A sea of grey suits swarmed the Shelby betting parlour and Tommy took a moment to appreciate the chaos from where he was sat in his office. Business was good.

Since the eve of the horse's shooting, Tommy had barely had a chance to catch his breath. First, there had been the business of meeting with Billy Kimber at the races. Then there had been the drama of Arthur taking over management of the Garrison. And finally, the war with the Lee family was coming to a head. It had certainly all been complicated but everything in Thomas Shelby's life was.

Raising a cigarette to his lips he let his mind wander for the first time in what seemed like weeks and without prompting his mind was soon occupied on a certain brunette. Tommy hadn't seen Eileen since that night in the Garrison, nor had Curly or any of his workers for that matter. It was like she had just up and vanished. It was odd and it bothered him, for reasons he couldn't admit or explain.

Was she avoiding him? Whilst he had no reason to suspect so, Tommy couldn't help but feel like Eileen's disappearance had something to do with himself. He knew that he wasn't the most friendly or approachable of men but was he really worthy of avoiding? The thought hurt Tommy but of course he would never admit it.

"Mr Shelby, Johnny Dogs here to see you."

The man peering through Tommy's office door looked fearful - most people were these days. His mood swings had been particularly nasty and unpredictable in Eileen's absence.

"I'll be right out," Tommy replied, placing his cigarette back between his lips.

The figure had turned to leave but Tommy called him back.

"Oi," The man looked back hesitantly as Tommy asked, "Any news from Uncle Charlie?"

"None, Mr Shelby." The worker quickly answered. "No ones seen or heard about the girl in weeks."

Nodding in response, the worker took his opportunity and merged back into the busy crowd in the parlour.

Leaning back in his chair, Tommy let out an exasperated sigh. Fuck. His fist hit the table, causing its contents to shake. Why was he so worked up over the girl? Was it because he cared?

Before he could dwell on the intense thoughts for any longer, Tommy forced himself out of his seat and headed for the door. After all, he had a wedding to plan.


Fuck. Eileen flinched her hand away and let out a frustrated groan.

"Stupid fucking thing." She muttered, tossing her bundle of fabrics across the room for the fourth time in the past hour.

In the last few weeks of hiding, Eileen had learnt a lot about herself. Well, she'd learnt that she couldn't sew, cook or paint, along with a load more useless skills her father had attempted to entertain her with. The time since that fateful night in the Garrison had been mind-numbingly boring for the brunette and she desperately missed spending her days in the stable with Curly.

Standing up and dusting off her skirt, Eileen wandered over to the window and perched on the ledge. The streets of Small Heath were buzzing at this time of day and she couldn't help but wish she was down there amongst them all. Though, she knew that wasn't possible. Since her encounter with Grace, the risk of being spotted out on the street had much harsher consequences and she feared what would happen to Tommy or Curly if her secret was ever outed. The girl loved her father but she knew how violent Chester Campbell could be when he wanted to.

Scanning the streets below, Eileen searched for familiar faces - one familiar face in particular. Whilst the brunette had tried to not think about Thomas Shelby, it was much easier said than done. She found herself thinking about his voice, rough but at the same time smooth and comforting. About his eyes, cold but at the same time caring. His heart, shielded but beginning to open. God she couldn't stop thinking about him - no matter how hard she tried.

She was beginning to go stir crazy locked up in the flat with no one for company. Her father worked all day and when he did come home he was hardly in the mood for conversation. It was a miserable way of living and the brunette had admittedly considered just boarding a train and heading back to Belfast. On one particularly tough day she had even packed a bag and been ready to leave. But something always stopped her, or someone more accurately. Not much of a believer in anything, Eileen couldn't help but feel as though she had been sent to Birmingham with a purpose. Somehow she just couldn't bring herself to leave yet.

Pacing around the space, Eileen's eyes kept floating towards the front door. Surely it would be okay for her to get some fresh air? Shaking her head, Eileen tried to burry the thought. She couldn't. But oh did she want to.

As if by answer to her lonely prayers, the door to the flat swung open and her father appeared in the doorway.

"You're home early," The brunette stated, taken back by the sudden appearance.

Chester was usually not home until the evening, when the pair would eat a quick dinner together and then disappear off to bed. She wasn't sure if it was the loneliness speaking but she missed the man and was happy to see him.

"Thought we'd spend the afternoon together," The man responded, hovering in the doorway rather than entering. "Fancy a walk?"

Eileen couldn't mask the smile that spread across her face, nor could she stop herself from hastily grabbing her coat and heading for the door. She wasn't going to give Chester a single second to change his mind.

Taking in the sweet sensation of fresh air, Eileen and her father walked in tandem down the streets of Birmingham. The brunette took a moment to savour her surroundings - as much as she had hated the place when they had first arrived, Small Heath was finally starting to feel like home.

"How's work?" Eileen asked, glancing over to the Chief Inspector as they strolled. This was the first normal interaction the pair had shared in weeks.

Thinking for a moment, Chester looked back to his daughter. "Chaotic. Mr Churchill's threatening to dismiss me if I don't acquire the missing guns within the next few weeks."

Not expecting her father to give such an honest answer, Eileen digested the statement. Dismiss? The girl was just starting to adjust to her new home and now there was the threat of it being taken away.

"Have you got any leads?" She pressed, burying her hands in the depths of her coat pockets.

Almost laughing at the statement, Chester quickly responded. "Oh aye, it's only a matter of time until Mr Shelby will face the gallows for his crimes."

The brunettes heart stopped. "The gallows? I thought you'd come to some kind of agreement."

Eileen tried to mask the fear in her voice but she wasn't sure how successful she was. Gallows. Her father planned to have Tommy hanged for his actions? The thought made her feel sick.

