Florence had barely slept following John's death, she couldn't quite remove the image of his lifeless body from her brain in the same way she could in any other situation. Perhaps it was because he meant something to her, because despite his faults he didn't deserve to die.
She could sense that Elijah wasn't entirely happy with the arrangement, but she needed him to understand that neither of them had a choice. She also feared for Tommy, she feared what might happen to him at the hands of the mafia, she also wondered whether her presence might appease her father who she had yet to meet.
With the return to Small Heath came the return to Florence's childhood home. It was dull and bleak without Imelda's presence, but it was home, and the children just thought it was one big adventure. Elijah and Florence had slept in her old room, the children slept in Imelda's room and Vinnie slept downstairs on the sofa.
Florence had been the first to wake up that day before the sun had risen. She had quietly got herself up and dressed in her all black ensemble, aware that it was the day the family would be saying goodbye to John.
She only had about an hour of peace before the children woke up. Florence busied herself getting them fed before finding her old toys and occupying them on the carpet in front of the fireplace. A knock at the back door interrupted her conversation with Vinnie as the pair stood in the kitchen, while Elijah was upstairs getting ready for the funeral.
"I'll get it," Florence sighed, making her way to the door and opening it to see Tommy standing on her doorstep.
"Morning," Tommy nodded awkwardly.
"You better come in," Florence sighed, stepping aside and letting him into the house, looking up at Vinnie with a tentative smile, "You've met Vinnie."
"Hello," Tommy muttered before returning his attention to Florence, "Everyone's gathered next door for a family meeting, will you join us?"
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Florence answered honestly, "I don't think Polly wants to see me after what happened at the hospital."
"She's just scared for Michael, you belong there with us." Tommy assured her.
"I can watch Daisy and Ollie," Vinnie spoke before Florence could conjure up another excuse.
"See, the kids are taken care of, what's stopping you?" Tommy smirked, knowing that there had always been a place for Florence at the Shelby table.
"Fine," Florence sighed in defeat, looking at Vinnie, "I won't be too long."
"Take as long as you need," Vinnie assured her as she and Tommy slipped out of the door.
"I think we should tell them," Florence told Tommy as the pair made their way along the back alleyway.
"Tell them what?" Tommy asked.
"About you and Daisy," Florence replied, stopping Tommy in his tracks, "All I could think about last night was that the mafia might use her to reel you in, and I need your men to protect her like she's their own."
"Okay," Tommy nodded in agreement.
"But Daisy can't know," Florence told him, "She's already asking questions about why we're here, I can't complicate her life more than I already have."
"It's alright," Tommy assured her, "We'll handle this together."
"It'll be a breeze, just like the old days," Florence sighed as they made their way up to the back door of the Shelbys' house.
"You've not met Arthur's wife," Tommy smirked, knowing just how much Florence would aggravate Linda with her confident disposition, "Don't hold your breath."
"I'll win her over," Florence smiled.
"Brace yourself," Tommy muttered, opening the door and leading her into the house.
They made their way through the betting shop which was of course empty. Despite the family's increased success over the years it hadn't changed one bit, to Florence it felt just like home.
As they reached the table where the whole Shelby family were sitting, they all looked up at Tommy, surprised to see him accompanied by Florence. She looked the same in some ways but in others she was a different woman, a woman who knew her own mind.
"I was convinced Arthur was lying," Ada smiled as she stood up from her seat, wrapping her arms around Florence, "It's good to see you."
"You too," Florence whispered as she held onto the girl, "I've missed you."
"Do you remember me?" A younger voice asked as Florence pulled away from Ada.
"How could I forget you, Finn?" Florence smiled as she wrapped him in a hug, surprised by how he was as tall as his eldest brother, "Even if the last time I saw you was when you were eleven."
"Who's this?" Linda spoke up as Florence let go of Finn.
"I told you, Linda," Arthur muttered, "This is Florence, she grew up with us."
"So you're the one who abandoned them all for a better life in the smoke?" Linda remarked, intimidated by Florence's confident composure and ability to slip right back into the family fold.
"It's Linda, isn't it?" Florence sighed, keeping her eyes on the blonde woman who nodded in response, "Well, Linda, there's a time and place for slinging mud and it's certainly not here or now."
"Just like your mother," Johnny Dogs smiled.
"Well is someone at least going to explain why she's here?" Linda asked.
"All in good time," Tommy nodded, "Florence, have a seat at the table."
Florence took a seat beside Lizzie who was quick to squeeze her hand, leaning towards her and whispering, "I've never been keen on her either."
"John is dead," Sighed Tommy, "Esme has gone on the road with the Lees, she's taken the kids, Michael is badly wounded, they say it's sixty-forty in his favour."
"There's no number, there's no percentages," Polly interjected as Florence glanced at Tommy, "There's only the hand, the hand beneath him stops him from falling, I spoke to someone, my son'll live."
"Michael and John were shot because we killed someone, Vicente Changretta," Tommy continued to explain, "His son, Luca has come to take revenge, men from New York and Sicily here in Birmingham. These men will not leave our city until our whole family is dead, that's how it works, an eye for an eye, it's called a vendetta."
