THE BEES OF SMALL HEATH

There were times when I looked at Thomas-J and wondered how this boy was to become Lord Voldemort.

The sweet little cherub was cuddling up to me, his eyes on his baby sister as she lay on my chest having her feed before we went to see Tommy.

He had nothing but love and adoration in his eyes for Ophelia and I had to ponder whether he would have always been like this in the original timeline with a younger sibling or whether this was because he was raised with a family that loved him.

"Mumma," he mumbled, his cheek pressed into my neck.

"Yes, my darling," I replied, shifting slightly to lean down and press a kiss to his forehead.

"I try?" he asked, his eyes intently watching Ophelia's little mouth as she suckled away on her milk. His question surprised me, but it shouldn't have as he was an inquisitive little boy and I knew he'd be curious about seeing things in the world around him.

"Mumma's milk isn't for you TJ, but for Phia, unfortunately you can't have any, my darling," I said softly, brushing my hand over his hair, loving the way it was curling at the ends, something his father's was doing as it was growing out. Thomas-J always copied Tommy on his appearance.

"Does Papa try?"

I almost snorted at the question.

How was I meant to tell our almost three-year-old that his father had indeed suckled from my breast the same as his new-born daughter?

"No, my darling, your father doesn't try it either," I muttered, feeling it safe to lie to him in this case.

TJ huffed as if sensing I hadn't told him the truth, those penetrating blue eyes he shared with his father looking at me intently. There was a prickling against my mind, the feeling familiar to me.

"Thomas-J, you do not try to pry into people's thoughts. How do you even know how to do that?" I grumbled, shifting on the sofa so I moved from our embrace, hand securely keeping Ophelia against my chest.

"Phinny mentioned it," he muttered and I squinted my eyes at him as he shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. What I wanted to know was why Phineas was even mentioning Legilimency around TJ or how the boy knew how to try and do it.

Perhaps it was a natural talent of his - I seem to remember my grandparents mentioning how talented Tom Riddle was as a young student. Maybe, this was another talent of his. If he also shared my blood now and had access to some of my abilities - which I knew he did - then perhaps the abilities to easily penetrate one's mind came naturally to him too.

I'd have to share my theories with Newt.

"I'll be having a word with your uncle, but sweetheart, you shouldn't ever try to penetrate a mind. Not until you're correctly trained." I wasn't going to stop him from being able to learn the skill, but I wanted to ensure he had the correct training to prevent any possible damage in the future. "I'll teach you when I believe you'll understand it."

"Okay," he mumbled, giving me what I knew to be a look of 'pure innocence', a look that he knew worked on anyone he dared to try it on.

I don't know where he learnt it, probably from his father. If there was a man I knew that could have people bending to his will by a look alone it was Tommy Shelby. That man was sex on legs and with smouldering eyes, he could have the whole world wrapped around his little finger.

I knew I'd probably do anything if he gave me a certain look.

"Sweetheart, go get your shoes on. Your father is expecting us," I said, ruffling his hair as he clambered off the sofa, sighing deeply as if it was the hardest thing he'd have to do in this nearly three years of life.

I knew I was in for some exciting years when that boy could start forming full sentences and could fully understand everything 'grown-ups' spoke about around him.

And there was a list of people that needed to be sternly spoken to in the future to avoid creating a little monster out of the boy.

His father was one. If anything TJ was going to learn everything from his father and then they'll be two of them to put up with.

Phineas was another. If TJ was already listening to him talking about magic and attempting to try it without the proper training, I was in for hell when he started fully understanding his capabilities.

I should include myself on that list too. I needed to be careful with what I did and said around TJ, especially if he was as smart as I knew he'd turn out to be. He'd be able to pick things up remarkably fast and I dreaded to think of what he'd be able to accomplish in a home where his magic and learning was encouraged.

"Seems like we're in for an interesting future, Ophelia."

There was a subtle change in Tommy when he was around his children.

Not many would notice it, but as his wife, I knew those small changes.

He was more attentive to everything around him. He glanced at what he thought to be possible threats to his children every so often and I knew he was calculating if he'd be able to get to the children before the proposed 'danger'.

He was softer as well, not that anyone besides family would be able to tell.

For example, he was leaning against the doorway to his office, his eyes on TJ as the boy sat on John's desk, nodding to whatever his uncle was telling him as they both peered down at John's accounting book.

