— 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 —
⁰¹⁰

It was Derby day and Cecilia Abbott had stood staring at herself in the mirror for many moments now. The red dress clung to her perfectly. She ran her hands over the fabric and sighed. Her curls were perfect and her lips matched her dress.

"Cecilia—" she heard her father's voice from outside the room. "We need to leave." He said with frustration.

With an angry sigh, Cecilia swiped her shawl and stormed to the door. She swung the door open to be greeted with her father's face. "Jesus— come on." Rafael huffed, stepping aside for her to come out into the hall. She did as he said and they walked out to the car that waited for them.

"We will meet them all there," he began telling her. Cecilia hummed and took out a pack of cigarettes. "This plan best had work. I ain't having the Peaky Blinders get my father killed," she hissed.

Rafael laughed to himself. "I ain't gonna die." He said.

"Darby Sabini is finished as of today, Da. That fuckin idiot is done." She hissed. "And if they can't do it— I fuckin' will." She threatened.

Rafael would've laughed at her if she wasn't serious. But she was so serious. And he knew it. He also knew she was capable of getting the job done.

"I don't doubt you." Rafael said confidently. "And I want you to put a bullet in those fuckers heads if something happens to you today, you hear me? Right between their eyes." He pointed at the space between his brows.

Cecilia grinned and nodded.

—

Cecilia stood outside one of the tents, cigarette balanced between her lips as she searched for a lighter. Her eyes scanned over the people who were waiting at the stairs, queuing for something. A grin made its way to her lips when seeing the all too familiar peaky cap.

She took the cigarette from her lips and held it between her two fingers, descending the stairs.

"What a surprise.." she mumbled as she passed Tommy. He looked up with surprise, slightly startled. "Please," she scoffed and looked away, "don't pretend like you didn't know I was going to be here."

Tommy looked around cautiously and grabbed her arm gently. "Cecilia, I have a job to do—" he said quickly. She furrowed her brows together and lowered her arms ever so slightly. "When my work today is done, we can meet— we can talk. We can do whatever the fuck you want but as of right now, I have something to do."

His tone frustrated her.

With a scoff she pulled her arm away. His behaviour angered her. It was only one night before that day that the pair had shared the company of each other for the evening. Where they shared a bed.

Cecilia didn't even say anything. He wasn't worth her time.

Cecilia spun on her heels and walked back up the stairs, lifting her dress from the floor. Tommy's lips parted and he wanted to call after her but no words came out of his mouth.

She angrily stormed back toward the tent where her father remained, his men scattered throughout, watching with careful eyes.

She pushed through the crowds and joined him at a table where he waited for the race to begin. "What's got ya face lookin' like that?" He asked, his accent particularly thick. Cecilia breathed in heavily and shook her head. "Nothin' dad, don't worry 'bout it." She dismissed, lighting her cigarette.

Rafael raised a brow and examined her. "Who upset you—" he tilted his head forward slightly, "i'll kill 'em." He whispered, slightly joking.

She cracked a smile and shook her head. "I'm considering doin' that myself." She said with a sigh.

Rafael put out his cigar when seeing Arthur and John walk into the tent. They stopped to make a bet and kept their heads down. It wasn't long before Sabini walked through with two men behind him.

"So what is it they plan to do, hm?"

Rafael kept watchful eyes on Sabini. "They plan to burn Sabini's bookies licences. Which means they'll have to apply for the licences again." He said quietly.

"And what about the coppers?" Cecilia looked over toward John and Arthur.

"We've handled it." Rafael responded. Rafael suddenly stood and Cecilia looked up. "You stay here—" he pointed.

"What?!" She stood abruptly, "you want me to sit here like a fuckin' idiot? I ain't just sitting here." She refused. Rafael huffed in frustration and looked around. "Fine— do whatever the fuck ya want just don't do anything stupid." He said to her before walking off with his men.

And for the first time in a while, she didn't have the eyes of her father's men watching her to keep her safe.

She didn't need them, of course, but with what was going to go down — she might need them. Cecilia walked from the table and exited the tent. It was still busy everywhere despite the fact that the race was about to start.

She wandered carelessly and eventually got down toward the lavatory's.

