JOHN
Polly comes storming into the Garrison. "It's a boy." She huffs, charging at Tommy.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Polly! Polly!" Arthur and I spring into action, attempting to keep her back from our brother.
"But the police came and took his father away!" She shouts.
Thomas looks confused but Polly doesn't buy his innocence. "Don't you DARE look at me like that!" She shrugs out of mine and Arthur's hold, spitting at Tommy's feet. "You liar!" She hisses, turning on her heel to leave the pub.
"Wait! Aunt Pol!" I chase after her, gently grabbing her arm. "Where's Ember? The police didn't take her too, did they?"
"She's home with Ada, the baby, Finn, and little John." Polly rolls her eyes. "Not everything is about Ember, John." She scolds.
"In my world it is." I defend.
My aunt's face softens ever so slightly. "Come home, now, eh? You should be with your wife on your wedding night."
Ember is holding a sobbing Ada when I enter the house on Watery Lane. Finn and John junior are asleep on the couch.
"Freddie will come home, just like I did." My wife comforts my sister, smoothing her hair. "Tommy will make sure of that."
Ada sniffs. "Tommy got you back because he loves you. He doesn't care about Freddie. Not anymore."
"Ada, Tommy may not be friends with Freddie anymore but he wouldn't do something like this knowing full well it would hurt you." I defend our brother.
Ada glares up at me. "Right. You're just as bad as he is. Arthur, too. The whole lot of you disgust me."
"Ada." Ember says sadly. "You don't mean that."
"I do!" She huffs, pulling herself out of Ember's arms and taking her crying newborn baby from Polly. "You wouldn't understand, Ember."
This lights a fire in my wife. "I wouldn't?" She scoffs. "I gave birth to Johnny alone, too, Ada. John was in France, getting shot at by the Germans. Or did you forget that?"
My sister looks contrite. "Ember." She whispers.
"Save it." Ember's tone is clipped. "John grab our son. I want to go home."
I know better than to argue, lifting our sleeping boy from the couch and following Ember outside. She's frozen in the dark street, her back facing me.
When she spins around, there's a tear in her eye. "I'll be sure to apologize to Polly for my outburst tomorrow. I'm afraid I don't know where we live."
"You have nothing to apologize for, my love." I swipe the lone teardrop from her cheek gently. She leans into my touch. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you the way I should have been. Missing John's birth is something I'll never forgive myself for."
"No." She shakes her head. "It wasn't your fault, John."
"Doesn't matter." I say, wrapping the arm not holding our son around her waist, leading her in the direction of our home.
When we reach number twelve Coventry Lane, I turn the key in the lock and turn to Ember. "Stay here."
"Outside?" She looks confused. "It's the middle of the night. Why can't I come in with you."
"Trust me." I smile. "But take this, just in case." I hand her my gun before walking into the house, taking our son up to his room."
"John Michael, what are you up to?" I hear her mumble as I rejoin her outside.
Taking my gun from her hand, I swing Ember up into my arms. She squeals in delight. "I wanted to do this right." I tell her, carrying her over the threshold.
I place Ember back on the ground gently and close the door, locking it behind us. She's in my arms the moment I turn around.
"I love you." She whispers. "This is the first time in almost five years we've been alone together.
"Aye." I grin. "And I plan to make the most of it."
Nothing more needs to be said as I pick Ember up again, swinging her over my shoulder and carry her into our bedroom.
I toss her onto the bed playfully and crawl over her, hovering above her on my forearms. "You're beautiful." I say, kissing her deeply.
"You're drunk." She smiles when we pull apart.
"I fucking am." We both laugh. "But tomorrow I won't be and you'll still be beautiful."
"Make me yours." Ember repeats the words she said to me before our very first time together and it takes me back to 1911.
"What about your virtue?" I tease.
Ember smiles, her face pure and angelic. "Oh, you ruined me a long time ago."
"Aye." I smirk. "That I did, Mrs. Shelby." And my lips are on hers once again.
EMBER
I wake up early the next morning to the sound of mumbled shouts and labored breathing. John is sweating and has a pained look on his face. His eyes are shut tightly as he thrashes around on the bed.