"Nothing's going to happen," I muttered to him, resting my hand on his elbow as Ophelia snuggled closer to her dad.

Tommy tilted his head towards me, his eyes barely lifting from TJ.

"Hmm?"

"If you take your eyes off him," I said, running my hand over Phia's head as she whimpered out in her sleep. "Nothing's going to happen."

"Can't be sure," he replied, his arm shifting as the baby in his arms let out a cry. She had either had a bad dream, was getting hungry again, or needed changing.

"We're safe here, Tommy. I've cast protection spells around the house. You know I won't have Polly, Arthur or his boys here without any protection." I was slightly offended if he thought it was only our house I had protected. "I've done the same to John's house."

Tommy's lips twitched as he tried to hide his smirk before he turned fully in the door frame, his back now to everyone outside his office as he looked my up and down. I almost felt like we should move somewhere more private by the way his gaze was making my body tingle.

"Anywhere else you've been casting your magic?"

Just from the tone he'd said those words I knew he knew about all the other places I'd cast protection spells.

"Well," I started, lifting my chin confidently. I wasn't going to hide the fact that I was protecting Small Heath and some of the most vulnerable in our home. "I've of course cast a couple of protection spells on the Children's Home. Then there's the men under your payroll, their families need protecting if the men are out doing your bidding. The Garrison has some. I can't leave Uncle Harry without some protection. The women's hostel has also been a recent place under my protection."

"Under your protection?" he said, brow raising as I gave a small shrug.

"Yes. You have your businesses that pay you for protection and I have mine."

"Most of the women in the hostel are there because they have no money. How do they pay you for protection?"

"You're mistaken if you think people can only pay with money, Thomas. Money isn't what makes you powerful, my love. There are many ways to become powerful and I know one of the strongest forms of currency," I teased, biting my bottom lip and stepping back into the office.

I held back my smirk as he followed, not even thinking about the steps he was taking towards me.

He blinked as I leant on his desk, a small frown making the crease between his eyebrows dent. His eyes took in the way I was perched on his desk and his eyes flickered to the door. It was satisfying watching as he worked it out.

"They're seducing secrets for you."

"If I know one thing that never changes about a man, it's how loose his tongue gets when he's drunk on sex. If there's one thing we all know about Small Heath, it's how the men around here are sleazy when it comes to sex. They'll spill their secrets before they've spilled inside a woman."

"How would you know this?" If I wasn't mistaken, I was sure Tommy was showing a hint of jealousy.

"Don't worry, my love, I've only been with you," I said, knowing he was wondering if I knew this because I'd been with someone else.

That would never be the case.

Tommy was the only one for me.

"Then how do you know?"

"What do you think the women talk about at our Wednesday meetings? We're not swapping pie recipes. They're spilling the beans on the ongoings of Small Heath," I told him, loving the look of calculated confusion on his face.

Without a word, Tommy walked to the door and quickly looked around. Once he saw what he was looking for, he marched through the betting house and over to Polly. He muttered something to her before depositing Ophelia carefully into her arms.

He wasted no time making his way back into his office, closing the door and swiftly shutting all the blinds on the windows.

"You are remarkable," he muttered, crossing the room and grabbing my face, his fingers gripping my chin as he pressed his lips to mine in a bruising kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too." I smiled as I rested my arms over his shoulders, pressing a kiss into his head as he rested it on my shoulder.

"What else do you know?"

"Oh, you want to use my network of spies? Don't you have your own contacts?"

I was teasing him and I was sure he hated it. I knew he hated it from the squeeze on my hips.

"I've got a few coppers on my payroll but they're giving me the same information my boys are finding out," he grumbled, obviously annoyed at that.

"I wonder what differs between your coppers and mine?"

"You have coppers on your payroll?"

"I don't pay them, Tommy. Not in the way you do."

"Are you blackmailing them?"

What a thought. Would it be bad if I was blackmailing them? Well, I personally didn't think it was bad, but some people might.

"No," I snorted, leaning back and chucking as I took in the annoyed look on his face. "I've simply got something they want."

"And you said you're not selling yourself?"

I smacked him lightly on the shoulder knowing he was joking.