The sound of screams and cries for help filled Cecilia's ears. A woman. She sounded in severe distress. Cautiously, Cecilia took her gun from her purse and walked through the closest entry to the lavatory's. The cries continued. As she rounded the corner, she laid her eyes upon a man who seemed to be some sort of general — and a dark haired woman.

"What the fuck are you doing to her?!" Cecilia's voice rang out. The man stopped and turned to see the blonde, his hands still on the other woman.

"Who the fuck're you?" He shouted.

Cecilia pointed her gun, "a woman with enough bullets to shoot you in the head and knees." She threatened. He put his arms up in defence and Cecilia grabbed the woman by her wrist. "Go on, go!" She urged. The woman seemed to hesitate but practically ran from the lavatory's.

As Cecilia's head was turned to the side to watch her leave, the officer grabbed her by the arm and pushed her wrist upwards. With a gasp, Cecilia fired a bullet into the air.

"I was having fun then— and you had to come and fucking ruin it, didn't you? Who are you anyway?" He breathed, his breath hot against her neck as he kept her against the wall.

She breathed heavily, arm still in the air. "It doesn't matter who I fucking am— what matters is that you'll be dead either way. Whether it's me who kills you or my men." She threatened. "You were taking advantage of her." She hissed angrily.

"Oh, please. She wanted it. She was a dirty fucking whore." He laughed.

Cecilia only grew angrier. Whore was a word she hated. "Yes, maybe she was, but you chose to try and have your way with her. You were fine with her being whatever it was that she was, weren't you?" Cecilia tormented.

His face fell.

"That makes you worse." She whispered.

He twisted her arm and she gasped in pain, squeezing her eyes closed. "Stop that!" She screamed. Cecilia tried her hardest to keep herself together but if he had pushed her arm any further, she was sure it would've been broken.

"You're not a dirty whore though, are you? So maybe i'll have my way with you instead. How about that?" He grinned.

"Get your hands off me!" She demanded, still gripping her gun tightly.

He aggressively grabbed her chin and she breathed heavily. "You'll do whatever the fuck I tell you to—"

"Russel!" A voice roared, gun pointed and anger in his voice.

The officer turned his head, hands still on Cecilia. It was Thomas. His gun was pointed but no bullet fired when he pulled the trigger.

With a breath of relief, Cecilia stumbled backward. She held her wrist as it ached and panic arose in her when Russel grabbed Tommy's gun and threw it to the floor.

"Tommy—" she said.

The pair began fighting and Cecilia stood, wide eyed, frozen. After a few moments, Tommy managed to take Russel's gun from his holster. Cecilia hadn't seen this. So she fired. He fired. Two bullets went into him. One in his head, one in his back.

Russel fell forward onto Tommy and Tommy shoved him down. That's when Cecilia shot him one more time in the head, hands shaking.

Tommy stared at her with wide eyes. "Cecilia, what the fuck are you doing here?" He breathed.

She didn't look at him. Her eyes were still on Russel. "I heard someone.." was all she could speak. Her gun was hanging loosely in her hands. "In between the eyes. Just like my dad said." She noticed where she had shot him.

Tommy pulled her away from the body and she finally looked at him. "You weren't supposed to be here." He held her face tightly. She said nothing. "Are you hurt?"

"What would you care?" She whispered,

Tommy's face faltered and he shook his head slightly. "What?"

"You don't fuckin' care." She spat. Tommy's lips parted. "Of course I fucking care, Cecilia. Why wouldn't I?" He was beyond confused. "You finally got to fuck me after seven months— now you don't give a fuck." She pulled away from him, his touch making her feel all sorts of ways.

Tommy lowered his hands to her sides. "What're you talking about, eh?" He asked with pure confusion.

"Fuck off, Tommy Shelby." She stumbled backward before turning to leave.

He stared at his feet, trying to figure out why she had said that. He cared. He cared more than anything. He was completely and utterly infatuated by her, by all of her. He would kill anyone she asked him to.

Except she didn't know this.

—

Cecilia sat at an empty table, cigarette perched between her fingers whilst she waited for her father. She heard laughs and shouts approach her. She was sat near the exit. "Oi— is that Cecilia fucking Abbott, hm?" A familiar, husky voice asked.

