☆

CLARA SHELBY WAS SICK. As it turns out, running back and forth through Small Heath in the freezing rain while wearing wet clothes wasn't good for your health at all. When Tommy had checked on her once he'd returned, he found her sprawled across her duvet, still in her damp shirt and pants. He'd carefully placed an old blanket around her body before leaving her to sleep the morning away. She had woken up the next morning, shivering and sniffling, curling up under her covers despite her raging temperature.

Polly had entered the room hours later after calling for Clara to come down for breakfast, discovering her in her sickly state. The woman had sprung into action, dismissing the dried, muddy footprints tracked across her room. Her only priority was to rid the girl of her damp clothes. Clara had been shaken awake by her Aunt, her tired eyes cracking open as her stiff muscles groaned and ached. The woman had sat her up, removing every article of clothing before replacing them with dry pyjamas. Pol had explained to the girl that she was to stay in bed and try to shake the cold that had entered her system.

Clara clutched the covers to her chest, her eyes half open as she sniffled and coughed. She lay there for hours until the door to the bedroom was slowly pried open while Finn crept in. The girl squinted as the boy crouched down beside the bed.

"Clara?"

Prying her eyes open wider, the boy tilted his head, lifting his hand. The girl groaned as he grew closer. "Finn, g'way, I'm sick." She mumbled, retreating further back under the covers.

"I got you something because Pol said you were sick." Finn continued, sitting on the side of her bed. Reaching over, he held out two small biscuits, waving them in front of her face. The girl weakly smiled, shutting her eyes as she moved her hand to ruffle his hair.

"Thanks, Finny." She smiled, watching as the boy placed the two biscuits on the dresser. "I don't want to get you sick though..."

"Mhmm." The boy hummed, bouncing on his heels. "I'm goin' to play by the Cut, don't tell Pol!"

Before Clara could say another word, her brother hopped out of the room, leaving the girl alone in the empty house. There was no noise from the betting shop, its doors closed to the public. It was peaceful, and Clara would love it, if only she wasn't feeling as if she was toeing the line separating life and death.

The girl allowed her tired body to rest, her eyes drooping shut once more before her bedroom door slammed open. Clara jolted up in fear, her body screaming its complaints as she blinked in confusion. Ada stood in the doorway, a long black coat covering her body, her make up done up as well as her hair. The younger girl rubbed her eyes, ensuring that the sister she saw wasn't just a sickly daze, after all, she hadn't seen Ada in weeks.

"Clara, quickly!" She rushed, pulling out some of the younger girls clothes.

"Ada...what you on about? Why you here?" Clara grumbled, flopping back onto her bed. Closing her eyes as her sister faffed about.

"You're coming to my wedding." Ada answered shortly, "I need a witness, and I want it to be you." The young girl winced as she sat up.

"Freddie proposed?!"

"Yeah,"

"And you're getting married? Today?!"

"Yes,"

"What about your dress and dream wedding?" Clara questioned, fighting off all tiredness as she sat up. Ada turned to the girl with a wide smile, unbuttoning her coat revealing the off-white dress underneath which barely concealed the ever-growing bump of her stomach. Clara gaped at the sight of her older sister.

"Now c'mon," Ada laughed, throwing a pile of clothes at her. "I need you with me."

"Ada, I'm sick, I'll be no good," Clara argued, rubbing her eyes.

"You're my sister, you'll do fine, now go on, I'll have you back before Pol even knows you're gone!"

Ada turned her back as Clara climbed out of bed, changing out of her bedclothes and into a pair of John's hand me down pants from when he was a boy and a white shirt, all paired with a dark grey jacket. The girl coughed as she tied the last button, tapping her sister to let her know she'd finished.

"Great, now sit."

Too exhausted to complain, Clara perched on the stool as Ada combed through her hair, tying it up nicely. The girl relished these moments but it was hard to believe that her older sister was getting married— especially given all of the circumstances.

