I'll be good, I'll be good
And I'll love the world, like I should
Yeah, I'll be good, I'll be good
For all of the time
That I never could
- I'll Be Good, by Jaymes Young
It had been two days and no one had spoken to Ada. She had gone back to the hovel her and Freddie had been living in the second she could and refused to see or speak to anyone that had anything to do with the name Shelby. Polly left in the early morning with a basket of food, on a mission to try and get Ada to come around, but Kiara doubted it would work.
Tommy stood, leaning up against the brick wall in the kitchen, smoke flying around him from his cigarette as Kiara began to do the dishes from their breakfast, still wearing her nightgown and robe unlike her husband who always immediately put on his suit the second he woke up.
Kiara had tried to talk to Tommy about the possibility of it being Grace who had sold Freddie out, but he had changed the subject rather quickly. It made her mad, no... it made her furious and he could clearly see that, but she said nothing. With how things were with Ada she could tell it was eating at him so she decided to keep the peace.
Polly soon arrived, briskly walking into the kitchen and placing the basket of unclaimed food on the table.
"Did you speak to her?" Tommy asked.
"She didn't speak back." Polly shot back, clearly not happy to be talking with her nephew, still not believing that it wasn't him that sold Freddie out. Arthur and John also didn't entirely believe it.
"Did you tell her?" Tommy asked while Polly made herself busy, immediately pulling things out of the pantry to begin to prepare lunch or maybe even diner. She just needed something to do.
"I'll only tell her what I know to be true."
"It's the last time I'm going to say this. It wasn't me who shopped Freddie Thorne."
"Tommy," Polly turned on him, stopping what she was doing, "I'd ask you to swear on the Bible..." Tommy took in a deep frustrated breath, knowing what was coming next, "but you can't swear on that, can you? Nothing you hold sacred." With that she walked out.
Tommy sighed and pushed himself off the wall before turning to his wife.
"Go get dressed, I'll walk you to the Garrison."
Kiara nodded and then went upstairs and changed in silence, knowing it was better to leave him with his thoughts for a little while. They had talked about Freddie, he knew that she believed him and that was all there was to it. There wasn't much else to be said between them on the matter and for the time being it seemed like that was all he would be thinking about so... silence seemed best. And he was grateful for it.
The Garrison was quiet, as it often was until lunch. Grace was the only one there, out the back and doing some paper work. Kiara had bought a diary and insisted that everything should go in it and tasked Grace with filling in a few things.
Kiara went out back to check a bit of the stock while Tommy wandered out into the office where he found the barmaid.
They exchanged a small greeting before he walked closer, puling out a pen and leaning over to scribble something down in the diary. A black star on December 3rd.
"Black star. What does that mean?" Grace asked.
Kiara could just faintly hear their voices as she came from outback and now stood behind the bar.
"Black star day... is the day we take out Billy Kimber and his men. No-one knows this."
"Not even your family?"
Tommy scoffed as he turned his back. "Kiara knows everything, everyone else... everyone else hates me. Why would I tell them?" He asked before walking out.
Tommy didn't hesitate as he walked out of the office, saw his wife, kept walking and kissed her on the cheek, knowing she had heard.
"Be nice." He whispered, almost playfully.
Her unimpressed glare was more than enough, so she said nothing. He knew she wasn't happy with Grace knowing, but she had promised to bite her tongue on the matter.
"I've got a little more stock take to do. I'll be home right after. You go ahead, I'll see you there."
Tommy shook his head. "And do what? Take in the death glares everyone will be giving me? I'll wait. Have a drink while I do."
Kiara poured her husband a drink and got back to work. She said nothing to Grace. The barmaid continued with the books while Kiara did the stock, she then gave the blonde the numbers, said a brief goodbye and walked out the door with her husband. This was as nice as she could be at the moment.
Tommy placed his cap on his head once they were out in the daylight and began to make their trip home. When they got there Kiara took his cap for him and hung it up, taking off her coat and hanging it up beside the hat while Tommy went ahead, hearing voices in the dining room.
"Well, speak of the devil." A voice Kiara didn't recognise said as Tommy stopped in the doorway to the dining room. "How are you, son?"
Kiara's eyes narrowed curiously as she followed after her husband, slowly stepped around the corner until she stood off to the side and just behind him, seeing what had made him stop in his tracks. She may not have recognised his voice, but she certainly recognised his face... Arthur Shelby... senior. He had walked out on the family ten years prior when her and John were 14. Finn had barely been a year old.
"And who's this?" His eyes landed on the girl he didn't know was his daughter in law. There was a brief moment of silence before recognition crossed his face as he glanced over to John. "My, my... Kiara Donoghue?"
"She's a Shelby now." Polly informed.
"Could have put money on that happening." He smiled as he took in his daughter in law once again and looking between her and Tommy, realising it was her and Tommy that had married. His head slightly inclined to where John stood rigid and cold before smiling and outstretching his arms towards Tommy and Kiara. "Well... congratulations."
