𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟎𝟎𝟑

It had been a week since Francesca and Arthur's run in with the Inspector and their faces had healed massively. It had also been a week since Tommy decided to come clean to his younger sister about the suspected robbery she had been asked about.

He told her about how his men had taken the wrong crates which happened to hold a significant amount of guns and ammunition which the police were now looking for.

The police also had suspicions of whose lap the guns landed in.

Thomas didn't doubt his sister's loyalty and capability to keep a secret so he decided to tell her, knowing that she could offer a reasonable opinion and solution that didn't involve directly taking the guns to the police. And she did just that.....

—

Francesca squirmed in her seat as she remained quashed in the back of the car. "John will you bloody move your arm!" She pleaded. His arm was draped around the back of her seat. "I've got just as much room as you do— I can't bloody move!" He argued calmly. Finn was sat in the middle of them, his shoulders pointing forward and his hands in his lap. "You're complaining? I'm stuck between you two." He called out.

The two twins pinched Finn's ears. John pinching the left and Francis pinching the right — resulting in Finn smacking both of their hands away.

"Tommy!" He complained.

"What's he gonna do?" Francis laughed.

"Yeah, he won't bloody help you." John chimed in. Francis put a hand on the back of Tommy's chair and pulled herself forward to talk to him. "Can you try to win me a horse at the fair?" She asked with a wide smile.

"If it'll shut you up.." He sighed.

She leaned back in her chair and looked outside. "This ain't the fair." She said, frowning at the camp they seemed to be approaching. "No, it's not. This is the Lee camp. We have business first." Tommy told them all.

John and Francis exchanged a glance. "And you lot best be on your best behaviour. D'ya hear me? Best behaviour." Tommy pointed a finger at John and Francis. They nodded and the car came to a halt and moments later, they all piled out and breathed with relief.

"Tommy!" Johnny Dogs shouted with open arms.

"Johnny Dogs." Tommy repeated back to him.

"I remember him.." Francis whispered to John whilst Finn held onto her hand.

"Tommy how the hell are you?" The man asked. Tommy walked up the hill. "All the better for getting the city's smoke out of me lungs." Tommy joked. Francis' eyes wandered over the white horse that sat not too far from her. "I thought you became a bit too grand for us." Johnny said.

"I've been busy."

"D'ya reckon I could steal it?" She whispered to John, eyes glued to the stallion. He sniggered. "I'd like to see you try." She raised a brow and he shook his head, grabbing her arm. "I'm kidding.  Tommy will have your bloody head if he knew what you were up to." He whispered.

She rolled her eyes and continued walking.

"I'm riding with the Lee family now."

"I heard." Tommy nodded. "Myself, i'd rather live among pigs." He said.

"Come on Tommy. No disputing." Johnny warned. Francis scowled at one of the boys who seemed to be staring at her. "What're you fucking looking at?" She asked him. John looked in the direction and stepped beside her. "You got something to say?" He joined in.

"You two." Tommy warned them.

They stepped back and turned away.

"So your first fair since France?" Johnny asked the Shelby. "What do you know about France?" Tommy's eyes followed the white horse. "You war shy gypsy bastard." He insulted jokingly. "So this is the horse?"

Francis was quick to join her older brother's side. "How much for it, Johnny?" She asked, linking her arm around his.

"Oh, hello Francesca. You've bloody grown haven't ya." He laughed, looking at her for a moment. "D'ya want this do ya?" He laughed. She grinned and nodded. "Well, Tommy. That's the car?" He asked, looking behind them.

Johnny went to look at it and the two Shelby siblings admired the horse. "Can I have him?" She whispered. Tommy hummed. "I'm sure I can try and get him for you." He threw his cigarette to the floor.

"Really?" She asked.

Tommy looked at her with slightly raised eyebrows. "No— I can't just get you a horse, Francis. That's not how this works. But at the fair, that's a different story." He continued to whisper.

Tommy turned after examining the horse.

"Hang on a minute— you're not swapping the family car for a bloody horse." Arthur scoffed. Johnny stormed over. "Of course we're not swapping it, huh? That would be mad."

"We're gonna play two up." Tommy said, handing Johnny a coin.

Everyone watched as they threw the coins up into the air. Silence fell over everybody once the coins landed.

Tommy placed the keys into Johnny's hand.

"I knew it.. Tommy you bloody idiot!" Arthur said with disbelief. Francesca winced and walked back over to John. "Shut up Arthur I won. I promised Johnny he could have a spin of the car if he lost."

