Sorry for the delay - health issues. Getting through!

Idly, Tommy wondered whether smoking five cigarettes at once would kill him any faster. It was a thought that crossed his mind often when he went over the mistakes Arthur made with the accounts. Along with which gun he'd rather use to blow his brains out with.

If he hadn't been there with him, Tommy would have wondered if Arthur went to school at all.

"Fuck's sake, man," he muttered, striking out Arthur's laughable sum and writing the corrected version below. That meant everything from the 5th was knocked out of line and -

"Whiskey?"

Grace's light voice cut through his frustration at just the right moment. A second later and he'd have ripped the damn ledger up.

"You're an angel," he said, taking the glass and downing it in one.

She raised an eyebrow, then brought the bottle out from behind her back.

"Good job I brought the whole thing then," she smiled.

He gave a half-nod, holding out the glass. She filled it up and rested against the desk, casting her eye over what he was working on. Not lingering too long. But he could tell she was interested.

"Into numbers, are we?"

"Top of my class. Always."

"That doesn't surprise me at all," Tommy smiled into his drink. "Not one bit."

Grace's smile turned hesitant, "What do you mean by that?"

He shrugged and placed the glass down.

"Nothing."

She hovered and Tommy found that he didn't mind. Her presence was… bearable. He wasn't expecting that.

He lifted his head briefly as a bang sounded from outside The Garrison doors.

"There's some kids playing rough outside. They kicked a ball at the window earlier, nearly shattered it all over Harry," she said.

"Ah well, kids will be kids," Tommy said and set to the next line of wrong figures.

"Any kids in your family?"

"Finn," he answered. "My youngest brother. And then there's my daughter."

He saw her stand up straighter out the corner of his eye.

"You have a daughter?"

"Mm. Though you wouldn't think to look at her. You've probably seen her in here. She's got a look like she'll kill you if you dare come near her, probably drinking Scotch whiskey."

Grace shook her head.

"The only woman I've ever seen you with is your sister."

"She doesn't look a lot like Ada. Or me for that matter. She's her own breed, is my daughter. Still, she's a good asset to the business."

"Asset?"

"And I suppose she keeps good company."

"Her mother must be proud of her."

Tommy didn't react to the very obvious digging Grace was trying to do. He turned the page.

"Her mother isn't in the picture. Just me and her. And the rest of our family, of course."

"Of course," Grace said and smiled at the floor, tucking a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. Tommy watched the action, wondering if her hair would feel as soft as it looked.

"What's her name?" she asked.

"Tessa."

"Oh," she said, her face brightening further. "I met her. She's lovely."

Tommy repressed a laugh, "Perhaps you're thinking of the wrong person."

"Grace," Harry called from the bar. "Could you give me a hand?"

"Coming," she called back and headed to the door. "I'm sure I'm thinking of the right person. I can't imagine 'Tess' is a very common name around here."

"Not Tess. It's Tessa."

Grace frowned, "No, she introduced herself as 'Tess' when I spoke to her. And she really is lovely."

Tommy put down his pen and watched as Grace took his empty glass and left him alone in the back room. He leant back in his chair.

Then smiled.

He knew what Tess was doing.

She was giving her approval.

Tessa kept a satisfied smile on her face as she tied the top button of her shirt, much to the chagrin of Polly, who was watching with definite dissatisfaction.

"I don't know why you couldn't have worn a dress this once. It's your uncle's wedding day."

"Yeah, if he doesn't cut one of her relatives before he can put the ring on her finger," Tessa pointed out.

Polly gave her a withering look.

"Pol, I've done by top buttons up, that's formal enough for me."

Polly rolled her eyes.

"At least let me do something with your hair."

Tessa stared at her, two defiant wills colliding and holding, then she sighed and flopped onto the bottom of the bed.

"Fine."

Polly settled beside her and shook out her short curly hair. She then proceeded to pin it in different patterns against her scalp, pulling some back into a bun and leaving others to fall in front of her face.

Tessa inspected it in the mirror when it was done and had to admit, it was a vast sight different from her usual style of: brushed. And sometimes not even that.

"Am I bridesmaid-ready?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You'll have to be. I doubt you'll never be the bride with a expression like that," Polly said, but with a hint of humour.

Tessa grinned, "That's just made my day."

Polly smacked the back of her head lightly and threw her her coat.

"Come on, you nightmare."

When they arrived at the camp, all of the men were there. Tessa stood on her tiptoes and spotted John, staring at Esme with the biggest grin on his face. Tessa matched it, glad he was happy with her dad's cupid act. That was one she hadn't seen coming.

