n// this is a pretty long chapter that i was considering splitting up in two but decided fuck it because i've made you guys wait long enough so!!!! here u go. enjoy my angels!
Sybil didn't know what to think at the moment.
Every single time she closed her eyes, she was there again. Back in her classroom with none other than Thomas Shelby, his lips upon hers. She could remember every single detail of the moment: the smell of his cologne, the taste of his cigarettes, the feeling of his hands on her cheeks, the starched collar of his shirt brushing her skin — all of it. The moment had been burned into her memory from the second it began and would remain there until the day she died. And although she'd come to that conclusion, she also came to the conclusion that she had no fucking clue as to what came next.
Sybil, to put it in the simplest of terms, felt like Alice, falling down the rabbit hole. There were things that obviously needed to be addressed between the heroine and the bad man, but she didn't know how to go about it. Or, on the opposite side of the spectrum, if she even should address it.
On one hand, the kiss could result in an emerging couple of the two. It could be the start of a wonderful relationship that would be the cure to all of Sybil's inner thoughts and feelings. But on the other, more pessimistic hand, it could be the end to a lot of things. Thomas could decide that it was a heat of the moment gesture and never speak to her again, or not acknowledge it at all. Then there was the possibility that they could get into a relationship and have the shady inspector and his little lapdog of a barmaid get a hold of the information, and ruin it. Even worse, it could very well crash and burn, leaving Finn in the crossfire.
Sybil was trapped in the space between a rock and a hard place, and she hated it. She hated the overthinking, the what-ifs, the confusion, and everything else that came of the situation at hand. But Sybil, however confused she may have been, knew that she would never regret that kiss for as long as she lived, nor would she ever forget it.
Sighing, Sybil allowed her eyes to flutter shut and her hand to brush her lips, cherishing the memory of Tommy's lips upon her own. Opening her eyes, she looked up at the ceiling and let her hand drop back down to her side.
"Alright," she muttered to herself. "That's enough of that, Billie. Enough of that, indeed."
Sitting up, she forced herself out of the comfort of her own bed and padded over to her closet, picking out the first dress she saw and got dressed. From there, she proceeded to brush her hair and make sure that her unruly waves were somewhat tamed before making up her bed again and heading to the kitchen. But as she made her way through her small home, something caught her eye.
There, slipped under the crack in the door, was a letter.
Furrowing her brow, she cautiously picked it up with trembling hands, already assuming the worst. Taking a deep breath, she tore the blasted thing open, but was in for a surprise when she looked inside.
Inside the envelope, there were two things: a card, and a ring.
Sybil didn't even need to read the letter to know who the damned thing was from. She knew that Archibald Hayes had decided to make an appearance once more.
Taking out the card, she flipped it open, and let out a shaky breath at the messy handwriting.
"I won't let him come between us, Sybil.
I'm done playing nice.
A.H."
Tossing the letter to the side, she pulled out the ring and examined it, toying with the gold band between her fingers. And before she even knew it, she let out a strangled sob, and fell to the floor. She just didn't understand how someone could be like how Archibald was — she just didn't. She didn't know how someone could be so cruel, so demanding. How someone could be so entitled. And the more she thought about it, the more upset she grew. She was so tired. All she wanted was to go back to the other day, when she and Tommy shared their perfect kiss.
Tommy.
If Archibald was as insane as Sybil thought he was, he would most definitely take some sort of action against her love. And despite the fact that Tommy could very much so hold his own, Sybil knew that despite her previous concerns about Tommy finding out about the man and his apparent obsession, he deserved the right to know that there was a possibility of the prick doing something extreme. So, Sybil pulled herself together, and decided that it as about time that she bit the bullet.
She quickly shoved the letter and the ring into her purse and pulled on some shoes before leaving her home, trying to take as many deep breaths as she could before she had a panic attack. The walk was a long and daunting one, and for once, she really had no desire to see her beloved Shelby family. She didn't want to have to deal with the problem at hand, and she didn't want to bother them, but she knew that at this point, she really had no choice. Archibald Hayes could do whatever he wanted to her, but as soon as he brought the Shelby family into things, that's when Sybil knew that enough was enough.
