Chapter Twelve
"For Angel!"

Nick Wallace had been in Birmingham for only a few days, but he was already looking forward to getting back home to America. The place was shabby, dirty and polluted, and even the air was massive stretch from what he breathed in his home country. Not to mention, he was certain the Shelby's were trying to make his life a living hell, even despite Arabella's reassurances that they meant nothing by it, and were purposely trying to scare him because they found such great enjoyment in pissing Arabella off – and it was definitely working.

"Well don't you two look lovely," John stated with a wry smirk as he approached the couple. Arabella was dressed in a dark green flapper dress, wearing her most expensive jewellery and a pair of new heels that were absolutely going to tear her poor feet to shreds. Nick wore his smartest black suit, and had even forked out on an expensive new pair of shoes for the occasion. He had his arm wrapped tightly around Arabella's waist, and smiled politely at John, despite having become fed up with his constant teasing.

"Thanks John," Arabella smiled sweetly, motioning her head to the side. "Now fuck off."

John scoffed. "Charming."

They were attending the charity dinner for the Shelby foundation, though the only Shelby Arabella had actually properly seen the entire time they were there was John. She'd caught sight of Tommy for the briefest of seconds before he disappeared to talk with a priest in another room. Grace had been slowly making her way around the hall, wearing the most obnoxiously expensive sparkling, blue sapphire around her neck. Arabella had talked to the woman for a while at the beginning of the event, having realised she'd never actually managed to have a proper conversation with her before. She could tell Tommy adored his wife, and Arabella understood why, Grace was so kind, and absolutely stunning, the perfect addition to the Shelby family. She was looking forward to getting to know her better.

"I'm gonna get us another drink," Nick told Arabella, removing his hand from around her waist.

"Okay," she smiled up at him, watching contently after her boyfriend for a moment, until her eyes accidentally landed on Michael from across the room. Arabella released an audible sigh as their eyes locked and Michael soon began to head towards her. She quickly shifted her gaze elsewhere, turning away to pretend she hadn't seen him.

Michael, in the least creepy way possible, had been watching Arabella and Nick for almost the entire night. This was the first time he'd spotted she'd actually been left alone, so he was taking his opportunity whilst he had the chance.

Nick had, of course, noticed Michael's watchful gaze on them all night, and was growing irritated with his girlfriend's business partner. But Michael couldn't help himself, there was something about Arabella that always drew him to her. He knew he shouldn't be thinking that way, especially since he had Charlotte now, and Arabella had Nick, but even when Michael tried to concentrate on something else, his eyes were always drawn back to Arabella.

Also, he really wanted a chance to apologise to her about how much of a twat he'd been lately.

"Jesus, what do you want?" Arabella mumbled as he eventually stopped in front of her, not even giving Michael the chance to greet her.

"Nice to see you too," he responded, to which Arabella scoffed, necking the rest of her champagne.

"You sure about that?"

Michael released a heavy breath. "I wanted to apologise to you for how I've been behaving."

Arabella's eyebrows quirked in surprise, never in a million years expecting an apology to come from him. "You're apologising? You're actually apologising?"

"Yes, don't look so surprised," Michael responded, glancing up to the ceiling in exasperation. He hated giving Arabella the sort of satisfaction that confirmed she'd been right about something – even though, deep down, he knew she had been right about him being too distracted during work, and Michael absolutely hated being wrong.

It turns out, in fact, that Arabella, for some reason, was probably one of the only people he would willingly give an apology to. He considered if it was perhaps because he was slightly scared of her, which he'd be lying if he said he wasn't, she could be very intimidating, but not necessarily in a bad way.

"Well, thank you," Arabella replied, slightly unsurely as she was caught quite off Guard by his apology. "And I'm, uh, sorry for snapping at you the other day." Arabella hesitated for a moment. "Though, I'm not entirely sorry, because I'm the one that has to put up working with you every bloody day."

Michael couldn't help but crack a smile as he nodded along to her words. "Thanks." He gestured to the empty glass in her hands. "Would you like a drink?"

"Oh, Nick's already getting me one," she smiled softly. "But thanks."

