Few words had passed between Pearl and Tommy on the drive to London, everything had gone downhill too fast for either to truly process what was happening. Although, Tommy could tell that despite Pearl's blank stare the fidget of her hands and furrow of her brows showed that she was deep in thought - most likely figuring out a plan he was sure he wouldn't like. He knew that after all these years she'd got so used to working solo that she was hesitant to accept any form of help - but she didn't have a choice this time, she needed them whether she knew it or not.

"Willing to share what's going on up there?" Tommy asked, briefly motioning to Pearl's head.

She turned and looked at him with a frown as she was pulled from her daze, "What?"

"What are you planning?"

The question caused Pearl to stare down at her hands and start picking at her nails, lightly chewing on her lips as she weighed up her options.

"Well, the plan to try and trade the guns has obviously gone to shit, you know, now that I'm a fugitive and all" Tommy smirked a little at her comment, knowing that despite the fact she was wanted for murder it was maybe one of the lowest things on her list of priorities. "I know I berated John for his idea but going full force may be the only way forward"

Tommy hummed in response, "Very stealthy"

"Obviously I won't be using the front door" Pearl scoffed humorlessly, "That townhouse is like a labyrinth, it had to be for my father to feel safe living there. There's a dozen entrances, some that I bet Grenfeld has no clue about, we'll cover every exit so the bastard can't escape"

"He must have thought about that?"

"Thought about what?" Pearl questioned with a furrow of her brows.

Tommy faced her briefly and she caught the somewhat solemn look on his face, "He's holding her in your house. Surely he knows that you have the advantage"

"I'm not sure, I think... I think Grenfeld knows the memories that would be brought up for me when I go back into that house. That's probably why he did it. He's a sick man, he'd much rather drive someone to the brink of insanity than shoot them point blank. For whatever reason... he's chosen it on purpose"

Tommy waited a beat before asking,"What memories would be brought up for you?"

Pearl glanced across at him and then turned her head back to the road ahead, allowing the wind to blow her hair and create a visual barrier between them - refusing him his answer. She focused instead on the buildings which were now surrounding her, an unsettling sense of familiarity coming along with them.

Occasionally they would pass a road and a memory would briefly flash through her mind of a mop of blonde hair running through the street, with a much shorter brunette following along behind. She tried her best to hide the way a chill ran down her spine at every memory of her and Lillian's childhood; she felt every memory, both good and bad, had been spoiled by what she'd become.

They eventually parked up a side street in Battersea and Tommy led Pearl towards the river. Pearl was on edge, constantly glancing every which way and periodically tapping the breast of her blazer to feel the indent of her gun underneath the material. When they reached the water Pearl recognised a group of about ten men loitering in the shadows of a building, each with a peaky cap resting atop their head.

Pearl exhaled a huff of relief, "I can't fault your organisation, Tommy. Truly"

"What kind of man would I be without a contingency plan?" he responded, giving her a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder.

Arthur, John and Johnny Dogs emerged from the group once Pearl and Tommy were close enough and pulled them towards the shade that had been cast across the street by the building. An air of relief spread across Pearl's face and she stepped forward to embrace them separately, trying to show her gratitude for them through an extra tight squeeze.

"Almost thought you were a goner back there you two, running through the streets of Birmingham with a target on your back" Arthur joked.

Pearl scoffed, "Me? I'm bloody invincible"

"You better hope you are" John interjected, "We've got word that Grenfeld's men are crawling all over the house. They must know you're planning an ambush"

"You've got men down there already?"

John nodded, "We've got men set up on every exit from Golden Square Park. The rest of these men we'll use to guard the house itself"

"Right" she glanced at the men loitering, all waiting for instruction and then turned to face Tommy who was stood beside her waiting for instruction of his own, "Well, it'll take about two hours to walk from here-"

"Oh no, we're not walking" Johnny Dogs pointed to a boat on the water beside them, "Figured they're less likely to see us coming up the river. We've even brought some reinforcements"

Pearl's eyes widened as she looked between Johnny and the three brothers. Tommy stepped forward and placed his hand on the small of Pearl's back to gain her attention.

"We've brought up some of the guns - we expected we'd be out manned, this way we're not out gunned" Tommy spoke lowly, with his head bent towards Pearl's.

"What have you got?" Pearl asked, never drawing her eyes away from the crate sat on the boat.

"Enough semi-automatic rifles for every man here and two lewis machine guns to place wherever you think is best"

She turned back to the men with a dazed expression and slipped her hand into Tommy's, giving it a small squeeze, "I don't even want to know how the hell you got those up here. You lot are seriously brilliant"

John stepped forward with a beaming smile and swung his arm around Pearl's neck, breaking her away from Tommy and moving her towards the boat, "We've been waiting for you to notice"

Pearl cast a glance behind her to see Tommy's gentle smile as he watched her finally fit in with his family after the turbulence of the past few months.