"Eileen, Thomas Shelby's a criminal. He deserves to hang for what he's done."

A heavily silence came over the pair as they continued to walk down the streets of Small Heath, both clearly deep in thought. Chester was busy thinking about his next move. With Grace's insider information it was only a matter of time until he could make his power play and put Thomas Shelby in the ground, where he belonged. Just the thought was enough to make the Chief Inspector smile. Much like her father, Eileen's mind was also thinking about her next move. But this move was how she could best help Tommy. The girl knew that her father was right, Thomas Shelby was a criminal but somehow that didn't matter to the brunette. She knew there was more to the man and she wasn't going to let him die at the hands of her father.

She was going to help, she just wasn't sure how.


Peace. Tommy had finally managed to make peace with the Lee family and he was overwhelmingly relieved. After the incident with Finn and the hand grenade in his car, Tommy had realised life couldn't go on this way. The words of the mystery girl rang true in his mind - maybe there was more to life than business.

The man was just arriving at the Garrison to celebrate his latest victory over a glass of whiskey when he heard the voice shouting his name.

"Tommy."

It was the same worker he had spoken to earlier in the day, who looked just as terrified of approaching the leader as he had prior.

"They've seen her. The girl."

Stopping in his tracks, Tommy turned to listen to the worker's information before setting off down the street in a rush. He wasn't going to miss his opportunity.

Taking little care of who he knocked into, Tommy made his way to the water's edge where his men had apparently seen the girl walking. He should have known that this would be the place she would go - it was where they'd rode the horses together and was the perfect place to enjoy some peace and quiet in the otherwise buzzing streets of Birmingham.

Slowing to a walk, Tommy could make out the brunette's figure as he approached. She was facing away from him, looking out to the water and evidently deep in thought.

"Thought you said you weren't scared of me, ey?"

At his words, Eileen turned her head to face him. Tommy couldn't read her expression - was she happy to see him? Angry? He wasn't quite sure.

"I think I have every right to be scared of a man who follow's me."

The temptation of a smirk tugged at Tommy's lips, he'd missed this. Whilst business had been going swimmingly in the recent weeks, the Shelby boy missed being able to take a step back from his hectic life and feel normal for a change. That's what Eileen was to him. Normal, real, human. In the aftermath of the war, Tommy had almost forgotten what that felt like.

"Follow?" Tommy quipped, "Isn't this my spot?"

Now merely a few feet away from the girl, Tommy was able to read her expression better. She didn't look particularly angry or happy - instead she seemed concerned and he wondered what was bothering her.

Whilst Eileen didn't sound it, she was pleased to see Tommy again. In fact, she could already feel her heart beating a little faster and the blood rushing to her cheeks. He had some kind of effect on her and she couldn't shake it no matter how hard she tried.

"Sorry," she turned her head away from him. "I needed to think."

That much was true. Eileen's head felt like it might explode after the conversation she had shared with her father and as soon as they had parted she had found herself subconsciously walking to this spot. For some reason she found it immensely peaceful, in a world otherwise filled with chaos.

"Think about what?" Tommy asked, brow furrowed slightly as he looked to the girl. He wasn't used to seeing her when she was so defeatist. Usually he was the one in the bad mood and she was the one attempting to lift it, he was shaken by the role reversal.

Cautiously moving a few steps closer, Tommy reached out and caught Eileen's arm, gently turning her to look at him.

"What's wrong, ey?"

There was genuine concern in Tommy's tone and Eileen found herself struggling to look into his eyes. She felt so guilty.

"Nothing," She shook her head slightly. "It's nothing."

It wasn't nothing, far from it. All Eileen could think about was her father's words. The gallows. Surely he didn't mean it? Yet, Eileen knew her father and he never said anything he didn't mean. He wanted Thomas Shelby dead.

"Are you in trouble?" Tommy queried. "Ey? Cause you know I have men who can help-"

"I'm fucking fine." The brunette exploded, not realising the harshness of her tone until it had left her lips. She felt Tommy recoil slightly and instantly regretted it.

An awkward silence lingered, something the pair never usually experienced, and Tommy was taken back by the sudden outburst. What had happened in those last few weeks? Because the brunette stood before him seemed world's away from the one he had met back in the stables.

"I'm sorry, I just…"

Eileen was lost for words for once in her life and she felt tears stinging in the back of her eyes. She felt lost. Chester Campbell was her father and she loved him dearly but she couldn't deny the feelings brewing in her stomach every time she was in the Shelby boy's company. How could she stand back and let her father manipulate him? But equally, how could she betray her own flesh and blood?

"I.. just don't know what to do."

It took a while but Eileen finally found the right words and turned to look at Tommy again. She could tell he was uncomfortable in the situation - he was usually the aggressor and not the recipient.

"Let me help."

The brunette let the three words sink.

Eyes finally meeting, Eileen found herself lost in the familiar comfort of ice blue. Then, without thinking, she closed the distance between them.

It took Tommy a moment to react as Eileen's lips met his, the kiss forceful but at the same time intimate. Her touch was warm, soft and sensual. He found his arms wrapping around the small of her waist and pulling her towards him.

With rationality completely out the window, Eileen could tell that she had taken Tommy by surprise with her actions. Hell, she'd even surprised herself. But that didn't take away from the moment. It was exactly how she had imagined it, even better perhaps. Hands loosely wrapped around his neck, Eileen was reluctant to pull away but knew one of them would eventually have to.

She was all but panting for air when the moment finally ended, eyes locked on Tommy's as they both let the event sink in.

Everything had suddenly become two hundred times more complicated.