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"Come on, Ada love, let's get you inside," Polly soothed as she guided Ada towards the house, Florence following behind.

"Flo," Tommy spoke up as he leant against his car, having driven the three women back to Small Heath, "Can we talk?"

"Your sister's in labour, can it wait?" Florence replied, glancing at Polly for reassurance.

"I'll take care of this, take as long as you need," Polly assured the girl, sensing that there was some unfinished business between the pair that needed to be dealt with.

"Everything alright?" Florence asked as she turned and paced back towards Tommy.

"Are you happy now that you know John's happy?" Tommy answered, placing a cigarette between his lips and lighting it.

"He's lucky, she seems like a nice girl, I just hope they're happy together," Florence sighed, staring at the ground.

"John seemed happy enough with his new motor," Tommy replied, noticing how closed off Florence had become in the past few months.

"I should probably see if Pol and Ada need any help," Florence sighed, despising Tommy's ability to always manage to find a way to bring it back to money.

"What's wrong?" Tommy asked as Florence focused her gaze further down the street, her eyes glossing over as she remembered one of the warmest days of the summer when she was a little girl. The boys all being older than her had offered to take the girls to get an ice cream, Arthur was in charge, meaning the afternoon ended in chaos. That was all she wanted for her baby, to feel loved and cared for and part of something. Florence wasn't tied to the Shelby family by blood, but to them that never mattered.

"You were so different before the war," Florence whispered, looking back at him, "I fell in love with you long before you returned from the war, when I was eighteen and maybe I was naive, but in my eyes you were the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Flo-"

"I shouldn't have expected you to come back as the same man you were before, and it's taken me some time to come to terms with that, but I see now that war changed all of you," Florence explained, cradling her bump, "I see it in your eyes when you look at Finn, I see it in George when there's a sudden loud noise, I see it in Elijah's face when he's sleeping and the thoughts are lingering."

"We all agreed not to talk about the things we saw with people who didn't have to experience it, to protect you," Tommy told her.

"I know," Florence sighed, "I just wish it didn't change you the way it did."

"Can I just ask you something?" Tommy replied.

"Fire away." Florence answered, bracing herself for whatever Tommy could possibly want to say.

"Why did you bring Elijah to John's wedding?" Tommy asked.

"Because he's my husband, and there are only three of us that know why he's my husband," Florence answered, "And he has been by my side through all of this in ways I never imagined he could."

"So he's looking after you?" Tommy continued.

"He is," Florence nodded, "Not that I deserve it, I wake up every morning wondering if it might be the day he changes his mind."

"He'll never do that," Tommy muttered, "He cares about you far too much to leave you like that."

Before Florence could respond John's car came speeding around the corner, parking up behind Tommy's as Arthur, John and Esme climbed out.

"Nice car, John," Tommy smiled as he and Florence approached the car, "How's she run?"

"Yeah, beautiful, really smooth," John replied with a grin.

"Your sister's in there giving birth and you're talking about the bloody car." Polly sighed as she appeared in the doorway, guiding Esme into the house.

"Not much us men can do now, Pol," Tommy answered with a smirk.

"Except go get drunk," Arthur grinned.

"Right, come on," Tommy gestured to his brothers.

"There's one man that should be here," Polly told them.

"You're right, Pol, Freddie should be here," Tommy nodded.

"Is that a heartbeat I hear inside that chest?" Polly asked with a tentative smile.

"The truce lasts till sunrise, on my oath," Tommy assured her, "Tell Freddie it's safe."

"Ada!" Polly called out as she disappeared back into the house.

"You joining us at the pub?" Tommy asked Florence.

"No," She shook her head, "I should be here, I'm more use here."

"Alright then," Tommy nodded as she followed Polly into the house, closing the door behind her.

She followed the sound of groaning and painful screams from the living room, entering the room to see Ada on the floor in her nightgown, her skin sweaty as Polly knelt in front of her.

