Authors NOTE:
Hello my faithful readers and thank you for your patience, I know it's been a good bit since I've updated. I wrote half the chapter and then decided I really didn't like it so I scrapped it and started over. I am much happier with this one. I am both happy and sad to say the time has come. It had to end somewhere. This is the final chapter in this story. If you are following the story, you can unfollow it, as there will be no more updates. Though you might like to follow me as an author. There are no concrete plans for an epilogue or sequel but I haven't decided against those two options either. It all depends on where my imagination takes me next and of course on my life's schedule.
Please enjoy and when you're done, let me know via comment what you thought overall. Again Thanks so much, and my dearest thanks to everyone who has commented on previous chapters, you kept my drive and desire to write this story high and I always loved and felt a great deal of appreciation every time my email dinged that someone had left a comment.
Chapter 44
Tommy POV
Laughing, that's what he awoke to. Beautiful distinctive mellow feminine laughter, interspersed with the lighthearted giggles of children. He opened his eyes and noted a soft light filtering in from a bay of windows. He could hear a gentle pattering of rain comin' down on the roof above and the muffled sound of soft footsteps and murmured voices moving about in the hall.
He sat up carefully and swung his legs over the side of the bed. The laughter was drifting in from a side room that had the door slightly ajar. He slowly walked over and peered through the opening. It was a nursery and two little toddlers, boys, no more than a year apart were sitting on the floor crowding around their mother. Listening intently to the sound of her voice as she told them a story. One of them looked up and saw him leaning against the door jam and hooted excitedly..."Papa!" His little arms lifting up and reaching for him to come closer and hold him.
The woman who'd been facing away from him but whom he could never mistake for anyone else turned around and smiled that dimpled smile with sparkling eyes. Her voice as soothing to his senses as ever.
"Look who finally woke up. Were we to loud? We didn't mean to wake you."
"No you were fine, I enjoy wakin' to the laughter of my family."
"Well, why don't you come in and join us. We're almost finished and then we can all go down for a late breakfast."
He walked in and sat on the floor against one of the beds and hauled his youngest son into his arms. Aoife continued her story and he examined his family. His boys were the perfect mix of the both of them, each different yet perfect. The one in his arms was dark haired with his mothers green eyes and his eldest had his mothers copper tones with his own light blue eyes.
It was the weekend and he made a point of making sure that there was no business scheduled so that he could be home with them. His life was good, he was happy. He had the love of the woman that he loved, two beautiful boys and a comfortable home with a thriving business.
**********0**********
Something was nagging at the back of his mind, a feeling that he was forgetting something important. Every time the answer seemed to be coming to the forefront in his mind Aoife or one of the boys would pull his mind away and distract him from it.
**********0**********
They'd put the boys to bed, Aoife having outright refused to hire a nanny or governess of any kind telling him that she was quite capable of raising her own children, thank you very much. He remembered he'd been rather happy with her desire not to have servants raise their boys. It wasn't following the practices of societal conventions for their standing but he'd always enjoyed Aoife's will and ability to go against conventions when she desired to.
He was so lost in his own thoughts that he was surprised when her arms wrapped around him from behind, her head resting gently between his shoulder blades.
"Everything alright Tommy? You seemed a bit preoccupied today."
"Everythin's fine love... I just have the feelin' that I'm forgetting somethin'."
"Business?"
"... No... fuck I don't know, maybe."
"Hmm. Do you want to call Arthur or John and see if that'll jog your memory?"
"... No, I'd much rather spend time with my wife. I'll worry about it on Monday."
"Alright. Who are you and what, have you done with my Tommy?"
"Very funny."
"Well if my husband wants to forget about work for once and spend time with me, I'm game. What did you have in mind?"
"Hm. How about a nice quiet soak in the tub."
Birmingham
Hospital
Friday April 16, 1920
Morning
Polly POV
She stopped in at the hospital for a quick visit and check in on Tommy's condition before heading to the den to keep business running. The doctor had said Tommy was stable but he hadn't woken up yet and that had them all concerned. Aside from a myriad of cuts and bruises, he'd suffered several broken ribs, bruised lungs and a serious concussion. Thank god he hadn't had a skull fracture. As it was the doctor was worried about brain swelling and had been talking about drilling into Tommy's head to relieve pressure if his condition worsened.
She'd been praying constantly here at the hospital, in the church and at home when she forced herself to go there for necessary sleep. He needed to wake up, he needed to be okay. Needed to see that Aoife was alive and well, and here with him. It was a miracle she'd survived her ordeal, a miracle she'd remembered them after her memory loss and a miracle she'd come to Small Heath as soon as she'd remembered. A bloody fuckin' miracle that she had seen Tommy, followed him and killed those men who'd done this to him.
It wouldn't be kind of God to allow Aoife to live only to take Tommy instead. So much heartache for one of them, either way. Yet Aoife was optimistic, staying with Tommy unless one of his siblings or herself came in. Only heading to the house to cleanup, eat and sleep when she was assured someone would be there in case he awoke so he wouldn't be alone.
She never cried, she would sit by the bedside holding Tommy's hand and talking to him as though he was awake and listening to everything she said. A time or two she'd walked in on the girl singing softly to him, a beautiful calming song. Her mere presence seemed to evoke a strength and hopefulness in all of them.
All those months ago she had been right about the girl. When needed her spine became steel and she did what needed to be done to save Tommy and now she was doing what needed to be done to hopefully help him heal and keep his family from fallin' apart around him in his absence.
Evening
Esme POV
Esme watched quietly from the doorway as Aoife gently swept a wet cloth over Tommy's forehead and down his neck, dabbing softly at the parts of his face that were slowly healing, no longer as swollen and grotesque as they'd been a few days ago.
She had come to like her very much in the short time they'd known one another. Though the first time she'd seen her had made her extremely jealous and for that she felt horribly guilty. She thought back on that moment and tried to reason with herself why she had jumped to such a silly conclusion.
She'd been in the pub with John and the rest of the Shelby's when Curly had come in like a wild man searching the room and yelling for Arthur and John. It was clear the man was in a complete panic, breathing fast and shaking something fierce. His stuttered words which only seemed to compound his agitation had been hard to listen to. Arthur had taken a hold of his shoulders and told him to calm down and breathe a bit.
Curly had shaken his head violently, clearly trying to tell them something important. He had the attention of everyone in the pub.
"H..h..hurt bad n...n..need d...d..doctor. T..T..Tommy's... hurt... Men...in the.. s...s..stable."
