Chapter 34

"We're having a vote, need your input," Tommy said when he opened Pol's front door and laid eyes on Rosie, who was curled up on the sofa, clearly in a world of her own.

"Tommy, I drew a dress for Rosie," Lily told him from where she sat on the floor.

"Drew her a dress, eh?" Tommy said, raising an eyebrow.

"Uhuh, she said she needed one for tonight and the shops would be closing, and she wouldn't get one and they wouldn't let her in in trousers."

"Well, let me see then," he said, coming in properly and closing the door behind him.

She held up a piece of paper with a green triangle on it – topped off by a face with red hair. It wasn't bad, to be fair. You could tell who it was meant to be, at any rate.

"Green's Rosie's favourite colour," Lily told him.

"I know," he said, smiling at the child in her earnest.

He sat down on the floor and pulled Lily on to his lap, "Do you think your sister will forgive me if we have to move our dinner from tonight to another night?"

"Uhuh," said Lily, unconcerned, "Rosie lets you get away with murder."

He snorted, "Does she indeed? Did she say that?" he asked Lily, cocking his eyebrow at the redhead.

"No," Lily replied, "Aunt Polly does."

"Oh, Aunt Polly does, I'll have words with Aunt Polly about that."

"How's Arthur?" Rosie asked him.

He nodded, "He'll be fine when we get back."

She nodded in response, understanding.

"Lily you gather up your things love," she told her sister, gesturing to the papers and crayons that covered Polly's floor.

He let the child slide off his lap to pick up her bits and pieces and stood up, crossing over to the sofa. She gave him a sad smile.

"I'm sorry," he offered her, sitting down.

"It's not your fault," she said, with a sigh, "You didn't mean for Arthur to get beaten. And if Ada had been ready earlier we'd have been away, and I'd have got the bloody dress."

"I'll need to take care of a few things tonight anyway now - so even if you'd got the dress we'd still need to move it," he said, reaching out to pat her thigh, "We'll go another night, I promise."

She nodded.

"It adds an irony to this," he said, reaching into his pocket and producing the box, holding it out to her.

"Is that a present?" Lily asked, abandoning her task of getting her things together to watch them.

"Yup, for your sister for her birthday," he told the child, "I was going to give her it tonight, but we'll need to wait for dinner now – and I don't want her to wait any longer for her present."

"What is it?" Lily asked, her eyes bright.

"A promise," he answered, smiling and reaching out to muss her hair.

She took it as an invitation to put her started pile of papers and crayons down and climbed up to sit in his lap as Rosie opened the box.

"It'll go with your suit," he told her, "The chain is at home, I picked this up this morning – that's why I had it in my pocket."

She lifted the watch out of its velvet bed, looking between him and it, her eyes wide.

"Do you like it?"

"Tommy, it's too much," she said eventually, her voice slightly croaky, "It's beautiful – of course it is – but it's too much. You need to take it back."

She tried to hold it out to him.

He shook his head, "I can't – I picked it up this morning from being engraved. It can't go back."

She turned it over and her fingers traced the words. Silence hung over them for a while, until Lily ran out of patience.

"Let me see!" she demanded, holding her hand out.

Rosie's eyes lifted to her sister.

"Alright," she said with a small smile, "But be very careful."

Lily screwed up her face as she looked at the back.

"What does it say Tommy?" she asked, turning in his lap to brandish it up at him.

He took it from her and kissed her head, "It says – A reminder that you have my attention all of the time, for all time."

"What does that mean?" she frowned.

"It means your sister is very special to me," he said, his eyes shifting to the sister in question.

"Am I special to you?"

"Of course you are sweetheart, you're my best girl," he said with a grin, squeezing Lily's waist.

"I don't want a watch for my birthday," she told him, a look of worry on her face at the idea.

"Lily!" Rosie admonished, frowning.

He raised an eyebrow, "When is your birthday Lily?"

