Hi everyone! I'm not super proud of this chapter, it's a little choppy and I'm sorry, but I've been out of it the past couple days. I really just wanted to get you all some Tommy x Grace fluff in lieu of the Peaky Blinders darkness recently. But please review and let me know what you think, and as always thank you so much for reading xx

Sometimes (I Wish) - City and Colour

It Don't Mean a Thing (Marcus Parcali Remix) - Tolemada Project (This is kind of a club song and not really easy listening, but it's what was playing in my head as I wrote, so it's what our precious Shelby's were hearing as well)

Dangerous Animals - Arctic Monkeys

Chapter Three

Grace blinked her eyes awake as she felt Tommy shift by her side, the arm that was draped over her pulling her closer to his sleeping body. The Shelby's G5 roared over the Atlantic, and the only sound Grace could hear over the jet engines was the theme song of The Office, blasting from John's phone across the aisle, although both him and Meghan had fallen asleep an hour ago. Sleeping Peaky bodies littered the plane. Tommy had decided to bring everyone to New York as a mini-vacation for the family after the stress of the Derby, while he was on business visiting Aunt Pol. Ada and Arthur slept on the far seats, Isiah and Michael stretched out across from them on opposite ends, feet in each other's faces. Finn was passed out in the plane's bathroom, thanks to too many mini-bottles of liquor. He wouldn't be thrilled when he saw himself on Isiah's Snapchat story when he woke up. But the caption of "amateur hour" was fitting, Grace thought.

Tommy shifted again, cramped in the seats of their jet liner, his tall body used to their king-sized bed. Burying his face deeper in Grace's hair, his steady breaths washed over her, hot and smelling like him. Grace shut her eyes and covered his arm with hers, wishing it was just them, wishing they were on their way to a true vacation & not his business. Tommy murmured her name in his sleep as she squeezed his hand.

They had been on cloud nine since the engagement, almost a month ago now, two months since the Derby. Grace slid the large teardrop-shaped diamond back and forth on her finger in the dark, smiling softly as she remembered their Derby fight. A month later to the day, Tommy had planned an entire day of her favorite things for her before asking her to be his wife in the Garrison, filled with almost 300 candles. He had lit them all himself, one-by-one. Grace had laughed hard at the visual of that. The already-drunk brothers had had their ears pressed to the window, and after they'd heard Grace tearfully say yes, had stormed in and almost burned the bar down. Thankfully the Garrison was still standing. Tommy had been furious but Grace couldn't help but laugh, it was typical of the family she was marrying into, after all.

It was unbelievable to her that almost eight years ago now Tommy had strolled up to her in that pub for the first time. He had blinked at her coldly, Grace remembered thinking that he hated her. After asking for a bottle of whiskey, he had sneered slightly at her before making a phone call and walking away. Almost five years ago now Tommy had drunkenly admitted, post-coitus, that he had faked the phone call because he hadn't known what else to do with his usually-confident-self when Grace's eyes had met his.

Tommy stirred once more, awakening this time. He rolled on top of her with eyes still closed, groaning into her neck. Grace laughed as he laid his weight on top of her. "Fall asleep on top of me and you'll suffocate your future Mrs. Shelby"

"Mm, Mrs. Shelby. That sounds nice." His voice was dry and crackly with sleep and the air of the plane cabin. "We've been members of the Mile High Club for a while, but shall we pay it a visit?" Tommy's teeth grazed Grace's collarbone and she gasped slightly, looking across the carpeted aisle at John and Meghan's sleeping bodies, The Office still playing on the screen beyond their faces.

"I believe we haven't christened this particular seat yet, Mr. Shelby." Grace laughed as quietly as possible into Tommy's ear as he pulled the privacy curtain around their pair of seats. Private jets did have their perks.

The Shelby's stood on the long escalator in J.F.K airport at varying levels as it rose slowly upwards, suitcases and bags between them. Jet lag had made them all cranky, and the group was mostly silent, which was a rare event. The only semi-loud one was Finn, who had woken up in the plane bathroom, still quite drunk.

"Hey…remember when we were all poor and couldn't afford to go to New York City?" Finn said with a slight slur, staring out the glass-wall to their left with wide eyes, pouring a bag of crisps into his mouth. His youth still showed sometimes, and Grace missed the little Finn she used to take care of, he'd been only as tall as her hips, her little buddy. Now he was almost two whole heads taller than she was. And wasted.

