A/N: I just wanted to let whoever is talking about Brooklyn Knight stealing/ripping off from my story, I want to let them know it isn't true in the slightest. You (and whoever else has been harassing her) are not helping by spreading hate or rumors. She is a good person and a very talented writer whom I respect a lot. Your argument that our characters have the same first name and that they both live about The Garrison is flimsy, since there's a ton of other stories that have the same thing. She and I would really appreciate it if those persons stopped. I understand you believe you're 'helping', and I thank you for the thought, but sending someone hate on their story isn't 'helping'. It's only making the problem worse. Thanks!

This certainly wasn't the first time he found Rose in his arms. He'd shared a bed with her a few times before, keeping things completely innocent. Yet, this time felt more intimate. For one, his bed was significantly smaller than Rose's. Her body pressed up perfectly against his, and she hadn't minded him in only his white boxer shorts. She wore a slightly smaller version of her nightdress (which was one of Ada's) made of satin. The thin fabric created a barrier between his hands and her skin that killed him. Tommy could barely stop himself from thinking of how she'd quivered and gasped at his touches at John's wedding; how her body reacted to him so naturally, as if it were made for his hands. He hated saying it. It sounded so cliché to him. But, he said it to himself.

'We're two sides of the same coin, her and me.'

She was light, full of purity and nearly angelic. He was darkness, full of pain and devilment. They shared in a torment only they understood. They both carried pain and memories they couldn't erase. He knew of her nightmares. She moaned and fidgeted in her sleep. She only settled by his hand smoothing through her hair. Her mere presence sent his demons running. Lying beside Rose, he slept peacefully for the first time in ages. The scrapes of pick axes and shovels did not haunt him. He no longer woke up sweating and breathless. She made it all better. She made him better.

Tommy was more than sure about what transpired the night before. He knew his father had been there. His father was a despicable, no-good, cowardly thief. Fleeing the scene of a crime was something he'd do. This wouldn't be the first time his father pursued a woman either. Most women eventually gave in to his father's money and advances. Rose posed a challenge for him. Tommy lied on his back; Rose's head on his chest, and thought. She mentioned someone sent him, but whom? Rose wasn't part of his plans. The only person he could think of was Richard, though he couldn't see the old man being cruel enough to hurt his kin. Campbell also came to mind, but for what benefit? Sending a man after Rose wouldn't help him find the guns or Freddie. His father was paid to kill Rose, not threaten her. Who would want her dead?

'Grace…'

No, Grace wouldn't do something so drastic just for Tommy's affections. She'd learned well enough the day of her visit. Yet, she wasn't here on that reason alone. He thought of the slender blonde rifling through the damage done to the apartment. She'd search for some sort of clue to take back to her husband. A mercenary (or sorts) would've ensured Rose wouldn't come back and find things missing. She'd find nothing. Tommy never dare keep anything around Rose. He didn't want her linked to him in any way other than romantically. The guns were currently stashed away in Danny Whizbang's empty grave, while the man himself lived up in London where he kept an ear out. Rose knew nothing of it, and he kept it that way.

"Tommy?" her voice sounded small and groggy.

"Yes?" he said, brushing his fingers in her hair.

"Is the pub okay?"

"I don't know," he answered. "I haven't left."

"Oh…"

"You moan in your sleep," he said. "Did you know that?"

She looked up at him and shook her head, "I do?"

"You do," he answered. He pecked her lips. He wouldn't tell her that her faint moans and wiggling made him…uncomfortable.

She slipped away from him and sat up, stretching her arms. That's when he saw them. He'd never noticed them until now. The whip marks across her back nearly connected like a map. He reached out and touched the lowest one. Rose tensed at his fingers. He knew embarrassment and shame made her knees draw upward. Tommy didn't ask about them. Instead, he sat up and kissed the one that ran between her shoulders. He then kissed up her shoulder and into the bend of her neck. He wrapped an arm around her.

"I should go see Harry," she said. "The fire could've spread or something."

"It couldn't have spread that far," he told her. "I'm sure it's fine."

They didn't speak for a while more. They simply enjoyed each other's company. "He was there, Tommy," she said next. "Your dad. He was there in my flat when you and Harry had left."

"What did he want?" Tommy dreaded the answer.

"The same thing most men want," she replied. "I got away from him though," she showed him her hand where he spotted light burn marks, "The oil lamp was what did it. He's probably scarred half his face by now."

