Tommy kept his eyes shut tight as he became aware of his head throbbing sickeningly, disorientating him so much that it felt like his body was floating on water. He felt like he was in the tunnels again, in the dark and the mud that was suffocating him and making his head spin. The sensation was making his stomach turn dangerously and he swallowed down the bile that crept up his throat with difficulty. Tommy took a deep breath in through his nose to clear his thoughts and managed to feel slightly better, although the first conscious thought that came to him was how much he wanted a cigarette. He tried to move his head, which felt like it was ten times its usual size, to the side as he became aware of a stiffness in his neck but found that he couldn't; something was holding his head in place and it was distinctly uncomfortable.
He finally opened his eyes, only opening them to slits as he got used to the bright light that filled the room he was in. Forcing his eyes open wider, he looked up at the white ceiling above him, not recognising it, before spotting the two metal rods that were in the peripheries of his vision close to his face. Tommy followed them with his eyes and realised that the rods connected to other metal bars that encircled his head and concluded that was what was keeping his head fixed in place. He moved his eyes around further and inspected the characterless room, the walls were lined with appalling moss green tiles and Tommy spotted a few items including a metal trolley with various bottles on it and a drip stand within his limited field of vision and knew that he was in the hospital.
The room had been completely silent until Tommy then heard a quiet sigh come from his left followed by yawn and a little squeaking noise. He dragged his eyes in the direction of the sound and just about managed to see the armchair that had been pulled up right next to his bed with Maddie curled up on it, her head resting on the arm rest as she snoozed. Her arm was stretched out in front of her on the bed and he then felt that her hand was resting over his protectively and he smiled at the sight of her there next to him. However, he soon became concerned when he saw that despite the fact that she was asleep, she looked exhausted. Her usually rosy cheeks were pale and there were dark circles under her eyes, her hair had lost its volume and flopped lifelessly over her forehead. Tommy then noticed that she was wearing the same clothes that he now recalled she was wearing the last time he saw her and prompted him to wonder how long he had been unconscious for.
The obvious role reversal wasn't lost on Tommy despite his slightly drowsy and disorientated state. It was not so long ago that he was watching over Maddie as she lay unconscious, and he laughed internally at the irony of the situation. Now the two of them could see the point of view of the other and he felt he sympathised more with her attitude after her injuries. He recalled how frustrated he had been with her when all she wanted to do was get out of bed, and he had been downright furious when he learned that she had planned to go out patrolling behind his back. But her passionate reasoning behind it had struck a nerve with him and it had dawned on him that he had been a fool for trying to keep her locked up. How many times in his life had he been hurt and insisted on carrying on like nothing had happened? More than he could count that was for sure, and now this scenario was no exception, a sudden desire to get up and leave the hospital infecting him, but he knew it wasn't going to be that simple.
Tommy gazed at Maddie for a couple of minutes and hoped that she hadn't been sat there the whole time he had been unconscious, but from her dishevelled state that scenario seemed highly likely. Nevertheless, his heart swelled with love for her, and he admitted that there was no one else he'd rather have sat next to him in that moment. He turned his hand over slowly underneath hers and used his thumb to caress her palm causing her to fidget and hum in her chair.
'Maddie.'
Tommy's voice came out in a raspy whisper as he felt how dry his mouth was. He did a small cough and tried to swallow to get some moisture in his mouth as Maddie began to stir from her slumber. She lifted her head up and opened her eyes dozily to look at him, a second passing before her eyes snapped open fully and she sat bolt upright before leaning over towards him.
'Tommy?!' she exclaimed, grasping onto his hand tightly and smiling joyously down at him.
The volume of her voice, although not loud, was enough to make his head throb painfully and it took a lot of effort for him not to wince. He didn't want Maddie to worry about him too much, especially since it looked as though she'd been doing just that for hours at least. He knew it was hypocritical of him, but even in his vulnerable state he couldn't stop himself from protecting her.