"Oh.. right."

The three Lee boys began laughing and they all turned their heads to look at them. "He's laughing at Arthur.. they're all laughing at Arthur." Francis pointed out. Tommy walked forward. "Are you Lee boys laughing at my brother?" He asked. Silence. "Eh? Are ya?"

"Tommy!" Johnny panicked. "It was just a crack. Get your family out of here and enjoy yourselves at the fair before you start a war." He said, turning to the Lee's to speak in Romani.

Francis pushed Finn behind her and shook her head slowly.

"Yeah but their mum was a diddicoy whore—" One spat.

Francesca pulled her pocket knife out and was the first to slash the Lee boy in the face. Tommy was quick to pull her away and then take his cap from his head and begin fighting. John and Arthur followed.

Francesca backed away to Finn and he tugged at her sleeve with panic. He pointed to the side and just as she looked, an arm grabbed her from behind, pulling her backward.

She gasped and swung her blade around aimlessly, feeling blood splatter onto her clothes. She dug her elbow into the chest of whoever had grabbed her and pushed him to the floor, holding his face to the side and pushing his nose in a way that it definitely wasn't supposed to go.

Crack.

He erupted into screams.

Johnny Dogs grabbed her to pull her away and she breathed heavily. "Tommy you've only gone and done it now— get yourselves out of here!" He shouted.

Tommy grabbed his sister by the arm and began dragging her to the car.

"What are ya doing that for— we could've handled it ourselves." He scolded her. "He called our mum a whore— I ain't just gonna stand there." She argued. "I'm just as much your sister as John is your brother. What makes him so special that he's allowed to do stuff like that?" She asked.

"The difference is that it's his job." Tommy told her.

"Oh give over, Tommy." She sighed.

Tommy stopped her before they got in the car. "Are you hurt?" He asked. She hesitated slightly and shook her head. "No. I'm fine." She told him. Tommy sighed. "Get in the car."

—

The car rolled in to Watery Lane and the Shelby siblings stared at the mess that had been made. "Now what the bloody hell has been going on here?" He asked. People were busy trying to save their things that laid out on the wet cobble. "Jesus Christ.." Tommy muttered.

They continued driving and soon came to a halt outside the family home.

John helped Francis out of the car by offering her a hand and she looked about. "My money is on this being that Inspector's doing." She said to him. He hummed. "I wouldn't be surprised." He agreed.

The pair stayed close as they got into the house where Polly was already waiting for them.

"The coppers told everyone Arthur had agreed to it when he was arrested. They said the Peaky Blinders had cleared out to the fair to let them do it." Polly said once they were all seated.

"What a bastard.." Francesca shook her head, accepting the glass whiskey from John.

"I never said anything to that copper about smashing up bloody houses!" Arthur fumed. Tommy sighed. "Alright— which pubs did they do?" He asked as if it were a regular thing.

"The Guns, The Chain, The Marquis. All the ones that pay you to protect them. The only one they didn't touch was the Garrison— make sure people think we were in on it." Polly told them all. Francesca snapped her head toward them. "And make the people think that we're just as low as the coppers are? That's why they respect us. Because they don't trust the police and neither do we." She reminded her aunt.

"This copper is smart." Polly said. Francesca sighed and leaned backward. "So go on. Drink your beers and go out. You better show people that you're still the cocks of the walk." Polly scolded her nephews.

"Hand out some cash to the landlords of the pubs. Pay some veterans to fix the place up." Tommy ordered.

Francesca stood but Polly shook her head. "Tommy told me what you got up to at the Lee camp. What do you think you're playing at?" She asked. Francesca threw her head back. "Here we bloody go." She sighed. "Polly, I wasn't the only one who did something. Tommy would've done it regardless of what I did. You know that." She defended.

Polly raised a brow. "I have told you countless times not to be getting involved in that business. That is no type of business for a girl like you."

"A girl like me?"

"A girl with a face as pretty as yours." Polly said bluntly. "What will people think when they see your face bloodied and bruised? It was only the other day that the bruised you got from that copper finally faded." Polly reminded her.

"They will think that i've gotten myself in some trouble. I'm not special Polly. I'm no different to Tommy or even bloody John—"

"Well I should hope not. He's your damn twin brother." Polly said.

"You know what I mean!" Francesca snapped. "And anyway, nobody has the balls to say anything if I do start appearing bruised and bloody." She said, spinning on her heels and walking to the door.

Polly sighed and shook her head.

