The sky was grey, filled with the threat of rain, as Stella stepped out onto the front path. Raising her head to the darkened clouds she took in a deep breath to try and calm the nerves bubbling in her stomach as she shared a smile with Michael.

"Okay?" he asked, reaching over to rub her back gently. Stepping closer to her he pressed a kiss against her temple before guiding her toward the car.

Pulling, what she was told was, one of Ada's old coats closer around her she nodded her head and buried her face into the fur around the collar, hoping the squirming in her stomach and the anxiety pounding at her heart didn't show on her features.

Thankfully the drive wasn't as quiet as it had been the previous day. Although Stella was still sitting in the back Michael had turned around in his seat up front to talk to her about the village they had grown up in. He listened as she told him about what had been happening since he had left (not much) before they began to tell Polly stories of their childhood, making her laugh aloud over some of the antics they had gotten themselves caught up in.

It was nice, Stella had thought to herself as she watched Polly hang onto every word Michael was saying, to see the woman who was usually so serious and so aware of how she was acting and coming across to her newly reunited son letting go and relaxing. The smile on her face was wide and infectious, her laugh filling up the car in a way which made them chuckle along with her.

"It makes me happy that Michael had someone like you to grow up with," she said, the mood dropping slightly as she pulled to a stop inside one of the garages behind the row of houses and the three of them climbed out. There was a tinge of sadness to the smile on her face now and Stella couldn't help but remember the sister Michael had told her about, the one who was taken from Polly at the same time and who had tragically died before they were able to reconnect.

"The amount of trouble she got me in would make you change that statement!" Michael exclaimed in a manner which lifted Polly's mood once more. She watched on fondly as he threw an arm around Stella's shoulders and tugged her into his side, the three of them making their way toward the Shelby home.

"And it was never your fault no?" she asked with a giggle as she dug her elbow into his side and shoved him away.

The house was, seemingly, quiet as they walked in through the front door. Polly lead the way while Michael and Stella followed on close behind, her hand clutching onto his "Now, is there any chance I can get the two of you to stay here?" she asked, turning to face them as they came to two large doors. The tense jump in Michael's jaw told Stella this was an argument they had already had.

"No," he replied, a lot shorter than Stella had been expecting, with a shake of his head and Polly sighed. A darkness flickered in her eyes for a second, the true defiant nature which had been seemingly hidden behind overly good behaviour around her returning son showing through, before she turned around and opened up the doors.

The room which was revealed was large and filled with noise, a stark contrast to the rest of the dark and quiet household they had walked through. People called loudly to one another across the space, papers were rustled and waved in the air while raucous laughter echoed between the walls.

"Wow," Stella breathed as they stepped inside, a man rushing passed causing her fingers to slip away from Michael's, glancing around her eyebrows raised with intrigue as she caught the ends of a few bets being placed "Is this what you bought the racehorse for yesterday?"

"Yes," Michael answered with a nod of his head, reaching for her hand once again so he didn't lose her in the bustle of the room as they made their way through it "I told you they were bookmakers."

"You told me a lot of things," she said cryptically, looking to him with a tilt of her head.

"Aha! You must be Essie!"

Stella jumped at the sound of Michael's nickname for her being spoken in a foreign tone. Glancing around she spotted a man, who didn't seem to be too much older than herself, making his way across the room to greet her "I prefer Stella," she said in a tentative tone as he stopped in front of her and reached up to straighten the flat cap sitting atop his head.

Though Michael was nudging her side to get her to shut up the man standing before them was smiling in amusement "John Shelby," he said with a nod of his head as he reached out to take Stella's hand, bending at the waist to place a kiss on her knuckles "I'm Michael's cousin."

"Stella King," she replied with a smile, the grin on his lips infectious "Michael seems to have a lot of cousins."

"Well, luckily for you, you're meeting the best first."

Beside her Michael was rolling his eyes and clearing his throat "Actually she met Tommy first."

