Grace and I were walking down the streets of dark and claustrophobic Small Heath. I was getting nervous that Tommy was going to find out I was the one that tipped Campbell off about the gun. 

"Grace, what do I do?" I asked Grace is a hushed tone, she looked calm and collective while I did not. 

"I have already saved you." Grace answered and I looked at her confused. That was one thing she was amazing at, saving my little arse. 

"How?"I asked perplexed. 

"Kimber and his men they are coming this way because they got a tip off. Me." Grace answered and I was in complete shock. She had just become a walking target.

"Grace, why the hell would you do that?" I hissed at her in a hushed tone so nobody would observe the confrontation. 

"Once this is over, we leave. You can raise this baby in New York." Grace answered very tranquil. 

"I can not leave Tommy." I replied honestly and Grace sighed sympathetically. 

"Kimber and his men will outnumber Tommy with the Lee's. There will be some casualties." Grace explained and I got so worried. 

"Jesus Grace." I muttered in complete shock. 

"I had to do it. Once this is all over you can pull out of being an agent. Technically the time that you spent with the agency is a prison sentence so you will not go to jail..." Grace began to explain but I cut in.

"... but Tommy with never forgive me."  I interrupted and it was completely true. Tommy would never forgive, he would find out I was pregnant with his child and then he would leave me for good.

"No, he will never forgive me." Grace added honestly. 

"But I know about this plan and I should warn him and John and Arthur and Polly." I explained guiltily. 

"You already told Campbell where the guns were, you can not go behind their backs anymore." Grace replied and I sighed deeply. 

"So are you saying that I should just leave here, without telling him about the baby?" I asked Grace anxiously. 

"I say you go out with one last victory." Grace smirked at him, just to cheer me up. 

"What about you?" I asked Grace, I truly did care about her and I felt awful, she was saving me but sacrificing herself. 

"I will take the complete fall for everything, then when it is all over we meet at the train station." Grace answered before she walked off through the dark alley. 

"Did you ever love Tommy?" I asked her as she stood about a metre in front of me. Grace gave me one of her radiant smiles as she turned around to face me.  

"It's impossible to not fall in love with him." Grace answered honestly and I nodded my head in agreement. 

"I understand that." I replied before we both walked the other direction. I had to plan my one last victory and I had an idea to secretly make amends. 

___

"Right. I've brought you all here today because this is the day we replace Billy Kimber." Tommy started off as I and the rest of the Peaky Blinders all stood in the betting house. This was my first proper meeting. "This is the day we become respectable. The day we join the official National Association of Race Course Bookmakers. But first we do the dirty work. We've all known it's been coming. I just haven't told anyone the date. We're going to the Worcester races. The track opens at one, we get there at two. Now, Kimber thinks we're going there to help him fight the Lee brothers." Tommy explained before he looked over at John and Esme.  "But thanks to the efforts of our John, and his lovely new wife Esme, the Lees are now our kin. I interrupted those efforts this morning, and, er..." Tommy continued and everyone laughed. "I can assure you all, John is making great sacrifices in the cause of peace." Tommy chuckled. Even Esme was laughing. Esme and I had become very good friends, she told me about the gypsy and what I missed out on because I was adopted. 

"Yeah, all right." John sighed and I laughed some more.

"So, it'll be us and the Lees against Kimber's boys. We take them out, then leave the bookies. I expect a swift victory which will send a signal all the way to London, that we believe in letting legitimate businesses run peacefully." Tommy instructed and I knew the boys would not wanting me to fight in this but I had professional experience. 

"And, er What about Kimber himself?" I asked raising my hand. Everyone looked at me like it was a sin. I guess they weren't used to non-family speaking. But I am was now a Peaky Blinder.

"I'll deal with Kimber." Tommy answered as he nodded his head at me. I just smiled weakly at him, I had more of a guilty look on my face now then ever.  "Any other questions?" Tommy asked and Polly stepped forward. 

"Yes. Oh, does anyone object if I bring a newcomer to the meeting?" Polly asked and nobody had an objections. "Come on. I'd like to introduce the newest member of the Shelby clan." Polly grinned as Ada walked in with her child. I had not seen that child since it was born, Ada hid herself away. 

"Welcome home, Ada." Tommy grinned at her and Ada showed everybody her new baby. He was just so cute and small. 

"We named him Karl. After Karl Marx." Ada giggled and everybody roared with laughter. 

