The Girl and The Gangster

Summary: After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

Chapter Twenty-One

As she stepped off the boat, her hand on Michael's back as they carried their sleeping son, it felt like she had never left and being back made her feel frustrated; their life in New York was perfect until things started going south. She hoped that they could wrap things off quickly, but with the severity of what was going on around them, that wasn't looking likely.

"What happened to you?" Pol exclaimed as she rushed over to Michael, her hands touching his bruised face gently.

"Arthur didn't tell you… This is a lot better," he handed Johnny over to his mother slowly, "you should've saw me a few weeks ago."

"Just wait until I get my hands on him. Well, you better tell me what happened back in New York." She looked at her son's damaged face once more before turning to Alice. Pol was happy that she was going to get her wish; a grandchild born in Birmingham. "Glad to see that you're still pregnant. How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm about to explode," when Michael smirked at her from over his shoulder, she remembered about Tommy's office, pub and his car and pursed her lips together for a second, "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know you didn't," Pol fixed her grip on her sleeping boy and turned to lead them to her car, "I just wouldn't use that phrase around Tommy. Or do, at your own peril."

"I don't have a death wish." Alice replied as she followed behind her husband. She knew that Tommy was going to be delicate and she had her suspicions that she would get the brunt of his blame.

Tommy's house was eerily quiet without the kids; Lizzie and Linda made themselves scarce and kept the kids in the city while everyone aired out their grievances in Tommy's country home. The room was tense as the whole family waited for Tommy's words, but not even he knew what he was going to say. How could he be outsmarted by Danny Finlay? He knew that a betrayal was coming, Tommy knew that from the very beginning, and he thought he had been careful, but Danny dropped hints that no one picked up on. How did they slip through Tommy's fingers especially when he never trusted him?

He looked up from the table and looked at each of his family in turn, but his eyes lingered on Alice as she kept her head down and her hands clasped on top of her bump. When he felt Michael's eyes on him, he looked away and lit up a cigarette.

"We're deep into this mess, I'm not going to sugar coat it. The Polish are pissed off and Danny has us wrapped up with the IRA. Neither of our enemies are to be taken lightly."

"The Polish aren't our enemies; they're wanting Danny's blood as much as we are. If anything, they're our allies." Michael replied as he fidgeted in his chair.

"Have you taken a proper look at your face?" Ada replied calmly; out of everyone, she was going to have to play mediator. "An ally doesn't leave a mark like that."

"Because they though we were the ones that stopped their guns from arriving, but we quickly came to the conclusion that it was Danny; granted it wasn't that quick, but at least a decision was made." He replied before turning his attention back to his cousin, locking eyes with him. "Paul and his group of merry men are coming and they're going to help us get a hold of Danny. They want what they paid for and we all want his head. It's just going to be a matter of who finds him first."

"Well, if luck is on our side, we'll find him first." Pol folded her arms across her chest and picked at a loose thread on her dress. "Tommy, you mentioned to me that you think you have a lead."

"My secretary, Mary, is obviously a plant by the IRA to stay close to me; she mentioned something about Kerry." He scratched the top of his head and wetted his bottom lip. "I'm not sure if it means anything."

"Kerry?" Alice finally looked up; her brows raised. "You can't be serious?"

"What is it?" Tommy leaned in closer, resting his hands on the table.

She looked towards the ceiling and shook her head, her eyes closing over in annoyance. "I can't believe he's hiding out there." She said to herself. When she felt Michael's hand on her shoulder, she opened her eyes and clenched her teeth together. "My father was from County Kerry; he lived in a camp near a small market town," she placed her hand against her face as she tried to remember the stories her father used to tell her about his hometown, "Listowel. As far as I'm aware, although I can't be certain because I never asked, but Danny's mother and her gypsy clan are still there."

"Do you think it's possible that he'd go back?"

"Definitely, that side of his bloodline is the only one that would have him." She said boldly as she glanced at Michael's bruised face. "Apart from me, it's the only blood he's got left."

"If he's hiding out there, we'll find him." Tommy replied sternly.

"If any of our people walk into Kerry, none of them will make it out alive. Kerry is full of IRA. If anything, it's a stronghold."

"What if you walked in?"

"No, Tommy. There's no chance that Alice is going there." Michael was furious. How dare he suggest something like that. He wasn't going to put his wife in the firing lines.

"Why not? Her father is from Kerry and all she has to do is use her maiden name. They won't touch her."

