A/N: Hello everyone! Instead of waiting a ridiculously long time to update (even longer than the current amount it has been) I have decided to put out this chapter, as short as it may be, to tide you over while I work on the next. I am happy that it stands alone – but more to come soon! Also, thank you all for your kind, encouraging words and thoughts! You make even the hardest days bearable!

Chapter 11: Dangerous Game

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"I'm sorry…Henry I am so sorry," Sophie turned to her date and started profusely apologizing the moment Tommy left the theater. He held both of her hands as she stood in front of him, but he seemed to be miles away, looking completely shell-shocked. "I'll fix this…"

"He's going to kill me, you know that right? I've seen what he's done to people." Henry was always relaxed and having fun. She had never witnessed this side of him – with his whole body rigid and pure fear darkening his eyes. Tommy had warned her that he did bad things. John had alluded to it as well. She wasn't ignorant, but she also didn't think that 'bad things' could ever extend to hurting another member of the Peaky Blinders.

"No he won't!"

"Sophie, yes. He talks about shooting Freddie Thorne dead nearly every day in the office. Now I'm no different than Freddie." Henry kept eyeing the door to the theater, nervous that Tommy was going to barge back in and take care of him right then.

"I'm not his little sister!"

"You might as well be with how he's acting. Sophie, I like you. A lot. I want to see where this goes between us. But I clearly made a mistake…" Henry shook his head and he looked pained when he pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead, "Soph, you are a kind, beautiful girl. Too good for Small Heath. Too good for any of us."

Sophie pushed him away, "Don't act like this, Henry. Don't act like you are saying goodbye to me."

"I'm not. I just want you to know how I feel in case things do not work out how I want them to. I want to take you on another date. But I think I need to step away right now and hopefully let Tommy forget how angry he is before we try again." He gave her a small smile and she nodded, furious inside that Tommy would cause such problems.

"I'll see you," Sophie promised and walked up the aisle of the theater to the door, not looking back. She found her way through the lobby, ignoring the looks she was getting from the lingering couples that were forced out, and finally made it outside where Tommy was leaning against his car with a cigarette in his mouth. When she was about ten steps from him, he jerked his head in silent order for her to get in the car.

Sophie didn't break the speed at which she walked toward him and her hand raised and slapped across his face before he could even react. The crack of her small hand meeting his cheek reverberating in the air and his cigarette fell to the ground.

"You are an arse." Sophie finally said as an explanation when he did nothing but stare at her with his cold blue eyes. She held her hands in front of her, the palm of her right hand stinging from the stubble on his cheek.

Tommy wasn't surprised. He had been expecting worse and a slap on the face from a girl half his size did nothing but make him feel more self-loathing. "I'll allow that one, now get in the car Sophie."

Sophie huffed but pulled the passenger door open as Tommy settled into the driver's seat. She waited until the roar of the car starting dimmed before starting in on him.

"Why would you go out of your way to ruin my date with Henry? I followed your rules. I went out with a Blinder. I told Polly. She told John. I was safe." Sophie began. She wanted to add 'and happy', but decided against it. "It was only the pictures."

"And what happened the last time you went to the pictures?" Tommy reminded her, "You can't leave Small Heath."

"So I have to stay confined within walking distance from Watery Lane, is that what you are saying?" her voice dripped with sarcasm and she didn't care.

"I'd prefer it. The Lees left a bullet for me in the stables. Nowhere is safe right now, Sophie." Tommy kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, but all his minds' eye could see was the way Sophie squeezed Henry's hand.

"Is this about my safety or is this about me being out with a boy?"

"Both."

"You aren't my father!" Sophie could hardly fathom this.

"Someone needs to be. John's doing a shite job at it."

"You were my friend once Tommy. I had thought that was what we were becoming again. I don't see why me having a harmless date at the pictures warranted all of this." Sophie crossed her arms as they entered the streets of Small Heath.

"I can't have you ending up like Ada. Acting like a common whore and getting herself into a terrible fucking situation."

"I know you know quite a bit about common whores Tommy but Ada nor I are anything like that. It was a date…nothing more," Sophie fired back at him. He kept his demeanor calm and collected, but on the inside he was anything but, wracked with jealousy at what could have been if he hadn't interrupted. Would she even have come home that night at all?

"I know Henry. He would have had your dress off an hour from now at the very latest." Tommy said it in such a way that she felt scolded for something she hadn't even done. She wanted to jump out of the car and run to the stables to be with Princess. At the very least she wanted to slap him again.

"I don't think you know him as well as you think. And you certainly don't know me anymore. Maybe you never did if that is how little you think of me. I did not do this to anger you. I just wanted to have fun. To go on a date. Something I've never done before. And I didn't even get to finish it."

"I'm glad you didn't get to finish it" Tommy's mouth curled into a satisfied smirk about what he had done as they parked in front of the house.

"You aren't going to stop me from doing what I want to do," she finished resolutely and got out of the car. She didn't wait for him, just stormed into the house, past Polly who was sitting up waiting for them, and up the stairs.

Tommy sauntered in a few minutes later after lighting another cigarette, still pleased with himself and thinking about how he would deal with Henry in the morning. He tried to slip past Polly who was standing like a wall between him and the staircase, her hands on her hips.

"Thomas Shelby you can ruin the lives of every fucking girl in Birmingham, but not hers, do you understand?" her eyes were dark and the purple under them showed she was tired and worried.

"I'm doing everyone a favor, Pol."

"I wouldn't be surprised if she's on the morning train back to London."

"Then let her go."

Polly shook her head in frustration. She was disappointed in herself that she didn't see it sooner. All those years ago, she should have known that he and Freddie were a mirror image of each other. Both infatuated with girls too young for them, but just as idealistic and full of life. She missed her Tommy from back then, before the war. How he would smile and laugh. Dream with his brothers instead of drink. She thought back to the day the Shelby boys left for the war and how Tommy waited until the very last moment before he let go of Sophie.

And now, both he and Freddie had grown up - Freddie truly in love with Ada but still the same fiery idealist he used to be. Tommy had hardened, caved in on himself, and turned into someone Polly barely recognized. If he had feelings for Sophie, there must still be hope for him to love and let someone love him, but Polly was conflicted. She didn't want to see Tommy fade away, but she also couldn't rightly condone him wanting a girl who she considered her niece in everything but blood.

"Tommy," Polly sighed, "You are playing a very dangerous game."

"I play dangerous games everyday, Pol. This one's no different." He promised her and went to bed. He could hear Sophie crying in her room until he fell asleep.