Rose felt sure her lungs were about to explode. No matter how deep a breath she took, it wasn't enough. Her chest was sore and she was coughing every few seconds. She tripped over a cobble stone but, rather than falling, felt herself propelled forward by the sheer strength of the hand which held hers. Her feet lifted in the air and she hit the ground running again a few seconds later. She gasped, trying to catch his attention.

"Tommy!"

Tommy was striding quickly and purposefully onwards. His head was down, his shoulders set and his jaw clenched. He gripped Rose's hand tightly and seemed unaware that she was taking three steps for every one of his. He also seemed unaware of her difficulties in breathing. He pounded his feet into the ground as he walked quickly towards his car and every step released a little more of his anger.

Now that they were out of immediate danger, Tommy was able to dwell on what had just happened over the past twelve hours. He allowed himself to consider what might have happened if Alfie had made a different choice. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would have given in to any and all of Alfie's demands if he'd threatened to hurt Rose in any way. It was highly likely that, given another outcome, he would have lost his business, his family and even his life. The more he thought about it, the more furious he became. Furious with Rose for such a reckless act. Furious with Alfie for holding the moral high ground now. Furious with himself for not having foreseen what would happen when he told Rose that Alfie would kill her brothers. Alfie was behind him now and he wasn't in the mood for corrective introspection, so he rounded on the easiest object of his wrath. He stopped suddenly and faced Rose.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

Rose, taken unawares by the abrupt stop, was propelled into Tommy by the momentum. Annoyed, he took her shoulders and moved her away from him.

"I asked you a question!"

Trying to catch her breath and merely succeeding in coughing even more, Rose looked at Tommy nervously. She knew he'd be angry with her about running away from home. She was hoping that the fact that she'd just saved his life would assuage his fury a little but, looking into his eyes, she could see it hadn't. He was fuming. She desperately wanted to explain things and point out what a brave thing she'd done and that she'd achieved a great victory for the Shelby family, but she just couldn't stop coughing long enough to speak.

Tommy's anger abated a little when he finally became aware of the state she was in. Her cough was terrible, her nose was running, her face was flushed and her lips were tinged with blue, she was struggling to take a breath and was wincing at the pain of trying. He realised she'd been away from home since late last night and that her health was suffering as a result. She'd always been prone to getting ill if she exerted herself too much. Her damaged lungs just couldn't cope and her little body was quickly exhausted.

He sighed. The reprimand of all reprimands would have to wait. He bent down and picked her up. She gratefully leant into him and laid her head on his shoulder. It was pounding and she was struggling to keep her thoughts straight. The last time she'd felt this way, she'd woken up in hospital with a worried Aunt Polly looking down at her. Pneumonia, she'd been told. A result of playing out too late on a damp evening. Tommy, Arthur and John had been away in France and she remembered Aunt Polly telling her to make sure she got better because she couldn't lose her too.

Tommy set off towards his car. He could feel her chest rattling with every breath under his hand on her back and her head felt hot against his neck. He frowned. He needed to get her home to Aunt Pol. She'd know what to do. She was the one who took care of the children when they were ill.

"Rose?"

No answer. He gently shrugged the shoulder her head was resting on.

"Rose. You awake? Eh?"

She stirred. "Yeah"

"Let's go home, eh? To Aunt Pol. She'll sort you out and make you feel better, right?"

She murmured.

"What? What's that, Rose?"

"Are you angry with me?"

"No, no, I'm not angry, Mouse. I just want to get you home. Look, we're here at the car now."

Tommy opened the door and lifted Rose into the front seat then got in beside her. He started the car and began the long drive home.

Two hours into the journey and Tommy was more than concerned. Rose had been asleep almost since the moment they left. She started off leaning against his shoulder but was now lying down with her head on his lap. He could feel the heat emanating from her as her fever grew. Her chest rose and fell more rapidly than he was comfortable with, and with each wheezing breath his worry grew. He'd seen enough men suffering with lung fever in the cold damp winters of France to know that Rose was getting seriously ill.

He cursed out loud. He should have taken her to a hospital in London, but he'd wanted to get back on familiar and safe territory. Yet there were still two hours left before he was In Birmingham and he wasn't sure Rose could wait that long. Although his foot was pushed to the floor and the car was going at top speed he knew it wasn't fast enough.