The gang huddled into the boat and started to drift down the Thames. Dusk had fallen and cast purple and navy hues across the London skyline with twinkling stars beginning to emerge here and there. Luckily for them the darkening sky allowed the boat to be engulfed by the darkness of the water and hard to see from the streets, allowing them to pull up to the bank completely unseen.

Once they'd arrived they unloaded the crated and passed out the guns. Pearl walked over to the men who were manning the Lewis machine guns and told them exactly where to station themselves, with one at the front of the house and one at the rear. She then stood up on the crate to call on all the men to hush and gather round for one last debrief.

"Right lads, we're sure to be outnumbered by Grenfeld's men so we need to make sure we're ready. I can get you all in and from there I need you lot to take out as many guards as possible. We..." she pointed to herself and the Shelby brothers, "Will go looking for Lili. If any of you find her before us you get her out. I swear to god if even one hair on her head is harmed I'll have every single one of your balls. You're all Peaky Blinders, you better live up to your fucking name because Lillian is the priority"

The men all shared nods amongst themselves, some cheering here and there throughout her little speech. She was about to step back down but faltered and gained their attention once more.

"Oh- and... thank you" Pearl then turned to look directly at the Shelby boys, "All of you. I couldn't have done this alone"

Tommy's gaze softened - he knew how reluctant she'd been to accept help so her gratitude was keenly felt. Pearl noticed him watching her straight away and had to stop the smile creeping onto her face but the atmosphere was quickly broken by Arthur rallying the men together. Tommy made his way over to the crate where Pearl was stood and placed his hands on her waist to lift her down. She landed with a soft thud and lost her footing slightly, causing her to stumble, but Tommy's hands simply tightened around her and pulled her closer to him.

"I found the part about you taking our balls particularly inspiring" Tommy mocked.

"Well I needed to make sure you all had enough incentive"

"Everyone here wants to help, we don't need any incentive"

Pearl nodded slowly, her eyes glued to Tommy's. She leant forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips and when she broke away his head moved forward, trying to chase her lips.

Pearl pushed him away reluctantly, "Best not waste anymore time"

Tommy agreed and the pair retrieved their guns and made their way back to the group as they headed off through the streets.

Night had fallen and the group moved under the cover of darkness, only occasionally being revealed by the warm glow of the street lamps. Once they neared the park, Pearl sent the men operating the machine guns to their positions and the rest of them slipped down a back alley which led to the townhouses garden.

They reached the garden wall and straight away John moved to scale it before Pearl grabbed him by the collar and yanked him backwards.

"John! Don't you think they'll notice if men start flinging over the wall?" Pearl berated in a harsh tone.

John rubbed his neck with a baffled expression, "Well how are we meant to get in then?"

She sighed and turned to face the ground of the alley, slowly walking forward and stomping every so often. The men looked on with concern written across their faces whilst Arthur nudged Tommy.

"Tom, do you think she's finally lost it?"

Tommy never answered, just continued to watch with curiosity as Pearl stomped all over the ground.

After another minute or two she brought her foot down and instead of hearing the crunch of small stones she heard a metal clang. Pearl smiled and got down on her hands and knees brushing away the dust and debris to reveal a manhole cover which she lifted and set aside. The men all stepped forward and looked down, spotting a ladder which led down into the darkness.

Pearl turned to them, "Johnny, I want you to stay up here and cover the tunnel. We can't have anyone ambush us when we're trying to get in or out"

John and Arthur both shared a look and then glanced at Tommy whose eyes had widened at the sight. Pearl noticed their hesitancy but couldn't work out what had caused it.

"It's the easiest way in. It leads straight to the kitchen" she reassured.

Arthur took a hold of Pearl's arm to grab her attention and lowered his voice, "Tom was a clay kicker, there's no chance he's going back into the tunnels"

Pearl's face fell as she glanced at Arthur and then to Tommy who was still staring down at the hole in the ground. She'd never considered that there would be something Thomas Shelby couldn't do. She felt naive for neglecting the trauma each of the men carried and how she couldn't have thought about what would trigger them. Pearl stepped towards him and placed both her palms flat against his chest.

"Tommy, it's safe" her voice broke him from his trance as he turned to look at her, the fear clear in his eyes, "It was built to fit the height of a six foot man, you have nothing to worry about"

Pearl realised her words weren't providing any comfort. She didn't want him out of her sight, knowing the threat that was put upon his life but she also knew she couldn't force him down there considering his past. Her hands scrunched into fists and then fell from his chest in defeat.

"It's okay, I understand. You stay here with Johnny, guard the cover" Pearl turned away from him and handed her gun to Arthur as she made her descent down the ladder, "Come on boys, it's go time"

She landed in the pitch black tunnel and Arthur handed her gun back. Once everyone was down she explained that there was an indentation in the wall for when they didn't have lanterns and instructed every man to place their finger in the divot. The indentation led in a straight line to the kitchen and ensured they wouldn't end up wandering into any walls.

