VULNERABLE | thomas shelby

✞ S I X T E E N ✞

CHAPTER SIXTEEN ; WEDDING BELLS

BETH STIRRED IN HER sleep, her hands coming up to reach for Tommy who was beginning to pull a suit onto himself. A small whine escaped her lips as she buried herself further into her bed. "Get back into bed Tom." Beth whined, pouting her bottom lip out. Tommy watched her with a loving smirk and crouched down on his knees at her bed side.

"Johns wedding is today. Put on a nice dress and meet me around the corner from the ceremony. If anything happens and John kicks off, I'll need you there to help calm him." Tommy murmured leaning in and placing a quick kiss to her lips. Beth hummed in satisfaction and pushed her self out of bed. She made her way over to her wardrobe- shivering slightly from the cold still being in nothing but her undergarments from the night before.

The thought still struck her mind. She had only had sex with Tommy once but he had never forced it on her like most men would. Even with her laying with him in nothing but a bra and underwear Tommy never made a move- just stayed the same night time Tommy; cuddly and warm. She wondered if one night it would happen but Beth wasn't very intimate in the bedroom, just the same as Tommy she would rather sleep her troubles away.

Beth scanned through her dresses and pulled out a baby pink coloured floral dress and turned to Tommy. "I would have went and got a nice dress if you had of given me notice." Beth grumbled. Tommy chuckled shrugging on his cop coat and walked over towards Beth. His hands round her waist and he pulled her into a kiss. Beth hummed smiling into the kiss. "Somebody's being affectionate?"

Tommy shrugged and walked towards the doorframe. "Just making up for all the time that was lost to war." And with that his footsteps echoed down the stairs and the door slammed behind him. Beth felt giddy as she pulled her dress onto her body. She sprayed some of her mothers perfume and put in pretty pearl earrings. She combed through her hair leaving it straight.

Beth pulled on a pair of heels and her black over coat before rushing to leave her house. Her heels clicked off the cobblestones as she rushed through the streets. When Beth turned around the corner and began to walk up the Lee drive she sighed in relief seeing the Peaky Blinders boys standing up the top of the road. She noticed she had just arrived in time seeing John trying to break away and fight off his family in panic.

Beth shook her head pushing past Arthur and grabbing John by his jacket and pulling him harshly against her, there faces only centimetres apart. "John. I need you to calm down and listen to Tommy. You need a wife anyway so there's no point in throwing a strop, your going to like her and she's going to help look after your children. You just need to calm down for me, yeah?" Beth instructed her voice nearly in a whisper as she reached up to wipe a fallen tear that streamed down his face.

Johns lip trembled and he instantly calmed down when he saw Beth, not wanting to scare her, even though he was the terrified one. His eyes looked around in shock with every word that fell from her lips and he nodded slowly letting the words process.

It really broke her heart to see him upset but Beth knew it was best for John and he'd get someone to marry again just like he wanted in the outcome but it would be his first big relationship since Martha's death and she didn't know if he was ready.Tommy grabbed Beth's waist and pulled her into his side, out of jealousy but still nodded at his brother. "A girl who needs a husband, A man who needs a wife." Tommy clarified.

"Tom, I'm not bloody marrying some fucking mushroom picker. All good for you with fucking Bethany eh?" John growled grabbing onto Tommy's collar with his fist- pulling him closer. Tommy placed his hand on the back of Johns neck and pulled him closer to his face. "John boy, come on. Listen. I have already betrothed you. If you back out now there's gonna be a mighty war breaking out here. It's going to make the Somme, it'll make the Somme look like a fucking tea party."

"But if you marry her our family and the Lee family will be united forever. And this war will be over." Tommy announced. Beth let out a loud huff and nudged Tommy softly. "Now it's up to you John. War or peace." She finished nodding her head to John supportively. And John nodded snapping his arm out of the men behind hims hold and yelling for them to get off them. He fixed his jacket and took of his peaky hat before turning around and leading the way into his wedding.

Beth sighed in relief, falling into a walk between Arthur and Tommy, her hand held tightly in Tommy's. Arthur grinned down at the younger girl nodding his head. "He would have bloody kicked off it weren't for you Beth. Your a fucking god." Arthur whispered. Beth giggled shaking her head. "I know Arthur, I know."

Beth's eyes narrowed at the Lee woman who stood atop of the carriage steps peering down at the Peaky's in disgust. Tommy cleared his throat holding his hands out as if to showcase John. "Will he do?" The woman stood glaring down at John for a few minutes before she looked to Beth and nodded smiling. "He'll do." The men cheered and tugged at John but Beth kept her eyes on the Lee woman. She stepped off the stairs and walked towards Beth.

Taking Beth's hand in hers she gave it a quick squeeze. "Welcome home Bethany." She mumbled before slipping into the crowd. John turned to look down at Beth in shock. "You're a  bloody Lee?" He near shouted. "Dads side of the family." She answered grinning. "Here she comes." Tommy pointed avoiding an argument that had just been opened.

Technically if he married Beth the two families would be mixed but she was practically a married Shelby her whole life so it wouldn't have changed anything. Beth glanced at the bride who's face was covered with a white vail beginning to walk her way to the chairs left for her and John to kneel.

"Come here." Tommy mumbled turning Johns head, he took the toothpick from his younger brothers mouth before waving him off. Beth sighed feeling her tears well as she leaned her head against Tommy's shoulder. "He's all grown up now Tom, not the annoying little kid that used to tell on us for sneaking around." Tommy chuckled nodding his head. His hands rubbed up and down her arm as they watching the ceremony. "He's been married before love, and has about ten children. He's already grown up. Don't be getting emotional."

Beth's eyes widened as she saw Polly walk up and leave Ada to stand beside Tommy before she walked over to Arthur. Beth refrained from throwing herself into Ada's arms in fear to disrupt the wedding but instead smiled widely. "You look good." Beth glanced back at the ceremony, the bride taking the veil from her face. John stared at her in awe before glancing back at Beth with a large smirk on his face.

Beth covered her mouth to hide the laugh that fell from her lips. "You got my invitation." Tommy commented. "Grace said there's a truce." Ada replied. "Family day. Your husband couldn't make it?" Ada glared at Tommy. "He's not speaking to me and when he does he calls me a 'fucking Shelby'. Even though I'm a Thorne now." Tommy grinned. "Thorne in my side that's for sure."

Ada cracked a smile and shook her head. Beth however moved closer to Tommy, watching Johns ceremony more than listening. "My god Tommy. You admire him don't you?" Tommy never answered Ada's question and instead combed Beth's hair behind her ear and continued to watch the ceremony. "There remains one more part of the ceremony. That's the mingling of two bloods."

Johnny Dogs who was playing pastor, took out a blade and cut a line across both John and his wife who Beth had heard was called Esme's hands. "Where the two families become the one family." John and Esme pressed their hands together turning to look at each other. "I now pronounce you husband and wife!"

The group of Lee's and Shelby's mixed broke out into happy claps and cheers all watching as John hesitantly leaned in to have his first kiss with his bride.