Once again he entertained murderous thoughts about his father. As far as he was concerned, this whole situation was the fault of Arthur Shelby Sr. Rose had never really known him of course, he'd left before she was born which he supposed was a blessing for her. She'd met him only once on that ill-fated visit last year. Tommy had far too many memories of the man he loathed to call father. He remembered him as a weak and selfish man, fond of drink and the use of his fists – far too frequently against his wife and children. He wasn't interested in another mouth to feed so had disappeared overnight not long after his mother's latest - and last - pregnancy began to slow her down. His wasn't an unwelcome absence but it came with difficulties. If it weren't for Aunt Pol and the inheritance of the family business, the family would have been plunged into a poverty Tommy saw all too frequently on the streets of Birmingham.

His fear of poverty underpinned his entire life. He would do everything in his power to keep the family away from the misery he saw daily. And not only did he have the financial burden on his shoulders, he had also become the head of his large and troubled family. He loved his kin and lived for them, but this came at a cost. No longer could he view his life as his own. He did not have the freedom to imagine a future independent of the family he grew up with. He was thirty-one years old and responsible for a large family. This weighed heavily on him and seemed to get heavier every day. This shouldn't be his responsibility. This should have been his father's. His father should be leading the family, providing the strength and wisdom which came with his years. Tommy should be able to turn to him for the advice and support he needed. If his father were around, this whole situation with Rose running away to London never would have happened. Rose would be a normal child in a normal family with a father's constant presence to give her the attention and security she lacked right now. She wouldn't have felt the need to get herself into dangerous situations to gain attention from her family.

Tommy cursed again, more vehemently this time. He knew he wasn't up to the job of raising his younger sister, or his younger brother for that matter nor did he like being the one everyone looked to for answers he didn't always have. He knew he was failing and he felt helpless. He was only one man but he was being pulled in too many different directions. The tension inside of him was getting more and more taut and he didn't know how long it would be before he snapped.

Rose stirred and coughed. This brought his attention back to the present and he berated himself for getting lost in his thoughts. He became aware of his surroundings and realised a solution may be closer than he thought. He pulled of the main road at the next turning, heading towards Northampton. His destination: Salcey Forest.

Tommy had always kept on eye on the roaming Gypsy families in areas close to Birmingham. A lot of them followed the same migratory routes depending on the season. Jonny Dogs was his eyes and ears in the Gypsy community and as a result, he happened to know that the Young clan were camping in Salcey Forest at the moment.

The Young family were a large group who mainly moved around the Northamptonshire area. They were horse breeders and sellers of homemade wares such as pegs and baskets. They were distant kin of the Lees but kept themselves to themselves and didn't welcome outsiders. They didn't always operate above the law but they did stay away from the types of businesses the Shelbys were involved in. Tommy knew them passingly. He'd met them at fairs where they displayed and sold their horses. He'd been drawn to the way in which they clearly loved and understood their animals. Tommy's love for horses had gained him a begrudging acquaintance with them. They weren't impressed with his reputation, but recognised in him a fellow horseman and tolerated him in their midst. He, in turn, was jealous of their existence. They lived their own lives away from all the mayhem and violence of the city. They bred their horses and made their wares and stayed away from trouble. Tommy knew deep down however that his own ambition and thirst for power would make him too restless to live like the Youngs.

Elias Young was the head of the clan. He was old now, close to seventy, but still had a massive presence. He said little but commanded the absolute loyalty and devotion of every member of the group. He was known for being fair and generous within the family but everyone knew that it was a bad idea to cross him. It was said that when he was younger, he'd cut off the ear of Shadrach Lee, Zilpha's brother, in a fight over the ownership of a stallion. The rumour was that he'd given the ear to his dog to eat and threatened to feed other body parts to him if anyone contested the ownership again. There had been a few skirmishes between the Lees and the Youngs after that but in general they kept away from each other.

