the horses down the hillside. 

-

"I just took a look around, i like this place. Fire for melting silver, canal to get it away. How much?" Aberama says approaching the 2 eldest Shelby brothers and Charlotte. "Nothing you see here is for sale, Mr Gold" Tommy replies, inhaling on his cigarette. "Everything is for sale. You tell Mr Strong, i'm going to buy his yard." Aberama tells him. "This yard has been in his family since they settled." Tommy says, "but i've decided to make it part of our deal" Aberama speaks. 

Charlotte recognised these guys, their looks, their voices, she just couldn't remember why, catching the kids eye, she gives him a questioning look as he nudges the older one nodding in her direction.

"Charlie, come here" Tommy calls for his Uncle, seeing the way the two were eyeing his sister. "We are going to spin a coin for your yard" Tommy tells him, "you're what?" Charlie says, "if its heads, Abbie here takes this whole place, with my blessing. But if its tails, i fuck your daughter Mr Gold" Tommy offers, making Arthur laugh, as Charlotte struggles to keep a straight face, still trying to pinpoint the guys, the younger one had obviously recognised her based on the looks her was giving her. "Esmeralda, the eldest, the prettiest. I'll have her. So make her part of the deal and spin against the yard" Tommy says, "Tom. For fucks sake" Charlie groans, "here, you toss the coin Mr. Gold" Tommy says throwing a coin in his direction, which he catches, eyeing it in his hand, a smirk working its way onto his face. "Don't laugh. The coin toss is sacred, right Arthur, Lottie?" Tommy tells him, "sacred" the two siblings reply simultaneously. "You toss that coin, you take the bet before witnesses and if i win" Tommy speaks "then we'll insist that the full terms of this agreement wager are fulfilled" Arthur continues. "Toss the coin Mr. Gold" Charlotte instructs, and they make eye contact the corner of his lip tugging into a smirk, "you really don't remember us do you kitty cat?" the young  dark-haired man says and she breaks contact with the older one, "should i?" Charlotte questions making the two laugh, "it was quite memorable, if im being honest lion" Aberama tells her, and Lottie places a hand on Tommys arm to calm him down, "Lion?" Charlotte repeats trying to think of who called her that, it was ringing through her mind, Brighton. The old lady. The two gypsies that helped. Invited her to their barbecue. The unconscious body she tripped over falling onto her own knife. 

"It wasn't that funny" Charlotte replies, and they shake their heads laughing, "it really, really was" Aberama teases, "umm, Leah?" Arthur questions, "how'd you know these guys?" Bonnie asks her, "they're my brothers, Tom, Arthur, they're the ones that helped with the old lady mugger, when i fell over the body onto the knife" Charlie clears up, "that was true?" Arthur says, "yeah, and it was fucking hilarious" Bonnie says. 

"Enough. Toss the coin Mr. Gold" Tommy says loudly. "No, no wager today. But with this penny, i will buy a flower to put on your grave. When the time comes" Aberama replies placing the coin in his coat, "and before that time comes, don't ever disrespect my friends or their valued property... we missed Christmas, lets have it now. Peace on earth, goodwill to all men" Tommy toasts raising his flask and walking off.

"So this is the sort of trouble you were running away from last time? On that lovely white horse" Aberama questions Charlotte, who nods. Leading them to the table, sitting next to Isaiah who places an arm round her shoulders, glaring at Bonnie, who smirks amused. "Toast to my brother, John, raise your glasses. All of you." Arthur says handing Charlie a glass, "John Shelby" Arthur toasts and they all raise their glasses, "cheers"

Hearing three pairs of heels on stones, Charlie turns seeing Ada, Lizzie and Polly being escorted into the yard, Ada and Lizzie coming straight to the table Polly pausing, to light a cigarette, seeing Tommy gaze on her, she nods her head in their aunts direction, he just shrugs, 'go and talk to her' Charlie mouths, and he sighs pushing himself from his chair going over to their aunt.