"John." I whisper, turning toward him and shaking him slightly in an attempt to wake him from the nightmare.
One of his hands reach up, tightly gripping the arm which has shaken him. His grasp grows tighter and tighter and becomes increasingly painful.
"John!" I yelp, shoving him as hard as I can manage as I begin to panic.
His eyes shoot open as he gasps for air, loosening his grip on my arm he realizes what has just happened. He stares at the red welt in the shape of his hand before I hastily cover it up with my own.
"John." I try to get his attention as he continues to stare at my injury. The fear from the nightmare shifts to worry and then finally to anger over his actions.
"John, what happened?" I ask softly.
He stands from the bed quickly. "This was supposed to get better once I had you back." He shouts, his Shelby temper getting the better of him.
I jump slightly at the sudden outburst, worried he'll wake our son. "John, come back to bed, please. Let's talk about this."
He slumps back down on the edge of the bed, after pacing a few seconds, his head in his hands. The strong man I remember sits there crushed, giving way to vulnerability.
I move behind him, wrapping my arms around his chest. His skin is still slightly damp from the nightmare and I sit up on my knees so I can rest my chin against his shoulder.
"You're safe. You're right here with me, it's all going to be ok, John." I whisper in his ear, replacing the silence with comfort.
"No! It's not! It's not okay." He blurts out. He's still upset with himself. Pulling his hands away from his face, he clenches his jaw. "I fucking hurt you. That's not okay." He looks straight forward avoiding my eyes.
I stand up, wrapping the sheet around my body, as I'm still naked from the night before. I kneel in front of John, moving his chin in my direction trying to force him to look at me.
He refuses to cooperate, looking anywhere but my eyes as a tear slips down his cheek. He breathes in heavily through his nose to keep more tears from falling, his jaw still clenched.
"John, look at me." His eyes move hesitantly to mine, his pain clearly evident. "What is going on?"
"France." He whispers.
My heart breaks for my husband. "Does this happen often?"
"It got worse the longer you were gone."
My hands grip the sides of his face gently, stroking his cheeks. "I'm here now."
John's fingers gently trace the bruise that's already beginning to form on my upper arm.
"You are a good man, John Shelby. You have protected me your entire life, you would never hurt me on purpose." I reassure him.
"It doesn't matter that I didn't mean to, Ember, I still hurt you."
I stand up from the ground, placing myself in his lap so I can hold him closer. "Well, John, it happened. But I'm fine and this changes nothing. You still make me feel safe. I'm not going anywhere, not ever." I promise him, rubbing small circles into his back to soothe his worry.
His hands hold gently onto my thighs, keeping me close while his other hand brushes through my hair. John kisses me softly.
When he's done, he pulls me even closer to him, our foreheads resting against one another's. "What if it happens again?" he murmurs, genuine terror for the future in his voice as he looks desperately into my eyes.
"Then we will deal with it. Together." I reply without hesitation.
"You're too good for me, you always have been. You know that don't you?" He lifts me slightly so my legs can straddle his.
"You're very lucky." I smirk.
John's loud laugh fills the room. "I love you more than anything in this world, Ember." He says, growing serious once more.
"As I love you, John." His hands hold onto the back of my neck, pulling my face down to his and peppering my lips with light kisses.
It's too late to go back to sleep, yet still too early to get up. So we lay down on the bed, my head on John's chest and his arms around me.
"How did things go last night with Ada?" He asks.
I think back on the birth of Karl and smile softly at memories of my nephew. "It was easier than John's birth, that's for certain."
"I'm still angry with myself for missing it. I missed everything." John sighs.
After a moment, one of his arms shifts ever so slightly, his hand resting upon my stomach. "But I won't miss a moment this go around."
I roll my eyes at him. "I'm not pregnant, John."
"Oi." He disagrees. "You saw my performance last night, there's no way you're not growing another Shelby right this very minute."
I can't control the giggles that leave my mouth. "You're ridiculous!"
"Maybe I am." He smiles as our laughter fades. "But I want more children."
"We'll have as many as you like, John. Just promise me you'll never leave us again."
He presses a kiss into my hairline. "I promise you that."
"Shall we get up and start the day?" I ask as John checks his pocket watch.
