A.N. - This story will be set in the three month gap at the beginning of Season 3 Episode 5, eventually it will rejoin back into the story line.

Nina POV

I exhaled smoke through my nose and frowned at the doctor's report in my lap. It was not good news, three weeks in hospital, first two with a halo so Tommy didn't do anymore damage. Skull fractures are never an easy thing to come back from, you don't know what damage could have been done in the long term.

I closed the folder and placed it on the table. "It's pretty bad, but not as bad as it could have been."

Ada let out a sigh of relief, Polly just kept staring at me.

"The doctors in the hospital did a good job, now he just needs rest and recovery. He only spent three weeks in the hospital, it's not long enough. Damage like this can take a minimum of three months to regain some normality. Even then he could still suffer with ill effects because of the trauma."

Polly nodded. "Well you're job is to get him to rest. Cause God knows he won't listen to any of us."

I smiled at her, "It will be no problem. I've dealt with much worse. The field hospital was hell on earth."

"Where were you stationed?" Arthur asked from across the room.

"Verdun, The Somme and Dunkirk mainly. But I did some rotation back into the fixed hospitals and convalescent wards."

Arthur and John looked at me, I smiled at them. "I'm not as soft as I look"

Ada placed her teacup down, "That's why I suggested her."

Polly took another pull on her cigarette, "I have faith in her."

Ada stood, "I'll show you around then to your room, you can freshen up before dinner."

I stood and bid farewell to those in the room and followed Ada out of the lounge, Karl by my side.

Ada pointed down a long corridor, "down there is the kitchen and some other parlour rooms."

We began to climb the stairs. When we passed a room or short corridor she would tell me who's room was there. We soon turned down a small corridor, there was a good sized window at the end with a comfy looking window seat. There were only two doors down the corridor, one either side. Ada opened the door for the one on the left and stepped in, Karl and I followed.

The room was exquisite, larger than I have ever seen for one bedroom. It was twice the size of my childhood sitting room. It

"So the door there leads to the bathroom and the door opposite your room is a small reading room. I thought you could turn into a sort of temporary office. There's a phone line and a big enough desk, also some storage for your notes."

I hugged her, "It's more than perfect ada thank you."

Karl who was squidged between us wiggled out. "So what about my present."

"Karl!" Ada exclaimed.

Dinner with the Shelby's was quite an affair. It was loud and very chaotic. I finally got to meet little Charles who Ada had told me much about. I was more than pleased when Arthur, John and Michael took their leave. Polly had not long retired to her room after men left. I followed Ada upstairs with a sleeping Charles in my arms. She showed Karl into his room across from hers with instructions to get into his pyjamas and cleaned his teeth before she got back.

We continued up the corridor, passed room and continued to just three doors down. Ada opened the door to a beautiful nursery, Ada switched on a small lamp that bathed the room in a low golden glow. I laid Charles down on the little changing table and began to undress him. Ada appeared beside me with his night clothes in her hand.

"I'll finish up here Ada, could you go grab my bag from the office and i'll check on your brother after i've put Charlie to bed."

Ada smiled at me, "You've gone soft on him already."

I huffed, she left and I could hear her humming back down the corridor. Charlie had stirred when I put him down and was now staring up at me with his big blue eyes. I made light work of changing his nappy and dressing him in his little striped nightshirt. He babbled to me and took great interest in his left foot. Once he was dressed I picked him back up and cuddled him to my chest. He gripped onto a strand of my hair that had escaped my bun.

We stood in front of the window looking out onto the dark grounds. I began swaying and started quietly singing a romani nursery rhyme. Part way through Charlie's gripped had slackened on my loose curl. I heard a door open and shut almost silently, I paid no notice thinking it was Ada coming back with my bag.

"Who are you and what the fuck are you doing in my house?"

I turned to see who must be Thomas Shelby pointing a gun at me.

I made sure that Charlie had his head buried in my neck so he couldn't see his father with a gun.

"I'm Nina Rossini, A doctor. Ada invited to your house to look after you."

Thankfully Ada appeared behind her brother.

"Tommy for fucks sake put the gun down!" she hissed.

Tommy lowered the gun and I got a good look at his face. He was pale, his hair stuck to his forehead from perspiration. He looked ill, eye piercing blue eyes were struggling to stay focused.

"Thank you Ada. Why don't you take Mr. Shelby back to bed, I'll put Charlie down."

Ada almost dragged her sick brother back to his room across the hall, while whispering to him furiously. I laid the sleeping Charlie on his back into the cot, I pulled the covers over him tucking around him. I left the door slightly ajar and made my way over to Tommy's room, I gave a slight knock before opening the door.

Ada had managed to get Tommy back into bed, he was now sitting up leaning against the headboard. Ada had left my bag at the foot of the bed and was now flitting around the room tidying it.

"Hello, Mr. Shelby. How are you feeling." i asked.

He just stared at me with those blue eyes, "I had my head cracked open."

I tried to ignore the sarcasm and began looking through my bag, "Well then I take it. I've read through your notes from the hospital, it looks like you are recovering very well. I think we still might need to keep you on pain relief a little while longer."

He grunted, "I hate that stuff."

"Don't worry i'm going to put you on a slightly lower dose, and use some other types during the day time."

I pulled out a small bottle of morphine, "We're just going to use this a night time."

He huffed in response, I poured some of the morphine into a small measuring cup then handing it to Tommy. "Down in one please."

Tommy took the glass and quickly drank the contents. He handed the now empty glass back to me. "I'm going to leave you to rest now, and i shall have a more thorough look at you in the morning."

Tommy didn't even reply he just shuffled back down the bed to sleep. I packed my bag back up and followed Ada back out of the room. Once the door was shut I let out a shaky breath.

Ada and I began back down the corridor, "Sorry about that. Since Grace died he's been on edge."

I nodded, "That's understandable, I'm sure it will get better."

We reached my door and Ada placed a hand on my arm. "We do need you here I hope Tommy didn't scare you off. Get some rest and I shall come and wake you in the morning."

I smiled at my friend. "I've had much worse than Thomas Shelby. I'll still be here and thank you i'm sure i'll be awake long before you my dear."

Ada laughed, "I'm sure you will, excuse me I have to go make sure Karl's ready for bed. Goodnight Nina."

"Goodnight Ada."

I turned down my little passageway and into my room. I placed my doctors bag on the table. Pulling off my waistcoat and leaving it on the back of a chair, I made my way to the bathroom. Turning on the warm tap and let the water fill the sink. I washed away my makeup, the soot from the train ride and the stress of today.

I stared into the mirror water dripping of my face, "What have I gotten myself into?"