A loud thud echoed in the office as yet another stack of papers were thrown without care onto the floor. Running a hand through his hair, Tommy stared out the window and took in the dark grey crowds looming over the streets of Birmingham. The weather was suiting, he thought.

"Is everything alright, Tom?"

The voice was innocent and startled Tommy from his brooding. He turned and took in the hesitant looking Lizzie. The girl was his new secretary - a position he was glad he could give her considering her previous line of work. He himself was guilty of having used her services prior to the war and during the tough months afterwards.

"Yes," Tommy's gaze slipped back to the window. "Everything's fine, Lizzie."

God. He couldn't even convince himself anymore.

Tommy's mind was buzzing, thoughts bouncing from problem to problem. For one, he had the new business to think about - putting his trust into Alfie Solomons, a man who he wasn't sure deserved it. Then, he had Arthur. Stuck in yet another downwards spiral, the man was a loose canon threatening the bring them all down with him. Babysitting his fucking older brother. Tommy wondered why he was the only one who could think rationally.

Reaching for a glass of whiskey, Tommy watched Lizzie in the corner of his eye as she knelt and began the task of collecting the files he'd disregarded.

"Everything doesn't sound fine."

It seemed Lizzie could see through his lies too. On top of the struggles with Arthur and business, Tommy's mind was also occupied with worries over Polly and Eileen. Having been kept in the dark about Polly's son, he suddenly found himself thrown into the middle of a family feud he wanted no part in. Given Polly's current state, Michael was better off staying far away from the streets of Small Heath. But equally, he knew that Polly wouldn't rest whilst she knew her son was still out there breathing.

"Maybe not." Tommy pondered aloud, shrugging as he took a large sip of liquor. "But it will be."

With so many pressing issues, Eileen was still at the forefront of the man's mind. The grand re-opening had taken place almost a week ago and he still hadn't seen her or Danny. He'd heard through John that the brunette was seeking refuge with him and Esme for the time being. A week. The argument had been heated but Tommy was still shocked the girl hadn't been to see him in almost a week.

Finally back on her feet, Lizzie plonked the files back in the middle of Tommy's desk. "The whiskey won't help." She quipped, already en-route to the door. The woman could take a hint when Tommy wanted to be left alone.

Finishing the last few drops of the glass, Tommy called back. "It's the only thing that does."

The door swung shut behind Lizzie, leaving the room in a stale silence. Reluctantly, Tommy sauntered back to his desk and looked at the papers before him. His eyes hoovered over an address printed in black. Then, after a moment of thinking, he pulled on his coat and hat and headed for the door.

Polly was at the bottom of her fourth glass - maybe fifth - when the door swung open.

Slouched on one of the sofas, the woman looked weak and miserable. Her hair was dishevelled and clothes unchanged from the night before. It was a pitiful picture and miles away from the powerful woman Tommy had grown up with.

"Traitor."

The word was spat like venom, followed by the sound of the door swinging shut behind the man. Tommy was unphased by the comment - he had heard much worse.

"Has the bitch come back yet?" Polly continued to slur, loosely sitting up to find the bottle of rum she had been downing. The alcohol helped to numb everything she was feeling.

Tommy supposed Polly had every right to be mad. Now that he had a son of his own, he found he could sympathise with the situation more than he would have been able to before. He would kill any man that lay a hand on Danny. Clearing his throat, Tommy casually sat on a chair opposite the woman.

"She's at John and Esme's." He replied, deciding it was best to ignore the 'bitch' jibe given the woman's current state. Polly had never liked Eileen and after this matter he imagined their civil relationship was beyond saving.

Amber liquid sloshed onto the table as Polly poured. "Shame," She sighed. "Was looking forward to slashing her fucking eyes out."

Shakily lifting her glass to her lips, Polly's eyes looked up and levelled with Tommy's.

"What?"

Judgement covered Tommy's expression. Usually this situation was the other way round, with Polly berating the young man for another one of his reckless business ventures. There was something awfully pitiful about the roles being reversed.

"This is pathetic, Pol."

Eventually speaking, Tommy's words were harsh but true. The woman was a mess and it was a pathetic sight to see. If he had to be harsh in order to make her see it, then he would.

He continued. "You think Michael would want to see you like this, ey?"

The question stirred the woman and an explosive response followed. "Don't you fucking dare say his name!" Glass slopping alcohol on the floor, Polly's eyes had tears brewing as she glared back at Tommy.

"Michael." Tommy got to his feet, "I'll say his name all I fucking want Polly. Look at yourself." His arms gestured around the disarrayed room and his voice raised. "You think this is what he wants to see when he meets his mother for the first time? You think he'll want to stay? Play fucking happy family-"

"-Stop! Fucking stop it!"

Polly's shouts turned into sobs and her hands went to her face, causing her glass to fall and smash on the wooden floor. Glass shards spread across the room and they crunched under Tommy's boot as he slowly approached the woman.