"You hold my hand if you need to alright?" Florence smiled as she sat beside the girl, brushing her hair out of her face, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Flo, this is fucking agony," Ada winced.

"I know, just push when it feels right," Florence soothed as Ada clung onto her hand, "You're doing such a good job."

"Flo's right, you've just got to push a little while longer and that baby will be here," Polly assured her niece.

"Have you thought of any names yet?" Florence asked the girl in an attempt to distract her from the pain.

"Me and Freddie couldn't agree on-" Ada winced as the pain from the contraction cut her sentence short.

"Keep going, that's right, push," Polly attempted to comfort the girl.

Esme nervously placed her hands on the girl's lower stomach, glancing at both Florence and Polly, "I think it might be the wrong way round, I tended three sisters."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Polly muttered as she rested her hand on Ada's stomach.

"What does that mean?" Florence asked, having been present at Finn's birth as well as the birth of all of John's children, but this was not something she had heard of before.

"It's easier for the baby to be born if it's head first," Esme explained, "We should move her forward, it'll be easier for them both."

"Alright," Florence nodded as she gave Ada her hand again.

"Come on, Ada," Polly added as the three women helped her to get onto all fours, "Right, come on, it's not long to go now darling."

"Could you find a blanket or something warm to wrap the baby in?" Esme whispered to Florence as she rubbed Ada's back.

"Of course," Florence nodded, standing and making her way out into the hallway where a basket of fresh washing sat. She rummaged through it and pulled out a tired but clean yellow blanket before returning to the living room.

"Push, two, three," Polly told the girl as she continued to rub her back.

After an eternity of Ada pushing and groaning in pain the sweet sound of the little baby boy's cries filled the room. Polly scooped up the baby and placed him in Ada's arms, the little boy was instantly calmed by his mother's warmth.

"Did you find a blanket?" Polly asked Florence.

"I did," She smiled, handing Polly the yellow blanket as Esme helped Ada to clean up the little boy.

"Oh my," Polly smiled fondly, "Do you know how long we've had this?"

"No, it was just on the pile of clean washing in the hallway," Florence replied.

"I knitted this for your mother when she was pregnant with you," Polly beamed as she wrapped the blanket around Ada's new son.

"He's perfect Ada," Florence whispered as the four women admired the little boy.

"Ada!" The muffled voice from the other side of the front door startled Florence.

"Is that Freddie?" Florence whispered, "Did Tommy really keep his word?"

"Why don't you go and let the man in?" Polly suggested as Florence made her way out into the hallway.

She opened the front door to see Freddie standing in front of her, appearing breathless as though he'd just ran from one end of Small Heath to the other.

"Is she here?" Freddie asked, "Have I missed it?"

"Why don't you come in and see for yourself?" Florence smiled, stepping to one side to allow him into the house as he rushed past her in search of Ada.

"It's a boy, Freddie," Ada sighed with a gentle smile, now sitting in a chair as Freddie and Florence entered the room.

"It's a beautiful baby boy," Freddie whispered as he crouched in front of Ada, taking his son in his arms while Florence and Polly stood side by side in the doorway.

"She's got herself a perfect little family," Florence sighed, feeling a knot in her stomach, knowing that her child would never know its own father in that way.

"Are you alright, love?" Polly asked, noticing how Florence's smile had dropped.

"I'm just not sure how I'll fare when it's my turn, Ada's much braver than me," Florence replied.

"Well your mother will be with you every step of the way, I'm sure, and I'm sure Margaret Harrington will too," Polly told her.

"I don't think I could face having Margaret at my bedside while I give birth," Florence sighed before glancing at Polly, "You'll be there won't you? I don't think I could do it without you."

"If that's what you want, my love, I'll get one of my nephews to drive me to Harrington House in the middle of the night if I have to," Polly grinned.

An intense knock at the door grabbed the attention of everyone in the room, the voice was muffled but Florence was sure she could hear the voice say that it was the police.

"Freddie?" Ada muttered, taking the baby from his arms as Esme made her way to the front door.

