To Fix a Broken Heart

Summary: She was broken, fragile and in pieces. Cora was a troubled girl who just happened to get involved with the Shelby family. No one ever asks for a dangerous life but when it's thrown at you, there are only two things you can do; let it engulf you or run away and she didn't want to run.

How To Survive

She felt numb. There was no way she could comprehend what had just happened to her, why he thought it was fine to force himself upon her, or why Julian helped. Cora knew the reason, but it didn't make anything right. When Julian let go of her wrists, she pulled her arms close to her chest and listened as Edward pulled his trousers back up, fastening his belt as he paced the room.

"That was hard for me too, Cora." He couldn't hear her reply and stepped towards the bed and leaned in closer to her.

"You raped me." Her voice was cracked and raspy as she muttered her words.

"We're married, do you really think if you say anything to anyone that they'll believe you? Do you know how many people already think you're mad in the head after the carryon of you at the party?" he tutted and moved towards the door, his hand firmly on Julian's shoulder. "All I have to say is that I was a little rougher than usual and people will believe it."

Her arms were shaking from the shock as she pushed herself up. When she met eyes with Edward, there was no look of regret, no remorse for what he had just took from her. "You will pay, I promise you that."

"Good luck getting an annulment now. I guess your little fantasy of ruining us is in tatters."

As soon as the two men left her room, she tried her best to get onto her feet, but she just slumped onto the ground. She was in agony and bleeding; she didn't understand why there was so much blood. Nobody could see her like this, bruised and broken, she couldn't be seen as weak or she'd never get the divorce she so desperately wanted. Cora owed it to herself to recover and get the evidence of Edward and Julian's relationship so that she could be free.

The warm water against her skin felt as if it were cleansing her, if only it could penetrate her soul and heal more than just her aching joints. Tommy's words rang in her ears, she had no idea to what extent he could do to help her, but should she tell him? Would he look at her like she was damaged goods? Would he even want her if he knew what Edward had done, what he had taken from her? He had done enough to help her, she was on her own, for this, Cora was going to take everything that Edward held dear.

If life with Lizzie was to continue as normal, he had to avoid Cora, have as little interaction as possible; with every moment they spent together and every glance they shared, the more he considered stepping out and he couldn't do that to his family. If the choice were for his kids to grow up happy, he would remain unhappy for them. He noticed a strange car in his driveway and when he left his car, he looked in the passenger side window at Dominik as he smirked at him, a gun aimed at his head. He mouthed 'get in' and nodded towards the seat beside him. Tommy grimaced and complied with his orders, with the gun pointed at his head, he felt tense, he didn't know what this Russian was going to do and the last thing he wanted was for his children to run out and see his brains on the floor.

"I hear from a contact of mine that our mutual friend has some interest in you."

"I don't even know who our mutual friend is. Why don't ya tell me who it is?" Tommy turned his head and stared down the barrel. "Get that outta my face, I'm in the car, aren't I?"

"You don't fear death?"

"How'd ya tell?"

"No man looks down the barrel of a pistol without shuddering, unless he wants it to go off." Dominik raised a brow and slowly lowered the gun as he watched the muscles in Tommy's jaw dance underneath the skin. "Mosely is our target."

"Mosely ain't a fascist, he's part of the Labour party."

"I have the intel that would suggest otherwise. Make sure you keep his attention but under no circumstances do you approach him. You'll have more success if he comes to you."

"Is that all you came to tell me?" Tommy turned his gaze to his house; he was tired of getting involved in undermining schemes and plans. He couldn't be left alone without someone tying him to their cause.

"I wanted to show you that I can find you, at any time. And should Mosely lose interest in you, consider it game over, comrade." He straightened out his jacket and placed his gun back in his pocket. "Get out."

"What's in all this for me? If ya want me to keep his attention, you're gonna have to give me some reward."

"I don't think you're in the position to make negotiations with me, Mr Shelby."

"I don't care if you shot me, I'd welcome it," Tommy watched Dominik from the corner of his eye as he lit a cigarette, "if I keep Mosely's attention and deliver the intel to ya, what do I get in return?"

"Name your price."

"I don't need money; I want an export license to Russia, and I want it in writin' before I give ya a piece of intel."

"You must think highly of me if you think I can get you a license."

"No, I'm smart enough to know that your government has sent ya here, and it's your government that'll get me that license." Tommy opened the door, his legs hanging over the edge. "Bring me proof that you'll get it, and the intel is yours."

He stepped back into his home, locking the door behind him and rested his weight against the wood. His eyes closed, but only for a second, his life had to continue as normal or he'd go mad. Lizzie and the kids couldn't know that he had been approached by yet another mad Russian. He knew that it was Tatiana that had whispered his name into Dominik's ear. Perhaps this was some sort of sick joke to her, messing with his life yet again when it was starting to become somewhat normal. Tommy had to carry on, get the job done and bury his head back into the sand. If only it was that easy.