"Aye." He nods. "We're a bit late."
I stand from the bed, hoping there's at least one dress in the wardrobe or I'll have to put the white one from my wedding back on.
I'm only mildly surprised to see all of my old dresses from before, along with a few new ones, hung up next to John's suits.
"Did you do all this?" I ask, turning to face my husband.
"Must of been Pol." John shakes his head. "I didn't even know it was you waiting for me at the altar yesterday, and I only just found out about this place last night. Tommy gave me the keys while you were helping with Ada."
My hand finds it's way to my mouth as I smile warmly at the kindness of my family. "You Shelby's are really something."
"Don't go telling nobody." John teases. "We're ruthless, remember?"
"Right." I agree, rolling my eyes playfully as I turn around asking John to fasten up the buttons of my dress. "Now go wake John Junior, I'll make a quick breakfast then we can be on our way."
"Yes ma'am." He smiles, kissing me gently before leaving the room to fetch our son.
—
When we walk into the house on Watery Lane half an hour later, John gives me another kiss before opening the doors to the betting shop.
Finn comes down the stairs in the same moment and Little John runs off to join his uncle. I'm left alone for only a moment as I hear the clatter of dishes in the kitchen.
"Hey Pol." I say as I enter the room.
"Oh, Ember Girl, I'm glad you're here. You mind helping me straighten up this pigsty?"
I grab several plates off of the table and bring them over to the sink. "Of course not."
We scrub dishes in comfortable silence for a few moments before I speak up. "I'm sorry for how I acted last night, I shouldn't have snapped at Ada like that."
"She's hurting, but she was out of line." Polly shakes her head. "I'm surprised you didn't hit her."
I nudge the woman with my elbow playfully. "I would never."
She smiles mischievously. "Oh please, we all remember your temper. You kicked Arthur Sr. in the shin when he tried to send you to bed without dessert one night."
"I was a child!" I can't help but laugh at the memory. "I've grown up." I add once we've settled.
"Aye, you have. Being a mother has made you go soft." Polly smirks.
"I'm not soft!" I argue but before I can continue the front door opens and closes with a bang.
A blonde woman walks into the kitchen. "Is Tommy here?" She asks Polly with a thick Irish accent, ignoring my presence.
"In his office." Polly's reply is curt and I can tell she doesn't like this woman.
She takes off for the betting shop without another word. "Who was that?" I ask as the door closes behind the girl.
"Grace." Polly grumbles.
I look at the closed door that leads to the den for a split second as though I can see after her. "And we don't like Grace?" I ask.
"We don't trust her." She shakes her head.
A small frown finds its way to my face. "Why not?"
"She's distracting Thomas." Polly explains.
Realization dawns on me. "He loves her."
"Aye." She nods. "And their love isn't like yours and John's. I want you to keep a close eye on her, you hear me?"
"What's this?" A male voice breaks into our conversation. I glance up to see Tommy leaning against the doorframe watching me and his Aunt.
Polly doesn't even try to hide her feelings. "I don't trust the barmaid and I was warning Ember to do the same." She says, her voice even.
Tommy looks unimpressed by her words. "Ember." He turns to me. "I'd like a word. Let's take a walk."
I give Polly a farewell kiss on the cheek before grabbing my coat from the entryway and following Tommy out into the cool morning.
He graciously offers me his arm, which I take without question as we begin to walk down the street. "John's relieved to have you back. We were all worried about him and I'll admit there were times I was even scared he'd end it all. He doesn't know how to live without you, Ember."
I'm not sure what to say to this and I find myself feeling guilty for being the cause of so much pain for John.
It's as though Tommy can read my mind and he stops us from walking, forcing me to look at him. "Don't blame yourself. Nothing is your fault. You're the light of John's life, that's all I was trying to say." He resumes walking then. "And I'd like to feel that way about someone."
"And you think that person is Grace?" I ask softly, my hand tucked affectionately around my brother-in-law's arm.
He lets out a sigh. "All I know is I haven't felt this way about anyone since Greta."
My heart clenches as I think about the young woman Tommy loved and watched die before they all left for France.
"I'm just asking you to give her a chance, that's all." He says.
