Cut From The Same Cloth

by Wenlock

"Polly knew that Rose would do more than survive; she would thrive. She was indeed cut from the same cloth as Tommy – and that would be both her blessing and her curse." What began as a brief imagining of a younger Shelby sister, Rose, and an encounter with Alfie Solomons, has grown into a story of life growing up in the most notorious family in Birmingham.

29. Forgiveness

Thank you all so much for the lovely messages and reviews on the last chapter. It makes my day to read them. I love how involved you are, it's great!

So, here it is - the final chapter of this season. It's quite long, sorry. I couldn't find a natural break to split it in two. I hope it meets your expectations - it took me a while to work out. Enjoy!

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Halfway down a quiet street, Daniel pulled the car over next to a phone box. The sun had just risen and the sky was a wide expanse of oranges and pinks. Alfie carefully lifted Rose onto the seat next to him, thankful that she stayed asleep, and climbed out of the car.

"Keep an eye on her, Dan."

Two hours away, Tommy was pacing the floor in his study at Arrow House. He had Charles safely back and was now awaiting news on Rose. Hughes was dead but that didn't mean his sister was out of danger. Polly was stood in the middle of the room, her arms folded tightly around herself, trying to stay calm but not succeeding. She'd struggled to cope with the news of Rose's kidnapping on top of Charlie's. It brought back a flood of bad memories of her own children being taken and she was desperately worried about her. Thankfully, Charlie was home now but she knew his rescue had come at the cost of the last of Michael's innocence. Her hand moved to her throat and she fiddled nervously with the collar of her blouse. She couldn't look at Tommy. The things he'd said to her about Reuben had cut deep and she was trying not to think about it. One thing at a time and Rose's safety took precedence. When Tommy said that he had asked Alfie Solomons to find her, Polly's heart sank. The London gangster had sent Arthur to prison for murder. He had double crossed Tommy in a heartbeat and she was nervous about entrusting Rose to his protection. She jumped as the phone rang suddenly in the silence of the room. Tommy launched himself at it and pressed the receiver to his ear.

"Hello?"

The unmistakable voice of Alfie was on the other end.

"Yeah, mate, it's me."

"Do you have her?"

"Yeah, yeah, she's with me."

Tommy sat down heavily in the chair and pulled a hand down his face. Polly leaned on the edge of the desk, watching him, not understanding his body language. She whispered urgently.

"What?"

Tommy looked up at her and nodded. Polly let out a breath and her shoulders sagged with relief. Tommy spoke into the receiver.

"Let me talk to her."

"She's asleep in the car, Tommy. I don't want to wake her."

"Put her on, Alfie."

A pause. "Fine. Hang on."

Alfie put the ear piece on top of the box, muttering under his breath. He moved to the car and opened the back door. Rose was still asleep, curled up on the seat. With a sigh, he gently reached out and put a hand on her arm.

"Wake up, Petal."

Rose stirred and then stiffened as she woke up, in a state of high alert, looking round anxiously. Alfie lifted his hand and moved back a little.

"It's ok, sweetheart. You're ok. You're with me, remember?"

Rose frowned as she blinked at him and then visibly relaxed as she remembered where she was.

"That's it, Petal. Listen, I've got your brother on the phone. He wants to speak to you."

"Tommy?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

Rose hurriedly moved to the door. She desperately wanted to hear Tommy's voice.

"Alright then, be careful. Look, you haven't got any shoes on and it's cold on the ground. Let me carry you over."

Alfie picked her up and held her against his hip as he made his way back to the phone box. He squeezed inside still holding Rose and nodded his head at the receiver.

"Go on, then. He's waiting."

Rose eagerly picked it up and held it to her ear. She leaned in slightly to the mouthpiece.

"Tommy?"

Tommy smiled when he heard her voice. He closed his eyes in sheer relief.

"Yeah, Rose, it's me."

"Is Charlie alright?"

"Yes, yes, love, he's safe, he's home."

Rose's voice shook. "Tommy…"

"Are you ok, Mouse?"

Rose's face crumpled as she began to cry. She didn't know how to answer his question. Tommy frowned when he heard her muffled sobs. He wanted to reach out and hold her.