Tommy snorted, "Won't make him as popular with the ladies as before." He'd probably tell them it happened in a fight or at war. "Don't worry. He won't come again. He'll run now."

'Because I will hunt him down if he did come back,' Tommy said.

"He's your father, Tommy," she said. "He's just a slimy, old man. Hurting him won't do any good."

He rested his head on her shoulder. "I suppose you're right."

"If anything, he'll just run off now and go somewhere else," she added. "We don't have to worry about him."

"For a woman who was attacked last night, you don't sound very frightened."

"I've been through worse than him," she said. "I'm more worried about whoever sent him. They must not like me very much."

"No, they don't," he chuckled.

She paused, and then said, "What if they meant to hurt you? They think hurting me would hurt you?"

In that sense, Grace isn't too far off. "Maybe," he said, "Let's not talk about that right now."

"And why not? I think trying to figure out who wants me dead is a little more important."

"Because I'm busy in the head," he said, "And I want to be busy with something else."

He turned her head and kissed her. Rose giggled in their kiss as he brought her back to the bed with him, his hand finding her waist and traveling downwards. She shook her head, talking in between kisses, "Not now, Tommy."

He groaned into her neck, "Why?"

"Ahem."

Tommy turned and saw Polly in the doorway. He had half a mind to throw her out. He sighed.

"Morning you two," she said. "Breakfast is downstairs. We're having a family meeting in a few minutes."

"We'll be down soon," Tommy told her.

"It's important you both come, Thomas," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Get dressed and come down."

She left the door open and Tommy thought about locking the door next time. He lied on his back, disappointed and annoyed once again. Rose put her head back on his chest, kissing him briefly before she slid over him and onto the floor. He hadn't meant for his eyes to wander, but they did. She lifted his chin, "Hey, up here."

He watched her begin dressing. As he dressed himself, he couldn't imagine why someone wanted to hurt Rose. He can't exactly say Rose is defenseless. She'd proven otherwise with the burn marks on her hand and Erasmus Lee's black eye. His little Rose had thorns of her own.

He and Rose walked into the shop and he closed the double doors behind him. Tommy noticed immediately Arthur wasn't there. He didn't ask why. He already knew. Rose sat at the larger table in front of Tommy, while he stood. Ada was present, but absent Freddie.

"Freddie at home?" Rose asked.

Ada nodded, "He's watching Karl while I'm here."

"Are you sure that's wise? I mean, what if they come for you here, Ada?"

"I told Freddie I'd sneak out the back," she said. "They wouldn't find me even if they did come."

"How is he?"

The two went into a small conversation about Freddie and Karl. He'd remained in their basement apartment for the time being, taking care of their son and bringing in money from his "work". She neglected to mention what this "work" was, but only that he was more careful about it now. Rose asked about Karl, and told her if they needed anything she'd happily bring it to them.

'Why would they want to kill her?' He then thought, 'Unless they didn't want to kill her.'

"I think you all know why we're here," Polly began. "Last night, your father was seen fleeing The Garrison right before the fire started. Why he was there? We don't know, but all we know is he's walking around still and that isn't good for us."

"It isn't good for Rosie," John said.

"What happened, Rosie?" Ada asked her. "What did he want?"

Rose didn't speak right away. She closed herself up. Her shoulders suddenly lifted and he saw the tension. She wasn't expecting an interrogation or to replay it for them. She did anyway. Rose told them all how she'd came into her apartment after Tommy and Harry left; his attempt to attack her and the oil lamp she smashed into his face, and him locking her in the room when the fire began. She told them he'd said someone paid him to be there.

"Why?" Ada asked. "Who would want you dead?"

"Anybody that wants Tommy dead," Polly said, looking right at him. "They'll get to you by getting to her. Everyone in this town knows you two are together. They think if they hurt her, you'll be more vulnerable to them or you'll do whatever they ask."

"But killing me?" Rose said. "How is killing me going to solve anything? Wouldn't they want to take me alive? Beat me? Why would they want me dead?"

"Is that what he said exactly?" John said. "Maybe he meant he was paid to just hurt you a little; not actually kill you. He might've thought the fire would injure you enough."

"The fire could've killed her," Ada said next. "I don't see how he'd think that was a good idea."

