Slowly, the Garrison began to fill with family and friends as news spread of the Blinders triumph of the day. As the night went on, Elizabeth slowly blended into the background, a soft smile sitting over her face as she watched Arthur and Finn behind the bar, John kissing his new wife, Ada smiling with Freddie as they cooed over Karl. She kept herself close to the door, leaning against a post with her head twisted to the side as she tried to keep an eye on the events inside as well as out. She'd watched them lift Danny's body out and up onto a van, but Danny was no longer her focus, her focus now fell to her twin who would now be dealing with the betrayal of his love. Everything in her wanted to slap some sense into him, but she knew, Tommy was as stubborn as she, and when they loved they loved hard. Betrayal was the only way for her to cut ties and even then, that rule never applied to family, and perhaps Grace had wiggled her way in enough to be considered family to Tom. It was something she knew he'd have to deal with himself, as much as she wished she could help.
"Liz." Charlie greeted, coming to stand beside his niece and drawing her attention from the door and twin.
"Hey Charlie." She returned, offering a half smile to her uncle before her eyes narrowed in on Finn who was standing on top the bar. Charlie watched as her face twisted into concern and chuckled, handing his niece a glass.
"Relax Liz, for one night, just be a sister rather than their mother." Charlie chastised gently, Elizabeth frowned, glancing down at her drink before sighing as she returned her gaze to her uncle.
"I don't think I remember how." She admitted, glancing back over at Finn and Arthur, "Looking after them is all I remember."
"That nearly got you killed, if Tommy hadn't pushed you out the way." Elizabeth huffed before taking a drink.
"I know." She admitted, having seen Kimber moving his gun to her, "Probably should have moved quicker."
"That's not what I meant." Charlie huffed back, taking a drink from his own glass. Elizabeth smirked and let out a chuckle.
"I know." They stood in silence for a moment before Elizabeth let out a sigh, glancing over her shoulder to see her twin having disappeared, "I'll try Charlie."
"Let's get you another drink." Charlie nodded clapping her on the shoulder and leading her over to the bar, happy with the vocal admission she'd try to relax. Elizabeth chuckled at the action but followed without complaint, a more genuine smile appearing over her face as Arthur cheered at her appearance.
"There you are Lil! We thought you'd fucked off!"
"Wouldn't dare leave you in charge of all this alone Arthur, you'd drink our profits in an hour." Elizabeth teased back, setting her drink down in front of him with a smirk as Arthur rolled his eyes and filled up her glass.
"Alright, alright, but any more cheek and you're cut off!" Arthur teased back earning a smile from Elizabeth who quickly became distracted as Ada moved over with Karl and Freddie, the younger sister keen for Karl to meet his aunt now the matter had been cleared up.
True to her word, Elizabeth pushed any worries or thoughts of what had occurred to the back of her mind, doing her best to focus on being a sister and having a moment of fun with her family. She cooed over her nephew until Ada decided it best her and Freddie returned home, she chatted with Esme until she declared it time to take John's kids home and from there, she played stupid card and drinking games with Arthur and John, allowing Polly to take care of Finn who was sleeping on a bench in one of the booths.
It was hours later when she was collapsed in a booth giggling at the drunken state of Arthur and John that the front door to the Garrison swung open once more. She tilted her head out in curiosity, a small smile coming over her face at the sight of Tommy. She slid out the booth and walked to the bar as both John and Arthur lifted their tankards in greeting making her let out another huff of laughter as they slumped even lower in the booth.
"Drink?" Polly offered as Tommy made his way over to the bar, lighting a cigarette as he walked.
"Not whisky. If you check behind the bar..." Tommy hummed, walking over to his sister as Polly moved behind the bar. Elizabeth pushed the empty glasses to the side to make room for whatever Tommy had planned as her twin leaned his back against the bar, "You will find a bottle of champagne." Tommy revealed to the two women as he puffed on his cigarette, Elizabeth raising her eyebrows in surprise to Polly who indeed pulled out a bottle of champagne and set it on the worktop.
"One she bought?" Polly questioned as Tommy picked it up and began opening the bottle. Tommy cast her a look before looking at Elizabeth who glanced to the side, not commenting for fear her good mood would be ruined.
"Today was a good day. All of Kimber's men were busy here. So, the Lee boys took all the pitches at the Worcester races. Couldn't have gone better if we planned it." Elizabeth snorted shaking her head at the shear dumb luck, Tommy nudging her and nodding for her to follow as he made his way over to John and Arthur, "The Shelby Brothers, Limited, are now the third largest legal racetrack operation in the country. Only the Sabinis and the Solomons are bigger than us, boys." Elizabeth let out another small laugh as Arthur and John let out cheers of celebration, knowing that the pair likely had little to no idea what they were cheering about.
