𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤
-𝟎𝟏𝟓-

"Where's daddy?" Francesca whined with her arms crossed. "I don't know!" Valerie cried out after her daughter asked the question for the third time that hour. "He's not here and i'm not sure when he will be, Franny." Valerie explained.

"Mrs Shelby.." Mary appeared at the door. "Your father is here."

Valerie sighed in relief. "Send him in." She nodded. Seconds later, Robert entered and Francesca practically ran to him. "Grandad!" She said excitedly. Robert placed a kiss on her forehead and sat down. "Take a breath, Valerie."

She held her head in her hands before running a hand through her hair. "It's not looking good, Dad. It doesn't feel good. At least not anymore." She said. "Tommy is no husband of mine. He does not care for me but instead the women he can pay to lay beside him." She said. "He was the one who wanted me out of that business but yet goes searching for it."

"Then it is a fault of his own. He should see what he has in front of him." Robert paused. "What will you do about it?" He asked.

Valerie shook her head. "I'm not sure. I cannot.. leave him. He is Francesca's father." She winced. "The girl knows no different." She added. "All he does is work and work and work. It isn't healthy for him or our marriage."

"You're exactly right." Robert agreed. "Maybe you can't leave him. At least not yet." He said. "When Francesca is old enough and you are ready, I think you need to tell John." He said.

"But what if Francesca does not wish to see him as a father?"

"She's too young to understand. She will not care to ask. You don't have to tell her straight away. Just when the time is right. Perhaps in a few years. Just tell her true father. The longer you leave telling him, the more it could hurt when the truth comes out."

-

Valerie sat in the drawing room with a glass of wine in hand. She stared at the candles that were burning on the table. She snapped her head toward the door when it swung open.

Men stormed in. Valerie gasped and stood, looking around and trying to think about where she had left her gun. "I have a daughter.." she said with panic, backing away. One grabbed her and forced her hands behind her back. "Get off me!" Valerie screamed as she was dragged out.

"Dad!" She shouted. Robert appeared at the top of the stairs and his eyes widened. "Get your hands off her!" he tried to run down the stairs as she was dragged outside. "Dad, don't let them get to Francesca! Go to Francesca!" She cried out.

Robert hesitantly ran back up the stairs to Francesca's room whilst Valerie was shoved into a car.

"What are you doing? Who are you?" She asked, moving her hair from her face.

"You are being arrested for the murder of Peter Hays."

-

Valerie was thrown into a cell and she groaned in pain. She scurried to her feet when a man walked in. He held a cane in one hand and wore a sly grin on his lips.

"So you're Tommy Shelby's wife?" He asked. She breathed heavily, chest heaving up and down quickly. "What do you want?" Valerie asked. The man looked her up and down. "I want to know what he's planning." He said.

Valerie frowned and shook her head. "I don't know a thing. He doesn't tell me, I swear."

"You know.." He started, "I've heard a few stories about you." He inched closer. Valerie sucked in a breath. "Who are you?" She asked. He grinned. "I'm chief Inspector Campbell." He said.

Valerie shook her head and inched away from him.

"I heard that you used to be a lady of the night, hm. Is that right?" Campbell asked her. Her mouth fell open and she felt her heart drop. "W-what?" Her voice was low. He grinned and sighed. "I've not done anything. I know nothing!" Valerie shouted. "Let me go or-"

"Or what?!" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Or i'll have my boys kill you." She said, referring to the Blinders.

Campbell chuckled. "You won't do a thing." He shook his head and inched closer to her. "You have a daughter, don't you?" He asked. Valerie frowned. "You won't touch her!" She spat in his face.

"Won't I?" Campbell whispered. He wrapped a hand around her wrist and she gasped as he dragged her forward. Her breaths were shaky. "I won't let you!"

"And how are you supposed to stop me if you're in here?" Campbell tormented.

"I'm begging you— do not harm my daughter."

-

Tommy stormed into the empty church. "We had a deal." He said angrily. "Eh, we had a fucking deal!" He shouted. "I'd think you'd moderate your language in a place of worship." Campbell spoke calmly. Tommy snatched his newspaper from his hands and threw it to the floor.

"We had a fucking deal." Tommy said.

"Mr Shelby. If you'd read the papers, you might have seen that the home secretary has gotten himself in a bit of a fizz about a certain moral issue. Prostitution, protection, racketeering, drinking, cocaine and of course gambling. And he is demanding results.•

Tommy pointed a finger. "You offered me protection. You promised me protection."

