#tommy shelby x freddie thorne

[tommyxgrace-always]

Tommy & Ada parallels

Political inclination

Tommy was known to be communist/socialist before the war, dreaming about changing the world. After Grace, he eventually decides to pursue politics.

Ada also shared communist ideologies and is active to an extent with Freddie. When Tommy became MP, she naturally became his political advisor. In the finale, Tommy reiterates the fact that she was born for politics in her family.

Fine things in life

Tommy liked to possess lavish and fine things. His suits for example, In s1, we see how he gets his suits done from the same place as Kimber. In s4, we hear how he gets his suits done by a tailor in London. Similarly he admired Tatiana’s luxurious car in s3 just like the look of awe he gave May’s mansion. Arrow house was decorated with the finest things - paintings, interiors, furniture and his bedroom with Grace too.

Ada’s house in s2 said it all. The interior, the furniture everything was expensive and grand. This aspect of her personality is reiterated in s5, by showing the luxurious redecoration and also her art pieces, vases etc (when finn was too scared to ruin it with his blood)

Love & Marraige

Both married the love of their life inspite of opposition from family. Ada married Freddie even though Tommy and her brothers were against a communist. Tommy married Grace even when Polly was against her.

Both their children were born out of wedlock. When Ada got pregnant there was ambiguity about Freddie’s intentions for her. Just when Ada lost hope and decides to be practical and abort, they have a dramatic reunion at the train station. Their love for each other is validated and they look forward to have their child. Similarly Grace got pregnant with Tommy’s child, there is ambiguity about her intentions and it seems they will go their separate ways again. Just when Tommy seems to have accepted that she will sail away and decides to be practical and be with May, they have a dramatic reunion at the Derby. Their love and longing for each other is re-validated and they look forward to have a life together.

Both lose the love of their life. Tommy takes it way worse because of his already existing war trauma. Ada is normal and emotionally stable so she carries on without getting sucked into addictions, depression and hallucinations whereas we all know how Tommy suffered after Grace.

Both end up being widowers and single parents

Companionship

They never looked for love again. Companions yes but not another love.

We see Ada interested in the Russian spy in s3 and later we see her with Ben Younger. There may be other men whom she saw which we don’t see onscreen. Tommy, we all know went from women to women. Prostitutes, aristocrats, communist, secretary, dead wife’s ghost, ex girlfriend’s ghost, you name it!!!

Ben Younger was Ada’s constant and the longest one we see with her. They seem to share a stable relationship like two “mutually consenting normal people” who respect each other, can share. Lizzie is a constant go-to for Tommy but they share an unequal dynamic where she has been hopelessly in love with him from beginning while he saw her as no strings attached buddy and had other priorities and is done with love after Grace. Thats why that relationship is chaotic and toxic but also convenient and practical for both.

Interestingly they also have a child out of wedlock with their companions. The difference is Tommy had to marry Lizzie as a man who took responsibility of his child. Whereas Ada mentions she wasn’t planning to marry Ben, it’s seen as a bold move.

Ada and Ben’s relationship confirms what Grace fan always knew unlike a certain section of the fandom . Just because a partner is decent and good and you like them does not automatically mean you fell in love. Ada explains in a s5 scene after she hears of Ben’s demise “I didn’t love him. But I liked him. He was decent and good….I wasn’t going to marry him. God he didn’t deserve us”. This is exactly how Tommy and Lizzie were designed too. Due to Tommy’s trauma and unequal feelings for Lizzie, their relationship is more toxic in nature than Ada and Ben’s. But at the core it was companionship. Two people having a convenient partnership that serves both. Tommy also found Lizzie to be decent and good compared to him. She took care of his children and was loyal to him and his family. She didn’t deserve him. He didn’t love her either but liked her. He felt sorry for her as she had to bear the ultimate pain of losing a child.

There is so much more I wanted to cover about their bond. But this post will be too long. So will do a separate post.

[agentidiot]

listen. tommy/freddie? they switch. tommy probably bottoms cuz freddie probably thinks it’s embarrassing or something. alfie/tommy? they switch because they just don’t care. tommy/luca??? full bottom tommy. he just wants it. nothing else is literally matter to him. they fuck nasty.

[weeo]

Masterlist

PEAKY BLINDERS - TOMMY / ALFIE

• Rum is for fun and fucking 🔞 - read on A03 / Tumblr

• And whiskey is for business 🔞 - read on A03 / Tumblr

• And the gin? 🔞 - read on A03 / Tumblr

•  What's Bred in the Bone Comes Out in the Flesh (Where the Waters Do Agree - Chapter 4) - read on A03 / Tumblr

• Trust me, I’ve got you - read on A03 / Tumblr

• Sleeping Beauty - read on A03 / Tumblr

• Pick 🔞 - read on A03 / Tumblr

• Knot 🔞 - read on Tumblr 

PEAKY BLINDERS - TOMMY / LIZZIE

• It’s still you anyway - read on A03 / Tumblr

• With spring comes new hopes - read on A03 / Tumblr (Lizzie & Ada)

PEAKY BLINDERS - TOMMY / FREDDIE

• The last time I saw the sun - read on A03 / Tumblr

• It’s been a long time - read on A03 / Tumblr

PEAKY BLINDERS - OTHERS

Tommy & Charlie

• The sun always rises - read on A03 / Tumblr

Tommy & Ada

• The Interpretation of Dreams - read on A03 / Tumblr 

Tommy & Polly + Tommy / Grace

• At least, the leaves were golden - read on A03 / Tumblr

CHALLENGE

• Peaky Season 6 Response Challenge - Final Masterlist

[motherofdogs1010]

Siren II (Dark!Thomas Shelby x Reader)

Summary: A new singer has come to Small Heath and has unfortunately enraptured the soul of a big-time, Birmingham gangster...

Warnings: 18+ only, eventual NONCON/DUBCON smut, forced marriage, dark!Tommy, obsessed!Tommy, singer!reader, eventual pinv sex, eventual pregnancy, dark shit will be happening

A/N: Song used: Say Yes to Heaven- Lana Del Ray

I just wanted to say I love the support you all have towards my writing, it means the world, but I wanted to say that I do take mental health breaks! So anytime I take from posting is because I am focusing on that!

Dividers by @firefly-graphics Banner by @vase-of-lilies

Part I

Her eyes widened a little at the sudden appearance of a man in a suit standing in the doorway. He was only a little taller than her, maybe by a inch or so with a dark-colored pageboy's cap on his head as a cigarette hung from his lips; she could see the sides of his head were shaved very tight against his scalp but his cap hid his eyes so she couldn't see them.

But she could feel his eyes still and it made her feel on-guard as she cleared her throat.

"Hello", she responded back, "can I help you?"

"Forgive me", the man said, pulling the cigarette from his lips. "I'm Thomas Shelby, owner."

"I thought Harry was the owner", she said, confused.

"I bought him out recently", Thomas stated, Y/N still eyed him cautiously.

The man screamed danger and she felt a little uneasy under his blue gaze as he smirked at her apprehension.

"I just wanted to let you know that you gave quite the performance. You have quite the voice."

"Thank you, Mr. Shelby", she responded before clearing her throat. "It's time for me to go."

She could still feel his gaze on her as she hurried out of the Garrison, even in the current safety of her home, it was like she could still feel his deviled gaze on her body.

🍾

A few days had passed since the meeting with Mr. Shelby and it seemed like wherever she turned, she'd find a man with a peaked hat following her. Always a different man trailing enough behind her that she was sure they were supposed to remain hidden, but her eyes always caught them.

She figured it was best to pretend they weren't there, a sinking feeling telling her that if she acknowledged them, things wouldn't turn out well for her. So she took many turns and circled the same route. It made no sense to throw them off so they wouldn't find her way back to her apartment.

Today, she was at another pub that she sang at, known as The Drunken Griffin. It was larger than the Garrison with a proper stage where they had a band play for its singers and she was hoping this would help as she stood at the microphone. She had to make sure she didn't get too close since the microphones were so sensitive as she heard the melody the band began to play.

If you dance, I'll dance And if you don't, I'll dance anyway Give peace a chance Let the fear you have fall away

Tommy sat in the hidden back of the pub, a cigarette dangling between his fingers as a cold whiskey sat in front of him. She was dressed in black again, her hair framing her as she sang to the watching crowd.

I've got my eye on you I've got my eye on you

His mind felt quiet as the troubling thoughts of Kimber, that new Inspector Campbell and the stresses of Ada running off with Freddie Thorne began to melt away.

Say yes to Heaven Say yes to me Say yes to Heaven Say yes to me

Tommy had been having her followed for the past week, but the little minx seemed to have caught on to that.

If you dance, I'll dance I'll put my red dress on, get it on And if you fight, I'll fight It doesn't matter now, it's all gone

It was only a matter of time now...

I've got my eye on you I've got my eye on you, mm I've got my eye on you I've got my eye on you

He definitely had his eye on her...

[runnning-outof-time]

The Same Situation | Tommy Shelby x Reader

Request: yes by @mrsalwayswrite

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x reader

Summary: Tommy's so worried about Freddie Thorne being with his sister, Ada, that he doesn't even realize that he himself is in just about the same situation with Freddie's sister, (Y/N). What happens when Freddie finds out that the same thing is happening on the flip side of it all?

Warnings: language, death threats, weapons

Word Count: 3504

A/N: I strayed a bit from canon on this one to make it make sense, so I hope that that’s fine. I didn’t expect for it to turn out this good, but I have to say that I’m pretty pleased with it. The italicized dialogue comes right from the show. Enjoy:)

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future stories similar to this one!

(Y/N) was working on tidying up the displays at her family's bakery when the shop's main door opened. She didn't even need to look up to know who it was; she recognized the sound of his shoes on the hardwood. "Tommy! Where've you been these past few days?" She asked as she looked up. But Tommy Shelby didn't respond. Instead he kept walking.

(Y/N) scoffed as she set down the cake she had so that she could follow the man into the back area of the bakery. "What's going on, Tommy?" she asked him another question, hoping to gain an answer from him this time. But he still said nothing. Instead he dropped his peaked cap onto the counter, the razor blades sewn into it clanging off of the metallic surface, and fished his pack of cigarettes out of the pocket of the jacket he had on. "You know you can't smoke in here," (Y/N) pointed out, her hands falling onto her hips.