The four walls of her hotel room were all she had stared at for the past week, unable to bring herself to leave the safety of a locked door and venture back into the real world. Cora had barely slept, barely eaten, and was only now starting to lose the sensation of Edward's violent touch yet the bruises on her wrists lingered. She didn't recognise herself as she stared back at the reflection. There was a knock at her door, the first visitor she had since Edward forced himself on her. She peered through the hole in the door and saw Tommy standing there with what she assumed was her annulment papers in his hand. He knocked again when there was no answer.

"Cora? I know you're in there. The woman at the desk said you haven't left your room in over a week." He waited for a reply as he shifted his weight. "Mr Jackdaw has been trying to contact ya, but you haven't answered him either, his calls keep gettin' passed on."

Cora wanted to open the door to him and tell him exactly what Edward had done to be able to confide in Tommy and release some of the shame, but she couldn't bring herself to do it, the embarrassment she fretted over was too much.

"Listen, I can't hang around here all day, I ain't got the time. I'll keep these papers at my office, keep 'em safe."

She watched him as he folded the documents in half and place them into his coat pocket. He lingered for a moment and then disappeared out of her sight. She returned to her bed, lying underneath the covers, pulled up over her head. All she could do was cry; it was all she was able to do lately. She suddenly stopped when she heard her door unlock and she peered from the covers as the door struggled to open. Cora was thankful she was smart enough to put the bar across.

"Cora, open this door." Edward tried to keep himself calm, he couldn't fly off the handle with her and risk the people in the hallway hearing.

She sat up and glared at him through the gap in the door. "No, I won't let you back into this room."

"There is a party tonight that we must attend in London, you've known about it for weeks."

"I will not be attending any party with you; I will not be attending any party at all."

"You have to, your father is going, and he has demanded that you be in attendance. Don't you think your absence has been noticed? He is furious that you have blew off all your responsibilities to that dance school. You need to make an appearance."

"I wonder why I've hid away like a hermit for the past week?"

He pushed against the door and stared at her through the crack of the door. "Cora, you will go whether by force or willingly, that is your decision to make." He kept his voice down but she could tell by the tone of his voice that he was getting angrier. "I will not hesitate to rip this bar off the door and drag you out to maintain the pristine reputation I have worked so many years to achieve."

She couldn't bear to endure another one of his violent attacks and she knew that she had no other option but to attend this party; she may as well save herself the pain and agree to go, submit to Edward's will. "I need a dress."

"I will get you a dress and leave it outside your door. Be ready for five, the car will leave at half past and you better be in it."

When the door closed again, she threw herself back into the mattress, rolling over to scream into her pillow. Cora was usually so strong willed and able to stand up for herself, she didn't know why she was allowing him to get his way, he didn't deserve to keep his pristine reputation. It should be tarnished the way he tarnished her.

Being on the train in the presence of Edward, Julian and her father was excruciating, her father berated her for her disappearance and threw a lot of unanswerable questions her way as Julian and Edward gave her daggers to keep her mouth shut. All she wanted was to be back under her duvet and cry it out, but she wasn't going to appear weak in front of these men. They'd only take joy in seeing her suffer. Anytime she was asked a question, she repositioned the large pearls on her wrist and flashed Edward and Julian the bruises she still had which caused them to divert the topic of conversation. It meant that she was left alone to her own thoughts instead of the insignificant thoughts of others.

Their invite to this party had been sent out by a Mr Oswald Mosely, apparently, he had a fascination with ballet and when he learned that Julian and Cora were in Birmingham, he had to extend the invitation. Norman was the most excited out of all the guests to be at the party, any opportunity he had to be in a room of influential people, he would take it and luckily for Cora, he would keep Mr Mosely distracted with his boasting and adoration for the politician; she could see the way he was looking at her and sent a shiver through her. She tried to leave Edward and Julian's company to find anything alcoholic, but Edward kept a tight arm around her waist in an attempt to appear heterosexual.

"Where do you think you're going?" he spoke lowly as he smiled at the people that walked past.

She threw her head back in frustration and squeezed her eyes shut for a bit of respite. "To the bar. If you're going to force me out of my seclusion and out of the safety of my hotel room, then you can at least allow me to have one drink at the very least." She couldn't bear to look at him, she'd rather stick pins in her eyes.

"Julian, be a dear and get Cora a drink before she rolls her eyes so hard that they fall out of her head."

"What shall I get?" he was like a puppy towards Edward, it made her feel sick.

"White wine."

"I loathe white wine." She protested.

"I know, that's why I'm ordering it for you."

She felt like a child as Julian and Edward shared a laugh at her misery. Once Julian had left the two of them alone, she finally looked Edward in the eyes, almost pleading with him to let her go. "Don't you think you've tortured me enough? After what you did and all that?"

"You were going to out my relationship with Julian which would cause mass humiliation, divorce me, and take my family's estates. I think there is plenty more torture for you to endure."