She turned her head to see Arthur and John. "What're you doing here?" John asked softly.

Cecilia shrugged and smoked her cigarette. "Fuck knows." She admitted. John pulled a seat next to her and looked at Arthur. "Where's you dad, hm? Or Tommy?" John asked genuinely. She shrugged. John twisted his lips to the side and brushed her hair away from her face when seeing reddened skin. "What happened?"

He had just had the same conversation with Lizzie Stark.

"Men." Cecilia sighed, putting out her cigarette on the bare table. John frowned and looked at her face again. "What, have you been fighting?" Arthur asked, half jokingly.

"Could say that." Cecilia said.

Arthur looked to John. John looked to Arthur. "You'll need to get something cold on it so it doesn't bruise too badly. That's what our Aunt Polly tells us after we fight." John said innocently.

Cecilia smiled at him slightly and nodded once. "Thank you, John. I'm sure i'll be just fine."

"Here, why don't we walk you to the cars? Did you come in a car— we will wait with you until your dad is finished. It's no bother." John rambled, getting slightly flustered by her presence. She held back a laugh. "I'm okay, thank you John. You're a good lad." She complimented. "Too good for this type of world."

John didn't understand that.

Cecilia could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't like his brothers. But he had to try and be like them. That was the family way. And family was one of the most important things to them.

She stood and smoothed her dress with her palm. "Congratulations for today." She nodded before turning away, not giving them a chance to say thank you.

Cecilia ran a hand through her curls and crossed her arms over her chest. People had began leaving and it was practically empty. The Blinders and her father had done their job well. Successfully. Cecilia had potentially saved a woman she didn't know.

And also told the man that she could not get out of her head to fuck off.

—

Cecilia stood in the hallway, listening in on her father's phone call. "Alright, okay. I'll speak to her." He said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

She stepped into the room and he looked at her. "Cecilia," he spoke as he put the phone down, "Reggie is in a bad way. He needs you in Boston." He said. She furrowed her brows together and put her hands behind her back. "For how long?"

"Until he gets his shit together." Rafael sighed.

"Do I have to go?" She asked, her thoughts going straight to Tommy. Rafael stared at her with disbelief. "Listen— I know you hate Boston and you swore to never go back there but he's your brother, Cecilia. He's your brother and he needs you." He spoke.

"And you?"

"I'm hopeless— that boy doesn't need me." Rafael began organising papers on the desk.

"No." She stopped him. "What will you do whilst i'm gone?"

He looked up at her. "Work." He said. "I'll miss you— i'm sure as hell about that. But you need to help him. Cause I know you'd never forgive yourself if you didn't go and he ended up doing somethin' to himself."

Cecilia swallowed hard. "When do I leave?"

"As soon as possible." He said.

Cecilia nodded and didn't say another word. She walked to her bedroom to begin packing. She had no choice but to go, she knew that. But she couldn't help but think of Tommy.

Would he even care that she had left?

Would he even think about her?

Cecilia stopped packing for a moment and walked out to the hall, staring at the office phone from the hallway. She debated calling him to let him know. But she didn't. She turned back around the continue packing.

—

Tommy stared at the empty field as he was pulled from the back of the van. There was a hole in the ground — a makeshift grave.

"Were any you boys in France?" he asked the men. No response. "Will you allow a man a cigarette?" Tommy sighed. They nodded as he took them out.

"The Somme, The black woods.." one trailed off. Tommy looked at him. "The Somme— the Buldge." The man nodded at him, verbally answering his question from before, "Smoke." He allowed.

He watched one take out a gun and check the bullets. He turned and placed the cigarette between his lips. He closed his eyes. "So fucking close." Tommy whispered. "So fucking close.." he said. He looked up at the sky. "Nearly got fucking everything!" he shouted, his voice echoing. 

Tommy turned on his heels when hearing a gun cock. "Oh what the fuck—" he shook his head. "Get it done boys." he sighed and walked toward the hole, starting to throw his belongings inside.

"Comrade, we have our orders. You know how it is."

"I know how it is." Tommy nodded, "In the bleak midwinter." He spoke.

After Midnight
Chapter 010
[gracessecretshelby]