"Huh, well that is just unfortunate," John said with a shake of his head, lifting his cap up off his head to readjust it once more before he shrugged his shoulders "At least I'm second to erase any bad view of the Shelby family my brother has caused."

Ducking her head slightly Stella let out a chuckle "Well you are very charming."

"Please tell my wife that she never believes me," John replied with a wink, turning around and waving for them to follow him "Come on, I'll show you around."

As Stella sent a smile to Michael she felt a weight lift from her chest. With John being so welcoming, so friendly, she found herself not being as jittery as she wandered through the busy atmosphere. They didn't seem so bad here. She wasn't sure what Michael had been worrying about…

"Now. None of this escapes these four walls right Stella?" John asked, tapping the side of his nose, and though his tone was in a teasing manner the look on his face was a lot more serious as he turned back around and tucked his hands in his pockets. He nodded towards people as he walked passed them and told both Michael and Stella their names, sharing rowdy jokes with a few of the punters while patting the backs of the workers.

"This is all pretty impressive," Stella said with a smile on her face as the three of them all came to a stop beside the chalkboard at the top of the room.

"Glad to have your approval," a gruff voice boomed over the noise and she jumped in surprise, turning her head from left to right in order to locate where the voice was coming from "Now who are you?"

John moved around so he was standing between Stella and the new arrival who had just emerged out of one of the offices to their left "Arthur this is Michael's friend Stella," he said before stepping to one side "Stella this is my older brother, another cousin; Arthur."

She recognised his name immediately and stepped closer to Michael's side as Arthur regarded her through suspicious eyes. He was the one Michael had been telling her about the night before; the one who had been able to almost kill a man with his bare hands. He was tall and loud, making his presence known in an already rowdy and overpowering room, standing with his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers and forcing Stella's nerves back into her stomach.

"Well then!" Arthur exclaimed, his tone, though still booming, a lot softer and a smile on his face as he stomped his way up the steps to stand on the raised part of the room alongside them "We've heard a lot about you," he continued with a grin as he offered her his hand to shake "Arthur, welcome to the Shelby home."

Stella knew she should have been wary of him but she couldn't help but smile right back as she placed her hand in his. He was the exact opposite of what she had been expecting on her way over, even from what she had been expecting when she had first set eyes on him "It's lovely to be here," she said with a nod of her head, frowning when both Arthur and John exchanged looks "What?"

"We're just not used to such manners," John teased "But don't worry. You'll be telling us all to get fucked before you know it."

"Hey, less standing around and more working," a tone she most definitely recognised echoed through the room and Michael's icy blue eyed cousin, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, sent them all a meaningful look as he slapped his hand down on the railing surrounding where they were stood "We don't have time for chat," he continued checking the time on his watch and nodding his head for Arthur and John to join him.

"Essie, you remember Tommy," Michael said in a mumble as he gestured over to the man sending them a raised eyebrowed look.

With the confidence given to her by meeting John and Arthur Stella stepped up and held her hand out to Tommy "But please, call me Stella," she said with a smile.

A smile which soon slid right off her face when he didn't make the effort to take her hand "We've met," he said shortly, keeping his hands tucked into his pockets before he nodded his head towards Arthur once more "Come on. We need to get going."

"Told you I was the best brother," John whispered over to her before he jogged down the steps and pushed his way through to catch up with Tommy and Arthur.

She couldn't stop her stomach dipping slightly in disappointment as she watched the three brothers disappear into the crowd, deep in conversation with their heads bowed toward one another. John and Arthur had given her such a confidence boost she couldn't help but feel heavy hearted over the exchange with Thomas.

Plastering a smile onto her face she took in a deep breath, preparing to apologise to Michael for offending his cousin in some way "So, he was nice?"