"Not for ages," she sighed, "In August - I'll be seven and I want a pram to push Tommy and Sylvia around in. I saw a girl with her dolls in a pram in town, but it wasn't like a basket with wheels or a shopping trolley, Tommy, it was a proper pram!"

"A proper pram, eh?" he said, amused.

Rosie was still frowning, "We'll wait and see if you deserve anything for your birthday – lots of girls don't get a thing. You'll just remember to be grateful for anything anyone is nice enough to get you Lily; I don't want to hear any more of that entitled attitude."

The bab looked to her sister, then back to him, "Tommy please – please I want a pram!" she implored.

He kissed her head, "I'll think about it Lily, but you better settle or your sister will be cross, and I'm trying to have a nice moment with her giving her her present."

He held the watch out to her and she took it from him, carefully placing it back down in the box.

"Well I think it's beautiful, though God knows it's too fancy for me," she said, snapping the box shut and looking up at him.

"You can count the time until we get that dinner, eh?" he said, over the top of Lily's head.

"I suppose I've got a fancy watch to count it on."

He grinned, "And I've got a fancy fountain pen, between the two of we're quite the pair."

"Can I have something fancy?" Lily asked.

Rosie laughed, "You're fancier than us Lily; you've got a fancy Christmas dress and a fancy dolls house and fancy dolls to go in it."

"The fanciest child in Birmingham, that's what you are Lily," Tommy said, running his fingers across her ribs so she squealed, then he stood up and tossed her into the air above him, catching her as she came back down to tell her, "We're just the ragamuffins running behind you trying to catch up with your levels of fancy."

She laughed at him and Rosie got to her feet, winding her arms around her sister's waist, "That's the truth of it Lily, but what you're not too fancy for," she said, plucking her out of his arms, "Is picking up your own things so get tidied up, everyone's waiting for us at home."

She placed Lily on the ground and turned to the sofa, picking up the box she had left there.

"Thank you Thomas," she said softly.

"You're welcome. We'll have that dinner – soon - I promise," he told her, running his hand down her cheek.

She raised an eyebrow and smirked, "I'll be timing it – I'll measure exactly how soon 'soon' is, and I'll hold you to for all time."

He nodded and smiled, "Alright."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

They decided to help the copper – or at least, appear to help the copper. Polly glared at him as he made the case for it, but she voted with him – they all did, even John in the end. Arthur seemed relieved – and didn't bring up the note Tommy had left on.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked Pol once the others had dispersed.

It was going on five – Rosie was in the kitchen making dinner, Ada had disappeared up to her room and Lily was drawing on the floor in front of the fire.

His aunt looked up at him, from where her eyes had been focussed on the child, "I thought I was watching Lily and Finn tonight? Where is Finn anyway?"

"On the path to not sitting comfortably for a week, I've looked out the front and the back and can't see him anywhere and he's been bloody well told!" Tommy growled, gesturing to the doors with his cigarette as he spoke.

"I found him at the cut last Saturday," Polly told him, her eyes dark, "Gave him a good smacking for it so if he's there again I'm going to put him over my knee and take my hairbrush to his backside."

Tommy nodded, "I thought he'd caught some from someone last Saturday, wasn't sure who or why though."

His aunt nodded grimly.

"That aside though – who asked you to watch Lily and Finn, Ada was supposed to be in tonight as far as I knew?"

His aunt frowned, "Ada's going out, she asked me to keep an eye on them."

"She never asked me about going out," he bristled.

"She didn't tell me she had done, but I presumed you knew," Polly told him, pursing her lips.

He shook his head and went to the kitchen.

"Ada's apparently going out tonight – did you know about it?" he asked Rosie.

He could tell from the way her head jerked up and she frowned that she hadn't known before she even answered to confirm her being in the dark as much as he was.

"Ada!" he shouted in the direction of the stairs, "Down here! Now!"

His sister appeared and stopped on the stairs.

"I said down here, not stand on the stairs," he snapped, tossing his cigarette down, still smoking, to an ashtray on the sideboard.

