𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤
-𝟎𝟏𝟏-
𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟏

After the Peaky Blinders defeated Billy Kimber, Valerie and Thomas decided to move away from Small Heath. They didn't go far, of course. I mean, everything they had was in Small Heath. Tommy's family, the gang.. John.

Valerie, at first, was very against the idea solely for the fact that she'd be leaving Maria behind. But Tommy had promised to get Maria a house in hopes that it would keep her from working in prostitution. But oh how they were wrong.

Well — not completely wrong.

Valerie could hear Francesca's giggles as Tommy sat with her in the drawing room. The house they lived in was big. It was around the same size as the house Valerie grew up in. It reminded her of being a child again.

She stood beside the door that was ajar and watched as Tommy lay on his side on the rug whilst Francesca sat with a toy doll in her hand. His head was supported by his hand and he watched the little girl with a smile.

"Dad.." She babbled.

Giving that Francesca was three years old, she was stringing small sentences together.

"Yes, Betts." He replied by using the girls nickname that he had called her since she was little. "Look." Francesca held the doll up for him to look at. Tommy took it from her hand and nodded. "What's her name then, Betts?"

The dark haired girl looked up whilst thinking. "Dolly." She said happily. Tommy stifled a laugh at the name and handed the toy back to her.

Tommy stood to his feet with a groan and leaned down to scoop Francesca up. "Let's go find your mother, eh?" He said to her.

At this point, Valerie had moved back to the office and sat in the chair at the desk whilst she went through their post. Tommy walked into the room and stopped at the door. "Mummy!" Francesca said excitedly. Valerie smiled lovingly and looked over to her daughter. "Hello, sweet girl." She greeted. "What have you been doing?"

"Playing with dad." She said.

Valerie appreciate the fact that Tommy had managed to play the father role in Francesca's life without hesitation. He loved the girl like she was his own.

"Oh have you now?" Valerie looked at Tommy. The corners of his lips turned upward and he nodded. "That's right." He confirmed.

"Well, that's lovely." Valerie told them both. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'd say it's time for you to go to sleep, no?" She asked. Tommy too looked at the clock. "No!" Francesca whined. "Your mother is right, Betts. It's late." Tommy pushed her dark curls behind her ear. Francesca pouted and crossed her arms.

"How about this—" Tommy began. "You go to bed now and we can go out on the horses in the morning, eh? I'll take you to go see the horses." He offered.

Her face lit up immediately. "Fine.." She grinned, leaning into Tommy. "Alright then. Say goodnight."

Francesca waved goodnight to Valerie and Valerie stood, walking over. "Goodnight, my love." Valerie whispered and kissed the girls forehead.

Tommy disappeared into the hall and only moments later, the phone began to ring. Valerie sighed and picked it up. "Hello?" She asked. "Is this Mrs Shelby?" A voice asked. "This is she." Valerie confirmed. "There's been an accident.." they said lowly.

Valerie frowned. "An accident?"

"Involving Maria Woods." The person on the other end sounded very unhappy. Valerie's heart had dropped and she stood straight. "What kind of accident? What has happened?" It was only a few days previous that Valerie had spoke to the girl over the phone.

"I think it's best if you come down to the hospital, Mrs Shelby."

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Valerie slammed the phone down and rushed to the office door, grabbing her coat as she did so. "Tommy! Thomas!" She called out.

Tommy appeared at the top of the stairs. "What's happened?" He asked and rushed to her.

"It's Maria. They've said she's at the hospital — we need to go." Valerie spoke quickly with a shaky voice. Tommy grabbed the sides of her arms and shook his head in confusion and tried to understand her. "Slow down. What's happened?"

Valerie took a deep breath. "Somebody called. They said there's been an accident and we need to go down to the hospital." She said.

"Well.. do you know who called?" Tommy asked. She shook her head. "Please just let's get in the car." She begged. "Mary can watch over Francesca whilst we're gone." She said. Tommy nodded and grabbed his coat before ushering her outside to the car.

-

Valerie ran through the hospital hallways with Tommy trailing behind her. "Excuse me!" She shouted for a doctor. He stopped in his tracks and turned to her. "I'm here about Maria Woods." She said, stopping in front of him.

The man's face went pale. "I'm so terribly sorry.."

Valerie's face relaxed before she furrowed her eyebrows together. "No." She whispered. She looked to Tommy who had a strange expression on his face.

The doctor looked toward the closest room to their right and Valerie ran into it, a gasp escaping her lips at the sight. She clasped a hand over her mouth as she stared forward. Tommy came in after and came to an abrupt stop when seeing the same thing.

"No.." Valerie repeated a few times. She edged closer to the bed and looked down at Maria whose skin was pale. Her mouth was bloodied and her skin was bruised. Valerie's heart dropped and she touched Maria's cold face. "Maria.." She whispered, brushing her hair away. "Maria come on." She begged.

Tears were now streaming down her face and Tommy had to quickly hold her before she fell to her knees. He ushered her out of the room and held her as she sobbed. "It can't be.. Maria isn't dead." She cried. Tommy squeezed his eyes closed and cradled Valerie's head. He hushed her and supported her body as her knees grew weak.