A very grumpy Arthur, who was wearing sunglasses inside at 9 P.M., responded with a growl, "Great fuckin' story Finn, really incredible, now shut up."

Grace buried her face into Tommy's chest, her arms wrapped around him under his coat. Shutting her eyes, she almost fell asleep standing up as he played with her hair. But her eyes snapped open when Michael, who was at the front of the herd and had actually fallen asleep standing up, crashed off the end of the escalator as it reached the top, his Ted Baker luggage toppling to the ground along with him. Isiah's distinct laugh filled the air snapping everyone out of their dazes, and the Shelby's quickly reclaimed their usual title of the loudest people in any given room.

"Alright, alright, fuckin' get up" Tommy huffed. Michael was still on the floor laughing hysterically, the family struggling to step over him as they reached the ground floor. "I texted you all the address to the hotel. We're all in the Penthouse of the Ritz, there's enough rooms for all of us. Go out, do whatever, fuck off. Just don't get arrested. The Fairchild's party is at 8 P.M. tomorrow, we're going at 9."

Tommy was tired and annoyed, the shadows under his eyes making him look more intimidating than usual. He held Grace's hand loosely, brow furrowed as he attempted to summon an Uber on his iPhone. With a gruff tone, not looking at her, he asked Grace quietly "Are you going out tonight?"

"No, I want me and you time." Grace rubbed her nose against his cheek in an attempt to make him smile, which almost worked. "I figured we can lock our door and pretend to be asleep after ordering room service and a movie?"

Tommy's eyes softened with gratitude, and he kissed her quickly. "That sounds perfect. Fuck the Uber I'm getting a taxi."

Five minutes later Tommy, Grace, and Ada were squished in the yellow cab, the only three uninterested in sampling New York City's alcohol collection, as if it would be any different from home. Apparently jet lag went away when tempted with a night of drinking, and "easy American girls", as Arthur had so eloquently described them. Grace hoped Finn would make it back alive. Ada slept on Tommy's shoulder, his other arm around Grace. Jet lag was making her delirious, and she couldn't even appreciate the skyline as they sped towards their hotel.

"Who woulda thought we'd be here, eh?" Tommy peered past her out the window, his voice in her ear making her even sleepier. Squeezing his knee, Grace laid her head back in the crook of his neck as they both looked at the glittering city.

Later that night, after stuffing their faces with expensive room service, Tommy and Grace laid in the all-white hotel bed, ignoring the drunken knocks on their door as they pretended to be asleep. They stifled their laughter in each other's skin as John demanded they open the door so he could use their shower, even though there were seven other ones in their huge hotel suite. Grace was grateful Tommy was laughing, the sound still surprised her sometimes. The laughs he had with her were different than the others.

But eventually their hammered family found their way to slumber, and Grace and Tommy started to as well. After putting their sleep playlist on, a half-asleep Tommy lips pressed to her hairline, murmuring "I don't want to go to this fuckin' party tomorrow, Gracie. Remember how much we used to want to be in there with the toffs? Remember this song? I just want to be at home with yo..." His voice trailed off as he fell into sleep, holding Grace tightly. Grace thought her heart was going to explode as she followed after him, the soft City and Colour reminding her of when they used to sleep on a twin mattress, one blanket for them both, laughing no less than they did now in the Presidential Suite of the Ritz.

The Shelby's crammed into the gilded elevator raucously, a whirlwind of laughter, cologne, perfume, smoke, swearing, and silk. They barely fit, filling the elevator to the brim. After taking a laughter-filled group selfie, 8 attempts in total, in the mirrored ceiling of the ornate space, Tommy cleared his throat before telling everyone to shut up.

"Now listen up, fuckers." Tommy stood in front of them, back to the elevator doors as it flew upwards. "You will behave yourselves tonight. All of you. No fucking cocaine in the bathroom, no more than 4 drinks while we're here, no trying to steal people's wives, and no fucking fighting. Oi, Isiah, John, look at me. No fucking fighting. Some of us are working, and all of us are making a fucking impression. Alright? Keep yourselves contained, save your bullshit for the after party."

