𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤
-𝟎𝟐𝟗-

Valerie pushed open the door and was met with Tommy and Arthur. "You're cursed!" She screamed, running at Tommy who looked at her with wide eyes. "You're cursed— he's dead!" She screamed, her voice full of pain as she began hitting Tommy.

He grabbed her wrists and fought against her.

"You're cursed!" She sobbed as he wrapped his arms around her. She collapsed into him and gripped onto his shirt as her head turned to the side, her eyes landing on John's body, his shirt no longer covering the damage that had been done.

She pushed away from Tommy and stepped closer to John. She took his hand and her heart broke when feeling the coldness of his skin. "Leave me with him," she whispered, "you've spoken to him. Now it's my turn."

Tommy nodded to Arthur and they hesitantly left the room.

Once hearing the door close, she burst into tears again. She placed her hands over her face and felt her knees grow weak. "You said you wouldn't go," she croaked, touching his face. "You said you loved me." She whispered.

Valerie looked at his hand and lifted it. She removed his ring and stared at it for a few moments. "They'll pay for this— they all will. I'll make sure of it." She whispered, taking his other rings and removing the chain from around his neck. "Once this is over i'm going to take Francesca away. Just like you wanted to do." She said.

A tear rolled down her cheek and she leaned down to kiss his forehead. "I'll make sure she doesn't forget her father." She breathed, "I love you, John. One day we'll be back together, do you hear me?" She asked despite knowing she would get no response. "One day i'll come back to you."

—

Valerie was the last to walk in to the house on Watery Lane. All eyes followed her as she walked into the room where they had gathered. Ada looked at her with sorrow and Tommy looked at her with regret.

They remained silent as she sat down and Ada reached for her hand.

"John is dead." Tommy's words were cruel and blunt, "Michael is badly wounded, they say it's sixty forty in his favour."

"There are no numbers, there is no percentage. It's only the hand beneath him that stops him falling. I spoke to someone— my son will live." Polly interrupted.

Valerie glared at the woman, her eyes burning into Polly's skin as she smoked a cigarette. "Good for you, Polly." Her voice trembled. "At least he'll go on to have children and watch them grow up. John no longer has that privilege." She said bitterly.

Ada and Lizzie looked at Tommy to see if he would intervene to prevent an argument.

"Michael and John were shot because we killed somebody. Vincent Changretta. His son Luca has come to take revenge. Men from New York and Sicily have come to Birmingham— these men will not leave our city till our whole family is dead. That's how it works: an eye for an eye. It's called Vendetta."

"Yeah, well." Arthur hummed and took a bullet from his pocket, "the bullet has been written. It says Luca. And when the time comes and it will come, me as the oldest brother will put this bullet into his fucking head."

Valerie stared into her lap, twisting the ring of John's on her finger.

"There's been some bad blood between us." Tommy began. Polly laughed. "Polly please," Arthur sighed. Nobody was finding her behaviour acceptable nor funny. They all felt she was being disrespectful. "Until this is settled we stay together and we stay here. Small Heath, Bordesley, Hay Mills down to Greet. We know every face, every man is a soldier in this army. These men are professionals and are good at what they do so we'll need more than what we do."

Valerie shook her head.

"I've sent a message to Aberama Gold."

"No, no Tom. I'll get you fifty Lee boys. Good men, Tom." Johnny offered. "I don't need good men for this Johnny. I need bad men." Tommy refused.

Valerie took a deep breath. "There are no good men— all of this trouble is because of you men." Valerie spoke clearly.

"They're fucking savages— you know, heathens Tom. They don't even let them into the fair so they steal our horses, stealing from their own, Tom." Johnny continued.

"So this is the plan Thomas?" Polly asked, "this is the plan? Bullet with a name on it, help from a bunch of savages."

"We're going to go on the offensive," he ignored her, "i've spoken to Moss." Polly scoffed, "i've spoken to Moss and he is putting out word. Eyes and ears until we can find them. Yet the truth is that the police are busy with the revolution. They're expecting strikes and riots when the weather gets warmer. The Bolsheviks—"

"The Bolsheviks couldn't plan a fucking picnic he's reading the wrong papers." Ada said.

Valerie put her head in her hands.

"Ada! Real or not real the coppers don't give a fuck about us. Alright? Which means that here today, in this room, we have to agree to end this war between us. Take a vote." He said.

"Peace," Arthur spoke.

Ada nodded. "I was never apart of this but peace."

"Peace." Lizzie sighed.

"Peace." Charlie nodded.