It was only a few weeks prior that they had attended the funeral of Freddie Thorne. How is it that they'd be attending another so soon?

Valerie couldn't breathe. She held onto Tommy tightly as she sobbed. "It can't be real."

"I know." Tommy comforted her, kissing her head every now and again. "I know." He whispered.

-

That night, Tommy and Valerie made their way over to Watery Lane where them and the rest of the family gathered around the table in Polly's home. Valerie had her eyes fixed on the wall. Ada held her hand in an assuring way and they waiting for the boys to get there — Tommy too who had gone to find them.

It wasn't hard to find them as they had went to drink in The Marquis since the Garrison had been blown up the same day as Freddie's funeral and was still being revamped.

"Do you what a cup of tea, love?" Polly asked, breaking the silence. Valerie slowly shook her head.

She only took her eyes away from the wall when the three Shelby men entered the home. Tommy cleared his throat and stood at the head of the table. John looked at Valerie and grew sympathetic at the state of her.

"Maria Woods was murdered tonight on Garrison Lane." Tommy spoke solemnly. Valerie's breath hitched and she held a hand to her mouth to quiet her sobs.

Tommy had gone to speak to Alfie Peterson to see if he had any information on what Maria had done since leaving the whore house. And he fed Tommy with useful stuff.

"I spoke to Alfie Peterson. Despite moving Maria into a house around the corner, she often found herself back at the whore house. He says there was a certain man who took interest in her. His name is Peter Hays." Tommy said.

Valerie looked up at the mention of the name. She recognised that name.

"The two became obsessed with each other— or rather he became obsessed with her. He is a violent man. So we can only assume it was he who killed Maria tonight."

Valerie's face dropped. She could only assume it was Peter who had called her too. Nobody had her and Tommy's home number but Maria and the Shelby's. And Maria always wrote telephone numbers down.

"I'll kill him." Valerie said under her breath.

"What was that, love?" Polly asked her softly. She locked eyes with Polly. "I'll kill him." She repeated louder. John shifted uncomfortably in his chair and looked at Tommy who had his eyes fixated on his distraught wife.

"Johnny." Tommy pointed at the man. "Get Finn and go get Francesca from Arrow House. You're to bring her here." Tommy instructed. "Valerie and I will be staying in Small Heath for a while."

Johnny Dogs nodded and walked out the room to find Finn and go.

"Valerie.. i'm terribly sorry for ya." Arthur said genuinely. "Maria was lovely." He said. John kicked his brother's foot to tell him to shut the fuck up as he wasn't helping the situation.

Tommy nodded to Valerie. "Come here."

Valerie hesitated before getting up from her chair and going to him. He loosely wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. "I'll be back." He whispered to her.

John clenched his hands into fists and looked away.

Before Freddie's funeral, Valerie had barely shown her face in Small Heath. Tommy had been down every so often for business but Valerie only ever returned when it came to Francesca seeing her family. But other than that, she had avoided the place at all costs.

She lingered at the doorway once Tommy left and just let her eyes flicker down to the floor.

Ada tutted and stood up. "Come here, Val." She whispered and wrapped her arms around the girl. Valerie was frozen in her spot and just leaned on Ada's shoulder. "We'll figure this all out. We're by your side."

"Yeah." John spoke up in agreement. "We'll find the bastard that killed her." He said. John had only met Maria a handful of times but he could tell she was a beautiful sole.

Valerie was struggling to accept the fact that her best friend was dead. Gone. Just like that. In a matter of days, she was just gone. Valerie felt sick to her stomach that somebody could hurt somebody like Maria. She wanted to curl up into a ball and never speak to anyone ever again. But she couldn't do that. No, she had a daughter. A husband. A family.

Ada rubbed Valerie's back. "I'll go make up the spare room for you." Polly told her and disappeared up the stairs.

Ada looked at Arthur and gave him a certain look. Ada was aware of the history between John and Valerie because Polly had told her everything after Valerie and Tommy left.

Arthur caught on to his sisters specific gaze and cleared his throat before standing up. John attempted to do the same but was just pushed back down into his chair by his older brother. "I'll be in the living room." Ada assured the distraught girl.

Once the two left, it was just Valerie and John.

A part of him wanted to get up and hug her tightly and tell her that everything would be okay but another part of him wanted to leave the room and leave her figure it out for herself. He hadn't seen her in so long he was unsure what she would want. He was unsure if she felt anything at all for him anymore.

She slowly turned and looked at him sad eyes. Her lip trembled and it only took seconds before he had his arms around her. "Valerie.. it's alright." He held her tightly.

"I'm sorry -" She shook her head and tried to pull away through embarrassment.

"No. It's fine." He said softly. Valerie looked up at him and he ran a thumb across her cheek to wipe the tear that was rolling down her cheek. "I just.. i don't understand how- how somebody could do such a thing to her." Valerie's speech was broken up as her voice was shaking.

John bit down on his tongue and let her continue talking.

