Michael and Jess had been running around Birmingham all day. Last stop was his office. A slight surprise for her. He didn't tell her what his job was in the family and he wanted to surprise her. As they walked up to Shelby and Co. lost in their laughter, Jess accidentally bumped into somebody. "Sorry Miss". Jess stood frozen. She thought she knew that voice. "Babe, babe" she heard as Michael pulled her out of her thoughts. "Lets go inside I have a surprise." She shook off the scared feeling she just had. As they walked up to the door he had his hands over her eyes. "1, 2, 3" he pulled his hands down. She opened her eyes to the door of Chief Accountant Michael Gray and opened the door and saw his pristine desk. He had 2 picture frames, 1 of him and Polly, and one of him and her. It was one of her favorite pictures she had taken of them. It was the day Michael had told her he loved her. She threw her arms around his neck, "I am so proud of you Mr. Gray," and placed a light kiss on his lips. He gazed into her eyes, "One day I am going to be able to call you Mrs. Gray." She blushed, "I cannot wait for that day. Let's go home."
Dinner came and went Polly rushed him out. "Mom, why are you rushing me out. Please be nice to her don't say anything mean or anything that would make her hate me." Polly scoffed, "Why would I ever be mean to her. I actually like her. Now go go go her father is waiting at the pub we will be there soon." Polly went upstairs in the mirror next to Jessica. Quiet at first she broke the silence. "When you first met us you had said to Michael you guys talked about what I would look like. Was that true?" Jessica turned to her, "For us it was as if we both lost our moms ya know? Being able to talk about you both helped me heal a lot. After we would talk about my mom and how she looked or if she was here what she would say to me, we would talk about you in the same way. What did you look like, what did we think you'd be saying if you knew he was dating me. We had so many ideas, but they could never compare to you in real life." Polly could hear the slight sadness in her voice. She remembered her father mentioning her mother had passed away when she was young.
"Your father said my son saved you. What did he mean?" Jess didn't think she would be having this type of conversation with her this early on. She shifted, "Well I was in a dark place. I didn't want to live here anymore I wanted to go back to America. My dad didn't want me to leave. I felt like the people at school were friends with me because I was American and rich and I was really unhappy. It was a bad age to not have a mom because everything I had going on was something I would have talked to her about and I was struggling." She wiped a tear off her cheek. "I am so sorry I didn't mean to upset you," Polly said. "Im not sad. Not anymore. Michael helped me. He helped me through it and I have been the happiest with him." Polly laid her hand on Jess's hand, "I am really happy you and my son are together. Lets hurry hurry!" Jessica smiled and finished her makeup.
A few hours later
She instantly regretted needing to go to the bathroom. The pub was packed and she was trying to maneuver herself to the bathroom and back to the front room as quick as possible. She convinced her father and Michael she didn't need a babysitter, but pushing through all these people made her wish Michael had come with her. She has seen how the people in Birmingham treated Michael and his family. They feared the Peaky Blinders, but respected them for everything they do. If Michael was with her they would literally open up for them to go to where they needed to go. Washing her hands in the bathroom, Jessica looked at herself in the mirror. Reflecting on life as it was currently. Maybe it was the alcohol in her veins, but she couldn't believe where life had taken her. It was a Friday night, she was in a pub in Birmingham with her father and Michael and his family who were Peaky Blinders. If you had asked her a month ago if she thought this was what her Friday night would look like this was never it. She took in a deep breath. Her father had hinted to her this would be the life she would be living, she just didn't think it would happen this early. Fixing her hair and lipstick she walked towards the front.