"There...all done, now let's go." Ada hurriedly beamed, grabbing Clara's hand. She went to take her hat from the dresser before it was smacked away. "No peaky hats today." The older girl chided, dragging her out of her room. Once the two were downstairs, Ada dropped her coat and placed on her veil which had been preciously placed on the kitchen table.

"What are you doing?!" Clara questioned, as her sister opened the door, her dress on display to Watery Lane.

"Living life, dear sister." Ada laughed giddy at the thought of it all, "And now we...RUN!"

Ada clutched Clara's hand and sprinted down the Lane. It was sparsely populated, as the two ran hand in hand through the puddles and gravel, taking side turns off the roads until they neared the Cut. The older girl hurried down the steps leading to the river, pulling Clara into a small tunnel where Freddie Thorne stood smoking a cigarette.

"Ada, what the hell?" He exclaimed, rushing to grip Ada as she came to a halt. Clara watched the two with a droopy smile. One thing she didn't expect to be doing today was running, and her body did not seem to like this change.

"I dared myself to run through their territory in my dress." Ada panted, gripping Freddie's arm in excitement.

"Are you mad?"

"Yeah. Mad as hell with all of them."

"I love you."

Clara watched as the two shared a kiss. She tried to hold back her coughs and sniffles not wanting to interrupt their moment. The two pulled away, mumbling lowly to one another. The man finally looked toward the younger girl who stood with a faint smile on her face.

"Clara." He nodded, "Not gonna run off and tell your brother are ya?" The comment earned him a quick jab in the side from Ada

"I'm not a snitch, Freddie." She sniffed, cocking a brow. "Besides, Ada's my sister, if she wants to marry ya, I'll stand by her. Dunno why she would though, but I respect her decision."

Ada scoffed with a grin, looking to Freddie with wide, gleaming eyes. "Well, Come on, princess, the vicar's waiting." Freddie chuckled, linking his hand in hers.

"Wait..." The older girl pulled out of his grip, standing back. "How do I look?"

There was a pause as Freddie examined the girl, looking her up and down with a fond smile.

"Like an angel."

☆

POLLY STOOD IN THE KITCHEN OF SIX WATERY LANE, anxiously waiting with a glass of gin and a cigarette. She'd checked on Clara, (who had managed to sneak back in and resume her position in her bed), and was now standing in the kitchen with a burden of bad news. The door opened and Tommy entered the house, his eyes panning up to meet Pols.

"Alright?" He asked, closing the door, walking past the woman.

"Are you armed?"

"No..."

"Then I'll tell you." Polly sighed, "Ada and Freddie Thorne were married today. They defied your orders, they haven't left the city..."

There was silence as the man leant down against the kitchen table, sighing as his aunt approached.

"I'll deal with it. Thomas...I'll deal with it." She reassured.

"Where are they?"

"Freddie's comrades have safe houses." Pol shifted as she spoke, "Why do you want to know?"

"I want to send them flowers. Why do you think?" Tommy snapped back, his eyes wide as he shook his head.

"Would it be so bad if they stayed?"

"I promised I'd run Freddie out of town."

"Promised who?" Polly bent down as she spoke, stubbing out her cigarette. Tommy cautiously glanced out of the doors leading to the betting den. Seeing this, the woman quickly manoeuvred her way around him to shut them.

"I told the coppers Freddie wouldn't come back. It's part of the deal." He spoke slowly, his eyebrows pinching together.

"What bloody deal? What happened to family votes? What happened to meetings?" Polly questioned, she paused taking a deep breath in. "If you let me deal with Ada and Freddie, it'll end in peace...Christ knows you've had your fill of war."

"You get Freddie out of town, Pol. Or else I'll deal with it myself." The man nodded before walking past the woman, retreating up the stairs of the house. He sighed as he came to a stop, knocking on the door of Clara's bedroom.

