The ladies were sitting on the betting floor in the shop. Esme and Celia were working on the books while Lizzie was busy filling out reports that Tommy needed to have done. Things had gotten better between Celia and the latter woman after that terrible night outside the betting shop. They even realized they had some things in common between each other. They both liked autumn, enjoyed reading, and had strong personalities that hardly wavered.
It was quiet between the women as they worked, which made the three of them jump when the door to the shop opened and shut violently. Celia was able to turn around in time to see Tommy storming towards the area where the offices were located. The ladies looked between each other, Celia standing from the chair as the door to his office was also slammed.
"Best of luck," Lizzie offered her best wishes, setting a hand on Celia's forearm as Celia nodded to her, swallowing the lump that had already formed in her throat before she started the walk to his office.
"What?!" Tommy exclaimed as he heard a knock on the door, not even bothering to look up as he kept his head in his hands. He knew that the person on the other side didn't deserve his brash nature, but he currently had a lot on his plate. He regretted responding in such a way when the door cracked open and Celia appeared.
"It's me, Tom," she said in a quiet voice, almost knowing that if she spoke too loud, he would freak out. She was able to feel the tension and frustration radiating off of him.
"Come," he beckoned her over with a slight wave of his hand and she listened, shutting the door behind her and moving towards his desk.
She didn't bother to sit in one of the chairs adjacent to where he was, but instead moved right behind his chair and leaned over, her hands going to rest on his tense shoulders. "What's on your mind, Tommy?" she dared to ask him. She knew that with Tommy Shelby, you could either be opening a can of worms or hitting a brick wall with questions like this.
"It's all gone to shit now, Celia," he muttered, his fingers rubbing circles into his temples as he tried to calm himself down.
"Why?" she asked another question.
"It's too much to explain," he sighed, his hands now rummaging through the stacks of papers on his desk. She felt him getting more and more frustrated as he couldn't find what he was looking for. "Fuck!" he exclaimed, then throwing the papers out of anger, making Celia jump slightly at the sound of them clattering to the floor. "I have to go to the Garrison. Me brothers should be there. I have news to tell them. You can come. Tell Esme and Lizzie that they're welcome as well," he told her, her hands slipping off of his shoulders as he stood. Celia sent a small smile in his direction, but he missed it, as he went right to work on putting his overcoat back onto his body.
"I'll tell the ladies. We'll meet you there," Celia nodded and Tommy did as well, stopping only to light a cigarette and release its smoke past his lips before he exited the office. Celia followed close behind, stopping at the table on the betting floor to talk to the two women who both were donning looks of confusion. "He said that we're invited to the Garrison. He's got some news to tell his brothers," Celia informed them of the contents of her conversation with Tommy.
"The way he looked, I'm sure it isn't good," Lizzie sighed, stubbing out her cigarette before she and Esme both stood and put their coats on. Celia also remembered to grab hers, not wanting to be cold once they stepped outside.
The women then made their way out of the shop and to the Garrison, where Celia was already able to feel the tension in the snug the second she stepped into it. She looked around at John, Finn, Isiah, and Polly, serious expressions on each of their faces before her eyes settled on Tommy, who was standing in the corner smoking a cigarette as he waited for the women to file in.
"We've all arrived?" Tommy asked the room then.
"What's left of us," Polly muttered, making Tommy send a glare in her direction. He didn't respond to her statement verbally though.
"I have information that I have just gotten from Moss," Tommy stated, clearing his throat before he ran a hand over his face. "Harold Hancox, one of our men, has been murdered in prison this morning," he announced then.
"Who?" John spoke up, having never heard that name before.
"The Digbeth Kid, John," Finn chimed in, making Celia gasp as she came to a realization. This was the kid who bumped into her leaving the Garrison that one day. The kid who looked so proud of his wooden gun, and was surely excited to call himself a Peaky Blinder. The kid who was now dead.