She could hear Ada and Polly's gasps from beside her and watched as John, Arthur and a number of Peaky Blinders started running for the door with Curly following close behind. Polly stood abruptly and called to Lizzie to get medics down to the stable now. Ada was gathering her things and grabbed her arm to get her moving to the door.
"Come on Esme, we need to go get Finn and get to the hospital. The boys will make sure Tommy gets there, we'll just be in the way otherwise. Are you coming Polly?"
"I'll follow shortly Ada, I'm going to stop at the church on the way there. A prayer can't hurt."
***0***
She'd walked into the hallway for the surgical rooms and seen the arms of a woman wrapped around John and he'd been holding her right back. The amount of green that had raced through her system at seeing some strange unknown woman hanging off her husband had been surprising in its ferocity. She'd been set on storming down there and ripping the woman in half while giving her husband a good thrashing to boot. But then Ada had stilled next to her and Finn had shouted in surprise.
"AOIFE!"
His little legs moving across the floor as he ran toward the mystery woman, she let go of John and dropped to a knee to catch him in her arms.
"I knew, I knew it wasn't true, it couldn't be, ya still had lives left!"
Ada left her side in a quickened stride going for the new girl as well. She found herself hurrying after her with the name Aoife clicking into place in her head, Tommy's Aoife. The woman they all thought was dead.
Finn stayed glued to her side as she stood and Ada pulled her into a hug, her voice low and murmuring.
"You scared all of us something fierce Aoife. Don't ever do that to us again."
"I certainly have no plans to ever experience that again, Ada."
"How's Tommy? Has the doctor said yet?"
"No one's come out since he went in."
Arthurs voice which he'd forced into a lower tone than his typical, floated over everyone.
"Think it will be awhile yet before we hear anythin' one way or the other. Let's get out of the way and settle in. We'll be here a while. Do ya have any idea who those blokes were Aoife? Or why they attacked Tommy? I didn't recognize any of 'em."
"No, um... the one that did the talking said something about Tommy keeping something from them. Didn't really say anything else about why they were after him. He had a northern colonial accent though if that helps any... Which it apparently does based on the looks on all your faces."
It was at that point that Aoife looked at her, studying her carefully but not in a way that made her uncomfortable. Her hand reached out as she spoke to her.
"Forgive me, I've been terribly rude. You must be Esme, John's wife, Tommy told me of you. Wish our meeting was under better circumstances. Please call me Aoife."
Before she could reply or shake the woman's hand Michael's voice distracted all of them as he entered the hall with Polly.
"Aoife! Is it really you?"
"Aye Michael, news of my demise was premature."
He came between them and pulled her into a hug as he continued to speak with her.
"Bet your family is overjoyed, where are they?"
"...Mm. They don't actually know yet. I was headed to Alfie's when I remembered... and I turned around and came straight here instead. With everything, I haven't had the time to contact them."
Esme had seen Polly standing back and taking everything in. It was at that moment she opted to speak.
"You haven't told them, you came straight to Small Heath..."
Polly and Aoife looked at each other for a moment as everyone remained silent before Polly moved into the space Michael vacated and lifted her hand cupping her chin and studying Aoife more closely. Her voice firm and matter of fact when she broke the silence.
"You look like hell, child. We're all glad you're alright and that you've returned to us. We'll be waiting on news of Tommy for a while yet so why don't you explain to us what happened, what you meant by... you remembered... and then Michael can run back to the house and contact Solomons, to tell him the news. We'll get Solomons to contact the rest of your family... Jeremiah would you take a few of the boys and be so kind as to ensure that there are no more colonials to deal with lurking about."
Esme watched as Jeremiah stood from his slouch against the wall and motioned to a few others who followed suit as they heeded Polly's order.
Aoife's quiet voice drifted into her mind and pulled her out of her thoughts.
"You've got me a little worried Tommy. I don't mean to rush you and the gods know that you're bullheaded enough that you won't be. But I'd really appreciate it if you'd wake up soon."
One of her hands held his limp one and the other gently stroked over the unmarred skin of his left cheek. She watched Aoife with Tommy quietly for another moment before knocking softly on the open door. Aoife looked over and gave her a small smile.
"Esme, what brings you by at this time of the evening?"
"Figured you wouldn't have eaten since breakfast and thought I'd drop something off for you to fill up on. It's just some chicken soup but anythin' is better than nothin'."
Aoife's smile grew and she nodded her head.
"Thank you Esme, that's very thoughtful of you, I appreciate it."
"Still no change?"
"...Not yet. But then he's still healing and the longer he sleeps the less pain he'll be in when he wakes. Which is a good thing, provided he wakes up when he's decided that he's slept long enough. I guess it's not really surprising."
"Why's that?"
"For as long as I've known the man, he's been in desperate need of a decent sleep. Now he's using his head injury as an excuse to make up for it."
Esme listened to Aoife chuckle and knew that her comment was more for Tommy's benefit, if he could hear them than for her own.
"Well I best get back to the house and make sure the little ones haven't scared away old Mrs. Kent from next door."
"John's not home with them?"
"Workin'."
"Ah. Well then I'll see you later Esme, have a safe walk home and say hi to the kids for me."
"I will. Try and get some rest yourself, you won't want to be tired when he does wake up."
"I'll try. Goodnight."
"Night."
Aoife POV
Aoife sipped the broth from the bowl of soup Esme had brought by and watched Tommy's still form. Watched his chest rise and fall in shallow even breathes reminding her that while he was still, he was just sleeping. She really did wish he'd wake up soon.
The Adelisa was set to be in Birmingham tomorrow and she was looking forward to seeing her siblings but she didn't want to leave Tommy's side for that long. Alfie and Aine had shown up at the hospital late in the night the same day as Tommy's admittance. She'd worried over Aine's emotional state, she knew she was happy but she was with child, severe mood swings couldn't be good for her or the baby.
After the initial shock wore off she explained to Aine and Alfie what had happened to her and why she hadn't been able to contact anyone till now. She left out the bits about her memory loss and seeing them outside the bakery before she turned tail and ran straight to the tramline to Birmingham. She really didn't think that would go over well with either of them. They had grabbed a room at the Garrison for the remainder of the night and had returned to Camden Town late the next day.
