Chelsea sat with Scudboat in the betting shop, they had just closed up and she was now helping him sort everything out.
A man had just threw a pile of money onto the floor so Chelsea was stacking it back up whilst Scudboat sorted out closing the shop.
"John will be here in ten minutes, Princess." Polly said, kissing Chelsea on the cheek before heading towards the door.
"Five." Tommy said, also kissing Chelsea on the cheek before making his way to the door, "You sure you don't want to come to the Garrison? Grace is there."
"I'm fine, Scudboat is on his own." said Chelsea, "When John's here I'll come find you and then I can see Grace."
"Okay." Tommy said, "Come find me if you need me, alright?"
"Okay, bye dad!"
"Hey, kid." Scudboat said when Tommy and Polly had left, "Can you lock up please? I'm just finishing this off."
"Yeah." Chelsea replied. She took the keys and locked the door and bolted it, making it impossible for anyone to get in without the key.
"Ah shit!" Scudboat shouted, throwing the pen down on the table.
"What is it?"
"Pens ran out. You don't mind grabbing another one, do you have any in your room by chance?"
"I should do." Chelsea nodded, walking over to the door that led into her house, "If not, I'll pop down to the shop for you. It's only around the corner and they give me stuff for free, because they know dad."
Scudboat sat on his chair, waiting for Chelsea to get back. He jumped up when he heard a creak from outside, "You get one?" he asked, thinking it was Chelsea.
He got no reply.
And then, the double doors bust open, a dozen man came running in holding all sorts of weapons.
Scudboat opened his drawer and pulled out his gun but he was soon overrun when all the men pointed their weapons on him.
"This is for Cheltenham!" One man said, holding a shotgun to Scudboats face, " We're just taking back what's ours!"
He used the end of the gun to hit Scudboats face, knocking him to the floor.
Before they went any further, the man shouted, "Is there anyone else in the house? Anyone?"
Scudboat shook his head, "No. Just me."
"So where's the little girl?"
"With her dad." he coughed, trying to make it seem as truthful as he could in hopes Chelsea would realise something was wrong and run to her dad.
"Check upstairs." The man told them, "See if he's lying."
One man left the others and made his way upstairs, keeping his gun up and aiming it for any oncoming danger.
He got to the top of the stairs and creeped over to a door, hearing some shuffling going on inside.
"Scudboat!" Chelsea shouted, thinking that the footsteps she could hear outside were his, and opened the door, holding a pen, "Look, I found one-"
"Well," the man said, lowering his gun and smirking, "he was lying then."
"I-"
Before Chelsea could process what was happening, the man grabbed her by her hair and hit her head against the door frame, watching as she crumpled to the ground.
The man slowly knelt down beside her, stroking her hair and pushing to behind her ears, "This is your family's fault. You're just collateral damage."
"P-please." Chelsea gasped, her vision blurring as a result of the impact from the door frame, "Let-let me go."
"I can't do that, beautiful."
Over in the Garrison, Polly, Arthur, John and Tommy were now talking about how John now wanted to marry Lizzie Stark.
Arthur and Polly found this very amuzing, both muttering little remarks and trying to hide their laughs, covering there mouths and coughing into her arm.
John begged for Tommys permission.
And just when Tommy started to speak and communicate with John, Finn ran into the snug panting like a tired dog needing water.
"Tommy!" shouted Finn, wiping the sweat off his forehead, "We've been done over! The house!"
Tommy pushed past John and Polly hurried to put her coat on, shouting to Arthur, "Chelsea's in there! She's fucking in there alone!"
"What's happening?" Grace asked, holding a tray of drinks at the door, "Tommy? What's wrong with Chelsea?"
Tommy gave no answer. Everything that has been said about Lizzie Stark had been completely forgotten, all he could think about now was his daughters safety.
Back at the house, Chelsea lay on the floor, blood pouring from scratch marks in her face, her legs and arms bruised, hand marks engraved onto the side of her hips.
Completely vulnerable.
The man's face was buried in her neck, kissing her slowly, whispering words into her ear and cursing her dad, blaming her family for what he was doing to her.
He climbed up from the wooden floor that was spotted with blood and stood up, looking down at the girl who seemed frozen, staring blankly at the ceiling with a single tear clinging to the edge of her face.
Shaking his head, he said; "They won't want you after this, they won't want you. They'll be disgusted."
Chelsea heard a man shout from below her, summoning her attacker. With one more look at the girl, he ran away, a small smile traced on his lips.