Arthur piped up, pointing his unlit cigar at John and Meghan, "If I may add? If you two insist on fuckin' in coat check make sure no one bloody sees you this time"

Meghan rolled her eyes as John wiggled his eyebrows, saying something that was most likely crass in Romani to his older brother. Simultaneously, Michael kicked the back of Finn's knee, sending him flying forward into the elevator panel, his face smashing the brass numbered floor buttons. Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, turning back around and staring at the elevator doors after taking sliding his arm through Grace's, his jaw clenched. His handsome reflection disappeared as the doors opened 6 floors too soon, thanks to Finn's face. The elevator filled with a mixture of laughter and complaints as the gold doors continued to open and close on every single floor, taking them to the roof much slower than expected.

Looking up at her fiancé, Grace rubbed his back, the smooth fabric of his gray suit jacket sliding under her hand. "Don't worry. 2 hours and we're out of here. I'll be your buffer, and I promise I'll keep track of everyone's names so you don't have to."

Tommy peered down at her gratefully with an amused smirk, jaw finally unclenching. "What would I do without you, eh? Have I told you how amazing you look, by the way? That dress looks like it was made for you"

Grace raised an eyebrow with a smile "Quite a few times now, Mr. Shelby. And that's because it was."

"Well what's one more time then." Tommy bent down to leave a kiss on Grace's smiling lips as the elevator doors slid open once more, finally on the correct floor. Finn exaggeratedly pushed them apart to run onto the rooftop, and a laughing Isiah trailed after him towards the bar.

John and Arthur whooped, following the younger Peakys to the drinks. Ada and Meghan linked arms and headed for the railing to look at the lit up skyline and take more pictures. Tommy and Grace stood outside the elevator, Grace observing, Tommy analyzing, their usual arrival routine.

The summer air was thick, but the breeze from being up so high on the skyscraper made it pleasant. The rooftop party was glittering and sleek, society's elite in fine suits and expensive dresses, Grace even recognized a few faces from the tabloids she saw at the store. The feel of the bar was electric as club music pounded through the air, and it elevated Grace's mood, while seemingly lowering Tommy's.

"Tommy! Grace!" Henry and Gregory Williamson, the couple Grace had met at the Derby, waved to them enthusiastically from across the dark-wooden floor.

"Christ." Tommy muttered, pulling out a cigarette for them to share as Grace waved back with a wide smile.

"Oh come on, grumpy. Let's say hi." Grace pulled on his arm slightly and he reluctantly followed, blinking in annoyance before warming & smiling ever so slightly at his bubbly fiancée. "There we go. It's a party, isn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah." Tommy muttered, allowing her to pull him while he looked over his shoulder at a group of men standing in a circle in the far corner, smoking cigars.

Ignoring his business-mind, Grace took the lead and crossed the floor towards the Williamson's, the men having now sat at one of the small circles of stylish couches. After hand-shaking, cheek kissing, and being introduced to the Williamson's friends, Grace sat down between the couple, Tommy standing behind her with one hand on her shoulder.

"That ring, girl!" Greg took her left hand and fawned over it, Grace smiled with as much humility as possible. "Some women I know would sell their first-borns for a rock like this."

"Gregory!" Henry exclaimed with an eye roll. "I'm sorry about my husband, Mrs. Shelby. Can I call you that now?"

"It's quite alright. And please do, I like the sound of it." Grace laughed.

Time passed as the group had fun, the rest of the family had come over to join. Bottle service came to their table via a hand wave from Tommy, and Grace felt herself relax around Manhattan's elite thanks to the icy Grey Goose. One of the Williamsons' friends was an editor at Vogue magazine, and Grace and Ada were entranced by trendy wedding dress conversation when they were interrupted.

"Ah the Shelby family, glad you could come. Gents, great to see you again." Grace looked up to see the same salt-and-pepper-haired man that Tommy had met with at the Derby, staring at Tommy with a look Grace couldn't decipher before his dark eyes fell on the girls. "You must be Meghan, Ada, and Grace, I presume." He pointed to each of them as he said their names, his gold-ring embellished finger lingering on Grace. "Patrick Fairchild, it's an honor."

Something about the man instantly didn't sit right with Grace, and she now knew why Tommy had told her he didn't trust these people when the two of them had talked after the Derby. Patrick's presence made her think of a spider on the ceiling, that she always wanted to look at it out of the corner of her eye so she knew where it was, just in case. Grace stood and gave the older man a reserved smile, Tommy's hand drifting to her lower back, not leaving her. "Yes, Grace Burgess. A pleasure to meet you Mr. Fairchild. A lovely party, thank you for having us"

Kissing the girls' hands, he gestured back to the couches they had risen from "Please, sit. Ladies don't stand for men in the buildings I own. But the pleasure is all mine, it's an honor to have racetrack royalty in my midst." Patrick made air quotes with his fingers when he dragged out the word royalty, saying the sentence like a punchline.