They were going to be back in Birmingham when the Adelisa docked though. It wouldn't be till afternoon but once it came in she didn't see herself being able to spend hours by Tommy's bedside. She would need to give her siblings time to come to terms with the fact that she was back from the dead as it were. She would have to tell them that she wouldn't be leaving with them. Not only because she wanted to stay until Tommy woke and properly healed but because her own body was still healing from the damage done to her heart and lungs. She'd also spoken with her parents and grandparents over a relayed com line shortly after they'd been told of her survival and knew they would be making their own trip to Birmingham soon.
Aoife was pulled out of her own head when she heard the sound of light footsteps coming down the corridor toward Tommy's room. She waited to see if it would be Ada or Polly but was surprised when Grace came through the door. She watched as the blonde took notice of her and halted in her steps. She just stood there and stared at her, Aoife could see the wheels in her mind turning trying to put things together in her head. Finally she figured she'd given Grace enough time to collect her thoughts and spoke up.
"Grace. What brings you by?"
"...Aoife. I could ask you the same. I'm here to check on Tommy."
"As you can see he's right here, still completely out of it, anything else you wanted?"
"It's you isn't it?"
Aoife thought about giving her a hard time, pretending not to understand the question, but ultimately she was too tired to play stupid, so answered her without compunction, "It's me."
"How did the two of you even meet?"
"Business."
"It seems you have quite the hold on his heart. I wonder if you feel the same? As I recall you were always rather careful with your own."
"My feelings for Tommy are none of your business Grace. The only person who has any right to know my feelings is Tommy and yes he already knows what I feel for him."
"You're the one that told him about the tincture."
"And you're the one who had the nerve to use it on him. Desperate much Grace?"
"Yes, well… desperate times call for desperate measures and all that."
"Is that what happened when you fled the Adelisa and left us in the wind on that last shipment? You nearly cost Riley his life."
"There's no use living in the past as I can't change it even if I wanted to."
"Glad to know that you're not repentant for your sins in the least and that you're still the same fickle conniving bitch you've always been. Lets me know what to expect from you. You know Tommy told me you'd come back to town saying you wanted to give it another go. He also said he didn't believe you. So what was the real reason you came back to Small Heath then?"
"... Protection."
"And you thought he'd give it to you, because he loved you once upon time. Even after you screwed him and his family over?"
"Figured it was worth a shot. I'd either be safe with him or I'd be dead by his hand or by the man that's after me."
"Who's chasing you now?"
"Hayworth."
"... That's why he's in here isn't it. Those were Hayworth's thugs in the stable. You… were what he was trying to keep from them. What they came to collect."
"He had eyes on air and sea travel, I don't understand how they made it here without him knowing about it."
Aoife's mind whirred and the answer clicked into place but she decided not share it with Grace.
Because they came from beneath the sea. The man had told Tommy so in his farewell diatribe.
"He's never going to stop is he? He's just going to keep coming after me until he manages to grab hold of me."
"If I fix this for you… will you leave Birmingham? Leave Tommy and the rest of the Shelby's alone for good, as in never darkening their doorsteps again?"
"What do you mean fix it for good?"
"Don't flatter yourself Grace, you're not worth killing for in my book. I will make sure that he stops looking for you. That he understands his own hand in his son's death. That his good health and whatever future he has, depends on him letting go and moving on. You know I can make that happen. So it all depends on what you're willing to do for it."
"... I'll be free and clear and all I have to do is leave Birmingham and stay away from the Shelby's?"
"Yes. All of them and those that they're related to."
"What if Tommy doesn't want me to leave."
"I really don't think that's an issue. If you need him to tell you to scram in person you can certainly wait to shove off until he's done so... Do you honestly think, based on his treatment of you thus far, that he'll ask you to stay?"
"... Take care of it and let me know when it's done... Please and... thank...you."
"Eh, that had to have been hard."
"Harder than facing Tommy when I first came back."
"Well then, I'll let you know when you're no longer a wanted woman and if I see you again before then I won't hesitate to help Hayworth's cause along. After all, I still owe you for Riley."
Grace nodded her head and then removed herself from the room. Aoife stared at the doorway until she could no longer hear Graces receding footsteps. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to try and clear the irritation, anger and overall dislike of the woman from her mind.
Saturday April 17, 1920
Afternoon
Adelisa Aiglentine
Carrick POV
All of them were in a hurry to get tied off and docked so they could head down and see Aoife with their own eyes. They couldn't believe it when Aine and Alfie had called them to tell them the news that Aoife was alive. Neither of them had a lot of information to give other than she had survived after being picked up by a submersible. Which had also caused her inability to contact anyone, until it dry docked.
The moment they'd heard, they'd contacted their parents who in turn got in touch with their parents. Spreading the good news like wild fire. They'd had a business venture to finish with and when it was completed they'd turned right around and headed straight back to England. For once happy that they'd taken a short jaunt up to Scotland to take care of some dealings and hadn't headed straight for the colonies.
He could tell that Riley and Eirnin were both still in the same state of shock that he was. Aine had contacted them again the day after she'd originally called to tell them that it was true. She'd seen Aoife with her own eyes, held her in her arms. It wasn't just a hopeful thought but a reality. Aoife was alive. He wasn't sure if he'd truly believe it himself until he could see her and hold her and he couldn't wait.
Early Evening
Tommy POV
The water was perfect and relaxing in it was just what he needed to finish off his day. His legs bracketed Aoife as she leaned back into his chest and he enjoyed shifting her hair to the side and nuzzling her neck. Giving her pulse a little nip and getting that wonderful low purr to come from her. For some reason he felt like it had been a while since he'd been close to her. He really needed to leave work at the office and focus on being with his family when he was home. He didn't like feeling as though it had been too long since they'd been together last.
"Enjoyin' the water Aoife?"
"Mm. Enjoying you in the water with me Tommy. I can't remember the last time we did this. Didn't realize I missed it so much."
"Hm. I've missed this too. I've missed you."
"I suppose you have thoughts on how to fix that?"
"A couple at the moment. I'm sure I'll come up with more later."
Tommy allowed his hands to wander over her supple skin, caressing and relishing Aoife's curves and her reactions to his touch. He closed his eyes to take in the feel of her against him. He didn't feel her shift but in one instant her weight disappeared. He opened his eyes and she was gone, he was in the dark and he couldn't make out anything surrounding him. That nagging feeling in the back of his head, that he'd forgotten something returned full force. Then he heard Aunt Polly's voice echoing through his mind. Aoife's gone Tommy, she's gone.