She walked arm in arm with Ada up to Tommy and stood either side of him. He gave her an appraising look, no doubt noticing the effort with her hair.

"Polly did it."

"You look nice," he said, then turned to Ada.

Tessa took that as her cue to leave, knowing that there was still tension between the two. She sought out Arthur and bumped his shoulder as she stood next to him. He put an arm around her shoulders, smirking at his younger brother's obvious delight.

"She's a bombshell, ain't she?" he whispered to Tess.

She nodded. Esme was beautiful. Her hair was long, dark and wavy, and her cheeks slightly reddened by the cool air. And there was something wild about her eyes, a sort of defiance that Tessa was instantly drawn to. She knew they would make excellent friends. It was just a shame she was marrying her uncle.

Seeing everyone had arrived, Johnny Doggs began.

"We're here today, to join in matrimony, this man and this woman. So they can live in truth and harmony and togetherness, which is sanctioned and honoured by the presence and the power of these two families around us - "

"Bit long-winded, ain't it?" Tessa muttered.

Arthur grumbled his agreement.

"Do you, John Michael Shelby, take Esme Martha Lee, to be your beautiful wife. And do you, Esme Martha Lee take this man to be your husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

They nodded.

"Then there remains one more part of the ceremony. That's the mingling of the two bloods."

Johnny held out a knife and drew it across John and Esme's palms. They turned to each other and pressed the wounds together, Esme looking up at John with adoration in her eyes already.

"And the two families become one. I now pronounce you man and wife!"

A cheer rang up through the crowd as John pulled Esme to him and kissed her. Tessa shoved Arthur, trying to clap as loud as him and cheering when John caught her eye.

"Now we celebrate!" Johnny yelled, and the clapping intensified.

Whatever Polly had managed to do with Tessa's hair was completely undone by the speed she was being spun by the Lee boys. She gave as good as she got, sending one of them flying into the mud at one point. He staggered back to his feet, his cousins screaming with laughter at him. He joined in and shouted, 'Again!' and grabbed Tessa.

This was the kind of dancing she liked, not the gentle, precise ballroom shit. After the sixth dance with as many people, Tessa told them to piss off for a while and went to sit down, nursing her side. It hurt from all the laughter and her cheeks ached from smiling.

"Giving up already, Tess?"

Tessa rolled her eyes and groaned as Arthur appeared in front of her, holding out his hand.

"Bastard," she said good-naturedly and let him pull her up.

"If I spin you, will you throw up on me?" he asked.

"I was six, Arthur."

"Just checking."

And with that assurance, Arthur spun her more times than Tessa could keep track of. It must have hit fifteen before she managed to stop, then spun the other way, all the while singing along to Johnny Doggs' folk songs.

"How much have you had?" he spluttered as she fell into him, giggling in a way she would never do sober.

"Too much! No, actually… Henry!" she pushed away from Arthur and went to one of the Lee cousins, who was holding out a drink for her.

He withdrew it before she could grab it.

"Competition?"

She grinned, "Yes. Yes!"

Three more ales and Henry was out. Tessa cheered and downed the half he'd left, much to the astonishment and amusement of the other Lees.

Then Arthur's arm was back around her shoulders and was directing her to the edge of party.

"Arthur," she moaned. "Where we going?"

"Your dad wants you."

"He does?" Tessa looked around, a little blurry eyed. "Where is he?"

Arthur took her to a table and she only realised when she sat down that Tommy was sat in the chair opposite her.

"Dad! I was looking for you everywhere!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you were," Tommy said, very clearly trying not to laugh at the state she was in.

He reached out and plucked the glass out of her hand.

"Da-ad."

"No."

"Fine… Can I go dance yet?"

"No."

"Kay, I'm gonna sleep."

"You do that, Tess."

Tessa put her head down on the table, half-closing her eyes.

"Has she passed out?" Polly asked, coming to sit behind Tessa.

"No," Tessa replied without lifting her head.

"She's napping," Tommy supplied.

"I wish Ada would do the same. You tell her to slow down."

Tommy scoffed, "You think she'll listen to me?"

Tessa made to get up, "I'll go talk to her."

"Sit down," Tommy and Polly said at the same time.

Tessa sent them a glare but fell into the chair, whether she meant to or not. She watched Ada and Arthur spinning from the corner of her eye as she laid her head back down onto the table.

"I've tried stopping her but she's been drinking. Not unlike this one," Polly sent Tessa a mock-scathing look, to which Tessa responded with a grin.

