Elizabeth didn't entirely know how it had all happened. It seemed as though one moment her husband was telling her about his plans and the next he had put them into action. She had almost laughed when he had told her that it would be his name on the poll card at the next election. He had smiled softly as his wife laid in bed and he handed her the letter from Westminster. He watched her eyes widen as she read it, her mouth gaping before a soft chuckle escaped her.

Folding the letter up, she rested it on her stomach as she remained in bed, Tommy sat up next to her. Closing her eyes, her brows knitted together and rose on her forehead.

"This is insane," she said and Tommy chuckled alongside her. "This is actually insane, Tommy. It is happening."

"It's 'appenin'," Tommy said to her. "Election is in another month or so, but it is 'appenin'."

"And you are certain of this?" Elizabeth asked, turning her head to the side and peering up to her husband. She moved slowly, resting on her side and letting her head fall into her hand. "You really want this?"

"I want it," Tommy confirmed to her. "I don't know how much more I can do after this, but this is a good start."

"Well," Elizabeth said, moving to sit up then and rest against the headboard. Pulling her legs up to her chest, she looked to Tommy with a sly smirk. "Don't think about anything bigger than this. I can barely comprehend you being an MP, never mind a cabinet minister."

"Is that a lack of faith in me, eh?" Tommy joked with her, reaching for her thigh and running his hand along it over the quilt.

"Not at all," she said to him. "You are a man of ambition, Tommy. I knew that when I met you. I just want to make certain that you have time for your wife and daughter."

"Always," Tommy said, moving to kiss her on the top of her head. "Anyway, I need to go into work today. Are yer comin' in later?"

"No," Elizabeth said. "I have enough to do at home with the books. Can you take Charlotte to school on your way?"

"Of course," Tommy said. "Is she awake?"

"Should be," Elizabeth said, trying to stifle a yawn as she rested her head on Tommy's shoulder. He moved his arm over hers, holding her tight to him as she nestled against his side. "Frances usually makes certain she is ready for school while I get ready. I would be lost without France, honestly, I would be."

Tommy chuckled at that and nodded his head. "I think we both would be," he said to her. "Right, I should get dressed then and meet Charlotte for breakfast."

"You do that," Elizabeth said and kissed him chastely before burrowing back into the quilt, tugging it up to her chin. Tommy arched a brow and looked down to his wife as she stuffed a hand underneath her pillow.

"Are you not gettin' up?" he asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "In a while," she responded, doing her best not to fall back to sleep. "I am still tired. Just give me another half an hour and then I will get up."

"Take as long as yer want," Tommy said to her. "You 'ave as much time as yer want, the books ain't important."

"Was that sarcasm?" Elizabeth asked him in a mumble and Tommy chuckled.

"A little," he responded, brushing her hair from her face, his thumb running over her cheekbone. "I need 'em by the end of the week though. I 'ave to get them ready for the end of the month."

"They will be done," she said to him and moved to take his hand, kissing the back of it softly. "Now go and get dressed and leave me alone."

Tommy chuckled and moved to his feet, letting his wife doze back to sleep. Tommy tried to dress silently to let her sleep, looking back at her as he stood in the doorway of their bedroom before he went to find Charlotte. Wandering down the staircase, he went to the dining room to find her sat at the table, chewing down on a slice of bread she had dipped into an egg.

"Daddy," she beamed and Tommy almost wondered how much longer this would last. Would she always look at him like the sun shone behind him when she saw him? Would she always feel that way? Tommy didn't know, but he hoped so.

"Good mornin', Charlotte," Tommy greeted his daughter, bending down to kiss her on the cheek as he sat down in the chair besides her. "Did yer sleep well?"

"Yes," Charlotte responded. "Where is mummy? Is she not taking me to school?"

"Not today," Tommy said. "I'm goin' to take yer."

Charlotte almost frowned as she kept on eating her bread. "Mummy always takes me."

"Well I am takin' yer today," Tommy said, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I'll pick yer up too, alright?"

"Yes," Charlotte responded.

Tommy drank a cup of tea as Charlotte finished her breakfast, Frances fussing around the little girl and urging for her to hurry and get ready. Frances held Charlotte into her red winter coat as Tommy pulled on his dark coat and reached for his cap. He watched her walk forwards, giving him a toothy grin before he took hold of her hand and walked with her to the car, Frances telling her not to forget her spelling test.

Hopping into the car, Tommy made certain she was settled as he slipped his leather gloves onto his hands. The drive to school was full of Charlotte telling her father what she was doing at school and how she was excited to go up to the next year because she was progressing well. Tommy was very interested in everything she said as he drove, occasionally looking over to his daughter as a smile remained on her face and she looked excited.