After a few moments she just pulled away and looked anywhere but at him. She wiped under her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm fine." She lied.

John pursed his lips together.

"Thank you, John." She said before leaving the room quickly. Once she left, he placed a hand on the table and sighed, rubbing his forehead.

What John hadn't noticed was that before she pulled away from him, she had slipped his gun from his holster and tucked it away into her coat. So as she walked through the house, Valerie stopped at the front door and contemplated for a moment.

She knew exactly where Peter Hays lived, where he worked. She knew everything.

Valerie quietly left the house and walked quickly through the dark of Watery Lane. Her eyes were red from crying and she felt nothing but pain.

She slipped down the backroad of Garrison Lane and followed the road to where she believed to be Peter Hays' house. And she found it. She stood outside it and just stared up at the bedroom that had a light on. Valerie's heart remained the same pace. Her eyes burned.

She stepped forward and knocked on the door a few times. No answer. She knocked again. And again. And again. Until finally, a frustrated Peter swung the door open.

Before he could say a thing, Valerie barged her way in and pulled the gun from her pocket to press up against his chin. His eyes were wide and he kept his head tilted up. "What the fuck—"

"I know what you did." Valerie breathed. He tried to look at her. He couldn't see her face properly due to the angle of his head but by her dark eyes and colour of her hair he knew it was Valerie Black.

"You killed Maria." She hissed. He was shaking. "Get away from me." He said angrily. "Are you going to kill me too, yeah?" Valerie asked. He said nothing. "Do it. Kill me like you killed Maria Woods." She said.

Peter stared at her like she was crazy.

Valerie withdrew her hand before swiftly hitting him between the legs with her knee. He doubled over and fell to the floor. Valerie kneeled beside him and placed the gun on his forehead.

"Say her name." She said.

Peter had complete and utter worry in his eyes.

"Say her fucking name. Say her name and tell me what you did to her." Valerie shouted. Her hand was trembling but the gun felt as though it were a part of her hand.

"She said-" Peter forced his eyes closed, "she said she had to stop seeing me. Something about how there was somebody else." He said. "Said they were going to get married. He was a soldier. She said she loved him and he loved her."

Valerie pressed the gun further into his skin.

"So I killed her. I killed her and I enjoyed watching-"

Bang.

Valerie had shot him in the forehead. His mouth fell open and his head fell to the side, blood pouring into a puddle on the floor. She stood straight and used her foot to move his head. "Goodnight. Peter." She said through gritted teeth before exiting the house.

As she walked back to Watery Lane, she kept the gun on show in her hand. Everything was moving in slow motion and many thoughts were passing through her head.

She opened the door to Polly's home and automatically heard the screeching of chairs against the wooden floor.

"Valerie, is that you?" Tommy asked before she entered the room. They all looked at her then at the gun in her hand. That's when John went to reach for his own and realised it was his own gun she had.

Tommy hesitantly got up from his seat. "What have you done?"

Valerie looked at the gun in her hand. "I killed him. I killed Peter Hays."

Polly gasped and put her lips to her mouth. Tommy sucked in a breath and looked at John. "That's my gun, Tom." He muttered.

"Give me the gun, Valerie." Tommy said. She didn't argue. She placed the gun in his hand and he slid it across the table to John. Tommy watched her to see what type of look was in her eyes. But there was nothing. There was not a single thought behind her eyes.

"I killed him and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed watching the life drain from him.." She whispered.

Tommy felt shivers climb up his spine.

"Mummy?" A small voice came from the bottom of the stairs. There stood Francesca in her pyjamas and her teddy bear loosely in her hand. "Betts, what're you doing up? You should be asleep." Tommy said softly.

Valerie said nothing.

"Mum." Francesca pointed up to her mother.

Valerie picked up her daughter and blinked hard. Tommy watched cautiously. "Come on, let's take you back up to bed.." Tommy attempted but Valerie just stepped back.

"I'll do it." She stopped him.

Tommy bit down on his tongue and nodded. "Alright. Alright, go on." He nodded.

Tommy turned to face his family with an estranged expression. "Surely not." Polly whispered. John emptied out a handful of bullets onto the table. "There's one missing." He nodded. "It was full when I left the house."

Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose and sat down. He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes. "Arthur and John.. go down to the backstreet on Garrison Lane. The house is number thirty-two. Get rid of the body." He instructed them.

"How?" Arthur grumbled.

"I don't give a shit!" Tommy snapped. "Just bloody get rid of it."

John kissed his teeth and shoved his gun back into his holster. "And John." Tommy stopped him. "Next time don't let my wife get a hold of your gun so fucking easily." He scolded.

"Yes boss." John said sarcastically.

"Jesus christ." Ada sighed.

The way that Valerie was that night had frightened Tommy slightly. He's never seen her like that before. And he didn't want to ever see her like that again.

©-shelbysecret-
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Authors Note:

-Double update!
-What a great start to season 2!!
- I have a feeling John and Valerie will be absent when it comes to romance until the very end of season 2. I have the end of it planned out.

Any opinions leave here: