As they turned a corner Pearl briefly made eye contact with a man whose eyes widened drastically at the sight of her. It had only been a split second but her state was severe with dried blood covering one side of her face and crusted within her hair. It wasn't until she'd just passed the man that she realised he was wearing a bowler hat. There was only one man Pearl knew who wore a bowler hat... She could only imagine what he was thinking right now.

Eventually they arrived outside the Shelby residence and Arthur helped Tommy walk Pearl through the front door. When they entered they were met by Finn who was sitting on the sofa, both men faltered when they spotted him and Arthur tried to step forward to shield the boy from the sight of Pearl.

"Ada!" Tommy shouted through the house.

Ada had only been sitting in the kitchen and came in quickly. It took her a moment to notice it was Pearl between them, due to her state.

"Ada, take Finn out the house" Tommy ordered.

"Oh my god, what the fuck happened?" She walked forward but Tommy put his hand out to stop her.

"Now"

Ada looked between Tommy and Pearl briefly before obeying and ushering Finn out of the living room and then out through the back door. Pearl heard his small protests get further and further away until he was out of the house.

"Right, Arthur, go and get Polly. Tell her we need bandages - maybe more and close the betting shop"

"How bad are the wounds, Tom?"

"I don't know. Just go"

Arthur left Pearl's side on the hunt for Polly. Tommy walked Pearl over to the sofa, not caring how messy it would become as he prioritised Pearl's comfort. She sat down and continued to look forward with a blank stare, her mind too occupied to focus on what was going on around her. Tommy checked her body for anymore cuts or bruises that needed tending too.

Polly walked into the room with Arthur following close behind, she had a bucket of water in one hand and a box in the other.

"My god" she said slowly, "Is the blood all hers?"

"No'' Tommy stated with a shake of his head.

Polly placed the items onto the floor and looked to Pearl with a raised brow but Pearl remained silent. To everyone else she might as well have been brain-dead; she was emotionless and unresponsive - she sat there with sunken eyes and her mouth slightly agape.

"It was - uh - It was Mrs Clarkson, Pol" Arthur said solemnly.

Polly's fingertips raised to cover her lips and her face dropped.

"That's not what's important right now. Look at her, she's injured and bleeding all over - so help her" Tommy snapped.

Polly could tell whatever pain was currently flowing through Pearl's body was being mirrored within Tommy's - physical and emotional and it was making him restless.

"How bad are her injuries?" Polly asked as she brushed a piece of hair away from Pearl's face.

"She has a gunshot wound through her outer thigh, from what I can tell the bullet entered diagonally so it only passed through skin. She also has a cut on her left shoulder - can't be more than an inch and a half deep and a small cut on her ear. Other than that it's just bruises on her knees and scratch marks around her hands and wrists"

Polly got to work cleaning the cut around Pearl's shoulder and ear, whilst Tommy cleaned her thigh. Arthur just sat watching and bouncing his knee; he'd been stunned by the scene in Myrtle's house because, he believed, it looked like something he'd do - he'd heard stories but never believed Pearl was capable of such a thing. In a twisted, morbid way he felt almost comforted in someone else's ability to commit an act like that, like he wasn't alone in his madness.

Although he'd never say it out loud, of course.

"Okay, come on boys, I need to get her upstairs and get her in the bath. She looks fucking putrid"

"Pol" Tommy reprimanded with a shake of his head.

Polly simply let out a brief huff before getting the boys to raise Pearl from the sofa and help her up the stairs. They took her into the bathroom and Polly ushered them out of the room, Tommy was reluctant at first but was eventually convinced to leave. Pearl sat on a stool in the corner as Polly heated and filled the tub with water.

"Are you really not going to say anything?" Polly asked with a brief glance over her shoulder.

Not a single sign of acknowledgement.

"You know most people don't get this treatment after a killing"

Still nothing.

Polly started to get a little frustrated and stood up, looking down firmly at Pearl.