"He had his throat slit by one of Sabini's men who was also behind bars. Died instantly, Moss said,'' Tommy continued, then looking down at the floor to collect himself. "Finn. You and Isiah will be in charge of telling his mother," he pointed to his younger brother then. He and his friend both nodded their heads. "Give her our regards and let her know that we will give her compensation where she sees fit."
"Where's Arthur at, Tom?" John questioned then. Celia wasn't sure if his absence had just been noticed by the younger Shelby man, or if he was waiting until the first order of business was finished to ask his question.
"That brings me to my second piece of information. I have met with Major Campbell who has informed me that Arthur has been arrested and placed in prison, even though the major promised us protection," Tommy responded, some more gasps coming from the people in the room. "The coppers got him when he was meeting with Alfie."
"And Michael? Will he stay in prison too?" Polly asked then, her mind surely on her son since this impromptu meeting had begun. Celia tensed up. She'd heard from Polly about the night the coppers came to take Michael away.
"He has also been arrested. Major Campbell said he admitted to burning down a neighboring pub with Arthur," Tommy told Polly what she already knew, making her stand up with a fire in her eyes.
"You will fucking fix this mess you've brought us into, Thomas. And you will fucking fix it quick," she told him, her words dripping with seriousness as she then moved to the door, having heard enough.
"What do you think I'm fucking doing, Pol?!" Tommy called after her, but she was already gone. "Are there any other fucking questions or grievances about what is going on here? Does anyone else want to tell me how to do my fucking job?" Tommy asked the room then, anger underlying in his words. The room was silent and he took that as a 'no', going to the window to ask the barkeep for a bottle of whisky then.
Celia stayed sitting in her spot, silent as she digested everything that had just been told to her. She felt terrible. Felt like she wanted to break down and cry, like she wanted to scream until her voice gave out. How, in a matter of days, could things turn so drastically worse? Now two people were in jail and one was dead. She couldn't understand it. She almost didn't want herself to. Everyone else in the snug went about conversing as if this was just another day...and maybe it was for them. This was the line of business they were in after all. And Tommy seemed so sure that he would fix it. Oh, Tommy. If Celia could just get a glimpse into what was going through his head, maybe she could understand better. But she couldn't get that glimpse. So instead she sat next to his chair in the booth, letting him rest his hand on her thigh as she rubbed what she hoped were soothing circles into his skin.
—
"You've been quiet since we left the Garrison," Tommy pointed out as the two of them entered his home on Watery Lane. He was right. Celia hadn't so much as said a word since the news was dropped on her a little over an hour ago.
"Yeah," Celia nodded, fixing to set a pot of water on the stove to make herself some tea. Hopefully some that would help her to forget everything and fall asleep. After the day she's had, that's all she wanted to do.
"Something on your mind?" Tommy asked, sitting on one of the chairs with a cigarette perched between his lips. Celia just nodded, keeping her eyes focused on what she was doing as she felt his gaze fixated on her. "Care to share?" was his next question, and it made Celia wipe her hands down the front of her skirt before she moved to finally look at him.
"How do you hold it all inside of you?" she started off by asking a vague question, making Tommy look at her with a confused expression. "Your brother and cousin have been put in jail, that inspector lied to you, and an innocent boy got killed for no good reason other than he wanted to be part of your gang," she rattled off the things that had been bothering her, tears welling up in his eyes as she looked at his stoic expression.
He then cleared his throat, flicking the ash off of his cigarette before he gestured to the air around him with his hand, his eyes then falling to the floor as he spoke, "I'm going to fix all of this."
"You can't fix a boy being killed, Tommy!" she refuted, her words coming out louder than she wanted them too. His eyes snapped up to her as she spoke, and she almost shrunk under the intense gaze he sent her. "There's no way you can bring him back," her voice was soft once more, tears now rolling down her cheeks.
"You don't think I know that, Celia? Huh?! You don't think I'm carrying that burden around with me now? That I'll carry that fucking burden with me for the rest of me fucking life?!" he was standing now, jabbing his chest with his index finger as he accentuated his words, his eyes wide.