"He's never been the brightest of men," Tommy commented. "He's always looking for an easy way out instead of doing things proper." He pulled out his usual cigarette and lit it.

"I know it's a long shot," Rose said, "But I couldn't stop thinking about it last night."

"What?"

"Maybe they thought Tommy would be with me."

The room fell silent for a moment. "What makes you say that?" Polly asked.

"I don't know. Maybe whoever paid him thought Tommy might be with me. Of course, he wasn't interested in killing Tommy-"

"-His own son. He'd never go that far-"Polly added.

"Yes," she nodded, "So maybe he thought if he left the fire the way it was, whoever hired him would think Tommy was dead too. He could still get paid without actually doing anything."

"Only we're not dead, and only you came out of the fire," Tommy said.

"Which is why he'd be on the run," Polly said. "This mystery person would be pissed that he didn't hold up his end."

"And they'd be after him," Ada said.

"If they were after Tom, why didn't they just kill him on his own?" John asked. "It would've been easier just to shoot him than attack Rose."

"They paid him to kill," Tommy said, "They didn't tell him how. His plan was probably to rape Rose, maybe rough her up a bit, and then come after me. Rose fighting back and the fire weren't part of his plan, so he improvised."

"Then why hasn't he come for you?" Ada said.

"Because he's a coward," Tommy answered, "A bastard coward who can't do his job without taking a little extra for himself. He'll probably spin a story about how he caught us together and set fire to the flat, killing us both inside so he can get paid."

"Anyone with a brain wouldn't take those odds," Polly said. "They'd want to make sure the job was done. He probably doesn't have the money."

"And if they did pay him," Rose said, "He won't have it for very long."

"Yeah," John sighed, "He's a dead man now."

Tommy nodded in agreement. He went over his list inside his head. He came up with names, but the motives seemed implausible. His father could always have been just talking out of the side of his mouth. He wasn't an honest man.

'My fucking father…' Then it dawned on him. 'Father…Father!'

"The day he first met you," Tommy said instantly. "The day our Dad saw you, he said you looked familiar."

"Tommy," Polly said, "That's a chat up line all men use."

"No, he seemed sure he'd seen her before," Tommy replied, "Only he couldn't place her anywhere. I think I know how they would've met before."

Rose gasped. She didn't speak, but he saw her hands ball into fists. She tried controlling the trembling. The only thing she whispered was, "Him."

"But you said that he said it was someone bigger than you," Ada said.

"He's built like a brick house," Rose said, her voice quavering slightly. "Maybe he meant physically bigger. If he-If he knows where I-I-I am, he-he'll come for me. Oh God, he'll come for me! He'll take me away!"

"Why wouldn't he just come after her himself if he's such a big man?" John said, "He sounds like a bloody coward to me."

"He wanted to scare her," Tommy said. "Our father wasn't out for me. He wasn't hired by anyone important. He was hired by a drunken, old chicken farmer who does nothing but intimidate people. He only knows how to hurt people weaker than him." And Tommy wasn't weaker than him. "Our father probably told him about us. Maybe he found out where she is, and didn't know what he was getting into."

"Arthur would've offered to do the job in exchange for money," Polly said.

"He-He-He doesn't have money!" Rose said, "Barely any to feed him and me. I can't imag-imagine him hiring som-someone else."

"He could've put in his life savings," Ada said. "It'd give him a reason to go after Dad."

He didn't know why he hadn't thought of him before now. Richard and Kimber took up most of his time, and Campbell wasn't making things better by pursuing his mission for the guns. Tommy knew he kept them in a place Campbell or anyone else would suspect. Danny still came by every now and then with news from London, but he never said anything other than to his brothers. If Rose's father was lurking about Small Heath, he'll have Jeremiah keep an eye out for him.

The family meeting ended and everyone left for their business. Rose sat still in her seat. He could see the wheels turning in her mind. He felt her fear. Tommy put his hands on her shoulders, and she flinched. He didn't let go. He rubbed her arms and kissed her neck. She relaxed. He couldn't promise her that her father wouldn't find her. He would never lie. Not again. But he will protect her, and keep her safe.

"I have to go see Harry," she said, stiff as she stood up. "I need to see if everything's okay."

She'd be safe with Harry. Harry wasn't as weak as he pretended, Tommy knew. "I'll be there in a bit," he said, "I have business."

"When do you not have business?" she asked, trying to relieve her tension.

"Good question."