𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

23

"Curly, you left the gate open" Charlie told him as they heard a disturbance. "No i locked it, i pinched myself when i did it"

"Get this stuff under cover" Charlie instructed, looking out at the gates. "Who goes there?" he asked, holding a gun.

"Tommy?" Curly asked, looking at the limping man. "Curly, get that oil you put on when they go lame,"

"Are you fucking mad" Charlie asked.

"They yellow stuff, go on"

"they said you'd be in for another three weeks" Uncle charlie leaned on the wall. "I need to get on a boat to London, tonight"

"You discharge yourself?"

"I'm a sitting duck in there Charlie" he whispered, "Sabini could send a man in at any time. I need to get some things done"

"Your burning up" Charlie touched Tommy's face.

"Oh Tommy that stuffs for rubbing into fucking horses" he tilted his head as Curly held the oil.

"I am a horse"

"If you were a horse, they'd shoot you with these many broken bones"

"Get the black powder curly. Go, the black powder" Tommy told the bald man. "You pay for a bloody hospital and your using witchcraft" Charlie asked.

"I need to sleep in the open air and feel the boat under me Charlie"

"Oh Tommy, you're just like your mother" he whispered. "Do you have a boat here?" Tom asked.

"Only the January, she's heavy, London would take four days"

"That'll do, can you spare Curly? He'll be my doctor"

"Saw Lottie earlier today, she came by the stables" Charlie changed the topic as Curly laughed. "And hows she doing" Thomas asked.

"Seems a lot more like herself" he nodded.

-

Esme stroked the younger girls hair as she slept in her lap. Esme and Lottie had sat on the couch for hours talking before John got back.

Lottie had avoided home for the day, Polly not being in a good mood.

Eventually, the seventeen year old had fell asleep in Esme's lap as John spoke to them.

Tommy was still gone, she'd heard he was in hospital, supposed to be there for three more weeks. God knows if that will happen.

"She's asleep" Esme told John. "I'll carry her to bed in a minute" He nodded, picking up his whiskey. "What's wrong John" Esme asked. He sniffed, taking a deep breath.

"I can't stop thinking about what happened to her" he said quietly, staring at the fire. "And what could have happened, if she didn't grab that gun, if she didn't get out"

"John all you need to think about is how she is safe, how she is sat with us right now" Esme grabbed his hand.

"Lottie is a strong girl John" she nodded, "and she will be okay as long as you stay alive"

"She needs you John, more than she needs Tommy or Arthur. You"

His breath hitched and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's why you need to start thinking about what is safe and what is not. And if it's worth taking the risk"

"We have a kid John, you have kids, I don't want them to grow up without their dad" she whispered.

John listened to her words carefully. He stood up and slowly lifted up the seventeen year old, trying not to disturb her. "I'll take her over to Pol's" he nodded, walking out of the house.

-

"Tommys discharged himself from Hospital, he's on he's currently on the way to Camden town, probably already there" Polly said as John walked back from putting Lottie to bed. "What's he done that for"

"Meeting someone called Alfie Solomon's"

"It'd be nice if he started telling us stuff, instead of disappearing" John shook his head.

"It's Tommy, he does everything on his own." she nodded. "Only ever needs us when somethings gone wrong"

Soon after their conversation, John returned to Esme and the kids, sitting in the silent house. "You not coming to bed?" his wife asked, appearing at the bottom of the stairs. "I'm just thinking" he whispered, snapping back to reality.

"About?" she asked. "Everything."

"Anything i can help with?" she pursed her lips into a straight like. "No" he sighed, standing up, "not that i can think of"

She watched him as he walked past her and up the stairs. "The kids are asleep" she whispered before he got to the top.

"So be quiet, only just put them down"

He nodded slowly and turned down the hall to his own bedroom.