In all her life Florence wasn't sure she had ever attended so many weddings. Within about four months, she'd got married, George had been married and now John was to be married. It filled her with dread to know that John was clueless about what the day had in store. She had contemplated finding a way of telling him, but despite everything her loyalty remained with Tommy as it always did. She would keep it to herself because that is what Tommy would want. Although that wasn't the entire truth, Elijah was accompanying her, as her husband.
"I don't think I've ever been to a gypsy wedding before," Elijah sighed as the pair waited in his car just outside of the Lee's camp, "Have you?"
"When I was a little girl," Florence nodded with a reminiscent smile, "It was Polly's wedding, Ada and I were flower girls, dressed in shades of blue."
"What'll it be like?" Elijah asked, keeping his eyes on Florence as she kept her eyes on the Lee's camp.
"Chaotic," Florence smiled, glancing at Elijah as he turned his gaze out of the window, "Once the vows are read everyone uses it as an excuse for a proper party."
"So not much like ours?" Elijah replied with a grin.
"Not much," Florence sighed, "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Elijah smiled, looking back at her.
"Do you regret it?" She whispered, "Marrying me?"
"What made you think that?" Elijah replied.
"I just wouldn't blame you if you did regret it," Florence explained, "Neither of us had much time to think about it, we just kind of did it, and I need you to be sure that you don't regret it."
"Well, I certainly don't regret it, how many people can say they married their best friend?" Elijah answered, resting his hand on top of hers, "And when that baby arrives I will raise it just as though it were my own."
With a heavy sigh Florence rested her head on Elijah's shoulder, "I don't know what I did to deserve you."
"I could say the same about you," Elijah smiled, feeling his heartbeat quicken at the simplest touch from Florence.
"At that dinner last night Diana was telling me that your parents are already asking her and George about grandchildren," Florence sighed, content with where her head rested on Elijah's shoulder, "I get the feeling that this one will fail to fulfil their requirements of a grandchild before I've even given birth."
"Before the war their opinion would've been my only marker of success, but when we came back I knew that my existence would be wasted if I continued to live life for them, which is why I don't regret marrying you," He explained, France being a topic neither of them had discussed much.
"You barely ever talk about the war," Florence whispered, keeping her head on his shoulder as she looked up at him, their faces closer than either of them had realised, "The Shelby boys don't talk about it."
"We saw things that no eye should ever see, and if I can protect your mind from imagining those horrors, then I will," Elijah told her, running his thumb across her cheek, her skin cold to his touch.
"I wish you didn't have to remember it, in fact I wish you'd never had to experience it," Florence whispered, not minding their close proximity, "Do those memories exist in your dreams too?"
"Sometimes," Elijah nodded, resting his hand on her jaw, "But since I've been sharing a room with you the dreams have been quieter."
Florence felt something shift in the air between them, a result of the vulnerability that neither of them had shared before. It scared Florence, being so close to someone she cared about so deeply. As her eyes flicked between Elijah's eyes and his mouth she imagined a world in which their facade became their reality, only they'd be doing it all in reverse.
An abrupt knock on the car window startled them both, causing them to jolt apart, looking to their right to see Arthur standing beside the car.
"Apologies for the interruption, I recognised the motor, so I just thought I'd come get you before we get John ready to head into battle," He smiled awkwardly, thinking nothing of the interaction between Elijah and Florence as he was oblivious to the facade.
"Cheers, Arthur," Elijah nodded as he climbed out of the car, shaking the eldest Shelby's hand, "It's good to see you again."
"You too," Arthur replied, "You taking good care of our Floss?"
"Indeed he is," Florence smiled as she joined the two men beside the car, resting her hand on her bump.
"We can't wait to meet the little blighter," Arthur grinned at Florence's baby bump, "The boys are just up here, John'll be made up when he realises you've come to support him."
Wordlessly Elijah interlocked his hand with Florence's as she looked up to see Tommy, John and a handful of other Peaky Blinders walking towards them.
"Floss?" John spoke up as he walked beside Tommy, "What are you doing here?"
"Your brothers thought you could do with reinforcements," Florence told him vaguely, earning an appreciative smile from Tommy as the group continued walking, joined by Elijah, Arthur and Florence.
As the group turned the corner it became obvious to John that they were on their way for a visit to the Lees, "Tommy what are you playing at? We're in shotgun range."