"They'll hear our accent and know who she is." His face became twisted with rage and he clenched his fists underneath the table. "Do you really think Danny hasn't told everyone about her? He made it clear to Alice and all of us that he didn't give a fuck when he made a stop in Ireland. Alice isn't going and that's the end of it."

"What you're suggesting doesn't make sense Tommy." Pol's tone was softer; she was smart enough to know that if she was going to reason with her nephew, she couldn't scream and yell. "Why fight Danny on his turf when he's bound to come to ours."

"Why do you think he'll come here?"

"Because, contrary to what Michael believes, I think he does care about Alice and if he doesn't, he cares about Johnny and that baby."

"No, he doesn't care; perhaps if we left on good terms but not now. He knew we were going to New York, that we would be in danger if he turned on the Polish and he did it anyway. There's one thing that he does care about and that was our father." She let out a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. "The anniversary of his death is in May and he's buried beside my mother. Michael knows where she's buried, so he can tell you the location." She got out of her chair and wrapped her cardigan tight around herself.

"Where are you going?" Michael looked concerned; she was ghostly white.

"I just need some air."

"Before you go, there's one more thing that I want to say and then you can leave." Tommy settled back into his chair and watched her eyes roll towards him. He continued when she looked at him expectantly, both knew what was coming next. "Have you been working with your brother to take us down from the inside?"

"Tommy this is crazy," Pol sounded disappointed, "why would she be working with him?"

"You're having a laugh, aren't you Tom?" Michael glared at him, he was spitting venom and all he wanted to do was grip him by the throat and knock a bit of sense into him. He understood that he was fragile, but this was ridiculous. "You really think Alice had something to do with all this?"

"Tommy, you're not thinking straight, this doesn't make sense." Arthur was trying to rationalise things, but his brother wasn't going to listen.

"If you think about it, Alice was the one who came to me looking for work and brought Danny in on this deal. You travelled with him quite often and blood is thicker than that gold wedding band on your finger. You tried to convince us that he was going to behave, so I'll ask again… Have you been trying to destroy our family from the inside?"

"You don't have to answer that, because it's fucking insane." Michael gripped onto her forearm and looked up at her.

"No," she held her hand up, "I'll answer. Of course, I wasn't working with him. You were the one that made me lie to Mr Tweedy if you remember correctly. You made me say that Danny would stand down which brought him to my mother's freshly dug grave because Mr Tweedy mouthed off that I gave him my word. I travelled with Danny because I wanted to give him the chance because he told me he wanted a relationship with me and Johnny, and I trusted him. My blood has done nothing but fuck me over and unless you forget, Michael has given me the chance to be a mother not once but twice and I want nothing more than for the soon to be four of us to have a quiet life." She was breathing heavy and beads of sweat started to break through her hairline as pain rippled through her body. The stress and anger were aggravating the baby and she knew that her labour was looming. "Don't ever ask me something so stupid again."

Before anyone could say anything in reply, Alice left the room with her arm wrapped underneath her bump and a pained groan. Michael got onto his feet and ran towards the door, lingering for a moment.

"If anyone is going to tear this family apart, it'll be you Tommy."

"I'm the only one keeping us together." He called out, staring after Michael but his statement fell on deaf ears.

She rested her body against the wall and took short and sharp breaths as she tried to calm herself down. Alice wasn't prepared for the baby to arrive; they hadn't had the time to set up a crib in their home but there wasn't much she could do now. She doubled over and tried to muffle her screaming; she was in that much pain that she didn't hear Michael and Pol calling for her. Pol was the one to get her upright again, her hands gripped tightly on her shoulders.

"Michael, go get the car, she needs to see a doctor." Pol rubbed her back gently and allowed Alice to lean on her. "Men get it so easy, don't they?"

"Tell me about it." She replied through gritted teeth. "Everything's going to be okay, isn't it? Tommy…"

"He didn't mean what he said. But this isn't the time to be worrying about his ramblings." When Michael stopped the car in front of them, Pol helped her climb into the car. "Take her to Dr McIntyre, he's the best in the city."

"You're not coming?" he had missed the birth of his first child and going through this without his mother's wise words scared him.

"No, I have to clean this mess up, but I'll be close behind. Take care of her, Michael." She shut the door and watched the car until it was out of sight. If any of them were going to have an easy life, she needed to bring Tommy into the light. He never thought logically when he was spooked. And this was the worst she had saw him in a long time.

When she re-entered the room, Tommy had cleared everyone else out and sat alone at his table with a bottle of whiskey and a glass in his hand. Pol shook her head and closed the door behind her. He didn't even flinch when she snatched the bottle from his hand.