—

The creaking of the old floorboards made Francesca raise a brow. She was sure Ada was asleep but maybe not anymore. It was approaching the early afternoon when the younger Shelby sister decided to wake. She found herself pacing slightly before entering her sister's bedroom.

"Can you knock?" Francesca asked without looking away from her book.

"Sorry.." Ada said, playing with her hands. "I need help." She blurted.

Francis raised a brow and put the book down. "Come in and close the door." She nodded. Ada did so and hesitantly sat on the edge of the bed. "So you know how i've been seeing Freddie Thorne.." Ada began.

"The communist— Tom's best mate.. well old best mate?" Francesca asked.

"Yes.. him." Ada nodded. Francesca hummed and pulled her knees up to her chest. Ada looked pale with worry. "I think he might have gotten me pregnant, Francis." She whispered.

Francesca gasped and cupped a hand over her mouth. "Ada that's not funny."

"I'm not joking!" Ada argued.

Francesca burst into laughter.

"Francis! Don't laugh it isn't funny." Ada sighed. "I'm being serious— this is all serious.." Ada complained. "Ada it's your own fault." Francesca told her. "God— what's Tommy gonna say." She bit her bottom lip.

Ada gently smacked her sister's leg and tutted. "Enough of that.. i'm not thinking about Tommy right now. I don't even know if i'm correct anyway."

"Just go downstairs to Polly. She'll be able to know straight away. D'ya not remember with Martha? Polly knew just by looking at her." Francis recited the memory. "You'll be fine either way, Ada. You'd be a great mum." She tried to reassure her sister. "And you could just be a bit late on your cycle."

Ada lowered her head.

"How late are you?" Francis' face dropped.

"Seven weeks.." Ada mumbled.

Francesca placed her hands over her face and groaned. "Ada you need to see a doctor and tell Aunt Polly." She scolded.

"I'm scared!" Ada complained.

Francesca sighed. "You go downstairs right this instance or i'll tell her myself." She threatened with a pointed finger. Francesca wouldn't actually tell Polly — that would be wrong of her to do. But she knew it was enough to make Ada go downstairs in hopes that their Aunt would be able to figure it out herself.

Ada soon left with her head hung low and a pit of nerves in her stomach... as well as a baby.. supposedly.

Francesca stood at the top of the stairs to listen to the whole thing and, not so much to her surprise, it didn't take long before their Aunt noticed something off about Ada. "Ada stand up." She said. "Why?" Ada asked. "Just stand up."

Francesca heard the shuffling of feet and the movement of chairs and then the closing of the doors.

"Side on." Polly ordered.

Francesca inhaled deeply and moved down a few steps to listen closer.

"Polly what are you doing!" Ada squealed.

"Ada.. how late are you?" Polly asked.

Ada looked to the side and hugged her arms around herself. "One week... five weeks— seven if you count weekends. I think it's a lack of iron. I got some tablets." Ada said.

"But they didn't work?" Polly could see right through her.

Ada looked away and sat. "No.."

—

Francesca sat alone in the Garrison and the blonde barmaid approached her. "Can I get you anything to drink?" She asked, a thick Irish accent peeking through. Francesca looked at her. "Are you new? I don't think i've seen you here before?"

The blonde nodded. "I'm new." She said.

"What's your name?" Francis asked.

"Grace."

"Well, Grace. I didn't think they let women work in pubs." She raised a brow. Grace shrugged. "Neither did I." She laughed slightly. "I feel like I recognise your face." She told the Shelby.

"I'm Francesca Shelby— you might've had a run in with my brothers.. more specifically John. We happen to be twins." She explained with slight boredom.

Grace nodded. "I understand." She said. "Now can I get you something to drink?"

"No that's alright, i'm waiting on my brothers." She dismissed, weary of the new barmaid. Grace examined her as she looked away. "Though i'm beginning to think they're not going to show.."

Grace looked away for a moment when the doors open. "I think you're wrong."

Francesca looked at the doors. "Well.. there's two of them." She hummed, getting down from her chair and not acknowledging the blonde any further. Grace watched her walk away and breathed deeply. "Where is Thomas?"

"He's gone off on some rampage." John shrugged. "Polly spoke to him and he didn't seem too happy."

Francesca bit the inside of her cheek. It would have been about Ada. Polly would have told Tommy about Ada and Freddie. There was no way in hell that Tommy would have been pleased with hearing that his old friend had knocked up his youngest sister...

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Authors Note:
- at the moment i'm publishing chapters for this whenever i've written them until it gets going properly and then i'll stick to a schedule.

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