"You killed an innocent woman. I want to know why" she stepped closer to Pearl, placing her hands upon her hips, "You've committed some atrocities in your life, why is this what broke the camel's back?"

Polly gripped Pearl's cheeks between her fingers and tilted her head up. Pearl flicked her hollow eyes up so they met Polly's. That's when she felt it - it wasn't empathy exactly but a feeling.

Just a feeling.

Like Polly could read Pearl better than anyone in the world. She saw her deep remorse, her grief but most of all - her terror.

In that moment Polly knew Pearl hadn't done what she did out of malice or provocation; Pearl had demons and Polly could see they had committed this sinful act. Polly saw in her eyes that they deeply frightened Pearl.

Her grip softened against Pearl's face and she brushed her knuckles against Pearl's cheek. She needn't say anything - Pearl knew.

Polly finished drawing the bath and helped Pearl undress and get in. She used a sponge to clean the blood off of her face and body, then scooping up the water and using it to wash her hair. Polly became extremely tender with Pearl, her resentment had seemed to wash away. After all, she was just a girl and the world had been oh, so unkind to her.

She finished up and left to let Pearl soak a little while longer. Pearl drew circles on the surface of the water and tried to clear her mind but she could only see Myrtle's face in the reflection of the water. She saw her empty eyes and the blood trickling down the side of her face. Pearl felt sick within her own skin; she couldn't understand how whilst she was sat in a warm bath being cared for, Myrtle was being dug into an unmarked grave by men she didn't even know.

How is that fair?

Pearl knew that a part of her had died that night. A part she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to get back.

"I'm sorry" she whispered to Myrtle's reflection but the apparition didn't respond.

Pearl broke the surface of the water with her hand and watched as Myrtle's likeness rippled away.

Ada came in a little while later with a cup of tea and a night gown. She sat beside the copper tub with her knees pulled up to her chest and gave Pearl a sympathetic smile.

"Tommy's really worried about you y'know. He won't stop pacing. I think he assumed the worst when he heard those gunshots"

Pearl didn't respond at first, barely even heard her. Then she slowly tore her eyes from the water and looked at her friend.

"This is the worst, Ada"

Ada sighed, unable to find the words to soothe her. She doubted there were any for this situation. Instead she just slipped her hand into Pearl's and gave it a soft squeeze.

"What did you do today?" Pearl asked meekly with a sniffle from her blocked nose.

Ada's face scrunched in confusion, "What?"

"Tell me about your day, Ada" Pearl looked her with a melancholy smile, "Please"

Ada didn't understand why, in this current situation, Pearl wanted to listen to this but she humbly obliged. Pearl let her eyes close as she listened to how Ada went into town this morning, she picked up vegetables for dinner then accidentally stood in a puddle on the way home and dirtied one of her favourite dresses. Then she listened to how Ada had a small squabble with Freddie about his rallies at the factory and how she thinks he should stay under the radar a little more but they made up in the end, of course, because they love each other.

With each little detail Pearl felt her body relax and her mind slip away. She imagined the life she could lead without the stress of the Silver Fang and the bodies that come along with it. She imagined walking Lillian to school and meeting with Ada for lunch and idle chatter. She imagined letting herself fall in love with Tommy without worrying what would come of it.

But it was all a mythical fantasy, it was nice to picture, but it could only live within the confines of her imagination.

Eventually Ada finished and helped Pearl out of the bath, she changed and was then taken into what used to be John's room. Ada left to allow Pearl some sleep. However, she couldn't bring herself to meet what was awaiting her in her dreams so sat on the edge of the bed and fiddled with the edge of the bandage on her thigh.

She spent at least an hour sitting on the bed, tracing different patterns around the room with her eyes. Pearl was broken from her trance when she heard the church bell down the road strike midnight. Each chime was carried melodically through the streets before reaching Pearl's ears. On the final chime the bedroom door cracked open, a pair of blue eyes appeared from behind and upon seeing her sitting there he entered the room.

"You're awake?" Tommy asked softly.