"Karl bloody Marx?" Arthur asked as everyone continued to laugh.  "Let me get a look at him." Arthur stated and Ada passed Karl to Arthur. 

"Oh, here we go." John sighed. Arthur took off his hat and slipped it on Karl's little head. 

"Eh, look. He looks just like me, look." Arthur chuckled as he showed off Karl and his new hat. Everyone laughed alongside him. 

"That's his arse looks like you, Arthur." John joked and everyone continued to laugh some more. 

"He's a Shelby." Tommy smirked before he looked over at his younger sister. "Well, Ada? Am I forgiven?" Tommy asked Ada as he walked closer towards her. 

"If what Aunt Polly says is true, you are." Ada answered and I was happy for them. 

"It's true." Tommy replied and everyone clapped their hands together as they hugged it out. 

"Someone please pass me this adorable baby." I grinned as I took Karl from Arthur. I looked at him sweetly, that was going to be my life soon. 

___

"All right, lads, listen up. You have a pint and a chaser, no more. On the house." Tommy instructed before he turned to me and Grace. "Let's get pouring." He stated and I rolled up my sleeves.

"Do you have the enclosure tickets? And the register of book-keepers on the track?" Grace asked Tommy as he walked beside me. 

"In me coat." Tommy answered before he looked down at me. "You did a good job, Clara." Tommy smiled down at me. I was going to miss that smile of his.

"Tommy I am worried for you." I admitted and could you blame me. I did not want him to leave me and I did not want to leave him but that was how it was going to have to be. 

"We'll talk about it more when I get back." Tommy replied reassuringly as he pulled pints alongside me. But I knew I was not going to be here. I was going to be on my way to London with Grace and my little baby inside of me. 

"All right? When will you be back?" I asked him as we poured pints together.

"Oh, is this how it's going to be, eh?" Tommy asked me smirking. "You waiting at home for me, saying, "What time do you call this"?" Tommy asked me mimicking me. I wanted that to be our lives but I knew it could not be. 

"The barrel needs changing." I whispered before I walked into the back room. I could not help myself. I brought down into tears. Tommy came in and I tried to wipe them away but Tommy could already tell. 

"Clara. Hey, Clara, I was joking." Tommy smiled at me sweetly as he placed his warm hands on my face.

"Tommy, we need more mild!" John shouted as he banged onto the bar. Tommy sighed as he pointed his head in the direction of the door. 

"Just help yourselves." Tommy shouted back and I sighed deeply. 

"Tommy, the truth is when you come back from the races, I won't be here." I told him as I placed one of my little hands on his big strong one. 

"What are you talking about?" Tommy asked me but before I could tell him I was leaving he continued. "All right, look. Grace, I know you weren't born to be with a man like me But I'm turning things around. And when I get back here tonight I will have one of the biggest legal racetrack syndicates in the country. And I'm going to close down some of that other stuff. Maybe open a club, hey? Like in London." Tommy explained and I was happy for him. I was happy that he was getting his life sorted out. "And another thing. You have a contract of employment. With a real limited company. You remember?" Tommy asked me in his deep voice. 

"I remember everything, Tommy." I answered him honestly. 

"I am going to make a success of this. I am going to make a success of it. I am." Tommy reassured and I nodded my head in agreement. 

"I know. I know." I whispered as I looked into his trancing eyes with my big brown eyes. 

"And I'm not talking about marriage." Tommy replied and I looked a little sad. I did want to marry Tommy. 

"We know each other. We can talk. We're the same." Tommy continued and I had to tell him the truth. 

"Tommy, I have done something terrible to you." I admitted honestly and Tommy looked at me confused. Before I could elaborate Arthur and Jeremiah walked in. 

"Right, tell him what you just told me." Arthur instructed as he stood beside Jeremiah, I slyly wiped away my tears. 

"Just heard there's two vans driving up the Stratford Road. An old corporal of mine said he recognised some of the men." Jeremiah explained and I looked worried. Hell, I was worried.

"He said it's Kimber boys, and they're heading this way." Arthur explained and I sighed loud. 

"Well go then." I instructed as I practically pushed the men out of the back room. I needed them to win this fight or lives would be on Grace and I's conscious. Once they had left, I turned around and just cried. 

___

"Did you fall for Tommy?" Polly asked me as her and I walked to The Garrison. Polly was away to confront Grace and I, well I was there to make sure nothing bad happened to Grace. But Polly did not know that. 