Sybil stood in front of the door for a moment, staring up at it in half fear and half regret. She contemplated just turning around and leaving right then and there, packing her bags and moving to the next town over. But the longer she stared at the door, the more she came to the revelation that she was tired of living in fear. She wanted her life to return to normal, but most importantly, she wanted Archibald Hayes to reap the consequences of his actions. And Sybil knew that the only way that that would happen is if she got the Peaky Blinders involved.
With a newfound (yet surely fleeting) confidence, she knocked on the door and took a step back, letting a determined look harden over her previously soft features. She was done with being a damsel all of the time — she was going to be free of Archibald Hayes if it was the last thing she did, and she sure as hell wasn't going to allow the disgusting man take her Tommy Shelby down with him.
After a moment, the door swung open, revealing the ever-so-poised Polly Shelby, smoking her signature cigarette.
"Sybil, love," she greeted, blowing smoke into the cool air. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Hello, Polly," the blonde greeted back, sincerely happy to see the maternal figure before her. "May I come in?"
Stepping aside, Polly invited the woman inside of the betting shoppe, where Sybil was instantly met with a certain kind of warmth. For whatever reason, the betting shoppe felt safe. It felt like home, in a way that she couldn't really describe. But, that was beside the point. Sybil had bigger fish to fry.
"So what brings you here, love?" Polly asked, leading her to a table and sitting down.
Sitting down opposite her, Sybil took a deep breath before looking up at the beautiful woman, and started from the beginning.
"I'm sure you know by now that I was there when... when Danny Whizzbang killed the Italian..."
"May God bless both of their souls."
"Yes, indeed," Sybil agreed with a nod, before continuing. "But... a man was there, at that moment. He, uh, tried to take me home, but I refused, and came here instead. A few days later, a man — that same man, that is — showed up at the school, and demanded that he walk me to the Garrison."
At this newfound information, Polly leaned back in her chair and stared the woman down, having the strangest feeling that she knew where this was going.
"At first, he was harmless. Nice, even. But then, shortly after, he... he proposed to me, Polly. A stranger. He kept going on about how we'd be good together, and how he knew that I would make the best wife and mother, and all of this other shit."
"And I take it you said no?"
Sybil offered a tiny, almost invisible smile and nodded.
"I told him the truth. That I didn't even know him, and that I didn't wish to be married in the first place. But then, something changed, Polly. Something in his eyes changed completely. He started getting so aggressive, so angry at me for saying no. Then he went off about how I was only saying no because of Tommy, and how he's seen us."
At this, Polly's eyes narrowed, and she grew serious.
"Then what happened?"
Sybil ran a hand through her hair and let out a humourless laugh, shaking her head.
"Luckily enough, John showed up, and got him to piss off." she chuckled. "Then, after that, he started sending me things."
"The flowers." Polly noted. "They were from him, weren't they?"
Nodding, Sybil reached into her purse and pulled out Archibald's most recent gift, and slid the items in question over to Polly.
"I found these slipped under the door of my home this morning," she scoffed, trying to push back the tears. "A wedding ring. A fucking wedding ring, Polly. And the note..."
Polly picked up the small piece of paper and opened it, reading the contents before placing it back down on the table.
"You're concerned he's going to come for Tommy." she deduced, earning a nod on Sybil's end.
"He's sick, Polly. I-I've never seen someone's mood change so quickly and so severely like that, and the last thing I want is to bother you with something so trivial, but you must believe me when I say that he's capable of doing something even more mad than he is."
At the girl's sudden frantic state, Polly grabbed her hands, and looked deep into the brown eyes across from her own.
"Listen to me, and listen to me closely, Sybil," Polly stated seriously. "Don't you ever believe that for a second that this is, or anything concerning you, is trivial. Whether you like it or not, love, it's only a matter of time before you're a Shelby. We'll sort this out, and trust in me when I say that that bastard will not come near you or bother you in any way after we do."
Sybil nodded and sent a smile her way, receiving a warm one in return.
"Let me make you some tea, love. Something to ease your nerves."
"Thank you, Polly."
As Polly disappeared into the next room, Sybil sighed and picked up the ring that was resting on the table. It amazed her that such a tiny piece of metal could mean so much to some, yet to others it could mean nothing at all. How something could be the most important thing in the world or the most insignificant thing in the world depending on who gave it to you.
How if Tommy gave it to her, she'd be an engaged woman.
Shaking her head at the thought, she placed the ring down on the table and rested her head in her dainty hands, taking a deep breath.
