Chapter 33

Running down watery lane, Tommy doesn't stop for breath until he reaches number 6, throwing the door open and letting it slam against the wall. The gun fight he had just been in with Changretta had left him rattled, his last words echoing through Tommy's mind: "Ah, but what you don't realise is, the moment the police show up, word will get back to my men, who are waiting outside your little sister's house right now. That's right, young Edith. With the baby on the way, correct? What a shame that will be..."

"Edith!" He yells, pushing open doors as he moves through the house. "Edith!"

"I'm here!" Edith shouts in response, appearing at the top of the stairs, clean washing in her hands as she looks down at Tommy at the bottom of the stairs, confusion evident in her face. "I'm here." She repeats, dropping the washing as Tommy moves up the stairs within seconds, gathering her into his arms. "I'm ok."

"He told me-" Tommy doubles over, hands on his knees as he struggles to catch his breath, Edith laying her hand gently on his back, concern written all over her face. "He said he had men here. That they would hurt you-"

"There's no one here but me, Tom. I promise. I'm ok. I'm safe." She reassures him, watching as he cups his head in his hands dropping to his knees. "What the fuck happened?"

"Daddy?" Charlie calls, sticking his head out from around the door of the room his aunt had pushed him into, terrified of her brother's yells, thinking something was wrong.

"Charlie." Tommy breathes out, holding his arms out towards the young boy who immediately steps into them. "My boy."

"We're ok, Tom." Edith whispers again, dropping to her knees beside him, wrapping her arms around the two of them. "Come on, it looks like you need a strong drink." Wrapping her hand around Tommy's arm, she tugs on it, her brother rising to his feet, Charlie still in his arms as he follows Edith down the stairs. Once they enter the living room, Tommy gently lowers Charlie to the ground, the little boy immediately moving to play with the toys he had left there earlier, his father dropping wearily into the arm chair beside him. Studying her brother for a moment, Edith frowns as he pulls his tie off, dropping it onto the side, eyes fixed on the window ahead of him. She clears her throat to gain his attention, giving him a soft smile as he lifts his eyes to meet hers, silently asking him if he was ok. At his lack of response, instead dropping his eyes again, Edith makes her way over to the side table where she pours him a generous helping of whiskey. She sighs as she turns back to him, finding him frozen, his lighter in his hand, cigarette hanging from his lips. Gently pushing the glass into his free hand, she plucks the lighter from between his fingers, lifting it to light the cigarette. "What happened?" She whispers softly, dropping to her knees beside him as he blows out a stream of smoke.

"I got 3." He whispers in reply. "One point blank." With a sharp intake of breath, Edith reaches up to cover his hand with her own, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"And he was there?" She asks, shutting her eyes for a moment as Tommy nods in response. "What are you going to tell Arthur?"

"The truth."

"Edith." Tommy calls as she pushes her chair back, moving to rise from the table, everyone else rising too as the meeting comes to an end. She pauses, glancing up at Tommy, watching as the rest of the family leave the room. "I need you to speak to Bonnie."

"About?" She prompts, leaning towards him.

"About Michael." Tommy continues, pushing the door shut as Edith narrows her eyes in confusion. "I need him to take Michael away for a while-"

"Tom-"

"He's number two-"

"He'll hate that!" Edith interrupts, rising quickly from the table and stepping towards her brother.

"It doesn't matter. Ok? It's only for a short while, and then he'll be back." Tommy states, shifting Charlie in his arms.

"And Bonnie will be with him?" Edith clarifies, moving to lean against the cabinet, arms crossed over her chest.

"Yes."

"And what about me?"

"I need you here." He replies, meeting Edith's eyes, his sister closing her own briefly, taking a deep breath.

"Are you serious?" At Tommy's nod, Edith reaches up to run her hands over her face. "Tommy, I'm pregnant! I need Bonnie here. I need him alive!"

"Edith."

"I'll talk to Bonnie." She states bitterly, noting the steely look in her brother's eyes, knowing as she turns away that his mind would not be changed. "But they won't be happy with it." She tells him, brushing past him, back into the house. "Neither of them."

"No." Bonnie states, pushing up from the sofa. "No fucking way!"

"Bon..." Edith sighs, dropping her head into her hand, her elbow resting on the arm of the sofa. She'd had a long day, from looking after Charlie since he had been dropped off early that morning, to Tommy's gun fight and the family meeting that followed. She had managed to wait until after dinner to approach Bonnie on the subject of taking Michael away, but she knew he was bound to take it badly; she owed it to Tommy and Michael to at least try anyway.