Tommy hated these affairs, he didn't mind parties but parties thrown by snobs and people needing their ego stroked didn't appeal to him; but the party was thrown by Mosely and if he wanted to keep his head on his shoulders, he knew he had to attend. There was no other choice. He shook hands with people from the Labour Party that he had never spoke to before and had pictures taken with people he didn't particularly like. All in a bid to attract Mosely's attention. If only Norman Maxwell would get out of Mosely's eyeline, Tommy would be noticed and hopefully approached.

When he realised what he had just thought, he looked around the room for Cora; it wouldn't be like Mr Maxwell to showcase his biggest money-maker in a room full of politicians and MPs. He tried the bar first, it was his best guess at where she would frequent. At the other end he saw her dance partner as he waited for a white wine and followed him with his eyes until he spotted her, Edward desperately clinging onto her as if he gave a damn. In a way, Edward did, she kept his secret safe. He could see by her face that she was in distress and it wasn't like her to refuse to drink the alcohol, well he presumed anyway. He needed to know why she had been dodging him and ignoring Jackdaw's calls.

"Well, well, well… What are the three of ya doing 'ere in London?" He plastered the fakest smile onto his face as he shook hands with Edward then Julian before softening his features at Cora as she stared back at him with misty, watery eyes.

"It appears someone in your party is a fan of ballet." Julian replied as he nodded towards Mosely.

Tommy followed his nod and finally made eye contact with Mosely in between his glances between Norman and Cora. "Maybe it ain't the ballet he's a fan of, but the talent."

Julian perked himself up until he realised that Tommy was talking about Cora and let out a small scoff.

"Then I shall revel in his jealousy." Edward replied with a fake smile of his own.

Tommy looked at him coldly, nodding slowly at him and letting a small grunt out as a reply. As the band began to play a dancing song, Tommy realised that he'd be able to kill two birds with one stone if he offered Cora a dance; to find out what's gotten into her and to attract Mosely.

"Do you mind if I steal your lovely wife for a dance?"

Something about Tommy scared Edward, perhaps it was because he was a different breed; he wasn't pure blooded like himself, he was from the streets and rough around the edges. Besides, he had heard all about the Shelbys and their organisation. He couldn't refuse, as much as he wanted to. "Of course, be my guest." He handed Cora reluctantly as Tommy held his hand out towards her and swallowed back his displeasure as she took it so willingly.

Being away from Edward and in Tommy's grasp made her feel safe. It felt as if she could finally breathe. When she looked up at him, he was already gazing down at her, his forehead wrinkled with concern.

"Where've you been? I was at your room; I saw your shadow under the door. Why didn't you answer?"

He seemed upset with her, slightly hurt that she wouldn't let him in? It was hard for her to pinpoint his exact emotion with everything going on in her life, usually she was good at reading people.

"Something happened, I can't get the annulment."

"You don't want to separate from Edward?"

"I don't think you know how much I want to escape his slimy grasp." She glared over at Edward as he watched her dance. She could see that he feared what she would say.

"What happened between you two? I can feel the frost from his stare from 'ere." When she returned her sights to him, the wateriness in her eyes returned and he knew that whatever words were about to come out of her mouth were going to be horrid. "Let's get some air, yeah?" when she nodded at him, he placed his arm around her shoulders and took one last look at Edward, a stare of warning not to follow them.

They stood in silence, smoking their cigarettes as both prepared for what was going to happen next. He glanced down at her with a solemn stare and tried to find the words that would put her at ease.

"You can tell me anythin', Cora. If he's hurt you, I told you to tell me." He leaned against the stonework wall that led to Mosely's garden and kept his eyes on her. "What did he do this time?"

"I felt so high and mighty when I told him he would be erased from my life, I was so stupid for even opening my mouth but I let my temper and the victory of going to a solicitor get into my head. He was furious, Julian was furious too because I fired him. I gave away all the cards I had like a fool." The tears wouldn't stop, no matter how hard she tried to keep them in; she imagined that Tommy agreed with her, that she was a fool. She couldn't look at him in fear that she was right. "Edward got me on the bed, asked Julian to hold me down, and he did because I fought to get free but there wasn't enough fight in me…"

His blood was boiling but he wasn't going to show his anger, it would only scare her, and he'd do something he'd regret later if he laid eyes on Edward and Julian. "He forced himself on ya, didn't he? To ruin the annulment." When she nodded, he pulled her into him and tried to comfort her as best as he could. She was shaking against him, all her emotions erupting out of her. "You should've told me sooner."

"I couldn't Tommy, you don't know how ashamed I am, you don't understand what he's taken from me."

He squeezed her a little tighter and glanced towards the patio doors that led to the vile excuse of a man that did this to Cora, but he wouldn't fly off the handle, he wouldn't let Edward or Julian see him coming. "I'll sort him out, you won't have to be tied to him for much longer."

A:N Thank you for the continued reviews/follows/favourites, I really appreciate it. Sorry for the wait for the update but I hope you enjoyed it. Edward will get what he deserves, Julian as well. Thank you so much for reading!