Slowly, as though a whisper was becoming louder in his ears he could dimly hear Arthur and John going on about something, it sounded like an argument but he couldn't make sense of the words. The more awake he became the more aware he became of the soreness and pain that wracked his head and chest. His body felt heavy to him and he felt like he was being stabbed in the head with an ice pick. Deep breaths were exceedingly painful and he knew the feeling well, he had broken ribs. How the fuck did he have broken ribs and what the fuck happened to his head.
Through the pain, his mind came to the realization that it had been a dream. It had all been a wonderful, painful fuckin' dream. He didn't want to give up that future with Aoife by his side and their two beautiful boys. All he wanted to do was go back into that world and stay there, forever. But then Aoife's voice drifted through his head.
"Live for the both of us Tommy, if for no other reason than we've loved each other."
He managed to slit his eyes open, it seemed excessively bright in the room and made him want to squeeze his eyes shut to eliminate the pounding throb doing so had produced. He did close his eyes and allowed himself a moment more before reopening them and examining the room he was in. He recognized that he was in the hospital. He focused in the direction of his brothers voices. It took a moment but they came into focus. They were standing in the corridor just outside the open door to his room. He tried to speak loud enough for them to hear but his voice came out a dry rasping sound. Swallowing what little saliva he had, he tried again, the result a slow slurred sentence but at least it was loud enough.
"If you're goin' ta fuckin' argue go outside."
Both of their heads twisted to look at him in an instant and whatever they'd been arguing over was lost to them as their faces lit with smiles and they crowded his bedside. Arthur's voice was a bit weepy when it came.
"It's about bloody fuckin' time ya woke up. You've had us all worried for nearly a bloody week Tommy!"
Aoife POV
It had literally been a whirlwind of activity and questions since her brothers had descended upon the Shelby's home on Watery Lane. Aine and Alfie had gotten there earlier in the morning and she'd spent some more time with them, knowing that Aine still needed to be close to her. She remembered when Aine had first seen her at the hospital and she had to hold her tight while she cried. She'd felt Alfie wrap his arms around the both of them and she hadn't missed the kiss he'd placed on the top of her head either. They'd found a quiet spot and she'd told them what she knew about what had happened and answered the questions they'd had for her.
She knows that both Aine and Alfie would have told her brothers everything that she'd shared with them but she still found herself answering the same questions in order o appease her brothers. She didn't mind as much as she normally would. After all she had known they were all alive and okay the last time she'd seen them. They on the other hand had believed her dead and it would probably take some time to stop remembering the ache of her being gone.
When they started talking about how long she wanted to stay after hearing about Tommy being in the hospital, she'd had to go into her own medical prognosis given to her by Dr. Petrov. Her recovery time was slow and there was no guarantee that her heart and lungs would ever be one hundred percent again. So for the foreseeable future her feet would be planted on the ground. It was a hard blow to take but everyone seemed to take it in stride, thinking that if that was the price of having her alive, they'd take it and be grateful.
After many hugs she said good night to her siblings as they all headed back to the Adelisa for the evening. They would stay a couple days more before heading on to the Colonies, so she would have the opportunity to spend a bit more time with them. She was looking forward to seeing the men and grabbing a few of her things from her cabin before they left. Currently she was temporarily staying in Tommy's room, as per Polly's insistence. When Tommy woke up he'd be in the hospital for a little bit longer but once he was released she figured she would grab a room from Arthur at the pub.
After the last of her siblings were out the door she grabbed the coat she was borrowing from Ada and headed back out to the hospital.
Tommy POV
He stared at his brothers happy faces while his head stopped pounding from their loud exclamations. He tried to speak again but he had to clear his throat before he could get words past his lips. He watched as John turned and poured him a glass of water out of a nearby spout.
"Here Tommy, try some water."
After a small sip he tried to talk again.
"Wha' happened?"
They both stared at him for a moment before John spoke tentatively.
"Ya don't remember Tommy?"
"...No. My heads fuzzy."
"Well, from what we understand, ya went to the stables and ya were waylaid by five men, the ones we'd been keepin' an eye out fer from the Colonies. They worked ya over pretty good."
"...Grace... they took her back with 'em then."
"...No...um, they never left the stable, not breathin' anyway."
"Ya killed 'em?"
"...They're dead."
Tommy noted the surprise and confusion on Arthurs face at John's answer. As well, as the look that past between the two. John's clearly telling Arthur not to say anything more about the matter. Normally he would have demanded answers but he was in too much pain to worry about it… for the moment.
"So aside from my current stay in the hospital, everythin's under control?"
John nodded his head and Arthur forced out a simple gruff yes in answer.
Tommy felt the weight of his eyelids and knew he wouldn't be conscious much longer. He should stay awake and ensure that his brothers were taking care of business but a larger part of him hoped he would see Aoife again when he closed his eyes.
"Good. Now go argue somewhere else so I can get some rest."
Aoife POV
As she walked through the hospitals main doors she saw John and Arthur standing to the side having a serious conversation. She couldn't help but wonder why they weren't sitting with Tommy, perhaps Ada or Polly was with him.
As she neared them she could see Arthur was confused and John was trying to explain something. Their words were hushed but she could just make them out as she came closer.
"Because Arthur, ya know how he is. If we'd told him he would 'ave demanded ta be let out of the hospital. He wouldn't 'ave believed us til he saw it fer himself. We both know he's in no condition ta leave yet. It's fer the best, the next time he wakes, she'll be the first thing he see's."
Surprise and happiness bloomed through her as she heard that Tommy had finally woken. While she didn't condone lying to him, she also figured John was right. Tommy was hardheaded enough to drag himself from his hospital bed if he had a mind to.
"Tommy's awake?"
Arthur and John turned to her as she reached them and each gave her a nod. Arthurs smile was wide and happy as he answered her.
"Just fer a minute or two, he fell back asleep but he was awake enough ta tell us ta stop arguing where he could hear us and ask us what happened. He doesn't seem ta remember that night."
John smiled and gave her a one armed hug while he kept his voice low to speak to her.
"Figured it was best if ya were there the next time he wakes up before goin' inta details about what happened. Didn't want him gettin' ideas in his head about leavin' before the Doc says it's alright."
She nodded in agreement and Arthur leaned over to hug her as well before whispering, good luck in her ear and that they'd make sure the rest of the family knew the good news and waited a bit before visiting.