That was the sentence that finally made Tommy look at her. He'd frozen with the cigarette between his lips and an ablaze match just about ready to light it. (Y/N) raised her eyebrows at him, as if she was daring him to go ahead and disregard her statement. They held each other's gaze for a few moments before Tommy hissed from the fire licking his fingertips. He quickly shook out the match and tossed it into the sink before he took the cigarette from between his lips and put it back into its packet with a sigh.

"Care to tell me what's gotten into you?" (Y/N) asked him then, her one eyebrow still quirked.

"It's just one problem after a-fucking-nother," he mumbled, his lips pursing together in a brooding scowl.

"Well that answer told me everything," she pointed out, a slight bit of sarcasm laced into her words.

"Ada's pregnant," he forced out then, running a stressed hand over his face after he spoke.

"She is?" she responded, her eyes wide as shock filled her features, "who...who is...?"

"It's Freddie," Tommy hated the fact that those two words tasted like poison as he said them, "it's fucking Freddie," he added then for dramatic measure, the infuriation now fully present in his voice.

"My brother?" (Y/N) was still only asking questions, her shock still too prevalent for her to get past thinking only the basics. "M...my brother got your sister pregnant?" The words sounded so foreign to say.

"Yes, yes he fucking did," he was still fuming. "And now I'm going to fucking kill him," he added before he grabbed his cap and began walking towards (Y/N), who was standing in the archway that led to the exit.

"Woah, woah...you're going to do what?" (Y/N)'s voice was assertive, but it wasn't enough to get Tommy to stop. What was though, was her placing her hand on his chest and putting pressure against him as he walked up to her. "You're not going anywhere in this state of mind, Thomas Shelby," she told him, her eyes locked onto his, her gaze steely and serious, "and you'd be foolish to think that I'd let you go and kill my brother just because you're unhappy with what he's done. Freddie's not the best of men, but he's..."

"Tell me what he is, (Y/N), because right now I can only see a man who needs to be dealt with," Tommy cut into her statement, tension still evident in his words. He was just a few moments shy from foaming at the mouth here. He needed to get to Freddie and he needed to deal with this now.

(Y/N)'s eyebrows raised as she heard what he had to say, and, once again, surprise was now etched across her face, "It's rich of you to say that about him when you're in the same situation as he is," she said to him.

Now it was Tommy's turn to be confused. "What?" he asked her, his anger fizzling out slightly as he furrowed his brows.

"Are you forgetting about you and I?" she queried, her mouth slightly agape as she waited for his answer. He didn't give one, so she continued, "are you forgetting that we've been seeing each other since you came back from France? Are you forgetting that Freddie knows not one thing about us? You'd be a hypocrite if you were to go and strike him down for being in a situation that is almost exactly identical to the one you're currently in."

(Y/N) held his gaze as she finished her monologue, watching him intently for what he'd give as an answer. He blinked a few times as he thought her words over. His mouth opened and shut then before he let out a sigh and dropped his gaze from hers, clearly defeated now. "It's not that simple when you see it that way, is it?" she remarked, her hand finally dropping from his chest because he'd stopped putting pressure against it.

"I'm still fucking angry at him," he muttered in a disgruntled tone.

"Sure you are...and you have a right to be. That's your sister; you're meant to protect her. But I think I have a little bit of insight into what Ada was thinking, and let me tell you...the move wasn't made only on Freddie's part," she continued to try to reason with him, the slightest smirk forming on her face as she finished her statement. Tommy looked up as she said her final words, and upon seeing the smirk, he shot her the 'don't you even start' look. She held her hands up in surrender as the smile overtook her features. "What are you going to do now?" she asked him after a few moments had passed.

"I'm going to go and find a way to deal with this situation," he responded as he placed his peaked cap atop his head before tugging it down into its proper spot.

"And I trust that that solution will ensure that everyone stays alive?" she checked with him, her eyebrows raising as she spoke.

Tommy pursed his lips at her statement, thinking it over for a moment before he cut the tension by nodding and exhaling a sigh. "It'll take longer for me to figure out, but I'll see it through so that is the case," he told her, his eyes locked onto hers.

"You've given me your word, so now you must stick to it," she reminded him.

"When have I ever broken my word to you?" he questioned her, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Let's not start with that, Tommy Shelby," she said to him, her smile present as he exhaled a breath of a laugh at her statement.

"I'll see you later," he deflected the previous topic as he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

"I mean it," she stressed as they pulled away, trying to hold a serious look, but her smile was obviously breaking through.

"You have my word," he promised her again, kissing her lips one more time before she finally stepped aside and let him exit the backroom.

She turned to watch him walk out of the bakery, holding in her sigh until the door shut behind him. Men, she thought to herself as she shook her head, it's completely fine when they're in the midst of it, but if someone steps over the line they've already crossed, then there'll be hell to pay.

——

(Y/N)'s night had been pretty good so far. Nothing drastic came out of Tommy's blow up - besides the fact that Freddie declined his train ticket out of Birmingham and instead proposed to Ada. Of course, that struck a chord within Tommy, (Y/N) got an earful about it after he found out, but everyone was still alive. What she didn't know was that the caliber of her night was going to go down drastically the second she entered the small, dingy apartment that she shared with her brother.

Freddie was standing by the desk that was pushed up against the far wall of the apartment's main room. (Y/N) thought nothing of it, until he turned to face her with what looked to be a stack of papers in his hand. "Would you care to explain what these are to me?" he asked her as he shook the papers slightly for effect.

"What are they?" (Y/N) asked for some details. All she could see was that he was holding a stack of white paper.

"They're letters," he gave her more context.

"Ok...?" she asked for even more details. Everyone writes letters...why was he getting so worked up over these?

"They're letters from Tommy Shelby; from the war," he finally brought the hammer down, his words coming out in a cross manner.

(Y/N) sighed as she heard what her brother had to say. "I'm not allowed to write to someone who we've known since grade school?" she asked him, her eyebrows raising.

"Not in this manner you aren't," he rebuked, his voice raising slightly as his frustration became more pronounced.

"Well what was I to do? No one else was writing to me, Freddie. I tried you multiple times and got nothing! Tommy responded to me. He was my lifeline while you were all away," she raised her voice with his, showing him that she wasn't going to bow out of the argument.

"There's writing to him, and then there's forming a well-pronounced relationship with him, (Y/N). I'm never going to unread some of the things that were written here!" Freddie countered, waving the letters in front of her again.

"You shouldn't have been reading them in the first place!" (Y/N) exclaimed, her eyes wide as she managed to snatch them out of his hands. She did a quick check of them, breathing the slightest sigh of relief when she found that they were all accounted for. These letters meant a great deal to her. They were the only things that made her smile during the dark years of war, and now they served as a reminder of the beginning of the relationship that she now shared with Tommy. "Why were you going through my drawer anyway, Freddie?" she asked him then, a glare present on her face.

"Ada heard talk..." he started.

(Y/N) quickly cut him off. "Oh...Ada," she over-exaggerated the words, rolling her eyes as she heard her brother huff.

"She heard talk that Tommy'd only did what he did for us because of the situation he was in. It got me thinking, and it led me to these letters," he continued with his explanation, motioning to the letters she was holding then.

"That still doesn't give me good reason to understand why you decided to go searching through my drawer of the desk," (Y/N) pointed out. Sure, Tommy being in a 'situation' could have possibly got him thinking; she wasn't going to discredit her brother's brain, but how he pieced it together and figured out she had these letters stashed away just wasn't computing for her.

"That doesn't fucking matter, (Y/N). You've been going around behind my back with him even after you've known that we're at odds with each other. That's uncalled for and it's something I won't fucking have anymore!" he disregarded her statement, instead letting his frustration get the best of him and shine through in his words.

(Y/N) looked at him for a few moments, digesting what he'd just said to her. She tried to decide which way she should go about this situation; bring in reason? Or let him have it? She was so close to choosing the latter. "It's a bit rich of you to be saying this considering you're doing the exact same thing with Ada...well you were trying to, until Tommy found out you got her pregnant," she finally gave her response. If it were any other time, she'd laugh at the fact that she was saying the exact same statement to the other side of the equation just weeks apart. But she kept a straight face now.

There was the slightest change in Freddie's composure after he heard these words. But yet he pushed on. "That doesn't change the fact that he's crossed the fucking line. I ought to put a bullet in his head for even thinking of you in that way!" he let his anger prevail, his voice raised yet again.

"And what good will that do? I told him this when he was thinking the same thing, and I'll have no remorse in telling you the same: dealing with him in this manner will make you an outright hypocrite because you are doing the exact same thing with his sister. In a way, you'd be unjustifying your situation by dealing with mine in such a way."

Silence fell between the two siblings after (Y/N) finished her piece. Both were staring at each other, and tension was building around them to the point that it could be cut with a knife. Freddie made the first move, breaking his gaze as he began walking to the door. (Y/N)'s voice stopped him before he could open it. "You're not going to find him because he's gone for the weekend...figuring out some deal with some fucking Inspector because you don't want to take your stubborn ass out of the picture," she told him, knowing exactly what he was about to go and do.

Her words made Freddie freeze. He didn't say anything, but instead stared at her for a moment longer before finally opening the door and exiting the apartment. (Y/N) couldn't help but exhale a sigh once she was alone. Men, she thought as she shook her head. Now she'd have to figure out a way to make sure that both her brother and her lover would make it out of this situation alive. Thankfully Tommy was out of the city for the weekend, and that Freddie knew about the potential of him getting caught if he went anywhere close to that Inspector at the moment.

——

"How did I know that the two of you would come here the very first chance you had?" (Y/N) questioned the two men that were currently pointing their revolvers at each other. She confidently walked up to them, seeing only their eyes shift over in the direction she was coming from. Their stances stayed unwavering; it was going to take more than a simple statement.

Tommy spoke first. "What're you doing here, (Y/N)?" he asked her, his eyes still fixed on his target that was lying below him.

"I'm making sure that neither of you do something stupid," she answered him as she stopped a few paces away from where their stand-off was occurring.