"Yeah, well," Arthur sighed, toying with a bullet, "The bullet's been written, it says 'Luca', when the time comes, and it will come...he is the oldest brother. I will put this bullet into his fucking head."
"There's been some bad blood between us," Tommy muttered, offering Florence a fleeting glance, a reminder of how they had left things six years earlier.
Polly scoffed in disbelief, clearly bemused by the entire situation, as Arthur whispered, "Polly, please."
"Until this business is settled, we stay together and we stay here," Tommy explained, "Small Heath, Bordesley, Hay Mills down to Greet. We know every face and every man is a soldier in this army, these men are professionals, they're good at what they do, so we're going to need more than we have, I've sent a message to AbErama Gold-"
"No," Johnny Dogs said, "No, Tom, I'll get you fifty Lee boys, good men, Tom."
"I don't need good men, Johnny," Tommy replied, "For this, I need bad men."
"Tommy, his people are fucking savages, you know?" Johnny hissed, "Heathens, Tom, they don't even let them in the fair, so they come and steal our horses, stealing from their own, Tom."
"So this is the plan, Thomas?" Polly exclaimed, gripping a glass of whiskey, "This is the plan? A bullet with a name on it, help from a bunch of savages."
"We're going to go on the offensive," Tommy explained, "I've spoken to Moss."
"Moss?" Polly scoffed.
"I've spoken to Moss," Tommy continued, "Moss is putting out word, eyes and ears so we can find 'em, yet the truth is, the police are busy with the revolution. Moss says they're expecting strikes when the weather gets warmer. The Bolsheviks are planning-"
"The Bolsheviks couldn't plan a fucking picnic, he's reading the wrong papers," Ada interjected.
"Ada," Tommy retorted, "Real or not real, the coppers don't give a fuck about us, alright...which means that here today in this room we have to agree to end this war between us...Take a vote."
"I want to know why she's here first," Linda gestured towards Florence before looking at Tommy, "All in good time, you said."
"Very well," Tommy glanced at Florence who simply nodded in agreement, "Florence has returned to the city for the safety of her family because Luca Chagretta also sent Daisy a black hand."
"Who sends a six year old child a fucking black hand?" Arthur retorted as Florence looked to a bewildered Polly who was unable to fathom that Tommy was readying himself to reveal a truth that he had made such an effort to hide.
"Luca Chagretta sent Daisy the black hand because," Tommy sighed, "She is my daughter."
"Holy fuck," Arthur muttered, "Seriously?"
"So, does Elijah know?" Lizzie asked, wondering whether George would know anything about it.
"He's always known that she's not his, but now he knows that she's Tommy's, for the sake of her safety," Florence explained, "None of us know what these men are capable of, and they know more about us than we think, so they know that family is what we hold most sacred."
"So, they'd have no qualms about using Daisy as some sort of hostage to get me to give myself up," Tommy explained, "But we won't have this mentioned outside of this room, Daisy doesn't need any further confusion."
"That's not all," Florence sighed, quickly concluding that full transparency was necessary in this conversation, "It was revealed to me yesterday that this man, Luca Changretta is my father."
"Fucking hell, this just gets better," Linda scoffed as everyone else sat shocked into a state of silence, "You've been here five minutes and you're already burdening us with all this, putting targets on our backs."
"Linda, Florence is family, show some respect, please," Arthur warned her calmly.
"It wasn't me who put a target on anyone's back, sweetheart," Florence remarked.
"Back to business," Tommy sighed, "Let's vote."
"Peace." Arthur began the vote, placing the written bullet on the table.
"I was never a part of this, but," Ada sighed, "Peace."
"Peace." Lizzie added in agreement.
"Peace," Charlie agreed.
"Peace," Finn spoke up.
"Shut up, Finn," Arthur muttered.
"Why can't I say 'peace'?" Finn asked.
"Arthur, let him have his say," Tommy told his brother, "Finn, sit at the table."
Finn sat in the seat nearest Arthur as his oldest brother held onto his neck, whispering, "Little bastard...They're sending us fucking kids, Sergeant Major, to do men's work."
"My son's not here to speak, so I'll speak on behalf of us both," Polly told the room, "Truce."
Tommy glanced at Linda who didn't have a word to say before turning his gaze to the woman who's opinion mattered most to him, "Florence?"
"Why are you asking her? It's her father that started all of this." Linda scoffed.
"Linda, if I wanted your opinion on whether or not Florence is entitled to vote, I would've asked," Tommy told the blonde woman firmly before returning his attention to Florence, "What'll it be, Florence?"
"Peace." She answered without a need to say much else, feeling content being back amongst the Shelby family.
"Six for peace, two for truce, one abstention," Tommy declared, "Let's get on with the war."
As Tommy left the room, Jeremiah, Charlie, Johnny Dogs and Arthur promptly followed, leaving the women and the youngsters. The tension between Linda and Florence was palpable, and the rest of the women in the room simply respected Florence for the way she handled it, she had only said what the rest of them were thinking.