She watched them both quickly leave the hospital and she turned to head back in the direction of Tommy's room. She took a deep calming breath before pressing the button that would automatically open his sliding door, the soft whoosh sound barely a whisper. He was sleeping but now she knew for a fact that he was going to wake up. She'd look at him and see the set of glaciers that were his eyes looking back at her. A part of her wanted to wake him but she knew that she needed to have patience. He'd been in a coma, but he still needed as much rest as possible. The monitors that had been glowing and flickering constantly by his bedside while he was comatose were turned off and silent, pushed to the side of the room and away from the bed. The doctors must have turned them off after he'd finally woken.
Without taking her eyes from him, she pressed the identical button to close the door behind her and twisted the knob to turn the bright over head lights off. They would probably make his eyes and head hurt when he did open them again. Someone had turned on the table lamp near the bed so there was still enough light for her to see by.
3 Hours Later
Tommy POV
He could tell he was waking as the ache of his injuries returned, he hadn't dreamed this time. His sleep had simply been a short escape from the pain. He remembered that the light had made his physical torment intensify and decided to keep his eyes shut a bit longer this time. The room seemed to be quiet anyway, his brothers having removed themselves. When the pounding of his head lessened slightly he could make out the sound of someone breathing nearby. Probably Aunt Pol, she was the only one he could think of that would be able to sit in silence. He could make out the muffled footsteps of people moving about in the hallway, along with the murmured voices of nurses quietly speaking. He imagined it was night time, somewhere in the wee hours, otherwise the noise level would be higher.
Knowing that more rest was going to elude him for now he slowly squinted his eyes open. The room was darkened and a softer light than last time glowed nearby casting the room in muted amber tones. He slowly opened his eyes wider and took in the room he was in with far more clarity than he had earlier. Proving to himself, how out of it he'd been when he'd first woken.
He noted the monitors that were currently turned off on the far side of the room. He imagined the pictures they'd taken of his ribs wouldn't look pretty based on how they felt. The room as all hospital rooms were, was spare and utilitarian. The stench of antiseptic and bleach heavy in the air. God he hated hospitals, the noise, the smell and the suffering, either physical or emotional that was always attached to them.
His eyes drifted to the other side of the room to see if Polly was awake but when they reached the figure sleeping in the chair beside his bed he stopped breathing.
His first thought was that he was dead. It was quickly followed by the question that if he was fucking dead then why the fuck did he hurt so much. He certainly didn't feel dead, a sharp torturous pain sent that proof to his brain when his lungs started again and he tried to breathe deeper than he should have. He shut his eyes in agony as his ribs and lungs screamed at him. At his hissing wheeze he heard her startle awake and his name whispered in her voice drifted to him through his misery.
"I'm not dead… but you're not really here. Fuck my head must be messed up."
There was no comment returned from his sentence and when the pain lessened to something manageable he was sure that when he opened his eyes she would be gone. Only when he did she was still there. Leaning forward in her seat and studying him intently. When their eyes met, he watched as one of her brows arched upwards and a slow smirk tilted her lips. Her voice was soft and low, which helped keep his head from screaming at him as much as his ribs did.
"No you're certainly not dead, might wish you were but it's not your time yet."
"I had a dream."
He couldn't take his eyes from her, for sure if he did she would vanish and he wanted to hang onto her for as long as he could. Even if people started calling him crazy, he'd take being able to see and speak with her apparition over it.
"What did you dream about Tommy?"
"Us… Livin' in the country… we had two boys. They were beautiful. You were beautiful… I didn't want ta leave it. But ya told me ta live fer the both of us. I don't like livin' in a world without ya in it Aoife."
"You lived in it just fine before I came into your life Tommy."
"… Lived…before the war perhaps…no, I was only existin' when we met."
"You do realize that I'm right here don't you Tommy, sitting next to you in this chair. Speaking with you."
"For now… but when my head gets back on straight you'll be gone, just like ya were before… Fuckin' sea."
He watched as she looked at him, her eyes softening somewhat and a long breath leaving her body before she stood slowly and moved to sit gently on the side of his bed. He could feel the weight of her pressing down into the mattress next to him. Looking into her eyes, she was watching him carefully. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and worried it gently for a moment before releasing it. The sight still made his heart stutter for an instant.
"Tommy, I want you to pay close attention… I'm right here… with you."
He looked down at their hands as she gently ran her fingertips along his knuckles and up his arm, before gliding them back down again and entwining their fingers together. Her voice still soft as she continued to speak.
"Right here, with you Tommy… Yes… I went into the sea but I came back out of it."
When her words sank into his head he lifted his eyes from their linked hands back to hers and squeezed her fingers, a silent demand for her to explain.
"I'm alive. I… I did… die… I drowned and I was picked up by a submersible, with their technology and the knowledge they have, they knew my… brain… was still functioning… That it hadn't been long… I mean… I hadn't been dead long, and they, well, they brought me back. They didn't have communications to the surface and I had to wait for them to resurface before I could even try to contact anyone. I came here to find you as soon as I could. Only you were a little busy trying to take on five armed men by yourself."
He took in everything she said and he could feel hope starting to grow in his chest but he'd had so many dreams, hallucinated so many times. Each time he'd awaken or the drug induced haze would finally wear off and he'd be right back where he started, staring the cold hard truth of her demise in the face, all over again.
Her hand felt solid in his, it was warm, she seemed real beside him. Her voice and presence still made his heart beat faster. But he'd known the illusion to be capable of the same. She was there but there was still a distance. Without thought to the consequences of his actions he yanked on her arm and she toppled toward him. Her free hand shot out and landed above his shoulder keeping her weight from hitting his broken ribs. He wouldn't realize that until later when his mind was no longer clouded with denial and anger.
His voice was harsh when he heard himself speak through gritted teeth.
"Why are ya doin' this ta me? Physical pain isn't enough ya have ta come 'ere and make me go through everythin' I've been tryin' ta bury."
He felt her hand gently cup his cheek and her thumb delicately run over the stubble on his chin. Her voice even softer, matching the tender understanding he could see in her eyes.
"I don't want you in pain Tommy. I'm trying to take it away."
He felt her gentle exhale and the easy press of her silken lips on his.
Aoife POV
She wasn't sure how to get the truth through to him. She hadn't counted on him not believing her. She'd been staying in his room. She'd found his pipe under his pillow, the stash of opium in his bedside drawer and she'd seen the various bottles of liquor he'd kept close at hand. She'd heard the wayward comments from his men and from various strangers on the street about his recent state of being. Polly had spoken with her more candidly about his recent behavior. She was unsure if the woman was afraid the truth would scare her and was worried about her changing her mind about him or if she'd been testing her. To see if she was truly capable of loving him unconditionally. So yes… she'd known before walking into this room that he'd taken her death… poorly.