The girl lifted her head slightly as the door opened. She tried to hide her surprise as Tommy entered the room, carefully shutting the door behind him. Clara coughed and spluttered as she sat up, her head pounding as the man sat on the edge of the bed. Her hair had been thrown back into a lazy ponytail, the intricate style from before, long gone.

"Clara." He greeted, taking in her dishevelled and sickly state. He didn't get a response, in fact, the girl avoided looking at him. Tommy sighed once again at the lack of reply, "Clara, look at me."

The girl hesitantly lifted her eyes, "If you're going to yell at me, please just take into consideration that I already feel sick, so no need to add to it." She mumbled.

"I know you went to Ada's wedding."

Clara was silent, her heartbeat speeding up as the man focused on the flower which had been stolen from Ada's bouquet and carefully placed on the girl's bedside table after her spontaneous outing.

"Pol told me she got married," He continued.

"So you are going to yell at me." She muttered.

"I'm not here to yell at you."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I owe you an apology."

Clara quirked a brow, looking at her brother in confusion. "An apology?" She questioned.

"Yes...you're right...I did lie, I do lie." He met her eyes, taking in her pale face as he brought up their previous argument from the pictures. "But you were also wrong, for the most part, I do listen...and I do care. Especially when it comes to this family, especially when it comes to this business, especially when it comes to Ada, Finn, John, Arthur, and especially when it comes to you."

Clara was quiet as she listened. She knew this had to be hard for him. Tommy apologising was a scarcity and him being open and honest was even more unseen.

"That's why I lie," He continued, "I lie because if you lot know what I know, then all of you are at risk and I can't have that."

"But what about you?" Clara finally spoke up, "You're at risk."

"I am...and I've made it a lot harder for everyone over the past weeks, you see, Clara, I did something bad."

"You always do something bad." She retorted, her laugh turning into a violent cough. The girl clutched her hands to her chest as Tommy reached out and rubbed her back, waiting for the cough to settle. Clara finally fell back into her pillow, her tiredness sweeping over her.

"This was different." Tommy exhaled, "What I say now, in here, it stays between us. I'm serious, Clara. Do you understand?" The girl nodded. "Say it, c'mon."

"I understand." She eventually croaked, the man nodded and took a deep breath in.

"The other day you asked me about the stolen guns...I have them." He admitted, looking at the wall. "Some blinders took the wrong crate and we ended up with British ammunition and guns all headed to Libya. That's why the Inspector is here, that's why I'm clamping down on rules, that's why I'm being harsh, because one wrong move and all of this, this family, the business, everything will be demolished."

"Why are you telling me this?" Clara asked shakily.

"No more lies." He stated, meeting her eyes once more. "Now, I need you to listen good, alright? These are serious matters— matters Arthur and John aren't even aware of yet. Do you understand?"

"Yeah." Clara had now pushed herself up so she was sitting up straighter. After receiving a pointed look from the man, she huffed. "Yes, I understand."

"Good," Tommy nodded, "As of now, we are in business with Billy Kimber. The peaky blinders offer him protection on his racetracks and in return, we get racetrack licenses. I am planning an expansion onto the racetracks. And Kimber runs most of the legal track-side betting outside of London. We're going legal, Clara girl...I have also made a deal with Campbell."

"The Inspector?!"

"Clara..."

The girl went silent at his icy tone, "Go on," she grimaced, her hand brushing against the skin where the bruises from the man had long faded.

"Campbell knows that I have the guns. We brokered a deal. He and his coppers have agreed to leave us and the entirety of the Peaky Blinders alone until our business with Billy Kimber is through and complete."

"Then you'll give him the guns?" Clara finished.

"Yes, I give him the guns and we go our separate ways." Tommy explained, "I also promised I'd run Freddie out of town."

"Run him outta town?!"

"Now do you understand?" Tommy questioned, "It's not just little pieces, it's a broader picture. If Freddie doesn't leave, Ada goes down with him."

Clara was deathly silent, as she paled.