"Tommy, what is it?" she sighed, clearly exasperated as she trailed down the stairs towards him.

His anger flared that she would dare show him her exasperation rather than gather from his tone that a contrite attitude was what he required. He waited until she was in front of him, then grabbed her ear and pulled, causing her to wince and tilt her head to him, just like he had done when he was a child and his mother had yanked on his ears to pull the truth from him, or to make him listen.

"You want to explain why Aunt Polly thinks she's to be here to watch Finn and Lily tonight?" he growled, raising an eyebrow.

She bit her lip – finally showing a glimmer of humbleness – "Well you and Rosie were going to dinner…"

"And?" he prompted when she trailed into silence.

She looked up at him.

"Where were you going to be Ada? Why couldn't you keep an eye on them?" he asked, shaking her by the ear he still held tightly between his thumb and finger.

"I wanted to see my friends Tommy – you've let me every other week!"

"There's the point Ada," he snarled, "I've let you – you live under my roof and I'm in charge of you. You will," he emphasised his point with a sharp smack, "ask my permission before you go anywhere other than school. You will-" another smack "-keep me informed of your whereabouts at all times. You will not-" he landed two this time, "-take it upon yourself to try and sneak out as soon as I'm out of the house – and organising for your aunt to come and watch the kids behind my back when you knew I was expecting you to do that does-" he smacked her again, "count as sneaking out. You, young lady, are going nowhere tonight except over my knee."

He dragged her the two steps over to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair with his free hand, swirling it round – but as he was about to sit in it and set the protesting teenager on the journey he'd just promised she could take, he heard the front door open and Polly exclaimed, "Finn Shelby!"

Changing his mind on commencing the spanking at that moment, he headed through to the living room to see exactly what had caused Polly's exclamation, Ada still firmly held by her ear, scurrying beside his strides to try and minimise the pull as much as possible.

His heart and stomach swooped when he saw his little brother – dripping wet from head to toe. And stinking the room out. He glanced at Polly. Her hand had obviously gone to her mouth in shock when Finn had walked in, her heart probably dropping as his had done, but she was regaining herself and he could see her hand balling into a fist, which he knew would go to her hip, her mouth disappearing into a line.

"Been down at the cut Finn?" Tommy asked his brother, keeping his voice low and quiet.

The boy gulped. There was no way for him to deny it, but he feared the outcome. At least Finn had a penitent look to him, which was more than could have been said for Ada, even now.

"Fell in the bloody cut did you?" Polly demanded.

Finn's wide eyes flickered between him and their aunt.

"Come here," Tommy ordered, glancing at the floor in front of him.

Finn walked like a condemned man. Tommy grabbed his brother in the same hold he had on Ada, pinching the top of his ear and pulling his head to a tilt.

"Where have you been told you can play?" Tommy demanded of his brother.

"Aow! Ouch, Tommy, I'm sorry!" Finn cried out.

"Finn!" he warned, tugging the ear.

"In the lane Tommy," the boy replied, coming on to his tip toes in a bid to lessen the pull.

"And where have you been specifically told you can't play?"

"The cut Tommy."

"Where did Ada bring you back from two weeks ago?"

"The cut Tommy."

"And I smacked you about that kitchen for it, didn't I? And where did your Aunt Polly find you last week?"

"The cut."

"And he got a good smacking last week for it too," Polly broke in.

"And, despite that," Tommy said, keeping his voice neutral, "Where did you find yourself today Finn?"

"At the cut Tommy," Finn whispered, tears beginning to come down his cheeks.

"In the cut from the looks of it," Polly snorted, her anger clear.

Tommy tightened his hold on both siblings' ears, "What do I have to do to make you fucking listen to me?"

"Tommy, it hurts," Ada whined, her hand going to the ear he was holding.

"Does it hurt enough Ada?" he snapped.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, then released then both, throwing them away from him.

"Sit," he said, pointing at the sofa.