"I won't let him fuck up my sister's life for his cause," Tommy said then, his finger toying with the trigger as he spoke. (Y/N) didn't know what to say. The both of them had their weapons fixed on each other, and the tension was almost palpable around them.

Thankfully (Y/N) didn't need to do any negotiating. After a few moments, Freddie dropped his gun to the ground. "My God..." he started, a sigh escaping with his words, "you actually believe that," his next sentence was spoken as a statement, as it was made pretty obvious by Tommy where his thoughts were at the moment, "I love her, Tommy. I loved her since she was nine and I was twelve. And she loves me the same," he said then, the slightest smile creeping onto his lips as he spoke.

Tommy still kept his revolver fixed on its target, his gaze unwavering as he heard what his ex-best friend had to say. (Y/N) watched with her breath held as Freddie then stood from the ground. Tommy didn't lower his arm until Freddie took two steps so that they'd be standing face to face with each other.

"Do you even know the word?" Freddie queried, his eyes locked onto Tommy's, "because I can say the same thing about you with (Y/N); using her for your fucking gain, like she's just some dispensable object," he added then, his words spoken with a harshness.

"Freddie..." (Y/N) cut into their stand off with a warning tone.

"No, (Y/N). He needs to fucking hear this," Freddie brushed his sister off, "he needs to fucking know that this can't be a two way street; that he can't damn me for what he thinks I'm doing and then go and do the exact same," he spoke these next lines to Tommy, as if he was trying to get him to see sense in it all.

"Then you must know that we are in love too," (Y/N) spoke up after a few more tense moments had passed. This made Freddie break his gaze from Tommy to look over at (Y/N). She could tell just by his eyes that he was shocked by the news. "You heard me right," (Y/N) doubled down, moving closer to the two of them before she continued, "we are in love; have been since 1917, when we were writing letters to each other. He professed it to me the moment he found me at the apartment and I said it back all the same. You weren't there when it happened, Freddie, because you'd gone to meet Ada under that bridge you always find yourselves under," (Y/N) spelled it out for her brother, watching as his jaw went slightly slack. (Y/N) fought the smirk that was trying to form on her face. She loved having the upper hand. "That's right, I know about that. Us women, we talk, and Ada told me everything. I'm happy for the two of you, I see your relationship for what it is. I only hope that you both can stop patronizing each other and let it lie," she ended her statement by looking between the both of them.

The two men looked at each other again, the tension arising between them again. Freddie was the one to break the silence. "I don't know where you stand, but I will accept you and (Y/N) being together," he said, being the bigger person and the one to bury the hatchet first. (Y/N) wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but she knew she couldn't yet. Not with the way that Tommy was still staring her brother down. She silently hoped that he'd choose peace as well.

"I will accept you and Ada being together, but if you do anything to hurt her, it will be the end of you," Tommy finally conceded, but not before throwing one last threat into the mix.

Nothing else was said then as the two men continued to stare at each other. (Y/N) knew what this was. Neither wanted to make the first move. So she stepped into their staring contest. "Freddie, why don't you go find Ada. She was telling me earlier about some pain that she was having. She may need you," (Y/N) tried to reason with her brother, pushing on his chest slightly so that he would get the cue that she wanted him to back away from the situation. This did the trick in getting Freddie's gaze off of Tommy, and (Y/N) watched it soften as his eyes found hers. He said nothing, and only nodded before he stepped away and began to leave the old warehouse building.

(Y/N) turned to Tommy once the other man was out of sight. "I'm sure you would have killed one another had I not shown up," she broke their silence, her hand fiddling with the lapel of his jacket as she focused her eyes on his chest.

"He's not worth it," Tommy responded, shaking his head slightly.

"Sure seemed like he was when I got here," (Y/N) replied, her eyes rising to meet his. She was able to see the starting of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"He's not worth it, but you are," he flipped his words around, the second half of his statement succeeding in making (Y/N)'s cheeks heat up.

"You're a sap, Tommy Shelby," she teased him, smacking his chest gently, her words making his smirk appear full on his lips. She smiled back at him as she took hold of his lapels and pulled him closer to her so that she could press her lips to his. "You're a sap, and I love you," she whispered against his lips, feeling him smile against hers at her words. Tommy said nothing in response, but instead pulled her in for another kiss; a kiss that perfectly conveyed how he felt towards her.

Tagged: @mgcldydrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @elenavampire21 @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @notyour-valentine @shelbydelrey @december16-1991 @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @anotherblinder @midnightmagpiemama @cillmequick @rangerelik @lovemissyhoneybee @dandelionprints @letal-y-poetica @raincoffeeandfandoms @itscheybaby @gypsy-girl-08 @lora21 @insanitybyanothername @depxiety @dragons-are-my-favorite @sunsetbeachesandwriting @forgottenpeakywriter @cilliansangel

MASTERLIST

[dinums]

Secrets and Broken Hearts

-----------------------------

Chapter 3

Thomas Shelby x (Writer) Reader

Ms. Bennett is a peculiar woman whose motives are always unclear, though, of course, she alone has grace this knowledge upon herself and none of anyone she knows. What happens when an inspector and his spy come to town? Shall she make due and quench her curiosity or finally learn to back down? Who knows, maybe at the end, she'll compromise. A conflicted woman will always be a surprise. You can trust that. It's Ms. Bennett afterall

Ms. Bennet's P.O.V.

...

"This is pointless as it is stupid." I mumbled to myself. Tossing and turning on my shared bed with William. If a national treasure really did get stolen, what treasure would it be?

Minerals? Gold? Jewellery? Some ornaments from the royal family? Placing my arm to cover my face, I groaned in frustration. Surely, these factors I laid out won't be considered. After all, all these can easily be replaced or would have no effect to be a threat to this very constitution. Treasure.

"What's a treasure besides Gold that once in the hands of others you would crumble..." I thought deeply, a world run by men surely limited me to a few other factors.

"My guess is, it's either illegal documents, ledger, guns, some proof blackmailing Churchill himself." Talking to myself aloud, I rolled on my stomach. My face buried in the pillows as I screamed internally.

"Thomas Shelby and Freddie Thorne, one of them might know a thing or two." As if hit with adrenaline, something clicked in my brain, I sat up and thought more clearly.

"Freddie either did or did not know what the national treasure is, nor who stole it. If he knew, he wouldn't have said those words to Thomas... but if he did, was it to catch Thomas with a bluff? What does bluffing get him? Anyway, he knew even if Thomas knew something, he wouldn't tell Freddie... meaning that rules out the second probability"

My thoughts turned to Thomas earlier, I decided that he would be the one I would use as lead.

"How in the world am I to get close to a mobster?" Without realising it, I started to bite my lip while my nails made their way to claw on my thigh. Once I tasted blood, I stopped and lied back down.

The Shelby's were people I was acquainted with, much like half the people in Small Heath. Jon Shelby and I were classmates. He and his brothers would cause mischief here and there before. I then remembered the time they would encourage cigarettes and alcohol to the students in school. That made me laugh, I remember Jon giving me a handful, which caused Arthur to smack him in the head, saying , "Oi! Yer only supposed to give em one of each! Then, after the second time, you rip their money off! It's what Tommy said!" Turns out it was a money laundering little scheme which got me a bit close to the two Shelby brothers. After that, they treated me nicely, Thomas, on the other hand... well, he was just there. Nothing more, nothing less. At least I can speak a bit freely than others would.

"Maybe I can use this closeness with Jon and Arthur to get close to Thomas..."

Looking up at the ceiling, I blinked a few times. If only I knew no bounds, then maybe, maybe I wouldn't want to stick my nose up in other peoples business.

"Morris Dawn"

My penname, a reminder of my other life. I had to write about something soon. If I were to investigate and yet not publish this, what good does it make? I'm risking my life and earning nothing. Must I be damned to be a curious writer by heart? I cursed myself under my breath.

Looking over my side, I see that night has already come. William isn't home yet.

"Make up your mind. You're wasting time." I groaned, talking to myself once more. Standing up, I walked towards the vanity, formulating every plan for every possible outcome already.

By the time William came home, I lay in bed, asleep. Brain fried. Odds and probabilities everywhere.

"Oh, love..." William chuckled, undressing himself down to only his trousers before making his way to bed and underneath the covers.

When I woke up, I was alone in bed. A note to my right that read:

"I had to go to the shop early today, made breakfast for you. Just the way you like it"

-William

I smiled at the note before making my way to freshen up and get ready for the day. Later that morning, I went and ran errands. Going to my usual go-to bakery, i smiled at the familiar woman handling the register.

"Oh, Ms. Bennett! What a lovely surprise"

"Hello, Mrs. Fer. How are you?"

I asked, as then she answered me. We go about our conversation as I picked out some bread and pastries from the older woman.

"Oh? By the way, Ms. Bennett"

"Mhm? What is it? Anything wrong? Maybe I can help, " I said kindly, the bag of food around my arm.

"I heard there's an inspector in town. He came last night... Best be careful, Ms. Bennett. My husband told me to stay quiet about this, but I just worry for you. Thought I ought to let you know that you're like the daughter we never had after all..."

My heart swelled with love for the older woman, reaching out to squeeze her hand to comfort her, I decided to ask more for purposes, of course.

"But Mrs. Fer, what about the inspector? Surely he wouldn't harm innocent people here, right?" The older woman only shook her head and sighed.

"My dear, you're far too nice for this town. Why not move away to somewhere safer with your lover? Get married, have a peaceful life -"

"And leave you behind? I'd rather not Mrs. Fer, I've come to love the people in this town enough to stay." I interrupted her, which made her frown deepen. I only shook my head and gave a soft smile. It was the truth, after all.

"The inspector called for a meeting, all the policemen and some new lackeys. Told my husband and the others that he would be cleaning this town up. Dear, a man like that -" She stopped herself and cupped both of my cheeks before continuing, "a man like that will stop at nothing, so it's best to keep safe, aye?"

I nodded as she released her hands from my face. Bidding goodbye, I walked out of the bakery with my freshly baked goods and onto my next errand. Mrs. Fer, an old lady married to a policeman sure does have its perks, added points that she's quite fond of me as I with her.

