I walked up to Tommy, he was standing on a box speaking to the men. I was wearing a dress with a holster around it. I had both of my pistols strapped in them and then one hidden in my boot. 

"What are you doing here, Clara?" Tommy asked me confused as I looked at all the men. This might just be the first time they have ever seen a woman fight. 

"Showcasing one of my many talents." I smirked at him before I checked that the gun was loaded. 

"So I reckon we're outnumbered three to one." Tommy continued but I knew he was going to talk to me. No way would he leave it that quickly. 

"Ah Fuck." Arthur muttered, he was worried. As we all were.

"But it's us, boys and Clara. It's us. The Small Heath Rifles. Never lost a fight yet, did we?" He asked everyone loudly.

"No!" They roared and it was getting me all pumped up. I was ready for this, I really was. 

"All right. Jeremiah." Tommy stated as he looked at Jeremiah. "I know you vowed to God to never pick up a weapon again. But can you ask him from me if you can help us today?" Tommy asked.

"God says he don't deal with Small Heath, sir." Jeremiah replied before he saluted Tommy.

"Good man." Tommy smirked as John passed Jeremiah a really big gun. "Arthur, Scudboat. You take the flanks. Just like at St Marie." Tommy instructed. 

"Sir." Arthur replied in a military fashion. 

"Curly, if any Shelby man dies here today, you bury us side by side." Tommy continued and all the Shelby brothers looked at each other. I could not have any of them dying on me, I was not going to let that happen. "All right. We've about ten minutes. Make your peace with whoever." Thomas finished before he took my arm and dragged me off.

"Thomas, let go of me." I warned him sternly and he stopped once we stood in an alleyway together.

"You are not fighting in this battle." Tommy instructed and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Who says?" I asked him in a challenging tone. 

"Me. I do not want you to get hurt." Tommy answered and I just scoffed.

"You do though." I replied and he looked at me confused. I know it was probably a hurtful thing to say but deep down it was the truth.  "You know that I was the one who ratted out the guns." I explained and Tommy sighed.  

"Why did you do it?" Tommy asked me harshly. 

"For you." I answered honestly. Everything I do is for Tommy. One day he will be able to figure that out. 

"How was that helping me, Clara? My only fucking bargaining power was gone." Tommy shouted and I placed a soft hand on his shoulder. 

"If I handed in the guns, Campbell had to leave your family alone. But he didn't, until he found out that you were with me." I explained to him, trying to calm him down.

"Why did he get everyone to stand down?" Tommy asked me and I smirked at him. 

"I have my own bargaining chip." I answered, no way was Campbell going to hurt a pregnant woman, especially me. An ex-agent to the crown.

"What about Black Star day?" Tommy asked me and I just could not keep a straight face. I softly chuckled. 

"Black what day?" I asked him confused, what the hell is Black Star day? Do they actually name the days they go into battle? 

"Today. Did you tell Kimber's men what was going to happen?" Thomas asked me and I shook my head. That was in fact Grace.

"I did not know what was happening until you told me alongside the rest of your family." I answered honestly, because it was not a lie. I did not tell Kimber. 

"Grace could have told you." Thomas replied and I shook my head whilst keeping my mouth closed.

"She did not." I lied through my back teeth. Tommy just nodded his head.  

"Clara. You are not fighting in this battle." Tommy warned and I nodded my head like a 'good little girl'. 

"Fine but this will not be the last of me, Thomas Shelby." I warned before I kissed him deeply. That might have been the last kiss we ever have because I was going to New York and I had a funny feeling Tommy was not going to come with me. "Good luck." I whispered in his ear before I marched off with my dignity. I had a plan to end this once and for all. It was going to include Ada. 

___

"ADA!" I shouted as I walked into her apartment. She was holding a crying Karl, I looked at her worried, that was going to be me soon. 

"I cannot get him to stop crying." Ada sighed as she cuddled Karl. 

"I heard walks are good for that." I smirked at her and she could hear the mischievousness in my voice. 

"What do you have planned?" Ada asked me giggling slightly. 

"We will stop this once and for all." I explained and Ada nodded her head. "First we need to dress up in black." I added as I walked over to her closet. Ada looked at me confused before she followed with the crying Karl. 

___

"Move!" Ada shouted as Karl cried. Ada and I were currently marching through Kimber's men with baby Karl in his stroller.  

"What are you doing?" Freddie asked and I avoided all eye contact with Tommy. I held up my two pistols and threw them to the ground. 

"I believe you boys call this "no-man's land." I stated as I bent down and pulled the gun out of my boot and threw it to the side. The men were all looking at me in shock. I had been carrying there guns on me.

"Ada." Freddie began to say but Ada interrupted.

"Shut up and listen." She warned but Freddie was not listening. 

"Have you lost your mind?" Freddie asked her in shock. 

