Thank you to everyone who read the last chapter. And thank you to those who commented. You make my week!

A couple of weeks ago a lovely Guest reviewer wrote that they wondered if Rose would not be seeing her family again until the beginning of season 5 and, although I had always planned for Rose to return to Tommy on the beach, that idea stuck in my head. I began to think about what it would have been like if Rose had stayed with Alfie and only saw Tommy again after four years. I decided to write it down.

So, this is a brief one-off chapter of what that might have looked like in an alternative universe. Obviously, there's a lot that would have happened in four years but this is just a small snapshot of that. I hope you like it. I'd love it if you could let me know what you think.

I'll pick up the original story next week.

Today was the day. Alfie had known it as soon as he woke up, although he'd tried to ignore it. But now, sitting down at the dining table for breakfast, he couldn't deny it any longer. And as he realised it, he felt the need to resist and fight against it. There had only ever been two possible outcomes and now it was time to fight for the outcome he wanted.

He didn't eat much of the breakfast that Mrs. Liebermann had served him – just some egg, a slice of toast and a cup of tea. Possibly his last meal, he thought with a wry smile. He wondered if Rose had eaten any of the breakfast which had been taken up for her. Probably not. She ate when he made her but she was far too distracted to think about eating. It had been five days since their arrival in Margate and her head was still full of revenge. When she talked – which wasn't much – it was her only topic of conversation. Where was Michael? Would Alfie help her find him? Where were the children? When could she go back to Birmingham? She alternated between awful, paralyzing grief where she would lie curled up on the bed, sometimes crying, sometimes practically comatose, and rage-filled bursts of anger against Michael and the Italians where she would pace around the house, plotting and scheming.

Alfie sighed and was about to stand up to go and see Rose upstairs when the door opened and Rose herself walked in. His face showed his surprise as he watched her walk to the table and sit down next to him. She was wearing one of the plain, grey dresses that Danny's wife had given to her. It was long-sleeved with a white lace collar and hem and buttons down the front. She wore it with black wool stockings and lace-up, black boots. Her hair was tied back in a half ponytail with a white ribbon and Alfie thought she looked very young. Her freckled face was pale, and she looked like she'd barely slept. He knew she hadn't, in fact, because his room was below hers and he could hear her tossing and turning in her bed, occasionally pacing across the floor. He beamed at her as she settled into the chair next to him.

"Good morning, Petal."

She gave him a half smile. "Morning"

"Are you joining me for breakfast?"

"Yes, if that's ok?"

"Of course!" He yelled loudly over his shoulder. "Mrs. Liebermann!"

Rose jumped at his loud voice. She had woken up that morning very early and had spent a long time sitting on her window seat, watching the sun rise above the water. Opening the window, she breathed in the sea air and listened to the gulls calling to each other as they too woke up. She was mesmerised by the view from her window. Every morning the sunrise had been different but this morning it felt, somehow, like she was seeing it for the first time and, as she watched the light fill the sky and the reflection of it shimmer on the surface of the water, she felt a tiny change inside her.

Her grief was raw and painful, her anger at Michael's betrayal deep and intense, but for the first time since Alfie had driven her away from Birmingham, she felt like she might be just survive, like she had a future that wasn't full of pain and sadness. And as she looked out at a new day, she knew that the reason she felt that way was because of Alfie. He had kept her safe and taken care of her and she knew she could trust him. She decided to join him for breakfast.

Mrs. Liebermann appeared at the table looking annoyed.

"We have service bells installed throughout the house, Mr. Baker. There is one just here." She pointed to the bell next to the fireplace. "There is no need to shout."

"My apologies, Mrs. Liebermann. I'll remember next time."

"Yes, well, you said that last time."

"Would you be so kind as to bring some breakfast for Miriam. She's decided to join me this morning."

"Yes, Sir. Eggs, Miss Miriam?"

Rose realised she was hungry. "Do you have any bacon?"

The housekeeper put her hand to her mouth in shock as Alfie snorted with amusement.

"Miss Miriam – this is a Jewish household!"

Rose reddened and looked at Alfie in embarrassment. He winked at her.

"Please forgive my daughter, Mrs. Liebermann, she likes to joke. Of course, she doesn't want bacon. Eggs will be fine, thank you."

Mrs. Liebermann looked at Rose in disapproval. "Yes, Sir. And it may be a good idea to remind your daughter that some things should not be joked about."