"How did I end up here?"
"You walked, love." Polly spoke, setting the cups down. "Milk?"
Sybil laughed a little and nodded, thanking the woman as she poured the milk in her tea and passed it to her.
"So," the elder of the two began, sipping her tea. "Do you plan on telling Tommy about this, or should I?"
"I... I suppose it would only be right if I told him," Sybil sighed, cringing at the thought of his reaction. "I just don't want to ruin anything between us."
"Oh? And what exactly is going on between you two?"
Sybil blushed furiously at the question, knowing that she just fell right into Polly's trap.
"Fuck."
"Oh? So you're fucking?"
"What?! No!"
"Then what's going on between you two?"
"How do you even know there is something going on between us?"
Polly smiled at the question, finding it adorable how oblivious the girl was to Tommy's obvious feelings.
"I'm never wrong when it comes to matters of the heart, Sybil."
"...He kissed me."
Leaning back in her chair, Polly clapped her hands together, and let out a little laugh.
"A kiss," she chuckled. "I didn't know that our Thomas had it in him."
"How do you mean?"
"Sybil," Polly laughed. "He has feelings for you."
"He... he does?"
"Well, he kissed you for a reason, didn't he?"
"I suppose."
Rolling her eyes, Polly leaned forward in her seat and looked Sybil in the eyes.
"He cares for you, Sybil. More than you know. Hell, more than any of us will ever know. And I can tell that you care for him, too." the woman explained. "Our Thomas protects those he cares about, and that includes you, now. It isn't a crime to let someone take care of you, love. And right now, you need someone to do just that."
Sybil sighed and nodded, finally accepting the truths she tried so hard to avoid.
"All you have to do is tell him what you've just told me, and Tommy'll take care of it."
"Tell me what?"
At the new voice in the room, Sybil jumped, turning around to meet the gaze of the man of the hour himself, Tommy Shelby.
"Tommy..." she breathed out.
"Sybil," he spoke, tone slightly hardened. "What do you have to tell me?"
Polly stood from her seated position and left the room, giving the two some alone time while they sorted everything out.
"You might want to sit down for this one, Thomas." Polly mumbled on her way out.
Walking over to the table, Tommy did as told, and sat across from his love in the place where his aunt was just sat.
"What's Polly talking about?" he asked, noticing the red rims under the eyes that refused to meet his own. "Sybil, look at me."
It took a moment, but eventually, Sybil met his worried gaze. And when she did, Tommy felt his heart sink to his stomach.
"What's going on?"
And just like that, the three little words seemed to release everything Sybil had been holding back from the very start of the whole ordeal.
Sybil told him everything. From the moment she met Archibald, to the letter under her door. It took a while, and it wasn't easy, but Tommy listened the whole time. That was one of Sybil's favourite and least favourite things about Tommy, she reckoned — he never said a word, he just listened. And at the moment, she couldn't decide if she was thankful for it or not.
"I'm scared, Tommy," she admitted after she finished relating the information she'd just told Polly. "I don't want to be scared anymore. I'm so tired of being scared."
Tommy was a man of few visible emotions, and Sybil knew that. But this time, it was different. She'd never seen the man look so detached. So cold. So void.
"Tommy," she whimpered. "Say something, please, Tommy. Just say something."
"His name." Tommy spike lowly. "What is his name?"
Sybil has never seen this side of the man before, and she would be lying if she said that it didn't frighten her a little bit.
"His name, Sybil." Tommy repeated sternly, earning a little flinch on the woman's end. "Tell me his fucking name."
"A-Archib-bald H-Hayes," she sputtered out. "H-His name is Archibald Hayes."
And with that final piece of information, Tommy collected his hat, the note, and the ring, before storming out of the betting shoppe altogether.
"Tommy, wait!" Sybil cried out, standing from her seat. "Tommy!"
But she quickly found that it was no use. Thomas Shelby was off, and there was nothing that could get in the way of his wrath. The only thing Sybil could do in that moment was pray for the poor bastard on the receiving end of it.
"Go home, love, and get some rest." Polly spoke calmly from behind her. "That son of a bitch will not be bothering you again."
Nodding slowly, Sybil gathered her belongings and began the trek back home, thinking of nothing but Tommy the whole time.
More specifically, what he was going to do to Archibald Hayes.
And for the first time in a long time, Sybil felt safe.