Though I did feel guilty using these people, masking and hiding beyond a facade of a sweet young lady. I stopped in my tracks before shaking my head, trying to get physically rid of these thoughts.

"Remember, if what you're doing is for their good... a little harm here and there wouldn't hurt, besides... it isn't like they know any of it"

The day went by smoothly, and I finally had something to work with. From the bakery I found out of the inspector, from the butcher I heard some men talking about what they knew of the said inspector whilst the women talked about someone trying to find the identity of the mysterious Author, Morris Dawn which in turn made me gulped, I had to be careful. lastly, from William's shop, I found out how there had been people, mostly wives gone missing. Feeling lucky, I put the things I bought inside the flat, there had been new things to investigate, so many things to know, getting a few breads I bought before putting them inside a basket. I decided to go to the Garisson, to at least visit Harry, I forgot that I hadn't had the chance to pay for my drink last time, hence the bread.

Walking down the familiar path down Watery Lane, I think of the words to say when suddenly, someone harshly bumped into me. My focus on the bread as I tried to save them, but alas, only one was left safe.

"There goes my luck then... shouldn't have spoken too soon..."

"You're luck, eh?" A familiar gruff voice said, whipping my head from the bread on the ground towards the person. My eyes locked into those blue crystallike eyes of him.

"Yes, my luck. Mr. Shelby. This was for Harry, I ought to give him an apology for not being able to pay for my drink-" realising I was giving out too much of my thoughts to a man who wo t even care, I shut my mouth, blinking a few times, what am I doing.

After an awkward silence, I stepped out of his way, noticing the alchohol bottle he was holding, knowing better than to ask him to pay for the soiled bread. Going inside the pub without another word, I walked to the bar. To my surprise, a young, beautiful, blonde woman came into view, working at the bar, pouring drinks instead of Harry.

"Oh- hello, you are -?" I asked kindly, though it was overshadowed by my surprise and confusion.

"Grace, Grace Burgees. I'm the new Barmaid," She explained, an Irish accent to her. I nodded and smiled.

"Do you know where Harry is? I ought to give him some bread..."

Just in time, Harry came I to view, to my relief. I explained to him why i only had one loaf of bread rather than more. Nonetheless, he accepted it with gratitude. When I gave him money for the drink, though, that was the time he refused. I shook my head and accepted defeat, still talking to Harry as Grace was on the side.

"I'm really sorry to give you a half-hearted apology, Harry. If only I'd look in the way Mr. Shelby -" I was cut off by Harry reassuring me once more that it was fine. After a bit, Grace looked at me, I gave her my name, which she responded with a smile. We talked for a bit, she told me which town she lived in back in Ireland, how life was like there while I told her how I lived my life here in Birmingham, saying words enough to satisfy her curiosity but not enough to give anything away.

"I better get going then. Next time I visit, I'll bring you some bread too!" I said, smiling at her before leaving the bar. She smiled and waved me goodbye.

A woman from the same town as the inspector, someone who came to Small Heath the same time the inspector did. It didn't take much to put two and two together, though that just means they'd do the job for me, correct?

"Maybe I don't have to investigate anything after all..."

Putting this 'treasure' to the side, I went to go look for any leads, common things between these missing wives. If I moved too slowly, either this incompetent policemen would forget about this or have more people killed than needed.

Putting myself with the burden of such heroic secrecy, I walked down Watery Lane. Knocking on the door of one of the husbands of a missing wife.

"Ms. Bennett?" The man asked, surprise he knew who I was.

"Oh- you know who I am?" The man only gave what little smile he could before explaining himself.

"There aren't many people helping around for the good besides that, Pastor." He said, shaking his head.

After a bit of small talk he led me inside, I told him that I wanted to help babysit for their son whilst the coppers try and find his wife since it was well known how he wasn't doing well takinh care of the little critter, that was a mere alibi of course. Though it felt nice to help, my motives were clear to me as the night sky. I am no saint, a mere sham. A lie and a lie I will always become. If a false Saint will be able to keep everyone I could help safe, I'd gladly be one.

[usmsgutterson]

The Axiom of Equality- T.S x gn! reader

all right! I don't know if there's much of an audience for tommy shelby fics here but I'm going to write this anyway because I've been daydreaming about it virtually daily since the idea first came up and if I don't get this out of my head I might just cry a little bit

Fic type- this is post-war hurt/comfort!!

Warnings- the war and being drafted into it are mentioned a fair amount

Dear Tommy,

This letter won't be the best thing to return to after the war, but it's what I need to do and I need in turn for you understand that. I know that you probably won't but I am asking you to and I have to believe that such is enough.

I probably won't be in Birmingham upon your return. You've been gone for six months now, and I miss you everyday, Tommy, but I just can't stay here.

Every time I walk through Birmingham, it feels as though you are all I am capable of seeing. It is inescapable and I am in dire need of an escape plan.

I love you, Tommy, and I have stood by your side throughout the course of our entire lives, but I just cannot do this anymore. Find me when you're home--Ada will know an address, but so too will Polly, and I guarantee I will want your company at some point. Even now, I yearn for your presence.

All the love in the world and the deepest apologies to accompany that,

Y/N

-

Tommy had read and reread the letter since Ada had given it to him when he returned from the war. He'd not yet asked her for the address, even a year after his return because all he could do was mull it over.

He kept thinking about you and about the fact that you'd left, how much he'd missed you and the reluctancy with which he approached the acknowledgement of that.

There was to be no denying it, though. He couldn't deny he'd missed you simply because he had. At the mention of your name, the remembrance of any singular part of you, Thomas Shelbys heart shattered, and he was left scrambling to put it back together and remain composed for the sake of keeping his family from shattering as he had.

Eventually, sometime in autumn of 1920, he found himself searching for Ada. He'd heard from Arthur that she was at the Garrison with Freddie Thorne and when he found her, she met his gaze and she grinned like she knew why he'd come looking, let alone at eight on a random weeknight.

"Let me guess," she said. "You want an address? Particularly to a neat little flat just a thirty minute walk away from the Eiffel Tower?"

Tommy gave a rather impatient nod in spite of himself--so much time had passed since he'd left for the war and you'd left Birmingham to escape him. All he'd been able to think about since he returned had been you, and he doubted you'd found yourself in a similar predicament, but he still hoped.

"I am indeed," Tommy said. Ada laughed.

"You two were together how long, exactly? Five years, six?"

"Eight," Tommy said. "From October 31st, 1906 to the day I left for the war."

"And you love them wholeheartedly?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Tommy said, running a hand through his hair. "Give me the address, Ada. Please--I've started to worry I'll go mad if you don't."

Ada grinned. "Yeah. Freddies got it on a slip of paper in his wallet."

Freddie took the slip of paper out of his wallet and passed it to Tommy, giving him a grin.

"They might be gone," Ada cautioned. "Maybe they remembered 'oh, yes! I fell in love with a criminal and left him in 1914. Don't want that life, so I'll leave him behind, move somewhere nice like...Canada, perhaps.'"

"I know," Tommy said. Ada could've been right, and you could've been gone, and Tommy could never have hoped to see you again, but the twenty-four year old who had helplessly loved you and couldn't wait to see you upon his return from the war had taken hold of his heart, and it was reaching out to yours, and there was nothing to be done other than to go. "But you've gotta understand, Ada. You, of all people."

"I do," she said. "Now, I'm sure you can buy a train ticket and make it to Paris in time to see them. Go."

And, in spite of himself and with the address from Freddie tucked into his palm, Tommy Shelby ran out of the Garrison like the eighteen year old boy who had spotted you approaching from the window and had felt his heart set itself alight with the joy he oh-so-rarely experienced.

Thomas Shelby was thirty, though. He was not the eighteen year old he had once been and you were not the eighteen year old who you had once been. Things had changed, and no matter for the giddy feeling in his heart that made Tommy feel like the boy he had once been, he was not that boy anymore. If you wanted to be left to your own, Tommy would respect that of you. If you had moved on, Tommy would respect that. He was not the person he had been before the war, and you weren't, either.

But still, Tommy went home. He packed as efficiently as possible, kissed Pollys cheek in goodbye and told Arthur to keep himself in check as he headed for the train station, his feet, his heart, and his mind dragging him on an impulsive trip to France.

-

The trip from Birmingham to Paris was a lot less difficult than Tommy had expected. Seven and a half hours on the train where Tommy read and made sure that his French sounded even slightly passable, and Tommy was at the train station in the heart of Paris for half past three in the morning.

The next hour was spent trying to locate a decent hotel to stay in for the week or so he'd planned to stay, and when he found one it was nearing five in the morning. He collapsed onto what turned out to be a bed that was almost decent but still a little off, and woke up at noon.

He showered to avoid smelling like cigarettes even though the smell of tobacco had never really bothered you and he knew he'd end up smoking one anyway, and then he was off to the address he'd been given at just after two.

What he found was not a flat. It was nothing of the sort--it was a quaint home by lakeside and one that was definitely a bit longer than a 30 minute walk away from the ever so infamous Eiffel Tower.

It was exactly the kind of home you'd described wanting to live in before Tommy left, exactly the kind of thing that you would've felt the most at home in from the outside. The acknowledgement of such made Tommys heart swell.

He was a very, very different person in 1920 than he had been before leaving for the war in 1914. He couldn't help but wonder just how much of a difference it would've made to you, the person who had once vowed to love him for the rest of your life, for the rest of his.

It gave him pause, made him hesitate as he walked up the front steps to your home and stopped him before he could knock on your front door.

What if you had remained unchanged and Tommy had done a full 180? What if you hated the person he'd become? There were too many variables, and, had he thought over it for more than approximately eleven seconds, Tommy would've done it all so differently.

He never lead with his impulse.

He never made rash decisions, not when it came to you.

But he supposed he could allow himself one rash decision a decade, and deciding to go to France on nothing more than a written address and a whim was definitely rash and impulsive enough to last him through to the 30s.

He approached your door. Knocked once, twice, a third and final time for the sake of politeness.

"Esmeralda? Is that you?" Your voice called. "I wasn't expecting you with the tea leaves until Sunday! Come in!"