"Finn Shelby don't you dare sit!" Rosie exclaimed from the doorway suddenly, in a voice she never addressed Finn in - one that was a strange mix of panic and authority.

He hadn't realised she had followed him through and he looked to her, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry Tommy, I'm not trying to interfere," she said, holding her hands up, glancing to Finn and back to him, "But he," she gestured to his brother, "Is soaked through with filthy cut water – if he sits on that sofa it'll seep into it and I'll never be able to get rid of the smell and it'll end up needing replaced."

Tommy felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards slightly at her concern.

"Come here," he said, as gently as he could manage, tilting his head to bring her to him.

He placed an arm around her waist and kissed her hair before pushing her around the back of the sofa, past where Finn had frozen and then telling her, "Right you sit here with Ada. Finn," he addressed his brother, "You stand next to the sofa and don't touch anything, I'm not having your refusal to listen to me make more work for Rosie, it's a bloody disgrace what she does in this house and neither of you two help her in the slightest."

Lily was still on the floor, though she had abandoned her drawing and was watching him with wide eyes, her fingers firmly in her mouth.

"Hey, Lily bab, you c'mere," he said, bending down to pick her up, "You're not in any trouble sweetheart, no need for these fingers in your mouth, nothing to worry about, eh?" he coaxed at her, prying her fingers gently out of her mouth, bouncing her on his hip a little.

"That's a good girl sweetheart," he told her, once the hand was completely removed, "Now you sit with your sister," he said, passing her down to Rosie, who pulled her onto her lap and hugged her to her.

Polly took the cue to sit herself on the seat by the fire, her eyes on him.

"Right," he addressed them all, but his eyes flicked between his sister and brother, "This ends here and now. Everyone in this house should always have been where I thought they were at any time – that was always a rule. And it's not a hard one – if I think you're out the back, you should be out the back, if I think you're out the front, you're out the front, if I think you're in the house, you're in the house – not in your friend's house three streets over. I don't know where you two," he pointed between them, "Got the notion in your heads that that wasn't a rule anymore, but you just fucking forget that notion – right now. And from now on, if I find you not where you're supposed to be I'm going to light your arses up, understand? Not just a couple of smacks and a warning – you'll be eating standing up for a week, got it? And," he turned to glare at Finn, "If – worse than that – I find you not only not where you're supposed to be, but in fact, somewhere you've been specifically told you can't be – you're not going to sit for a month. From here on, there will be no more scoldings, no more warnings, no more chances. They've all been had – this is it. As plain as I can bloody well make it to get it through your thick skulls. You will do as you're told. You will go where you're told. You will ask my fucking permission before you go anywhere and you will abide by my decisions, is that clear?"

His eyes went between his brother and sister until they had both nodded.

"Good. This isn't a game. Ada, you saw Arthur earlier. There's someone new in town," he said, his eyes going between all of them now, "And they are not our friend, but we have business with them. This man is a dangerous man, and Arthur and Aunt Polly and I are handling it. But for us to handle it, and for me to keep you safe, I need you all to be where you're supposed to be. I need you all to obey me. I need you all to listen to me. Is anyone unsure on any of that?"

"Who's the man Tommy?" Finn asked.

"Finn, were you in the family meeting last week or today?"

"No Tommy."

"Then it's none of your business. You don't need to know who he is – the fact is he could be any man on the street at any time."

"Or any woman," Rosie said.

He fought not to roll his eyes, "Or any woman. Anyone, at any time, could be a danger. It's my job to protect you all from those dangers, alright? But I need you to follow my rules so I can do that, we clear?"

He waited till they had all voiced their compliance.

"Good. Now, I have business tonight so here's what's going to happen – Finn, you're going to go out the back-"

Finn turned and started trudging through.

"-Finn!" he raised his voice, "I haven't told you what you're going out the back to do."

Finn raised his eyebrows.

"Don't you even think about pulling a face at me right now son," Tommy warned his brother, who smoothed his eyebrows back down, "When did you start going out the back for the strap, Finn?"