"Don't take it personally," Michael said with a shrug of his shoulders, his nonchalance at Tommy's reaction to her making her shoulders sag with relief. There was a slight difference about him since his older cousin had shown up, his eyes more suspicious and his posture more tense "Tommy...he has a lot on his plate," he continued before spotting that Polly was heading back into the kitchen "Come on," he said grasping onto her hand, tighter than before, once again "There's not much for us to do in here," he said, glancing around the room before they both made their way over to the door.

"We'll stop and have a cup of tea before we head back," Polly greeted them as she opened the door and ushered them into the kitchen. Her eyes stared passed them and narrowed slightly, her tone a lot sharper as she spoke once more "I hope the boys behaved themselves."

"They were super," Stella said with a small smile deciding not to think too much into how Tommy had acted and to take Michael's advice; he was a busy man it seemed and meeting his new cousin's friend probably wasn't high on his list of priorities "It gets really busy in there then?" she asked as she and Michael sat at the table and Polly pottered around the kitchen making their tea.

"The boys work really hard," Polly replied as she placed mugs in front of the two of them "Thank god. It was a nightmare when they were away at war," she added, though the sparkle in her eye told a different story as her mind drifted back to the previous years.

Stella smiled gratefully as she accepted the cup of tea Polly was handing over to her. Itching to ask questions of the time Polly was in charge of the busy and bustling room she, instead, found herself jumping slightly in her seat as the kitchen door flung open and a hurricane of a woman hurried inside. Lowering her eyes she attempted to brush the drops of tea she had spilled off her skirt as the new arrival spoke with Polly across the room in hushed voices.

"You must be Stella," she said in a clipped tone, glancing to her over her shoulder before she leaned against the kitchen counters and folded her arms tightly over her chest "Esme," she continued with a slight raise of her chin "I'm John's wife."

"And the only one to greet me by my actual name so thank you," Stella said with a smile, glancing to where Michael was smirking "It's lovely to meet you."

Esme sent her a look very similar to the one the boys had before her lips stretched into an amused smile "Gone and got yourself a polite one Michael," she said with a raise of her eyebrows, patting Polly on the shoulder as she passed her on her way to get something to eat "Don't worry, you'll soon be down to our level."

"So people keep telling me," Stella answered before she took a sip from her tea.

"Well put this down," Esme said leaving Polly to make the sandwiches alone to reach over and pluck Stella's drink from her, placing it on the table "Pol told you about Ada and me lending you some clothes right?"

"I, uhm," she sent Michael a glance as she got to her feet, his smirk and a shrug of his shoulders the last thing she saw before Esme ushered her out of the room "This is very kind of you," she said, raising her voice slightly, as she followed her up the stairs.

"No bother," Esme answered stepping aside and gesturing for Stella to enter the room they were standing in front of "John insists I've got too many clothes as it is and Ada is worse than I am," she continued "She's down in London at the moment so whatever she has left behind is up for grabs...though I see you're already in one of her coats."

Stella's hands automatically clutched onto the lapels of the coat Polly had thrust toward her before they had left the house "Oh, I erm-"

A laugh lit up Esme's face and she shook her head, stopping Stella from taking the coat off "Ada goes through coats quicker than anyone I've ever met, she probably doesn't even remember that one," she said with a wave of her hand as she opened up the wardrobe in the corner of the room to pull out a couple of bags "And, like I said, she's fucked off to London so she's not going to need it is she."

Despite how intimidated she had felt moments earlier Stella couldn't help but like the small, feisty woman thrusting two bags filled with clothes in her direction, though she was still quite unsure what Esme's opinion of her was "Thank you, for these," she said with a smile, "I didn't know how long I was staying so I only packed for a day."

Esme's eyes narrowed as she straightened up, placing her hands on her hips and regarding Stella with a tilted head "And how long are you planning on staying?"

It was the question Stella had been waiting to be asked and the one she didn't have any kind of answer to, the words sticking in her throat as she opened up her mouth "I don't-" she paused, her lips pressing together as she thought over how to word what she wanted to say "For as long as I am welcome."

