Two days since the disappearing of Bea Gold, one boat arrived at Charlie Strong's Yard in Small Heath. A girl, with her head in two perfect braids, with a hat on top, got off.
"Small Heath, love," announced the man stirring the boat. "Welcome to Birmingham. Enjoy your stay."
As she walked around the dirty streets, she knew better than to ask around for anyone, so she went to a place she knew someone could help her.
It was useless looking for her father directly, since he was a Gypsy and sleeping away from town.
The Pub seemed to be closed, but its doors were unlocked.
"Hello?" Bea calls out as she gets in.
"We're closed!" a voice barked.
"I'm looking for someone."
"Yeah? Well, we're closed. Come and look when we're open."
"I'm looking for Thomas Shelby... or... any Peaky Blinder."
A man came behind the curtains of a room across the pub.
"Why are you looking for Tommy Shelby?"
"I was just... looking for someone he may know."
"Well, you found Tommy," the man with icy blue eyes says. "Who can I help you find?"
"Aberama Gold."
"Sit," he orders pointing at a table. "Do you drink whiskey?"
"No, Mr. Shelby."
"What about Champagne?"
"I don't drink, Mr. Shelby."
"Fuck it. You're at The Garrison, you'll have my gin. And you're in luck, it's not even on the market yet."
Bea didn't decline, with uneasiness and concern growing inside her.
He puts a glass in front of her and pours gin, as he gets a glass of whiskey for himself.
"So... Why are you looking for Aberama Gold and why are you asking me about him?"
"I'm his daughter, Mr. Shelby."
"Esmeralda?" he tried to guess but with clear doubt in his eyes.
"No. I'm the youngest, Beatrice. Bea."
Tommy Shelby stares at her quietly for a while and then drinks his whiskey.
"I presume you didn't tell him you were coming, since you don't even know where he is."
Bea thinks of the right thing to say but there isn't one so she just spills the truth.
"I ran away from home. Well, not home... my aunt's house."
"Why did you run from your aunt's house?"
"Well, Mr. Shelby," she sighs, "I'm not one to be told what to do." Bea picks up the glass of gin and drinks it all up.
"And what was it you were told to do that made you leave?"
"To marry a man who wanted me to paint a portrait of himself."
"You haven't come in a good time, you see? We are at war, and your father is working for me, which means he has a target on his back, which means you have a target on your back."
"Are you going to take me to him or not?" Bea asks daring.
Tommy looks at her, finish his whiskey and gets up. "Follow me."
He starts walking straight away, so Bea jumps to her feet.
"Leave your bag," Tommy says over his shoulder. "You'll collect it later."
Without even having time to reach to her suitcase, Bea leaves it behind and runs after Tommy.
"I am meeting your father and brother now, so you came at the right time."
They get to a building, like a big warehouse and Tommy goes inside first. Following him close, Bea sees that inside is full with boxing rings, and some people are fighting and some are watching.
"Mr. Shelby—" Bea was going to ask where he had taken exactly but stops as she sees a very familiar face on one of the rings, not yet fighting, but getting ready. "BONNIE!" Bea shouts like a little kid at Christmas.
Leaving Tommy behind she runs to the ring where Bonnie was, continuing to shout his name as she went.
Bonnie, who saw who was shouting his name, got down and smiled. When she reached him, she jumped in his open arms.
"Beatrice!" he says with happiness. "What are you doing here?"
He then held her arms, gave a step back and looked at her better.
"You look so beautiful!"
"I know," she says with the purest happiness. "Father!" Bea gets out of her brother's grip and hugs her father.
"What are you doing here?" Aberama asks with concern.
"Aunt Margaret wanted me to marry."
"Marry? With whom? She never told me you were going to marry."
"I know! I was shocked when she told me. My sisters are older and they aren't married yet. I suggested Esmeralda to marry the man, but she said Esmeralda was too old for him. And they are the same age!"
"Oh, my sweet daughter... But you shouldn't have come here. It's not safe."
"I was tired of living in London, away from you."
"You will miss what you had at your aunt's house, sooner than you expect."
