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𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑇𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑦 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒: 𝑇𝑜𝑜 𝑀𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑉𝑖𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑝𝑡1

The following day, as if by instinct, the sun had found its way from behind the thick clouds and heavy smoke to shine down lightly upon Birmingham for the first time in a long while. The rain had cleared quite promptly, leaving behind a damp scent in the mild air and shallow puddles on the mucky ground. Sabrina treaded lightly around the dirt and water, stepping lightly as she walked next to her brothers on their way to the betting den. It was second nature, growing up in Birmingham. The mud was a permanent feature that had to be avoided for a woman like Sabrina.

The four of them were oddly silent as they walked the short path down Watery Lane. Meetings like the one that they would be attending were usually kept to the family, but they had definitely been invited. Betty had remained in the Garrison, lived up with Henry, and Mary and Jane were left home, uninterested by any of it. Both Peter and George were quietly ecstatic, their excitement bubbling inside of their small bodies at the mere fact that they were finally being included, on purpose.

Sabrina, herself, had a feeling that it was all down to the previous day with Tommy. Everything had been pushed out into the open for both of them. She paraded about lighter than even in her steps, feeling as if the heavy weight of emotions that she could never discern, picking apart little by little, had finally been slid from her back. She knew how she felt.

As the siblings stepped into the betting den, Sabrina's eyes landed on her father, who stood in the middle, laughing along with Arthur Shelby and his cousin. She was surprised to see him there, and with out Mrs Potts too, as they had spent so much time together, that the children had barely seen them. They didn't mind though, that was how most of the youth of Small Heath grew up, with John's kids as a prime example. They were also happy for him- Jenny loved their father, and they had a feeling that he loved her too.

As Fred Lewis turned to move next to them, his children smirked at him knowingly. His eyebrows shot up, staring in disbelief at their devilish glances. Sabrina took him by the arm, guiding him away and letting the others divide into their own pathways, watching as Finn ran up to tug on Peter's arm.

"What was that about?" Her father asked, patting the hand that rested on his arm comfortingly.

"Don't pretend you don't know." Sabrina sang. She laughed at the blank expression on his face. "You and Mrs Potts!"

Fred laughed, rolling this eyes slightly as he moved them toward the front of the room, standing off to the side as a speech was about to begin.

Sabrina looked to Tommy as he stood by the chalkboard, a piece of paper held firmly in his hands. He glanced over smoothly, smiling softly as he felt her gaze resting upon his face. She was glad that her father didn't ask, she could feel that he wanted to by the inside look that he was sending between her and the Shelby boy.

"Right. I've got you all here today, because this is the day that we replace Billy Kimber. This is the day we become respectable. The day we join the official National Association of Race Course Bookmakers." Tommy began, a proud smile on his face.

Sabrina looked around the room to the different faces that were spread out across the betting den. Polly was closest, standing in the middle against a desk. She was beaming widely up at him, the love she held for her nephew evident on her glowing face. Her fingers were entertained in front of her, clasped together, as she waited for him to continue.

"But first, we do the dirty work. We've all known this days been coming. I just haven't told anybody the date." He said, turning to point toward the board behind him, dates sprawled in white across the wall. "We're going to the Worcester races. The track opens at one. We'll get there at two."

John was directly opposite her by the other side of the room. He wore his signature, cheeky smirk, his hands in his pockets as his wife leaned by his side. Both Esme and John looked content with each other, a marital radiance flushing their faces, as they snuck glances to each other every minute or so.

She was beautiful, Sabrina had noted, with a charming smile and dark, enchanting eyes. She could tell even from a distance that Esme had a gift of good looks that anyone could appreciate. A happiness spread through her chest as she watched the two. It was almost like a maternal feeling- John had finally found his match, just as she herself had too.

"Now, Kimber thinks we're going there to help him fight the Lee brothers. 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-" Tommy let out a playful huff as his eyes widened exaggeratedly. "But I can assure you all, John is making great sacrifices for the cause of peace."