Just before she was about to head forward she heard the thud of someone else entering the tunnel and turned to see Tommy standing beside the bottom of the ladder. He passed the group until he stood behind Pearl and her heart expanded knowing that he had put aside his own fears to help her. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze a whispered a quiet, "Thank you"

The group ventured into the tunnels, following the divots in the wall. As they neared their destination Pearl felt her chest tighten and her breath quicken, she'd planned in her head all that she could but she would never know how this would play out. She feared that so far it had been too easy; there had been no one in their way, no obstacles - surely Grenfeld would've put up more defences...

Pearl shook the thought from her mind as the line in the wall made a sharp turn and started to go upwards. She reached forward into the darkness and felt another ladder in front of her.

"We're here" she called out, trying to stop her voice from shaking.

Once again she passed her gun back for Tommy to hold and climbed up until she felt a wooden floor above her head. She shoved it hard, expecting some resistance, but over time the wood had rotted and it was very easy to remove.

Pearl climbed out and found herself stood in her kitchen.

There was a wooden table in the centre of the room, mostly for the servants as the family only ever ate in the dining room. The table used to be surrounded by wooden chairs but now the chairs were strewn about the room with broken legs. There were also large windows lining one of the walls, which were now splintered and cracked - the light which used to stream through being blocked by overgrown ivy on the outside. The cupboards were bare and the doors were hanging off of their hinges.

Pearl used to spend hours in the kitchen, stealing food from the counters or running around chasing Lillian with whatever utensil she could find. All of that warmth and laughter no longer hung in the air, instead it was cold, damp and desolate.

Once everyone was above ground Pearl forced herself to stop inspecting the room and regain her focus.

"Alright, behind that door there is a set of stairs. I want you" she motioned to everyone except the Shelby brothers, "to head up into the foyer of the main house and disarm as many men as possible. That'll clear the way for our exit"

The blinders wasted no time in following instructions and leaving the kitchen.

"Shouldn't we be going up there as well?" John asked.

"We are"

Pearl walked towards one of the shelving units which was up against a wall and taller than herself. She wrapped her fingers around the edge of it and pulled. The unit swung forward to reveal another passageway hidden behind it.

"Bloody hell, Pearl" Arthur gawped, "You live in a fookin' haunted house"

"I told you it was a labyrinth. This leads to the drawing room, it's one of the grandest rooms in the house and knowing Grenfeld he'll want to make a spectacle. I'll bet that's where he's keeping Lili"

They continued onward. Tommy didn't have an issue with this passageway as it was lit by lanterns and had been decorated with wallpaper, albeit peeling off.

After a couple of minutes of walking the group was stopped dead in their tracks when they heard gunshots ringing through the air above their heads. Pearl turned to face Tommy, whose eyes were just as wide as her own and when she heard the crash of a body hitting the ground Pearl broke out into a sprint. She ran until she reached a set of stairs with a door at the top. Pearl burst through the door and all four of them spilled out into the grand drawing room.

It was in a complete state.

There was no one there but the sofas had been flipped and tables broken, bits of porcelain were littering the floor from where vases had fallen and smashed. The curtains had been torn down and were strewn across the floor but what caught Pearl's eye was a large blood stain soaked into the carpet. She felt her mouth go dry and her heart stop and before she knew it she was running once more.

She ran through another door on the other side of the drawing room which led into another smaller sitting room which was in the same state. Pearl inhaled sharply as she was face to face with her younger self. Everything in the room had been destroyed, barr an oil painting of her family. She was eight, maybe nine in the image and her eyes were bright and her cheeks rosy - it must have been painted mere months before she was pulled out of school and begun being trained by her father. She knew because her face still held an air of ignorant bliss.

Her eyes pricked with tears as she looked upon the image of a perfect family before turning to exit the room. As she did so she realised that in her panic she had failed to realise that the Shelby brothers were no longer flanking her sides and just as the thought crossed her mind another shot split through the air.

Pearl rushed back into the drawing room but The Shelby's weren't anywhere to be seen. However in their place there was a fresh blood stain beside the door which led to the main stairwell of the house and Pearl ceased to breathe.

She rushed to the stairwell. When she looked down over the railing she saw two bodies lying on the floor, neither were wearing the uniforms of the Peaky Blinders so Pearl tried not to let her panic rise.

She saw a trail of blood leading up the stairs and not wanting to waste another second, Pearl ascended the steps two at a time and once she reached the next floor she was faced with three doorways. The trail of blood led up to one of the doors and Pearl's blood ran cold when she realised said door led to her own bedroom. Her hand trembled as it reached for the brass doorknob and the cold steel sent shivers down her spine.