"You can't come in here, there's a baby just been born!" Esme shouted as the police officers shoved past her.

"Don't hurt him!" Ada called out as the police grabbed Freddie's arms, "Freddie!"

"You can't do this, his wife's just had a baby!" Florence added as the police shoved Freddie against a wall.

"You're hurting him, leave him alone!" Ada pleaded as Polly and Florence wrapped their arms around her.

"You're taking me away from my baby?" Freddie exclaimed as the police officers clung onto him.

The police officers dragged Freddie out of the house kicking and shouting as loud as he could, there was no doubt half the street would know about it. Florence hadn't even thought to tell Imelda what had been happening amongst the chaos of how quickly the baby had arrived.

"It'll be alright," Florence soothed as she wrapped her arms around Ada while Polly took the baby from her as the new mother's eyes filled with tears.

"They've taken him, Floss," Ada sobbed as she clung to Florence who watched as Polly spoke to Esme before sending her out of the front door, "He'd just met his son."

"I know," Florence whispered, placing a soft kiss on top of the girl's head as she felt herself reeling with heartbreak for Ada and anger at the police for taking Freddie away from his new baby, "And I know there's nothing I can say that'll make this feel better."

"He's not a bad man," Ada whispered through tears.

"I know, Ada," Florence sighed, "And he loves you and that little more than anything."

"I've sent Esme to get your mother," Polly whispered to Florence, "When they get back there's someone you and I need to see."

"I'm with you," Florence muttered, squeezing Polly's hand.

"I think I should go home," Ada mumbled to Florence, "I need to go home."

"You're not going anywhere just yet, lovely," Florence sighed, "You need to rest and you've just given birth, let the people who love you support you, alright?"

"Hello Ada, love," Imelda smiled sympathetically as she entered the room, "Esme told me what happened."

"They took Freddie," Ada muttered as Imelda crouched in front of her, letting Florence join Polly who quickly necked a glass of whiskey.

"Dutch courage," Polly told her as she wiped her mouth, "Are you coming with me to the Garrison?"

"Absolutely," Florence nodded as she followed Polly out onto the street.

"Let's just hope the boys aren't too drunk to receive an earful," Polly muttered as the two women paced in the direction of the pub.

"I can't believe he'd do this to his own sister, Pol," Florence sighed, wrapping her arms around her own body for warmth, "I know that he doesn't like Freddie, but how could he betray her like this."

"I wish I knew," Polly replied, anger pumping through her veins, "I could kill him for doing that to them."

"Likewise, Pol," Florence sighed, hating that the man she once trusted with everything could do something so heartless to his own sister, "He's not been the same since France, but this isn't Tommy, this isn't the man that-"

"None of them came back from France the same, don't let the way your heart feels about that man excuse his decisions," Polly told the girl firmly.

"My heart hasn't felt that way for some time, Pol," Florence assured her, realising that every decision Tommy had made since he found out about the baby had only torn them further apart.

"How could he be so fucking selfish?" Polly exclaimed as they approached the Garrison, alight with fury.

"I wish I knew." Florence answered as they reached the Garrison, "You take the lead on this, and I'll back you up regardless."

Polly shoved the door open, the two women storming into the pub. Tommy stood leaning against the bar, whiskey in hand with not a care in the world as Grace stood opposite him, smiling as she poured him another glass.

"It's a boy." Polly announced as she paced towards Tommy, but before she could throw her fists at him Tommy had a hold of her arms.

"Polly?" Tommy looked at her in fear, glancing at Florence who had chosen to hang back to let Polly have her moment to have it out with Tommy.

"But the police came and took his father away," Polly told him with bitterness in her voice as Arthur and John held her back while Tommy stared at her in supposed shock, "Don't you dare look at me like that!"

Polly shrugged the two Shelby men off before spitting on the ground in front of Tommy, muttering "You liar," before she turned and walked towards Florence.

"Do you have anything you want to say to him?" Polly whispered as Florence kept her glossy eyes on Tommy, startled by how he could appear so clueless.