He had just confirmed that he dreamed of her…them. It wasn't a stretch to believe that with the alcohol and drugs in his system, his dreams were probably quite vivid.
She could feel his dry lips softening against the press of hers and his hands were tangling in her hair, pulling her closer. She allowed the extra pressure from his lips and leaned her head down further but kept her arm locked so that he couldn't pull her body down on his. He was somehow uncaring of the pain he would be in if she allowed it.
She felt the swipe of his tongue and almost lost herself to the moment, thankfully she returned to sanity before she allowed herself to sink into him. Her heart was pained but joyful in the same moment, when she delicately broke away from him her voice was barely above a whisper, which ghosted over his lips.
"It's really me Tommy. I don't know how to prove it to you. Other than to be right here with you every time you wake."
Tommy POV
Tommy kept his breath shallow as she pulled away just enough to speak and he could feel it stuttering as she told him she would be there every time he woke. What consumed his mind most was that in all the time she'd been gone, in every dream, through every hallucination she'd never tasted like she had back on the island. How could he have forgotten that she always tasted like peaches.
With her so close he could study her more clearly and noticed that her skin was paler than it had been. Her hair was slightly darker and she was a bit slimmer than the last time they'd been together as well.
If she was a figment created by his mind why would she look different than the way he knew her to be.
"Aoife?"
"Tommy."
"I'm not dreamin' am I? Not high on some drug the Doctors gave me?"
"You're not dreaming, you are certainly not high, not with the pain you're in. A lot has happened, but I'm her now Tommy. I'm really here."
He tightened his grip on the back of her neck and grasped her solidly before tugging her toward him again.
"Come 'ere."
"I don't want to crush your broken ribs Tommy, you're in enough pain."
"I'll tell ya if it starts botherin' me."
He could tell she was going to be adamant about keeping her distance and knew there wasn't much he could say that would change her mind, not if what they were doing had the potential to hurt him. So he said the one thing he thought might work.
"I need ya close ta me, Aoife… I need ta feel ya. That you're really here. Just… I just need ta hold ya close fer a bit. I give ya my word I'll tell ya if it's too much, but I need this… now."
There was worry and doubt shining in her eyes but also her own need and want as well.
"Compromise? I'll lay beside you."
He let his grasp on her go as she shifted and turned so that she was laying on her side next to him. He felt her gingerly leaning into him as she gently brought her head to his shoulder. There was slight pressure but nothing that seemed to cause the pain he felt to spike higher. He watched her as he held his hand out for hers. She placed her own lightly in his and he brought it down to rest comfortably over his heart.
He was enveloped in her scent as her warmth seeped into him where they touched. He leaned his head down slightly as she looked up at him and her lips met his in a delicate graze. Their lips seemed to part at the same moment and the kiss deepened. His eyes closed involuntarily and he tunneled his hand into the silken strands of her hair, as the taste of peaches filled his mouth once more.
Somehow after everything else had failed to prove her existence to him. The taste of peaches is what made the ice around his heart melt away and make him start to believe that she was real. He laid back and closed his eyes as he held her body against his own. Comforted by all the little things confirming her presence and he drifted off into darkness.
Morning
May 03, 1920
Small Heath - Birmingham, England
#6 Watery Lane
Ada POV
Everyone in the house could hear the loud conversation happening up in Tommy's room just fine. Ada couldn't help but glory in it and tried to hide her ever widening smile behind her cup of morning tea. She could just make out the slight shaking of Aunt Pol's shoulders as she pretended to work on washing the breakfast dishes as she listened in as well.
Arthur and John periodically looked toward the ceiling and then back down at the table, a dumbstruck look on their faces. Unfortunately Esme was out walking the kids to school and was missing the show. Finn was simply sitting quietly with his lips pursed as he listened to the goings on, trying to make sense of what he was hearing. A hush descended on the house and everyone looked toward the upper floor.
Tommy had been getting on everyone's nerves lately, especially Aoife's. She was learning that he was not a good patient and just how hard it was to make him stop trying to push himself further than he should. Ada had been watching her slowly lose her patience with him, there had been a number of times Aoife'd had to step outside his room and take deep calming breaths or a nice long walk before she'd return to him.
By the silence she wondered if they'd come to an impasse in their argument, lord knows they were both two of the most stubborn people you would ever meet. Tommy more than ready to be up and about, even if it still pained him and Aoife more than willing to make him follow the doctors orders right down to the letter. But then the yelling started and she knew that Tommy had finally managed to break Aoife's last vestige of tolerance with him.
"Thomas Michael Shelby, I swear to all the Gods known and unknown that if you so much as move a single toe out of this house. I will tie you down to that bed and there will not be one single moment of pleasure to be derived from it for either of us."
Aoife POV
She couldn't believe that she'd just threatened to tie him to the bed but Gods she'd had it! She had been trying so hard to stay serene and understanding with Tommy.
She'd come back to his room after stepping downstairs for the tea and he had been dressing to go out for the day. His movements had been slow and jerky, his breath a hissing wheeze. She knew that while he certainly felt better than he had in the last couple of weeks he was still in enough pain that he needed to stay away from going out and trying to take care of business. If he wanted to leave his room fine, but stay in the house and relax. Even down to the den and staying in the office would suffice. But no, not Tommy. Everyone said he shouldn't be up and about yet, he'll set himself back. What does he do? Asks Curly for some of the liniment that they use on the horses. So that he can go take care of some business or other.
He'd turned around when she'd walked in the room and all she'd met him with was crossed arms and an arched brow along with what she was sure was a fairly pissed off expression on her face. He'd been silent for a moment, taking her in, before his gruff voice filled the room.
"I've business needs tendin' to."
"Business Tommy? Business your brothers can't take care of themselves?"
"Business. That I need ta tend to."
"But they're going with you?"
"They've other things to take care of. I'm not a bloody invalid."
"Alright, where are we going then?"
"You're not goin' anywhere Aoife."
The stern cold look on his face let her know just how serious he was. It also let her know that whatever business he was looking to take care of was far too perilous for him to deal with in his current condition. His telling her what she could and couldn't do also put an additional layer of ire over her already irritated state. She walked toward him and decided to show him exactly how bad an idea his leaving was.
