It was late when the Shelby boys came back, everyone was asleep. Everyone expect Estelle.

She was up in Ada and her own room sketching.

All of Estelle's clothes were in Arthur's room. While she slept and spent most of her awake time in Ada's room where she also slept on a pull out mattress there wasn't enough room for the second girl's clothes. And it just happened that the second dresser in Arthur's room was empty.

Estelle didn't know they were home until she heard the the tussling of them attempting to drunkingly make it up the stairs.

Hushed whispers reached her ears, "come on Arthur let's get you to bed"

"Tommy grab him he's about to-"

Thud.

"Fall"

Gathering from the over heard whispers, that Arthur must be too drunk to make it to his room Estelle set down her sketching in the window sill. Glancing at Ada in her bed she slowly tip toed to the door.

Pulling her dressing robe close to her she pulled back the door slightly to see into the hall. Three shadows appeared, one was gathering up a man from the floor, no doubt Arthur, and another was opening the door to Arthur's bedroom. The moon light gave light to the hall as the man opened the bedroom door.

Trying to see how drunk Arthur was Estelle pulled the door a little farther, and it freaked.

The man, John, who was helping Arthur didn't look back, paying the creaking no mind. But Thomas the man opening the bedroom door quickly found with his sight where the noise came from.

"Get back in your room Estelle" Tommy harshly whispered causing both other boys to snap their heads back as he made him way to pick up the other side of Arthur.

"Oh my dear Estelle! Come here my girl!" Arthur said in a normal level.

John shushed Arthur who no doubt if he kept talking that loud would wake the whole damn house.

"Bed. Now"

"I'll help" whispered Estelle as she crept fully out of her bedroom closing the door slightly on her way out.

Padding over bare foot to the three men, she slipped past Tommy who still stood mostly in the door way despite holding up Arthur's right side. Estelle went in and pulled back the comforter and sheet on Arthur's bed. Stepping back for John and Tommy to flop Arthur down on it she looked at Tommy, "God did you have to let him drink this much?"

The smell of whiskey wafted to her nose and was so strong that she also gagged.

Mentally she reminded herself to make sure Arthur bathed before seeing anyone In the morning she looked down at him.

"I'm not his keeper, pretty sure that's your job" Tommy bit back, folding his arms in front of him.

"N't my job!" Estelle snapped back taking a step back from Tommy.

"I'm too drunk to deal with this shit, none of us could stop 'Im Elle. You know how he gets" John informed her reaching out placing a hand on her shoulder comfortingly as he swayed in the dark room.

"That's why I need you to stop him, because I know what he's like when he's drunk..." Estelle said turning away from the two to pull on the sheets up and over Arthur's passed out body.

"Well I'm going t'sleep" John said letting his hand drop and walked out towards his own room.

Estelle still felt Thomas's presence beside her as she reached off taking Arthur's flat cap off of his head. His head had cocked to the side when she had spoken earlier about knowing what Arthur was like but Estelle paid no mind. Grabbing it's side careful not to touch the razor blades in it's fold she set the hat down on the side table.

Suddenly a hand reached out to snatch her wrist.

"Estelle- oh my little girl you've got forgive me" Arthur slurred out as his grip tightened, slightly wincing at his grip Estelle glanced out of the corner of her eye at Tommy who still stood next to her before she replied. His eyes were shut tight as his forehead wrinkled in unspoken pain.

"It's okay Arthur, I never blamed you, nothing to forgive now please... get some sleep" The girl softly said her eyes holding pity. While she loved her brother deeply and missed him everyday with all her heart she never blamed Arthur. It wasn't his fault, only this was that Arthur blames himself. Her free hand came to brush Arthur's hair out of his face.

Tommy turned to leave while he was drunk he wasn't interested in seeing anymore of this weird relationship. For the life of him he couldn't figure out why Estelle let his brother touch her the way he did, he also could never figure out why he cared what his brother did or didn't do with the girl.

"Arthur, please let go. Yr' hurtin'me" She urged again as she felt his grip tighten as Arthur pulled his hand back to his chest taking hers along with him. Arthur's head twisted in his bed clearly fighting demons in his mind. The covers came off his legs as he kicked at something in his dreams. His brothers rapid breath and the intake of breath from Estelle he turned around at the door jam.

Seeing Estelle hunched our trying to pry her wrist from Arthur's hands in the moonlight made him come back. Thinking to himself maybe John and him didn't really know what Arthur was like drunk after they were done at the Garrison and not in public.

About to say something again when Thomas came back to help Estelle felt tears prickle her eyes as she felt Arthur's nails dig into her skin. A bruise would no doubt form.

"Arthur let go" Thomas commanded a little louder than a whisper. Bringing his hand to her wrist pulling back Arthur's fingers he looked down at his brother and back up at Estelle. With one final yank and with the help of Tommy wrenching his brothers fingers from her wrist Estelle was free.

Estelle let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Cradling her wrist in her hand she rubbed her other hand over where his hand had bound her, wishing the more she rubbed the less it would be bruised in the morning. Not that wearing long sleeves in this weather would go noticed but washing dishes were no fun when you couldn't roll up your sleeves in attempts to keep them away from dish water.

"How long?" Tommy said turning to her his hands on his hips.

"Hell prolly wake up in the mid afternoon" Estelle offered eyeing Arthur through Tommy's arm and waist.

"Not what I was asking"

"Then I don't know what you're asking" she dared look in Thomas Shelby's cold blue eyes. But unlike earlier they weren't cold, perhaps it was the booze but Estelle dares claim they looked concerned. His lips were pressed in a thin line as he stepped in her personal space reaching out for her previously bound wrist.

Her left eyebrow shot up giving him a quizzical look, her own blue eyes starring back at him.

"How long as Arthur been rough w'ya?" Thomas asked directly, his fingers danced over the already forming hand print on her wrist.

"He didn't mean it" she slightly shook her head but she knew he wouldn't let her go without getting the full story. Thomas Shelby had to know everything.

One glare from Thomas Shelby stopped Estelle's reasoning as she snatched her wrist back and backed up bumping into the dresser.

"Judging by your behavior, he's done worse and it's been a while 'ince he started" Estelle glances towards to door, "how long?" Tommy asked again stepping forward his demeanor hardening further.

"It's only been-"

"Don't lie to me!" The harsh whisper cut her on her cheeks as he took one more step towards her.

"Since he got back, the second night. But only when he's drunk he has night terrors and doesn't mean to, he doesn't remember in the morning. It's why he holds me to make up for em" Estelle confessed. Her heart hammered her chest, she couldn't tell if it was from Tommy's closeness, the warmth she felt radiating off him or the fact that she was telling him her darkest secret that made her feel like she was going to combust but she could barely keep it together.

"Have you-"

"No one. It's fine-"

"No woman should-"

"I'll handle it"

He held up his finger, "One day, and then I'm handling it"

Sleep did not come to Estelle that night, she tossed and turned on the pull of mattress that lay on the floor. She hasn't cried but she had wanted to when she made it back to her and Ada's room.