Grace froze as tension flooded the air, Patrick's tone loaded with sarcasm. John and Arthur shifted in their seats with aggression and Meghan put her hand on the back of her husband's neck. Ada downed her drink in one gulp and Michael tried to hold in his laughter, forever thinking that tense situations were funny. The second that passed felt like an hour. Thankfully The Williamson's and their friends weren't listening, and Thomas never missed a beat.

"Ah, I'm nothing but a pauper in the presence of the man that owns half of Manhattan, Mr. Fairchild. Or should I say, swindled his way into half of Manhattan?" Tommy said, stepping around the couch to stand by Grace's still-standing figure. His eyes were squinted slightly, and he tipped his drink towards the cocky kingpin standing in front of them. The two men stared at each other as the brothers watched them both carefully.

"You have a good sense of humor across the pond, you Peaky Blinders. That's what they used to call you, right?" Patrick said, and for some reason he winked directly at Grace. Tommy's hand unconsciously clenched the fabric of her dress which fortunately no one could see.

It was Grace now that spoke, much to everyone's surprise, with a toothy smile. "Oh, they still do. Is this how you treat guests you invited from almost 6,000 kilometers away?" Tommy snorted slightly next to her, and although she couldn't see it, Grace knew he had a smug smirk plastered on his chiseled face.

Patrick's almost-black eyes widened slightly, his strong front wavering ever so briefly. Grace could get high off of watching powerful men falter in front of her and Tommy. But it didn't last long, and Patrick let out a booming laugh. He randomly clapped Isiah, who was to his right, on the shoulder before backpedaling over his words smoothly. "Only when I'm joking, Ms. Burgess. You've got yourself a fiery one, Mr. Shelby. I'm very happy to have you all here, and I'm glad we've all evolved to doing our business honestly, which I'm looking forward to doing with The Peaky Blinders. Cigars, boys?"

Michael had now burst out laughing at Isiah's confused, borderline insulted expression, which would have been more comical if Grace had been able to appreciate it. The rest of the group joined in uneasily, grateful that the loaded moment had passed. Tommy and Grace exchanged an unnoticeable glance, knowing that Mr. Fairchild was far from joking.

"Certainly, you're among jokers with us as well Mr. Fairchild. Lads?" Tommy kissed Grace's ear quickly before leading the men away after Patrick, who didn't look at Grace again.

Grace smirked as she sunk back into the couch, twirling Meghan's sleek ponytail in her fingers, who looked rather shaken as she threw her drink back. "Don't worry, Meg. They're fine. It's all legal, Patrick is just a dick. It'll be over soon. Tommy knows what he's doing."

"I know, I know. I just don't need John bloody fighting on vacation. We're on, what, a 6-day streak of no fighting now?"

Ada rolled her eyes before pushing herself off the couch gracefully. "Yeah, the longest streak of all time I think. I'll get us more drinks."

The Williamsons' ushered the girls back into their conversation, talking now about the American presidential race, which Grace found equal parts disconcerting and hilarious.

Ada never returned with drinks, and left Meghan with their new friendsto go looking for her. She moved through the boisterous crowd, and after getting momentarily distracted by the very sensual sight of Tommy puffing on a cigar across the deck, spotted Ada at the far end of the busy bar. As she grew closer she smiled, Ada had gotten lost thanks to a very well-dressed and attractive man. Not wanting to interrupt, while hoping Ada's brothers wouldn't either, Grace stopped short and ducked into a space on the bar, waving to the bartender. After giving her order she perched herself on a bar stool, waiting patiently and fiddling with her earring, humming along to the Arctic Monkeys that had begun playing.

Perfume filled Grace's nose and she sensed the approaching woman who sidled up to her. Tall with dark hair, she was strikingly beautiful, and dripping in diamonds. More than Grace usually went for, but they suited the young woman nonetheless. The women exchanged a warm smile. The brunette waved to the bartender but he ignored her as he sped by, hands full. "Ugh, honestly. How long have you been waiting?" The woman's voice was light, with an American accent.

"Not too long, but hopefully not much longer, either." Grace replied, and they both laughed.

"Georgina Fairchild."

Grace absorbed the last name but said nothing. "Grace Burgess, nice to meet you."