"After you came back from the war, Tommy," Finn answered, shifting on his feet.

"How old were you?"

"Nine, just about to turn ten."

"Uhuh, and I'm of the opinion your problem is you've been thinking of yourself as too old and grown up to do as you're told, so you're not going out the back for this. You're going over your Aunt Polly's knee like a little boy to remind you that you are, in fact, a little boy who will learn to do as he's told."

"And don't make the mistake of thinking you're getting off easily," Polly told him, "My husband died before you were born, but he died in that water, squeezed between a boat and a lock. A full grown man, Finn, not a little boy. You don't disrespect water; any river Gypsy will tell you that - my husband knew it and still lost to it. So, me and the back of my hairbrush are going teach you it, Finn. We're going to give you a damn good reason never to even think about playing by the cut unsupervised, ever again, do you hear me?"

Finn's hands had gone to his backside as he stood listening to her.

"Finn, get out the back and start getting water for your bath, you need to get in a hot bath before that chill sets in – but the minute you're clean and warm and dry Aunt Polly is going to blister your backside for you, make no mistake about it," Tommy told his brother.

Finn was looking close to tears as he headed out the door to obey him. Good. A bit of an improvement.

"Finn'll bathe in here, you and Lily can be in the kitchen, so it doesn't interrupt your cooking," he said turning to the redhead, who had the child still on her lap.

She nodded and went to move, but he held up a hand to still her.

"Lily," he said, crouching down and holding out his hands to the child, who came to him. He wrapped his hands around her waist and kissed her head, "You're a good girl most of the time, so you don't need to be too worried, alright?"

"Yes Tommy," she said, her voice quiet, slightly nervous.

"But I kept you in here to hear that because it does apply to you – I know you don't really go anywhere alone anyway, and you've never gone anywhere I've told you not to, but it's very important that you remember what I said. And if you do wander off on your own or if you go somewhere without telling me or your sister or Aunt Polly where you're going, I will give you a spanking Lily, same as Ada and Finn, do you understand?"

"I don't want a spanking Tommy," she whispered, shaking her head.

"I know sweetheart, but as long as you remember that you don't want a spanking anytime you think about wandering off or not doing as you're told, if that thought stops you from doing anything naughty then you won't get one, alright?"

She nodded, hesitantly.

"Who's my best girl Lily?" he asked, pulling her into him, rubbing her back.

"Me," she replied, wrapping her arms around him.

He could hear the smile coming back into her voice, so he squeezed her tightly and then released her, "Alright my little love, why don't you take your drawing through to the kitchen table for me, so Finn can have his bath?"

She nodded and began to pick up her things.

He stood back up and looked at Ada, "I don't have time to deal with you right now, but you are also in need of a reminder that you are required to do as you're told, so you're going over my knee tomorrow morning before church and then you can sit on your sore backside for the whole service and remember how it feels every single time you think about agreeing to go somewhere."

"Tommy-" she started to say but he cut her off.

"From now on you do not make plans without the sentence 'I will have to check with Tommy,' entering your head – do you understand?"

"Yes Tommy, I understand - I promise! I don't need a spanking," she said, squirming.

"You do, Ada, you need a good spanking and you need to get that muck scrubbed off your face. And then you need to sit in here for the night, let your aunt go home and think to yourself about when and why you decided to become a deceitful little brat who thinks she's above asking for permission to do things and who thinks she can manipulate me and her aunt," he told her, glaring down with wide eyes, "I swear to god Ada, I'd better start seeing some repentance from you or it won't just be tomorrow morning, it'll be every morning at the kitchen table until I get a change in your attitude - and I won't care whose in the shop when it happens, are we clear?"

"Tommy it's not fair," she cried.