"Tommy—"

"I'm trying to keep this family from sinking and your behaviour isn't helping anything. Everything I'm trying to do is benefitting us and this business."

"Why–"

"I'm telling you this because I want to trust you and I don't want any more lies." Tommy turned, so he was staring directly at her. "That means no sneaking out like the other night and the countless nights before that, that means no fights, no causing any more trouble."

Upon seeing her disgruntled face, the man allowed himself to loosen up, "I have however decided that because the Garrison is now owned by Arthur, I'm allowing you to drink there, so at least if I need you, I know where you are and I can drag you home so you can face the consequences." He informed her, "You can have a maximum of two glasses of whiskey, no more. Harry has been made aware of this and so has every other person that works there."

Clara's lips quirked up happily, "You mean it?" She asked excitedly, her mood instantly perking whilst her eyebrows quickly scrunched together. "Wait...Arthur owns the Garrison? Since when?"

"I'm going to tell him today, and what I said stands." Tommy allowed himself to smile slightly before his face resumed its serious position. "but I mean it, Clara, no more lies." He stood up, patting her leg as he went. "Things are changing, little weasel, and we're moving up in this world."

For a second, a split second, Clara swore she saw remnants of her older brother from before the war. She swore she saw it when her brother's lips quirked into a smile at the nickname her family had gifted her, yet it had once again been lost as Tommy left the room leaving Clara alone once more.

☆

THE REST OF THE EVENING HAD COME AND GONE and when the girl woke up two days later, the majority of her sickness had eased off. Clara had shrugged on her clothes and left the house as soon as she'd eaten breakfast, wanting to escape the walls of No. 6. As much as the girl enjoyed the peace, she had to admit that she missed seeing Will and Penny. Clara strolled down the street, taking a turn as she walked down the familiar side street, spotting Will down the street, waking alongside Penny. She propelled her legs forward, rushing towards them.

"Well, if it isn't Little Shelby!" Will cheered, swinging an arm around the girl's shoulder. "I was just telling Blondie here that we should've kidnapped you from your house."

"I was sick," Clara scoffed, "There was no moving me from my bed."

"When there's a Will, there's a way." The boy beamed, as the girl rolled her eyes.

"You're so proud of that aren't you?"

"Maybe so, Shelby, maybe so."

"Anyways," Clara shuddered while she swung her arms around their shoulders. "I was thinking that we three pay the Garrison a little visit."

"What about your brothers?"

"Let's just say there's been a change of heart..."

☆

"THIS IS THE GARRISON?"

Will and Clara chuckled as Penny sat down on a barstool, her wide eyes flitting around nervously.

"What did you expect? A toy shop?" Will snorted, leaving against the bartop.

"Easy on," Clara grinned, "She's new in town, you can hardly expect her to know the place."

"I can speak for myself y'know?" Penny retorted indignantly before allowing her chest to deflate. "-but, you're right. I barely know Small Heath."

"Well, then we'll have to give you a grand tour someday." Clara mused.

"I'm sorry, but you three don't look old enough to be in here." The three teenagers turned around to face the blonde barmaid behind the countertop, who was polishing glasses.

"And you don't look like a barmaid," Clara replied with a raised brow. "We'll have three whiskeys." The girl glanced at Penny before turning back to the woman. "Two whiskeys and a water."

"I can't serve you, you're all underaged." The woman said firmly, as Harry scurried up behind her.

"Clara...your brother already told me about the new rule. You get two." He spoke, moving the barmaid out of the way as he poured the drinks. They were quickly handed to the three, along with a glass of water for the blonde girl. "On the house, as always."

"Thank you, Harry." Clara sang happily, as she raised her brows at the barmaid, before taking a sip of her drink. She watched closely while Harry whispered to the barmaid who simply nodded and returned to polishing the glasses. She could feel the woman's eyes glancing towards the three every few seconds. Clara took another sip before turning to face the barmaid. "You're new here, aren't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" The Irish woman asked, tilting her head.