She tuned on her heel and walked out of the room. Rose put her hands on her cheeks; she was mortified.

"I'm so sorry, Alfie, I didn't think."

He was still grinning at her. "Don't you worry about it for one second longer, my Petal. Mrs. Liebermann is not someone you need to be concerned about impressing. You have no need to measure up to anyone's standards. And if you want bacon, I can smuggle some bacon in for you."

She smiled at him. "I do love bacon. Tommy used to make it…"

She stopped abruptly as the memory of her brother. Alfie looked at her sympathetically, ignoring the pang of guilt that went through him.

"It will take time for you to grieve, Sweetheart, probably a lot of time. But I will be here for you at every moment."

Rose looked into his eyes and knew he meant it. She reached over and took his hand.

"Thank you, Alfie." She looked at him intently and squeezed his hand. "You won't leave me, will you? I can't do this without you."

And in that moment, Alfie had what he wanted – Rose reciprocating his love for her, accepting him as the person in her life that she would depend on, filling the void inside him which yearned for someone he could live for. He made a decision.

"Rose, listen to me. I've had some information that the Italians have found out where we are. They'll be here today and they're coming for you."

Rose's hand flew to her mouth, fear rushing through her. Alfie continued.

"Now, there's no need to panic, but we do need to move quickly. After you've finished your breakfast, I'd like you to go up to your room and pack away everything that's yours. If they come to the house, we can't let them know you were ever here."

"Ok, that won't take long, I don't have much. In fact, nothing of what's up there is mine anyway. Am I leaving?"

"Yes, just for a short while, just until it's safe."

"Are you coming with me?"

He shook his head. "No, my sweetheart, I can't. I need to deal with this threat otherwise we'll be looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives."

She reached out and grabbed his sleeve. "No, Alfie, come with me. I can't lose you too."

He put his hand over hers. "You won't lose me, I promise."

Her face crumpled and tears filled her eyes. "No one can make that promise."

Alfie knew she was right, but he was going to do all he could to keep her. He took her face between his hands and kissed her on the forehead.

"I will do everything I can to save you, Petal. That I can promise."

At that point, Mrs. Liebermann entered with a plate of scrambled eggs. Alfie let go of Rose and stood up. The housekeeper put the plate in front of Rose, then left the room. Alfie pointed at the eggs.

"Finish those, then go and pack."

Rose nodded, though she'd completely lost her appetite. Alfie grinned at her, then left by the door Mrs. Liebermann had exited by. He ran towards the kitchen looking for her and found her in her little office just beyond. She stood up as soon as she saw him, embarrassed that he'd caught her off guard.

"Mr. Baker, how can I help you? You can just ring the service bell and I will attend to you."

Alfie beamed at her. He was depending on this sour and insensitive woman to help him in his last-minute plan to make sure that Tommy would never find Rose. He needed her on his side so he turned on every last ounce of his charm.

"My dear Mrs. Liebermann, you attend to me extremely well and I am most impressed with your work here in the house."

Mrs. Liebermann's cheeks flushed slightly red at the compliment.

"And now that I am in need of some, shall we say, some discreet help, you were, naturally, the very first person I came to."

She pursed her lips. "How can I help you, Sir?"

"Right, well, you see, it's a little delicate. My dear late wife's family are quite a force to be reckoned. She has several brothers who seem to - well, let's just say, they blame me for her death."

"Why would they do that?"

"Yeah, it's a very long and complicated story which I don't have time to tell you. The long and short of it is that they don't think that I'm the right person to raise my daughter and have been trying to take her away from me since that terrible day when her mother died. Now, I love my daughter more than anything else in the world, as you know, and I would do anything to keep her with me."

Mrs. Liebermann nodded emphatically. "Well, of course you would, Sir."

"Yes, I would. And, well, I've had some news this morning that Miriam's uncles have discovered our little house here and are on the way to take her from me."

The housekeeper was shocked. "Here? They're coming here?"

Alfie nodded. "I'm afraid so, yes. But here's where I need your help. I think I may be able to head them off at the pass but I need a place for Miriam to go until it's safe."

She held up a hand. "Say no more, Sir, I know exactly the place – my brother's. He lives just outside the town and has a wife and two small children. Miriam will be safe there. I shall telephone him at once and tell him to expect her."

