Chapter thirty-four: Snowflake


Kate folded up the note and shoved it in her pocket. She needed to stop reading it. She grabbed her hat and went down the stairs. Abigail was headed up the stairs, supporting a young girl, who was injured. Kate immediately hurried towards them. "What happened?"

"Mr. Shelby," the girl says. "said for me to come here. That you'd fix me up."

"Of course." Kate takes a hold of the girl and walks her into her room. "Please, sit down. I'll get my medical kit. Abigail, I'll need some water in a basin." Abigail ducks into the kitchen and Kate carefully studies her bleeding face. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" the girl hesitates. "It's just us ladies here. We help each other."

The girl said nothing as she slowly unbuttoned her blouse. Kate's blood boiled in anger at the sight of the bruises on the girl's arm and shoulders. The girl removed the blouse with a stifled hiss. "I don't know...what my back looks like."

"I've got something that will help." Kate asked as she rifles through her things. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen." Kate stiffens and the girl blanches. "I mean 16."

"I heard you the first time." Kate says softly as she begins to wipe at the cut. Chinn cringes. "Who did this to you?"

"It doesn't matter." The girl's eyes dance around the room. "He a special customer."

"Yes, it does matter. And I don't care if the man was the king of England, he should be in prison for doing this to you!"

"He was a police inspector." Chinn stated. "You really think they care what happens to me?"

Kate pauses in place. "Please, tell me that it was inspector Campbell." Chinn shakes her head, but Kate knows better and her heart rises. Inspector Campbell was going down and the whole world was going to remember him after this.


10 minutes later,


Kate nods. "Right. Please try to get here before 9:00, if possible."

Very specific time, but I'll see you soon.

"It's Birmingham, trust me, there's always something going down. Looking forward to seeing you Peter. Goodbye." Kate exhales and hangs up the phone. She steps out of the side room as the Shelby men and peaky blinder members enter the pub.

"Right lads, listen up! You can have a pint and a chaser, no more, on the house."

"Hmm," she eyes Thomas, smiling at him as he approaches her. "just what a girl needs to brighten her day."

"Ahh, sorry about sending Chinn up to you."

"Don't apologize." He kisses her cheek. "I contacted a friend, Peter Cox. He's a member of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children."

"She's hardly a-

"She's fifteen." Kate says sharply. "And it was inspector Campbell who did that to her."

He nods. "I know."

"You know?" Thomas takes her arm and leads her into the other room.

"I knew Campbell did that to her, but I didn't know she was fifteen." Kate exhales with a nod. "But it's a different world down there. Zhang only let her come once I said you were a nurse."

"Well, here it's illegal and once Peter gets down here, he and his wife will be taking Chinn to safety. She's upstairs, resting. I gave her a sedative."

He frowns. "You drugged her?"

"Of course not! I told her it was a sedative, but she didn't ask for the definition. He's already calling some people and it'll mostly likely be all over the papers tomorrow. Peter says that there have been rumors regarding Campbell and his preference for young girls. This assault confirms it."

"Kate? What is it?" she opens her mouth to deny it, but he's not fooled. "I know something's bothering you. I can see it in your stance and I can hear it in your voice."

"Well, then…I guess I better show you." She exhales as she reaches into her pocket and hands him the note. "Abigail found this under my door this morning."

Thomas's eyes narrow as he takes the letter. Kate inhales as he reads the letter. After a moment's silence, he speaks. "Campbell's been a thorn in my side long enough." He folds up the letter and slips it inside his pocket. "He's a coward, he won't get to me."

"I know that but-

"Hey," he cups her face with his hands. "nothing's going to happen to me."

"You can't promise that."

"Yes, I can. Campbell is meeting with Churchill to be congratulated for getting some guns back." At Kate's frown, he states calmly. "Don't you go getting scared on me. It's over with Kate; he won't be coming back to Birmingham."

"I'm still here, aren't I?" she inquired. "If I was truly terrified, I would have been gone by now and you would never find me." he flinches slightly. "But I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me."

"Kate," he closes the distance between them. "it's just one more day. You can do that. " He holds onto her tightly. "It's not even a day. It's just another hour. Less than an hour…and then it's all over."

Kate exhales and closes her eyes as she rests her head against his chest. "I know…I just hate this."

"It's alright Kate. I know you weren't born to be with a man like me." Kate shakes her head. "You're probably an heiress," he pauses. "Are you?"

She smiles faintly. "I do inherit half of my father's estate, which is currently valued at…10,000,000."

"You could buy the whole of Birmingham for less than half of that." he states quietly. "I'm just someone trying to make their own way into the world. I need to be able to give you a good enough life."

"That doesn't matter to me, Thomas."

"It matters to me." he states. "I know you've had everything, but I'm not taking you to me empty-handed."

Kate smiles. "From a man's point of view, I can understand and appreciate that you want to give me everything. But, remember this." Kate reminds him gently. "I had my choice of any man in London, including Lord's and Dukes. I choose you, Thomas Shelby and this town here."