"Yes. We are in love." I answered smiling radiantly. 

"Then I pity you. He's too soft." Polly replied and I would never describe Tommy as 'soft'. 

"Soft?" I asked her confused. 

"Soft. Like you. You saved his life the night the coppers came." Polly answered and I just nodded my head as our heels crunched on the gravel ground 

"What was he like before France?" I asked Polly intrigued. I wanted to know if he always had such a cold demeanour or if that was just a product of war. 

"He laughed, a lot. He wanted to work with horses. He won medals." Polly answered happily and I could not stop smiling. Then her face turned dower. "Threw them in the cut. Ah, not a single man came back the same." Polly sighed and I just closed my eyes upset. 

___

"Going for good?" Polly asked Grace as both her and I walked into the Garrison. I weakly smiled at Grace without Polly knowing. 

"I heard there was trouble." Grace answered in her thick irish accent. 

"Instinct's a funny thing. See, normally I can tell about a person. But with you..." Polly began to say but Grace interrupted her. I felt it was best for me to stay quiet and not say anything. I might slip up and then all of this would have been for nothing. 

"Look, the fighting's about to begin. We should get out of here." Grace interrupted as I gave her a warning look for what was about to come. 

"We know who you are. Tommy knows as well. Turned out that copper as good as told him this morning." Polly explained and I sighed. Tommy knows everything now, what if Campbell told him about me? Then what do I do? Do I confront Tommy? But then all that Grace did would be for nothing. However, I could just not tell Tommy. But then it would only get worse for me if he found out I lied to him. 

"But I wanted to hear it from your own lips." Polly hissed. 

"I am an agent of the crown. I have the power to arrest and the right to use force. So, please, step out of my way." Grace barked as she held the gun up at Polly. I gasped with fear. I did not expect that in the slightest. 

"Like I say, instinct's a funny thing. You fell for Tommy for real, didn't you?" Polly asked her and I looked at her with big wide eyes.

"This gun is loaded." Grace warned as she held it out, she did not want to admit to me that she loved Tommy.

"I'm not afraid of you. I feel sorry for you." Polly admitted. "Slip of a thing. Thought you'd come in here and stitch us all up. I mean, we've had some copper's narks in here, but you? You're the queen of them all." Polly replied like it was some compliment. Grace did not make eye contact with me, she did not want to see my guilty face. "So, who are you?" Polly asked but she answered for Grace. "Rich girl, I'd guess. Unionist. Ulster Volunteer. You thought Fenians, communists, low people they're all the same. Scum. Then you met Tommy." Grace silently placed the gun on the counter.

"I'll fight you with my fists and show you how a rich girl fights. I'm from a tough family, too." Grace stated as she rolled up her sleeves. Polly shook her head as she sat down. I, then, sat down beside her and Grace across from her and I.

"He might forgive you. He might take you in. You can never tell with men. They go for whoever their dicks point at, and there's no changing their minds." Polly started to explain and I could see Grace smile. It was quite complicated that both of us loved Tommy. "But I should tell you something. I will never forgive you. Or accept you. Or take you in." Polly sneered and I looked down guilty. I was being a horrible friend. "And it's me who runs the business of the heart in this family. And as far as I'm concerned, you're a snitch from the Parish. And if you're not gone from this city by tomorrow I'll kill you myself. Now, go." Polly finished and Grace stood up. 

"Maybe what really upsets you is the thought that one day you might lose him." Grace hissed before she walked out. I hated what had just happened to her, the ganging up. I looked at Polly before I chased Grace outside. 

"Grace!" I called as I ran up to her. I was breathing so heavily and my hands were shaking. Grace held onto me. 

"Just meet me at the Train Station tonight." Grace whispered into my ear just to settle myself down but I was really upset. 

"Tommy knows I was in on this." I breathed out deeply and Grace looked at me in the eye. 

"You did not do anything. It was all me, tell him that." Grace replied in a stern voice before she walked off. Leaving me.

I stood on the pavement, cold, broken and terrified to death. 

+++

Nearly close to the halfway point people!

Please tell me what you thought of this chapter in the comments below.

I really enjoyed writing it and I am super duper excited for the next one. Just to let you know for season two I will not be following the story line down to a T. Like Clara will come back in the first episode and not the fifth. 

But that's all the spoilers I will give for the now,

Happy Reading and do not forget to comment and vote!

Mrs N O'Brien xx