Disclaimer: I do not own anything Peaky Blinder related, that belongs to the series creator Steven Knight.

Chapter Ten: Wish You Where Here.

Stepping into her home, Rosemary couldn't wrap her head around what she had just been told; it didn't seem real and she almost wished that this entire thing was a dream of something to come. It had been a strange few days and Rosemary knew that there was no escaping what came next; it wasn't going to be easy, especially with no news of when Thomas would be coming home. Setting her bag down on the dresser that was near the front door; Rosemary felt like she had stepped into a dream and she closed her eyes wishing that things were different.

"There you are… I was wondering where you had gotten to, Ada needs some new dresses and you said you would help me," Polly said stepping out of the kitchen, she had come around in hopes of getting an early start since there was so much to do. She had no idea what the young girl did with her dresses but there wasn't enough money now that the boys were off fighting in war to be constantly replacing her clothes.

There was no sign of the war ending and with Christmas only a month away, they were going to have to deal with the fact that they wouldn't be expecting the boys home this year. Turning to look at Rosemary, Polly stopped talking upon realising that something wasn't right; her heart pounded as she took a nervous step towards her.

"Rosemary?" Polly asked spotting the look on the younger woman's face, her stomach dropped as she watched her to start to cry and she feared just what had happened while she was here alone. They had talked about Rosemary coming back to the main house, but the young woman had decided against it wanting everything to be perfect for when Thomas came home.

Barely able to hold back, Rosemary burst into tears and clapped a hand over her mouth to quieten herself; she knew that she was being stupid, but she hadn't thought this would happen. Polly had her arms around Rosemary as quickly as she could, she held her close while Rosemary cried in her arms; she did her best to offer her comfort, not sure what had happened to cause this to happen.

"What am I going to do? Tommy isn't here, how can I do this without him?" Rosemary cried, she hadn't been prepared for this to happen much less while Thomas was away in Europe fighting in a war. There was no telling when he would be home and it could be years before she truly saw her husband again; and that was if he wasn't killed while he was there.

Polly was confused listening to Rosemary ramble, she was frightened that something had happened to Thomas and that she hadn't been told about it. Rosemary was Thomas's wife and she would be the first to know if anything ever happened to his nephew while he was fighting in the war; it could arrive any time without warning.

"I'm pregnant," Rosemary whispered sharing the news that she had received not too long ago, she had been unwell recently and when she had started to show; she had known that she had to see a doctor. It was quiet for a moment and Polly only held Rosemary tighter, it was a blessing and she was sure of that; she just hoped that Thomas would get to meet his child.

"You will do it for him… and that child will be worth it," Polly insisted, it wasn't going to be easy especially with money being so tight, but she was sure they would work something out. Mary had been kind enough to offer Ada a job with her to earn some money, but it wasn't going to be much. Resting a hand on her stomach, Rosemary wished that things had worked out differently; she wished that she was able to share this news with Thomas face to face.

Wiping the sweat from his face, Thomas squinted around the tunnel that he was working on and wondered just how far they had tunnelled since he had arrived in France. It had been weeks of digging in the dark with no sign of stopping, morale had been low between the men especially when it became clear that the predictions that they would be home by Christmas were false. Looking around the dimly lit tunnel, Thomas's eyes swept across the men that worked beside him; it wasn't easy work and there seemed to be no end in sight for any of them.

The days were long, and he wanted nothing more than to leave this behind and go home to his wife and family; he missed them, and he would give anything to be at home right now. Getting back to work, Thomas could only think about how things would work out; there was no sign of peace being reached and things only seemed to get worse.

Thomas wasn't sure how much longer he worked before the call came for them to finish for the day; the slow move out of the tunnel only reminding time just how far they had come. It wasn't far before they were stepping out into the trench, it was dark, and Thomas often wondered if he would ever get to see the sun again.

It had been weeks of waking before the sun came up to go down into those tunnels and then coming back up to the moon above them again; the mud seemed to get deeper each time they returned. Heading slowly to their beds for the night, Thomas listened to the grumbling around him; no one was happy with how this war was going. They had been promised quick returns home yet there was no end in sight and the only way people did return home was with bits of them missing or in a box so that their families could bury them.