"I'm just asking for you to make it make sense," her voice came out in a whisper, and being that he had stepped closer to her now, he was still able to hear her.
"I can't get it to make sense. This shit fills up me head all of the fucking time. But you've seen me by now, Celia. You know who I am...what I do. This is what happens, it's part of the life I live. And it won't ever make sense, so you can't expect me to just fucking make it," he ended his rant, his hands brushing through his now tousled hair since it was shaking as he spoke.
"Please just make it make sense," she repeated herself again, although she had just listened to him elaborately tell her that he couldn't. She didn't know what else to say.
"Can we not just fucking talk about this right now. Please?" he asked her then and she nodded, her eyes focusing back on the tea she was making.
"How about May Carleton?" Celia asked after a few minutes passed, her voice low.
"What about her?" Tommy was still on edge.
"Tommy, you went to her house unexpectedly and stayed overnight!" Celia exclaimed, the emotions she had kept pent up over these past few weeks coming to fruition now. "And to make matters worse, you haven't spoken to me about it once. Do you not know what kind of thoughts that puts into my head?!"
"I went to check on the horse. To tell her that her staff was bleeding me dry with all of the unnecessary shit that they were doing. I stayed because the fucking weather was terrible, and I did not lay a finger on that woman, despite what others may have said about me. She's your fucking family for crying out loud, Celia," he explained to her, his voice raising slightly with each word he spoke, "and I thought that out of all of the fucking people in this family, you wouldn't be the one questioning my actions and doubting me so much!" he was now shaking a finger in her direction, his words cutting through her like knives. She saw the truth in it. She had been doubting him, doubting his involvement with May. She felt slightly embarrassed to know that the reasoning behind his prolonged stay there was simply because of the weather. So she stood there, silent, not knowing what more to say. "I'm going to the fucking pub. Be here, or don't when I get back, I don't fucking care," he breathed, waving her off before he grabbed his suit jacket and lifted it over his shoulders, shrugging his arms into it as he opened the door and exited the house.
Celia sighed, tears now falling from her eyes. She decided that she wouldn't be there when he got back, and went to the sink to dump out the now boiling water before she grabbed her coat and made the trek back to her apartment.
—
Celia's tears had finally dried when she stepped through the door of her apartment. She had cried all of them that she could on the way back, and now she was just numb. She got the fire going, grabbed a drink and sat on the couch, staring absentmindedly into the flames. She hated what had just happened. Hated that she saw so much of her parents in the argument that she had with Tommy. It scared her, to be honest.
Celia was still in the same spot a couple hours later when a knock sounded on her door. She shook herself out of the daze that she was in and stood from the couch, her eyebrows furrowed as she approached the door. Who could be outside at this time?
Finn Shelby stood on the other side of the door, and he was still breathing heavily when she opened it to greet him. "Do you need something Finn?" she asked, her brows still furrowed.
"Tommy's at the Garrison. I need you to come with me to get him," he stated once his breathing had returned to normal.
Celia's stomach immediately flipped at the speaking of his name. "He doesn't want to see me, Finn," she shook her head, going to shut the door then.
Finn shoved his arm between it and the door jam, stopping her from closing it completely. "He's been asking for you, Celia," he told her then, making her eyes widen slightly. She would never figure Tommy Shelby out. One minute they were fighting and the next he was looking to see her.
Celia sighed and grabbed her coat from the dining chair before she stepped outside and stood next to the boy. "Is he drunk?" she dared to ask as they started to walk back to the Garrison.
"I didn't see him have many," Finn shook his head, making Celia nod as she let out a sigh. At least she wouldn't be dealing with a belligerently drunk Tommy. She's been lucky that she hasn't had to deal with that so far.
She was able to hear Tommy's bellowing voice before she even stepped foot inside the bar. "Speak to me that fucking way again and I will fucking cut you!" he was screaming at a poor man who had his hands held out in defense.
"Mr. Shelby, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!" he pleaded, knowing full well that this wasn't going to end well for him.