"One of their wives just happens to be a very new, very close friend and he's happened to have gotten on her bad side after knocking her up again. He heard through the rumour mill that I happen to know the way to make her happy. He's realised he'd do anything to make her happy, he's also come to the conclusion that he rather likes me and after he found out what Campbell did, he's none too pleased. He's trying to get the Inspector removed from Small Heath, especially after his lovely wife let slip of the Inspectors nightly visits to some of the younger girls in town." I felt a little giddy revealing this to Tommy, having wanted to share this information months ago, when I first started getting the idea to build my network. "Anthony would do anything to stop Campbell from ruining Small Heath with an outright war with the Peaky Blinders, especially with his fourth child on the way."

"And he's helping you out of the kindness of his heart?" Tommy seemed to find it hard to believe that someone would help without being paid off.

"Oh, he knows who's in charge of Small Heath, my darling, and we all know it's not Campbell."

"So you're in charge, yeah?"

"I'm the mother fucking Queen, Thomas. I run this shit," I told him, leaning back on the table, licking my bottom lip as his hands slid up my thighs, his grip on my dress dragging the material up and exposing my legs.

"You're the Queen? You run Small Heath?"

"This might shock you, but the longest reigning monarch was a Queen," I told him, thinking about Queen Elizabeth. Though to be fair, Queen Victoria would also work in this time period. "It's obvious that a woman runs things better than a man." I leant forward, pressing a kiss to his lips and biting his bottom one lightly. "But it's okay, my love, you can still be my King, none of this Prince shit."

"You're such a fucking tease," he grumbled, burying his had in my hair as he pulled me closer, his tongue delving into my mouth and fighting for dominance. "What about the other copper?" he asked, pulling away, his breath fanning across my lip.

"James? Oh, I saved his life in France." I pushed him away, giving him a soft smile. "Once he realised who I was and what I did for him, he thinks he owes me his life so he swore to do my bidding."

"Do your bidding?"

"Well, he didn't phrase it like that, but he's willing to do anything for me and I want Campbell and his lackeys out of Small Heath. I swear, he'd make a fucking good Peaky Blinder. You should think about having him join and work as an undercover cop. No one would expect it."

"You think he'd work for me?"

"He respects you, so I guess he would."

"He respects me?" Tommy didn't seem to believe me and if he was to guess anything from the mischievous smile I gave him, he knew he wasn't going to like what I was going to say.

"You are married to me afterall, Tommy. He respects his Queen."

Rolling his eyes, Tommy took a step away from me, my dress falling back down my knees as he fished out a cigarette.

"So this network of yours. What do you call your spies?"

"Change of subject. Something bothering you, Tom?" I teased, laughing as he shook his head in amusement. "I call them my bees. I'm the Queen and we as a collective are a hive."

"A hive?"

"Yes. You've got your Blinders, Alfie has his Bakers, I wanted my Bees and my Hive."

"You're comparing yourself to me and Alfie?"

"Well I do admire my husband and my big brother. Plus, Alfie told me I needed to make my mark here. What better way then to create a network of bees that buzz around Small Heath without anyone bothering them because they're innocent?"

"Hmm, you have a point."

"Campbell isn't going to suspect every woman of Small Heath of reporting on what they see and hear, is he? He doesn't think twice about the children running around spying on him when he thinks they're just playing in the dirt. He doesn't question the girls he sneers at in the streets or the ones that question him when he's drunk on sex. He doesn't even think his coppers are turning against him. That's my hive. My bees. My network."

Tommy took a moment to take a drag of his cigarette, his eyes taking me in as I sat on his desk, my dress ruffled from our fondling, hair a mess where he'd been running his fingers through it and my lipstick smeared from our kisses.

He took me in and all I saw in his eyes was the burning intensity of his love.

"You know what?" he asked, breaking my gaze from trailing over his carefully poised face.

"What, Tommy?" I replied when I knew he was waiting for me to reply.

"You can the fucking Queen." He stepped closer, putting her cigarette out in the ashtray, his hands quickly sliding up my legs, pulling my hips closer. "I'd get on my fucking knees to worship you."

I huffed, raising my brows as I tilted my chin up to lock eyes with him.

Biting my bottom lip, I rested my left hand on his shoulder, my wedding band glinting in the light. With a little pressure on his shoulder, I dipped my head and gave him a command.

"Get on your knees and worship me then."