"She's been stuck in that little basement for weeks, what did we expect? She's going off like a firecracker - oh Christ, Tommy please," Polly begged as Ada did a particularly violent twirl.

Tessa clapped.

Tommy cuffed the back of her head as he stood up.

"Not helping."

Tessa watched him go over to Ada and say something, then the world began to blur at the edges and she couldn't really make out what they were saying. She vaguely realised that everyone else had gone quiet and Ada was pushing Tommy, then nothing.

The next thing she was aware of was someone shaking her shoulder.

"Come on, Tess for fuck's sake!"

She opened her eyes and slowly sat up with a moan.

"What?" she snapped up at John who was pulling her up by her arm.

She snatched it away from him.

"What?"

"Ada's gone into labour," John said.

Nothing is quite as sobering as that.

"What?!"

"Yeah so get in the fucking car!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

"Fucking hell," was all Tessa managed to get out as she climbed out of John's car, knowing away Arthur's hand as he tried to help her down. "I am never getting in a car with you again."

"What makes you think I'm gonna offer!"

Tessa helped Esme down and leaned up to whisper,

"He's a bastard but he's a good'un."

She laughed and hurried to the door where Polly was waiting.

"Tessa?" Polly asked when Tessa didn't move.

"I'm probably not the best person for this job," she held her thumbs up. "You've got it under control."

"And you're going to the pub for more drinks with them?"

Tessa nodded.

"Come on, Pol, her cousin's being born, let the girl celebrate," Tommy said, pushing Tessa over to his brothers. "She can have a few more drinks."

"Cordial?" Polly asked.

"God, yes."

"What about Freddie?" Tessa asked from the headlock Arthur had her in. "He should be here."

"Just what I was thinking, Tess," Polly said, but she was looking at Tommy.

He put out his cigarette.

"Tell Freddie the truce lasts until sunrise."

Polly beamed and bounded back up the stairs.

Tommy did not keep on his promise of cordial, allowing Tessa to have one more round with her uncles in the snug while he sat out in the bar.

She'd fallen asleep through their second round of cards, curled up beside John. He wasn't concerned. She'd been that drunk before and was fine. She had his constitution. She was always at least partially in control of herself and she had the infuriating ability of never having a hangover. They always told her that it was just because she was young and she'd get them soon enough She'd then call them sadistic for wanting to inflict that pain on her.

Tommy listened as his brothers got rowdier. He shook his head with a smile and accepted another drink from Grace.

"You want me to open that champagne now?" she asked.

Tommy smiled softly but before he could answer, the doors to the Garrison burst open. An irate Polly, tears in her eyes, stood stock still for a moment, focused on him.

Tommy felt his smile fall. Ada.

"Pol?" he asked.

"It's a boy," she said, moving towards him. Then suddenly she was running, beating her hands against his chest. Tommy grabbed her arms in attempt to keep her back.

"Polly? Pol? Whoa!"

Alerted to the commotion, John and Arthur came from the snug and each grabbed one of Polly's shoulders.

"Calm down," Arthur said as she struggled.

All the while staring at Tommy.

"But the police came and took his father away."

Tommy stood there, stunned.

"I - " he said in confusion.

"Don't you dare look at me like that!"

He barely managed to shake his head before Polly threw off Arthur and John, and spat at him.

"You liar."

And with that, Polly stormed back out, slamming the door with shattering force against the jamb. Tommy just stared into the middle-distance, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Tommy?" John said.

He glanced up at him, then behind him, to the snug door. Tessa had woken up and was leaning against wall. She too was staring at him with a certain amount of confusion, but disappointment too. Betrayal.

Without saying a word, she turned and headed for the door. She let it close much quieter than Polly did, and was gone.

"Walk her home," Tommy managed to say.

Arthur didn't reply but followed Tessa out, John close behind him.

Tommy closed his eyes. This was going to take a whole lot of fixing.

Tessa didn't stay long at Ada's basement. She hovered just outside the door, not even speaking. She couldn't imagine. Just because she herself had never been in a relationship, didn't mean she didn't realise how much losing the person you loved must hurt.

And despite not being a baby person, she was anxious to meet her cousin. A boy. That's all she knew.

But now wasn't the time.

Tessa took the books out her bag - Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, and The Secret Garden - and laid them gently beside the untouched hamper of food Polly had left earlier.

"Your mum will enjoy reading these to you, mate," Tessa whispered under her breath.

They were the editions Ada had read to her when they were little.

She straightened up, and left.

As ever, chapter published on Wattpad, AO3, and linked on Twitter. Read on your preferred medium, loves.

Until the next one.