Florence hadn't been the same since meeting her father. After the meeting she and Tommy had found themselves in the Garrison, talking about anything except the meeting with Luca Changretta, she really didn't want to talk about it and Tommy knew that. She also knew that if she had gone straight home to Elijah, he would've had questions, he wouldn't understand that she needed not to talk about it.

She had stumbled back into the house during the night, having had one too many whiskeys to numb the overwhelming void of emotions stirred up by the arrival of her father. Tommy had almost carried her home, his arm around her waist as she leant against him as she mumbled, "I'm not a bad person, I'm not like him," again and again, like a stuck record.

He knew that it was the alcohol talking, but he still assured her that she was alright, that she wasn't anything like Luca Changretta, the man who had instigated a vendetta between the two families, killing John in the process.

The distance between Florence and Elijah was partly her own doing, it made it easier to do the work she did if he wasn't so close. It made it easier to comprehend the vendetta created by her father if she didn't feel such a void of guilt for involving him in it.

She had been invited to a Shelby meeting by Tommy, and she knew that Elijah wouldn't approve, but she had told him anyway, in an attempt to better herself after everything that had happened. She really didn't want to be like her father. Elijah had left for work that morning without saying much, except kissing her goodbye on the cheek while Vinnie, having returned from London, watched his sister with intrigue.

Florence had told Vinnie everything, about the meeting, about how low she felt, about how she didn't want to be like her father.

So there she was, sitting on the sofa in Polly's front room, having relayed the same story of meeting her father, waiting to leave for the meeting at the hospital as Michael was yet to be discharged because of his healing bullet wounds. 

"The truth is, Flo," Polly hummed as she stood opposite the young woman, "You can't mould Elijah into something he's not, you can either tell him the truth about what you've been doing in London, or you can keep it to yourself, but don't expect that to end well either."

"I thought I was doing right by us and the children by coming back here, by being where it's safest, but I think it might be destroying us simultaneously," Florence sighed.

"When all this is done, book a nice holiday for you both, leave the children with your brother, have them come out for a week, and remember what it's like to be normal again," Polly told her.

"I don't think I want to be normal, Pol," Florence sighed honestly as the women heard the door open.

"Well then, you're fucked." Polly smirked.

"Come on, ladies, Tommy's expecting us," Ada sighed as she leant against the open door.

"Who's with us?" Polly asked her niece.

"Isiah and two Lee boys," Ada replied.

"How long since you've had a fuck?" Polly looked at the two women.

"What?" Ada remarked.

"It's been nearly two years with me, over Christmas I counted it up, so I've made a New Year's resolution to change the situation," Polly told them both.

"Anyone particular in mind?" Ada replied.

"Not really, just me and someone unsuitable," Polly sighed, "So, what about you, Florence?"

"I've got a husband, Pol," Florence replied.

"But when did you last have a fuck?" Polly answered, knowing that marriage didn't necessarily mean anything in that respect.

"Come on, let's go," Ada interjected, leading the women out of the house.

As they walked towards the car Peaky Blinders marked them, on high alert since Florence and Tommy's run in with Luca Changretta. The three women had power in their stride, and the men around them knew it.

"I'll sit in the front." Polly declared as Ada and Florence sat in the back of the car.

"It's been four months, because Elijah was in America and well things haven't been the same since he came back," Florence told Ada softly, "Don't tell Pol or she'll be fitting me for lace underwear and setting me up with my own fucking husband."

"So, this is just making things official," Polly sighed as the three women walked towards the hospital building, joined by Lizzie.

"Your official return to the company payroll," Ada replied, "So no more talk of New Year's resolutions or Tommy might change his mind."

"What New Year's resolution?" Lizzie asked.

"Never mind."

"I think Ada's trying to tell me to behave myself," Polly sighed.

"Yeah, behave yourself," Ada replied.

"Behave myself or what?" Polly stopped and turned to face her niece, "Behave myself or fucking what?"

"Okay, Polly, I'll tell you the truth," Ada replied, "After your recent troubles, Tommy asked me to keep an eye on you."

"Troubles?" Polly frowned, "Whilst working for this company, I have killed a man, I have lost my best friend, I have lost a man, I have found a son, I have nearly lost a son, I have nearly lost my own life, now, I will accept my job back, if the terms on offer are favourable...but I will not behave myself."

Ada, Florence and Lizzie watched as the woman disappeared inside the building, "Still the same Polly."

Once inside the hospital the four women made their way to Michael's hospital room where he was sat at the table with Tommy. Tommy who let his eyes linger on Florence for longer than he probably should.

"Michael, this is Florence Harrington, Florence this is my son, Michael," Polly briefly introduced the pair as Polly discarded her belongings on the bed.

"I've heard a lot about you, Florence," Michael smiled as Florence took a seat at the table, opposite Tommy.

"All bad I hope," She quipped.