Alfie grabbed her shoulders, pulled her to him and kissed her loudly on the cheek. "You are a gem, Mrs. Liebermann."

"Mr. Baker, I don't feel that is appropriate at all."

"No, no, you're right." He beamed at her. "I'm terribly sorry. You phone your brother and I will go and get Miriam ready."

She shook her head and picked up the phone. Alfie practically ran back to the dining room to find Rose had already left, her eggs barely eaten. He headed up to his study and scribbled something on a piece of paper which he sealed in an envelope and slipped in his jacket pocket. Coming out of the study, he saw Rose struggling down the stairs with her bag. He reached out and took it from her, then led the way down to the front door.

Mrs. Liebermann was waiting for them. "Mr. Baker, I have arranged a car to take your daughter to my brother's house. He is expecting her."

Rose looked at Alfie sharply. "What?"

He turned to Rose and leant down to look at her. "Sweetheart, Mrs. Liebermann has kindly offered for you to stay at her brother's house. You'll be safe there."

Rose's eyes grew wide in fear. "No, I don't want to go there. Why can't I want to stay with you?"

He shook his head. "You know why, Petal. You can't stay here, it's dangerous."

Rose frowned in frustration. "No, Alf…" She looked at Mrs. Liebermann and stopped herself. Looking back at Alfie, she took a deep breath. "No, Dad, I don't want to leave you."

Alfie froze as the sound of that word. He stared into her blue eyes for a moment, then pulled her to him in a tight hug. "It won't be for long. Trust me, yeah?" He let go and held her face in his hands and smiled broadly at her. "Be brave, little one. You are stronger than you think."

Rose sniffed and looked miserable. She didn't feel at all strong. Mrs. Liebermann opened the door and Alfie took Rose's hand to lead her to the car. He put her bag in the back seat and stood back to let her in. She didn't move. Alfie was impatient - the day was moving on and he had to get her to safety before he arrived.

"Come on, in you get." He pulled her hand and she reluctantly climbed into the car. She looked up at him .

"You'll come and get me, won't you?"

He grinned at her. "I will. I'll be there before you know it."

She sat back in the seat and Alfie pushed the door closed. The car pulled away and Alfie's stomach lurched as he watched it take her away. But he didn't have time to stand and stare. He had a meeting to get to. He turned and went back inside the house where he handed the envelope from his pocket to Mrs. Liebermann.

"If anything happens to me – and by that I mean, if I die and only if I die - open that envelope and make a phone call to the number on that piece of paper. Tell them you have a red-headed girl that needs a home. They will be here in a shot to get her. And you can let them."

Mrs. Liebermann took the envelope. "Mr. Baker, never in my life have I been involved in anything like this. You are testing my loyalty to the limits."

"I know I am, Mrs. Liebermann, but I will make sure you are compensated." He leaned towards her. "Financially, I mean."

She looked offended and appeased at the same time. Alfie had one more thing to say to her.

"When I leave, I would like you to check that there is nothing left in the house to indicate that Miriam was ever here. If anyone comes here, looking for her, let them search the house and, I beg you, deny any knowledge of her. Will you do that for me?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Have I told you you're a jewel, Mrs. Liebermann?" She rolled her eyes and headed up the stairs to begin her task. Alfie grabbed his long overcoat from the coat hook, checked what he wanted was in the pocket, whistled for Cyril, then left the house to find out what the future would be.

"I once told you, Alfie, that for business reasons or in bad blood, I would kill you. I have no business reasons. It seems you have retired."

"So, this is all purely for bad blood is it, Tommy?"

"Yeah."

"Right, yeah."

Tommy had suspected that Alfie had taken Rose, but he hadn't managed to confirm it. He was furious but had to deal with Luca before he could deal with Alfie. He knew that Rose would be safe with Alfie, so against everything in him that wanted to bring Rose home, he decided she was better off out of Small Heath until he had finished with Luca. And if she wasn't with Alfie, then … he tried not to think about that.

"Where is she, Alfie?"

"Who?" He threw Tommy a quick glance.

"You know who."

"You have a nasty habit of losing your family members, Tommy, do you know that?"

"She'll never be yours, Alfie."

"Seems to me that she's not currently yours either. You gonna look after this dog?"

"No"

"Right then. Well, his name is Cyril and he'll be very upset and distressed, so you'll need to find him someone."