Tommy didn't respond, only rested a hand on the doorknob, a rare surge of fear grabbing hold of his chest. It had been two years since he'd gone back to Birmingham. Six years since you'd last seen each other, with not a moment of contact through letter writing to bridge that gap. How much would you want to see him, really, if you wanted to see him at all?

"I'm going back to Birmingham this week! Esmeralda, darling, if thats you, please bring the tea in! Polly wrote that she wanted some and I figure I'll see her before I find Tommy. She'll be furious with me if I don't have them after I've promised to bring them along."

Tommy opened the door just a bit. It was unlocked--had you been expecting visitors?

"Esmeralda?" You asked for a third time. "Esmeralda Monroe, I don't care that you're in your eighties now, if you're playing a trick on me--" Tommy stepped into the house, tried to find even the slightest hint you were there outside of your voice.

The house was nice. It opened from a foyer into a lounge, one with a seemingly comfortable couch and a working fireplace. Through a small doorway, he caught your frame in what must've been the kitchen.

"My name isn't Esmeralda Monroe, but I would pity her if she were here," Tommy said. "What's this mess about you comin' down to Birmingham?"

"Come into the kitchen," you said. "I am unwilling to abandon my bread to see your face. Perfecting this recipe has taken Esmeralda and I weeks. She's eighty-six, so that time is precious time indeed."

Tommy gave a low laugh as he took off his coat and his hat, hanging them both on the coat rack to the right of the door. He walked through the lounge and into the kitchen, grinning the moment he saw your face.

"Hello," Tommy said. "Been a bit, hasn't it?"

You glanced up from the dough that had held your focus. "Quite a long time. I'm sorry I didn't go to Birmingham sooner--I wanted to the moment Ada wrote and said you were still alive, but I didn't. I couldn't get the time away from work, though I nearly did quit on the spot when I was refused."

"You would've come back sooner?" Tommy asked. "I came down here to tell you I'm sorry that you had to leave at all."

"It wasn't your fault," you said. "I was yearning terribly and I made a cataclysmic mistake. I would do it over if I could. I would've gone round to the Shelby home and asked Pol to talk a bit of sense into me."

Tommy laughed. "I'm apt to think she would've told you to go," he said. "Always did say I didn't deserve you or your love for french pastry."

You laughed, flouring the clean countertop in front of you and laying your dough on it so that it could be kneaded. "She might've, but I dunno that I would've listened. If I'd stayed, we could've resumed things. There wouldn't be a six year gap between our departure and our reunion."

"We wouldn't've become different people," Tommy said.

"The war would've changed you, Tommy. Seems like it did as is," you said. "But I don't fault you for that. Fighting in the war changes people--I've gotten to know a couple of people who were nurses. They don't seem right either."

"And you don't--the fact that I may have changed leaves you undeterred?"

"There's an axiom that Esmeralda introduced me to," you said. "The axiom of equality. It's a mathematical principle but I like it better as a statement."

"What is it?" Tommy asked. He'd not been much of a math person, and while he had no doubt that someone like Polly would've known what it was, he hadn't a clue. "I've been too busy legitimizing stuff back home to read up on mathematical principles and ideas."

"The axiom of equality states that x=x," you said. Tommy, in a bit of a mood to help, located a cabinet with a bread pan as you talked. "It states that x must always equal x. Esmeralda told me that the principle of the principle, when applied to people, is that the person you were in the past will always be the person you are in the present."

"Are you insulting me?" Tommy asked, grabbing the crisco shortening from the spot you kept it in the pantry. "I'm feeling rather insulted."

"That is, in fact, not my goal," you said. "If I were insulting you, I would doing so with an air of flirt in the hopes of winning a kiss. You still probably taste like tobacco, but I've never minded that."

Tommy greased the bread pan, shaking his head. If you wanted a kiss, all you had to do was ask.

"The point of bringing up the axiom was just to tell you that it doesn't apply to everyone," you said. "We're human, Tommy. We're not a variable in mathematics, and as such, I'm pretty sure I would be able to learn how to love you if you came back someone completely and utterly changed."

"I have," Tommy said. "I am not the person I was in 1914."

"I'm not the person I was then, either," you said. "I've changed, even if it doesn't look it. I know I still look twenty four."

"Twenty six, at best."

"Thomas Shelby!" You shouted, placing the bread into the bread pan and grabbing a kitchen towel. Tommy dodged it as you thwacked it at him, laughing at the whole ordeal of the thing.

"I look a minimum of thirty-one, so you're better off than I," Tommy said. "And even as such, you're still the looker I fell in love with."

"Oh, if Ada were here, she'd have taken your head!" You laughed, and Tommy laughed, and oh, Tommy had never thought he'd have gotten so lucky as to heard the sound of your laugh again. "I would've watched--you are a real prick, Tommy!"

"A prick with whom you were once deeply in love," Tommy said. "One who you once kissed under a willow tree, and drank with, and sang with, and--"

You laughed, pressed your forehead against his shoulder. "I've missed you, Tommy."

"I've missed you more," Tommy said.

"How long are you to stay?" You asked.

"A week," Tommy said. "We can travel back to Birmingham together, if that sounds like an idea you fancy?"

You lifted your forehead from his shoulder. "That sounds wonderful," you said. "I'd really, really like that."

"Would you ever consider moving back?" Tommy asked. "I'm not asking you to if you don't want to, but if you'd consider..."

"If I were proposed to by a certain Birmingham native, I might consider it," you said. "Of course, this Birmingham native would have to fit six years of flirtations and kisses and casual signs of affection into just a week if such was his goal."

Tommy laughed. "I think he could manage that," he said. "Especially considering that he has a ring already--he bought it six months before he was drafted."

Your mouth opened in shock. "You were going to propose?"

"The plan was to do so the week I was drafted--sunset, perfect look out spot, everything was going to be amazing--but then I was drafted and proposing seemed to null itself out a little."

"You were going to propose and I left you in the dust? I am the worlds worst partner."

Tommy shook his head. "There are worse people," he said. "People who cheat on their spouses, namely. You only left because you missed me and it was so intense you couldn't handle the pain."

"When you put it that way, it sounds rather romantic," you said. "Less like one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made."

Tommy laughed, and he took your hand, and all he could think was that he was glad for the impulsiveness in his heart that'd dragged him onto a train for seven and a half hours, a shoddy hotel room for seven hours, and an additional hour spent trying to get rid of the scent of tobacco, chewing mint gum to rid it from his breath.

Tommy leaned in, and your arms found his shoulders as his found your waist. You closed the gap, and Tommy was kissing you for the first time in six years. He was kissing you for the first time in two thousand days.

He kissed you like a man starved and when you pulled away, wanted to kiss you again but managed to refrain.

"Missed that," you said.

Tommy gave a breathy laugh. "Ditto," he said.

Though the two of you were not the people you'd been before the war, you found it incredibly easy to love one another still.

"Well," Tommy said. "I would think I've got two weeks to cram six years worth of affection in to get you to come home, which means you'll probably grow sick of being kissed like that within the next bit."

You shook your head. "I would never," you said.

Tommy just laughed, pulled you in for another kiss and found his heart floating away from him, overtaken by love and joy and content, the rarely experienced emotions that always came into full effect whenever you were so much as in the same room as he was.

"I'll take your word for it, then," he said against your lips, laughing as you pulled him even closer, the both of you starved for one anothers touches.

And he would do as he said, let himself get lost in how you felt because the feeling of your touch was borderline intoxicating.

[mischievouslittlecreature]

Jumping on the bandwagon with this one! Shout out to @justrainandcoffee for finding this! Also tagging my other Hunger Games AU peeps @evita-shelby, @call-sign-shark, @peakyswritings, and @lunarubra!

Simulation can be found here!

The Bloodbath

As the tributes stand on their podiums, the horn sounds.

Freddie Thorne runs away from the Cornucopia.

Aveline Young runs away from the Cornucopia.

Arthur Shelby runs away from the Cornucopia.

Heaven Lavey grabs a backpack and retreats.

Jack Nelson finds a backpack full of camping equipment.

Tommy Shelby runs away from the Cornucopia.

Luca Changretta runs away from the Cornucopia.

Gina Nelson grabs a backpack, not realizing it is empty.

May Carleton, Michael Gray, and Polly Gray get into a fight. Polly Gray triumphantly kills them both.

Johnny Dogs runs away from the Cornucopia.

Charlie Strong snatches a bottle of alcohol and a rag.

Lucy Winters runs away from the Cornucopia.

Alfie Solomons scares Johanna Mason away from the cornucopia.

Finn Shelby runs away from the Cornucopia.

Grace Burgess takes a handful of throwing knives.

John Shelby and Rose Coldwell fight for a bag. Rose Coldwell gives up and retreats.

Isiah Jesus and Ada Shelby fight for a bag. Ada Shelby gives up and retreats.

Eva Smith snatches a bottle of alcohol and a rag.

Nina Ferrante clutches a first aid kit and runs away.

Day 1

Gina Nelson camouflauges herself in the bushes.

Alfie Solomons stalks Johanna Mason.

Rose Coldwell goes hunting.

Nina Ferrante runs away from Jack Nelson.

Grace Burgess tries to spear fish with a trident.

Eva Smith receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Luca Changretta runs away from Freddie Thorne.

Ada Shelby receives clean water from an unknown sponsor.

Arthur Shelby diverts Lucy Winters's attention and runs away.

Finn Shelby scares Johnny Dogs off.

Charlie Strong questions his sanity.

John Shelby, Tommy Shelby, and Polly Gray hunt for other tributes.

Aveline Young pushes Isiah Jesus off a cliff during a knife fight.

Heaven Lavey hunts for other tributes.

Fallen Tributes

3 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

May Carleton District 4 Michael Gray District 3 Isiah Jesus District 11

Night 1

Heaven Lavey, Jack Nelson, and Aveline Young sleep in shifts.

Charlie Strong screams for help.

Finn Shelby receives fresh food from an unknown sponsor.

Johnny Dogs questions his sanity.

Alfie Solomons loses sight of where he is.

Polly Gray tends to Freddie Thorne's wounds.

Luca Changretta receives an explosive from an unknown sponsor.

Johanna Mason receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Eva Smith and Ada Shelby tell stories about themselves to each other.

