Lucille

"Ada, wake up!"

The urgency in Tommy's voice was enough to startle Lucille. He could be heard shuffling around, his breath heavy, all the way from the kitchen. She shared a look with Polly, before she hurried in, meeting Dawson halfway as they rushed to Ada and Tommy.

"You and the baby get into the bull ring, where there are loads of people. Lucille take Adds, my sister will show you the way," he ordered, picking Adds up from Ada's lap and placing her in her mother's arms.

"What's happened?"

"What's going on?" Polly repeated as she finally entered the room, throwing her towel to the table.

"We've been fucking betrayed. Somebody let slip. Kimber's men are on their way here," Tommy shouted.

Polly's head snapped toward him. "But you can handle them, Tommy?"

"It's just us. All the Lees are all on their way to Worcester. We're outnumbered."

He turned, forcing his hands down onto the table, hitting it again with a groan. The cross they stood in the middle shook, toppling on its pedestal but remaining upright. Tommy ran a distressed hand over his face.

"I thought the date was a secret?" Lucille asked.

Polly nodded, agreeing. "Who else knew today was the day you were moving on Kimber? Who else did you tell?"

His eyes widened slightly, breath turning a deadly calm.

"We needed someone to do the numbers. Arthur said she would help. Arthur bloody said-"

"The barmaid?" Polly exclaimed.

"She wouldn't do that... would she?"

But what did Lucille know about the barmaid? She seemed sweet, sure, but how often had they spoken to one another?"

"I'll deal with Grace," Polly said. "If you set eyes on her again, you might kill her."

"Calm down, Tommy. You leave this room without your head and you're dead," Lucille said as she leaned over, soothing her thumb across the gristle on his cheek. "Remember the promise."

He nodded, closing his eyes for a second as he took a breath. "Go. Keep Adds, and Ada and the baby safe," he said quietly. "I love you."

Lucille pecked his cheek, stepping back with Adds still in her arms so he could leave. Dawson stepped to her side.

"I'm here to help."

"Are you sure?"

A smile broke out on his weary face. "More than I'll ever be."

She nodded and hugged him quickly. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. And you, you don't be idiotic either."

Polly had left minutes after without saying a word. Her lips were drawn into a drown, her eyes darkening with a frightening scowl. By the look on the woman's face, even Lucille feared what she would do. If looks could kill...

Ada wasn't much better. Stubbornness ran in their blood, Lucille remembered. She stood in the doorway, baby Karl crying in his pram. Ada bit her lip, closing her mind from the cries as she pulled on a long, black coat.

"We're not going to the bull ring," she finally said.

"What do you mean?"

"We've got to stop this."

"How?" Lucille asked as she ducked into the hallway, taking the coat that Ada chucked her way. It was one of Polly's.

"By showing them how stupid they're being. By reminding them of the consequences of fighting- of the funerals that will be left after their death," Ada said, brutal determination painting her face like war stripes.

Lucille shook her head. "I know men with guns, Ada. I've seen it first hand. Violence won't stop for a child, or for family, or even for love."

Ada cried out in frustration, running over to grip Lucille's hands tightly in her own. The veiled hat tipped over her eyes, hiding her furrowed brows and glassy eyes. She looked frightfully old as if the wear and tear of weeks past had finally taken their toll on the fiery person Lucille had met months ago.

"You were supposed to be the hopeful one," Ada said, shaking her pleadingly. "The woman who got us through it all with a smile because her heart is so damn big."

Lucille shook her head, closing her eyes. "This is different."

"No. It's not," Ada said, body stilling and straightening. "Your love for Tommy kept him alive in France." She breathed out. "It can keep him alive again."

Lucille took a moment to think, gathering the blur of thoughts that rattled her brain. If she was to go with Ada... she would be doing exactly what Tommy didn't want her to do. But this was for the good of their family- for his own good. She thought of Adds.

Lucille turned to Ada, watching as her friend's face bloomed in realisation. "What's the plan?"