He yanked her up, gripping her arm in one of his hands and started lambasting her backside with the other, "Not fair. Do you know what's not fair, Ada? What's not fair is me constantly trying my damndest to keep you and Finn safe and the two of you throwing it back in my face every chance you get. I chose you Ada, do you understand? I chose to stay here and make sure you had someone looking after you. I try my best for you both, I really bloody well do, but you can't manage to show me the slightest bit of respect – you go behind my back, you sneak around – and I know there's a boy somewhere on the scene, don't you think for a minute I've missed the whispering you two," he glared at Rosie as he continued to wallop his sister – the redhead shrunk from his eyes, "Have been doing. I've kept out of it because I trust her judgement Ada, because she doesn't seem to insist on making a sport out of seeing just how much she can get past me on a fucking daily basis like you do."

"Tommy, Tommy I'm sorry – I'm sorry!" Ada cried out, hopping from foot to foot.

"Not as sorry as you're going to be," he promised, pulling her around to face him, "I've had it Ada, do you hear me? I have had it. This is done. There will be no more chances, no more answering back, no more disobeying me, no more disrespecting me. Now – get in that kitchen and wash your face."

He pushed her in the direction of the door with a final smack, waited till she had gone through it and then turned to Rosie, who was looking up at him from her perch on the sofa in a mix of wariness and determination.

He raised an eyebrow, "Out with it, what's going on in your head?"

She sighed but shook her head, "Nothing Tommy."

"I know you better than that," he countered, raising an eyebrow.

She bit her lip, "I need to think on it a bit, but I'll come back to you, okay?"

He frowned but nodded.

"So – you have business tonight?" Polly interjected.

He nodded again.

"Where?"

He looked over at her, "I'm going to track down Moss, hear what happened today from his point of view and then I'm going to take care of things."

She narrowed her eyes, but nodded and said, "Right, well I'm going to get that water heated for Finn's bath before he catches pneumonia."

He and Rosie regarded each other for a moment, but she didn't say anything. He could tell she was hiding something, something that was bothering her – and he figured it had to do with what he'd overheard between her and Ada on Monday night.

"I'll be out late, don't wait up for me,' he told her eventually, unable to stand the silence any longer.

"Okay," she nodded, still chewing on her lip.

He wanted to run his thumb along it, freeing it from her teeth, kiss it better where they had punctured it.

"I'm sorry tonight didn't go as planned," he told her.

She gave a slightly nervous smile but admitted, "Me too. I was looking forward to it."

He smiled back, pleased at her admission, "I'll see you in the morning – and we'll rearrange the dinner."

She nodded, and he turned to leave.

"Tommy!" she called after him, just as he had opened the door.

He turned to see she had stood up from the sofa.

"Check in on George will you? If Finn was at the cut chances are George was as well and John's probably at the pub already – will you make sure he's okay?"

He nodded, resisting the urge to cross to her and put his arms around her, "I'll check on him."

She nodded in return, and he went out the open door. She was a good woman, or a good – a good whatever they were in the in between stage, as Polly had called it.

He did as she asked first, heading a few doors down to John's house and banging on the door, surprised when his brother pulled it open.

"Tommy?"

John was clearly as surprised to see him as he was to see his brother.

"Finn was in the cut today – not just by it, came home soaked," Tommy told him.

"Christ!"

"Yup – Polly's going to set his arse on fire so it'll be the first and last time. She brought up her husband."

"Oh, Finn's for it," John said, widening his eyes, "I'm glad I'm not in his shoes."

"Me too. She did miss out mentioning he was drunk as hell when he drowned, but I don't think that was the important bit as far as she was concerned."

John grinned, shaking his head, "So, did you just come over to tell me that?"

"Wasn't expecting you to be in," Tommy admitted, "Rosie said if Finn had been at the cut today George probably had been too, asked me to make sure he was alright."

"He's upstairs – probably been by the cut, but he's not been in it."

"John, with this new copper – they can't be where they're not supposed to be. You saw what he did to Arthur."

"He wouldn't use the kids?"

"I don't know what he would or wouldn't go – I'm going to find Moss, then I'm going to go ask around at The Black Lion, find out if anyone knows where Campbell's line is."