"It's ok, Mouse, you're safe, you are. Alfie will bring you home. Fred is waiting for you, so is Aunt Pol and so am I. We'll be here when you get home."

Rose nodded but couldn't stop crying. Hearing about Fred and Aunt Pol just made it worse. Alfie took the receiver gently out of her hand. Putting it to his ear, he shifted round so that he was closer to the mouthpiece.

"Tommy?"

Tommy could hear Rose still crying in the background.

"Alfie, is she alright?"

Alfie looked at Rose's face as the tears fell and sighed.

"She's safe, mate."

Tommy noticed what wasn't said and his stomach lurched.

"How far away are you?"

"'Bout two hours. See you then."

"Yeah"

Alfie hung up the receiver, silently cursing Thomas Shelby and all the misery he'd caused with his great ambition and need for power. He hoisted Rose up in his arms and walked back to the car. Climbing inside with her, he settled down with her in his lap again as Daniel began to drive. He noticed she was shivering slightly and had begun to cough. He reached over to the other side of the back seat and retrieved a blanket which he wrapped around Rose. He held her closely, warming her up. She stopped crying and began to calm down, sniffing occasionally.

"You hungry, Petal?"

She thought about it and then nodded.

"Right, then. I brought something for you. Just let me pop you over here and I'll sort you out."

Alfie lifted Rose off his lap and onto the other side of the back seat. She pulled the blanket over her shoulders, tucked her legs under her and settled back. Alfie leaned forward.

"Dan, pass that bag back. It's just there, look, on the floor. That's it."

He put the bag on the seat between them and began to rummage through.

"Right, we've got cheese sandwiches, or beef paste?"

"Cheese, please."

He handed her a cheese sandwich.

"There you go. I made that myself. Hope it's alright."

She took a bite and nodded, chewing hungrily.

"It's nice."

She spoke with her mouth full and Alfie smiled at her. He took a sandwich and also began to eat. Rose took another bite and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. Her hand paused as it ran through her hair and she frowned as she remembered it had been cut. She felt how short it was and Alfie watched the sadness appear on her face. She swallowed her bite of food and noticed him watching her. She put her hand down.

"They cut my hair."

He nodded. "Yeah"

She picked at her sandwich, pulling crumbs off and rolling them in her fingers.

"My mum had long hair."

"Did she?"

Rose nodded. "It went down to her waist. She wore it up all the time though. Ada said she'd let her brush it sometimes."

"Was it red, like yours?"

"No, it was dark, like Tommy's. My granddad had red hair, but I never knew him."

"Right"

Her hand went back to her hair and she looked at Alfie worriedly.

"Does it look awful?"

"No, Petal, not at all. It looks fine. Most ladies have short hair these days, don't they?"

"Yeah, Aunt Pol does."

"It'll grow again, Petal."

She nodded and continued to pick at her sandwich.

"Eat up, sweetheart, you'll feel better."

She nibbled at her sandwich as she looked out of the window. Alfie changed the subject.

"How's Fred doing? Has he chewed all your shoes yet?"

Rose looked back at him, her face brightening.

"He's grown, Alfie. And he eats all the time. And I've trained him to sit and stay and he almost always walks to heel, unless he distracted by the scent of a squirrel or a rabbit or something. He sleeps on my bed. Tommy says he's not to but he doesn't stop him. He pretends he doesn't like Fred, but he does really."

Alfie smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Sounds like he's doing well."

"Yeah, he is. He comes out with me sometimes when I ride out on Nua. He just runs alongside and knows to stay away from her hooves."

"Yeah, well, he's got hunter in him."

"I can't wait to see him. Tommy said he was waiting for me."

"I bet he is."

"You have a dog, don't you?"

Alfie nodded and spent the next twenty minutes telling his young friend about Cyril. Rose listened closely and Alfie was pleased to see her eating her sandwich as she did so. She even smiled for the first time since he'd seen her when he told her about Cyril as a puppy. She finished her sandwich and licked her fingers. Alfie rummaged in the bag and pulled out an apple. Rose smiled again and took it when he handed it to her. Taking a big bite, she wiped the juice which ran down her chin on her sleeve.