Tommy looked back at him. "You're not armed?"

Alfie had every intention of killing Tommy. He had something to live for now. And as he talked on and on, trying to distract Tommy, he turned suddenly and shot at him. He heard another shot ring out and everything went black.

Rose had been sat in the same chair since she'd arrived at Mrs. Liebermann's brother's house. He was as unsmiling as his sister, and Rose soon discovered that the rest of the family weren't very prone to smiling either. Nor were they very talkative, which suited Rose just fine.

The day had progressed excruciatingly slowly for Rose, waiting for Alfie to come and get her with no idea what was happening to him. Lunch and dinner came and went and Rose watched the clock on the wall tick as day changes to evening and felt almost ready to implode. She longed to know what was going on and was barely holding it together in this strange, silent house when there was a knock at the door. She jumped up and looked at Mr. Kramer waiting for him to move. He put out his cigarette and stood up slowly before making his way to the door. Rose could barely wait for him to open it and almost did it herself. When he finally did, it wasn't Alfie who walked in but Mrs. Liebermann. Rose rushed over to her.

"Mrs. Liebermann, have you heard from my father? Is he alright?"

The older woman looked at Rose with a serious expression. "Miss Miriam, I'm afraid there's been an incident."

Rose sat by Alfie's hospital bed for as long as she was allowed to, day after day. As far as she was knew, Alfie had been shot by the Italians, maybe even by Luca himself. All this confirmed to Rose that the Italians were now in charge and that she wasn't necessarily out of danger. Mrs. Lieberman had told her that one of them, "with black hair" had searched the house looking for a girl. He'd found nothing, she'd told Rose proudly, there was no trace of her left in the house, she'd seen to that. The man had been very agitated, apparently, and had appeared extremely frustrated at not finding anything. He had sworn a lot.

Now Alfie was all Rose had left and she was determined she wasn't going to lose him. She practically willed him back to life and was delighted when, despite his injuries, he was eventually allowed home. Rose focused all her attention on him and nursed him back to his old self over a number of months. He, in turn, was overjoyed to still be alive and to know that Rose was still with him. He soon realised that Rose had become very attached to him, that she never spoke about her family and that she seemed to have accepted that her life was now with him in Margate. Rose shut off a part of herself and gave herself to building a new life with Alfie. She had lost so much that she had to keep hold of what she had left. She never forgot her family, she dreamt about them and felt them with her often, but they were gone and they weren't coming back.

Over the next four years, Rose and Alfie's little family unit thrived. Alfie kept his word to himself that he'd do anything he could to make sure Rose got what she deserved. He stayed out of the life and spent his time reading and watching the ships and occasionally shooting at gulls. His cancer didn't seem to be progressing in the way he'd been led to believe and, as he'd had enough of doctors and hospitals, he didn't try to find out what was going on. He was just happy to wake up every morning.

Rose eventually got a job in a local office as a clerk. She already possessed some administration skills and it wasn't long before she rose to the rank of supervisor of a small team of women clerks. She was young but worked hard and her boss came to rely on her. She was glad to do well in her job but her heart yearned for the outdoors. She longed to sit on a horse and ride through the forest, she remembered camp fires and music and… But Rose stopped herself remembering. It was gone, there was nothing she could do to bring it back.

Rose and Alfie spent a lot of time together. Rose didn't really have any friends in the town, just acquaintances. She and Alfie had an unspoken rule to keep themselves to themselves and not invite scrutiny. They spent the evenings reading together, talking or listening to music on the gramophone. Alfie had taught Rose all about the things he was interested in – philosophy, religion, history. He would ask her questions and challenge her to think critically. She would tell him all about what she'd been reading on nature and wildlife and especially horses. They made each other laugh and enjoyed each other's company. Rose was anxious when she wasn't with him, worried about being alone in the world. They went for long walks on the beach and along the high cliffs. Alfie brought calmness and peace into her life in a way she'd never known before. Every day was the same, there was no fear or panic, she trusted him and felt safe with him. He understood her and gave her the time she needed as she worked out how to grow up. When she woke up in the middle of the night with disturbed dreams, she would often go downstairs to the balcony and look out across the sea. She found it calming. Inevitably, Alfie would appear beside her. Sometimes he would put his arm round her and she would lean on his shoulder. Sometimes he just stood with her and they would watch the sunrise together.