"I can do that." I smile, squeezing his arm gently. I plan to be kind to the girl, welcoming her into the Shelby lifestyle while also keeping an eye out for anything that could be deemed untrustworthy by Polly.
"Thank you, Ember." He grumbles uncertainly, never liking to thank someone. "I know Aunt Pol warned you off on her but she's not a bad seed, I assure you."
I shake my head, hoping to calm his irritation. "Polly is just worried she'll cloud your judgement. She cares about your wellbeing since you're the head of our family." I explain.
Thomas lets out a laugh. "You've always been the peacemaker. I've missed that, could have used you several times to talk some of us down from certain situations."
He doesn't elaborate further and I know that's all he plans to tell me about tensions while I was away. Tommy continues to lead us through town as he explains upcoming business plans to me.
He's just finished stressing the importance of Black Star Day when we reach the Garrison. He pulls open the door, his breath catching when his eyes fall upon Grace. "I'll leave you to it then. I've got business to handle."
I have no time to respond nor say goodbye as he's already taken off down the street. Trying not to think too much, I enter the Garrison fully and both Arthur and Grace look up at me.
"There's my Gypsy girl." Arthur smiles, clearly drunk as he pours me a glass of whiskey. "Have a drink."
"It's never too early is it, Arthur?" I grin, taking the glass from him and clinking it against his own before taking a small sip.
Grace looks hesitantly up at me and the oldest Shelby introduces us quickly.
"It's wonderful to finally meet you." The young woman says shyly.
I smile at her kindly. "You as well."
Grace turns back to the book in front of her, clearly a register of all the earnings and spendings from the business.
"Arthur, there are some things in the books that I don't understand." She says, turning her attention back to my brother-in-law.
"Likewise." Arthur slurs ever so slightly and I look between the two of them, unsure of where this is going.
Grace continues. "Every week we pay one pound and ten shillings by postal order to a 'Daniel Owen' in London."
"Danny Whizz-Bang, hangs round the pubs in Camden Town Wharf for us." Arthur explains. "He keeps his ears open for business. He's a good man."
The barmaid's next question is bold. "I thought Danny Whizz-Bang was dead."
I startle at this, opening my mouth to interject but Arthur speaks before I can get a word out. "Then you thought wrong, didn't you?"
"But I've seen his grave. He was shot." Grace presses on.
Arthur shakes his head. "That was a show to satisfy the Wops. Tommy just shot some sheep's brains at him."
"Who is buried in his grave?"
"Arthur!" I interrupt before he can answer her. I'm unsure of what exactly happened with Danny Owen but I know enough that Arthur shouldn't be discussing it with someone who isn't family. "Tommy sent me to fetch you. He said the two of you have business to attend." I lie easily.
He grumbles something incoherently under his breath before placing his cap back on his head, nodding to the two of us in farewell.
Once the door is shut firmly behind him, I address the girl sitting at the table nearest the bar. "Now look, Grace, if you know what's good for you, you won't ask questions about things that don't concern you."
"And I suppose it concerns you?" She remarks.
"I'm trying to make you understand the way things work around here." I tell her firmly. "I'd like to one day be friends because Tommy has feelings for you, but you shouldn't go poking around in family business."
"What gives you the right to make that call?" She asks timidly, knowing she's overstepped and I've grown suspicious of her intentions.
I place the empty glass of whiskey down on the bar, getting up to stand before her. "Because I'm a Shelby and you're not."
Grace nods and I leave the Garrison without saying another word.
The next few days pass in much the same fashion. John and I go to the house on Watery Lane each morning and spend the day working, his jobs vastly different than mine. When he's finished, we return home in the evening to spend time with our son together as a family.
JOHN
Ember has been home for just over a week when Tommy bursts through the door one morning while we're having sex.
"Fucking hell, Tommy!" I shout, shielding Ember's naked body with my own.
My brother scolds me for not having the doors locked. "Get dressed." He says. "We're doing it today."
"Actually." Ember smirks, sitting up to peak over my shoulder at Tommy. "He's doing me today."
The barking laugh that leaves my mouth is involuntary, a reflex to my wife's sass.
"Make sure he's done you by nine." Tommy rolls his eyes. "The two of you are off your rails."
