a traitor.... 05x01

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ROSALIE HAD YET TO FORGIVE THOMAS.

instead, she had woken up in tangled sheets as her body pressed against james. his fingers danced between her curls, untangling them gently.

"i wish i could stay here forever, our own little world away from the madness" rosalie whispered, her finger tracing over the large cross that was tattooed across his side and abdomen.

"me too, love. yet if it was this or nothing, i'd take this in a heartbeat" james spoke thoughtfully, leaning to press a kiss against her hair.

"do you ever think we're moving a bit fast? its only been a few months" rosalie pondered, waiting for his reaction.

she could feel his head shake, "nah, we live a certain life that doesn't really give us time to move slow, i live everyday like it's me last" james explained, rosalie couldn't help but agree with him. they lived a fast and dangerous lifestyle that at any moment could be whisked away and they'd be left to face the hands of death.

"yeah, your right. if tommy could see us now, he'd be pissed — first ada, now me... must be in the genes" rosalie laughed. it was ironic really.

"bit weird if tommy seen us now, considering we're naked an all" james teased, pinching her side causing her to squirm.

"ya' know what i mean" she laughed as she slapped his arm lightly.

"how is ada, after everything" james questioned.

rosalie sighed, leaning on her elbow to look at him. "she's not doing to well, won't talk to us. me and polly dropped food round a few days ago, we're gonna visit her later" rosalie explained softly, she was worried for her sister — alone and with a newborn refusing help.

"i feel bad for her, even though she'd probably clip me around the ears for pitying her but who wouldn't" james shrugged, a sympathetic smile on his face, he may feel bad for ada but he pity's rosalie too, something he'd never admit to the girl.

rosalie smiled thankfully, leaning up slightly and pressing a warm kiss to his lips. "i need to leave" she whispered.

he groaned in protest, his arm slipping around her waist as he flipped her onto her back causing a giggle to escape her.

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rosalie walked beside polly as they slipped through the streets with their head high. the rain pelted over them but black umbrellas shielded them. they had a basket each, polly's filled to the brim with food where as rosalies had clothes for the baby as she promised many months ago, along with soaps and creams.

polly had given up asking where the girl continued to whisk away to in the night, getting the same response as the first time it happened. for a while the woman would ask for names of the boys who harrased young connie but with a simple slip of 'she won't tell me, trust me i've tried' the woman backed off.

as they reached the stairwell that led to ada's 'home' rosalie noticed the last basket polly had left filled with rotten food.

"open up, love" polly knocked, "me and rosalie brought more things for you and the baby. i've got some fresh eggs and bread, rosie has some clothes for the baby and the soaps and cream you like" their aunt explained, sighing as they heard the little one cry.

"we'll leave them here, ada... we really are worried about you" rosie spoke softly, as much as she wanted to snap at the woman she knew ada was too fragile.

"ada think of the little one" polly sighed, knocking again. "babies don't have principals" pollys voice grew stronger.

polly leant down, picking up the basket of rotten food as rosalie dropped the fresh ones.

"ada, we — i miss you, only got ya' back" rosalie spoke against the door, yet with so answer she followed polly up the steps.

polly turned to look at rosalie, sighing she brought her into a hug. "she's my only sister, aunt pol'... " rosalie whimpered slightly against the woman's neck.

polly shushed her softly, "i know, darling. just give her time" the woman stated.

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polly through the basket infront of thomas, "did you speak to her?" the man asked.

"she didn't speak back" polly said coldly, walking around the kitchen.

"well did you tell her?" thomas quizzed with a defeated face.

"i'll only tell her what i know to be true."

rosalie pulled out a cigarette. she couldn't bare to be in the same room as thomas but she would not succumb polly to be alone with him.

thomas scoffed, "it's the last time i'm going to say this. it wasn't me who shopped freddie thorne" thomas stated, looking between his sister and aunt.

polly turned to him, "tommy. i'd ask you to swear on the bible, but you can't swear on that, can you?" it wasn't a question, more a mere observation of the truth. "nothing you hold sacred" polly concluded.

as polly left the room, rosalie went to follow.

"rosie" thomas spoke up, willing for her to even look at him.

rosalie paused, looking at the floor. thomas shelby was not a liar, just a twister of truth. she could hear the desperation in his voice but she made no move to look or speak towards him.

"i didn't do it" he spoke again.

this time, rosalie did look at him. thomas' eyes softened with sadness, she didn't look at him like a man she inspired to be, no.. now she looked at him like a man she inspires to beat. both violently, and in the world.

"thomas, there's no words i have for you that would satisfy the demons you hold inside" rosalie hissed, thomas looked hurt. she felt her hand itch to reach out and pull him into a hug but this was a bigger betrayal, this was her sister. a woman she had lost yet again because of thomas shelby.

he made no move to speak, rosalie scoffed, brushing past him and heading for the door with a large slam as she closed it.