"Just fucking stop!"

The woman continued, though her cries were softer this time.

Kneeling down, Tommy rest a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Pol." His tone softened, "I went to see him."

At the words, the cries seemed to become subdued. Polly looked up, makeup smudged down her cheeks but eyes filled with hope rather than hatred. "Michael?"

"Yes." Tommy nodded, offering the woman a hand and moving her away from the piles of glass. She was shaking as she moved and he wondered if he'd pushed her too far with his approach. "I went to see him today and told him where he could find you."

Polly's eyes were searching his own, mind likely racing with a million questions. "He's coming here?" Her gaze moved from Tommy to the room around her, taking in the mess she had caused. Empty bottles, lines of cocaine - she felt fresh tears brewing in her eyes at the sight. Tommy was right. This was pathetic.

"I can't promise that, Pol." Tommy's grip on the woman loosened. "But if he comes, you can't be like this."

Polly's eyes came back to Tommy. The boy had intellect well beyond his years and was one of the few people who could get through to her. Though harsh in his approach, it was a wake up call she was hearing loud and clear.

Nodding stiffly, Polly's hand wiped across her cheek. There was confidence in her words as she spoke.

"He won't."

"Fucking hell. Put it down!"

Esme dashed past the brunette, almost knocking her over in attempt to catch one of her youngsters. If it was possible, it seemed that John and Esme's home was even more chaotic than her own.

The week away had been long but needed. After the events of the Garrison, Eileen's head felt like it could explode. She had spent her time relaying the conversations she had had with her father and Tommy. Two years on from all the chaos and she felt like she was right back to square one when her train had first arrived in the station of Small Heath. Tensions with Tommy, violent enemies and her father's scheming - they were all things she thought she had left in her past.

"Mum!"

Danny's voice prompted the girl back into reality, his small hand tugging on the fabric of her dress. With a warm smile, Eileen bent down and scooped the boy into her arms. The room filled with squeals of laughter as she playfully swung him around in a circle. As a silver lining to her problems, atleast she knew that she would always have Danny by her side.

Esme's cursing from the other room echoed down the hall, followed by the sound of knocking.

"Get that for me, will you?" Esme's voice rang out and Eileen called back a brief willing response before making her way to the front door.

A quick look through the peep-hole confirmed the brunette's suspicion - a typically calm and collected Thomas Shelby was waiting on the other side of the doorframe. Of course, the visit was to be expected and Eileen had been waiting for the man to come find her. He did owe her an apology.

Her hand toyed with the door handle. Opening up meant she had to face reality again and she wasn't quite sure if she was prepared. Yet, having Danny in her arms was a startling reminder. It wasn't fair to keep the boy from his father. Her palm pulled on the handle.

Cold Birmingham air soon flushed the hallway and a familiar smog filled Eileen's nostrils. It wasn't a pleasant smell but it was one she had come to love because it meant that she was home.

"Dad!"

Breaking the silence before either Eileen or Tommy could, Danny's arms reached out for the man before him. A smile lit up his face having not seen his father for weeks - Eileen felt a pang of guilt in her chest.

"There's my boy." Tommy's voice was warm and a genuine smile washed over his expression. It was a smile he only gave rarely and privately - a side to Thomas Shelby that no one else was allowed to see.

Granting Danny's wishes, Eileen handed him into Tommy's open arms. They were the two most important people in her life and side-by-side their resemblance was uncanny. Whilst Danny mirrored some of Eileen's features, there was no denying that the boy would grow up to look just like his father.

"You been looking after your mother, ey?" Tommy shifted Danny in his arms. Amongst all of the commotion he hadn't seen the boy in weeks. He was always putting business first, when in reality family was all that mattered.

Danny nodded his head excitedly, open palm reaching out to touch Tommy's face. Eileen tried to mask her grin but failed. Her boys.

"Fancy a walk?"

Given how their last conversation had ended, Tommy took it upon himself to make the first move this time around. He knew that he owed the girl an apology but he'd been putting it off. With so much of his life in disarray, he had to handle things logically. Maybe it made him come across cold and harsh but they were needed qualities when leading a group like the Peaky Blinders.

Eileen looked to the man, eyes trailing to a content looking Danny in his grasp. It was the happiest the boy had looked in weeks.

Her answer was short. "Sure."

A short while later and with Danny under Esme's care, the pair were strolling the streets of Small Heath. Words were yet to be exchanged - What to say? Who to speak first? Their argument had been explosive and exposing. After two years of bliss, Eileen could barely remember what it felt like to feel so estranged from Tommy.

Gratefully accepting a lit cigarette when offered, the brunette took in their surroundings as they walked. When she had first arrived in Small Heath she had been stared at for being an outsider and a potential threat. Now, she was still stared at but for different reasons. People seemed to cower in fear when they saw a Shelby. The name meant wealth and danger. Eileen caught the eye of a young girl stood with her mother; though the glance was short-lived, with the mother hastily pulling her indoors.