"Maybe you should learn to knock." Ember huffs, annoyed by the interruption.
"It's not a day for knocking." He says over his shoulder as he leaves our room.
I stand from the bed checking the pocket watch hidden in the crumpled clothes on the floor from last night, it reads a quarter past eight.
"We still have time." I flash my wife a crooked grin, dropping the watch and leaping back onto the bed. I'm met with Ember's giggles as she kisses me again.
EMBER
When we get to the family home a bit before nine, Polly is in the kitchen waiting. "John go on in and wait with the others. I need to borrow Ember for a moment."
John kisses my cheek, taking little John with him into the betting den. She grabs my hand then, leading me up the stairs quickly.
Polly enters the room I once shared with Ada, and I'm surprised to see the girl sitting on her bed.
"Sit." Polly demands, pointing to the spot beside Ada. I do as I'm told, Polly staring the both of us down. "This ends now." She says. "We are mending the entire family today. You two are sisters and you'll let go of whatever petty frustrations either of you are holding on to. Do you understand?"
The two of us nod, feeling once again as though we're children who've been caught doing wrong.
"Do either of you remember my children?" Polly asks.
"Barely." I say.
"We were just children ourselves, then. And you never talk about them." Ada adds.
Polly sits across the room from us on my old bed. "Never had reason to." She says. "My heart breaks even when I think about them. They were three and five years old. Sally was three, Michael was five, well two weeks away from being six."
She takes a deep breath before continuing her story. "It was Sunday morning, I was at church when a woman came up to me screaming 'You're not forgiven. This pinch faced bitch kept repeating those words."
Polly dabs at her eyes with a handkerchief, reliving the memory visibly painful for her. "You see, some sheets I washed and hung on the line had the name of a hotel on them. They'd been stolen in a robbery, and they said some porter at the hotel had been coshed. And a woman from round here told the police about the sheets, she was jealous, you see, of my new sheets. And when the police came, they found a spirit still for making a few drops of gin.
And for that they took my children from me. And they never told me where they took them. And they did it because they could. And because I was weak.
I open my mouth to offer some form of useless apology to the woman who's been the only real mother I've ever known but she speaks before I can. "They will never take John or Karl away from you two. Do you know why? Because Tommy wouldn't let them. Because Tommy won't let them walk all over us. Now it is Tommy who has given strength and power to this family. Because he knows you have to be as bad as them above in order to survive."
Ada looks close to tears as Polly starts again. "I'm telling you this because we're a family and we're useless when we're at odds with one another. I want the two of you to patch things up."
I grab Ada's hand in mine letting her know all is forgiven. She leans against me then, her head resting on my shoulder.
Polly looks pointedly at Ada. "And I want you to forgive Thomas."
"How can I?" Ada scoffs. "When my Freddie's rotting in jail because of him."
"Ember, go join everyone in the betting den now. We'll be down in a bit. There's something Ada needs to know about today."
—
I enter the room quietly, Tommy is already talking to the family and the rest of the Blinders about becoming respectable.
I take my place beside my husband as Tommy mentions us. "Thanks to our John and our lovely little Ember Jean, the Lees are now our kin."
John glances down at me with a smirk and a nod, taking my hand in his as I smile back up at him.
"So, it'll be us and the Lees against Kimber's boys." Tommy continues. "We take them out, then leave the bookies. I expect a swift victory which will send a signal all the way to London, that we believe in letting legitimate businesses run peacefully."
"And, what about Kimber himself?" John asks, growing serious. I squeeze his hand, knowing the change in his attitude is his way of preparing for the fight.
"I'll deal with Kimber." Tommy answers. "Any other questions?" He asks the group.
"Yes." Polly speaks up from the back and I realize I hadn't even noticed her enter the room. "Does anyone object if I bring a newcomer to the meeting?" She asks as she pulls open the double doors. "I'd like to introduce the newest member of the Shelby clan."
Ada enters the room, holding baby Karl. We all smile at the two of them, including Tommy. "Welcome home, Ada." He says.
We spend the next several minutes just enjoying this time together as a family, truly appreciating the comfort of each other's company, and the stress from the upcoming fight with Kimber is momentarily forgotten.