Finn took a deep breath. "Peace," he chimed in. Arthur frowned. "Shut up, Finn." He scolded. Finn looked around, "why can't I say peace?" He asked. Tommy tutted. "Arthur let him have his say. Finn sit at the table."

Finn sat down and the moment he did, Valerie saw John sat before her. She blinked a few times and looked away.

Everybody else took their vote, Polly voting truce for both her and Michael. Tommy nodded and then looked to Valerie who was staring at the table. She took a deep breath. "Peace."

"Six for peace, two for truce on abstention. Let's get on with the war."

—

Grief. For some it was beautiful and for others it was a living horror. For Valerie Shelby, it was a horror. She felt physical pain in her heart as she sat alone in the house on Watery Lane. The moment replayed in her mind and it dawned on her how Francesca had seen the whole thing.

Her breath hitched and she leaned back.

The door creaked and she jumped, turning quickly to look who was there.

"Didn't mean to scare you." Tommy spoke.

She shook her head and turned back to look at the fire across from her. He stepped inside the room and leaned against the wall. "I'm sorry, Valerie." His words were genuine yet careful. She didn't move, didn't blink. Her lips parted. "No apology will bring my husband back to me."

Tommy looked down. "John got his wish— he got to spend his last moments with the woman he loved. That's what he wanted."

"Be quiet, Thomas." Valerie said cruelly, pressing her palms into her eyes. He tutted and crossed his arms. "She saw it— Francesca, she watched it happen." Valerie's voice began to tremble, "she watched her father die, Tommy."

A breath escaped his lips and his eyes widened ever so slightly.

"I'm going to have to tell her how she'll never see her father again." A tear rolled down her cheek, "she'll never get to feel his love again because of this fucking.. vendetta!" She ranted.

Tommy felt his eyes begin to burn — his heart pressed against his ribs.

"This war will be lost. You know that, don't you?" She stared him directly in the eye, "John is dead. Winning this war means nothing to me— it might mean something to you but not to me. To you, it's just your pride. To me, i've lost everything."

He furrowed his eyebrows together whilst listening to her words.

"I know, Valerie." His rubbed his forehead, "I know better than anyone else in this— fucking place, eh?" He raised his voice slightly, "my wife died because of this too."

Her eyes watered whilst staring at him.

"So if you let me in, I can help you, Valerie. I can help you get through it, you and Francesca." He offered whilst stepping toward her. She looked up at him, her lip trembling. Tommy kneeled down before her and hesitated before wiping the tear that rolled down her cheek. "I can only help you if you let me."

"No—" she whispered. Her voice sounded more like a whisper and she placed her hands over Tommy's when he cupped her face. "No, no don't you do this to me," more tears fell.

He stared at her with concern and confusion.

"Have some fucking decency, Thomas— John is dead. Don't use this as an excuse to get into my good books again." She was still holding his hands.

"What.." Tommy was genuine when talking. He had no intention other than to comfort her.

"I know you— I know what you're like and I'm not doing this.." She ranted.

Tommy slowly removed his hands from her face and stood up. She too stood and they were face to face. "You're hurting— I understand that, Valerie. And nothing will make John come back but you have to let somebody help you."

"I don't. No, I don't need any help." She refused with a shaky voice, "not from this family. Not from any of you—" she hit his chest. "We should've left when we had the chance—" she shouted, pushing him. "We should have went as far away from this place as we could— that's what John wanted but I told him no.. i fucking told him no!" Her voice cracked and that's when she burst into tears.

Tommy's eyes widened.

She turned away from him, her hands covering her eyes as she tried to silence her sobs.

"Valerie.." Tommy sighed. "Valerie, come on." He placed a hand on her shoulder and she almost automatically wrapped her arms around him.

Tommy placed a hand on the back of her head, the other wrapped around her. He closed his eyes for a brief moment.

"If Luca Changretta does not end up dead, i'm taking Francesca away from this family forever and you'll never see her again." Valerie whispered to him.

He saw her words were a threat — the word forever planting a new urge inside him to winning the so called war. The idea of losing both Valerie and Francesca made his heart grow heavy. The woman he once loved and the girl he once raised at his own.

Tommy was going to stick by his word. He was going to win this war.

-shelbysecret-

shortish chapter but what do you think?

i apologise for this but i had no story
prepared for John and Val if he'd survived.

thinking of making a new book once this
is complete for those who wish to see
Tommy and Val together again. It'll be
titled as another Amy Winehouse song
I think. it'll also go from season 5 I believe
after a time skip. anyone who is interested in that say here: