'How do you know about that?'

Evie stepped back from Johnny Dogs quickly and immediately felt herself bumping into someone. She spun around and looked up into Tommy's crystal blue eyes. His eyebrows were knotted together and she could see the muscles in his jaw clenching rapidly, but his right hand had come to rest gently on her elbow. It would have been barely visible to anyone else in the room, but he was steadying her.

'Oh…uhm, well, it's actually why I'm here…', Johnny almost sounded a little unsure and Evie looked at him suspiciously. The Johnny Dogs she had known was never unsure, he'd always had too much confidence for his own good.

'We'll grab you a drink, come on, Johnny', Tommy removed his hand from her elbow and without looking at her again, he all but pushed Johnny out of the snug and into the pub. Evie was left with Arthur and John, who looked like they couldn't decide if they wanted to leave for the next part or stay.

'Come on, sit down, luv', Arthur finally said, patting the spot next to him.

Evie looked over her shoulder again but decided she was too drunk to know if it was worth causing a scene now or if she should wait to demand what was going on. She poured herself another drink but decided to leave it untouched for the moment. She could taste the whisky on her tongue still and her skin felt too hot. The stupid scarf wasn't helping either and since everyone already knew about the bruises anyway, she decided to take the ugly thing off. John audibly exhaled but quickly stuffed a toothpick between his lips when she looked at him.

'Well, that explains his mood today', Arthur commented, pointing his finger at her. 'Don't worry, the Peaky Blinders will get the fucking bastard that did this.'

'I couldn't care less, Arthur', she told him.

'In that case, maybe you and Johnny Dogs here could explain how you two know each other', Tommy was standing in the door. Of course he'd heard that, Evie thought. Tommy had been sitting beside her before Johnny arrived but now, he sat down next to John, directly across from her.

Evie knew she had played Poker well enough, but she had a nagging suspicion Tommy was trying to get a read on her for real now. Johnny on the other hand seemed happy with the arrangement. He sat down next to her and wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. The Irishman smelt exactly like she remembered. He'd always smelt like fire and horses. Johnny Dogs took a sip of his beer and then looked down at her.

'I've known little Lynn here since we were kids. Well, she was just a babe then, I suppose.'

'You mean you traveled through her hometown?', Tommy immediately asked. His jaw still clenched and a freshly lit cigarette between his lips. It looked like he would crush it rather than smoke it.

'Her mum was a Lowland Traveller, Tommy', Johnny looked at Evie like he was surprised that she hadn't advertised the fact.

'What?'

Evie looked away. It sounded like all three brothers had asked it in unison and Evie rolled her eyes. It was a bad idea, the room immediately started spinning and she was suddenly glad Johnny Dogs was still holding her. She decided there was nothing to add to what had already been said. Technically, her mum had only been half Traveller to begin with.

'Yeah, Lynn here grew up in Brodick though. Didn't travel until she was about twelve or so, I'd say?', Johnny looked at her for confirmation. He'd never paid much attention to such details and Evie assumed that the only reason he remembered was that he'd been trying to get in her half-sister's good graces at the time. Well, under her skirts anyway. Evie gave a short nod before raising her eyes to meet Tommy's. She couldn't decide if she thought he seemed pacified by that or more aggravated.

'You've seen how people react to my being a woman. Imagine I advertised that I'm not even as Scottish as I sound and look', it was only partly a lie but close enough to the truth that she counted on getting away with it.

Tommy only raised an eyebrow at her before looking at Johnny Dogs again. 'So, how'd you know her then? You've never been one to stay anywhere long.'

Johnny actually looked at her now and an understanding passed between them. He knew her well enough to know he'd shared more than enough. She'd always been very private, especially where her family was concerned. This wasn't anything new to him.

'Oh, I'm afraid you'll have to ask the lady. I won't risk her wrath', Johnny smirked before drinking the rest of his beer without putting the glass down. 'Now, you'll have to excuse me. I have that errand to run.'

'You're leaving?', Evie was surprised. She hadn't expected to run into him but now that he was already leaving again, she was reminded of all the times she'd said goodbye to him as a child. She had always cried when his Vardo disappeared in the distance, the bright colors fading into the background until they were indistinguishable from the bland surroundings.

'Oh, I'll be back in a few days, little Lynn. No tears', he told her and pressed his lips to her forehead. It was as chaste as Johnny Dogs got and Evie knew it well. She squeezed his hand but couldn't help the slump that crept into her shoulders.

After Johnny Dogs left it was quiet in the snug. None of them seemed to know quite what to say and it was not surprising when John started explaining how his wife would 'chop off his balls' if he didn't return home soon. Arthur too excused himself, saying he needed to look after the pub. Evie got up, so that Arthur could slide out of the booth.

'Another drink, luv?', he asked her as he stood in front of her. She hadn't realized just how tall the oldest Shelby was until now. Arthur positively towered over her.

'I'm pretty sure my glass is still full. Thank you, Arthur', she tried to plaster a smile across her lips, but the events of the last 24 hours were taking a toll on her now. She sat back down and watched Tommy smoke for a moment.

'So, what do you need to know?', she finally asked. It was clear Tommy wasn't going to say anything to her. He seemed deep in thought now and Evie struggled to understand what he was trying to hide behind his clenched jaw that only moved to accommodate the seemingly endless flow of cigarettes.

'I'll find out what I need to know', he told her cryptically. His mood seemed to have darkened further and Evie wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

'Suit yourself but don't waste your time, Thomas. I'm right here', she told him and held out her hand for his cigarette.

'Smoking and drinking?', he raised an eyebrow at her, but the faintest hint of a smile played around the corners of his lips and Evie noticed it as she took the cigarette from him. She could feel herself sobering up now and that was always when she craved a cigarette the most.

'You still owe me a deal, you know? You never told me whether I will get to treat your horses', Evie exhaled the smoke and watched it drift around the room for a moment.

'Of course you'll treat my horses', Tommy sounded almost offended now. She looked at him, but it was too late, whatever emotion his face might have betrayed had already disappeared together with the smoke, taken up by the walls of the room. She could imagine then all the hours the Shelby brothers must have spent in this room. The snug. She liked that they called it that and wondered if she just hadn't been to enough pubs to know about these rooms or if there was something special about this one.

'In that case, how about another deal?'

Tommy finished his whisky and raised an eyebrow at her. Evie wasn't sure he would agree to her deal, but it was her best shot at securing independence in the aftermath of the previous night.

'I will tell you whatever it is you want to know and in return you will not interfere with my work. You will not post men outside my door nor will you talk to my employer or…'

'As I said, I can find out what I need to know', Tommy interrupted her. He was toying with his matchbook now; his restlessness became almost palpable. It was like a third presence in the room and Evie desperately wanted to use that to her advantage.

'True but that's not very efficient', she tried to smile at him, but his expression was so passive she could feel the smile dying on her lips now. She'd seen him threaten people, seen him charm horses, and now she got a glimpse of the businessman. It was clear that her words were not having the desired effect on him and she tried to pretend that it didn't bother her, dragging on her cigarette and exhaling only when her lungs started burning.

'Stand up', Tommy ordered suddenly, getting up as he said it. Evie sighed, downed her drink and stood up but before she could do anything else, Tommy blocked her path. He was standing right in front of her now and while he wasn't as tall as Arthur, she still wished she wore shoes with heels to bridge the gap better and remain at eye level. He slowly lifted his right hand, his eyes never leaving hers. Evie knew her face must have been one of utter confusion until his hand reached her neck and his fingertips connected with her skin. It didn't hurt all that much, but the surprise and residual fear made Evie flinch.

'You expect me not to interfere?', he asked her, his voice impossibly low while he removed his hand.

'It's not your place', Evie told him, trying to keep her own voice steady. Fighting to regain her composure. Tommy narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything for a moment.

'Come on, let's get you home. It's a wonder you're standing as it is', he stubbed out his cigarette and turned to the door.

'Well, that would be where I could tell you about my father. That is if you accepted my deal', she told him with a dramatic sigh but followed him into the main room of the pub.

'I'll just remember to ask Johnny', Tommy shot back, and Evie froze immediately but then laughed at him.

'Yeah, alright, good luck with that.'

Tommy only shrugged. It was clear he didn't think Johnny Dogs would keep her secrets if she wasn't sitting next to him. Evie wasn't entirely sure about that either, Johnny wasn't spineless, but it was a little too easy to loosen his tongue. Or at least it had been back in the days. She had to remind herself that they hadn't seen each other since before she went to vet school.

'Tommy?', Evie asked when they pulled up in front of her house. He hummed in response. 'How's the horse? Curly will be able to take care of him, won't he? I'll help with the cost of his feed and of course I'll treat him.'

'The horse is fine, don't worry. I checked on him before I came here.'

'Thank you, Tommy', before Evie could decide against it, she reached over to place her hand briefly on his. He was still holding onto the steering wheel, but she'd meant it, she really was grateful for everything he'd done. Tommy nodded and stared at her intently for another moment before he shook his head.

'What?'

'Seemed like there was something on your mind earlier, I haven't figured out what it was', he admitted, taking both of them by surprise. Evie didn't know what to say to that. He was right, of course, but she was certainly not ready to share with him why she'd decided to drink. She was perfectly content letting him believe whatever he chose to believe.

'I…Tommy, I…', Evie was trying hard to find the right words. 'Can we talk about this another time?'

Tommy nodded but Evie noticed that he was now rapidly moving his fingers again. Just like he had at the pub when he'd toyed with the matchbook. She hadn't noticed these little tics before but of course they'd always been working with animals, which she knew herself kept both mind and body occupied. It was one of the reasons why she loved her job so much.

'You're out of cigarettes!', she exclaimed instead and immediately cursed herself for having spoken without thinking. But Tommy actually chuckled.

'It's been a long day.'

'It has been', Evie sighed. She was dragging things out purposefully now and she figured he was well aware of it at this point, but she also knew she wasn't going to ask him what she really wanted from him. Not from him, specifically, but from the world.

'If…if you were Johnny, I'd ask you to come inside', she finally admitted through gritted teeth. It wasn't quite the question that was on her mind, weighing her down, but it was already too close to it for her liking.

'Is that right?', Tommy's face had adopted a guarded expression again and Evie nodded slowly.

'But I'm not Johnny', he was watching her intently. Like he was committing every feature of her face, every little movement of her eyes to memory. Evie shook her head slowly. This was as close as she was willing to get to admitting that she felt lonely and that despite it all, she did not feel safe. No, she didn't want him involved in her professional life because of what had happened, but tonight, when she was just Evie, when she'd been reminded that less than ten years ago she was just 'little Lynn', she wanted desperately to feel safe and protected.

'Where'd you send him?'

'An errand out of town', Tommy eyed her suspiciously. 'Do you love him?'

'Like a brother, Tommy. Well, not exactly. Like the brother that my half-brother never was', Evie wasn't entirely sure if Tommy had asked because he seemed to want to know everything that went on around him or if she had detected a note of jealousy in his voice. She wasn't entirely comfortable with either scenario.

'A half-brother. The list keeps growing. If you stay in the car, I'll know everything about you before the sun is up', Tommy's hands had stopped moving again and he'd turned off the engine at some point but the roughness had left his voice.

'I'm just reminding you that you could simply ask me.'

'The deal just isn't worth it, Evelyn.'

Evie sighed at that and watched as Oz slowly walked towards the car. If she could get the cat to snuggle with her, she knew she'd be able to fall asleep. His purring against her chest would lull her to sleep as always.

'Goodnight, Tommy.'

Tommy lifted his cap at her and she could feel his eyes on her as she picked up Oz, cradling him to her chest as she unlocked her front door. She didn't turn around and after a few moments she heard the engine of the car, first loudly in front of her door and then it disappeared into the night as she listened from behind her walls.

'I don't know what I'm doing, Oz', she admitted to the cat as they were laying in bed. As predicted, he was purring loudly as she pressed her face into his side. What was she doing? Striking the balance between being strong and independent enough to prove to the world she could do a job reserved for men while also staying true to herself was proving hard these days. She had wanted to admit to Thomas Shelby that she craved the presence of another human in the house with her, but she knew if she did, he would think her weak. If he didn't already think of her that way after she hadn't managed to fight for her life when it had been threatened.

'I will simply have to do better than that, won't I, Oz?'