When Rose turned 18, Alfie instructed Mrs. Liebermann to prepare a feast for the two of them to celebrate. Alfie led Rose into the dining room with his hands over her eyes. Rose walked unsteadily and held onto his hands with hers, laughing.

"What's going on, Dad? What's the surprise?"

He chuckled at her confusion. "Just be patient, Mim, you'll see."

They had long ago fallen into the habit of calling each other by their adopted names. It made them feel more secure.

He stood her where he wanted her and took his hands away from her eyes, then stood back and watched her delightedly. Rose took in the extravagant spread which almost filled the table and looked at Alfie confused and a little nervous.

"We're having visitors?"

"No, Petal, it's for us. To celebrate your birthday. Do you like it?"

She looked back at all the food and wondered how on earth the two of them were supposed to finish it all. But she knew that Alfie loved to eat and that he loved it when others enjoyed the food he provided for them, so she knew that this was the ultimate gift from him. She turned and put her arms around his neck.

"I love it!"

He grinned and hugged her back. "Let's sit down then, shall we?"

He pulled Rose's chair out for her and then sat down himself. He looked at her and felt once again grateful that she was by his side. The last three and a half years had been the happiest ones of his life. He loved her as a daughter and felt like this was what he had been born for.

"Before we start, I have a gift for you."

He took a small box tied up in a red ribbon out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. She took it and smiled at him.

"Thank you."

"You don't know what it is yet. You might hate it."

"Not if it's from you."

She pulled on one end of the ribbon and it slipped off the box. Taking the lid off she peered inside and gasped. Inside was a delicate gold necklace from which hung a single beautiful pearl set in a small cluster of tiny diamonds. She looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"It's beautiful."

"As are you, my dear. Here, let me put it on you."

Alfie took the necklace from the box and carefully fastened it round her neck, as she held her long hair out of the way. He sat back down and looked at her as she put a hand to feel the pearl and beamed at him. Alfie was suddenly amazed at this young woman who sat beside him. She had become an adult under his nose whilst he wasn't looking. Her long red hair hung down her back and her large blue eyes shone in her small face. Her figure was still slight but she had developed into a petite and delicate woman. Her expression was usually a serious one as she thought everything through and worked out how she felt about things, but when she smiled or laughed her whole face lit up. He suddenly realised how much like Tommy she looked. Putting the thought quickly out of his head, he clapped his hands together.

"Do you like it, Petal?"

She nodded. "I love it. Thank you."

It had been a while since she'd worn a necklace. She'd taken off her mother's rose necklace a long time ago and it sat at the back of her bottom drawer, untouched since then. Alfie took her hand.

"A pearl signifies wisdom, something you are growing full of, Sweetheart. And it's a precious gem which appears in its most beautiful form naturally without anyone doing anything to it. And you, my sweet Mim, you have always been the most lovely person I've ever known and you don't need anything or anyone else to improve you. You are perfect just as you are."

Rose blushed at Alfie's compliments. She shook her head. "I need you, Dad. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

He squeezed her hand. "I reckon we need each other, eh? A perfect team of two."

She smiled, tears suddenly filling her eyes, and nodded. She owed him everything, she knew that, but she didn't understand why she felt so restless all of a sudden. She looked around the table filled with food and felt like she could hear the echoes of many voices, laughing and arguing. She had a sudden memory of the smell of cigarette smoke and the lids of all the boxes inside her which held the things she could never ever think of again were loosened. A sudden panic flooded through her and she took a sharp intake of breath.

Alfie saw this all play out on her face and gripped her hand tighter. He spoke loudly.

"Right then, my Petal, I think it's time we made a start on this delicious feast, hmm? What do you think?"

Rose dragged herself back to him and forced a smile, blinking away the tears. "Yes, we'd better. Mrs. Liebermann won't be happy if we let it go cold."

And so, Alfie and Rose pulled each other back to familiar, safe territory with each other and began to eat and talk and laugh their way through the evening.

Rose didn't feel much different now that she was an adult, but she began to find it very difficult to keep the lids on the boxes. Little things she saw or smelled or heard would lift a corner of a box and she would rush to push it closed again. She didn't want to see what was inside. All those things were behind her. Her life was in Margate now and she was happy. She was happy and secure and calm. And yet, more and more, she found herself wondering if that was enough.

A few months later, Rose finished her breakfast next to Alfie, stood up and kissed him on the head before heading for the door.