The pram rattled and shook as Ada pushed it against the mottled road of Garrison Lane, battling against the stones and grit with the added weight of Adds both hanging and hiding beneath the handle. Lucille walked beside her, hand clenched together, slightly less enthusiastic about their plan.

"Move!" Ada's yell carried through the dusty air, splitting through the opposition like a knife.

"What are you doing?"

"I believe you boys call this 'no man's land.'" she shouted with teeth gritted as they slowed to a stop between the two crowds. "Shut up and listen."

"Have you lost your mind?" Freddie asked, face distraught. Lucille didn't dare glance Tommy's way.

Dawson's mouth was wide open as he noticed Ada. His lips thinned and frowned as Freddie stepped forward nervously.

"I said shut up!" Ada said. "Now most of you were in France. So you all know what happens next. I've got brothers and a husband here but you've all got somebody waiting for you. Now I'm wearing black in preparation. I want you to look at me."

Ada paused as her voice broke off with a crack. Lucille said nothing. She couldn't say anything. The words that came to her mind were useless- nothing like the powerful punches Ada delivered in full sentences.

"I want you all to look at us," Ada said. "Who'll be wearing black for you? Think about them. Think about them right now. And fight if you want to. But those children ain't moving anywhere."

"And neither are we," Lucille added, finally letting her eyes trail across the row of men, landing on him.

Tommy's face was emotionless, too afraid to give his attachment away. But the jagged set of his jaw gave him away. He was furious.

"She's right you know. Why should all you men die?" Kimber- no doubt it was him by the snivelling sound of his voice- said. "It should just be them who caused it."

The small man pulled out his gun in one quick movement, shooting three bullets. Both Lucille and Ada lept to the side, pushing their weight against the pram, sending Karl and Adds rolling to the side, leaning against the wall pf the closest building

"Tommy!"

She saw him stagger backwards by a single step, eyes widening as Danny Whizzbang fell down to his knees, landing flat on his knees. A lake of red seeped from his jacket, stretching like a serpent through the rubble, poisoning the pools of water that splattered the earth.

"Don't shoot!" Freddie shouted, eyes landing on the two women. "Please! Ada move away! Don't shoot!"

Ada ducked down, pulling Lucille down with her by the shoulders. But before another screech could be made, Tommy forced his gun up, silencing them all with one targeted shot straight to Kimber's head. He went down in one single movement, dropping with an eternal look of horror at his own defeat. Then, for a moment more, no one breathed.

"Enough! Kimber and me fought this battle one on one," Tommy said. "It's over. Go home to your families."

Slowly, one by one, and then all at once, Kimber's men turned away with furtive glances. Kimber was dragged behind them by an arm each, his dead weight sagging, a trail of red the only thing marking his presence.

"Scudboat, Curly. Pick him up."

Ada and Lucille waited until the street had cleared before they unfurled themselves from in front of the children. Freddie staggered forward, eye wide as he took Ada in, letting her from the floor.

"Why? Why did you do that?" Tommy's voice broke her from the trance. She turned from where she watched Ada's happy reunion toward Tommy.

"I don't want our daughter to go without her father," she whispered.

She expected him not to answer. To go on with his anger. But his face crumpled lightly, dropping the tension as he croaked out, "Oh God, Lucille."

She ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding onto him tightly. He smelled of sweat and grime and his neck was damp as she pushed her face closer. But she didn't care. All she could think about was him.

But then she felt the wetness on her own skin, seeping through the front of her dress. She stiffened, then pulled herself from his grasp, staring down at the dark splodge on Polly's coat.

Looking up, she said, "Tommy?" His face was pale. "Oh God, Tommy! No, no, no."

Her hand came back crimson as she touched his chest. With a startled fright, she realised he was bleeding. The ringing of gunshots clattered past her ears. There had been three bullets fired.

"It's alright. It's alright," he soothed, pushing her hair back from her face, staining her yellow locks red.

It was alright, she tried to tell herself. She had saved him from bullet wound once before. She could do it again.

♡︎
Not edited at all lol x