20 May 1919

Arthur looked up as Elizabeth pushed open the door into their private room with her hip, her hands filled with drinks. He was inside with his brothers and some Blinders, playing a card game and drinking. Arthur looked up from the cards he was shuffling, as she entered, watching Tommy.

He knew the two had argued a few days ago and hadn't spoken since, so he wondered if there would be tension between them. Polly had been whispering about it to Ada as they'd made the dinner yesterday, Arthur stopping to listen at the kitchen doorway when he'd heard his brother's name mentioned. A woman that Polly got gossip from had been walking past the Garrison two day's ago, when she'd heard Elizabeth and Tommy shouting at each other from inside, about his sister and Freddie.

It was also how Arthur had found out that Ada was knocked up.

Nothing seemed strange between the two now, however, and Tommy even smiled at her as she walked in, setting two buckets on the table.

"Do you boys want any whiskey, or is the beer alright?"

"Beer's fine," Tommy replied, and Arthur's focus returned to the game, serving the cards.

Elizabeth put the bucket filled with beer onto the table and she poured their old drink into the other bucket as the boys talked.

"Why no whiskey, Tommy?" John asked, "are you expecting trouble?"

Tommy made no response, just looked at the cards Arthur had given him, a signal not to push any further.

"All right, 20 is the play, come on!" Arthur said, moving the subject on and putting his money in the middle of the table, Elizabeth taking a bucket and leaving.

The look on his brother's face, as he watched her leave, didn't go unnoticed to him.

"It's about time Tommy," John said, as he lent back next to Arthur, the two of them looking at their brother with raised eyebrows.

"Time for what?" Tommy replied, though it was clear he knew what they were talking about.

"Time you took yourself a woman." John was smiling, his toothpick spinning in his mouth, but Arthur didn't feel as happy.

He wouldn't claim to know what was going on in his brother's mind, Arthur imagined there were very few people who could even come close to understanding Tommy, but he knew what his brother felt for Elizabeth. He'd seen the way Tommy had looked at her for the last seven years, the way their friendship had changed to something else.

Him and John even had bets on the two getting married, until the war had happened.

And even then, as much as Tommy tried to hide it, the stack of letters he received every month, the way he'd bring Elizabeth up when the men were talking about their sweethearts, it didn't go unnoticed to Arthur. But he also knew that things weren't what they were, that war had done it's damage. Arthur knew more than most what the Flanders Blues could do to a man.

John bringing marriage up seemed risky to him, something that probably wasn't on his brothers mind at present.

"Just play the bloody hands," Tommy said, his voice uninterested, like he didn't care. Arthur felt relieved, more than anything.

"You stay the way you are Tommy. Remember what Dad used to say: fast women and slow horses-" Arthur slung an arm around John's neck and they lent closer.

"-will ruin a man's life!" They said together, laughing. Even their brother, stone-faced since France, smiled as well.

The sound of cars pulling up outside, however, pulled Arthur's focus from the brotherly interaction.

"Coppers?" John asked, setting their cards and cigarettes down on the table.

"No," Tommy replied, putting a hand out to keep them in their seats. "Someone we've been expecting."

Elizabeth had left the brother's room and was dealing with another man's order, when the doors to the Garrison swung open. Two men walked in, machine guns in their arms, and she felt a chill run through her.

"Holy shit." Harry swore from beside her, a hand reaching out to steady himself on the bar. "It's Billy Kimber."

Elizabeth watched as another man walked in, and though she didn't recognise his face, his name was enough for her to know that nothing good was going to come from him being here in Small Heath. He was a small man, slicked back hair and an unpleasant look on his face as he surveyed the silent room, men and whores alike backing away from the group.

"Is there any man named Shelby in here?" Kimber asked, as his attention reached where Elizabeth stood beside the bar. His eyes raked across her body, a small, but disgusting, smile playing on his lips and he looked away. She glanced at the private room, where she knew Tommy and his brothers were, waiting for them to walk out. There was no movement. A gunshot sent people screaming and ducking, Elizabeth herself flinching, pressing her back further into the bar. "I said, is there any man here named Shelby?"