"All good," Michael assured her.

"Where's Arthur?" Tommy asked.

"Do I look like his fucking mother?" Polly retorted. 

"Right, before we start this extraordinary general meeting of the board of the Shelby Company Limited, I'd like to note the absence of the Deputy Vice President, who has not yet arrived," Tommy remarked, handing everyone a copy of the order of items for the meeting, "We'll continue without his presence."

Tommy coughed briefly, "Item number one, the reinstatement of the Shelby Company Limited company treasurer, the board welcomes back the former treasure with generously improved terms and conditions, due to the exceptionally difficult circumstances the company now finds itself in," He explained, letting his eyes flit to Florence, "The proposed treasurer will now check the terms and conditions to see if they are in order."

"Item number two," Tommy continued, "During the absence of the company accountant due to ill health, all responsibilities of the keeping the Company Accounts pass to the head of acquisitions."

"Item number three, The company treasurer, having read the terms and conditions, lodges a signed contract of employment agreeing to the terms and conditions with the temporary head of accounts," Tommy continued, "All those in favour of the reinstatement of Mrs Elizabeth Gray to the position of treasurer, please raise your hands."

"Why goodness, thank you," Polly remarked as the whole table raised their hands.

"Item number four-"

"There's no item four on this agenda, Tommy," Ada cut her brother off.

"I know, this was a decision made by Michael and myself earlier today," Tommy told the table, glancing at Florence, "I would like to propose offering a contract of employment to Mrs Florence Harrington as Manager of Operations."

"What?" Florence scoffed.

"Those in favour, raise your hands." Tommy continued as the table raised their hands.

"You're giving me a job?" Florence remarked, "Why?"

"You're capable, you're loyal to the company, and it gives Daisy an official link to the company, should anything happen to me," Tommy told her as he handed her the contract.

"You're unbelievable," Florence couldn't help but sigh, skimming the contract before signing it and passing it back to Tommy.

"Any other business?" Tommy sighed as the room remained quiet, "Right, I declare this extraordinary general meeting over, now we can talk about the real business, but for that we need Arthur, where the fuck is Arthur?"

About an hour had passed since the group had convened in Michael's hospital room, "Alright, he's an hour late, fuck him," Tommy huffed as he stood up, "This business directly affects Arthur, but he's not here, so we'll take a vote without him."

"What business?" Ada asked.

"Official business that wasn't on your agenda, Ada," Polly explained, opening her briefcase.

"An informant told us that six years ago Luca Changretta came from New York to Birmingham to be best man at his cousin's wedding," Tommy explained as Polly handed everyone a copy of the same photo, Florence tensing up as she laid eyes on the photo of her father.

"We found out that they used Reid and Dunn in Broadgate for the photographs," Polly explained, "The photographer kept the negatives, I persuaded him to give us copies and to enlarge this one, that is Luca Changretta."

"Flo and I have seen his face, so we could pick him out," Tommy explained, "Half the men in the photograph are Changrettas, which means the chances are they're the men who'll come to kill us, so we need to get both these photographs into pubs and onto street corners, and put it about that there's a reward for information."

"We also propose that we give a copy of this photograph to Aberama Gold," Polly added.

"We have to forget the idea that it has to be Arthur that pulls the trigger," Tommy explained, "Tradition will just fuck us up."

"There's nothing traditional about any of this, the daughter of the man you want dead sat at your table," Florence told Tommy.

"He might be your father, Florence," Tommy sighed, "But he has never been a dad to you, and therefore you have never been his daughter, you are safe with us, and you always will be."

"We should wait for Arthur." Ada sighed.

"Arthur's not here, Ada," Polly replied.

"We need Luca Changretta dead, that's it," Tommy added.

"Dropping the law of the bullet is part of the process of modernisation that I was working on before I were...before I was executed," Polly told the group.

"You weren't executed, Pol," Michael replied.

"What did you call me?" Polly remarked.

"Right, let's take a vote," Tommy added, "I'll deal with Arthur, all those in favour of giving the photographs to Mr Gold, raise your hand."

The whole table raised their hands one by one as Florence spoke, "Seeing as we're doing away with tradition, I want it on record that if it came to it, I would happily put a bullet through that fucker's brain, tied by blood or not."

"Then it will be done," Tommy nodded as the motion was passed.

"Mum," Michael muttered.

"Oh, 'mum' now, is it?" Polly remarked as Florence and Tommy shared a look of concern, "I smelt perfume when I came in here."

"It'll be the flowers, Pol," Florence was quick to answer.

"Right, that's it," Tommy declared.

"Who came in here, Michael?" Polly asked.

"The truth is, Polly, the woman that raised him came in here," Tommy explained, "She has every right to come in here, she brought him fucking apples and she left, we're in the middle of a vendetta and Arthur's missing, we need to find him, concentrate on what unites us, this is all temporary."