The Young family were also renowned for being healers. Elias' wife, Greenleaf, was famous as a skilled medicine woman amongst Gypsies in the whole of England. There were a number of other women in the family who could also heal. Even gadjos, non-Gypsies, had been known to bring their sick to Greenleaf to heal when the doctors couldn't help. The Youngs had made a lot of money from this at one point but it had also brought them to the attention of the authorities who weren't happy about a Gypsy woman performing medicine without proper training. As if a lifetime of knowledge of the medicinal properties of what grew around her and years of experience and success in seeing the sick cured were worth less than a medical degree. And, of course, Gypsies knew that she possessed the gift of healing too; that she had the power within her to bring about the healing of another person. But try explaining that to a man in a tie carrying a clipboard asking to see her qualifications and threatening fines and a magistrate if she didn't comply. So, the Youngs closed ranks, moved further into the forest and kept their healing abilities to themselves.

And it was to Greenleaf Young that Tommy was headed. If anyone could help Rose, she could. He wasn't exactly sure where the clan was camping but he knew the signs to look out for. As he drove deeper into the forest, he spotted signs of recent camping activity. Charred ground, young grass growing where it had been worn away, branches cut away to make room for the caravans. Eventually he could drive no further. The trees were too thick and the ground was getting more and more unsuitable to drive on. He stopped the car, gently laid Rose's head on the seat and got out.

He stood and listened. He had done this many times before, especially as a boy. He'd loved riding into the forest trying to find a Gypsy camp. He'd learnt to read the signs left in the forest, to listen for the horses, to catch the faint smell of the fires on the breeze, but he also discovered that he could somehow sense them. Something inside pulled him towards them. Polly told him that he was a Gypsy in his blood and that his blood bound and drew him to his kinsmen. By the time he left for France, he could find a Gypsy camp every time without fail.

It was no different this time. After a number of quiet minutes, he knew where to go. He went back to the car and lifted Rose out. Carrying her in both arms like he used to when she was a baby, he started off in the direction he knew he'd find the camp. Rose didn't stir, not even when he called her name and shook her gently. She gave no response and was limp in his arms. Her fever seemed worse and he breathing was ragged. She was struggling for breath, that much was evident, and his panic grew.

He hadn't been walking for more than ten minutes when three men emerged from the forest in front of him and blocked his path. He heard them a split second before he saw them, and under normal circumstances, would have his gun in his hand already. But his hands weren't free, so instead he stopped and stood ready to move his body between them and Rose.

"Tommy Shelby? What brings you so far into Salcey Forest?"

Tommy released the breath he was holding as he recognised Teiso Young. Teiso was the oldest grandson of Elias and was in charge of the Young's fighting men. He didn't recognise the other two but he recognised the weapons they held.

"Teiso Young. It's good to see you."

Teiso eyed the child in Tommy's arms and knew the answer to his next question before he asked it.

"Why are you here, Tommy?"

"This is my sister, Rose. She needs Baba Greenleaf's help."

"Baba Greenleaf doesn't help outsiders anymore."

"Teiso, take me to see Phuro Elias so I can ask his permission." Tommy used the traditional Romani titles for Elias and Greenleaf as befitted their status in the family. The Youngs were a traditional Roma family whose heritage and culture were very important to them.

"He will say the same thing as I, Tommy. You know how we operate."

Tommy was getting desperate. "Teiso, please! She's a child and she's very ill. I have nowhere else to go and I need to get her to Baba Greenleaf. I'm not a gadjo, just let me see Elias."

Teiso looked at Tommy and Rose for, what seemed to Tommy, an excruciatingly long time. He was a lot like his grandfather – authoritative, strong, fair and not without compassion. His family came first and he wouldn't have hesitated to have sent anyone else away, but Tommy Shelby was different. He knew all about his reputation, of course, but he wasn't afraid of him. He did however recognise in him a fellow leader of men whose family was sacred to him. And it wouldn't hurt to have the leader of the Peaky Blinders in their debt. He turned abruptly.

"Follow me."

Tommy breathed a silent sigh of relief as he followed the three men deeper into the forest. After about twenty minutes they reached the camp. Tommy knew enough to wait on the edge of the camp to be invited in. The business and chatter stopped as the group noticed him and before long every eye was on him. In the silence that fell, Tommy allowed himself to be scrutinised as he watched Teiso disappear into one of the vardos, or caravans, in the centre of the camp. He wasn't afraid, he was used to Gypsies and their ways, but he was impatient. Rose's head leant against his chest and every breath she struggled to take caused his stress levels to mount.