Tommy Shelby and Lucy Winters huddle for warmth.

Grace Burgess thinks about home.

John Shelby cooks his food before putting his fire out.

Nina Ferrante, Rose Coldwell, Gina Nelson, and Arthur Shelby tell each other ghost stories to lighten the mood.

*slams hands on desk* Lucy x Tommy is canon you guys my babies are cuddling sajfhsdjkgfhsd 😭😭😭

Day 2

Charlie Strong questions his sanity.

Ada Shelby, Freddie Thorne, Aveline Young, Johnny Dogs, and Polly Gray hunt for other tributes.

Rose Coldwell collects fruit from a tree.

Tommy Shelby and Gina Nelson work together for the day.

Alfie Solomons camouflauges himself in the bushes.

Grace Burgess tries to spear fish with a trident.

Arthur Shelby runs away from Jack Nelson.

Johanna Mason scares Lucy Winters off.

Nina Ferrante, Finn Shelby, Eva Smith, and Heaven Lavey hunt for other tributes.

Luca Changretta hunts for other tributes.

John Shelby makes a wooden spear.

Night 2

Johnny Dogs fends Polly Gray, Grace Burgess, and Luca Changretta away from his fire.

Nina Ferrante stabs Freddie Thorne in the back with a trident.

Finn Shelby overpowers Heaven Lavey, killing her.

Alfie Solomons and Aveline Young sleep in shifts.

Lucy Winters decapitates Rose Coldwell with a sword.

Tommy Shelby screams for help.

Jack Nelson goes to sleep.

Johanna Mason receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Arthur Shelby tends to Charlie Strong's wounds.

Ada Shelby, John Shelby, and Eva Smith sleep in shifts.

Gina Nelson attempts to start a fire, but is unsuccessful.

@call-sign-shark Finn overpowering Heaven has got to be the most hilariously ooc things I've ever heard. As if he would ever actually stand a chance against her. And @justrainandcoffee oh my god please tell Rosie that Lucy is SO SORRY she doesn't know what came over her 🫣

Day 3

Gina Nelson scares Grace Burgess off.

Nina Ferrante tends to Finn Shelby's wounds.

Arthur Shelby receives an explosive from an unknown sponsor.

Charlie Strong bashes Luca Changretta's head in with a mace.

Ada Shelby hunts for other tributes.

Johnny Dogs goes hunting.

Tommy Shelby diverts John Shelby's attention and runs away.

Aveline Young defeats Polly Gray in a fight, but spares her life.

Lucy Winters receives an explosive from an unknown sponsor.

Eva Smith sees smoke rising in the distance, but decides not to investigate.

Jack Nelson and Johanna Mason work together to drown Alfie Solomons.

Fallen Tributes

5 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Freddie Thorne District 5 Heaven Lavey District 7 Rose Coldwell District 8 Luca Changretta District 1 Alfie Solomons District 9

Night 3

Charlie Strong thinks about home.

Eva Smith, Tommy Shelby, and Jack Nelson sleep in shifts.

John Shelby sees a fire, but stays hidden.

Polly Gray questions her sanity.

Nina Ferrante climbs a tree to rest.

Lucy Winters passes out from exhaustion.

Aveline Young screams for help.

Grace Burgess, Finn Shelby, Gina Nelson, and Johanna Mason sleep in shifts.

Ada Shelby receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Arthur Shelby sets up camp for the night.

Johnny Dogs questions his sanity.

Day 4

Johnny Dogs, Ada Shelby, Lucy Winters, John Shelby, and Arthur Shelby hunt for other tributes.

Aveline Young constructs a shack.

Grace Burgess travels to higher ground.

Eva Smith is pricked by thorns while picking berries.

Polly Gray travels to higher ground.

Tommy Shelby and Johanna Mason fight Gina Nelson and Jack Nelson. Gina Nelson and Jack Nelson survive.

Nina Ferrante kills Charlie Strong for his supplies.

Finn Shelby explores the arena.

Fallen Tributes

3 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Tommy Shelby District 12 Johanna Mason District 7 Charlie Strong District 4

Night 4

Aveline Young bleeds out due to untreated injuries.

Arthur Shelby receives fresh food from an unknown sponsor.

Lucy Winters, Finn Shelby, Grace Burgess, Polly Gray, and John Shelby sleep in shifts.

Gina Nelson and Johnny Dogs talk about the tributes still alive.

Nina Ferrante tries to treat her infection.

Ada Shelby dies from thirst.

Eva Smith and Jack Nelson tell stories about themselves to each other.

@evita-shelby Do I sense something potentially happening between Eva and Jack? 👀

Day 5

John Shelby stalks Lucy Winters.

Gina Nelson constructs a shack.

Polly Gray severely slices Nina Ferrante with a sword.

Grace Burgess fishes.

Finn Shelby attacks Jack Nelson, but he manages to escape.

Eva Smith questions her sanity.

Johnny Dogs dies from thirst.

Arthur Shelby makes a slingshot.

Fallen Tributes

4 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Aveline Young District 11 Ada Shelby District 6 Nina Ferrante District 9 Johnny Dogs District 10

Night 5

Finn Shelby and Gina Nelson talk about the tributes still alive.

Arthur Shelby, Polly Gray, and Grace Burgess get into a fight. Grace Burgess triumphantly kills them both.

Lucy Winters forces John Shelby to kill Eva Smith or Jack Nelson. He decides to kill Eva Smith.

The Feast

The cornucopia is replenished with food, supplies, weapons, and memoirs from the tributes' families.

Gina Nelson decides not to go to The Feast.

John Shelby decides not to go to The Feast.

Finn Shelby decides not to go to The Feast.

Jack Nelson and Grace Burgess get into a fight over raw meat, but Jack Nelson gives up and runs away.

Lucy Winters decides not to go to The Feast.

Day 6

Gina Nelson discovers a river.

John Shelby goes hunting.

Grace Burgess attacks Jack Nelson, but he manages to escape.

Finn Shelby sprains his ankle while running away from Lucy Winters.

Arena Event

Monkey mutts fill the arena.

Lucy Winters dies from internal bleeding caused by a monkey mutt.

Grace Burgess dies from internal bleeding caused by a monkey mutt.

Gina Nelson uses Finn Shelby as a shield from the monkey mutts.

John Shelby survives.

Jack Nelson survives.

Noooo my girl 😭 At least she made it pretty far!

Fallen Tributes

6 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Arthur Shelby District 6 Polly Gray District 3 Eva Smith District 10 Lucy Winters District 12 Grace Burgess District 1 Finn Shelby District 8

Night 6

John Shelby receives clean water from an unknown sponsor.

Gina Nelson destroys Jack Nelson's supplies while he is asleep.

Day 7

John Shelby shoots an arrow into Jack Nelson's head.

Gina Nelson cannot handle the circumstances and commits suicide.

Fallen Tributes

2 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Jack Nelson District 2 Gina Nelson District 2

The Winner

The winner is John Shelby from District 5!

[violetfolgi]

Tommy & Freddie.

before he was a mean sad drunk, Tommy Shelby was a happy drunk.

thanks a lot to @knivesplushearts ' writing for the inspiration and headcanon!! 🖤

[editorandchief]

Can you do a shelby brother reader story, reader is older than John but younger than Tommy. The plot happens when the garrison exploded the reader was in the private room at the back of the garrison when it exploded. The other shlby brothers struggle to hurry and get him untrapped from under the ruble with reader's injuries. Good amount of angst and some fluff if possible

Warning: Grief, depression, drinking, PTSD, suicide, angst

Request: Yes!

Y/N Shelby threw back another glass of whisky as he sat in the snug of the bar all alone. The rest of the family were still at the funeral of Freddie Thorne, Y/N's best friend. 

Y/N and Freddie had always been close growing up and that didn't change during or after the war, nor was it an issue when Freddie had asked him to be a witness to his marriage to his sister Ada, it just meant that now they were brother by law. 

He couldn't bring himself to watch as his brother was put in the ground, so I resided to getting blackout drunk at The Garrison.

Picking up the bottle and pouring another drink Y/N let out a sigh hoping that this amount would be the one to drown out the sadness that attempted to consume him. 

Lifting the glass it barley touched his lips before everything went black. 

*-*-*

"Hey, you waiting for a kiss or do you want to get up sleeping beauty?" Freddie asked looking down at his friend. Sitting up Y/N takes a look around to see the dirt walls of the tunnels. 

"Freddie." Y/N said looking at his friend standing in front of him. "What are you doing here? How are you here?" 

"I thing that's my question, yeah?" Freddie asked with a smirk. "I didn't think I would be seeing you for a long time, not that it's not good to see you." He joked. 

"It's good to see you too." Y/N replied leaning forward to wrap the man in a hug. 

"You look like shit." They both say at the same time before breaking into laughter.

"You smell like a pub." Freddie said scrunching his nose and lightly punching Y/N's shoulder. "Come on brother I know we said we'd do everything together but don't tell me you followed me to the grave." 

"I can't say it didn't cross my mind." Y/N admitted as the look of disappointment crossed Freddie's face. "But I have no idea how I got here, where ever here is. Is this hell?" 

Freddie burst into laughter at the assumption, they both predicted that the sins of their lives would lead them straight to hell.

"No, surprisingly I was up north until you decided to get yourself in this predicament." Freddie informed laughing once again at the look of shock Y/N displayed. "Yeah, who would have thought? Me in heaven?"

"Wow they let any old riff raff in that joint." Y/N joked receiving another punch. "So where are we then?" 

"It's somewhere in between." Freddie informed getting serious.

"Between what?" 

"Everything, but more specifically, life and death." He answered looking into Y/N eyes. "A place not many people get the chance to be, so that you can make a choice not many get to make. So you need to choose carfu-"

"I'm not going back Fred-."

"Yes you are!" 

"There is nothing there for me Freddie."

"Nothing there for you?" Freddie asked angrily grabbing the collar of his shirt. "You have a family. brothers, your sister, your nephew....my son. Do you know how many people would kill for this chance? What I would give to be in your shoes? To kiss my wife, raise my son. No no you're going back. You're going to live your life and I'm not gonna see you for a long long time." Freddie shouted tears in his eyes. 