"See you tonight, Dad. Be good and don't shoot any more gulls. You know what the neighbours think."

He laughed. "Have a good day at work, Mim. I've got a new book to show you when you get back, you'll love it. It's all about the French revolution"

She grinned at him, then swept out of the room and he heard the front door close a few seconds later. He sat, as he always did when she'd left for work, and listened to the silence. It was always empty without her, like she'd taken the life of the very house with her as she left. He sighed and stood up. He was expecting a visitor today.

Two hours later, Rose walked down the road back to the house. She had left an important file there which she'd taken home the previous night to finish working on, something she did frequently. She'd explained the situation to her boss who gave her permission to go home and fetch it so long as she made the time up at the end of the day. The office where she worked was about a twenty minute walk from her house so it wouldn't take her long, especially if she hurried.

Alfie held his hands up on either side of him as he looked at his visitor.

"Nonetheless, I had a recurring dream. I saw you in a field, right, with a big black horse, and you said 'Goodbye' and then, bang."

Alfie was pleased to see a reaction flit across Tommy's usual dead-pan face. He looked back out of the open balcony doors.

"Right then, well, what now?"

Tommy flicked his cigarette out of the doors, grabbed his cap and leant forward with his elbows on his knees.

"I will continue until I find a man I can't defeat."

"Hmm"

Tommy was about to stand up when they both heard the front door slam. A shout came up the stairs.

"It's only me, Dad."

Tommy frowned and looked at Alfie confused.

Alfie help up a hand, taking a tight hold of the panic he felt inside. He thought fast

"My driver's daughter. She had been told about that voice of hers – it's like a foghorn. If you'll excuse me, I'll go and deal with it."

He stood up and walked across the room, using all his will-power not to run. Once he has out of Tommy's sight, he rushed quickly down the stairs. Rose was in the hallway, hunting through a briefcase. She looked up at him.

"Why can I smell cigarette smoke?"

He kept his voice light.

"Mim, why are you home?"

"Oh, I stupidly forgot to take in some work. I can't find it in here though. Maybe it's in my study."

She headed towards the stairs and Alfie grabbed her arm. She looked at him surprised. He let go quickly but before he could say anything, the floorboards above them creaked. Both of them looked to the stairs. Rose looked back at him.

"You have a visitor?" She was shocked. Alfie never had visitors.

He nodded. "Hmm. It's business. But I don't want you to meet him. He's someone who could - blow your cover."

Rose's jaw dropped. He hadn't talked about their life in hiding from the Italians since he'd recovered from his gunshot wound. Fear flooded her. Where they back for her?

Alfie took her arm again to lead her to the dining room but, for some reason she couldn't explain, she pulled her arm away. Alfie could hear Tommy had begun to walk down the stairs. He hissed at her.

"Miriam, you have to move! You have to get in the other room."

He pulled her arm again but Rose resisted him. She couldn't explain why but she felt rooted to the spot. Alfie was about to pick her up off the floor and carry her to the next room when Tommy's feet appeared at the top the stairs and within seconds he had descended halfway. Alfie's hand dropped from Rose's arm and everything in him deflated.

Rose looked at the man on the stairs as if she'd seen a ghost, and, as far as she was concerned, she was seeing a ghost. She knew who she was looking at. He had barely changed, just a few grey hairs at his temples. It was Tommy.

Tommy stared at Rose in shock. He had long ago given up on the idea that Alfie had taken Rose. He'd suspected it at first but had found the house in Margate completely empty. He thought that Alfie wouldn't have waited for him on the beach if he had Rose. He concluded that the Italians had taken her as another way to hold leverage against him. But Luca hadn't disclosed where she was, nor had a number of other Italians that he'd tortured over the past few years, desperate for news of his lost sister. Her disappearance had taken a huge toll on the family and none of them were sure if they would ever see her again. But he knew who he was looking at as he stood on Alfie's stairs. She was older, a young woman now, but unmistakably his baby sister. It was Rose.

He walked quickly down the rest of the stairs and stopped a few yards in front of her. She shook her head slightly, having no ability to process what was happening.

"Tommy?"

He nodded. "It's me, Mouse."

She let out a quiet sob. "I thought you were dead."

He smiled at her gently. "I'm not dead."