"Where do you get your apples from? They're so much nicer than the ones we get in Birmingham."

"I get them from this little old greengrocer who has a fruit and veg barrow down the street from my bakery. I asked him the other day where he gets his apples from 'cause I know how much you like them. Anyway, he says he gets most of his stuff from the wholesaler but the apples, they come from his son-in-law's orchard. He has an orchard in Barnet and grows these apples – they're called Cox's apples. Not many people grow them. One day, my Petal, I'll get one of those apple trees and plant it in Tommy's garden so that you can go and pick your favourite apple whenever you want."

Rose smiled as she chewed her mouthful. That sounded nice.

"Do you know how to plant trees?"

"Well, no, but how hard can it be?"

"Tommy has gardeners. He doesn't have an orchard but there is a vegetable garden."

"Yeah well, I ain't letting no gardener plant your apple tree. I'll do it myself. I'll buy a spade especially."

Rose laughed at the thought of Alfie digging up Tommy's garden to plant an apple tree. The laughter was like music to Alfie's ears and he laughed with her. She finished her apple, handed the core to Alfie and pulled the blanket back round her.

"You cold?"

"A bit."

Alfie put the bag on the floor, patted the seat next to him and held up his arm.

"Come 'ere."

Rose scooted over to him and lay against him as he put his arm around her. Her face brushed against one of his buttons and she drew her breath in sharply as it caught the gash on her cheekbone.

"You ok, darling?"

She nodded as she settled into his side but he could tell she'd tensed up again. The pain had reminded her of things she'd rather forget and he sighed. They sat in silence for a while and Alfie was just wondering if she'd fallen asleep again when she spoke in a quiet voice.

"He did the right thing."

"Who did?"

"Tommy"

"What did he do that was the right thing?"

"When he chose Charles and not me."

"When was this?"

"That … priest - he told Tommy he had to choose who he wanted to be given back to him when he'd done the job – me or Charlie - but he couldn't have both. And Tommy chose Charlie, because he had to, you know. I mean Charles is just a baby and he's his son and it was the right decision. Wasn't it?"

Alfie closed his eyes. He didn't know that part of the story. What damage had been done to this child! He tightened his arm around Rose and stroked her head with his other hand.

"It sounds like it was an impossible decision, Petal. I'm sure Tommy did what he thought was best."

She didn't answer. Alfie laid his head back against the headrest and looked out of the window. He wanted to tell Daniel to turn the car round and take them back to Camden Town. He didn't want to take her back to the life which had caused her so much pain. But what could he offer her? More of the same? More violence, more crime, more danger. He was no better than Tommy Shelby, he knew that much.

An hour later, they'd arrived at Arrow House. Rose was dozing and the sound of the gravel beneath the tyres woke her fully. She sat up and looked eagerly out of the window as they approached the house. The door opened and Polly came out to stand on the step, watching the car anxiously. The car had barely come to a halt before Rose pushed the door open and flew across the drive, up the steps and into Polly's arms. Polly wrapped her arms around her niece and the tears filled her eyes as she held her. Alfie climbed down from the car and watched them.

Polly bent down and took Rose's face in her hands, brushing her hair back from her face as she looked at her. She tried to hide the shock she felt as she looked at Rose's face full of cuts and bruises. Rose could see it though and she frowned. Polly's reaction unsettled her.

"Oh, Rose, your hair. They cut your beautiful hair."

Rose pulled away, feeling ugly and damaged. Polly realised what was happening and reached out to hug her again. Rose breathed in Polly's perfume and was calmed by the familiar smell. Suddenly, there was a flurry of claws on the wooden floor and Fred came tearing round the corner, barking excitedly. Rose turned, a look of delight on her face. The dog raced over to his young mistress and jumped into her arms, tail wagging, tongue licking her face furiously as she tried to dodge it. She buried her face in his fur and relished the warmth of his little body, the softness of his coat, the love in his greeting.

By this time, Alfie had wandered over and was standing by the steps, smiling at the reunion. Polly turned to him.

"Mr. Solomons, thank you very much for bringing her home. We appreciate your help."

Alfie bowed slightly, his hands clasped behind his back. "You're very welcome, Mrs Grey. It was the least I could do."

"Yes, well, I'm sure Tommy will be in touch regarding your compensation."

Alfie looked at her sharply.

"I require no compensation, Mrs Grey. Knowing that Rose is safe is reward enough."

Polly narrowed her eyes at him. She had no doubt he expected some sort of payment, but she'd leave all that to Tommy. Solomons was his business acquaintance, not hers.

"That's very kind of you, I'm sure, Mr Solomons. Now, I'll let you go. I'm sure you have a long journey back."

"Well, as I did once before, I made Tommy a promise that I would deliver this young lady back to him personally. So, if it's all the same to you, I'll wait until I have done just that."

Polly opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by Rose who stepped towards her.

"Where is he, Aunt Pol?"

"Where's who, love?"

"Tommy, where's Tommy?"

"Oh, he just popped out to do some business. He'll be back soon."

Rose frowned. "No, he said he'd be here. He said he'd be waiting for me."

Polly reached out a hand to tuck Rose's hair behind her ear. Rose moved her head out of the way.

"He won't be long, Rose."

Rose took a step back, shaking her head.

"No, no, Aunt Pol. You're wrong. He said he'd be here."

"Rose…"

"He'll be in his study, won't he?"

Rose put Fred down on the ground and turned to run to Tommy's study. Polly hurried after her, as did Alfie, his brow furrowed with concern. Rose pushed the door open and rushed inside. It was empty. She wheeled round to face Polly. She was on the verge of tears.

"Where is he, Aunt Pol? He said he'd be here."

"Love, I told you, he's out. He'll…"

"No, no, no! He should be here. He said so. What about the stables? Is he out there?"

Polly looked at her confused.

"Rosie, listen to me, he'll be back soon."

Rose pushed past Polly and ran out of the room, almost colliding with Alfie. He tried to get her attention.

"Rose, sweetheart, slow down. Eh? Rose, let's talk."

But Rose couldn't focus on anything beyond finding Tommy. Seeing him again had been her focus ever since he'd left Hughes' car. He was her anchor, he was the one who made everything better, he was the one who kept her safe. The only thing that had kept her going since she'd be taken had been visualising the moment when she'd see him again and feel his arms around her and be finally home. How could he not be here?

Polly raced after her as she headed for the back door, as did Fred, barking and jumping up at Rose, with Alfie close behind. Catching up with her, Polly grabbed hold of her arm and stopped her. Rose resisted, trying to get free but Polly was surprisingly strong; she swung her round and clamped her arms around her, holding her tight. Rose fought and struggled, trying to get free. She was quite hysterical now, crying and screaming.

"No, let me go. I have to find him. He said he'd be here. Let go of me!"

Polly pulled her down to the floor and sat with her, working hard to restrain her niece who was unable to hold back all the fear and anger and distress she'd felt over the last day and a half.

Alfie watched the spectacle in disbelief. What was the woman doing? This was not the way to handle Rose.

"Mrs Grey? If you would allow me, I can help. I don't think this is a good idea."

Polly glared at him from behind the struggling, sobbing girl. Mary appeared round the corner, wondering what on earth was going on. She gasped when she saw Polly and Rose wrestling on the ground with Fred dancing round them still barking and the Wandering Jew stood over them looking appalled.

"Mrs Grey?"

Polly looked up at the housekeeper.

"Mary, fetch the doctor. He's in the main room. I called him here, just in case. Go quickly."

"Yes, Mrs Grey."

Mary hurried off and Alfie tried again.

"Mrs Grey, you're making her worse. You shouldn't restrain her like that. Let me…"

Not sure she'd be able to keep hold of the fighting girl for much longer, Polly was out of breath. She spat her words out.

"Mr Solomons, I am her family, I know what's what she needs better than you do. Can you please remove this dog!"

Alfie shook his head, but bent down and picked up Fred, stroking him, trying to calm him down. Mary returned with the doctor who asked what happened.

"She's hysterical, Doctor. I don't know why, she just lost it."