"And the next time I do see you," He continued. "Your gonna tell me about them...about Karl and Ada, about whatever women or man you con into loving you, about your children and their children after that. I don't want to hear anything else from you until them." Freddie says letting Y/N go.

'Hey!' 

'Y/N, where are you?'

'Y/N get up. Wake up.'

"What the hell is that?" Y/N ask looking around for the source of the voice. 

"I'm that means it's time for you to make a decision." Freddie informed. "But I think we both know what the answer is. I know we used to say that death is easy, but being away from the people I love is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. So when it your time and we see each other again brother....we'll have all the time in the world." 

*-*-*

"Y/N!" Tommy yelled shaking his brother. "Wake up."

Tommy didn't react much when he found out that the pub had been blown up, after all he had been the one to do it, but he felt his heart drop after Finn informed that he had seen you going towards the pub before after the funeral. 

The Shelby family rushed to the destroyed remains of The Garrison, immediately digging around the rubble for the missing member. 

It had been John who had found Y/N buried under so wood and alerted the other as he began removing the charred building remains until they were able to haul his body out.

"Come on wake up." Tommy said tapping his face.

"Oh thank god." Polly sighed out as she watched her nephew's eyes begin to open. 

"Freddie?" Y/N asked looking up at his brother in confusion. 

"No, you're home now." Tommy corrected pulling his little brother into a hug. "You're home now."

[buttercupsandboys]

Maroon 5, Memories

[tommyxgrace-always]

Tommy -Ada bond

He actually went to her for everything. They came a long way since s2, when she had said this…

Personal, Business or Politics. He relied on her on all aspects. I especially love how he spoke to Ada about Grace. As if he knew, she is the only one who could remotely understand why and what he feels. She lost the love of her life too, she and Grace got along well. She was the most natural choice.

Here’s a recap of how he gradually relied on her over the years.

🌿In s2, Ada is the one Tommy trusts to post his letter to NY incase if he dies on derby day.

🌿In s3, Ada stays with Tommy and Charlie at Arrow house after Grace’s death. Later Tommy asks her to handle his Boston company for him. She also helps set up the meeting with Russian communists that Tommy requests.

🌿 In s4, Ada is keeping the family together for him. She is his source and support when he is outcast from the family. He asks Ada to set up a meeting with Jessie Eden, she even calls out loud what Tommy refuses to admit “he is becoming hopeful”

🌿 In s5, she is his political advisor. He rants about his nightmares and fears to her. Not even Polly. He also talks to her about Grace, seeing her hallucinations. What he feels when he sees it etc. he is at his most vulnerable at that point.

🌿 In s6, he trusts her to handle the Mosleys, Gina and Uncle Jack in his absence while Ruby is sick. He even asks her to help with overseeing his businesses, she visits his office and the shop on his behalf. Interesting when Lizzie rants to Ada about wanting a normal man, we do not see Ada react or agree to her. Ada knows her brother and who he is, his pain and suffering. She doesn’t judge him as a bad husband in that moment or any moment. Because she knows, she must be feeling pity for Lizzie but she doesn’t blame Tommy for her woes.

Following this post:

[agentidiot]

it’s good that freddie died before s2 cuz he wouldn’t stand alfie and alfie would be at his throat in no time

[weeo]

It’s been a long time

I apparently can’t be on time so here is my response fic for episode 4. @peakyemergencyresponsefic​

Pairing : Tommy Shelby x Freddie Thorne (kind of)

Summary : During his meetings at the Garrison, Tommy sees an old friend again.

Gif Credits :  This gif doesn’t belong to me. Credits to the creator @floweryshell

Warnings/Tags :  Hallucinations, Season 5 Spoilers

Notes :   Here is a little ficlet for the Peaky Emergency Response Challenge for Episode 4. I didn't have lots of time last week so I focused my efforts on something tiny. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Thank you to @tinypinetrees, my saviour as always.

AO3 link

“Send the next in, Micky.” Tommy called, scribbling in his tiny notebook.

He wrote the last words quickly, sliding the thin pencil into the rubber band on the side, closing it delicately.

Taking his glasses off, he threw them on the table and stood, greeting the newcomer as the door creaked open.

Extending a flat palm to shake hands, Tommy caught the stranger’s eyes and froze.

Freddie’s familiar face slammed into him, landing heavily in his stomach and stealing his breath.

“It’s been a long time, Mr. Shelby.” Freddie noted, his grip firm as he shook Tommy’s hand, lingering just a little too long.

Tommy was about to hug him, to crush his head in the chest he had found so much comfort in so many times, when he noticed a strange feeling floating unnervingly around them. Something felt wrong. His other hand was already over Freddie’s shoulder, so he patted it, turning his overly familiar gesture into a more polite welcoming one.

It was Freddie, but his features were smooth. Dark circles didn’t eat half of his face and the creases on his forehead were faint. Washed of the traces war left behind.

He looked young.

The young man Tommy would have hugged without fear of being hit in the face. That one who hadn’t hated him with every fiber of his being.

He could sense it wasn’t real, but it differed from Grace’s appearances. He could feel the skin brushing his hand. Not just the warmth clawing in his body and luring him in another hazy place.

Focusing on the face in front of him, he could see his features slowly morphing into less edgy forms, less twisted by frustration and struggle. Into something less and less…. Freddie.

There were still his defiant stare, his pointy nose and dainty lips, decorated with a mischievous grin that reminded him so much of his best friend. Not that Tommy really knew about Freddie’s lips either way. It’s not like he looked at them for endless hours to know that. He was sure it was the same lips though.

The ones he wanted to kiss, and sometimes dared to let his eyes wander on for an instant.

In a cruel twist of irony, it turned out that the young lad was a communist, asking for an interruption of the wages cuts, by the gamblers who lost money in the Stock Market Crash.

Tommy couldn’t even remember what they talked about during the meeting. His brain was on autopilot, letting his ready-made answers do the talking for him.

He only saw one face the whole discussion. Stealing his focus without a word.

You won’t ask me to listen to the voices, Freddie. I know that... I know you’ll never want to see me again after everything that happened. But I always preferred when you insulted me, rather than when you were silent. You never ignored me before, at least...

“I hope you’ll speak about it at Parliament, Mr. Shelby.” The man tried again to gain Tommy’s attention, speaking a bit louder.

Tommy shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts of Freddie’s straight face.

“Well, I’ll see what I can do, Mister?” He paused embarrassingly.

“Mr. Ford, Mr. Shelby. My mom told me that I changed too much recently for you to recognise my face. She's probably wrong though, I saw it in your gaze when we shook hands.”

“Yes, we’ve known each other for a very long time.” He answered, confused about who they were really talking about.

Tommy forced a polite smile and stood up to salute him.

"Thank you, Mr. Shelby" he said, shaking Tommy's hand and heading towards the door.

Grace, and now you. What would Ada say if I tell her you were here too, eh?

Tommy avoided his eyes again as he accompanied the young guy to the door.

“Who’s next, Micky?” He called, taking a cigarette out of its case.

The waiter put his head through the little window of the booth, polishing a glass with a cloth.

“Mrs. Connors. She keeps babbling about songbirds.”

“Let her in. I’ll deal with it.” He rolled a cigarette over his lips and lit it before the door creaked again.

[motherofdogs1010]

Letters to Juliet and Romeo III (Thomas Shelby x Reader)

Summary: Heartbroken and in the midst of the Great War as a nurse, Y/N L/N writes to a person she never expected to write to before... her brother's friend, Thomas Shelby... But the war's over now and it is time to face the letters...

Warnings: fluff, no other warnings

A/N: Would you guys like to see the wedding? Or would you rather I skip to S1? Comment if you want to be added to taglist 😊

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Part I Part II

One Month Later

"You mean to tell me that my brother, Tommy", Ada teased, holding just a small fraction of letters, "wrote you these because these are quite romantic."

"Ada!" Y/N said, a little embarrassed at the fact Ada had found the letters.

Ada let out a teasing laugh, Polly and her mother seemed to listening in as they sat at the kitchen table with tea.

"She's just wondering how Thomas managed to sweep you off your feet", Polly teased, "I know he is quite the charmer but for him to introduce you as his fiancee without even his brothers knowing..."

Y/N felt flush just at the teasing but a little smile was on her face as fiddled with the engagement ring on her finger; it was simple, nothing extravagant but she loved it because it was from Tommy. He had made promises that once they got the betting shop legal, he would give her a ring that she deserved despite Y/N insisting she didn't need a different ring.

"And now we're planning a wedding just a month after you both get home", her mother continued the teasing with a grin. "Your brother was going in circles when you announced all this."

"If he had answered my letters, he wouldn't have been surprised", Y/N retorted back as Y/N snatched the letters back. "Besides. these are private, Ada."

"They seem private with Tommy writing how in love with you he is", Ada said, Y/N playfully swatted the girl.

"No one teases you about you fancying Freddie Thorne, Ada."

Ada turned red as Polly and her mother chuckled as Y/N let out a teasing laugh before going to her room.

Once up in her room, Y/N glanced at the letters with a small smile, feeling the creases of the letters, the dents of Tommy's handwriting and she sat down on her bed; her bed felt like a rock compared to her having spent three and a half years sleeping on a cot.

Sometimes I thank whatever is out there for letting you chose to write to me. You could have written to anyone, John... Arthur... but you decided to write me and I feel like when we get back, I'll need to buy your brother a gift for not responding to you.

Y/N read one of the many letters Tommy had sent her and she could see how Ada was surprised by the way her brother wrote to her, but Y/N wasn't. It felt as if through each letter, she had slowly come to find out another new thing about Tommy.

She slowly smiled as she re-read the letters even if they were written during a dark time.

Y/N handled the books at the betting shop, she was quick with the numbers and found it quite easy to do plus it gave her and Tommy more time to spend together.

"Here ya go, love", Tommy said, giving her a betting slip. "Managed to snag this one."

She looked at Tommy as he grinned; he only seemed to ever really grin for her nowadays, but she understood. She knew the war took a piece big of him and on the nights when she stayed with him, she knew his mind wandered back to the tunnels.

"This month's been a good for you lot", she said with a small smile.