"Shelby… letter," an officer called to him as he walked passed, and Thomas perked at the idea of news from home, it was always something that cheered him up after a day in the tunnels. He received letters weekly from his family and Thomas did his best to write back to them when he had the chance; not that he could share much about the nightmare that he worked in.

Taking the letter, Thomas headed straight for his bunk wanting to relax a little before he went to sleep; no doubt that he would be woken early in a few hours' time to head back into the tunnels. Flopping down on his uncomfortable bunkbed, Thomas slowly opened the letter and smiled when he saw his wife's hand writing; her letters always made him feel better.

'My Dearest Tommy,

I wonder often how you are getting on. I would be so relieved to get a letter from you. I can't help feeling a bit anxious and I know how you must have felt darling when you did not get my letters for so long.

Of course, I know you will write as soon as you can, but the time seems so dull and weary without any news of you, if only this war was over, and we were together again. It will be one day I suppose.

I received some wonderful news this day, I am pregnant, and I do so hope that you will be home in time to see our first child born. I will pray for your quick and safe return to us. I wish you where here, I love you with all my heart and I will see you soon my love.

Rosie'

Staring at the letter, Thomas reread the last paragraph as a smile slowly started to form on his face; he couldn't believe it, he had never thought it would happen so quickly especially since he was France right now. His brother stepped into their shared with several other men, it wasn't cramped conditions, but they at least had their only tiny space that they could call their own.

"What is it?" John asked seeing the look on Thomas's face, he looked almost happy and that wasn't something that anyone saw anymore. Things weren't getting better in the war, they were getting worse; so many were being injured or sent home dead, the fact that this was meant to be over soon didn't seem possible. They had all been told that they would be home by Christmas, a promise that wasn't going to be kept as the fighting continued to get worse and there was no true end in sight.

"It's from Rosie…" Thomas said looking to his younger brother, it was news to be share and they could do with some good news right now; he was sure that the fighting would be done by the time the baby was due. Rosemary couldn't be more than three months along and while there was no way that the war would be over by Christmas; Thomas felt hopeful that maybe, just maybe he would be home for when the baby was due.

"She's pregnant," Thomas announced unable to stop smiling, he had never really thought about having children but with Rosemary, things just seemed to fall into place and he couldn't imagine them not having a big family. The bunker seemed silent for a moment at the news before everyone who had heard him started to congratulate him on the fact he was going to be a father.

The news was just what they needed, and Thomas was sure that the news that he was going to be a father was going to spread quickly; he was determined to make it back to his wife and unborn child. He shook hands with every man that shared the bunker with him, the smile on his face growing ever larger at the idea of being a father; he could just picture the child now.

The little boy would look so much like him, but he would have Rosemary's beautiful brown eyes; he would be a strapping lad and Thomas was sure that he would make him proud. Standing back watching the scene, Robert frowned at the news that his eldest daughter was expecting her first child; they'd not had the chance to make amends before he had left for France.

It had been further upsetting when she hadn't even come to him to say goodbye as he left; he had seen her at the station with Thomas and his family saying goodbye. Robert couldn't understand what Rosemary saw in the Shelby boy, she could have found someone better; she deserved better than the rat hole that Thomas Shelby called a home.

He had known the man's father and Arthur Shelby Sr. had walked out on his family years ago and had been a hustler, a thief, and a whore-monger; something that Robert could only see the man's sons turning out to be like. Rosemary was going to have her eyes opened if Thomas returned home to her and her child; she was going to get her heartbroken, that Robert was sure of.

Heading out of the bunker, Robert didn't look back; he knew that Victoria would have to be told before news spread around their home, they had enough to deal with since she had gotten married. People whispered about the fact that they hadn't been there to see their daughter to married and the fact that she had married a Shelby. Victoria was happy to ignore the whispers for now, she was focusing on the impending birth of Colleen's child that was due soon; they would be fine even if things didn't improve.

Please Comment, Favourite and Follow xxx