"Well, no you see it was Mr Churchill that made you that promise. And the home secretary out ranks him so.." Campbell paused, "and I can hardly be blamed if your demented brother decides to go on some sort of blood orgy during dinner-"

"Do not fucking lie to me," Tommy stopped him, "do not sit here in your fucking church and lie to me!" He bellowed. "What about my wife, eh? She didn't bloody kill anyone! But yet you've thrown her into a cell for what? Why? Because you know the only way you can get to Tommy Shelby is by getting to his family!"

"You'll need to contain your emotions or this meeting is at an end." Campbell mumbled.

Tommy breathed heavily and stepped away, turning around. "Good." Campbell nodded. "That's better." He said. "So, let us review the new situation. I have your brother in a prison cell, charged with the murder of Billy Kitchen. The case against him is strong. And I have no doubt that his destiny is to hang. And then there is Polly's son, Micheal. He has already admitted to helping Arthur burn down the Marquis pub. Oh, he was a tough nut to crack, that boy, but crack he did."

Tommy glared at him.

"So, I have your brother facing the noose. I have your cousin with five years for Arson and I have your entire organisation in disarray in Birmingham and in London."

"And my wife?" Tommy asked. Campbell smirked. "Well, like I said before... prostitution is becoming an issue." He teased. Tommy clenched his fists at his sides. "So you arrested her for prostitution? Not for murder?" He breathed slowly, knowing she was in fact guilty for murdering someone. "If I find out you have done anything- and I mean anything to her.."

Campbell raised a hand to stop him. Tommy took a deep breath. "What do you want?" He asked the man.

"What do I want? I don't understand." He said.

"I've already agreed to do your fucking killing for you now what is it you want from me?" Tommy asked again. "Okay, there you go. You see, and agreement is not the same thing as an assurance now is it. I found I wasn't sleeping too well. It wasn't the smell and the noise in that room, no. That was the nagging doubt, the knowledge. The knowledge that Tommy Shelby is not afraid to die. And therefore the threat to your own life might not be enough to make it certain that you will obey me on the given day. I need it also the par of life or death over your family. And that I now have. Your brother, your cousin, your wife."

Tommy's heart pounded.

"She is safe as long as I want her to be." Campbell assured him, standing and walking away.

-

Tommy stormed into the offices and practically ignored Lizzie as she told him about Arthur. His phone rang and he sat at the desk, staring at it. Hesitantly, he held it to his ear and waited.

"Tommy? It's me.." an all too familiar voice spoke. Silence. "Tommy, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Grace." He finally answered.

"I think you called. I haven't slept." She said. "Grace this is not a good time." He said honestly. "I can call you back." She offered. "No, no it's fine." He assured her. "Can we meet?" Grace asked hopefully. Tommy paused. "Yes, we will meet."

"When?"

"Grace there are some things I have to do first." He said, Valerie being his priority in that moment.

-

John sat in the betting den, absolutely furious. "Where's Francesca?" Tommy stormed in, out of breath. He removed his hat and waited for someone to tell him. Robert shifted his weight from one foot to another and crossed his arms.

"Daddy!" Francesca exclaimed as she climbed down from the chair. Tommy sighed in relief and picked her up. "Hello, Betts." He breathed, pushing her hair from her face and placing a kiss on her forehead. He glanced at John. "John."

John cleared his throat. "Coppers have lifted ten of our men in Camden town. The rest of them are on the run."

"Tom, they've taken Micheal." Finn said anxiously and Polly got up from her seat. "Business first." Tommy excused. "They took Micheal last night." Polly tried. "Business first." Tommy repeated. "Polly business first!"

John leaned on his fist and Robert felt angry but said nothing out of slight fear.

"They took all our whiskey, so no doubt they'll be sipping that for Christmas. They've impounded all our vans. Put their own locks on the warehouse. The Eden Club and all our pubs have been raided by the coppers and handed back to Sabini and Solomons. The Black Country Boys think it was Arthur that killed Billy cause that's what the coppers told them so there'll be no free passes for the whiskey boats." He refrained from mentioning Valerie after seeing his reaction to Polly.

"I don't care about whiskey. I don't give a fuck about Billy Kitchen. I want my son out of prison now!"

"Thomas, I spoke to Johnny Doggs." Esme offered.

"This meeting should just be family!" Polly roared.

"I can help!" Esme said.

"It's family only! She's not blood, Tommy." Polly shouted. John lowered his head and Esme glanced at him, wanting him to defend her but he didn't. "Let her speak." Tommy said. "Right, enough!" He bellowed when she continued arguing.

She stepped back.

"Enough, Polly. Esme." He nodded. "I spoke to Johnny Doggs, the Lees are kin." She explained. "The bloody Lee's?" Polly shouted.