It was just them in the shop, an rare sight to see during the day but the usual bodies that occupied the shop where out on Peaky Blinder business. Y/N was asked once about how she felt about that, being engaged and soon to be married to a Blinder devil, but she also brushed off the comments with fake naivety.

"Been a good one for us", Tommy corrected before pressing a kiss to her temple. "You balance the books better than John and Arthur."

"Arthur's busy helping himself to the Garrison", she said as she stood up. "And John's falling over his feet with those kids of his."

John's wife, Martha had died from infection during the war and the five children he shared with her had been left to Polly and Ada while John was off fighting.

Now that he was back, the poor father was struggling under the amount of children he had.

"John'll be fine", Tommy said, bringing her to him. "Now, how's my bride doing in her wedding planning?"

She felt giddy when Tommy called her that despite technically having been engaged to be man for a few years ever since his proposal in one of her treasured letters.

"Poll and my mum seem to be enjoying themselves", she joked, "all me and you have to do is show up."

She rested her hands on his chest as he said, "I miss your letters. John and Arthur used to bother the shite out of me to know who was writing me."

"Ada found your letters, said she couldn't believe you wrote them", Y/N said, Tommy smirked. "Said you weren't the romantic type."

"What would she know?" Tommy said. "She's just a kid."

Tommy pushed a loose hair behind her ear as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers; Y/N felt happy in the moment as Tommy embraced her.

TAGLIST

@calmingmelody96 @69your-best-night-mare69 @girlwith-thepearlearring

[pandoraslove]

Rumor Had It

Finn Shelby x Reader (part 4)

Summary: A new job, supportive friends and family, what else could y/n ask for. She’d never thought to look in the shadow until she caught onto his.   

She got the job. Y/n got the job! She was as excited as a child on Christmas morning. She received a letter 2 days after she’d applied. Today. She jumped up and down in the comfort of her small living room, then calmed down, then did it again. Freddie had told her that he, Ada, and Karl would all be having dinner with the Shelby family. All of them since Ada of course would go off on who ever dared not to show up. Freddie and Ada both extended the invitation to her, but she’d said no and then Ada threatened her with telling Freddie the incident of nearly a week ago. So in the end she is having dinner with the Shelby family.

Y/n’s last day at the flower shop was yesterday, She honestly wasn’t too sad to leave. She didn’t get along with the owner... too authoritarian.

It was almost noon so y/n made her way to #6 on Watery Lane. She was incredibly happy, she held a small smile on her face, as she day dreamed about the different dresses she’s make, She’d try to make trousers, and skirts, oh how she loved skirts. She tried to control the smile on her face as she walked into the home, there was already commotion. This time John’s wife, Esme, and their kids were here. She walked into the living room and greeted the guys there, then walked into the kitchen where she found Esme, Polly and Ada and greeted them too. 

“Wise of you to show up, Y/n.” Ada says with a smirk. she narrows her eyes at her sister-in-law jokingly making her laugh. 

“Why don’t you go with Freddie and Finn for a while, we have it handled in here.” Polly says with a smile. She nods and walks back into the living area. Karl was playing with John’s kids in the back yard now, so there was a little less noise in the house. Y/n sat next to Freddie who was currently talking to Tommy about something she wasn’t really paying attention to. She’s was staring off into space thinking about the new job she got. 

“Y/n.” Freddie calls out to her. 

“hm?” She hums looking up at him, she instantly dropped the smile she had, knowing she’d get interrogated. 

“Why are you so giddy?” He asks. 

“What ever do you mean, Prince Frederick?” she says, sniffling a small laugh at the end of her sentence. 

“That smile on your face, Why is it so bright?” He says narrowing his eyes. 

“Am I not allowed to be happy?” 

“You were just smiling while you stared at the floor biting you lip, a little suspicious.” John says. 

“I bite my lip when I’m distracted so what?”  

“So, you weren’t thinking about a boy?” Fred asks. 

She scoffs, “ no. ew. no. why- what the fuck?” She chokes up making everyone look at her surprised. “No offense but I don't have to for men in my life, right now I'm focusing on making myself rich.” She says smuggly. 

“and how will you accomplish that?” Arthur asks. 

“By working hard at the boutique.” She says with a big smile. 

“you got the job?” Finn asks. she nods excitedly, as Fred gives her a side hug. 

“well, no wonder you were so happy, congratulation y/n.” Thomas says. 

“thank you.” She says. Karl walked back into the house and right into her arms. She’s gotten close to her nephew over the past few days. He crawled onto her lap and laid his head on her shoulder. “Are you alright, Karl?” She asks softly. 

“mhm. sleepy.” He says quietly. She could feel him growing heavier. She leaned farther back on the couch and allowed the boy to fall asleep. 

“How has he fallen asleep so fast?” Arthur asks surprised. He said it a little loudly causing Karl to stir a little and making y/n glare at him. he muttered a small apology while everyone else laughed. She ran a hand up and down his back to help him fall asleep as he was still slightly awake. 

“When is your first day, y/n?” Freddie asks. 

“in 2 days.” 

“Do you need anything? We could help you out a little.” 

“I’m fine, Freddie, I have everything I need.”

“Well, tomorrow we are cele-” Freddie begins, only to be cut off by her. 

“No.” She says, not in a harsh manner, but a little sternly. 

“Why not?” He asks. 

“Because, I’m not feeling up to it.” She lied, she always loved her birthday, but having Freddie back and people who look out for her is enough. 

“Fine, Dinner?” He asks and she nods. 

“What’s tomorrow?” Finn asks. 

“Nothing important,” She tells him with a small smile, He eyes her suspiciously. 

“The foods ready,” Esme announces and everyone walks into the dining room. Y/n stays behind to lay Karl down on one of the couches, Finn stayed behind as well. 

“You know you aren’t a very good liar, you look around a room after telling on subconsciously.” He states, she laughs. 

“It’s honestly nothing, just a normal day.” She says. 

“It’s your birthday isn’t it?” He asks. 

“How’d you know?” She asks surprised. 

“context clues.” he grins. 

“Don’t say anything, please? It’s not that big of a deal.” She says sincerely, he nods in understanding and they walk to the room everyone else was in. They sit in the only remaining chairs that were left, right next to each other too. she stayed quite listening to everyone else talk and also getting stuck in her head.  The last nice, fun birthday she’d had was when she was 5. Her father was still alive, her mother loved her, and Freddie was there too. Her father had given her rose and sunflower seeds to plant, her mother gave her a red bow, and Freddie gave her a sewing kit. Her flowers bloomed but died soon after... since she stopped taking care of them. She used the sewing kit to make more bows for herself. Y/n finished her food and listened to the conversation between the Shelby family absentmindedly. Her leg was shaking under the table and when Finn noticed he nudged her arm softly. She looked up at him in question. 

“Everything alright?” he asked softly enough that only she heard. she nodded, but her leg continued to shake. He put his hand on her leg and watched her calm slightly. 

She felt his hand on her leg but didn’t make any attempt to move it away. It calmed her in a way. She tried to keep the change in her mood unnoticeable, not wanting to bother anyone. 

Freddie eyed the two as he sat next to Ada. He noticed the slight change in y/n’s mood after bringing up her birthday. Even though he said they’d only have dinner, he owed it to her to have something bigger, especially since her last birthday with him was nearly more than a decade ago. He’d mention it to the Shelby’s later. 

“So y/n I hear you got the job at the dress boutique?” Polly asks. 

y/n nods but not as excitedly as she had earlier. “Uh, yes. I got the letter this morning. I start in 2 days.” She says a bit quietly. 

“I’d think you would be more excited.” Ada says, a hint of worry in her words. 

“I am, It’s just I'm a little tired is all, the food was delicious, thank you.” 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Arthur asks.

she was beginning to get flushed and a bit overwhelmed. “yeah, yes, I’m fine.” she smiles at him. “just tired and thinking of all the dresses I'll be making.” she tells them. 

“Will you make me one?” Ada asks. 

“Of course, you know now that I think about it I could open my own dress shop and make dresses.” She says. 

“Well, This is just a start to that, that could be your goal in the future.” Freddie says. 

“Such a wise man.” Y/n jokes. 

“Why, Thank you.” Freddie says with a grin.

“Shush, Princess Fredericka, you’re ruining the moment.” Everyone burst out laughing at the nickname. including Finn and Y/n. 

“Wasn’t it Prince Frederick an hour ago?” Freddie asks amused. 

“I like Princess Fredericka better.” She says cutely. 

“Right, well, Rosie, we shall settle it in the Thorne manner just like when you were younger later. you’re still ticklish aren’t you?” He asks with a huge grin, the old nickname didn’t faze her much, it felt nice being called Rosie again. Y/n Rosie Thorne

“You wouldn’t dare.” She says staring him down. 

“We’ll see,” He says, “can you go check on Karl?” He says with a smug grin, changing the topic, But she was more than glad to go check on her darling nephew. He still needed to eat. She got up, forgetting about Finn’s hand, and smiled at him as she walked away. She walked to the couch Karl was on and ran her finger through his hair. He stirred a little before waking up. 

“Well, good morning, minx.” 

“Morning?” He asks. 

“It’s still dinner, you have to eat bud.” she says softly. The four year old reaches his arms up and she picks him up. He rests his head on her shoulder and they walk back to the dining room. She didn’t fail to notice the shadow in the corner of her eye. She was tense, Freddie noticed that as she handed Karl to him. She whispered into his ear, “pass me your gun, don’t ask just don't do it.” she says so softly only he hears. He passes the gun to her discreetly and she excuses herself to the bathroom. His shadow was in the window, so he must’ve been outside. She stepped out and looked around, noticing him about walk away from the house. 

“I thought I told you to stay away.” She says sternly. 

“You actually thought I would listen?” Derrick asks.��

“Did you think I was bluffing? I am Thorne and I keep my word.” She says before shooting him in the leg. She would have shot his dick off but she was feeling a little Merciful today. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He screams in pain. 

“I don’t know you tell me.” She says walking back into the house. Of course the gun shot was heard by everyone else other than the shelby’s do to the loud bickering and laughter of the children. She sits back down at the table next to Finn after putting the safety on the gun and tucking it into her boot. Freddie looked towards her and she only smiled.