Chapter twenty-one: Burn
"My God," Mrs. Kovach states as Mr. Kovach helps her out of the car in front of the Garrison Pub. "this is rather rustic."
Thomas glances at Kate out of the corner of his eye as he helps her out of the car. She, unlike her mother, doesn't appear upset by the state of Birmingham. He shifts, slightly uncomfortable about bringing her from such finery down to the slums of Birmingham.
Kate looks around the street, at the people watching them curiously and then she smiles up at him. "It's perfect. Just as you described."
He exhales slightly. "We won't always live down here, I'm moving up."
"Tommy, darling," she cups his face in her hands. "what is it, I'm always telling you?"
He frowns, thinking for a moment. "You've told me many things."
She nods. "Right. What did I tell you on the roof in France about who and where?"
He remembers. "You said," he wraps his arms around her waist. "the where doesn't matter to you. it's who you're with."
She nods. "That's right. You're with me and we have our son. Trust me; I'm far happier here with you than I could ever be in a mansion covered with diamonds."
He takes her hand, looking at the ring. "I owe you a diamond ring."
"Don't you dare." She states. "You picked it up for me in France, held onto it through everything and it was a perfect fit. I'm never taking it off, Thomas Shelby."
As he leans forward to kiss her, he hears a woman singing in the pub. He frowns as he looks to Arthur, who is equally perplexed. "Who the hell is singing?"
"Damned if I know."
"It's a pub." She explains as Tommy hangs onto her skirt. "Isn't there supposed to be singing?"
"Hasn't been for years." He explains softly. "Come on." Kate inhales as he takes her hand and leads her and Tommy in the pub as the men inside start to sing. The moment they enter the pub, it starts to go quiet. Kate can't see the woman singing at first, even though she's standing on a box. Thomas, must recognize her for there's this instant explosion of emotions. She looks at him, his jaw is taut and there's utter fury coursing through his veins.
She looks towards the woman and the blood drains out of her face as she sees its Grace Burgess standing there! Bold as brass, in Thomas's pub! Grace's face freezes as she sees Thomas, but she continues singing. She appears calm and in control, until Kate picks up little Tommy from the ground. the moment Grace sees her, holding Thomas's son, her face goes pale and she stops singing. She knows now that her deceit has found her out. All is silent in the pub for a moment…then Tommy coos.
That little sound causes Thomas to snap!
With a shout, Thomas lunges for Grace! People scatter out of his way as Grace gets off the table, but she's not fast enough! Kate hands Tommy over to Polly as Thomas grabs Grace by the wrist, pulling her towards him so he can grab her by the throat! Kate gasps and hurries towards Thomas as he chokes Grace before slamming her face into the bar! Everyone gasps as Grace cries as her nose breaks, spraying blood on the pub counter!
Kate reaches Thomas before Arthur and John. No one else in this place as the guts to approach him. "Thomas, let her go." She grips a hold of his hand, trying to get him to turn lose of Grace's throat. "Now!"
"Two years." He bites out as Grace struggles to draw in a breath. His grip on her is so firm, that she's straining on her toes to draw in a breath. "Two f**king years, because she lied."
"I'm here now." Kate grips his hand tightly. "I'm with you. please, let her go." Thomas doesn't seem to acknowledge her. grace's face starts to turn purple. Kate leans forward and whispers into his ear. "Not in front of Tommy."
Those words work. His blue eyes dart towards his son before turning to Grace. He exhales as he throws Grace on the ground, struggling for breath and choking on her own breath. he inhales, fighting for control as Kate grips his hand. "Get the f**k out of here. You've got twenty minutes." Grace sits up, clutching her throat. "If I see you in Birmingham, I swear to God, I'll shoot you where you f**king stand!"
Grace tries to pull herself up from the ground, but she can't. she's shaking so badly. "Please-
"Grace, just go." Kate says. "Now before he decides to kill you."
"Killing you would be a pleasure!" He shouts. "You f**king put my name on the 'Killed in Action' list, so my wife would think I was dead!"
Kate strokes his arm, desperately wanting to calm him down. "I-I, it was Matron's idea."
"Don't even." Her father states as he steps towards her, picking Grace from the ground. "You knew he was alive and you let my daughter suffer for years."
"She….ruined my reputation."
"Because you f**king killed a soldier!" Thomas shouts. All the men in the pub straighten up, a dark animosity filling the pub. Tommy starts to cry loudly, not liking the feeling of the area. Polly takes Tommy outside for some fresh air. "You overdosed him. you f**king murdered him!"
"Tom," Arthur says. "let it go for now."
He glowers at him. "Am I supposed to f**king let it go?"
"Yes!" her father says firmly. "Look at your right arm." Thomas does and he sees Kate hand atop of his arm, her wedding band on her finger. "That's why, you let it go. Don't worry, I'll make sure she gets out of town."
In the back of her mind, Kate finds it unusual that her father is helping Grace so calmly. However, right now, Thomas is the pressing concern for her. "Thomas," she says gently as she gently combs his hair back into some semblance of order. "hey, it's alright."
"The f**k it isn't!" he shouts. "If it weren't for her, you'd have been my wife years ago! I'd have been there for you and my son!" I'm inhales. "I could just kill her."
"So, could I, but," she cups his face in her hands. "we have our whole lives together. She has nobody. It took time to get here, but we're all together now. She lost. Hey," she smiles faintly at him. "at least you didn't fall in love with her and marry her."
"F**king hell, Christ no. I've been lonely, but not that lonely." Thomas rubs his eyes before pulling her into an apologetic hug. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
Kate rubs his back. "I'm not." He glances at her. "Because as violent as that was…I know, at the core of it is because you care that much for me."
He shakes his head. "You're a strange woman, Kate."
She smiles as she kisses him on the mouth. "I know."
"Right Tom," Arthur claps his hand. "time to wet the baby's head!"
"Toddler." Kate corrects as Polly sets Tommy down on the ground, letting him stumble along the sawdust filled towards them. He slips on the floor and falls on his backside, causing a few men to chuckle.
"He's a cute one." The bartender says with a wobbly smile, clearly uneasy after the explosion. "What's his name?"
"Thomas Michael Shelby Jr." Kate says with a smile as Thomas wraps an arm around her shoulder. All the patrons in the pub stir at that news. Tommy manages to get up and totter over to the bar to look up at Harry with bright, blue eyes.
"Right, harry, this is my wife, Kate."
Harry blinks in surprise. "Wife?"
Kate nods. "We met during the war and Grace…well, let's say she's responsible for that outburst."
"The b**tch told you I was dead." Tommy states darkly before addressing the bartender. "She then paid another nurse to tell her I was dead."
"That's all in the past now." Kate kisses his cheek before smiling at the bartender
"Hold on a minute." Harry leaves the room, to pull out a dusty bottle of champagne. "My sister gave me this to christen the pub, I never got around to opening it."
Kate arches a brow as she studies it. "That's a good brand Harry, are you sure you should open it?"
"Why not? I'm never going to drink it and, this is cause for celebration." He glances towards Thomas. "This one, is a hard man, but he always looks after us." Tommy tugs on her skirt and Thomas lifts him up, seating him on the edge of the bar. He jumps as Harry opens the champagne bottle, pouring it quickly into two glasses, handing it to her and Thomas. "A toast to the bride and groom!"
Everyone in the pub lets out a cheer, raising their glasses. Kate smiles as Thomas touches his glass to hers and they sip the beverage. She can tell from Thomas's face, that he clearly prefers whiskey. She smiles before announcing loudly. "Let's all have a round on us!" everyone lets out a cheer and he shoots her a look. Nevertheless, she smiles at him and blows a kiss at him, that man always tries to act tough, but she knows he has a heart of gold underneath that tough exterior.
Going down to the pub, turned out to be fun. Kate was clearly enjoying herself with the singing and he even saw her drinking his whiskey on an occasion or two. She was a lady, but he could see that lively spirit he'd always loved in her, finally freed. Her mother didn't like the atmosphere, but the singing and conversing with his family had helped. She'd eventually loosened up enough to join in the celebration, even dancing with a few of the men, which surprised Kate and her husband. Rosemary and Finn managed to escape somewhere and were probably running around Birmingham and doing God knows what, but it was bound to be trouble.
"Mr. Shelby," her father gestures towards him. "a word."
Thomas nods. "What is it?"
"In private." Thomas nods and follows her father to a corner of the pub. "You don't need to worry about seeing that woman again. at this moment, that girl is probably wishing she'd never been born."
Thomas frowns. "What are you doing to her?"
"At the moment, she's probably getting out of the back of the trunk of my car." her father says flippantly before stating firmly. "You don't need her blood on her hands and honor demands that she pay for what she did to the two of you."
"Kate doesn't want her dead."
"And she won't be." Her father smirks darkly. "I gave strict instructions that she was wasn't to be killed and to be held for three days One day, for each year, that she conspired with that evil woman, who, is dead by the way, for what she did to the two of you." Thomas blinks in shock. "Hey, the woman had a heart attack and we just left her rotting in her apartment, in her own filth. She got off too easy, if you ask me."
"And Grace?"
"Let's say, Mr. Shelby," her father exhales. "I'm a firm believer that the punishment fit the crime. I don't know what my man will do to her, but he always believes in poetic justice. So, my driver will be delivering a list of her crimes to the man."
"And, what do you think his judgment will be?"
"I've no idea. That man surprises me each and every time." Mr. Kovach states firmly. "For all I know, he may decide that will pay for the life she took, by supplying one herself." Thomas jolts in surprise. "That would be my secret wish. Besides," his eyes darken. "I can't tell you how many families I had to deal with until you return. Kate would get vile letters, food tossed at her and wretched names shouted at her when I wasn't present. I would like for her to have to know how cruel a society can be to an unmarried woman when they're pregnant."
"Well, if you forced her, I doubt they'd be as cruel."
Her father snorts. "Haven't you read Kate's report on the girl? She fired her for indecent conduct; no one would believe her for a minute. Again, this isn't I'm saying will happen to the girl, just what I would hope. I'll let you know in three days time, what he thought would be poetic justice."
Thomas nods. "Thank you."
"Now," he turns towards the pub, where Kate has everyone singing merrily again. "I suggest you go dance with your wife. You can only have this day once, so, go make the best of it. But I wanted you to know that honor has been restored and that is my gift to you. Better whatever happens be on my hands than yours. Start your life with her, knowing that I settled the debts of the past."
"I will Sir. Thank you." Thomas moves towards Kate. She looks up, from where she's dancing with Tommy, well, swaying to the best that his chubby little legs allow. He picks Tommy up as he glances at the wall on the pub. "It's almost 8:00. Ready to see the house?"
Kate nods, her eyes shining. "I thought you'd never ask, but I better say goodbye to my family first."
He nods in agreement, standing back as Kate starts with Anton, who hugs her tightly, shooting him a discreet thumbs up from behind her back. She then hugs her mother, who starts crying, but hugs her back. Her father, like Anton is all smiles, as he hugs Kate, offering her some final words of advice. Kate nods and steps back towards him. "I'm ready; I just wish I knew where Rosemary was."
On cue, Rosemary comes in, completely covered in charcoal dust, causing everyone to howl. "He knocked me down the chute!"
"You fell in!" Finn argues.
Kate shakes her head. She can't hug rosemary, but she squeezes her hands tightly before taking a offered handkerchief from Arthur. "Welcome to the family, Kate."
"Thank you Arthur." She gives him a quick hug. "I'm happy to be a part of this family."
"See if you can keep this one under control, eh?"
She laughs as Thomas pulls her towards him. "Come on, Kate. Let's go home." She shivers in anticipation, causing him to smile. He hadn't smiled so long that it almost felt foreign to him. But he'd gotten his wish; he was walking down the streets of Birmingham, with his wife of his arm and his son in his other. He could not remember the last time he'd ever felt so whole and he wanted the feeling to stay.
MeriemDjez: Yes, there will be, but fortunately, the families are all getting along together.
Idcam: It certainly was, probably more excitement than they were anticipating!
TheHoodedAssassin: Yes, she probably would miss Kate more…had Finn not gotten her covered in coal dust! I know, this is like the longest prelude to a wedding! Everyone's been waiting for it for so long.