Lucille

The meadow stretched as far along the road as Lucille could see. If she listened hard enough, she could hear the rustling of the grass beneath her shoes, hear the buzzing of the bees that flew past her ears mistaking her perfume and patterned dress for the pretty wildflowers that scattered the vast expanse. Along the way, there was a shallow dip of the rolling field, giving way to cropped grass and free space with the natural soundtrack of the trickling of water from the brook, opposite to the road that lead them there.

It reminded her so much of home, if she could even call the house in France by that title. The word home felt so loving and warm, the opposite of anything she could describe her father's farmhouse as. Birmingham, with its grey skies and dirt paths, was more of a home to her that any other place she had been before. Home truly was where her family was, she believed.

But this meadow, completed by the trees that hid them away from the footpath or the odd car that sped down the road, was exactly the same as the fields she had took Tommy to, that first time she had kissed him. When she closed her eyes, she expected to open them again to see rows of lavender purple and smell the sweet fragrance that was permanently engrained in her mind. But each time, she was met with children playing in tall grass, laughter filling her ears and the soft scent of morning dew clouding her nose.

Tommy had promised her a day out in the countryside, and that was exactly what he had given her. Lucille had been too scared by recent events to leave Finn behind, so he played on the plain along side Adds, who giggled as happily as she ever had. She didn't even want to think about the bomb scare that nearly took her children- she had taken to looking after Finn like a mother anyway. It seemed the fresh air would do them some good too, even to Tommy, who lay down beside her, cap covering his eyes from the gentle sun and chest raising steadily in a light sleep. Lucille couldn't help but prefer this scene to the fields in France. Here she was surrounded by people who she would all call family, and who she loved so very much.

Even the words that John had readily shared with her that morning before leaving, too angry with his brother to wait, couldn't hurt her. She was too lost in the blissful sense of well being to even think too much of it. Tommy had asked Lizzie, John's fancy, to keep up her job with him. But she would deal with it later. Hear another explanation of why he had to do wrong. It was a never ending cycle- he would do something and she would be silently seething from it.

The whole of Shelby family was the same, she had learned. They were bad people. They were bad peoples that you couldn't help but love. Lucille may have hated him for it, had she not been with him every step of the way. Had she not loved him with every inch of her being and of her caring heart. Had Adds not been of his same blood.

Tommy stirred at her side, his hand brushing against her leg as he turned, the cap falling from his face and onto her hand that leaned beside him. His face was revealed to the sun, but his eyes didn't flicker once, the bags below them too heavy to let them pry open so easily. It seemed that Tommy had been tired for weeks on end, fatigued chronically by the mess that he was in, an exhaustion that she could sooth only by calming words on nights when he had the energy to force his eyes clamped shut.

His skin was paler than ever too, a pasty white that could almost be transparent under the golden sun that they had been blessed with that day. It was then that he looked much like the soldier she met in France, wounded, almost dying and with too little hope. Tommy looked younger, those years ago, and yet he had also looked older, aged by the stress lines that were etched into his skin and the muck that took several scrubs to remove. Now he looked years older, as tired as someone should be in retirement.

He was still wounded, tainted in mentality by the scars of the war and the hardships that followed after. He was wounded by his own business, by the transacts that were supposed to be giving his family a better life. He was like a shield to it all, his arms held out wide in front of them all, taking each and every blunt hit that came their way.

Tommy's eyes twitched, probably under the weighty stare that she bathed him in. The wind had picked up too, tickling at their noses and tending the blades of grass toppling into their bare skin that lay atop its bed. Tommy smiled first, before gradually opening his eyes, blinking against the sun that was now midway through the open sky. Then his eyes were on hers, skin crunching with laughter lines as his arm found her waist.

"Good morning to you," she whispered, feeling his hand rest on her bare skin, where her blouse lifted from her skirt. She wished each day could be this easy.

"Sorry," he muttered, though not apologetically. "Was I asleep for long?"

"No, not too long."

Tommy sat up, his arm sliding from her waist to support himself as he reached for the straw basket across from her. A blanket lay ruffled on top.

"Though you were asleep long enough for Ada to ask for your sandwich," Lucille said, letting out a laugh as Tommy's eyes flickered to his daughter, probably inspecting the crumbs that still stuck to her face as she ran from Finn.

"Good thing I'm not hungry," he said. "She never stops eating."

"She gets it from your side of the family," Lucille said. Tommy pulled himself to his feet, brushing off the wrinkles from his loose shirt.

"I don't disagree one bit."

Then he was walking away, jogging across the meadow toward where Adds and Finn giggled and chased.

"I hear someone ate my sandwich. You better run before I find out who!"

Tommy chased them through the grass and around the tree line as the children laughed and skipped, slowing his pace to keep behind the two of them. Adds toppled over, before letting Finn pick her up and drag her forward still, laughing the whole time. She was a tough girl, just like her family.

Adds and Finn barrelled toward her, wide grins swept onto their faces. Lucille was pushed back as the two ran into her, arms clinging to her side as they giggled and screeched, Tommy not too far behind them. He played suspicion, walking around them, his hands placed in pockets and head ducked.

"Or maybe it wasn't you two?" He said. "Who was it, eh?"

Finn and Adds backed away, arms folded as the youngest copied her uncle. Tommy leaned forward, holding Lucille by the hands and pulling her to her feet in one large sweep.

"Was it your mother? Eh? Was it aunt Lucy?"

The children nodded, giggled, then ran away to play themselves as Tommy pulled Lucille into his arms.

"What loyal children they are," she whispered, a small smile on her lips. "They take after you for that."

"Lucille-"

"You're a right bastard when you want to be, do you know that?" She said, smacking his hand away as it reached toward her again. "I get you might not approve of this Lizzie Stark, but to do what you did... a sly move."

"It worked though, didn't it."

"In what way do you think it worked!"

Tommy shrugged. "It showed she'd be straight up for the job if there was money in it. Even if she was married."

"It was cruel Tommy, either way. Think how John feels."

She couldn't imagine John or Arthur ever being faithful righter, but she didn't say that. She tried not to think about Tommy either.

"He'll be fine soon. I'm sorting it," Tommy said, looking away.

"Sorting it. I'll believe you when it happens," Lucille said, before breaking into a smile. "You're a bastard Tommy Shelby. But you're my bastard. I hope you remember that."

He smiled finally, turning from where he watched Adds and Finn. "I could never forget it."

Tommy turned away, lying flat across the grass on his back again. He watched the clouds move, falling against the sun and sheltering from the glaring light of day that prickled their skin. Sighing, he let his hand move to hers.

"I suppose I should tell you of a plan I've got in the making then?" He said.

"Considering everything, that'd be appreciated."

"I've been planning it for a while now," he said, pausing as he stared out at the grass. "For John. There's bother with the Lees. There's bother with Kimber. Both of them are at war with each other."

Lucille just blinked as he continued.

"So we join with one to take down the bigger enemy. The Lees will help us face out against Kimber, so we can move onto our legal betting business."

"How will you manage that though?"

Tommy's jaw clenched.

"John needs a wife. One of the Lees kin needs a husband. Perfect match."

"Tommy..." Lucille stared at him in disbelief. "Has he agreed to this?"

"I haven't told him," he said. "I don't plan on telling him until the day, until we're standing at that camp. It's what's best for him. For everyone."

"It's best for you, Tommy. That's what," she said, running a hand through her hair. "When will you ever stop?"

"Just trust me, Lucille."

"You keep saying that."

"No, trust me. John doesn't like Lizzie. He likes the idea of having a mother for his children. There is nothing better for him than a Lee wife. She'll keep him right, look after the children," he said. "John's not that way inclined."

"How do you know, Tommy? How do you know?"

"He's my brother, Lucille. I know him better than he knows himself," he said, watching as she deflated, leaning her head back against his shoulder.

"I don't doubt that. Just promise he'll have a choice."

"John is my brother. He'd always have a choice." He smiled. "I love you, you know that?"

"Of course I do. What's made you so affectionate recently?" She laughed, feeling his hand drift up from her hand.

"Seeing you with my family. With our family. They love you more than me already."

"That's not true."

He shook his head.

"It is," he said. "Seeing you. Hearing you go against me. I don't know. It's like I'm seeing you for the first time again."

Those were different times for the both of them. But Lucille could remember it. She remembered the feeling of importance, the feeling that she was needed and apart of something. Helping him that day had created that feeling, and it had never left her since.

"I'm glad it's over. But I'm glad I'm here."

Okay but 100k????
I genuinely can't believe it. Thank you to everyone who has read, voted and commented on this book. It means so much to me!
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