"I could say no and relieve you but, yes, it's obvious and painfully so."

The woman chuckled, pouring a drink. "So, Tommy is your brother?" She asked.

"Maybe..." Clara drawled, drinking more from the glass. "Why ya working here? You don't look like a whore. My brothers' say if a woman works in a pub, they're a whore."

"Funnily enough, Tommy presumed the same thing," the woman laughed awkwardly. "I guess that answers my question.

"Mhm...and what business do you have with my brother?"

"I-"

"Wait...scratch that." Clara interrupted, "If you are a whore, I really don't want to know."

"I'm not a whore," Grace defended, placing a pint in front of a man. "He's taking me to the races."

"Cheltenham?!"

"I believe so, yes."

Clara raised her brows again, taking a drink. "Do you like him?" She asked curiously, retraining her focus on purposely trying to wind the blonde up. "You're also going to the races with him. I mean you either like him or you're just an idiot looking for some sort of thrill."

"I'm working for him." Grace stiffly said, "He's paying me to be there."

"Mhmm..." Clara chuckled at the prospect of her brother courting the barmaid. "What's your name?"

"Grace."

"Clara." She nodded in response before turning around in her seat to face her two friends who were midway through a conversation.

"—and then Clara fell off the horse into a giant pile of shit, it was hilarious, thought I was gonna die." Will cackled, earning him a soft whack over the head.

"If I remember correctly, William, you laughed so hard that you also fell off and joined me in that pile of shit." Clara smirked, as the boy rubbed his head. "-or were you going to leave that glorious part out?"

Penny giggled as the two bickered amongst themselves. "Do you always act like kids?" She slyly asked, sipping her water.

"Kids?!" The two chorused, "Kids?"

"I'm insulted!" Will cried.

"Oh, Blondie, you wound me," Clara remarked, slumping against Penny.

The blonde girl went to respond but was interrupted as the doors to the Garrison banged open, while a panicked Ada stumbled through the double doors. Clara glanced at her friends before springing to her feet to lead Ada over to the bar top.

"Have you seen Freddie Thorne?" She questioned, clutching her stomach which seemed to had grown larger since Clara had seen her last.

"No," Grace answered briefly, confused as to the train wreck state of the woman.

"Or Tommy?" Ada persisted, groaning as she pushed herself off the counter, taking up a frantic pace. Grace had left the sister's as Clara gently placed a hand on Ada's arm.

"Ada, c'mon, take a seat." The young girl urged, trying to guide her worked up sister towards a chair. Ada shook her head, pushing her sister away as Grace returned with a glass of water.

"We have to find Freddie," Ada mumbled, leaning against the wall for support.

"Drink this first." Grace encouraged.

"No, we have to find them," The woman muttered, rejecting the water. "I think they're gonna kill each other."

"Wait. Who's going to kill who?" Grace interjected, the eldest Shelby girl ignored the barmaid, walking forward, leaving the bar. Clara quickly apologised to her friends before chasing after the pregnant woman.

"Ada!" She called out, "Wait!"

The older girl slowed slightly, "Go home, Clara." Ada shakily demanded.

"No," Clara refused, "Ada, you're pregnant and worried and stressed— that cannot be good for you... that baby. At least let me walk you halfway."

Ada was silent but reached out and gripped the younger girls hand in her own. Clara smiled softly before hardening up, her hand lightly being squeezed by her older sister. The two walked side by side down the streets, neither daring to speak aloud. It wasn't long until Ada pulled her into a tunnel by the Cut. The older girl was close to tears as she pulled Clara into a tight hug.

"Everything will be fine, Ada." The younger girl reassured, burying her head into her sister's shoulder.

"It won't be." Ada gulped, glancing around before pulling away. "I don't know when I'm gonna see you again."

"I'll be damned if I don't see you before the baby's born." Clara stated, "We'll find a way, I can write letters, we can meet up—"

"No...Clara, I can't." Ada interrupted, "I can't risk it."