"I should head next door and check on my children," Florence sighed as she stood up from the table.
"Can I come with you?" Finn asked, surprising Florence, "I haven't seen Daisy since she were a baby."
"Of course you can," Florence smiled.
"I'll come," Polly muttered, desperate to free herself from the confined restrictions of the room.
Polly and Finn followed Florence out of the Shelby house and through the backyard to the Dawsons' home, a building that Polly hadn't stepped foot in since the tragic death of her best friend.
"Daisy, Ollie," Florence called out as she opened the back door to her house, "There's some people here to see you."
"Coming!" Daisy called out as she ran from the front room where she'd been playing with Oliver while Vinnie and Elijah kept an eye on them.
Polly let out a proud gasp as she lay eyes on the perfect little girl, who was a perfect blend of Tommy and Florence. She also had a strong resemblance to Imelda which touched her greatly. She also noticed Oliver who lingered behind his big sister, he had Imelda's eyes and Florence's smile.
"This is Aunt Polly, she was Grandma Imelda's best friend," Florence told the children.
"Hello," Daisy smiled as she wrapped her arms around the woman she had only just met, "My mummy says you're the best."
"That's very sweet, lovely girl," Polly grinned at the little girl.
"And this is Finn," Florence smiled gesturing to the youngest Shelby brother, "Last time I saw him he was just a bit taller than you."
"Do you like trains?" Oliver asked, looking up at Finn.
"I suppose," Finn nodded, not wanting to disappoint the little boy.
"Come on," Daisy smiled as both she and her little brother took hold of Finn's hands and led him into the front room, leaving Polly and Florence alone in the kitchen.
"I apologise for my short temper in the hospital yesterday," Polly told the girl.
"It's alright," Florence insisted, "You were scared for Michael."
"But you didn't deserve to find out like that, Tommy wouldn't let me hear the end of it," Polly insisted, "Your mother would be giving me a right talking to, if she was here."
"I don't doubt it," Florence smiled, instantly feeling at ease, "What was he like with her?"
"A rat," Polly answered simply, "Your mother was fourteen and he was two years older, he knew that she was infatuated by him and regardless of whether or not the feeling was mutual, what he did was taking advantage of her."
"So the black hand, that's not just because Daisy is Tommy's, it's because Luca knows that I'm his daughter?" Florence muttered.
"Yes," Polly nodded, "Your mother told him that she was pregnant, and then he washed her hands of her."
"I'll shoot him myself if it comes to it," Florence sighed.
"Shoot who?" Florence and Polly looked up to see Vinnie standing in the doorway, dressed in all black much like the rest of the mourners, which touched Florence, given that he never met John.
"Who's this?" Polly asked Florence.
"That's my brother, Vinnie," Florence smiled.
Polly looked at the man in disbelief, the last time she saw him he was a tiny baby that she never imagined she would lay eyes on again. She had come to terms with the idea that she'd never see Imelda's son. To see him as a grown man standing in the kitchen where he was born might just have been one of the most beautiful things she had seen.
"You must be Polly," Vinnie grinned, "It's great to finally meet you."
"You too, dear boy," Polly smiled, wrapping her arms around the young man, "I assume your sister told you how hard your mother tried to keep you, you two were the most important things in her life."
"She did," Vinnie whispered, having only recently come to terms with the relationship with his mother that he was robbed of.
"All she wanted was the best for you both," Polly sighed, letting go of the Dawson man, "You're one of us now, Vinnie."
"You'll love them, especially Arthur's wife," Florence smirked.
"She's a fucking nightmare," Polly muttered under her breath.
"She can't be that bad, can she?" Vinnie asked.
"Someone's shoved a stick so far up her ass she could be a horse on a fucking merry go round." Florence scoffed.
"Couldn't have put it better myself," Polly laughed, offering Florence a glimpse of the old Polly, not the woman who's world had been fragmented since she was almost hanged.
"I look forward to meeting all of them," Vinnie smiled.
"Meeting who?" Elijah appeared in the doorway.
Their relationship had felt delicate for a long time, especially when Florence began to keep parts of her life secret. But she only did that to protect Elijah and the children, she also knew that Elijah wouldn't approve of the murders she had committed, but she believed that it was her way of making up for not being there to protect her little brother while they were growing up. It hurt to admit it but their relationship was fractious compared to what it once was.
"The Shelby family," Florence told him, and immediately Polly could sense the discomfort between the couple.
"Right," Elijah nodded, resenting the way that most things in Florence's life came back to that family, the family he since knew his daughter was biologically linked to, "It's good to see you, Polly, I'm sorry to hear about Michael."
"That's alright, he'll make it through," Polly assured him.
"When are we setting off for John's funeral?" Florence asked Polly.
"Soon, I suspect," Polly told her, "Who'll watch Daisy and Oliver?"
"That'll be me," Vinnie replied, "I'll keep them safe."
"There'll be men on the street if any of Changretta's men try anything," Florence assured him, aware that Tommy had been busy recruiting soldiers.
"That's good to know," Vinnie sighed, "But I can handle them if it comes to it, for Mum."