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as rosalie walked down the stairs into the kitchen she paused. the man at the table looked up at her, "ah my rosie girl, come give your father a hug!" arthur senior smirked, holding his arms out widely.

"why the fuck are you here?" she asked calmly.

"petal, he's our da" arthur spoke sheepishly.

rosalie shook her head, "nah, he's a bastard that runs out on his family when they needed him most" rosalie spat.

thomas who had come in just after his sister, stood with a vicious glare behind her. "get out" he spat, placing a protective hand on rosalies shoulder.

"come on son, i'm a changed man" their father attempted to sway his decision, yet when thomas shelby had his mind set — there was no changing it.

"this family needed you ten years ago and you walked out on us" thomas continued to speak."now, get out of this house."

"tommy, he's different" arthur spoke desperately.

"shut up" thomas hissed.

"it's alright son, arthur shelby never stays where he's unwanted" arthur sr. spoke calmly, patting his hand on arthur's shoulder.

"on your horse, off ya' go" rosalie spat.

"you've grown, rosalie. bye, son." and with that, arthur senior left the house.

"he's our dad!" arthur bellowed.

"he's a selfish bastard" thomas shrugged, now rosalie moved from beside him and sat beside finn. the boy obviously upset by what he had witnessed.

"you calling someone a selfish bastard. it's a bit rich, tommy" arthur scoffed, "i mean thanks to you we're already down a bloody sister" the man raved.

"you want to see him, arthur? you want to see him, you go with him" thomas finished, his patience wearing thin.

arthur scoffed, walking out the door with a slam.

"well done, thomas" rosalie scoffed, grabbing finn's hand and herself following him.

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billy treasure sat in the garrison watching, staring — admiring, rosalie as she pranced behind the bar. she chatted with regulars, and poured drinks but billy could see her mind was somewhere else.

grace was singing, thomas had walked in and the two never broke eye contact.

once her song ended, thomas ventured over to billy. "the snug would be more private" thomas stated, watching as the boy shakily stood up, drink in tow as he followed thomas into the private room.

thomas sat back against the wall, blowing out a trial of smoke. "so, billy. what's the matter you wanted to discuss?" thomas asked, he knew the boy was a friend of rosalies — which was the main factor he had agreed to meet with him.

"it's, eh — it's about your sister, mr shelby" billy stumbled over his words as he spoke. thomas sat up, looking at him more intently, his hand flowing upwards willing him to go on.

"but eh, before i tell ya' there's somethin' i want in return." thomas cocked his eyebrow at the boy.

"are you trying to make a deal with me?" thomas questioned, watchung billy rub his hands against his thighs.

"in trade for the information, i want to join the peaky blinders" billy rushed out.

"you" he raised a finger to point at the boy, "want to join us... your soft mr treasure, i cannot promise that you'd survive with our men."

billy was stricken, "i, i can, i've grown." he stumbled.

thomas took a drag of his cigarette, thinking for a moment. with or without campbell in town, they needed more men. "alright, billy. you've got yourself a deal" thomas nodded.

"right, right... rosie, your sister she told me and our mate connie — that she, eh.." he paused, inhaling deeply as his heart rapidly raced against his chest.

"go on, son"

"she shagged one of your boys.. she wouldn't give us a name and if she did i left before she admitted who" billy rushed out.

thomas bit his tongue, holding his hand out towards billy. "welcome to the peaky blinders, billy treasure. now as your first order of business follow me" thomas shook his hand before he walked out to the bar.

the people sitting on the stools spread out, thomas looked at rosalie who kept her eyes trained on the glasses she was polishing.

"rosalie" thomas ordered, with an eye roll the girl looked at him.

"your dear mate billy here.." thomas paused, pointing to the boy then to her. "has just informed me of your little randevu with on of my men" thomas spoke roughly, putting the but of his cigarette in an empty glass.

rosalie felt her stomach drop. her eyebrows drew together in betrayal and hurt. she looked at billy who dared not to look in her eyes.

"billy, leave me and my sister to talk" thomas ordered.

rosalie looked hurt, he could see that. "billy, is now one of us" thomas stated.

"enjoy having another liar in your ranks, thomas. he's just a boy who's got his ego hurt because all i seen him as was a friend" rosalie spat, trying to contain the shake in her voice as a lump rose to the back of her throat.

"see, what billy told me was quite believable."

"fuck off, thomas" rosalie scoffed, turning around and walking from behind the bar like she did so many months ago.

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rosalie rushed down the cobbled roads, tears streamed down her cheeks. she entered the building and rushed down the stairs. the baskets were gone yet she paid no mind. her fist rattled the door, "ada, please" rosalie sobbed, "please let me in, i need you, your the only one who'll understand" rosalie cried.

the door opened slowly, ada peeped out the crack making sure it was only her. when ada confirmed it was only rosalie she let the girl in, quickly locking the door before taking in her disheveled appearance.