"Yeah, all right." John moaned, rolling his eyes as he put a protective arm around the woman.

"So it'll be us and the Lees against Kimber's boys. We take them out but 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."

"And what about Kimber himself?"

"I'll deal with Kimber." He said simply, returning his gaze to the rest of the room. "Any other questions?"

"Yes." Polly said, a smug look spreading in her face as she walked to the back of the room, opening the doors that lead to the rest of the house. "Does anyone object if I bring a newcomer to the meeting?"

"Come on." She whispered into the room, opening the door wider. "I'd like to introduce the newest member of the Shelby clan."

Ada stepped into the betting den, her chin ducked down warily as she looked at the faces around the room before breaking out into a grin. They clapped lightly as she showed off the baby in her arms.

"Welcome home Ada." Arthur called, whistling in celebration as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"We named him Karl, after Karl Marx." She said.

"Karl bloody Marx." Arthur shouted with a laugh, reaching his hands out to take the young boy in his own hold, "Let me get a look at him."

"Hey, look. He looks just like me." He pointed happily as he held the baby so their faces were side by side, his moustache tickling his cheek.

"That's his arse that looks like you arthur." John joked, a deep chuckle emitting from the small crowd around them.

"He's alright. He's a Shelby." Arthur said as he passed him along to John.

"Well Ada, am I forgiven?" Tommy asked as he stepped beside her.

"If what aunt Pol says is true, you are." She nodded, and Tommy smiled.

"It's true." He said, and Ada rushes to pull him into a hug.

"He's gorgeous!" Sabrina cooed as she stood beside John, looking down at the baby.

"No hard feeling eh?" John asked as he smiled down at her.

"Of course not." She laughed. "I think we're both passed that silly stage."

Sabrina took Karl into her own arms, lifting a small finger to tickle under his chin as he looked up at her with wide and curious eyes. But she could feel more thag one pair of eyes on her face, and she glanced up, noticing Tommy's lingering gaze, his eyes sparkling as they rested in her own. He smiled, effortlessly making her blush deeply.

"Right, what's going on then?" Ada surprised her as she came to stand by her side.

"What do you mean?" She asked and Ada giggled teasingly, taking Karl back.

"I can see them heart eyes from across the room." She nudged her head to Tommy. "They're not all directed to my baby either."

"I didn't want to tell anyone." Sabrina gave in easily, her cheeks turning even darker as she wordlessly admitted to it.

"Come sit with me and Pol, yeah?" Ada asked as she nodded toward her aunt, who was headed toward the opposite end of their home. "Tell us about it."

Sabrina glanced toward Tommy. He was in his own again, separated from the rest of the group purposely as he sorted through the top desk near the chalkboard.

"Let me talk to him a sec, yeah?" She asked, and Ada nodded, moving to meet Polly.

"Bye, bye." She waved her finger to the baby before turning to face him.

She walked up behind him slowly, stopping only a step down from behind him. He hadn't heard her and she smirked, stepping around him swiftly to look up at him through long lashes. He smirked, putting everything down and leaning against the desk as he noticed her, looking down through equally long lashes.

"Is this what it feels like then?" She asked, looking around the room behind him to see it filled with his family.

"What's that?"

"Being in a Shelby family meeting." She said. "It feels wrong. Like I've stepped in on something I wasn't supposed to see."

"I could change that." He said quickly, his expression not changing.

Sabrina's breath hitched in her throat and her face darkened at the sound of his words. What else could he mean but marriage? She felt like he was joking, wasn't this too early? They had only said thag they loved each other for the first time a day ago. But he was smiling truthfully, no sign of cheekiness on his face like there usually would be. Her eyebrows furrowed as she shook her head in partial dubiety.

"You don't mean that, Tommy. The new status has gone to your head." She insisted.

"Thought we'd gotten passed this?" He asked.

"Passed what?"

"The denial." He stated, and she frowned. They had gotten passed the denial of their feelings- she was sure that it was the very reason as to why she was there with him then.