Esme snorted a laugh "Do what I did girl," she said patting Stella's arm as she passed her to head back downstairs "Stay longer."

She closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath, bringing in a lungful of refreshingly cold air. The silence of the late afternoon enveloped her, relaxing her tense muscles after a day which could only be described as long.

With sleep evading her most of the night followed by a day spent meeting the members of the overpowering Shelby family she found herself eagerly snatching at the first opportunity gifted to her to take a step away. Leaving Michael laughing with the returning John and Polly deep in discussion with Esme she quietly slipped out of the front door in the hunt for space and fresh air.

And standing near the canal in the middle of a horse yard was as close to fresh air as she was going to get in the centre of Birmingham.

She had left the village, and the countryside, in such a rush she hadn't taken the time to wonder whether or not she would miss what she was leaving behind. With it being something always in her and Henry's plan for the future leaving had always seemed like something that was inevitable but, with the breeze coming in from the water to caress her skin and the smell of horse filling her nostrils, she found herself feeling an unforeseen and slight pang of homesickness.

Turning her back on the water as it shimmered in the moonlight she made her way across the yard, over to the spacious stables so different to the block back home which housed her and Henry's mares. Reaching up she ran a hand along one of the walls, made from wood and sturdy against any kind of weather, until the sound of a snort caught her ear and she glanced up in surprise to see a beautiful grey staring back at her.

With ears flickering backward and forward the horse paced from foot to foot as Stella approached, her head bobbing and hope for a treat in her eyes.

"When Curly said there was a trespasser on the yard you weren't what I was expecting to find."

With tense shoulders and a blush to her cheekbones Stella turned from where she had reached out to fuss the grey mare, a tentative smile coming to her lips as she faced the approaching Tommy Shelby "I just needed some air," she said in a small voice, allowing her hand to fall back to her side "But I, I can leave," she said as she stepped away, the grey standing behind her reaching her nose out to nudge her arm.

Nerves swirled in her stomach as her eyes met his, there was a lit cigarette resting between his lips and a flat cap pulled low over his face. With his hands tucked deep into the pockets of his long black coat, she was able to see that his eyes were narrowed as he came closer. Her heart skipped slightly in her chest; he couldn't have looked more intimidating if he tried.

But, at the same time, there was something different about him now he was standing on the yard surrounded by the horses. His posture wasn't as tense as it had been back at the house, his tone wasn't as snappy and she was pretty sure there was a hint of a smile on his lips as he regarded her.

"You can stay as long as you like," he said to her surprise, tugging his hands from his pockets and snuffing his cigarette out on the floor before he slowly approached the filly, who had given up on getting a mint from Stella and was now happily munching on her hay "This is the first time she has settled since she arrived from the sales," he said running a hand gently down the horse's neck "You know horses?"

"I've been around them my entire life," Stella said stepping back to her original position and holding her hand out to allow the filly to nuzzle her palm "I don't have anything for you sweet girl," she said in a low and gentle tone as she raised her hand to rub it down the long nose being shoved in her personal space "Does she have a name?" she asked looking across to the impressed looking Tommy.

"She does," he said, looking away and taking a step back. His guard seemed to shoot back up for a second as he added "But no one knows it yet."

"Well she's beautiful," Stella said, an amused smile coming to her face as the grey began to move her head up and down to show her where she wanted to be rubbed "Do you have plans for her?" she asked as she regarded the horse properly "She's a thoroughbred right?" she continued before Tommy could answer, her eyes narrowing as she rubbed between the filly's eyes and watched her lower her head in contentment "But there's something different about her...is she also part arab?"

"You do know horses," Tommy said, impressed, and Stella lowered her head to hide the fact that her cheekbones were burning bright red once more "She's going away to be trained to race at Epsom," he explained and a smile lit up Stella's face.

"She'll be wonderful, I can tell," she said, letting out a laugh as the filly hooked her head beneath her arm and began to rub her face against her side.