Eventually, Teiso reappeared from the vardo followed by Elias who made his way towards Tommy. Tommy knew that if Elias didn't welcome him into the camp then Rose's chances of surviving this were practically nil. As he watched the older man make his way towards him, he recognised the fact that he'd emerged personally to come and talk to him as an encouraging sign. Elias stopped a few feet away from Tommy. He wasn't a very tall man, but that didn't mean being in his presence wasn't intimidating. Elias was highly respected amongst the Gypsy community and Tommy was suitably humbled to have been granted an audience with him.

Elias' bright and intelligent eyes took in everything about Tommy and Rose as he looked at them. His face, weathered by a lifetime of living outdoors, was inscrutable but not unfriendly. Tommy waited for him to speak first, as was tradition.

"Devlesa avilan, Thomas Shelby."

Tommy's legs almost buckled with relief – 'It is God who brought you.' The Roma greeting which would welcome him into the camp.

He answered with the correct reply, "Devlesa araklam tume." It is with God that I found you.

Tommy wasn't a believer, but in this moment, with Rose in such bad condition and with no other options before him, even Tommy had to consider that there was some higher power behind all this. Aunt Pol would have been sure of it.

"You are welcome, Thomas. We are kin on your mother's side. It is unfortunate that your father was such a bad apple – as the gadjos would say." His eyes twinkled at Tommy. "But sometimes the apple does fall a long way from the tree and, from what I've heard, you are not like him."

There couldn't have been a higher compliment in Tommy's eyes, but he wasn't in the mood for small talk.

"Elias, …"

"I know, Thomas, your sister is ill. Teiso has gone to get Greeny. We will see what she has to say. I cannot tell her who she must treat. She alone decides. Come with me."

Elias led him towards a large, dome-shaped tent not far from his own vardo. As they approached, Teiso emerged from it followed by two women – his mother, Dorelia and his grandmother, Greenleaf. Dorelia was also a healer but there was nothing about either woman to distinguish them from the other women in camp. Tommy had never met Greenleaf but, from her reputation, has expected to see a woman dressed as some of the fortune tellers he'd met – all scarves and earrings and thread entwined in their hair. But Greenleaf looked like most other elderly woman he'd met – small, birdlike, clean and well kempt - except for her hair. Her hair was snow white and hung in a long braid down her back where ended at her waist.

Her eyes, like Elias', were bright and missed nothing. She stood and waited as he approached. He stopped in front of her and again waited for the greeting. When she spoke, her voice was clear and strong.

"Devlesa avilan"

"Devlesa araklam tume, Baba Greenleaf"

"I knew your grandmother, child. Your eyes remind me of hers. They too gave away what was in her soul."

Tommy frowned, feeling exposed, and changed the subject.

"Baba Greenleaf, my sister…"

He held Rose up to draw Greenleaf's attention to her. Greenleaf looked down at the child he held and placed a hand on Rose's chest. Dorelia also came close to examine the sick child. Greenleaf looked at her daughter and nodded. Dorelia called her eldest son.

"Teiso, take her into the tent."

Teiso moved over to Tommy and reached out for Rose. Tommy took a step backwards. He wasn't going to just hand her over to the Youngs' head soldier.

"I'll take her into the tent."

Teiso shook his head. "No outsiders in the healer's tent."

Tommy hesitated. Elias spoke up.

"Trust us, boy."

And so, for the first time in his life, Tommy handed over the most important thing in his life to people he barely knew. He allowed Teiso to take Rose out of his arms and carry her into the tent followed by Greenleaf and Dorelia. As he watched, it took all of Tommy's willpower not to follow them in there. He'd worked in the betting business most of his life, but this was the biggest gamble he'd ever taken. Elias put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let them work, Tommy. Greeny knows what she's doing. You brought her to the right place. Come and sit by the fire and eat something."

The last thing Tommy wanted to do was eat.

"Elias, I need to let my family know where we are. They're expecting me home and they'll send out a search party if we don't arrive soon. If they hear I'm here with you, I don't want any misunderstandings."

Elias didn't want a swarm of Peaky Blinders in his camp either. He nodded.

"I'll send someone to make a phone call from the nearest village."

"Thank you, Elias."

And now, all that was left to do was wait. Something Tommy Shelby wasn't very good at.