The doctor knelt down by Rose who by now had no real hold on reality. She was buried underneath all the experiences and memories and emotions of the last day and a half and she couldn't surface. Her hair was plastered all over her hot face and all she could do now was cry. She still struggled fiercely, needing to flee. The doctor took a syringe and a vial out of his bag and drew back the plunger, filling it with sedative from the vial. Alfie winced as he watched the doctor insert the needle into Rose's upper arm and push the plunger down, sending an amount of barbiturate into her body. The small girl was knocked out in seconds and slumped in her aunt's arms. Polly let out a breath. She was exhausted.

"Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor, an elderly man from the local village, nodded at Polly.

"If we can get the young lady to her bedroom, I'll examine her and clean those wounds on her face."

Polly looked at her niece and knew she wouldn't be able to lift her up off the floor, let alone carry her up to her room. She reluctantly looked up at Alfie who nodded and came over. He lifted Rose up easily, her limp body resting in his arms. Looking down at her red face, the fear still etched on it, he shook his head again. As if she hadn't been through enough.

Polly led the way up the stairs to Rose's bedroom and pulled the covers back on her bed for Alfie to lay her down. He gently placed her on the bed, struck by how red her hair was as it fell across her white pillowcase. He stepped back as Polly pulled the covers over her. She stood up and looked at him, then at the door. He took the hint and moved past the doctor towards it.

"And take that bloody dog with you."

Fred had jumped up on the bed and was lying with his head on Rose's leg. He whined as Alfie picked him up. Polly closed the door behind him and Alfie took up a position in the hallway outside. He still fully intended to leave only when he'd seen Tommy personally and therefore fulfilled his promise to deliver Rose to him. He scratched Fred's ears as he paced up and down.

"It's a good job you're here, boy, ain't it? Eh? She's going to need you. You'll watch out for her, won't you?"

He continued to mutter to Fred as he waited. Eventually, the door opened and the doctor left, frowning at the man in the hallway. He closed the door quickly behind him but not before Alfie caught a glimpse of Polly sat by Rose on the bed, stroking her hair gently. He chewed his lip; maybe he should leave. What did he know about what was best for Rose? She was back with her family – wasn't that the main thing? He was about to ask Fred what he thought when he heard the front door slam, followed by footsteps hurrying up the stairs.

Tommy ran up the stairs just like he had when he raced to see Charles earlier that morning. He hadn't expected to be out so long. He had one last piece of business before he could put this whole thing behind him. A brief exchange of jewels for money, but that witch of a duchess had taken her time. He cursed her as he had many times before. Tommy rounded the corner to Rose's room quickly and stopped when he saw Alfie. What could he say to this man who had double crossed him and rescued his sister all in the space of twenty-four hours? Alfie indicated the door to Rose's room with his chin.

"She's in there."

Tommy held his gaze for a few seconds longer and Alfie understood what he couldn't bring himself to say. He nodded. Tommy strode over to the door, opened it and went in. What he saw when he stood at the end of her bed froze him to the spot for a few seconds. Polly turned round and watched a look of guilt and sorrow pass over his face. He took in the angry wounds on Rose's face, the bruises which were all shades of purple and blue, the paleness of what skin wasn't injured. He moved round the bed and Polly stood up to let him get close to Rose. He glanced at Polly before looking back at small figure on the bed.

"How is she, Pol?"

Polly shook her head. "The doctor had to sedate her. She was in a state, Tommy. It was bad. She's got a mild chest infection and the wounds on her face are deep but will heal. Her feet are cut up quite a bit. He's left medicine to help her nerves."

Tommy sat down on the bed next to Rose and looked at her. She looked so vulnerable. How had he let her get into this position? Would she ever forgive him? He didn't think he'd ever forgive himself. He noticed her hair, lying tangled on the pillow around her head. Reaching out, he ran a hand through it, holding a strand in his palm. He spoke in a low voice.

"They cut her hair, Pol."

Polly put a hand on his shoulder. "I know. She loved her hair. Kept it long, like your mum's."

Tommy closed his eyes and swallowed to keep down the emotion he felt in his throat. His head filled with images of Rose being hurt, of her terrified face, of her tears as they cut her beautiful hair. He felt a red-hot rage begin in his gut and allowed it to distract him from his feelings of guilt. He was good at deflecting his feelings onto things he could kill. He opened his eyes at the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Alfie had stepped into the room after Tommy and was watching them. Fred had wriggled out of his arms and returned to Rose's side, his head on her leg. It was Alfie who had cleared his throat. Both Tommy and Polly turned to him.