"Yeah, temporary, right." Polly scoffed, before leaving the room.

"I'll talk to her," Florence assured Tommy before following after her, "Then we'll find Arthur."

She followed Polly back down the corridor, "Pol!"

"Florence," Polly turned to face her as both Ada and Lizzie made their way past, heading for the car.

"Let's not be hasty, we can't act on impulse right now," Florence replied.

"You want to lecture me on impulses?" Polly laughed, "You're already spending more time with Tommy than your husband, don't you think that's a bit of a concern?"

"It's business, Pol, you know that," Florence reminded her.

"I bet you offered to help him find Arthur," Polly smirked, watching the look on Florence's face falter, "He has you exactly where he wants you, Florence, you're an intelligent woman, you either see it and you're choosing to ignore it or you actually haven't noticed."

"What's there to notice, Pol?" Florence asked.

"After you left, he crumbled, he was a shell of himself, he doubted his decisions and I would remind him that there was one person that would've picked him up and set him on the right path, that person being you," Polly told her, "Somewhere between then and now he found his way to Grace, and I'd argue that marriage was to compensate for what he lost with you."

"Polly, I don't think that's-"

"He will choose you over anyone and everyone, you are his family, Florence, you always will be, but the way this is going will drive a wedge between you and your husband, pushing you back towards Tommy," Polly told her, "You and Tommy, you're like a fucking power house when you're working together, it's no wonder things have gone stale with Elijah."

"This has nothing to do with Elijah," Florence assured her.

"You don't think that your husband would be the slightest bit jealous or concerned that you're choosing to spend your time with the man who fathered your daughter?" Polly answered, "You ought to save that marriage before it's too late."

Without another word Polly walked past the young woman, making her way outside to join the other two ladies. Florence was in disbelief, was it really that bad to want to protect her family, if it meant spending so much time at Tommy's side to do so?

Just as Polly had imagined she would, Florence returned to Michael's hospital room where Tommy and Michael remained.

"Well?" Tommy sighed.

"Your mother's a stubborn woman, Michael," Florence smiled, not daring to let her eyes wander to Tommy, fearing that she would be in danger of fulfilling the prophecy that Polly had laid out to her, "I didn't make much headway."

"It's alright," Michael assured her, "She'll come round, she always does."

"Are you ready to go?" Tommy asked Florence.

"Yes," Florence nodded as she lingered in the doorway, "It was lovely meeting you, Michael."

"Likewise," Michael smirked, letting his eyes wander up and down Florence's body as she left the room.

"Behave." Tommy pointed at him before following Florence down the corridor, speeding up to catch up with her.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" Tommy asked as he caught up with her.

"What was what about?" Florence replied with fake innocence as she walked.

"That conversation with Polly," Tommy remarked, "And don't spin me some story that she was confiding in you about Michael's other mother."

"Did you tell me to stay in Small Heath because you regret letting me go?" Florence asked, straight to the point.

"What?"

"Polly suggested that you did," Florence stopped, turning to face him, "Are you hoping that spending all this time together will just undo everything that happened? I forgave you Tommy, but I haven't forgotten."

"This has only ever been about your safety, and Daisy's," Tommy insisted.

"So if I told you that I was leaving Small Heath today and taking my family back to London, accompanied by armed men, you'd let me go?" Florence asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"You know I wouldn't," Tommy huffed, "Because if anything were to happen, there is nothing I could do to help."

"I just have one last question." Florence sighed, needing to hear the honest truth from the blue eyed man who stood before her, "Have you bought me back into the fold, spending all this time with you, in the hope that I'd leave him for you?"

"If that's what I wanted," Tommy whispered, just inches of space separating them, "I wouldn't need to try."

"You are so fucking full of yourself," Florence scoffed before walking away from him.

"Florence, where are you going?" Tommy called out after her, "You don't have your car."

"I will happily walk if I have to," Florence glanced over shoulder, "In fact, I'd much rather walk than drive back to Small Heath with you."

"Florence, it's not safe," Tommy told her, stopping her in her tracks as she turned to face him.

"So you keep telling me," Florence replied firmly, as she approached him again, "But I have yet to see any evidence that would suggest I'm at risk, after all, my blood is supposedly sacred."

"He would use you, Flo."

"Don't call me that." Florence was quick to cut him off.

"You know, it's interesting how easy it was for Polly's words about you and I to get under your skin," Tommy muttered as they stood in close proximity once again, "Almost as if there's some truth to it."

Florence laughed under her breath in disbelief that the man could be so brazen, so careless in his pursuit of whatever it was exactly that he wanted. She didn't know what sort of game he was playing, but she knew he was playing one, she could always tell when Tommy Shelby had a game to be played.

"Find your own fucking brother, I'm going to collect my children from their grandmother's house and then I will be going back to my husband."

author's note: hope you enjoyed this chapter! next week's update is going to be intense...