"What is that? The ability to be send off to marry without knowing my husband? I won't miss that at all."
"Everything you had... Your piano and your art... Your aunt told me you were very talented, more than your sisters."
"Well, talented isn't a genius. And I need to be genius if I want to live off of it, otherwise it's worth nothing."
"Aberama," Tommy interrupts. "Let's put your son on the ring and see what he's worth," he says pointing with his head to another man.
"Yes, yes." Aberama agrees and then turns to his daughter. "Go stay outside and wait for us there."
"What? But I want to see Bonnie fight." Bea says with an innocent voice.
"No chance. Go outside."
"But father..."
"You came to me, now you listen to me." Aberama says more strictly. "Go wait for us outside."
Bea sighs angrily. "You never let me see anything..." But then turns and starts walking.
Tommy extends her hat when she passes by him. She didn't notice it falling off when she ran to Bonnie. Bea snatches it away and continues walking.
"If anyone tries to kidnap me, I'll gladly go with them and you'll have to live with that for the rest of your life!" she says loudly and annoyed and she goes outside.
While outside, waiting for either her father or her brother to come and call her in again, no one bothered her. She got a few looks, from men and women alike, since no one had ever seen her in Small Heath.
After a while Tommy Shelby got out of the building, putting a cigarette to his lips. "No one took you away?" he asks slightly amused while he lights it.
"I'm here, aren't I?"
Tommy chuckles. "If I were you, I'd watch my back much more now and I wouldn't stand on the streets alone. Welcome to Birmingham."
Bea was quickly joined by her father.
"I do adore you, but you should go back to London."
"I'm not going back. It took me almost three days to figure out ways to get here and I won't go back."
"You know what I do, don't you? It isn't safe for you to stay here while I'm in the middle of a job."
"I don't want to go back to Aunt Margaret. She's an old mean lady, who's going to sell me to the highest bidder," Bea complains with a frown.
"Let her stay," Bonnie pleads as he shows up.
"Absolutely not."
"You send me back to London and you'll never see me again," Bea threatens.
"Just for a couple of days," Bonnies suggests. "Until she sees this isn't for her and she wants to go back to the comfort of London."
"I don't want her staying at the camp," Aberama affirms. "We need to find someplace for you to stay."
"Maybe Mr. Shelby can help with that. Doesn't he have an aunt? I'm sure all their houses are big enough to spare a room to Bea."
"You came empty handed?" Aberama asks, considering Bonnie's idea quietly.
"I left my suitcase at The Garrison. Mr. Shelby told me I could collect it afterwards."
"Let's go get it then."
"Mr. Shelby's gin is really good. It's not even being sold yet."
"You drank gin?" Aberama asks. "Since when do you drink?"
"Since Mr. Shelby poured me a drink and looked at me as if he'd kill me if I refused it."
"If you're scared of a single look from Tommy Shelby, you shouldn't be here. Which is exactly my point."
Bea just ignores him and continues to walk to The Garrison, where her bag remained. They pick it up and take it to where they were camping.
"I will ask for you to stay in a house. I don't want you to stay here."
"But I want to stay with you. I didn't come here to stay in someone else's house."
"I don't have a wagon for you, Bea. You'll have to stay somewhere else."
"You and Bonnie can share one."
"Absolutely not."
"Let her have mine. I'll sleep outside tonight," Bonnie interferes.
Without even letting her father respond, Bea jumps to her brother's arms in victory.
"Thank you thank you thank you!"
"I didn't say you could—" Aberama starts
"You don't have to." Bea interrupts. "Bonnie offered his wagon and that is where I'll stay."
"You spoil your sister too much, Bonnie."
"She deserves it. She ran away to stay with us."
"She ran away, because she didn't want to marry." Aberama corrects.
"I think that's just as good of a reason." Bea says as she stands up.
"Where are you going now?"
"To the Garrison. It's open now, isn't it?"
"No. Not for you."
"Come on!" Bea begs with puppy eyes. "Let me and Bonnie go. Bonnie will keep me safe! Please, father! Please!"
Aberama sighs as then agrees. Bea knew exactly how to get things done her way, but she also knew not to push it too far.