"There is something I should tell you."

Tommy stood up and moved closer to Alfie. "What?"

"Yeah, mate, so when I found Rose, she … er … she wasn't in the dormitory with the other girls."

Tommy clenched his jaw. "Where was she?"

Alfie shifted his feet and chewed his lip. Tommy, filled with dread, snapped at him.

"Alfie!"

"Yeah, yeah. So, she was in another room … with a man." He looked at their faces as they took this in.

Tommy put his hands on his head and swung round. His heart sank to the floor. Polly stayed absolutely still and spoke calmly.

"What do you mean, she was with a man?"

"Well, she was in the room, and there was a man in there too. I … I don't know what happened before I got there or anything … but when I opened the door, he a gun to her head."

Polly blanched and turned to look at Rose. Tommy swung back round, his arms by his side, fists clenched.

"Who was he?"

"Man named Jarvis."

Tommy lurched forward, his hands on his knees and retched, trying hard not to vomit on the carpet. Alfie's eyebrows shot up. Polly spoke, still looking at Rose.

"Did you kill him?"

"Yeah, put a bullet between his eyes."

Polly nodded. "Did she see you do it?"

"I think so. She saw him on the ground. I made sure she knew he was dead."

Polly looked at him, her eyes cold. "Good."

Tommy stood up with a deep breath. "Where was she, Alfie? Where is this place?"

Alfie looked at him and shook his head. "I'll deal with it, Tommy."

"Alfie…"

Polly spoke sharply. "No, Thomas. Leave it alone."

Tommy was beside himself. He wanted to hit something, to shoot someone, to do something. But there was nothing he could do to make any of this better. Alfie knew it was time to take his leave. This wasn't his family, wasn't his mess. He walked over to Rose's bed, took an apple from his pocket and put it on the bedside table beside her medicine bottle. He spoke to Polly.

"For when she wakes up. She likes them."

He took one last look at Rose, touched the back of her hand briefly with one finger, then turned and walked to the door. He would never forget the sight of her in that bed, hurt and damaged. He stopped as he got to Tommy, leaned in and spoke quietly.

"Do you even know what you almost lost, Tommy, eh? 'Cause she does."

Tommy refused to look at him, examining the carpet instead. Alfie stared at him a moment longer, then left, wishing he could take Rose with him.

Tommy and Polly remained where they were, both looking at Rose, both horrified. Tommy almost couldn't bear to look at her. He would never be able to undo what had been done. This whole terrible business could never be undone, and the bag of money downstairs would never make up for what the family had been through.

"Polly, call a family meeting. This afternoon."

Polly ignored him. Tommy stepped closer.

"Polly"

She looked at him. "Business? You want to do business now? Today? After everything that's happened?"

He snapped at her. "Yes! It's the only thing I can do, isn't it? Just call everyone, Pol."

She looked back at Rose. "I can't leave her."

"I'll stay with her."

Polly sighed. "It was because you weren't here that she got hysterical."

"What?"

"You weren't here when she got home and you'd told her you would be. She wanted you. And you weren't here." She walked slowly over to him and looked him in the eye. "It's a familiar story, isn't it, Tommy?"

Polly left the room and Tommy moved round to sit next to Rose one the bed. Fred watched him, his head still on her leg, tail thumping gently against the bed.

Tommy took Rose's hand and ran his thumb across the back of it. He looked at her face, peaceful now as the sedative kept her asleep. He shook his head and spoke in a low voice.

"I'm sorry, Mouse."

He didn't know what else to say to her. Everything that had happened to her was his fault. He'd almost lost his son and his sister last night and it was all because of his own bad choices. Choices made out of greed and lust and a desire for power. All he'd wanted was to lift his family from where they had come from to a place of influence, to a place where they were no longer cannon-fodder for the upper class. But if there was one thing these past few months had shown him, it was that those places of power would never be open to the likes of him. No matter how much money he had, no matter how much power - he would never truly belong. And now, as he realised how futile his attempts at climbing the social ladder had been, now he had to assess the damage. Damage which couldn't be repaired or undone. Damage to his family who had done everything he'd told them to. Grace, Arthur, John, Michael, Polly, Charles and now Rose. He looked at the injured face of his little sister and was filled with self-loathing. The guilt of what he'd caused weighed heavily on him. How could he ever make this right? And he knew, after the phone call from Moss last night, that things were going to get worse before they got better – if they were ever going to get better.