It was then that the door opened, and Tommy walked out with his brothers and some men, barely acknowledging Billy Kimber.

"Harry, get these men a drink. Everyone else, go home." There was a scramble then, as people dashed from the pub, running from the doors and up the stairs. Elizabeth moved behind the bar to get the drinks ready with Harry.

"Do whatever they say, Eliza, it's not worth resisting." He whispered as he handed her a tray and, with a strange look, fled from the room as well.

She walked over slowly, placing the tray on the table.

"You go home," Tommy said, pointing to her as she came over. Elizabeth swallowed uneasily, unsure of what to do, not wanting to leave them alone with Kimber.

"But Harry said-"

"I said, go home." Tommy gave her a look, one that stopped any argument she might have had. He seemed concerned. She nodded at him, removing her apron hurriedly and walking to the back door.

"I've never approved of women in pubs, but when they look like that.." Kimber's voice drifted across to her as she gathered her things and shut the door behind her. Elizabeth didn't have a good feeling about that man.

21 May 1919

"I don't want to go to bed!" Finn shouted, stomping his foot and crossing his arms. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, tired. She'd been fighting with him on and off for the last hour, trying to get the young boy up to his room and in bed. Polly had gone out for the evening and had left her in charge of feeding and looking after Finn, but he was being difficult.

"Stop being childish Finn, I'm fed up now, it's time for you to go to bed." She put down the plates she was tidying up and turned to face him, resting her hands on her hips and raising her eyebrows at the stroppy boy, who was huffing dramatically.

"Tommy doesn't have to go bed this early! Or John, or Arthur!" Finn walked over to the table and pulled out a chair, sitting down in it with a big sigh. Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh, which angered him even more. "Don't laugh at me! It's not fair!"

"And don't you take that attitude with me! You have to get your sleep, Finn, just like Tommy did when he was your age." She scolded him, pointing to the doorway to try and get him to move.

"Still not fair! I'm not going until Tommy gets back."

"Your brother is a bad influence for you Finn." She snapped, fed up of his whining, "now go to bed or I'll tell Aunt Polly about this." Finn opened his mouth to complain again, but shut it quickly, looking at something behind Elizabeth.

She followed his gaze and saw Tommy standing in the doorway, lighting a cigarette. She cursed silently, wondering how much he heard.

"Are you giving Liza trouble, Finn?" He asked, looking at the young boy, whose defiance had died out quickly.

"I wanted to wait up for you, that's all." Finn whispered meekly, his eyes to the ground. Elizabeth felt bad, regretting her harsh words.

"I'm here now, so up to bed." Finn darted from his chair, running up to Tommy and giving him a quick hug. The older Shelby smiled gently and ruffled Finn's hair, before the boy darted up the stairs. Elizabeth dropped her hands from her hips and returned to tidying up.

"I'm a bad influence, ey?" Tommy asked as he came over.

She turned around to see him holding out another cigarette, which she accepted gladly. He struck a match and lit it as it rested between her lips.

"That was unkind of me."

"But it's true." He shrugged, sitting down at the table. She sighed, running a hand through her hair as she sat opposite.

"It's not true, I just got angry." She took a puff from her cigarette and looked at Tommy closely. He was sat casually, staring out the window as he smoked, but she could see the disbelief at her words. "He's like this every night, refusing to go to bed. Finn just wants to see you, Tommy, that's all."

Tommy nodded slowly, though she knew his acknowledgement was empty. Going to bed without a goodnight from his brothers was just something Finn would have to get used to.

"I remember you used to be as bad as he was, going to bed as the sun came up." Elizabeth said, trying to lighten the subject.

"Says you," Tommy turned to face her, smiling.

"No, I actually listened to my father when he told me to do things." she laughed, shaking her head. "You would just sneak out and throw stones at my window, trying to wake me up."

"I remember you enjoying that, actually."

"I did not!" She said, pointing at him. "I just wanted some bloody sleep!"