"John," Tommy muttered, bringing the group to a stop as he turned to face his brother, "Before we go into battle, there's something you're going to need."
Each of the men pulled a single white flower from their pockets, fastening it to their lapels as Tommy did the same for John, "What are you bloody doing, Tommy?"
"Smile, John," Tommy sighed, resting his hands on his brother's shoulders, "It's a wedding."
"Whose bloody wedding?" John replied, slowly putting the pieces together.
"Now if we'd told you, you wouldn't have come, there's a girl in the Lee family who's gone a bit wild and she needs marrying off," Tommy explained.
"Fuck no," John hissed as he tried to wriggle free of the Peaky men surrounding him.
"John, calm it down!" Arthur muttered.
"You have no bloody right, Tommy!" John replied with fear in his voice.
"Listen to me, listen to me," Tommy soothed, steadying John, just like the caring older brother Florence knew he could be, "A girl who needs a husband, a man who needs a wife."
"Tommy, I'm not bloody marrying some fucking mushroom picker," John squirmed.
"Shh, John boy, come on, listen," Arthur added as he joined his brothers.
"I have already betrothed you," Tommy whispered, "So if you back out now there's going to be one fucking mighty war breaking out here that'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, it's up to you John. War...or peace?"
Florence watched the three brothers, squeezing Elijah's hand as she wondered what Tommy had planned, given that he could not be publicly allied with the Lees while working for Kimber.
"Let go of me," John flinched away from the rest of the men, "I'll do it."
"Very well, come on boys," Tommy nodded before glancing at Florence with a tender smile, "And lady."
"Just a moment," Florence muttered, letting go of Elijah's hand and stepping towards John, "Can't have you turning up to be wed looking like you're off to the races, can we?"
"What's wrong with me?" John asked the girl with a smirk as he balanced a toothpick in his mouth.
"For starters, they won't have that," Florence remarked, removing his cap and handing it to Tommy before straightening his jacket and patting down his shoulders, "You've got to look the part, we can't have them turning you away, can we?"
"We ain't seen what she looks like yet," John scoffed.
"I've been assured she's a pretty girl," Florence replied as she smoothed out his hair, hoping that John would be happy enough with his new wife that she wouldn't have to go back on his word, "What do you reckon boys?"
"Looks like a proper groom, cheers Floss," Arthur grinned, patting John on the back as Tommy kept his eyes on Florence, "Come on boy, let's get you married."
The group headed down towards the Lees' campsite, Elijah wrapping his arm around Florence as they trailed behind the Shelby brothers.
"Right, you should see the size of her dowry," Arthur remarked, placing a hand on John's shoulder.
"Her what?" John answered.
"Her dad's giving you a car," Tommy replied as they approached the caravans where the girl's mother stood.
"You think he'll be happy when he sees her?" Elijah whispered to Florence.
"I don't have a clue," Florence replied, "But he doesn't exactly have a choice."
"Will he do?" Tommy gestured towards John as they stood before the woman.
"He'll do," She nodded with a smile as the group erupted in cheers.
The group made their way towards where the ceremony would take place, Elijah stayed beside Florence as she stood with the three Shelby brothers. She had little to say to Tommy that couldn't be said through their stolen glances. While she didn't necessarily approve of Tommy betrothing his brother without his knowing, she knew that Tommy wouldn't do something like that without reason, and as much as she hated to admit it, she trusted his judgement.
"Here she is," Tommy smiled as the woman from before guided a girl dressed in white with a veil over her head towards the altar.
"She'd better be under fifty," John sighed.
"Come here," Tommy muttered, retrieving the toothpick from his brother's mouth, "Go on."
"Anyone would think you've gone soft," Florence whispered to Tommy as they watched John make his way to the front, kneeling beside his soon to be wife.
"Call it sunny disposition," Tommy muttered.
"We're here today to join in matrimony, this man and this woman," Johnny Dogs announced as Ada and Polly appeared beside them. Polly left Ada at Tommy's side before finding her spot beside Florence who stood beside Elijah.
"Hello, Pol," Florence smiled as they watched the marital proceedings take place, "It's good to see you again."
"You too, sweet girl," Polly replied as the pair observed the energy between Ada and Tommy, "There wasn't exactly room for catching up last time I saw you, was there?"
"I suppose not," Florence sighed, recalling when they had last met it was after the shop had been done over as John's bride lifted her veil.