Tommy shook his head and nodded towards the door, "Get out." He said simply before his father could say another word.
"Come on, son. I'm a changed man." He held out his arms once again with a slight warm smile.
"This family needed you 10 years ago." Tommy stated. "And you walked out on us. Not now. Get out of this house."
"Tommy..." Arthur (junior) started, "he's different."
"Shut up." Tommy said sternly, not at all wanted this up for discussion.
"It's all right, son." The eldest Shelby nodded towards his eldest son. "Arthur Shelby... never stays where he's not welcome." He inhaled sharply as he looked over to Tommy. "Quite something you've become." He nodded. He began to walk for the door, scuffing up Finn's hair as he did and throwing him a brief, "Goodbye, son." While John stood next to his younger brother. Finn looked down the corridor at his father until John lightly grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back to stop him from doing it, just as indifferent to his father as Tommy was.
All that was heard were footsteps until the front door opened and closed followed by another moment of silence.
"He's our dad." Arthur stated as Tommy scoffed.
"He's a selfish bastard."
"You calling someone a selfish bastard? It's a bit rich, Tommy. I mean, thanks to you, we're already down a bloody sister."
Kiara closed her eyes as she briefly held her breath, knowing this wasn't going to be good.
"You want to see him Arthur?" Tommy asked before pointing down the corridor that their father had just walked down. "You want to see him? You go with him."
Arthur didn't move for a little while, but then rose to his feet, said not a word and walked out, the door slamming once again.
Arthur Shelby
"The boy needs a good hiding if you ask me." Arthur Shelby Senior was saying to his eldest son as Finn trailed along behind them curiously. The youngest Shelby had met up with his big brother and the father he didn't remember as soon as he was in the clear of John and Tommy, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Yeah, well, I'm this close to giving him one."
"John and Ada too, sounds like."
"Nah, John moans on bloody principle." Arthur Junior shook his head as they found a place to sit. "But if you saw his Mrs..."
"You have a girl yourself, son?" Arthur shook his head as he took a sip of his beer. "Perhaps when it suits, Tommy, eh? Got to say... him and Kiara, not what I was expecting. Always knew she'd be part of the family one day, but..."
"You thought it'd be with John." Arthur finished. "Yeah, I think everyone thought the same... even John."
"And there's no bad blood over it?"
"Nah." Arthur shook his head. "John and Kiara are still close. He might be a little jealous, but he doesn't let it get in the way of anything."
"But does Tommy know he's jealous?"
"Everyone bloody knows... except for K... Ah, she's a good girl though; she's good for Tommy, smart, knows how the business works... she's just always been too bloody modest or too hard on herself or something to notice. John's got his new wife now, though, and they seem happy. Tommy and Kiara... they've been fighting a little more than usual, but... she knows how to handle him. He's been different... since the war."
"Yeah, well... a war can change a man. Speaking for myself, anyway."
"Where did you fight, Dad?" Finn asked.
"Ah, all over, son. All over. And the salvation of Jesus Christ spread his light over me. As a pilgrim, I come to visit a new world."
"America." Arthur stated.
"Where I beheld the future." He finished before leaning across the table to his eldest son. "Casinos."
Kiara
"How are you doing?" Kiara asked John as she came into the kitchen and found him just finishing off a glass of water.
"Fine." He answered with a confused look over the question before he placed the glass in the sink.
"I just mean... with your father..."
"Ah, he hasn't been that for ten years. Not to me."
Kiara nodded and then gave him a small smile. "So," She started to change the subject, "How are things with Esme?"
"Yeah, good." He nodded. "Surprisingly good. She gets on well with the kids."
"So you're not mad about the arranged marriage anymore?"
"Nah." He shook his head. "Well... a little, but everything's good, the kids are happy. I needed it. Desperately."
Kiara smiled, happy for him, before she took a step forward to give him a hug that John instantly returned.
"Where's Tommy?" He asked as they pulled back.
"The Garrison. Said he needed a drink. I think he needs to be a alone for a little while." John nodded, understanding.
"You two back to normal again?"
"Mostly." K nodded. "I still don't like that barmaid."
"Still think it was her that handed over Freddie?" John asked, his tone of voice not at all sounding like he agreed.
"It wasn't Tommy, John." Kiara shook her head. "I know you said she was in the bar the whole time, but... you had a lot to drink, not to mention the drinks you had before then at the wedding."
"What would Grace have to gain by handing Freddie over, huh?"
"I don't know, maybe Inspector Campbell has something on her, but John... It wasn't Tommy." She shook her head again.
"Alright." He nodded.
"That's it?"
"Yeah. You understand him more than anyone so... if you say it wasn't him, then I'll believe you, but I'm not the one that needs to be told."
"It's a start."
It was hard to find song lyrics for this one, but basically the ones I chose are in reference to Tommy's father preaching that he's changed.
Also, kind of sad that Tommy Flanagan was only in one episode... like Arthur Shelby Senior... hate him, but Tommy is a great actor and I wish he was in more. Chibs was always my favourite in Sons of Anarchy :)