"Oh is that right. And pray tell Tommy, who exactly is going to stop me? You?"
She gave him a good solid but not too hard, fist to the chest. As he bent over pained and wheezing for breath she leaned down and made sure he heard her through his discomfort."
"Not likely. Either I go with you to whatever business you need to take care of or you get back in that bed and stay there."
Oh, after that he was angry. She could see the frustration and irritation he'd had from being laid up morph into enraged flames in those pretty blues of his. His fists and jaw clenching as he controlled his reaction to the pain she caused him but his voice rising in ire as he spoke.
"I'm more than capable of dealing with business and I'm leavin' ta take care of it. Now move out of the way Aoife."
And that had been it. She'd threatened to tie him to the bed if he left and they'd stared at one another, neither giving the other any ground.
Lizzie POV
She'd stepped into the house from the den with the main books to give to Tommy to go over and stopped short. The Shelby's were in the kitchen and looking up at the ceiling. It was silent but then she heard Tommy's voice rising. He was always so in control, she'd never heard that kind of rage from him. She wasn't even in the same room but she could hear it in his tone and it made her want to turn and flee back to her desk, far away from him.
She was certain that the redhead she'd learned to be Tommy's current paramour, Aoife, whom she hadn't really spent much time around. Would most certainly leave after seeing Tommy being this way, any woman would fear for herself. Except right after Tommy's outburst she heard an equally pissed off woman's voice yelling right back at him, threatening him even. She heard Ada trying to silence a laugh and looked to see her with a cat that ate the canary smile on her face. Silence descended from upstairs once again and then all that was heard was the slamming of a door.
Tommy POV
Tommy stood stunned for a second as he watched Aoife in all her ire turn and leave the room, slamming the door forcefully behind her. He could hear her angry outbursts pertaining to his character as she went down the stairs. Some in Gaelic which he couldn't understand, but some in French which he could. Single word epitaphs and he knew that she was raising her voice the further away she got so that he could hear her clearly.
"Senseless… stubborn… insufferable… arrogant… jackass… imperious, bastard."
He raised his voice loud enough for her to hear as well.
"I understood some of that Aoife!"
The resoundingly loud response of "GOOD!" came back up to him. Then in quick succession she went on.
"I'm going for a walk and you'd better still be here when I get back!"
Then he heard the slamming of the front door as she left. He reached for his jacket to put on but turned to quickly in his anger and caused his ribs to flare in a lung cramping ache. It took a few moments for the pain to subside enough for him to breathe easier again and as much as he hated to admit it, she was right.
He took a seat in the chair by his bed and tried to relax enough for the throbbing in his chest to dwindle. He closed his eyes and the vision of her standing in front of him only moments ago popped into his mind. Her… angrier than a hellcat at him. Standing toe to toe with him, unafraid and yet still somehow remarkably breathtakingly beautiful in her own rage. He couldn't believe she'd threatened to tie him to the bed. Then again he found that the idea, under the right circumstances actually held some appeal.
With that thought the exact wording of her threat surfaced in his mind and he couldn't help but laugh. The idea that she'd thought about tying him up under better circumstances had a barrage of possibilities flitting through his imagination and taking his mind away from the business he'd been so keen to take care of.
Polly POV
The shouting and fighting was over now that Aoife'd left the house to calm down. Ada had jumped up out of her seat and grabbed her coat as soon as she'd heard the bedroom door slam. She'd joined Aoife on her way out. Lord knows Ada would be the perfect companion for her at the moment. But she was still listening. Waiting patiently to hear the shattering of glass or for him to come out of his room and head out to take care of his business.
The boys were still sitting quietly at the table and Lizzie stood like a frozen statue in the doorway. They heard nothing but silence until laughter drifted down to them from above. She could tell Lizzie was baffled, the boys all had slow growing smirks on their faces, hell she could feel her own growing. She allowed the feeling to settle over them for a moment before she got back down to business.
"Alright boys, we've tarried long enough. Time to get to work… Lizzie just leave the books on the table, Tommy will see them when he comes down to stretch his legs."
Afternoon
Aoife POV
She'd gone for a long walk with Ada around Small Heath. The atmosphere had been dismal, it was a grey, chilly day but she figured it matched her current mood rather well. Ada had let her vent and made her laugh. They'd talked about the Adelisa and Aoife had noticed that most of that conversation had somehow involved Eirnin. She knew that they wrote and spoke with one another still, even thought she'd seen some sparks flowing between the two. Though she'd known Eirnin wouldn't do anything about them with Ada already having a man in her life. Ada had filled her in on the Freddie front one day when they'd been waiting for Tommy to wake up from his comatose state. So now that there was no Freddie she hoped maybe Ada and her brother could figure out what was happening between them.
She knew she hadn't calmed enough to deal with Tommy, whether he'd stayed at home or not. So they wound up at the Garrison taking tea in the new tea room, more in order to warm themselves than due to any hunger. She'd met a few people that worked there and greeted them by name but she had barely spent much time away from the house. She hadn't thought it really fair that she be able to go out and about while he was sequestered at home.
A friend of Ada's came up to their table to say hello. Ada knowing that she wasn't really fit for social company at the moment stood and gave a swift introduction then led her friend away. The moment of solitude gave her time to reflect on the argument she'd had with Tommy earlier.
In all honesty, she couldn't say that she would have been any better than Tommy had been as of late. She knew from experience that it was difficult, in more ways than one to be first, practically bedridden and then to be shut in for such a lengthy period of time. He was used to taking care of himself, to taking care of business himself, used to taking care of everyone else. She knew he'd had far worse injuries and more than likely soldiered through them with no other thought than that he needed to suck it up and continue on.
Having someone look after and care for him was a new experience, well, someone that he couldn't cow or scare away at any rate. Ada had said the lot of them would have allowed him to have his way weeks ago, simply because they would have been done putting up with him.
She didn't like arguing with him, not that she wouldn't when it was necessary. But she would really prefer to be able to work out their differences without getting so angry she felt the need to be away from him in order to calm down. It seemed he could be an extremely aggravating man at times, but one that her heart loved and she hated thinking that he believed she thought him an invalid. She knew he wasn't and perhaps, they could compromise a bit.
**********0**********
The house was quiet when she walked in. She'd seen Finn playing down the lane with a couple of other boys on her way up and she figured everyone else was either in the den, at the Garrison or running errands. She'd left Ada with her friend at the Garrison and stopped at the market, butcher and baker to pickup ingredients for a stew and a pie. It had given her a bit of extra time to work through what she wanted to say to Tommy when she got back.