"You as well. I love your dress. Chanel?" Georgina's dark eyes flicked over Grace's seated silhouette.

"Yes, good eye. I have a weakness for Chanel."

"I know that weakness all too well." The women laughed.

As Georgina turned to attempt to catch the bartender's attention again, Grace gave her a scan. Obviously from good money, obviously a Fairchild. Remembering Tommy's words, Grace decided not to trust her either.

Grace's drinks came, and she said goodbye to Georgina kindly before sliding out of her chair, but she didn't get very far, almost spilling the whiskeys all over Tommy, who stood behind the bar stool she had just been in.

"There you are babe, give me a hand?"

Georgina spoke up, to Grace's surprise. "Mr. Shelby, I was wondering when you would finish your cigar."

Tommy cleared his throat, taking one of Grace's two drinks as her eyes quickly danced between Tommy and the female Fairchild. Nodding at Georgina he said "Yes, well, your fathers' fine Cubans burn slowly. Grace, this is-"

"We just met," Georgina clipped, no longer giving Grace so much of a glance. "I wasn't aware you were a taken man, Mr. Shelby. A shame, truly. But relationships are so fickle and easily broken in this day and age though, aren't they? I'm sure I'll be seeing much more of you soon."

Grace raised her eyebrows and her smile became forced as Tommy's free hand flew to her elbow, pulling her towards him slightly. Funny how worthless small talk can be, she thought. With a sweet tone, Grace commanded Georgina's attention. "It is a shame. For you, at least, Georgina. We'll be sure to invite you to our wedding. Seems as if you haven't had our luck though, have you tried Tinder?"

"Grace…" Tommy said through gritted teeth, pulling her into her chest and sloshing Meghan's drink slightly. Georgina laughed a tinkling laugh and said nothing, still not looking at Grace. She took her recently-arrived drink from the bartender, winking at Tommy before strolling away towards the opposite side of the bar.

Grace chugged her drink in three gulps before slamming it on the bar. Seemed like everyone in the family had done that at least once tonight. "You know, Thomas, I must say, these New York people are just fantastic."

Tommy brought his face down to hers and put his hands on both sides of her face after setting Meghan's drink down, thumbs rubbing her cheekbones gently. "Gracie, you know I didn't give her any ideas. She's Patrick's daughter. Sidled up to us. Took John's cigar right out of his mouth and started bloody smokin' it. These people are-"

"I know, I trust you." Grace sighed before grabbing Tommy's lapels and kissing him, not caring who saw as their kiss deepened for a few long moments. Except for Georgina. Grace hoped she saw. "I trust you. But you can't expect me to say nothing to these people."

"You wouldn't be the woman I loved if you said nothing. Nothing went much better in my conversations with Patrick." Spitting the last word, he looked back towards the circle he came from with a sneer. "I'm done with these fucking people for the night, Michael, Pol and I are meeting with them in the morning for particulars anyway. Can we get out of here? You and me?"

Grace nodded as he gazed at her with soft eyes. "Me and you. Let me bring Meghan her drink and get my bag"

Grace made up a quick excuse to her sister as to why they were leaving, and winked at Ada who was still talking to her mysterious suitor. From across the bar, Patrick caught her eye and raised his glass to her, deep in a conversation with Michael. Grace smiled politely and turned away, crossing the floor back to her future husband, ready to wash her hands of this obnoxious family.

Right before the elevator doors slid shut, John threw his hand between them, Meghan's in his other one. Toothpick in his mouth and suit jacket apparently missing, John huffed, "Fuck these crazy people, can the four of us please all go get drunk?"

"Our first double date in America?" Meghan coaxed

Grace and Tommy exchanged a glance, the stress from the night on both of their faces. They nodded unnoticeably at each other before Tommy said "Deal. First round's on me for bringing us here in the fuckin' first place."

Meghan laughed and took Grace's hand, all of them a chain now as the elevator flew towards the lobby. "Second round is on John for letting that bitch smoke his cigar."

Grace rolled her eyes, "I second that, I have a feeling she's worse than her father."

Tommy nudged Grace and smirked, one eyebrow raised "And you let her know it. 'You should try Tinder?' I was proud."

"You did not say that!" John said, a burst of laughter soon following. "Grace with her Irish up might be my fuckin' spirit animal."

As the group left the lobby and strolled down the street into the city night, Tommy relayed their encounter with Georgina with uncanny recall, his imitation of Georgina's voice so good that Grace cried from laughing.