"Ada—"

"I can't..."

And so with one last, tight, unexpected hug, the pregnant woman fled, leaving Clara alone in the tunnel. The younger girl yelled in frustration, angrily kicking the wall behind her, before cursing loudly and clutching her foot, hopping in pain. Perhaps, that was not the smartest thing to do.

Clara huffed and forced herself to pull it together as she backtracked along the canal, ignoring the pain. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration as she strode along the water edge, her anger fading as she stormed. She hadn't even registered someone walking towards her before a pair of hands clamped down on her shoulders. Blindly, the girl threw a punch to the man's middle, kicking and yelling before two hands gripped her fists.

"Really, Clara?"

The girl sighed and looked up at Tommy who was looking down at her unenthusiastically. She straightened up with a grumble.

"What are you doing down here?" He asked, raising a brow, upon seeing her troubled face, he huffed. "No lies."

"Ada said you and Freddie were going to kill each other." She eventually answered honestly, giving into the phrase.

It was now Tommy's turn to sigh, he pinched his nose tiredly as the girl looked to him. "I didn't kill, Freddie." He answered, "Where's Ada?"

"Dunno," Clara shrugged, "She only let me walk her some of the way, said she can't tell me or keep in contact. I don't know where she is."

Tommy let his head drop, his hand squeezing the girl's shoulder before it fell to his side. "Right." He sniffed, his hand fixing his hat. "It's getting dark. Head home. Pol should be over later, Finn's already there."

Clara didn't argue, instead, she merely nodded not bothered to push her luck. She went to walk off but faltered, taking a deep breath in, and turning around to face the man who was watching her leave.

"You'll fix this...right?" She asked uncertainly, "The family's not the same without Ada and she misses us...I can tell."

"I'm trying to." Tommy spoke, "but Freddie is a stubborn bastard...I gave him a chance to leave with Ada and he didn't."

"Right." Clara looked to her feet, backing away silently. Her brother watched her leave, his eyes protectively trailing her figure until she was out of sight.

The girl trudged along the canal tunnel, her head bowed as her thoughts raced. It was a scary feeling having no control over your mind, Clara couldn't focus on one thing. By the time she resurfaced at Charlie's Yard, she forced herself to stop by Cannon's stall in the stables, allowing herself to breathe whilst stroking the horse, trying to steady her mind— yet she came to no avail. She didn't linger for long, her rumbling stomach and scattered mind causing her to leave sooner than anticipated.

Clara found herself entering the betting den, watching as a few employees rounded up their work for the day, her mind more scrambled than ever. The girl dodged an attempted hair ruffle from John as she pushed open the green doors leading to her home. Finn was picking away at his food, gesturing to the table where a plate has been placed for the girl. Clara wasted no time tucking into her dinner, as Finn droned on about his day. Her mind still spun from her day as she leant back in her chair, her plate now clear.

"—And then I accidentally kicked our ball into the cut."  The boy finished.

"Why were you there in the first place anyways?" Clara asked as the young boy huffed.

"Because we accidentally stole the ball from the boys down the road!"

Clara laughed halfheartedly, picking up her plate and Finn's before dumping them into the sink. She leaned against the counter, tiredness sweeping over her as she sniffled, the cold that had plagued her had obviously not been completely obliterated. Finn tugged on her arm, pulling her towards the living room.

"I wanna play cards." He stated, sitting down on the floor, gesturing for the girl to follow.

"You always cheat!" Clara accused, dealing out a deck as the boy folded his arms grumpily.

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

Clara shook her head picking up her hand before allowing Finn to start the game. It was as if half her mind was in her home playing cards while the other half was out on the streets, dazed and confused, looking for a solution to her jaded brain. She'd never experienced this feeling and she couldn't shake it. She'd merely concluded that it had been a long day

Clara had only snapped back into reality completely when Finn announced he'd be back in a minute, as he rushed upstairs to grab a book for her to read to him— something she couldn't even recollect agreeing to.

