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𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑆𝑖𝑥𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛: 𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝐹𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑡

Thanks to the wise but simple words of Polly Gray, Tommy Shelby knew what he would do. It was making himself do it, which was the hard part. Everything had already been prepared days earlier but with the new complications of feeling, that he never could have predicted, Tommy felt himself second-guessing his decisions.

Deep down, both Tommy and his brother knew that John didn't love Sabrina. He himself knew that he couldn't give her what she wanted- couldn't be loyal. But that didn't ever stop him from wanting a woman.

But what about Sabrina herself? Was her love for John real. Tommy doubted it. But he had always been the cynical one. His plan was ready. Whether that plan went through or not, was balanced on one thing: Sabrina's feelings for John. And Tommy knew exactly how to find them out.

"Hello Pol."

Sabrina stood behind the bar cleaning the left over glasses that had been stacked up high from the previous night. A Sunday afternoon was always quiet in the Garrison, not because of church as usually expected, but because of the hangovers that were almost always guaranteed.

"Sabrina." Polly greeted the young girl back, as she sat down in front of the bar, removing her coat and scarf and laying it on the stool to her side.

"I need to talk to you." She said with a smile, that was closer to a smirk.Upon noticing the look on Sabrina's face, she insisted, "Don't look so scared, it's all good things."

"So what's happening with you and John?" Polly finally asked as a glass was placed in front of her.

"What'd you mean?" Sabrina blushed and rolled her eyes as Polly looked at her with a knowing gaze and raised brows. "I haven't spoken to him in a while."

"Have you tried to?" The older woman asked, and Sabrina's face flushed an even deeper red.

"No- but I'm scared it'll be awkward. It always is." She replied and Aunt Pol chuckled.

"So what happened at Cheltenham?"

"Nothing happened at-" Sabrina tried to say, but Polly interrupted her with an annoyed but joking tone.

"Don't give me any of that shit, something happened. Something happened at this pub last night with you and I'll be hearing about that too." She said, as she lit a cigarette, looking at her with a low gaze, expectantly. "So come on."

"I ended up leaving with Kimber. He tried to force himself on me." Sabrina said, turning away from Polly, her face frowning at the thought of it. "He didn't manage to."

"Tommy wouldn't have let him." Polly insisted and Sabrina eventually nodded in agreement.

"No, he wouldn't have. And I know that now." She said, with a smile, giving up on cleaning and placing the last of the cups and rags in the corner of the bar before turning back to Pol. She added, "He came running in with a face like a ghost. I'd rather he not need to though. A woman shouldn't need a man to look after her."

"Too right. If only it was like that, sweetheart." Polly said, leaning back with a puff. "But it's not. And it doesn't matter how capable you are, Sabrina, take advantage of what you can. Because no one will give it back if they take it."

"Until we can change things, we work with what we've got." Polly explained pointedly, aiming her finger at her to get the meaning across. She asked, "Right?"

"Right." Sabrina said with a grin.

"Your dress was red wasn't it?" Polly asked quickly, wasting no time that could be used.

"Yes, how'd you know?"

"Tommy's favourite colour is red." She laughed, the sound loud ring upon noticing Sabrina's pink face.

"He told me I should buy red because it was John's favourite!" Sabrina exclaimed.

"That boy." Polly shook her head, leaning back against the bar with her elbows as Sabrina watched her with a gleam in her eyes. She admired Polly too much to ignore her. Polly added, "You're just as bad."

Sabrina raised her arm, about to disagree, but Polly waved her own hand, shaking her head.

"And don't bother asking what I mean. You know deep down."

Sabrina pouted. She loved Polly but she hated how she seemed to know everything about her from the minute she opened her mouth or even walked in her vicinity. But, she supposed that everyone could read her like a book. Her sisters were amazing at it, and even Tommy knew more about her than she would have liked him to.

"Anyway, last night, what happened?" Polly asked again, waving away the passed conversation.

"He asked to meet me, in the private room." Sabrina said simply.

"And what? Apologised?"

"No, we're past that now. He talked about John."

Polly sighed. She knew there was more to it.

"He asked me if I loved him and said that he didn't deserve me."

"Good God." Polly exclaimed, with yet another shake of her head. She couldn't believe how blunt he had been. "I don't believe that you just talked."

Sabrina had tried to keep it private, but her cheeks burned and flared against her will. Her finger tips began to shake. Polly didn't need the physical clues to tell her that something more had happened.

"We danced." Sabrina tried even harder to hold back, but Polly would have none of it.

"Danced." She mimicked mockingly, with a raise to her brow. Sabrina shrugged, embarrassed.

"He kissed me." She blurted our, and Polly smiled, taking another go at her cigarette.

"There we go." Polly said. She placed her tab in the ash tray, leaning forward and she knew it was serious. "Sabrina, I need to tell you something. I think, after hearing your answers, it'll be alright to say."

"Polly?" Sabrina said, worried.

It wasn't often that Polly would have these talks with her. But she remembered the last tile, and it didn't bring happy memories to mind. It had been 1914- she was the one to break the news of war and the departure of her father and brother. But out of anyone, she knew she would rather it be Polly of all people, and so she sat silent and listened.

"Tommy had arranged John's marriage." Polly said quickly, not missing a beat and choosing to cut straight to the problem.

Sabrina sucked in a breath. Had she really heard that correctly?

"He's getting married?" She asked, unsure and Polly nodded regretfully.

"Yes, he doesn't know yet."

"Tommy hasn't told him?" She asked.

"No, and he isn't going to."

"You can't do that, surely?" Sabrina said loudly, shaking her head.

"It has to be done." Polly replies quietly, her hand placing itself comfortably on Sabrina's. "The lee's will have our heads if it doesn't happen. Tommy has it all figured out, trust in that."

Sabrina nodded her head absentmindedly and asked, "When is the wedding?"

"A week tomorrow. We send out invitation to your family through you. Just make sure John doesn't find out."

Sabrina let out a bitter laugh, her hand retracting from the bar and out from under Polly's touch.

"Look, John needs a wife and she needs a husband, and Tommy needs peace. It works for everyone." Polly explained. "How do you feel?"

How did she feel? She didn't feel anything familiar. Is this what heartbreak feels like, a bubble that tickled her stomach and made her brain feel fuzzy? Surely not? It wasn't a pain that she felt- not the pain of heart ache. I'm okay, she thought.

Sabina couldn't explain it. She felt conflicted. She knew letting her delusion of a romance with John go, would be the best thing for her. But maybe she wasn't ready to let her child-hood imaginings fly away?

Sabrina didn't tell any of this to Polly. She knew that either way, the older woman knew how she was feeling, and so, she ended with a simple one worded answer: "Alright."

But Polly needed to hear more than that- it was best for the younger girl to hear it come from her own mouth. She shook her head and Sabrina's shoulders sagged.

"I needed to get over the silly, childhood fantasy sooner rather than later." She didn't know who she was truly convincing, but it definitely wasn't Polly.

"I believe you're more over them than you think." Polly finished, a graceful and knowing smile on her lips. "Good things are coming, Sabrina, just you wait."

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