"Ah, Nick," Michael nodded his head slowly, sparing a glance in the other direction as his lips drew together in a firm line. "He seems...great."

Arabella detected a hint of distaste in his tone, but she didn't comment. "Yeah, he is."

"Are you going back to America with him?" Michael asked her, genuinely curious.

"Maybe," she replied with a small shrug. "I'll see what happens."

"Hello, Michael." The two of them turned around at the sound of Nick's voice, Arabella smiling at the sight of him, whilst Michael simply stared at the man. Nick's eyes remained on Michael for a moment, before he turned his attention to Arabella, passing her a full champagne glass. "Here you go, darling."

"Thank you," Arabella smiled appreciatively, taking the glass from his hands. "Have you seen Mallory or Isaiah around?"

Nick shook his head. "I haven't."

Arabella and Michael exchanged a look, practically reading each other's thoughts. "Definitely fucking," Arabella confirmed, the corners of her lips tugging as Michael also began to smirk.

"Definitely," Michael agreed.

Nick glanced between the two of them, unable to hide his slight jealousy for a fraction of a second, which Michael was very satisfied to have caught. Arabella picked up on the tension between the two men, biting her lip as she glanced at them slightly awkwardly, unsure as to why they both already seemed to hold a slight resentment for each other already.

"Oi, Bells, Tommy's looking for you."

Arabella turned her head at the sound of Isaiah's voice, eyeing him suspiciously as he sauntered towards the three of them. "And where the hell have you been?" She asked, a teasing smile pulling at her lips.

"Busy," he replied vaguely, a nonchalant shrug following his words – but both Arabella and Michael immediately saw through his facade.

"With Mallory?" Arabella teased, struggling to suppress her amusement at her friend's dishevelled appearance. His shirt hadn't been quite fully tucked in, one of his buttons was definitely done up wrong, and his tie was slightly crooked.

"Clearly, I mean, look at the state of that tie," Michael pointed out, a grin flashing across his face.

Arabella chuckled, reaching to straighten out the garment, until Isaiah narrowed his eyes at her, whacking her hands away. "Fuck off."

Arabella and Michael shared a look, faces flushing as they attempted to stifle their laughter. Nick glanced between them unsurely, before turning his attention back to Isaiah, holding his hand out. "Hi, I'm Nick. I don't think we've met."

"Oh, so you're the fancy man," Isaiah said as he shook Nick's hand, his eyes glinting mischievously as he spared a glance at Arabella. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Good things I hope," Nick smiled politely, though his discomfort in the whole situation was still evidently clear by his rigid posture.

"Of course," Arabella assured him, snaking her arm around her boyfriend's back. "There are only good things to say."

Michael rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to Isaiah, but before anything more could be said or done by anyone, a loud cry burst through the room.

"For Angel!"

Arabella whipped her head around at the sound, unable to do anything but watch as a man lifted his arm, aiming a gun straight towards a startled Tommy and Grace.

"Holy shit!" Arabella's eyes grew wide as she instinctively took a step forwards, her panicked exclamation getting lost in the air as the sound of the gunshot reverberated through the room. Michael gripped onto Arabella's arm, halting her before she could go running into danger, but Arabella had been stopped in her tracks anyway by the sight of Grace Shelby staggering back into her husband's arms.

Arthur instantly lunged towards the shooter, tackling him to the ground in seconds. John and Finn hurried to their older brother's side, the three of them beating the man, whilst Grace slowly bled out in Tommy's arms.

"Someone get a fucking ambulance!" Tommy ordered desperately, the pain straining his voice causing Arabella's stomach to drop.

"Isaiah!"

As Isaiah rushed towards the chaos to help, Michael slowly released his grip on Arabella, whose eyes began to fill with tears at the sight in front of her. Nick stared ahead of him in shock at what he'd just seen, the three of them remaining in a stunned silence as Tommy's frantic shouts filled the air.

Arabella stifled a cry, and Nick carefully brought his girlfriend into the comfort of his arms, holding her close whilst they watched Thomas Shelby lose the love of his life.

A/N

Rip Grace.

Michael immediately hating Arabella's boyfriend for no good reason is incredibly on brand of him.

What do you guys think of the first few episodes of season 5 so far?