"oh, love" ada sighed, pulling the girl into a hug.

rosalie let out a harsh sob, gripping onto her sister for what seemed like dear life. ada rushed her over to the sofa, handing her a cup of tea.

"rosie, love. calm down and tell me what's happend" ada spoke calmly, holding the girls hands.

"i fucked up, ada. i've really fucked up" rosalie shook her head, her tears calming slightly.

"what's happened?"

"a few months ago, after the races.. i slept with someone" rosalie began, ada put her hand up to pause her.

"don't tell me your bloody pregnant" ada warned, but rosalie shook her head.

"no, i'm not but i told connie and billy about it... and billy got upset, pols always saying he was smitten with me but he was my mate ya' know"  rosalie sighed, betrayal in her eyes as she spoke.

"i kept goin' with him, i really do like him. he makes me feel safe, helps me get away from all this... thing is, thomas told the both of us there'd be none of it to go on when we went to the races.
billy, haven't talked to him in months, he's been avoiding me ever since." she took a breath as she paused, preparing for what she had to say. making it all real.

"then today, he's in the pub and thomas comes out with him. he ratted on me. ada, he's a fucking blinder now"

ada looked at the girl with such pity. she knew how it felt exactly to care for someone who you cannot be with. yet to be betrayed by a friend was something worse, she hadn't known if it was tommy or not that shopped her husband but it was clear as day that billy treasure had truly become a traitor.

"rosie, who is it?"  ada asked softly.

"james bloody abbott."

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as night fell, rosalie crept along the streets with her head down. as she came to the door, her fist lightly knocked against it.

james smiled brightly as he opened it, pulling her into the small house and gently kissing her lips.

all felt well when she was with james, yet now they had to be even more careful. his hand slipped gently into hers as he lead her into the kitchen.

tea and scones were laid out on a delicate china set, the sight made her heart warm. james had such a bright smile on his face that made rosalie doubt her intentions.

she sat on the chair as she shrugged her coat off, embracing the warmth the house had.

james sat beside her, pushing over a jug of milk. "james.." she began, "we need to talk" rosalie spoke quietly, swallowing her fear with it  as the lump in her throat as she seen his face drop.

james stuttered out words she couldn't comprehend, finally he took a deep breath. "is something wrong?" he asked, questions begging to be answered was all rosalie could make out in his eyes.

"remember connie and billy? mainly billy.." rosalie started, her voice wavering.

james scoffed, running a hand over his face. "yeah, chap wants to fuck you" he spat viciously, his tone making rosalie recoil slightly.

he shook his head, "did you? fuck him, that is" he asked again with a raised brow. james couldn't help think the worst, he was just some peaky bastard and billy, well he was billy.

rosalie looked disgusted. "no, but if i were you i'd watch who you were speaking to."

james looked at her apologeticly, nodding — willing her to continue.

she sighed, shaking her head as she took a sip of her tea. "the first time, after the races — i told connie and billy i slept with a blinder, didn't mention your name because tommy would have us both in the cut by dawn if word got back.. thank fuck i didn't" rosalie began, her words filled with betrayal and hate.

"you told people?" he asked softly.

she nodded, "only them. he walked out after i mentioned it, haven't talked to him since — didn't even come to the garrison anymore. then today, he was there. walked into the snug with thomas, and he told him, swapping the information to become a blinder" rosie explained painfully. she had been mates with billy since school, thought he'd always be around — but now, she wanted his tongue on a silver platter.

james' hands crashed against the table as he stood up. the chair he was sitting in toppled to the floor. he paced the kitchen, running a hand through his hair. anger took over

"fucking bastard, i'll kill him. swear it" james growled viciously, breathing heavily as he came over to rosalie and bent down to his knees.

"what's tom gonna' do?" he asked, gripping her hands together as he brought them to his lips.

rosalie shook her head, "he won't stop till he finds out, knock on every door. he'll burn the city with only us left standing" rosalie spoke softly, pulling away her hands, resting one on his jaw as the other tan through his hair.

"tommy may be a daft prick sometimes but he'd die for us all, has to count for something"

james dropped his head to her lap, knowing every weird she had spoke were the truth. he wished for a life they didn't have to hide.

"the truth will come out sooner or later" she muttered softly, "but right now, i just want to be us, together, now."

she could feel his lips press a kiss to her thigh through her dress, an act of comfort. she was falling for james abbott, and she knew he would be there to catch her.

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AUTHORS NOTE

short chapter before the shit officially goes down...

a few of my friends who are also creators on here know what's coming and to my dear readers i'm so sorry!