She wondered if he was still here or if he'd indeed been the senseless jackass he'd been acting and gone to take care of 'business'.
As she placed the basket of food on the table and went to gather a knife and pot she heard light footsteps coming into the room. He didn't say anything but she heard him take a shallow fortifying breath before feeling his arms come around her waist from behind. He pulled her gently back against his chest and rested his chin on her shoulder. It couldn't have been comfortable for his ribs, not with their difference in height but he did it anyway.
She sat the knife and pot down on the counter and wrapped her own arms around his, a silent acknowledgement that she was willing to listen. She felt the soft press of his lips against her neck before he spoke in her ear.
"I know that I can be… vexing, at times. But I am who I am Aoife. Yes I'm injured, I've been injured before. What do ya do when you're injured Aoife? You pick yourself up and ya continue on. Everythin' around ya doesn't stop. Things still need ta be taken care of."
She felt Tommy graze his lips across her neck one more time before he stepped away from her. Clearly thinking their argument was over after he'd said his piece. She waited a beat to gather her thoughts, placing the pot in the sink for water and setting the cutting board on the table so she could chop the ingredients. She waited until he was almost out of the room before she spoke, keeping her tone of voice calm.
"You've said you're piece and I understand what you're saying. Now will you listen to mine and try to understand what I'm saying?"
She looked up from her chopping to watch him as he paused in the doorway to the hall, it took him a moment but he finally turned around and gave her a nod to continue. His eyes on her and his arms crossing in front of him while he leaned back against the wall. Not the best body language of someone willing to hear you out but probably the best she could hope for at the moment. She'd just be completely candid with him.
"I know you're not an invalid, Tommy. I know you've been through worse, that particular story is written across your body, can't hide it. You're right, the world doesn't stop turning just because you're injured. Shit still needs to get done. We both nearly lost each other. You believed you'd lost me for a time. All I am asking of you. Is for you to use discretion when choosing the business you're deciding to take care of. I would prefer it if you'd leave the more volatile business situations till later. That if it's something that absolutely cannot wait, you don't go alone. At least until you can take hit without needing a moment to gather yourself. Is that really too much to ask of you?"
She studied his face. He wasn't wearing his mask of indifference or trying to keep her from seeing him. She could tell he was running through what she'd said to him and truly giving it thought. Another shallow breath from him and the sight of those blues looking at her with a glint of something she couldn't decipher in them, then his voice was filling the room and the heaviness that'd been between them since that morning was gone.
"No, Aoife, it's not too much to ask…"
She watched him as his lips disappeared between his teeth for a moment before he was speaking again.
"Looks like we survived our first row."
She couldn't help but grin at him as she replied, "And we're both still in one piece. What were the odds?"
He walked over to the kitchen table pulled out a chair and sat down across from her, clearly intending to keep her company while she worked on their meal.
"Would you care for some tea Tommy?"
"Not particularly but why not."
"You could always have some Rum or Whiskey. I know there's some of each around here."
He made a quiet sound of acknowledgment but didn't comment.
Tommy POV
He'd noticed that she'd gone from getting the stew on the stove to skinning and chopping up some fresh peaches. He wasn't sure what they were for until she reached into the oven and pulled out a pie plate.
"Are you baking for me Aoife?"
"I seem to recall telling you, I just might bake for you one day… in addition I may have felt beastly for yelling at you earlier."
"Don't mind fightin' with ya, Aoife. Even you yellin' at me with your claws out is attractive, I don't mind seein' it, as long as we always makeup afterwards."
"And I don't like fighting with you Tommy, but I won't shy away from it when I feel it's necessary."
"Mmhm. As I said, as long as we make up afterward."
Her grin turned into a smirk as she took in his words and the position he'd put himself in. He knew his own eyes sparked with satisfaction as she set her task aside and started toward him. She was slowly lifting her skirt up as she neared him and he couldn't help but enjoy the view as his eyes trailed over her. She easily straddled him where he sat and leaned in to kiss him. Feeling her drop into his lap, his hands came up, one to rest on her thigh, the other diving into her hair to tilt her face toward his. Her voice had an additional sultriness to it when she spoke.
"We still need to make it official, don't we?"
"What?"
"Making up."
The kiss was gentle but hungry with a deeper current of pent up desire coursing through it. He couldn't help but pull her in against himself. They were both sexually frustrated but they could wait until that particular activity could be enjoyed without pain. Until then they'd have to deal with the excessive want and the building burn. The kiss ended just as it had begun, softly and with a depth of tenderness that awed him.
He felt her pull away from him reluctantly, more than satisfied to know that she missed and wanted him as much as he did her. He opened his eyes to see she had an affectionate look in her eyes but an impish grin on her lips. Her voice wicked as she began to stand back up.
"All this building anticipation… I wonder how well we'll survive when we manage to makeup, in the traditional sense… I'm thinking I'll be bedridden for days."
She winked saucily at him as she turned back to readying the ingredients for her pie and her double entendre made him chuckle.
"Looking forward to it Aoife."
"Then we both are.
**********0**********
He sat at the table with a cup of tea and just watched her in silence as she moved around the kitchen. He couldn't help but imagine the same scene but a different setting and his mind drifted back wistfully to the memory of his return to London from the island.
Before catching the tram back to Birmingham he'd stopped at a small but well known shop looking for a very important item.
He stood outside the non-descript building and waited for the inhabitants to buzz him in, a precaution to safeguard the items housed and sold within. He knew that the only reason he heard the sound of the door lock clicking open was because Alfie was standing next to him. They had been getting on better than they had been in the past. While there had always been a kind of grudging respect between the two of them, there surprisingly seemed to be a bit of actual burgeoning friendship now.
He'd seen the ring that Alfie had put on Aine's finger at the wedding and knew that he wanted something just as unique and fitting for Aoife. He'd asked the man where he'd found it in passing and Alfie had stared at him a moment. Looked away and then let out a huff somewhere between aggravation and acceptance before telling him gruffly that if he was serious about it, he'd introduce him to the man he'd gotten it from.
That ring was even now tucked away in a small velvet bag held safely within a small wooden box that was hidden beneath the floor boards in his bedroom. Sitting here, watching Aoife as she seemed to float about the room while she hummed a soft tune, he knew that ring would be on her finger soon.
Fin