An hour later, Tommy was sat on the window seat, smoking a cigarette and looking out at the fields. The family would be here soon. He'd decided what he was going to say, how he was going to repay them. He wasn't sure how he was going to tell them about what was coming next, but it didn't really matter. It was going to be bad no matter what he said. Rose coughed and he turned his head. She was stirring so, putting his cigarette in the ashtray, he hurried over and sat next to her, taking her hand.

Rose was beginning to wake up, moving her leg and turning her head. Fred sat up, alert, looking at her. Tommy watched as she frowned and opened her eyes gradually, blinking as he came into focus. They looked at each other for a few seconds.

"You're here." Her voice was raspy from all the screaming she'd done earlier and she cleared her throat.

Tommy squeezed her hand. "Yes, I'm here now. I'm sorry I wasn't when you got home. I should have been."

Her eyes filled with tears as she smiled at him – a small, relieved smile, a smile because the person she loved the most was with her, a smile because now everything would be ok. She sat up, put her arms around his neck and held him tight. Tommy put his arms around her and pulled her close. He shut his eyes. He did not deserve the love that Rose gave him so freely. He did not deserve any forgiveness. He did not deserve to have her as his sister. Rose cried softly on his shoulder. He could smell his shaving soap and cigarettes, his arms around her were strong and familiar. He was her Tommy, her brother and she was overjoyed to be back with him. He pulled her gently away from him and pushed her hair out of her face with his hand.

"I'm sorry, Mouse, I should have protected you…"

But Rose didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to think about it, didn't want to remember. She shook her head and put her arms back round him. She just wanted to be with him and feel safe. He cupped her head with his hand and kissed the top of her head. Fred came round and pushed his way onto her lap. They sat like that for a long time.

Later that afternoon, the family arrived. Polly had relieved Tommy at Rose's side. Rose was sitting up and wanted to shower. Polly told her she should rest but Rose insisted. She wanted to wash and get dressed. Polly was adamant that she ate and drank first and after eating half a meal, Rose was finally able to get to the bathroom. She closed the door and leaned back against it. She was exhausted. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and gasped. Staring horrified at the short-haired, injured girl in the reflection, she was assailed by memories. She fell on her hands and knees over the toilet and vomited. Every last bit of what she'd just eaten came out. She sat back, breathing hard, waiting for the nausea to pass and wiping the tears from her eyes. Eventually she stood up, determined to get a grip. The past was the past. She was home now. Everything was fine. She ignored the mirror, took a quick shower where she scrubbed herself thoroughly and then got dressed. Polly was waiting for her when she came out.

"Rose, love, I have to go downstairs now but Mary is on her way up to sit with you."

"Why are you going downstairs?"

Polly told her reluctantly. "Tommy's called a family meeting."

"I'll come with you."

"No, Rose, you don't need to be there. You need to rest. Stay here."

"Aunt Pol…"

"Stay here. You don't need to think about business. I'll be back soon."

Polly kissed her on her forehead and left the room. Rose sighed and sat down on her bed. Fred jumped up and pushed his head on her lap. She played with his ears absent-mindedly. Spotting the apple on her bedside table, she smiled, knowing exactly where it came from. She wished she could have seen Alfie before he left and thanked him. She picked up the medicine bottle to read the label – 'Veronal, brand of diethylbarbituric acid'. Putting it back down, she sighed. She didn't want to be alone, she felt unsettled. Standing up, she went to look out of the window. She saw the family's cars parked in the driveway. She turned, told Fred to stay and headed out of her room.

The family had just sat down in Tommy's study and were waiting for him to start the meeting when the door opened. All heads turned as Rose entered cautiously. There was a collective gasp when they saw her face and her short hair. Arthur stood up. He was shocked at the sight of her.

"Rosie, sweetheart!"