Five minutes after the Lee family had left, Tommy and the others had arrived.
They ran in and found Scudboat trying to claw his way up the stairs, blood leaking from the side of his head, causing him to turn pale.
"Come on." said Arthur, heaving Scudboat up and placing him on a nearby chair in the begging shop, "You stay still for a second, mate."
Upstairs, Chelsea could hear the faint mutter of her dads voice, speaking as he looked around at their trashed house.
Chelsea couldn't help but squeeze her eyes shut and cry. She had once again been used, pushed down to the floor like she was a bag of rubbish and thrown about as if she wasn't even a real human being.
She could only imagine her dads face when he found her like this, the disappointment he would feel for her, the way Johnny wouldn't be able to laugh with her anymore from disgust, the way Arthur wouldn't see her as his little girl anymore, the way Polly would be angry that she had allowed a man to use her like that.
She wouldn't be there little Princess. . .not anymore.
Chelsea lay there for a while, thoughts running around in her mind, every bad thought she could imagine was now entering her.
She heard a loud bang from outside but she wasn't one hundred percent certain if that was real or just another bad thought in her head.
Maybe it was a sign. A sign that her whole life was about to fall apart. That this was the end.
And then, her eyes burst open again when the door to her bedroom was swung open, Tommy breaking through into the room.
When he saw the sight of his daughter, her dress stuck beneath her, her whole body bruised and tortured, he gasped and fell back a few steps.
But, the sound of his daughters muffled sob made him regain his balance and felt as though the ground was carrying him towards her.
With every step he took, he could only imagine the horrific events that his daughter had to endure, the hand marks on her hips, the blood trickling down from her inner thighs, the bruises across her chest, arms and legs, the scratches and slap marks on her face.
He whipped off his suit jacket and wrapped it around his daughter, making sure to cover every inch of her body.
Chelsea didn't move one inch, scared of what her dad would do next. But, she didn't receive a shout, or a disgusted and disappointed look.
Instead she heard a quiet, muffled sob and then she felt herself be pulled up, held like a baby whilst her dad whispered his apologies.
"I-I'm so sorry." he cried, "I should never have left you. I'm here now, Princess. I'm never leaving you again."
John and Arthur soon ran up, they hadn't seen what Tommy had seen for Chelsea was now covered up, but they could see trails of blood and scratch marks on the floor, and a few bruises on the girls leg, peaking out from beneath the jacket.
John turned away instantly and covered his mouth, closing his eyes as he imagined what had happened to his niece.
"Chelsea. . ."Arthur whispered, running over to Chelsea and throwing himself down beside her, "No, no fucking way!"
Chelsea closed her eyes and began to cry, scream and try to pull herself closer to her dad, trying her hardest to get away from Arthur.
"Get-get him away!" She cried.
Tommy wrapped his arms around Chelsea as tight as he possibly could.
"It's me, Princess." Arthur whispered, "It's Uncle Arthur-"
"Get Polly." Tommy whispered, kissing his daughters head gently, "Get her here now. Don't come in this, any man that enters this house is not allowed in this room unless I say otherwise!"
When Polly ran into the room, she understood immediately and broke down next to Chelsea, who was still curled up in a ball, held by her father.
"Tell me I'm wrong, Pol." cried Tommy, his eyes still unable to move away from his daughter, "Tell me it isn't what I think."
Polly looked up at Tommy and shook her head in pity, and the two adults shared a look that spoke a thousand words.
"No." Tommy cried, "Not her. She's too young! She's too fucking young, Polly!"
He stood up, allowing Polly to take Chelsea and stormed out of the room, smashing a thousand ornaments as he went down, cursing loudly.
"I'm so sorry, Polly." Chelsea cried."
"Stop it." said Polly, stroking the girls hair, "Do not. Don't blame yourself. Do not ever blame yourself, Chelsea. This is not your fault. You did not do anything to encourage this."
The rest of the afternoon, Chelsea did not leave Polly's side, Polly bathed her, washed away all the blood, treated the scratch marks and rubbed Chelsea's bruised hips and bruised body.
John still hadn't been able to look at Chelsea, and Polly told Chelsea over and over again that it wasn't because of her and John was just angry with the man that had done it to her but Chelsea couldn't help but feel like John was disgusted with her.
Because she was disgusted with herself.
She couldn't stand to walk past a mirror with fear that she would see herself, she felt ashamed that she had been used so easily, ashamed that someone had seen her that vulnerable.