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows at her and she smiled, nodding playfully. They lapsed in silence for a while, filling the room with the smell of tobacco as they smoked, remembering times long gone. The sounds of Finn moving about upstairs eventually silenced, and the world through window had turned black by the time their cigarettes burnt down to nothing.

"Our discussion the other day, at The Garrison," he said, snuffing out his cigarette. Elizabeth nodded, slowly. "I've told Freddie, about our Ada."

"Why did you change your mind?" She asked, knowing it wouldn't have been something Tommy would even have thought of doing when they'd argued.

"He has a right to know, a chance to do the correct thing." A small smile played across her face as she looked at him.

"That's good of you, Tommy." He simply shook his head, turning so both his elbows were leant on the table.

"It's what I should of done, instead of getting angry at you and Ada." He cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable, "and the things I said about France-"

"It's alright Tommy." Elizabeth said, cutting him off. She wasn't sure if she wanted to revisit that moment.

"No, let me talk. It wasn't alright of me, the shit you saw out there, it's no worse than what we went through, I know that. So I shouldn't have said what I did." It was as close to an apology as she knew he'd ever give, and she was grateful for it. Elizabeth lent across the table, taking his hand in hers. Tommy looked up, almost alarmed, but she simply squeezed it gently and let go, standing up.

"I'm going to bed myself, now Finn's asleep, so I'll say goodnight." She picked her coat up from the back of the chair and took her bag from the kitchen surface.

"I'll walk you home." Tommy said suddenly, standing up to leave with her.

"It's a perfectly safe walk, Tommy, I'll be alright." Elizabeth laughed, making her way to the front door.

"I know," He said, opening it and letting her step out ahead of him. "I just want to."

She couldn't argue with that, so she accepted the company, walking beside Tommy through the dark streets. He had lit another cigarette and the orange glow from it gave them a bit of light in the dark streets, like a lighthouse in the mist. They stopped, eventually, at the door leading to the stairs up to her flat. Elizabeth paused, trying to fish the keys out from her purse in the low light.

"Do you still like dancing?" Tommy asked suddenly. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, suspicious.

"Are you still as bad at it as you used to be?" Elizabeth retorted, unsure of what he wanted.

"Probably." She could just make out the smile on his face in the dark. "We're meeting Kimber at Cheltenham next week.

"You want me to come?" Elizabeth couldn't keep the surprise from her voice, abandoning the search for her keys to face him properly. "Do you need me to do something?"

"No." He shook his head, leaning against a wall and taking off his cap. "I want to take you to the races, that's all."

"I haven't got a dress nice enough for Cheltenham." She replied, trying to see if this was just some kind of game, that he would give up if she resisted too long.

"I can give you money for one, if you need." She sighed, crossing her arms and examining his face.

"You really want me to come with you?"

"I do." A light from a nearby window switched on, bathing them in a gentle, yellow glow. Tommy was looking down at her, from where he leant on the wall. There was a look in his blue eyes, one she hadn't seen in a long time, so long that Elizabeth forgot it even existed.

It was the same look he would give her when they'd sit and eat dinner alone in his office, the two of them talking until the early hours of the morning. The same look he'd give her when she used to come out of the Garrison, and he was waiting to take her somewhere for the evening. The same look as when they reached the point in the dance when the music slowed and the couple would come closer, a hand around her waist and fingers interlinked, their faces so close they could feel each other's breath. And he would look down at her, blue eyes sparking in a way only the sea did, filled with a secret only she could understand.

"I will get dress shopping then, Tommy, and you better practice your dancing, because I'm not having you tread on my toes like you used to." He laughed at that, genuine, open-mouth laughter she'd never seen him do in the two weeks that Elizabeth had been home. She loved it. He looked at her one last time, with that sparkling look, before turning around and making his way back into the darkness.

another chapter done! i'm quite proud of how many i've posted this last week. time is moving very slowly in the story atm, but after this month is done, speed should pick up again. i don't really have any clue how many chapters there will be, we'll just have to wait and see!

e x

(20/06/2020)