"She said shut up!" I shouted as I threw my gun holster to the ground and then my coat. "Now, most of you were in France. So you all know what happens next." I said as I looked at every single one of them in the eye, except for Tommy. 

"I've got brothers and a husband here but you've all got somebody waiting for you." Ada explained and her brothers looked down guilty. 

"Now, I'm wearing black in preparation. I want you to look at us." I said as we both wore black dressed with head pieces.

"I want you all to look at us." Ada repeated as she looked down at her little baby boy. 

"Who'll be wearing black for you? Think about them. Think about them right now." I instructed trying to give them a guilty conscious. I wanted this to be over and done with. 

"And fight if you want to, but that baby ain't moving anywhere. And neither are us." Ada warned and all colour drained out of Freddie's face. Kimber nodded his head and I looked at him with disgust. 

"They are right, you know. Why should all you men die? It should just be them who's caused it." Kimber explained before he shot Tommy. 

"Tommy!" I screamed worried as Danny ran forward, he was shot three times. I dropped down the ground next to Tommy, crying. Tommy stood up and shot Billy Kimber in the head, he was gone. 

"Enough." Tommy shouted as all the boys held their guns at their opponents. John actually walked over to me and helped me up. "Kimber and me fought this battle one on one. It's over. Go home to your families." Tommy explained and the men did just that. "Scudboat, Curlypick him up." Tommy instructed as he pointed to the dead Danny.

I watched them all walk away and then I watched Ada hugging onto Freddie. She had not seen him since Karl was born. 

I slowly picked up my guns and coat before I made my way home. I had to pack up all my things, I did not want to miss my train with Grace. Unless Tommy wanted to make things work. 

___

"Everyone's leaving town." Tommy stated and I turned around. I did not think he was going to want to see me after Campbell told him, but he left out the pregnancy. Maybe to stop me from staying in Small Heath. 

"What exactly can I say?" I asked him as I looked down at my packed bags and almost empty apartment. 

"I don't know, Clara." Tommy answered and I walked closer to him, my heels banging off of the hard, wooden floor. 

"I could tell you why I did it?" I asked him, maybe this would be a good time to go 'I am carrying your child'. I guess in a way I was lucky I was not showing that much yet. 

"I know why you did it." Tommy answered and I smirked at him. 

"You also thought that you knew me the first time we met." I replied in a jokey tone, pointing out our first conversation together. God, that feels like centuries ago. Tommy held up his gun. 

"Someday I will throw this gun in the canal." He stated changing the subject before he placed it back in the holster. 

"Why not now?" I asked him excitably but he stood there quiet. "Here it comes, Tommy. I love you." I admitted honestly and I loved him. I thought we loved each other dearly. 

"And there it goes, Clara." Tommy whispered as our faces were inches apart. "Away it goes. We can say it as much as we like but there's no chance." Tommy continued coldly and a tear fell down my cheek. It hurt to say the least. 

"You don't love me anymore because I told Campbell about the missing guns?" I asked him confused and hurt. 

"I do not love you because I lost all trust in you." Tommy answered and I pushed him slightly. 

"Fuck off Tommy, you knew I had to do it. I was looking out for your family and your friends." I shouted back at him angrily and too right. I deserved to be angry with him. I sighed deeply before I passed him a note. "I'll be in London one week. This address. Finish your business here and join me. I have an idea." I explained before I gently kissed him on the lips.

Who knows? That might have just been my last meeting ever with Mr Thomas Shelby. 

I grabbed my bags and slowly walked out of the apartment, leaving Tommy standing there alone. 

___

Dear Clara, 

Without a secretary, I write my own letters and I write without malice. I learnt long ago to hate my enemies. But I've never loved one before. The idea of New York is interesting but I have worked so hard for this day, for this victory. I have responsibilities here for people I need to protect and people who I love. Before the war, when I had an important decision to make, I used to flip a coin. Perhaps that is what I will do again. Polly tells me you fell in love for real and Polly is never wrong about matters of the heart. I will give you my decision within three days.

All my love.

Thomas Shelby.

I finished reading the letter and I offended that he was going to rest his fate with myself on a simple coin toss. I looked down at my stomach that was beginning to show with delight. I turned my head to see Grace standing beside me. 

"Are you ready for this?" Grace asked me and I looked behind me to see no sign from Tommy. I guess I lost the coin toss. Grace a week before had shot Campbell in the leg because he tried to shoot her first. It was scary and intimidating. 

"Let's go to New York." I answered sighing as we made our way onto the Ferry slowly. I turned back around one more time to see a group of different people but none of them were the love of my life- Thomas Shelby.  

+++

Well ladies and gentleman, we have reached the half way point (sort of), I mean season one is finished but I will add in my own chapters alongside the chapters of season two. 

I already have everything picked out for the baby, gender, name, etc...

New chapter will be uploaded soon,

what do you think will happen with Clara and Tommy? 

hope you all enjoyed this one,

Mrs N O'Brien xx