"That has nothing to do with this." She said, shaking her head at him again. "I'm not sure if I understood you, Tommy. But I don't appreciate you making jokes. I'm not denying anything."

"I wasn't joking." He said, glancing to the floor for a second before looking up at her again. "I forgot that it took you longer to figure it out."

"How long had you known?" She asked, moving forward to take his hands in hers, letting their entiendes fingers hang between them.

The betting den had emptied, with most heading to the Garrison with the other Shelby brothers before the day truly began.

"What that you fancied me?" He asked and she rolled her eyes at his teasing.

"That you had a soft spot for me, Thomas Shelby." She said, leaning in further so that their chests were close to touching.

"Since the time I saw you sat at the bar with my brother." He wasted no time in answering as he gazed down at her.

"What a charmer you were! Said hello and you were off." She taunted

"You'd always had a thing for John." He interrupted and she pouted.

"Maybe It's just the Shelby name that I like. He couldn't remember me anyway." She said.

Sabrina paused, letting a peaceful silence remain between them while she thought, her lip twisted between her teeth. "I don't think I want to hide it anymore."

"That I love you." She added, holding her breath slightly as she looked up to see his reaction, their hands still held tightly.

"I fancied John, I won't lie about it. I'm a girl who's always looked for a boy to hand her heart to, and I'm not ashamed of it at all. It doesn't make me any less of a woman." Sabrina explained, her gaze of no less but admiration. "I've realised that now."

"But when I came back... It's not healthy to like the idea of someone. And it's not enough to like them for the way they look, as John liked me. You only know you love someone, and that you're meant to be with them, when you want their heart as much as you want to give them yours." She stopped again, sucking in a breath that she had missed thanks to her eager rush of words that spilled from her mouth passionately.

"You're a bad man Tommy Shelby." She said, her eyes gazing lovingly to his. "But you had my heart ever since you danced with me at the races, no matter what followed."

For once, Sabrina didn't hesitate. She gladly pulled him forward, dipping his head so she could reach to kiss him, meeting their lips softly and only briefly before she pulled back, brushing her nose against his.

"I always said that John didn't deserve you because he wouldn't love you like I knew I did." Tommy whispered, his mouth next to her ear, her wispy hair tickling his lips. "But now I'm thinking you're too good to be with a man like me."

"Don't, Tommy." She stopped him, placing a finger against his lips, but he pulled back, his hands on her waist.

"But I'm turning things around, I am. When I get back, I'll have one of the biggest, legal racetrack syndicates in the country. I'm turning things around. It all starts after I get back tonight." He assured her.

"You will come back, won't you?" She said.

"Of course." He said, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Don't do anything stupid. Be careful." She said.

"Sabrina?" Her name was called from the other end. Ada's head was popped through the door.

"Promise me." She said, placing a hand on his chest, urging him to answer.

"I promise." He said.

"Tommy!" It was his turn for his name to be called out, interrupting them.

Arthur rushed through the front door, entering the betting den with wide eyes as he pulled Jeremiah in front of him, not letting the man move for his self. He was stressed, his chest heaving as he urged the man to speak.

"Tell him what you told me." He ordered, panic clear in his voice.

"Some of the boys, heard two vans coming up, said they recognise some of them. Said they were Kimber's boys." He said, and Arthur's nodded in thanks, patting Jeremiah on the back.

"Shit." Tommy screamed, his hands moving to run his face as he thought of his plan.

"Go sort the Garrison." He pointed to his brother. "Hurry up!"

"Ada, where's Pol?"

Tommy moved around her, hopping to the side as he noticed Ada still resting her head in the door, glancing between them worried, having missed Jeremiah's information. Polly appeared abruptly by her side, pushing the door open wider.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Ada, you and the baby, in the bullring where there's lots of people." He said, opening the door that led to the front entrance. "Sabrina go with her."

"What's going on?" Polly asked again, more firmly this time.

"We've been betrayed. Some one let it slip!"

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