Pulling up outside the school, Tommy opened the door and went around to help Charlotte down from the car. He could already feel people staring at him as he kept hold of his daughter's hand and walked down the footpath towards the school gates. Some of the older kids whispered loudly and scurried away, clearing a path for Tommy and Charlotte. The parents bringing their children to school looked to Tommy and whispered with each other.

Charlotte looked around, clearly not observing what was going on as Tommy smirked to himself and looked down.

"I can go in by myself, daddy," Charlotte suddenly spoke as they stood by the gates and she looked up to him, her gaze prim and proper. Tommy chuckled and nodded.

"Of course yer can," he responded and crouched down in front of her, letting his hands go to her shoulders. "Yer be good, alright? I'll see yer at half past three."

"Yes, daddy," Charlotte said.

"Alright, come 'ere," Tommy said and moved to envelope her into a hug, kissing her on the cheek as he pulled back. "I love yer, alright?"

"Love you too, daddy," Charlotte said to him, her smile widening as she moved from his grip and skipped into the playground, speaking to another girl who looked like she had been waiting for her. Tommy stood up tall, hands going into the pockets of his pants. He leaned back slightly and was about to turn and leave before he saw Charlotte turn and wave to him as she went inside and Tommy held a hand up.

"You know that his wife was a Kimber, don't you?"

"I would have thought that he was too busy to take his daughter to school."

"She looks exactly like him."

Tommy almost rolled his eyes as he walked past the gossips, knowing that his wife would not approve of the commotion. But Tommy didn't care. So long as people talked about him then he was relevant. His name still held weight. His lips curved upwards at that thought. He would have to see it stayed that way.

….

Charlotte had been quiet the entire way home and Tommy had been concerned. His daughter had hugged him when he had picked her up and taken his hand, but she had been quiet. He had asked her about her day and she had shrugged and simply said that it had been fine. But Tommy knew that something was going on. As they pulled into the driveway and he turned the engine off, he looked to her with an arched brow.

"Yer 'ave been quiet the whole ride home," Tommy said to her. "What is wrong, Charlotte?"

"Nothing," she whispered.

"Don't lie to me, eh?" Tommy urged from his daughter. "Yer can talk to me."

"Bobby Brown said that he saw you this morning," Charlotte blurted out, playing with her hands in her lap. "He told me that you were a bad man. He said that you…you…you kill people."

Her wide eyes turned up to him and Tommy almost wanted to groan. He should have know that she would find out the truth. But he didn't want it to be this soon. He didn't want her to know straight away, but as she got older. He closed his eyes for a moment as he felt Charlotte stare at him.

"Charlotte," Tommy said in a small voice, "I 'ave done things…things that yer might think are wrong, but sometimes there were bad men who wanted to hurt me. There were bad men who wanted to 'urt yer mummy."

"And you killed them?"

"I 'ad no choice," Tommy said to her. "Yer know those storybooks yer like? There is always a bad man who wants to 'urt someone and someone 'as to stop 'im? That is what I 'ad to do, Charlotte. I 'ad to stop them."

"He didn't say it to me like that," Charlotte mumbled.

"I know," Tommy said and looked over to her, reaching his hand out to her and waiting for her to take it. "But I need yer to believe me, Charlotte, alright? I love yer and yer mummy so much and I 'ad to stop anyone who wanted to hurt yer to get to me. One day it will make more sense, but all yer need to know is that I do whatever I 'ave to do to protect yer."

Charlotte nodded her head and moved her hand to take hold of her father's. Tommy moved to haul her into his arms, picking her up as he climbed from the car with her in his grip, holding her tightly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her chin on his shoulder. He let his hand hold the back of her head as he wondered just how long he could placate his daughter for.

…..

Standing at the front of the hall as people bustled around, Elizabeth felt a sense of pride inside of her. Tommy stood next to her, holding onto Charlotte as Elizabeth held onto his arm. His entire family stood behind him as they waited for the results from the final vote. Tommy eventually went up on stage with everyone else, kissing his wife and daughter before he did so. Elizabeth struggled to hold Charlotte in her arms and so let her stand next to her, holding her hand as they listened to the final count be declared.

Pol rested a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, squeezing onto it tightly for a second. She turned her head over her shoulder to smile at the woman before catching Arthur's eye as he took a drink from his hipflask. She chuckled to herself before hearing the number for the final count, the three other candidates looking deflated as their numbers seemed to be much lower than they had hoped for.

But then Tommy's number was announced and Elizabeth almost laughed.

"Thomas Shelby, 48,564."

Claps echoed throughout the room and Elizabeth smirked as she caught Tommy's eye and he smiled, nodding his head once before stepping down from the stage, celebrating with his wife and daughter.

"Thomas Shelby MP," Elizabeth whispered into his ear as she embraced him.

"This is just the beginnin', Mrs Shelby," Tommy joked with her, pulling back to kiss her squarely on the lips. "This is just the beginnin'."

…..

A/N: Do let me know what you think!