She looked at the floor. Polly stood up too.

"Rose, love, I told you to stay in your room. You don't need to be here."

"I want to be here."

"No, love, go on back upstairs."

"She can stay."

All heads turned back to Tommy in surprise. No one agreed with him. Ada frowned.

"Tommy…"

"I said let her say. I want her to hear this too. Rose, come on here and sit next to Ada."

Lizzie moved a chair next to Ada and Rose went to sit on it. Ada took Rose's hand and gave it a squeeze. Rose leaned against her. Polly and Arthur both glared at Tommy as they sat back down. And so the meeting began. Rose watched and listened as Tommy bared his soul to them in a way none of them had ever seen before. He apologised for getting involved in the Russian business, giving them large sums of money as the only way he knew of paying them back for everything they'd given him. She frowned when she heard that John and Arthur had innocent men's blood on their hands. She watched in concern as Tommy became more and more frustrated, telling them he couldn't change, that they'd all taken the king's shilling and reminding them that those who take the king's shilling are expected to kill for him. Polly stood up and announced that she would like to propose a different way of running the business but, before Rose could figure out what she meant, Linda told Arthur that they had to leave to catch their train. Her mouth opened in shock. Arthur was leaving now?

Polly went over and hugged Arthur. Finn and John stood awkwardly, punching Arthur on his arm, trying not to show emotion. Rose stood next to Ada, clinging onto her hand. Not this, not now, not after everything. Arthur looked at her and beckoned her over. She ran to him as he knelt down and pulled her into his arms. She was too overwhelmed to cry, she didn't know how to deal with saying goodbye to Arthur. He held her tight and whispered in her ear.

"I'll miss you, Rosie Red. I'll miss you most of all."

He pulled back and kissed her carefully on her cheek, holding her head in both hands. Tears threatened to spill down his face. Rose took Arthur's face in her own hands and looked at him with a small smile.

"I'll write to you, Arthur. Don't forget me, will you?"

Arthur laughed and then sniffed. "Never, Rosie."

He stood up and moved to Tommy. Rose went back to Ada who put her arms around her, holding her at her side. Tommy was sat in his chair, refusing to look at Arthur.

"I'll be off then, Tom. I'll see you, eh? I'll see you, brother."

Arthur had made his way across the room before Tommy spoke.

"You can go, but you won't get far, Arthur."

Arthur laughed nervously. "Alright, Tom."

No-one understood what Tommy meant. That soon changed as he continued.

"I spoke to Moss last night. He told me that the Chief Constable of Birmingham has issued a warrant for your arrest. Murder, sedition, conspiracy to cause explosion. John, they're coming for you as well. Murder, conspiracy to cause explosion. Michael, for the murder of Hughes. Polly … the murder of Chief Inspector Chester Campbell."

And with that, all hell broke loose. Police vans arriving outside; Arthur and John furiously shouting at Tommy; Tommy trying to explain that he'd made a deal and would get them free; chaos in the room as everyone tried to process what was happening. Rose felt the world spin around her. It was too much for her to take in. She stumbled against Ada, who held her up. She vaguely heard Tommy above the clamour.

"Lizzie, collect up the money and bring it to the cellar. You will all get your money in due course. Finn, take your sister up to her room and stay with her. Quickly, Finn!"

Rose felt herself being pulled away, strong hands on her arms guiding her to the door and propelling her across the drawing room to the stairs. As Finn reached the corner, the police rushed in and began to detain and arrest those they had come for. Rose disengaged herself from Finn and stood and watched the policemen push her brothers, her aunt and her cousin up against the wall and handcuff them. Finn took her by the shoulders and pulled her up the stairs, but not before she saw Tommy appear at the door of his study and calmly watch his family being dragged out of his house. And not even she, who knew Tommy as well as she knew herself, could understand what was going on behind those eyes. All she knew was that she would never again see him in the same way.

---

And there it is. Please, please let me know what you think.

I was thinking about writing a little afterthought explaining some of my plot choices. Would anyone be interested in that?

The question now, I guess, is should I continue Rose's story into season 4? I'd like to, I think. Would you?

Many, many thanks to all of you who have been reading this. You're all grand!

Wenlock x