One... two...

And she stepped inside, instantly paling at the sight.

It was the only room that had been left untouched. Her bed sat in the middle of the large room, the pillows had been fluffed up and the duvet had been straightened. The light pink wallpaper hadn't faded and the chandelier seemed as though it had been polished as the gold was so clear she could almost see herself in the reflection. The shelves were still littered with old toys and small trinkets which Pearl had once treasured and despite its appearance this room was the most painful for her to enter.

Because stood lining the wall opposite her bed were the three Shelby's, each one had a henchman holding a gun to their temple, their own guns nowhere to be seen. Arthur was bleeding from the head and seemed in a daze, as though his legs could give out from under him at any second. John was squirming against the hold of the man much larger than himself and spitting insults whenever he could.

And Tommy... he stood completely still, back straight and shoulders wide staring straight ahead at Grenfeld who was stood in the middle of the room, basking in the chaos.

"We've been eagerly anticipating your arrival" Grenfeld smirked, opening his arms in a welcoming manner.

"What have you done!" Pearl spat.

Grenfeld's face dropped to a deadly scowl, "What have I done? What have I done? Marie, this entire ordeal was brought on by you. I gave you an offer that was more than fair after your betrayal and this is how you repay me? Murdering my men in cold blood. Trying to steal what is mine!"

"What is yours? I hope you're not referring to Lillian" Pearl responded in a tone just as cold.

Grenfeld eyed her for a moment and then broke into a fit of laughter so strong that it caused him to double over. Pearl glanced over to Tommy to see if he was seeing this too but his expression remained blank as his eyes stayed trained on Grenfeld.

Once he was able to catch his breath, Grenfeld looked back to Pearl with a smile which was juxtaposed with the hatred in his eyes.

"Do you really think you're in a position to be threatening me right now? Look around" he motioned to the Shleby's, "The life of everyone you love is quite literally in my hands"

Pearl couldn't find a retort, she felt meek and useless and couldn't help but look at Tommy with sunken eyes.

"Oh please, don't do that, you look pathetic" Grenfeld moaned.

"What do you want?"

Grenfeld sighed and rubbed his hand against his forehead, "I've made it crystal clear what I want and, Marie, you've failed me everytime. You've run out of chances, forgiveness is simply not an option but... there is a way you make it out of this alive and I'll even give you your sister"

"Well then where is she?"

Grenfeld didn't respond, he simply moved to the side to reveal Lillian behind him. She was bound to a chair with a gag in her mouth and blood matted in her hair. Pearl rushed forward to comfort her sister and Grenfeld made no move to stop her.

Pearl threw her gun to the side and fell to her knees as tears pooled in her eyes and she removed the gag from Lillian's mouth.

"Lili, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry" Pearl's hands were all over Lillian's face as she assessed her injuries, "This wasn't how it was meant to be. Oh god, I'm-"

"Shoot Thomas"

Pearl froze and her hands stilled on Lillian's cheeks. She turned to face Grenfeld but remained kneeling.

"What you fucking little- Ow!" John cursed but was interrupted by the barrel of a gun smacking into the crown of his head.

"Shoot Thomas" he repeated, "And you can go. You take your sister and you leave this city because I never want to fucking see you again"

Pearl chanced a look at Tommy who was now staring down at his feet. He seemed resigned... he thought she was going to do it.

"I'm not- no!" Pearl quivered, "No! I won't do it"

"Okay" Grenfeld stated calmly.

He then proceeded to pull a revolver out of his waistcoat and point it directly at Lillian. Pearl's eyes widened and she pulled herself to her feet, frantically reaching for her rifle as she did. She pointed the gun at Grenfeld which caused the man who had been holding Arthur up to drop him and aimed his gun at Pearl.

In a quick succession both conscious brothers pulled pistols from their blazers and pointed them at the man who was aiming for Pearl, in turn causing their own captors to cock their guns against the Shelby brothers foreheads.

Grenfeld looked around with a satisfied smile, "It's quite the bloodbath you're about to cause, Marie. Is that really what you want?"

He started to creep closer to Pearl, his gun never leaving Lillian.

"Do the right thing and this will all be over" his voice had dropped to just above a whisper, "Shoot Thomas"

Once Grenfeld was close enough he wrapped his hand around the barrel of Pearl's gun and moved it so it was facing Tommy. Grenfeld dipped his head so that his lips were ghosting over the shell of Pearl's ear, "End this and you can live a peaceful life"

Pearl was breathing heavily as she looked down the barrel of her gun at Tommy. At first he looked worried, his eyes widened but then they settled. He took a deep breath and nodded at Pearl.

She scrunched her eyes closed and allowed a few tears to fall and once they opened a quick succession of bullets flew through the air.

a/n

im so sorry it took me over a month to update, i've had the worst writers block. Hopefully the longer chapter makes up for it!