"I'm sorry."

The words were said so randomly that the brunette almost missed them.

"For leaving." Tommy added, taking a puff from his own cigarette. "Should have told you."

It was a blunt apology but it was more than she had expected from Tommy, a man usually so unwilling to admit he had been in the wrong. She knew it took pride for him to do so.

"You almost died, Tommy." Eileen exhaled a small mouthful of smoke, water stinging at the back of her eyes as she thought back to the night. She could still hear the sound of boots crunching bone.

"I know." Tommy acknowledged. Since the war, the man had experienced his fair share of near death experiences and that night with Darby Sibini had certainly been one of them. "And I'm sorry. I just couldn't fucking face you, not after that." Tommy shook his head slightly - it was a pathetic excuse and he knew it.

Two apologies. The brunette's eyes subtly glanced to her side, trying to get a quick read of Tommy's expression. It gave nothing away, as per usual. "Okay." Eileen nodded, it was her own form of forgiveness. She should have known Tommy would feel plagued with guilt after the events of that night. It had pained her to watch him being attacked, she hadn't quite considered what Tommy had witnessed.

The pair had now escaped the crowded streets and prying eyes. Eileen halted, feeling Tommy's hand catch her own and pull her back. Her eyes were forced to meet his and she paused for a second. Caught up in feelings of anger and new secrets, the brunette hadn't had a chance to appreciate the fact that Tommy was okay. Without thinking, her arms wrapped around the man's neck as she pulled him into an embrace.

"We can't be like this, Tommy." A sigh of relief passed Eileen's lips as she felt the man's arms wrap around the small of her waist. Her face buried into the crook of his neck and she savoured the sensation for a moment. Thank god he was alive. "This has to stop."

"I know." Tommy acknowledged again. "That's why I have some things to tell you."

The ominous statement made Eileen pull back, looking up to Tommy with a mixture of confusion and concern. "Things?" She repeated - she didn't like the sound of 'things'.

"Aye." Tommy's eyes scanned the girl's face. God she was beautiful. "But not here."

Mind racing, Eileen nodded and obediently followed as Tommy led the way through an assortment of alleyways. Even after being in the city for two years, she found she could still get lost in the twisting streets. Eventually they came to a stop and Tommy pulled on the door latch to reveal a room stacked with crates. Eyes scanning the packages, it didn't take long to realise they were in one of Shelby Company Ltd. warehouses.

"Tommy, what's going on?"

With the suspicious location and lack of details, Eileen was thrown off her guard. Of course she felt safe in Tommy's company but she still couldn't fight the growing feeling of nerves in her stomach.

After double checking the lock to the door, Tommy finally addressed Eileen. "After the Garrison exploded I was approached by an IRA worker by the name of Irene O'Donnell." Tommy began, eyes levelling on the brunette. "She threatened me and asked me to carry out a murder."

"Duggan." Eileen filled in the blank. So the Garrison was Irish business? Suddenly the pieces of the picture were beginning to slot into place.

Tommy nodded, "Aye." His mind briefly thought back to the night of the killing. It worried him that he hadn't even hesitated in pulling that trigger. "Nothing came of it." He quipped, "Until your father came to visit me in hospital."

"He what?" The girl's brow furrowed as she looked back to Tommy.

"He came and told me that he'd need me to do something for him," Tommy continued to explain. "That I'd hear from him when the time's right." It felt good to be honest - for his worries to no longer be trapped inside his own head. Saying the words out loud somehow made it easier.

"And when exactly will that be?" Eileen's mind was racing. She was beginning to realise why Tommy had been acting so irrationally lately. What game was Chester Campbell playing?

Tommy shrugged slightly, "You know as much as I do."

His eyes wandered from Eileen and took in the warehouse around them. Filled with crates of booze and cigarettes, the place was impressive. Seeing it all in the flesh was a reminder to Tommy of everything that he had worked for. He refused to let Chester Campbell of all people ruin that for him - this was just the beginning of the empire he longed to build.

"What are you going to do?" Eileen thought aloud, mind racing as she processed the new information. "He told me he wasn't after you, tried to turn me against you." There was frustration as she rambled, angered by her own stupidity. She should have learnt that her father always had a wider agenda - the man wouldn't rest whilst Tommy was still breathing.

"That's exactly what I want him to do."

Eileen's ranting stopped. "You want him to turn me against you?" She questioned. Had the man finally gone mad?

Tommy nodded as he stepped forward, hands grasping either side of the brunette's shoulders. "I went to see Michael today for Polly." He stated, "I've fixed your problem, now I want you to fix mine."

Confusion was still washed over Eileen's expression. "I don't follow, Tommy. Fix it how?"

Clearing his throat, Tommy's arms reassuringly squeezing on Eileen's shoulders.

"I want you to double-cross your father."