"And all my family is here to celebrate." Tommy continued, turning to Elizabeth who glanced at her twin with a hint of confusion, "All because of my twin and her dedication to the family, which I will never doubt again." Elizabeth continued to stare, her shock at being singled out morphing into a sad smile seeing the pain in her brother from the betrayal that led to his betrayal of her, "To Shelby Brothers, Limited! And to Elizabeth Shelby, who we wouldn't be here without."
"Stop it." Elizabeth muttered with a small smile as John and Arthur cheered her name, before she focused on Tommy who nodded to her before sighing and allowing himself to collapse his head onto her shoulder, something he hadn't done since they'd been teens. Elizabeth hummed, a bitter smile over her face as she patted her twin on the back of the head, offering him some comfort as Polly watched on with a sad smile, feeling for the pair.
"There'll be others." Elizabeth reminded him, the phrase the two had passed regularly back and fore during teenage heart breaks. Tommy nodded into her shoulder before sighing and standing back up, lifting the bottle.
"To the others." Tommy cheered sadly, taking a swig of the champagne before handing it to his twin who smiled back at him.
"All of them." She finished, taking a drink before handing it back to Tommy and patting the side of his face as she looked around the cousins and their brothers who were unconscious around them, "Perhaps we should head home."
"Home?" Tommy hummed glancing around the room, "Home sounds good." He nodded, gesturing for her to go on. Elizabeth smiled, waving to Polly before leading the pair out the pub, pulling her cap on as she exited onto the grey murky streets of Birmingham, her twin falling into step with her as they travelled back to Watery Lane.
As they arrived in the house, Elizabeth patted Tom on the back, sensing he had a lot on his mind. She offered a smile of comfort before heading to the kitchen as he paused in the doorway, watching her closely as she got to work lighting the fire and tidying away everything that had been left out from that morning, watching as she instantly fitted herself back into the mould that she'd created for herself, as if nothing had happened that day. He felt a flicker of jealously roll through him before shaking it off, realising from the devilment she'd expressed today that this was an act for the family, that she was still just as damaged as him but pushed it back for them.
Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder at Tom, watching him stare at her and debated what she should say. What she could say. A lot had happened, and she wasn't sure how she felt, be it the drink or the turmoil, it had messed her up and so she knew it wouldn't be an ideal time to lay it all out. Eventually she sighed, twisting to look at her twin to eye him fully, her gut knowing what his problems would be.
"You could go with her." Elizabeth hummed, looking away as Tommy's gaze snapped to her, "Arthur, John and Ada wouldn't think anything less of you. Finn might be upset, but I could handle that."
"Lil," Tommy frowned staring at her as she tilted her head to eye the family photo of them.
"We've both given up so much Tom." Lil sighed, glancing down at her hands, "Dan, Raz, Franz, Stephan… it would never have worked for me with them, they were too soft, too brash, too easily fooled… You and Grace however, you could."
"Lil, I," Tommy cut himself off, not about to lie to his twin again, making her smirk as she moved to sit in the armchair by the fire.
"Well at least you're learning." Elizabeth smirked at him, sensing he'd cut himself off to stop a lie escaping. Shaking her head she refocused on her point, "It's your choice, of course, just know, if you want to, I'll take care of them."
"You shouldn't have to." Tommy sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. Elizabeth snorted and crossed her arms over her chest.
"You shouldn't either, it just happens we've both experienced the worst of the world and want to protect them from it." She let out a sigh before smiling at him, "I won't say I'd approve; I'd still kill her if I got the chance… but I can put that to the side to see you happy." Tommy eyed her, a teasing smirk over his face.
"You're going soft." Elizabeth chuckled and leaned back in her chair.
"Perhaps it the whisky." She offered before sobering, "Just, don't give it up for us Tom. Think it through." Tommy watched his sister for a moment before nodding his head slowly.
"I will."
"Good." Elizabeth smiled, blinking slightly heavier as the warmth from the fire began to relax her, a small yawn escaping her mouth.
"Here." Tommy snorted, grabbing the blanket he's regularly found Elizabeth wrapped in from the kitchen table and handing it to his sister who nodded her thanks as she set it over her legs, "I'll be in my office."
"Ok." Elizabeth called back gently as Tommy moved to the doors to the shop. He glanced back at her, a soft smile coming over his face as his twin drifted off in front of him, clearly more drunk than she'd let on. A sigh escaped his lips as he glanced around the room, the family house he'd grown up in, where so much shouting and cheering and crying and laughing had occurred, his twin curled up in the centre of it as she often had been for the majority of his life.
He wasn't sure what he would do. What he should do. Go with Grace or stay with his family.
He glanced up again when Elizabeth hummed, snorting as her head fell against the side of the chair, signifying she was now out for the count and wouldn't be up for a while. His gaze lifted to the clock above the mantelpiece where he could see his, Arthurs and Johns letters from the war tucked away.
He wasn't sure what he should do, but he knew how to settle it.
He had a letter to write.