Francesca's lip trembled and she placed a finger to her mouth, playing with her lip.

John pushed his chair from the table, making a scraping sound against the floor before slamming his hand into the table. "Stop." He said. Everyone looked at him. "Look what you've fucking done," he said angrily as Francesca began crying quietly.

Polly pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Valerie is in prison too. Or have you all forgotten about her? That little girl's mum was dragged from the house. For what? She hasn't done nothing. She isn't involved in any of this."

"She was arrested for the murder of Peter Hays." Tommy corrected him.

"Tom." John stepped away from the table. Francesca reached out for John and he sighed, taking the girl from Tommy's arms. "Get her out." John whispered. "Just get her out. Unharmed." He said. "I'll take the blame for Peter Hays. Say it was me."

Tommy stared at him. "John."

"No. Just fucking get her out, alright?" John said, turning away and walking for the door. Esme's eyes followed him and she frowned.

-

John sat with Francesca beside the fire, watching as she played with the toys. Esme stood at the door, a hand on the doorframe. Francesca held up her wooden horse to show John and he nodded. "That's nice, that is, Frances." He told her. She smiled and went back to playing.

"John." Esme said. He looked over at her. "She's going to bed soon. I told Robert we would take her for the night whilst he tries to sort things out." John informed her.

Esme nodded. "You love her, don't you?"

"Francesca?" John asked, sitting up. "She's my niece, Esme." He laughed. "Of course I love her." He stood. She shook her head. "Not the girl. Valerie." She corrected.

John froze slightly and after a few seconds went to pour a glass of whiskey. "I can see it in your eyes when you talk about her." Esme said quietly. John said nothing. "I think.."

"It doesn't matter what you think, Esme."

She shook her head slowly. "I think you're in love with her." She said. John was confused at the lack up upset in her voice. "And I think you always have been."

"You don't know what you're talking about." John denied.

"Maybe not." Esme shrugged. "But you know, don't you?" She said. John held the glass in his hand tightly and looked at Francesca who was still playing. "I don't hold it against you." She told him. "The way you look at her makes me believe there's things you don't talk about. There's things you hate each other for but," she paused, "the things you love each other for out weigh the hate, don't they?"

He said nothing.

"You don't love me." Esme said. "I know you don't. And I don't expect you to because I don't love you." She said honestly. "Thomas took her from you, didn't he?"

John took a shaky breath. "You could say that."

"Or did he take you away from her?" She asked. John locked eyes with her. "What are you trying to do, Esme?" He sighed. Esme looked up. "I'm letting you know that I don't care what you had together, or what you still have." She said.

"You don't care?"

"Why should I if my own heart belongs with another?" Esme said. John frowned slightly. "There's a boy back home. I grew up with him. But then my mother chose to marry me off so now i'm here with you. I had hoped i'd forget about him, in someway or another. But i couldn't. Just like how you can't forget about Valerie."

"She used to be called Florence. Did you know that?" John sat down. Esme listened. "I remember seeing her for the first time and thinking about how beautiful she was. She was a prostitute. I was engaged but..."

"Thomas ruined that too." Esme said.

"Yeah." John nodded. "So I went to her instead. At first I didn't think it would go anywhere. I just thought I had some company. Because, you know what everyone says about prostitutes."

"They are just ladies of the night. And when you wake up you should believe they were just a dream." Esme said.

"But Valerie was more than a dream. I could tell she didn't like her job. She was only eighteen at the time. She started when she was sixteen." John said, running a hand over his mouth. "I would take her out to restaurants and get her drinks.." he said, "and then Tommy had you and I married."

Esme crossed her arms as she listened.

"And then... they announced that they were getting married and Valerie was pregnant."

Esme furrowed her eyebrows together and hummed. "She was pregnant?" Esme asked. John nodded. Esme had figured it out. She always had a hunch but it was this that confirmed it for her. Francesca wasn't Tommy's kid. No, she was John's. But Esme wasn't about to break that news to John. It wasn't her place and she knew that.

"And you believe that Tommy is.. Francesca's father?"

"Well, who else? He takes whatever he can from me whenever he likes and nobody ever stops him." John was truly oblivious. Esme looked at the little girl and now that she knew, all she could see was John.

"No matter what happens, John. You're always going to go back to Black." She said, referring to Valerie's surname.

©-shelbysecret-
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Authors Note:
- So, that's that.
- Tommy cares for Valerie, he does I swear. He just has guilt eating him up so much that he physically can't help but destroy her. He knows he has done wrong by taking her from John.
- In unison we say "Come home Grace!"
- We shall thank Grace when Valerie finds out!

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