"I can think of a few words," Florence sighed, "I'll see you back at the house, alright?"

"Don't waste too much breath on him, he's not worth it," Polly declared before leaving the pub, letting the door slam shut.

"Florence," Tommy exhaled as he walked towards her, "I promise, I didn't call the coppers."

"You never change, do you?" Florence scoffed, folding her arms across her chest as she looked him up and down.

"What are you talking about?" Tommy replied as she glanced past him to see Grace, Arthur and John watching on from afar.

"I won't have this conversation with you here," Florence sighed, "Outside."

"Alright," Tommy muttered as he followed her outside.

"How could you do that to your own sister, Thomas?" Florence exclaimed the second they were outside of the pub, "I know lying seems to come easily to you, but this is-"

"What do you mean?" Tommy asked, confused by the events of the past five minutes.

"You shopped your own brother in law to the police," Florence shouted, "Are you not aware of how wrong that is?"

"Florence, I didn't call the coppers, ask John, ask Arthur," Tommy told her.

"I know you changed after you came back from France, but I am struggling to comprehend how you before and after the war could even be the same person," Florence muttered as she stepped closer to him, "You are so deep in your own pit of self loathing that you can't bear to see anyone else experience just a glimpse of happiness."

"I need you to believe me, Florence," Tommy continued to plead.

"Why should I believe you when I don't even know if I can trust you anymore?" Florence fired back as Tommy watched what remained of them slip through his fingers.

Florence hardly recognised the man who stood in front of her, a man who once loved and laughed without hesitation. She knew that things would be different when she found out that she was pregnant, but she never imagined that it would lead to them being further apart than they ever had. Despite everything she had lost, she still had a little life growing inside of her, that relied on her strength and love to survive.

Florence stepped towards him, preparing to deliver a fatal blow as she whispered, "You deciding that you can't marry me might just be the best thing that ever happened to me."

Without another word she simply walked away from the man, heading for home, she needed to sleep and then in the morning she would find comfort in Elijah's company. Never would she have imagined that Tommy could cause her so much pain, not just directly but for the way he could betray his own sister in such a way.

"That sounded intense," Grace's voice from where she lurked in the side entrance to the pub only frustrated Florence further.

"Do you tend to make a habit of listening to people's conversations that don't concern you or are you just bored?" Florence snapped, frustrated by Tommy's behaviour but safe in the knowledge that nothing Grace would have heard was in any way incriminating.

"I was emptying the slop trays," Grace answered quickly.

"So where are they?" Florence quipped, noticing Grace's empty hands.

"I put them back inside," Grace muttered.

"You put them back inside," Florence whispered to herself, "Of course you did."

"I wasn't listening intentionally, I just want to know what kind of man my employer is," Grace answered as though she knew how to push Florence's buttons.

"Your employer?" Florence laughed under her breath, "You're working for the Peaky Blinders?"

"I am, yes," Grace nodded, "Tommy wants me to be his bookkeeper."

"His bookkeeper?" Florence scoffed, knowing the Shelby boys had never cared for such things, "You're aware of what it is they do, aren't you?"

"I am."

"And you're alright with that?" Florence continued, "It surprises me, a pretty and rich girl like you, turning a blind eye to the violence, the drugs, the fixed races."

"You're alright with it though, aren't you?" Grace remarked.

"I am," Florence sighed, "I've known that family my entire life, what they do, it's in my blood too."

"Tommy says he's hoping to make the business legitimate," Grace replied confidently.

"Tommy says a lot of things, doesn't mean they're true," Florence told her as she stepped closer to the blonde barmaid, "It'd do you good not to believe everything that man tells you."

"Why should I take your advice when the two of you were just having a shouting match for all to hear?" Grace quipped.

"I might be younger than you, Grace," Florence muttered, "But I'm not naive enough to believe every word that crosses Tommy Shelby's lips."

author's note: if you listen carefully you can hear tommy's heart cracking with regret...