"Irish? A bit ironic, isn't it?"

"What can I say, it gets me drunk quicker." He let out a sigh and pressed a few fingers into his temple. "What am I going to do?"

"If the Polish are coming like Michael said, then we can use them to our advantage. Michael won't let Alice go to Ireland, but they can. And, if Danny does appear on the anniversary of their father's death, then we'll be ready for him."

"I don't mean about that, Pol. I can come up with a plan myself."

"Then what are you talking about, because you're not making much sense."

"I thought that if I let Michael go to New York and continue working for the business doing legitimate work that he would remain loyal to us. But being in New York with only Alice as support… His loyalties lie with her and that is dangerous."

"Why? Because he's speaking against you now?" when he stared up at her with his icy eyes, she let out a sigh and sat beside him, removing the leather gloves from her hands. "Do you remember when you and Grace first married?"

"Vividly."

"Do you remember how many times you argued and disagreed with me because of Grace and Charlie? Because you had to do what you thought was best for them?" his silence was all the answers she needed. He finished off the rest of his drink and let out a grunt. "Michael has to do what's best for his wife and children as you did for yours. All you have to do is give Alice the respect she deserves as a member of this family and Michael will have no reason to turn his back on you."

"I've given Alice nothing but respect."

"Is that what that was earlier? If you respected her, you would never have asked that question."

"You're right, as always Pol." He got onto his feet a little unsteadily and buttoned up his blazer. "Are they still outside? I'll apologise to her now."

"Michael's taking her to the doctor, she's gone into labour."

"Well, what are you still doing here?"

"The baby won't arrive for another couple of hours and I have to keep you on the straight and narrow. You need to be on top of your game if you want us to survive this."

"Don't worry, I will be."

Now that Alice finally had her daughter in her arms, she could rest; Michael was collecting Johnny and Pol was giving her the time alone with her baby. It was what she needed; she had to get to know her daughter before she could gift her with a name. "You don't look like a Prue or a Joan. Perhaps something a little less plain like Alexandra?"

"How about something strong like Victoria; you always enjoyed hearing your mother talk about the great Queen Victoria."

Alice knew the voice without having to look at the face. "What are you doing here, Danny? Have you got the Republicans waiting for me outside?"

"I wouldn't do that to you." He stepped into the room and peered down at the baby with a smile. "I didn't expect you to be alone."

"You knew that I was, or you wouldn't have come in here. You're lucky that I'm holding my daughter, or I'd redden that face of yours. How dare you come here." She could feel her bones trembling with anger.

"I had to clear the air with you, I heard that you were back in town."

"Have you got people watching me?"

He raised a brow and folded his arms across his chest. "I've got eyes and ears everywhere. Perks of having powerful friends."

She nodded and chewed on the inside of her cheek. "What do you want, apart from torturing me with your presence?"

"I told you, I want to explain why I did what I did."

"You mean betray me?"

"I didn't betray you; it was Tommy Shelby and his family that I betrayed. If I had of known sooner that you were going to New York, I might have been able to warn you."

"Do you not realise that by betraying Tommy and his family that you were doing the same to me? I'm married to Michael and therefore part of the family. Speaking of, you could've got my husband killed. You should've told me then and there what you were doing."

"And have you kill me or worse, have the IRA after me? I don't think so. I've got my own family to look after." He set his hand on top of her head, stroking her hair gently. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's a bit late for that, and I'd suggest you take your hand off me." When he complied with her demand, she peeled her eyes away from him. "That story you told us about Paul Jarowski… He didn't mistake you for an IRA man, did he? You've been with them the whole time."

"I've had allegiance with them."

"I don't ever want to see you again, Danny and if I do, I'll do what I should've done the day of my mother's funeral. But this time I won't let you talk your way out of it."

"Alice…"

"Get out, Danny." She raised her voice slightly, enough to make her point while keeping her baby calm. "Michael will be back with Johnny soon, I'm sure you're not stupid enough to hang around."

"Very well," he stepped towards the door and looked over his shoulder at her, "I just needed to clear my conscience. And I know you don't believe me when I say it, but I do love you little sis. Take care of yourself."

She watched him leave, a sickly feeling waving over her. Alice didn't know what to do, did she keep this conversation to herself or did she tell Michael and Tommy about Danny's visit?

A:N What do you think's going to happen between Tommy and Alice? Will they be able to move on from his accusations or will it tear the Shelbys and Grays apart? What about Danny, will Alice keep his appearance to herself? Find out in the next chapter! Thank you so much for all the support!