Night had fell now, rain poured down onto the streets of Birmingham and Tommy Shelby had still not returned to his house. Chelsea sat in the sitting room of the house, her aunt sitting across her, a plate of biscuits sat in between them and two cups of teas.
"Eat, Chelsea." whispered Polly, "You need to eat."
Tommy burst through the back door, "Where's Chelsea? Where is she? Polly!"
"She's here, Tommy." Polly spoke calmly, "She's safe and sound. See?"
Tommy walked around the sofa and stood at the side, staring at Chelsea with a sad solemn look.
He took of his Peaked cap, throwing it over to the side, he also his waist coat and the gun that was lodged inside his inner pocket.
"I'm not going to hurt you." he said as Polly left the two alone, "I'm your dad remember? It's not him, he's gone."
Tommy braced himself when Chelsea ran at him, but instead of her breaking down or trying to get him out, she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
Tommy froze for a few moments, his hand stuck beside him, still trying to make him seem as less of a threat as possible.
But he couldn't help himself any longer, he picked Chelsea up, sat down on the sofa and allowed her to curl up on a ball across him.
"Do-ehm-do you want to talk about it?" Tommy asked.
Chelsea stayed lying against Tommy's chest, messing with a piece of her hair.
"Y-yeah."
"Okay." nodded Tommy, preparing himself for the guilt, anger and rage he was about to feel as his daughter explained.
"Well," started Chelsea, "It's not the first time, but I think this was the scariest. The other times, it was like he loved me, it felt as though he had something for my body, love and appreciation. But this one, he didn't. He was just angry. He wanted revenge on my family so he chose to go through me. He was violent-"
"Chelsea, Princess," said Tommy, his voice sounding soft but Chelsea could feel his heart beat quickening, "what do you mean that this wasn't the first time? He- he's done it to you before?"
"No, no." said Chelsea, to scared to lift her head as she finally revealed her life to her father, "William. He's always done it. A year after you left for war."
"I- well- did- he- did mom know?" Tommy stuttered, struggling to stay cool with the information he was receiving.
"I don't know." Chelsea said, shaking her head, "But, it was just different this time."
"When was the last time that William did this to you?"
"The other night." muttered Chelsea, "When you first asked Grace to the races. I met them in the Garrison for a meal and I sort of lost my temper, William got angry and told me I need to sleep at their house that they have now brought. It's my fault really."
"No," said Tommy, sternly, "it isn't your fault. It's my fault for not being there to help you."
"No, actually." Chelsea said, Tommy was shocked the hear a small laugh, "When he used to do it to me whilst you were at war, you used to help me get through it."
"What-how?"
"Because, every night after he had used me, I would go back to my room and sit on the edge of my bed. I used to close my eyes and just imagine and when I opened them, you were sat there right next to me. Comforting me, allowing me to cry and hug, like you are doing now."
"How come you didn't react to me the same way you did with Arthur? You were scared when you saw Arthur, but not me."
"Because, you've always been there. Every single time it happened, you were sat with me every night on the edge of my bed. You're my dad, and no matter what happens to me, I want you by my side."
Tommy kissed his daughters head a few times and whispered, "I'll always be here, Princess. Even when it doesn't feel like I am, I'll always be with you. If you ever need me, all you have to do is shout, shout and I'll be there. Understand?"
"I understand."
"You need rest." said Tommy, "You've had a horrifying day. Some rest will do you good."
Chelsea stood up from the couch, but stood still, she stared at the wall for a few moments before she fell to the ground.
Tommy rushed beside her and picked her back up, one hand under her knees and the other beneath her back, "It's okay, Princess."
He carried her through the household and up the stairs, crossing the landing and making his way into Chelsea's bedroom.
As he sat her down on the bed, his heart dropped when she began to scream out and kick, crying and sobbing, Tommy saw her scratching her arms oddly, it looked as if she was trying to peel her skin off.
Once again, he picked her up and ran out of her bedroom, running into his and placing her down on his bed.
She immediately calmed down. She stared up at her dad with tears streaming down her eyes.
"I-I'm sorry." she sobbed, "I'm broken. I'm sorry."
"No." said Tommy, shaking his head, "You are not broken. You have been hurt. You have been scared. But you, Chelsea Polly Shelby, are not broken."
Chelsea watched her dad as he tucked her into bed, gently kissing her forehead and walking out of the room.
Chelsea somehow felt safer in her fathers room, maybe it was because the man didn't do that to her in here, or maybe it was just because it was her fathers room.
And finally, after a few hours of staring at a blank wall, crying silently, Chelsea finally found a way to fall to sleep.