"You should know who you're fucking speaking to before you say anything about how a person's acting!"
"Thomas!" Celia's voice cut through the noise before the poor man was able to say anything else.
"Celia..." Tommy breathed, his whole body whipping around to see her when she spoke, his hardened exterior crumbling.
"Leave this good man alone and please come home with me. You're not in your right mind to be here right now, love," Celia spoke in an even tone, her hands on her hips. She raised her eyebrows as he looked between her and the man who was still on the defensive before he finally nodded his head and walked over to her. "Thank you," she breathed to no one in particular as he came to her side, allowing her to lead him out then. She could barely hear Finn yelling at all of the establishment's patrons to go back to what they were doing but she couldn't pay much mind to it. Now, her focus was getting Tommy back to her apartment.
——
"Do you want to sit on the couch, Tom?" Celia questioned once they walked into her apartment. Tommy nodded and she led him over to it, watching as he then slumped down on the cushions. She chose to sit down on the chair that was sitting right next to it, her eyes trained on Tommy.
"I fucked up, Celia," he breathed out after they had been sitting for a bit. She didn't respond right away, so he continued, "I shouldn't have spoken to you like that before," he continued, referencing back to the argument they had earlier at his home.
"It felt like we turned into my parents back there," she whispered, confronting the truth. Tommy was already shaking his head in disagreement. "I did the thing I vowed I'd never do, and I doubted you. I doubted you, and I yelled at you, and I made you leave your own damn home..." she trailed off, her words filled with tears.
Now it was Tommy's turn to talk, "no, love. We may have had an argument, but we are not your parents. I will never get mad at you just to be mad at you. There was confusion on where we stood, and tensions rose because of it. I did not find joy in arguing with you, and I will never find joy in arguing with you. I should have told you about the night I stayed at May's. I didn't know it bothered you that much. I'm working to be better at this, I am. It's just that I'm...there's a lot of stuff going on..."
Celia listened to him ramble as she stood from the chair she was on to step over to him. He kept rambling until she grabbed his cheeks and brought his lips to hers in a passionate kiss that shut him up, and kept him quiet once she pulled away. She searched his eyes for a minute before speaking, "I love you, Tommy Shelby. I love you with your head empty, and I love you with your head full. You've done so much good for me, and I know that you will continue to act on good intentions to keep both me and your family safe. You've got a lot going on in your head right now. I just wish you'd let me in once in a while," she went on a monologue then, her eyes not straying from his.
He didn't speak right away, but instead stood to his feet, taking Celia into his arms and holding her close to him. "You might not like what you find if I let you in," he warned her, dropping his forehead against hers.
"My love for you won't change," she assured him, hands going back to his cheeks as she pulled him in for another kiss that he reacted to by tightening his grip on her like she would disappear if he let go, her body pressing flush against his. "I want to help you, Tommy. With all of it," she breathed against his lips. He nodded against her before pressing their lips together once more, this kiss just as passionate as the last. She whimpered for him, and he knew what she wanted, the two of them blindly finding their way to her bedroom then.
"Tell me no, Celia," he whispered to her, his calloused thumbs brushing against her bare collarbones as he gripped onto the material of her dress and slipped it down her shoulders. Celia's mind was swirling as he dipped his head to press kisses to her now exposed chest. The little bit of hair he had tickled her chin as she moved her hands up to caress the shaved part of his head. "Tell me no," he breathed again, lips abandoning her neck as he pulled away to look at her, his pupils blown out. They shared a glance, their lips meeting then.
Celia didn't say 'no', and he moved them to the bed, him falling first before he pulled her on top of him. Their hands moved frantically to remove the articles of clothing that separated themselves from each other. Celia's body was pressed against his as she took what she needed from him, her lips pressing eager kisses to every inch of his skin she was able to reach. The stresses caused by the words that were said, and the problems that would now wait until tomorrow disappeared as a feeling of euphoria filled the room and the couples' bodies.
———
Bit of a tense one here ... let's hope that the worst is over for them though.
Thanks for reading! :)