"Well well well, interesting seeing you here Jessica.I thought that was you walking the sidewalk today." She paused in front of the bar. A chill ran down her spine remembering the last time she heard that voice. She slowly turned around to come face to face with the person who made her want to crawl into a hole. A tear came down her face. "What do you want?" Jessica asked. He walked towards her close enough she could feel his breath. She felt sick. "You told me you could never be with someone from this town yet here you are in a pub in my town. This time I don't see your brothers around to save you," he said as his hand grazed her face. She pulled back and took a step backwards. "I also don't see your poor village boyfriend either. Don't know how it was ok to date him and not me. I bet you, he couldn't make you feel the way I could. Remember the last time, I didn't get to finish maybe this time I could, " the boy lingered on with his words. Turning around she went to walk away when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Im not done with you," he said. "But I am done with you Brett," Jess pulled her arm out of his grasp.
Meanwhile in the front room. Janik sat there wondering what was taking his daughter so long to get back from the bathroom. He looked down at his watch. Michael too was getting antsy. Isaiah got up to get another drink from the bar, Michael asked, "Hey do you see Jessica out there?" He put his head outside the door. "Hey she doesn't know anyone from here does she? Some guy is talking to her." Michael and Janik went to get up when Isaiah suddenly yelled, "Hey get your hands off of her," and bolted out the door. Michael, Janik, John, and Arthur followed. They come to see Jessica pulling away while some guy wouldn't let go. Isaiah shoved him. "Who the fuck are you to touch me? What are you protecting this slut?" Brett slurred. Michael came into view first. "Well well isn't it the village boy," Brett smirked. With a protective arm Michael put himself in front of Jessica, "My girlfriend told you to leave her alone." Janik finally came into view and when he saw the boy who had his hands on his daughter he lunged at Brett. Arthur and John holding him back. "You're lucky I have not put a bullet in your skull yet. Stay the fuck away from my daughter," Janik yelled. Jessica looked at Michael and her father, "I want to go back to Michael's right now," and she walked out. From the crowd emerged a Thomas Shelby. He walked over to Brett. "I don't know you and I don't know what you did to that mans daughter. But if you as think its ok to look at her let alone walk on the same sidewalk as her in this town you're going to regret it." Brett shook his head nervously. "Do you know who I am?" Tommy asked. Brett should his head yes again. "Then you should know not to fuck with the Peaky Blinders. Get the fuck out of my pub now." Brett and his group of friends left immediately. Janik was in the front room with John, Arthur, and Tommy. "I am sorry I lost my cool in there," Janik said with tears in his eyes. He looked up at the men. "That asshole tried to rape my little girl and I should have put a bullet in his brain then, but Jessica begged me not to because his parents were good people," he said as more tears came down his face. Michael standing there overhearing the conversation came in to let them know they were going home.
As they walked in the front door, she put her jacket on the hook and began walking upstairs without saying a word. Michael followed, "So are we going to talk about what just happened back there?" "Theres nothing to talk about," Jessica said facing the wall in his bedroom. "Why didn't you tell me? We were together when this happened I could have helped," he spoke frustrated. She turned around to face Michael tears streaming down her face. "I was embarrassed!" she yelled with her arms up. "How do you tell your boyfriend that some asshole got farther with his girlfriend because he tried to rape her. How was I supposed to tell you what happened when you and I hadn't even had sex yet!" The light from the moon came in the window highlighting the pain on Jessica's face she had been feeling. She tried to push that memory out of her mind for the past months and her dad tried helping her too. Seeing Brett again and him saying those words and the way he grabbed her arm just brought it all back.
She realized the tears were consuming her face and she turned her back to Michael. Standing there in silence she thought he would just leave not wanting to be with someone who has been touched by someone else. The floor creaked as Michael walked towards her. His arms engulfed her from behind putting his head on her shoulder. Kissing her cheek. "Jessica look at me." She turned around and Michaels hands went to her hips. "I love you more than anything. I'm mad at myself that I wasn't there to protect you. I will never allow him to intimidate you like that again. You think my cousins will let him in the bar again?" She shook her head no. "We are the Peaky fucking Blinders. I will never let anyone do anything to you." Still looking down in embarrassment, Michael lifted her chin and looked into her eyes before he kissed her. They laid down in bed facing each other. Jessica began, "So this is what happened ...