"The fucking mafia are after your family Edith. They're after you! You're on their hit list. You're pregnant with my baby, and your brother wants to send me away and leave you here by yourself?" Bonnie shouts in reply, pointing his hand in her direction to emphasise each statement.

"I won't be by myself." She reassures him, rising to follow him across the room. "Ada will be here. And Pol. Arthur's on one side, Tommy the other. Finn just over the way. There's blinders everywhere. You've seen them. Johnny Dogs and Isiah are always around...Bonnie..." she tries again, reaching out to grab his arm as he goes to move away from her again. "Bon, please!"

"It's like you want me to leave!" He exclaims, shaking his hand free of hers and she steps back, eyes wide in shock.

"Bonnie." She whispers, shaking her head. "Where's this coming from?"

"Why aren't you fighting for me to stay? Huh?" He asks, stepping towards her. "You seem like you're happy for me to be gone."

"That's not how it is!" She exclaims, throwing her hands out to her sides. "Bonnie! Of course I don't want you gone! I need you here with me! But for that to happen, I need you to be safe. And not only that, I need Michael to be safe, and if the only way to guarantee that is for you to take him away for a few days, that's what I need you to do." Bonnie sighs, running a hand over his face glancing up as a figure appears in the doorway to the living room.

"Tommy needs you Bonnie." Finn states, nodding towards the betting shop. Glancing over at his sister, Finn frowns as she lets out a frustrated groan, dropping back on to the sofa with her head in her hands.

"We're not finished with this, Bonnie." She calls as Bonnie steps past her to follow Finn, faltering to look back at her for a second before heading out of the room.

The silence that follows their argument into the next morning leaves Edith on edge, glancing over at Bonnie every so often on the drive out of Small Heath, trying, and failing to gain his attention. When they finally arrive at their destination, in pretty much the middle of no where, Edith steps out of the car just behind Bonnie, staring at his turned back before shifting her attention to Michael who was hesitating at the edge of his seat. "No. No fucking way."

"Come on. It's just for a few days." She murmurs gently, reaching out a hand to help him out of the car. Rolling her eyes as he steps out independently, ignoring her hand, she moves to lean against the side of the car.

"You've never eaten hedgehog, Michael?" Aberama calls over to them, Edith rolling her eyes at his comment, the other men behind them letting out laughs.

"I'm getting back in this car." He states, moving to turn away, Edith laying a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Michael, you're number two on Luca Changretta's hit list." Polly tells him, Michael cutting his eyes to Edith who meets his eyes with a shrug.

"Yes, and Edith is number four. So why isn't she coming too?"

"Your cousin wants her here." Polly replies, narrowing her eyes and turning on her heel as Bonnie scoffs, stuffing his hands in his pockets and turning away.

"Bon-" Edith calls warningly, tilting her head to the side, silently pleading with him with her eyes to meet her gaze, to forgive her, to understand why this had to happen. At his lack of response, both verbally or with his facial expression, Edith sighs, turning back to Michael.

"Don't forget to take your medicine." She says, pulling the bottles of pills out of her bag.

"I'll take them." Bonnie states, taking them from her hands, Edith watching him, frozen as he pockets the bottles. The only words that had been uttered towards her since their argument, and Edith heard no love behind them, not like usual.

"The healers up there will heal you much quicker." Aberama states, approaching the small group again.

"Fucking witches. The lot of them."

"Michael." Edith scolds, narrowing her eyes at him. "Have some respect. The Palmers and Boswell's have agreed to welcome you on account of our blood. Don't be rude. Take their help. God knows you bloody need it."

"Say goodbye to your girl." Aberama calls over his shoulder as he moves away again, Bonnie meeting Edith's eyes slowly as she gives him a small, nervous smile. Stepping forward, Bonnie grips the tops of Edith's arms lightly, pressing a kiss to her forehead, pausing momentarily before stepping back again, Edith sucking in a shocked breath as he turns away.

"Be careful." He calls back over his shoulder as she brings her hand up to rest on her chest, looking over at her Aunt who frowns, tucking an arm around her niece's shoulders.

"He'll come around." She whispers in her ear, gently turning Edith back towards the car, letting her niece step in first, shutting the door behind her.