She bent her head into a small nod as he entered the room, closing the door behind him. He crossed the room in large strides and sat beside Pearl on the bed.

She turned to look at him with sunken eyes, "Do you have a cigarette?"

It wasn't exactly what Tommy was hoping to hear but he gave her one anyway, retrieving a cigarette for both him and Pearl. The pair sat and smoked quietly for a while but Tommy couldn't help holding back on his burning questions.

"What happened, Pearl?"

Pearl inhaled the cigarette and then let the smoke trickle from her lips, "I broke. I broke and I murdered an innocent women"

"Don't fuckin' give me that. What happened?"

Pearl eyed him warily before tapping off the excess ash.

"She was drunk and she pulled a gun on me. S'been talking to Grenfeld's men... for a while now"

"So it was self-defence?"

Pearl gave him an incredulous look, "No, Tommy, that was not self-defence"

She tilted her head and inspected the cigarette dangling loosely between her fingers, deep in thought.

"You should have left me in there. I deserved whatever was coming to me"

"Stop it"

Tommy was harsh but she was aggravating, sitting there deprecating herself when - to Tommy - she was the only light in this gloomy world he was entrenched in.

"She was right, I'm a monster"

Tommy grabbed her wrist and tugged her to face him, slightly harder than he intended to, "No, that's enough, stop! You've had a hard life, a shit upbringing. So you're fucked up now? It's not your fault, why can't you fucking see that?"

Pearl grunted at his obstinance. Why he would always defend her good nature was something she couldn't understand.

"Stop trying to justify my actions! I will never forgive myself for what I did - never. You need to stop making me the victim, like what I did was okay!"

Pearl pulled her wrist from his grip and looked away as a stray tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly swiped it away, not needing to give Tommy anymore reasons to pity her.

"Pearl, if you're a monster what does that make me?"

She sighed, she realised Tommy hadn't given up on her purity because in some twisted way if there was still a chance for her there was a chance for him. Pearl stumped out her cigarette and rested her forehead against Tommy's shoulder.

"We're made for each other Thomas Shelby"

It was a bitterly melancholic statement but it resonated within the two. Tommy rested his hand against the nape of Pearl's neck and rubbed his thumb against her hair.

"I don't think there's much I wouldn't do for you, Pearl Moore"

Pearl raised her head and Tommy turned his head to look at her, "That's an awfully dangerous statement to make"

Tommy used the hand against Pearl's neck to pull her face closer to his and met her with a kiss. It didn't seem the right thing to do, given the circumstance but it was all he could do. Tommy could offer her men and weapons and money but he couldn't offer consolation, which was what she really needed - so instead he gave himself and Pearl gratefully accepted.

Pearl revelled in the warmth of Tommy beside her and the comfort that came along with it. His never-failing ability to be where just where she needed him to be was becoming something she believed she could depend on, despite how precarious it was in reality. She let his lips guide her through her torment and his touch ground her. Tommy used his weight to push Pearl back onto the bed as his hands wandered from her neck to her waist. Her blonde hair fanned out on the pillow around her becoming a deceiving halo. Pearl couldn't stop moving her hands from his face to his shoulder and arms, it's like she was trying to convince herself he was real.

She arched her back to be ever closer to him and it seemed to make Tommy more desperate as his kisses became deeper. Pearl started to undo the buttons to Tommy's shirt and then pushed the material off of his back and onto the floor. After that Tommy made quick work of pulling off of Pearl's nightgown. He noticed her body was littered with little scars, some were small and round from bullets whereas others were jagged lines - most likely from knives. Tommy gave Pearl's uninjured thigh a small squeeze and placed a kiss on a scar just below her collarbone and Pearl felt like he was finally seeing her.

The rest of the night Pearl spent in a haze of Tommy; his eyes, his lips and his hands, all infiltrating every sense and claiming her very being. She fell asleep on his chest listening to the slow, steady beats of his heart and allowing them to bring her peace.