"She likes you."

"If only I was a racehorse trainer hey girl?" Stella said, stroking between the two ears sticking out from beneath her arm. Her stomach dropped and she chewed on her bottom lip as she glanced back up to Tommy with a wince "I'm sorry. I'm sure you have the best trainer waiting for her arrival."

Before Tommy could reply there was a shout of "Essie!" and he took another step away from her, turning his back on her just in time for a concerned looking Michael to appear around the corner.

"Your girl is very good with horses Michael," Tommy said as his younger cousin glanced between him and Stella with confusion in his features. Without even a glance back to her he pulled a tin from his pocket, placing a cigarette between his lips and lighting it before walking passed where Michael was standing.

He paused just before he was out of sight and turned, his gaze on Stella as he let a cloud of smoke pass his lips "Grace's Secret," he said before taking another drag from his cigarette "The horse. She's called Grace's Secret."

A smile came to Stella's lips as she nodded her head "I like it," she said, watching as Tommy nodded his head and sent a glance toward Michael before disappearing around the corner.

Without realising she had still been holding them Stella sighed as she let out the tension in her shoulders, sending Michael a smile as he crossed the yard toward her "I met the horse," was all she could think of to say, resting her hand on the filly's shoulder and placing a kiss on her muzzle before she ducked out of the stall to join her friend.

"I turned around and you had disappeared," he said as she joined him at his side "I was worried," he continued throwing an arm around her shoulders and tugging her into his side as they made their way back to the road.

"You know I can look after myself," Stella answered with more than a hint of defiance in her tone.

A muscle jumped in Michael's jaw as she glanced across to him. Without looking back to her he squeezed her closer to his side and warned "It isn't safe to be alone out in the streets," as he glanced around "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

Stella's eyes narrowed "I didn't have you down for the over protective type," she said with an air of suspicion and a touch of mischief as she nudged his side with her shoulder. They had been partners in crime back in the village, equal on all parts with neither ever questioning the other.

Letting out a sigh he came to a stop, moving around he placed a hand on each of her shoulders and leaned down to stare into her eyes "I'm being serious Estelle," he said, the use of her full name sending shivers down her spine. He had only ever called her by her full first name a handful of times in their long friendship and every time it had been for something she didn't want to hear "You coming out here alone isn't a good idea and I want you to promise me you won't be doing it again. Promise me."

An ice cold fear ran through her at the urgency in both his tone and his expression, his fingers were digging into her skin almost uncomfortably and his breathing was tense and ragged. She had never seen him like this before, so desperate for her to listen to him and to do what he said "Okay," she said breathlessly, watching as his shoulders relaxed and his eyes slowly closed "I promise," she continued with a nod of her head.

A smile slowly came to his face as he nodded along with her, his hands moving from where they were resting on her shoulders to cradling her face "Okay," he breathed as his thumbs gently stroked along her cheekbones. Leaning forward he dipped his head slightly to press a kiss on her lips.

A blush burned her cheekbones for the third time since she had left the Shelby home, her eyes flickering closed as she pressed into him to kiss him back. There had always been something between the two of them, whether it be the locals assuming they were to be married once they were of age or the odd kiss beneath the oak tree when they had stolen some of her father's gin, but she had never allowed her crush to run away with her. As close as they were their future had never felt secure, sure they both planned on leaving for one of the big cities but Stella had never been sure if it would be possible for her, it had been a constant worry in the back of her mind which had kept her from taking any further steps with the boy she had loved for most of her life.

"I think Birmingham is good for us," she said in a whisper as they pulled apart. Her heart felt light in her chest and she was unable to stop the smile from crossing her face as her dark eyes met his bright ones through the gathering night.

A grin filled with boyish excitement stretched across Michael's face as he reached down to lace their fingers "We're here," he said as they began their walk back to the Shelby house "The future we've always planned Essie. We're here."

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