"How are you? How's the baby?" Polly whispered as John smiled at his family over his shoulder, clearly content with his new bride.
"We're good, Elijah's been treating us well," Florence answered, "I'm just ready not to have a small human bouncing on my bladder when I try to sleep, how's Ada coping?"
"It's hard to say," Polly answered as they watched John and his bride take their vows, "They're cooped up in that tiny flat hiding from the coppers, God knows how they'll cope once the baby's born."
"Elijah's mother has been talking about getting me a nanny to look after mine when it's here," Florence whispered, not wanting to put Elijah in an uncomfortable situation, "I hate the idea, I'd rather raise my child myself, the way you and Ma raised me."
"You're the child's mother, it should be your decision," Polly told her firmly, "Fuck the lot of 'em I say," She continued before glancing past Florence at Elijah, "Present company not included."
"He's been so good to me, Pol," Florence assured her.
"I should hope so," Polly smiled, that knowing Polly smile as Johnny Dogs began the mingling of the bloods which would be the symbol of unity between the two families, "There'd be hell to pay if he weren't treating you like a diamond."
"I now pronounce you man and wife," Johnny Dogs declared as both families began to applaud, "Come on John, kiss the bride!"
Like any good wedding, John and Esme's quickly turned into the liveliest party anyone had seen since the end of the war. As the sun set on the heath people got more and more drunk as they continued to dance the night away.
"Do you want to dance?" Elijah asked Florence as they sat at a table, observing the entire spectacle.
"My feet are too sore," Florence sighed, resting a hand on her bump, "And the baby's kicking like a little rascal."
"Rascal? That'd be a good name," Elijah joked.
"Your parents would have us shot on sight if we dared call our baby anything untraditional," Florence laughed, unaware that it was the first time she had called the baby 'ours' when no one else was listening.
"Perhaps we better get thinking of untraditional names then," Elijah replied.
"We'll think of a name once we've seen her," Florence told him, taking Elijah's hand and resting it on her stomach, allowing him to feel the baby's harsh kicks.
"You think it's a girl?" Elijah remarked with a smile.
"Polly always used to say that a baby boy gives his mother more of a glow, but a baby girl takes it for herself," Florence explained, resting her hand on top of Elijah's.
"You look beautiful, you always do," Elijah insisted, "Boy or girl, it'll be a little charmer with your genes."
"Charmer and a rascal? We've got our hands full." Florence grinned, her face dropping as she noticed Tommy watching the entire interaction, with Elijah's hand still resting on her bump.
"Well, when he or she is here, I'll buy you both a horse, we'll call it Rascal." Elijah declared, letting go of Florence's stomach.
"Will we race it?" Florence asked.
"Only if you want us to," Elijah smiled.
"Florence," Tommy appeared in front of the pair, "Could I steal a moment with your husband to discuss business?"
"Be my guest, you can have my seat," Florence muttered as she struggled to stand up, feeling hands on her arms to support her, looking up to see Elijah beside her, "I'll leave you boys to it."
"So, what business do you want to discuss?" Elijah asked as Tommy pulled his cigarettes from his pocket, offering one to Elijah which he politely accepted.
"Your family supplies Billy Kimber's tracks with ale, am I right?" Tommy replied, lighting both of their cigarettes.
"That's correct," Elijah nodded, "We supply eighty percent of all pubs, bars and other venues across England."
"Impressive," Tommy sighed, "And what do you make of Mr Kimber?"
"Do you want my honest opinion or my business opinion?" Elijah remarked as he watched Florence talking to Esme and John.
"I'll take both," Tommy answered as he also focused his gaze on Florence.
"In terms of business, he appears smart on the surface, but that's a facade, it's that assistant of his who's the brains of the operation, he feeds the information to Kimber, then Kimber regurgitates it to appear as though he knows what he's talking about," Elijah explained as he took a drag from the cigarette.
"And your honest opinion?"
"He's a pathetic excuse of a man who thinks that he's God's own creature, and therefore he thinks everyone else is below him," Elijah answered, feeling agitated at the thought of Kimber, "Don't get me started on the way he talks to women."
"Well, I hope you won't be too put out by what I'm about to ask," Tommy muttered.
"That'll depend on what it is that you're asking." Elijah sighed.
"I'd like you to cease trading and withdraw your business from Kimber's tracks," Tommy replied.