Pearl awoke the next morning with light rays streaming through the window and illuminating her face. She sat up and placed her head into her hands as she remembered the events of the previous evening and then rubbed her hands up, pushing back her hair. But then Pearl heard a light snoring beside her and looked down to see Tommy still sound asleep. Pearl moved a few stray hairs which had fallen across his forehead and smiled to herself.

Her throat was sore from the strain she placed on it yesterday and she got out of bed, carefully so as to not wake Tommy, and put on the night dress to go in search of water. It was early and seemingly none of the Shelby household were awake, except from Ada who she spotted making breakfast for herself when she got into the kitchen.

Ada gave her a coy smile, unsure of what state Pearl would be in at this particular moment.

"Help yourself to anything" she gestured to the kitchen cabinets.

Pearl walked over and filled a glass with water, gulping it down greedily. She then grabbed some bread and jam because after looking at the food she realised she was in fact ravenous after neglecting food last night. As she spread the jam along her bread she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She smiled as Tommy appeared, already fully dressed to her surprise.

Ada looked between the two and despite no words being said she noticed the bashful smiles on both their faces and smirked into her porridge. The silence was broken by the phone ringing in the betting den and Ada took it upon herself to go and answer it, presumably to tell them it was 'too early' and to 'fuck off'.

"Good sleep?" Tommy asked as he approached her from the opposite end of the room.

"Surprisingly, yes"

He placed his hand affectionately on her waist, "No bad dreams or-"

Pearl cut him off with a shake of her head and bit into her bread.

Ada came back into the room with a flustered look on her face and the pair turned to look at her.

"Pearl... uh- it's for you"

Pearl looked at Tommy with a furrowed brow, then placed her breakfast on the kitchen table and walked into the betting den with Tommy following close behind.

She placed the receiver to her ear and awaited the mystery caller's voice.

"'Ello love" Grenfeld's voice boomed down the phone.

Pearl's hand flew up to clutch her heart and she turned to Tommy who was watching her with a baffled expression.

"How did you know I'd be here?" Pearl asked.

"You know I have people watching you and from what I've heard you've been a very naughty girl, Marie - ruffling some Shelby sheets and whatnot"

Pearl's mouth was agape as she heard his voice taunting her like it was in the room, "How did you-"

"I already told you, you're being watched. Fuck me, Birmingham has dumbed you down hasn't it?"

Pearl wasn't sure what the right response was but she knew he hadn't called for a friendly chat, whatever it was he needed to say he'd get to eventually.

"You've really hurt me, Marie. Really hurt me. You broke my trust and I don't like that. I mean you even went as far as to mutilate a poor old lady, now that's cruel - even for you"

Pearl felt sick at the mention of Myrtle and her face visibly paled. Tommy walked forward with his hand outstretched for the receiver but Pearl put his hand up to stop him.

"Now, I'm a fair man. I'll let you repair your mistake and we'll forget this ever happened"

"What do you want?" Pearl seethed.

"The guns. Birmingham has made you dim, God, I want the guns!" She heard the irritation in the rise and fall of his voice but he took a breath and calmed, "However, I don't like how shifty you've become. I want your loyalty to be entirely with me so... I want you to get rid of Thomas Shelby. I know that shouldn't be too hard for you after the scene you caused last night"

Pearl's eyes widened as she glanced at Tommy and he noticed the way her body stiffened. His eyes were asking a million questions but Pearl was too busy waiting with baited breath.

"Oh- and to make sure you complete the task I've got your sister. We're holding her somewhere safe, don't worry... it's not pleasant but it's safe. You have forty-eight hours; it's Tommy or Lillian, your choice"

With that Grenfeld hung up the phone and Pearl held the receiver in her grasp for one second... two seconds... then flung the entire phone against the wall with a scream. Tommy was quick to her side, trying to figure out what the call could've possibly been about. Pearl roughly shoved him away from her and ran out of the door, instantly hunching over and throwing up the contents of her breakfast as soon as she reached the street.