She knew the boy wanted to read, yet he'd never learned and whenever Clara tried to help, he never listened. The girl flopped onto the couch, her hands behind her head as Finn bounded back down the stairs, an old book clutched in his hands. He flung himself on top of the girl, earning a loud shriek from the unsuspecting girl. She gripped onto him as he re-situated himself to be lying beside her.

"Really, this book again?" Clara questioned, waving 'The Jungle Book' above them.

"Yes, again, now...read!" Finn demanded, his 'seriousness' laced with hidden laughter.

"Alright, Alright!" The girl chuckled, opening up the tattered book. "'It was seven o'clock of a very warm evening in the Seeonee hills when Father Wolf woke up from his day's rest, scratched himself, yawned, and spread out his paws one after the other to get rid of the sleepy feeling in their tips.'"

As Clara read, Finn listened intently, his wide eyes tracing the words on the page, trying to soak in as much as possible. However, the, (newly), twelve-year-old boy, soon found his eyelids drooping over his eyes, his small body succumbing to the tiredness.

"'One of the beauties of Jungle Law is that punishment settles all scores. There is no nagging afterward. Mowgli laid his head down on Bagheera's back and slept so deeply that he never waked when he was put down in the home-cave.'" Clara paused, looking down at her brother who had fallen fast asleep, his chest rising and falling steadily.

A ghost of a smile graced her face, as she blindly placed the book down onto the table beside the couch. Clara shifted slightly to make herself more comfortable, when the door to the home opened, revealing Aunt Pol.

The woman looked down at the two youngest Shelby's, the elder of the two holding her pointer finger to her mouth, signalling that Finn was asleep.

"Move up, love," Pol whispered as the girl obeyed, slowly moving down the couch as the older woman took a seat, allowing Clara to use her lap as a pillow. The two lingered in silence, the fire roaring as they both stared into space.

"You've got something on your mind." Polly eventually whispered, stroking the girl's hair fondly, looking down while Clara scrunched her eyebrows together.

"I don't..." She mumbled back, shutting her eyes to avoid the older woman's gaze.

"You can't lie to me,"

The young girl was silent, her chest rising quickly.

"C'mon now, tell your Aunt Polly." She soothed, Clara pried her eyes opening before letting a deep breath out.

And so she did.

She fell into the lengthy tale of missing her older sister and missing her brother's past selves that never returned. Clara tumbled into the tales of how the inspector felt like trouble and how she watched the lovely white horse deteriorate. She let it all go, finally opening up to her Aunt, (only holding back her conversation with Tommy), as the older woman listened and comforted her. And she did so until Clara fell asleep on her aunt's lap, Finn still curled up beside her.

Perhaps, the tiredness had clouded her safeguarded walls, or perhaps, she was just tired of keeping everything bottled. She could only hope that her aunt wouldn't tell her brothers. There was no room for babies or weakness in the Shelby life.

"Shh." Polly hushed, glancing down at the two sleeping kids, as Tommy entered the house. He looked down at the two, before quietening his moves, sitting down on the armchair opposite his aunt.

"Freddie didn't want your money," Tommy whispered in frustration, placing a stack of money onto the table. "And now the coppers are saying that if we don't turn Freddie in, they'll put Ada on the arrest warrant as well. That's where your compassion gets you, Pol. From now on, we do it my way."

"Or what?"

Tommy didn't answer, opting to stand up and leave the house before his fury could grip him.

☆

HELLO, YOU SEXY PEOPLE!

Before I continue, just a quick note. This chapter (specifically the end bits), is written in a rushed, roughly pieced together way to sort of show how all of this is affecting Clara. You can sort of see her struggling to cope with these changes and her mind is affected a lot by it.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did please vote and comment bc as i've stated many times...I'm an attention whore <3

LOVE YOU!