"For which, I shall be grateful."

"Well, just remember that I gave up all that splendor for down here. And believe me; even though I am anxious and scared for today, I've never been happier."

"I thought a lot about what you said last night and I'm turning things around." She blinks up at him in surprise. "When I get back here tonight…I will have one of the biggest legal race track syndicates in the country. I'm going to close down some of that other stuff."

Kate gasps in surprise. "Really?"

"Most of it…but, you won't mind if I fix a race or two?" she shakes her head with a smile. "Maybe open a club. Eh? Like in London?"

"Thomas, all I really want is to make sure our future ahead is safe for us and our children."

"It will be. And another thing." He shifts closer to her, placing a finger under her chin. "Do you remember last night?"

"I do." Kate trembles as he takes her hand. "I remember every single second."

"I am going to make a success of this." He says. "I am going to make a success of it. I am."

"I know you will," Kate assures him as she touches his face. "I've never met a man more determined than you."

"And I'm not talking about marriage. I'm talking about us." He holds her hands tightly. "You just look at me and I know what you're thinking. We know each other. We can talk. We're the same." her heart titled in her chest at those words. He studies her closely and Kate could have sworn that she'd never seen a deeper look of love on anyone's face than his at this moment. "I want you to be my wife."

"I know that." Kate bites her lip before mumbling. "That was rather a rubbish proposal though," he chuckles lightly. "if it can be considered one."

"Will you consider it?"

"Hmm, I think I will."

"Good, because," he grips her around the waist and pulls her towards him. "once I get back, I have a question to ask you, and you're going to say yes."

She laughs as she looks up at him. "Is that so, Mr. Shelby?"

At that moment, the door opens and Thomas steps away from her just as Arthur bursts in the room with Jeremiah behind him. Kate can tell from the look on his face that something's happened and it's not good. "Right," he turns to Jeremiah. "tell him what you just told me."

"Just heard there's two vans driving up the Stratford road." Jeremiah states. "an old corporal of mine said he recognized one of the men. He says it's the Kimber boys." Kate's face blanches as Thomas straightens up. she can feel the shock radiating through him for a second. Then his brain starts rapidly formulating another plan. "They're heading this way."

Thomas grabs her hand and he pulls her out of the room. Kate's heart is pounding in her head as he half-drags her through the streets of Birmingham. Kate's brain is reeling as she tries to comprehend what's going on in this moment. She can still barely comprehend it when Thomas drags her into their house and up the stairs.

"Ada! Wake up!" Thomas lets loose of her hand and she just stands there in shock. "You and the baby get into the bullring where there's lots of people.

"What's going on?" Polly questions as she comes out of the room where the baby is probably napping.

"we've been f**king betrayed." Thomas exhales raggedly as he paces a few steps. "Someone let slip, Kimber's men are on their way here."

"You can handle them Tommy." Polly assures them firmly.

"It's just us. The Lees are on their way to Wooster! We're outnumbered." The blood drains out of Kate's face at those words. Now she begins to panic. "F**k!" Thomas slams the mantelpiece, causing her to jump.

"But who else knew today was the day you were moving on Kimber?" Polly asks. "You said you kept it a secret, who else did you tell?" Polly looks to her. "Kate?"

She shook her head. "I just found out now and I would never risky anyone, especially him getting hurt."

Thomas nods in agreement. "Kate never wants to know any of this business. She doesn't know anything."

"Someone must have let something slip!" Polly states firmly.

Kate gasps as a terrible thought strikes her. "Oh God."

Polly turns to her. "You remember something?"

"Yes." Kate turns to Thomas. "Yesterday, Campbell told me that I'd injured two agents of the crown that day. Aside from him…the only other person I assaulted…was Grace."

Thomas closes his eyes in aggravation. Kate shifts, a little uncomfortable that Thomas had confided in Grace, but he must have had his reason. She had to believe that.

"I'll take deal with grace." Polly said. "If you set eyes on her, you might kill her."

"I didn't tell her though." He stated. "I wrote it down in a journal, which….she may have seen."

Kate sighs slightly. Polly looks to her, her dark eyes seeming to sense everything that tormenting Kate now. "You, come with me. I want a word with you on the way."

Kate nods. "That'll be lovely."

Thomas brushes by her and heads out the door without a word. Kate looks to him, her heart pounding in her chest as he hurries back outside to rally his men. Her stomach churns and her head is reeling. Kate brings up her hand and slaps her own face, stinging at the pain that goes across her face. However, with the sting, her senses slowly calm themselves. To get through the next twenty minutes, she needed a clear and calm head.

He'd be all right. He knew it with conviction, she just wished her terrified heart and stomach could believe in that same conviction.


Littlebabyfox: No, it's not. Everyone dislikes Campbell as much as they dislike Grace. I'm glad you're enjoying it. I think I've got one more Kate and Thomas story in me. The Peaky Blinder's fandom is one of the friendliest and most encouraging I've ever worked in.

Idcam: Well, Kate's got him over a barrel now and he doesn't know it!