John nodded, "I'm heading to The Garrison Tom, wouldn't do no harm for you to be seen there tonight – make sure any word that's going around about Arthur doesn't have people thinking we're on the ropes."

Tommy pulled a cigarette out and lit up, thinking. He didn't want to go to the Garrison, for once in his life – he just wanted to find Moss, to get any information he could on this copper, to see Charlie about the guns and to go home.

But John was right.

The singing stopped as soon as they pushed open the door and people saw them though – so their reputation couldn't be too damaged.

He stared at the woman – at Grace – standing on a table, belting her song across the pub. And he thought of Rosie, refusing to sing a Christmas carol, her face going slightly pink as Ada had demanded that she sing for them. The woman on the table had a pleasant enough voice, but something about her seemed so brash and brazen as she stood performing, in contrast to the little redhead who didn't ever want anyone's attention. And yet, though this barmaid could stand and perform, she'd had no answer ready when he'd asked her if she was a whore. She had obviously been indulged in her performances before now – not heckled, not leered at, as she would be if she continued to perform in pubs like this one, in places like this. He needed more information on her – and soon.

"We haven't had singing in here since the war," Harry approached him, whilst the rest of the pub stayed silent, waiting for his verdict.

He gave the man a dirty look, "And why d'you think that is Harry?" he asked him, before flashing his eyes back to the woman.

She dropped her eyes and got off the table at his words. Brash and brazen enough to perform. But not stupid. She had been filled in on who he was since they had last met.

He followed John into the snug, keeping his concerns about the barmaid to himself. No point worrying them all. And the less they knew, the better.

He stayed longer than he had intended – long enough that when he left the Garrison to go in search of Moss he didn't have time to follow the figure who caught his eye. The figure in a light coat, sticking out against the grime of Small Heath. It had only been a flash, and it had turned a corner, out of his vision. But surely, surely after what he had just said that evening, it wouldn't be Ada? She was brash and bold and brazen, he knew that of his sister. But his sister wasn't stupid either. And Rosie wasn't stupid, she wouldn't have let Ada go out tonight. Not after what had been discussed at the house. No, he was being ridiculous. Even if it did look a lot like that bloody coat she'd got for her birthday. No. It couldn't be. And besides, he needed to find Moss. To find Moss and then to get to Charlie's. He set off, in the opposite direction of the figure.

Thank you again for reading/reviewing and messaging me!

I've had a few messages from people who have said they've never actually watched the show or have just started the show because of reading this - which is really lovely that you're choosing to read my story when you're not engaged in the fandom already.

Off the back of that though, if there's anything that needs clarifying at any point please let me know - I'm more or less doing a retelling of season 1 with new characters added in and I'm incorporating a few scenes and some dialogue straight from the show to anchor it all in - the family meetings, the interactions so far with Grace the barmaid & Freddie Thorne, the ending of this chapter in the Garrison are all examples of this.

Past those direct scene elements there are also presumptions I'm making or 'Easter Eggs' I'm putting in - Polly reading the tea leaves for example in Chapter 24 is inspired by her reading another character's tea leaves in season 4 of the show and some of her dialogue is lifted from that interaction; the line about babies making everything okay that Tommy attributes to his mother in Chapter 30 is lifted from Lizzie saying the same thing to Tommy in season 4, and this chapter's references to Polly's husband and his death come from what she tells another character in Season 2, as well as Tommy's line 'What do I have to do to make you fucking listen to me?' coming straight from a telling off he gives Finn in season 5 - so although I'd hope I'm telling the story fully and well enough to follow it, if there's anything that seems unexplained or that you want more info on please let me know and I can clarify things.

Totally cliched but if there's one person who messages me about it I know there must be other people with the same question and I'd rather be able to explain in an author's note at the beginning or end of a chapter than have people being a little lost on certain things or feeling like something has come out of nowhere because I've taken it as read.

Thank you again, I really appreciate every single one of you who takes the time to read this little project of mine and who messages me about it or reviews it.