"Would you now?" Elijah scoffed in disbelief.
"I trust you enough to tell you that I intend to take over Kimber's tracks," Tommy explained, "And for his empire to begin falling I need to know that he's losing profits and with the way your business dominates the national distribution of alcohol, others will follow your lead."
"You've obviously had enough dealings with Billy Kimber to know that he can be erratic in his decision making, and in a business man that's a dangerous trait," Elijah told him, keeping his eyes on Florence, "And now that I have a wife and a child on the way to consider, I won't put them at risk for the sake of making your work easier."
"You, Florence and the baby would be protected by order of the Peaky Blinders," Tommy replied, "I can assure you that all my men think of Florence as one of their own, they'd see no harm come to her."
"See, you might be in the business of betting, Tommy," Elijah quipped, "But I won't gamble when it comes to Florence's safety."
"If you agree to this I could help you stock your ale in ninety five percent of establishments before the end of next year." Tommy replied.
"And if I don't?" Elijah answered.
"Well, I know where you live," Tommy muttered, "And you know what happens to a man who refuses a Peaky Blinder."
"I know you expect me to be intimidated by you, but I have the one thing that you don't," Elijah sighed.
"And what might that be?" Tommy mumbled as his sister Ada began spinning around with one of Esme's family.
"Florence," Elijah stated, "And we both know what she'd do if you try anything, she's got a stronger mind than the two of us."
"You should tell Ada to slow down," Polly appeared between the two boys, followed by Florence, who shared the woman's concern.
"You think she'll listen to me?" Tommy scoffed.
"I tried stopping her but she's been drinking," Polly replied.
"She's been stuck in that little basement for weeks, what do we expect?" Florence added as the two women stood over the men.
""She's going off like a firecracker," Polly sighed in embarrassment, "Oh Christ, Tommy, please."
"I might need your assistance with this one," Tommy glanced at Florence as he stubbed out his cigarette.
"A woman's touch?" Florence remarked as he stood up.
"If that's what you want to call it." Tommy sighed as they approached his sister.
"Ada, why don't you come sit down with me and Pol?" Florence suggested as they reached the girl.
"Flo's right, come on, have a rest, sit down," Tommy added as they stood before Ada.
"Come and look, Esme," Ada exclaimed as she came to a stop, "Come and look at the family you've joined, come and look at the man who runs it," She continued as she pushed against Tommy's chest as Polly joined the commotion, "Chooses his brother's wife's for them, he hunts his own sister down like a rat and he tries to kill his own brother in law."
"Ada, just take a moment," Florence muttered, glancing over her shoulder to see Elijah standing by the table where he had been sitting with Tommy moments before.
Ada glanced at Tommy and Florence as they stood side by side before whispering just loud enough for the two of them to hear, "And don't get me started on how he treated Florence."
"Ada that's enough," Arthur sighed as he approached his siblings.
"And now he won't even let me have a fucking dance!" Ada continued, "Not even at a fucking wedding!"
"Sit her down!" John shouted in an effort to diffuse the situation.
"Calm down, Ada, calm down," Polly soothed as she held onto her niece, attempting to soothe her as fear crept across her face.
"That's not good," Florence whispered to Tommy.
"Holy shit, water, right," Polly exclaimed.
"Not now, Ada, bloody hell, you do pick your times!" Arthur shouted.
"We should get her back to Small Heath," Florence promptly suggested as Polly wrapped one of the boys' coats around Ada's shoulders.
"Come on boys," Tommy gestured to his brothers as they guided Ada back towards where their vehicles were parked as Florence hurried towards Elijah.
"I'm going to go with them, in case Ada needs me," Florence quickly explained, "You take the car home, I'll stay at my mother's tonight to save you the journey."
"Are you sure?" Elijah asked.
"Yeah," Florence nodded as she looked over her shoulder to see Tommy lingering beside his car, "I need to be there for her."
"You'll find a way to contact me if you need me, won't you?" Elijah muttered as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the side of her head.
"Of course," Florence smiled as she felt her heart race, "I'll see you soon, alright?"
"Give Ada my love," Elijah replied as he let go of the girl.
"Of course," Florence nodded as she rushed towards Tommy.
"So you're joining us?" Tommy asked as she joined him beside his car as Polly helped Ada into the back.
"Of course," Florence replied, gesturing to the car, "Room for another?"
"Always."
authors note: i adore protective elijah <3