She stared at him a beat longer, then quickly closed the distance between them and flung her arms around his neck. She breathed in the scent of shaving soap and cigarettes and was overwhelmed with the fact that he was really there. She felt light-headed. Tommy embraced his sister and couldn't believe she was back with him. She had grown a couple of inches, he could no longer rest his chin on her head. He felt her soft hair against his cheek and put his hand on the back of her head. They stood for a good few minutes, barely believing it was real.

Alfie looked at the floor, unable to watch the reunion. He'd allowed himself to believe a while ago that this would never happen, and yet he should have known. Tommy and Rose were inextricably bound to each other. They were always going to find each other again. He kicked himself for thinking Tommy could come to the house and never know that his sister was still living there.

Rose pulled away from Tommy and looked up at him.

"The others, are they alive too?"

"Yes, everyone is alive."

"The children too?"

"Especially the children. They've grown like weeds. And I have a daughter now, Ruby."

Rose put a hand to her mouth in relief. She couldn't believe that her family had been alive all these years, carrying on with their lives in Birmingham whilst she was in Margate. She had been so worried about losing Alfie that she hasn't even considered trying to find anything more out about what was going on there. She had closed that door firmly. She rounded on Alfie and took a step towards him. She wasn't angry, she was confused.

"You told me he was dead. You told me they were all dead. Why would you do that?"

Tommy was ready to shoot Alfie between the eyes, but he let Rose say what she needed to do. Plus, the business part of his mind knew that he still needed Alfie to carry out his plan to kill Mosely.

Alfie looked her in the eye.

"I wanted to give you the life you deserved."

She moved a step away from him. She spoke clearly and firmly, her voice showing no trace of emotion. "You don't know anything about the life I deserve. Not even after all this time - you just don't."

He nodded. "You're right, I don't. But think about the life you've had with me for four years, Mim … Rose. You've been happy and safe, you've not had to look over your shoulder or be afraid every day. You were away from all the smoke and the crime and the violence. Don't tell me you missed all that?"

Rose didn't want to hear what he was saying. "Everything was a lie. You told me the Italians had killed my entire family, but in reality it was you who had taken them from me. You gave me no say in any of this. You took away the most precious thing that I had. You had no right, Alfie."

She looked back at Tommy and her heart soared at the sight of him. He was alive, he was right there in front of her and she felt the anchor drop and she was adrift no longer. She looked back at Alfie.

"You were my best friend, Alfie. I didn't need another dad, I had a family. I needed a friend. And I would have always found you when I needed you. It would have been enough."

Alfie regarded her blue eyes which he had looked into and loved for the last four years, and knew that she was right. He had overstepped in his desire to fill his own emptiness and hadn't considered her at all. And now he had lost her for good.

"I wonder if you could ever forgive me, Petal."

She shook her head.

"No, I'll never forgive you."

Reaching up to her neck, she unclasped the pearl necklace, which had been around her neck since Alfie had put it there on her birthday, and held it out to him.

"It's yours, Petal."

"I don't want it."

He sighed and held out his hand. She dropped it into his palm. Tommy moved next to Rose and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, Mouse, let's go home. Go and pack what you want to take, be quick."

She turned and hurried up the stairs to pack. Tommy watched her go, then faced Alfie.

"She looks like I always imagined she would. She's beautiful, just like our mother. You've looked after her well."

Alfie nodded, alert, not sure what Tommy would do next. Tommy took a step towards Alfie who stood his ground.

"You going to kill me again, Tommy?"

"Yeah, but not yet."

"Hmm, you need my men for your rally."

"Exactly. But, Alfie, what you stole from me is something you can never repay."

"Maybe, but I'd do it again. She was better off with me, here. And you know it."

Tommy clenched his jaw. His hand itched to hold his gun, but before he could, Rose reappeared with a small bag. He turned and took it from her.

"Is that it?"

She nodded. He held out his hand to her and she took it, walking past Alfie without looking at him. As she did, he noticed she wore her mother's necklace again. He sighed and felt the void inside him open up once more as he watched her walk out of his house – and his life – hand in hand with the brother she had never let go of.

There is so much to mine here now as Rose returns to Birmingham after such a long absence. How will she settle back in? How will the family react to seeing her again? How will she adjust to the Shelby life and business again? And chapters could be written on Rose and Alfie's time in Margate. But that's a rabbit hole to go down another time. Hope you enjoyed it. Wenlock x