'How do you feel?' asked Maddie softly as he lifted his hand to stroke her face.
'I've felt better. But I'm alright,' he lied, offering her a reassuring smile.
In actual fact, his headache was now verging on excruciating, but he was determined not to let that on to her. The memory of events following his failed assassination returned to Tommy then and the image of Maddie's petrified face appeared in his mind's eye. She had begged him to let her take him to the hospital the whole day, but he'd refused, making her suffer with fear for hours and he suddenly felt irrecoverably guilty for putting her through that. Although part of him appreciated that she now knew how he felt when she insisted on going slaying after nearly dying, even if she had been in an arguably better state than he was right now.
Maddie smiled with relief at Tommy and kissed his hand. He wondered if she was going to scold him at any point for what he'd put her through and decided, knowing her, that she would when the time was right.
'How long have I been out?' asked Tommy, sincerely hoping it wasn't too long.
'A day or so,' replied Maddie. 'The doctor said it'd probably take a while for you to come around after the operation.'
Tommy took a second to absorb what Maddie said before lifting his other hand up to feel the metal cage around his head before inspecting his skull. He ran his fingers over his temple and located the wound. His longer bit of hair had been shaved, and a raised, puckered line sat there, held together by coarse stitches.
'They said there was blood pooling on the surface of your brain. They managed to drain it and said that they think you'll make a full recovery,' explained Maddie, looking considerably relieved.
'What's this thing?' asked Tommy, indicating to the metal cage.
'It's called a halo; it keeps your head still whilst you heal. You only have to wear it for twenty-four hours.'
Tommy let out a chuckle as she looked at him perplexed. A man like him, wearing a halo, something associated with angels, was so ironic that he couldn't help but find it funny. He explained this to Maddie, who obviously hadn't cottoned on to this already, and she laughed along as well as she rolled her eyes at him.
'How long have you been here?' questioned Tommy, now becoming more serious as he cupped Maddie's cheek.
She shifted her eyes sheepishly, looking down to avoid his gaze and he figured out the answer before she even said it.
'I haven't left,' she said, meeting Tommy's eyes. 'The nurses tried to get me to leave but I may have threatened to break various bones if they tried to force me out.'
Tommy licked his lips and sighed, no wonder why she looked so tired.
'You should go to Ada's and get some rest. I'll be okay,' he instructed, giving her a stern look. She wasn't persuaded by it however and shook her head forcefully in return.
'I'm not going anywhere,' she said, putting on a determined expression to signify she wasn't going to be swayed.
Tommy didn't want to argue with Maddie, but it was more than just concern for her that was motivating him to get her to leave for a while. His brain felt like it was trying to break out of his skull, pounding incessantly so that he could hear it in his ears making it increasingly difficult for him to keep a straight face. The last thing he wanted was for her to see him in agony, if she did, he was certain she would never leave his side. He opened his mouth to try and convince her to go home when there was a knock on the open door and the two of them looked toward the sound, although Tommy could only see the top of the doorframe as he couldn't lift his head, and Ada walked into the threshold.
'Tommy! You're awake,' she said with a smile, walking over to the bedside. 'Good, now I can kill you for putting us through all that.'
She gave Tommy a semi-serious look before glancing at Maddie and the two of them smirked light-heartedly as he sighed again. He knew that Maddie and his family would give him grief for dragging himself around with broken skull, but there was too much at stake to not do what needed to be done. Now Ada and Maddie definitely knew how dangerously precarious their situation was if they hadn't already.
'I probably deserve that,' said Tommy, earning a look of disbelief from Ada.
'Are you apologising Tommy?' she asked with a laugh.
Tommy didn't reply, just locked eyes with Ada for a few seconds until she rolled her eyes at him and sat herself down on a chair.
'I should go and tell the doctor you're awake,' said Maddie. 'He wanted to check you over once you woke up.'
Maddie squeezed Tommy's hand as she stood before leaving the room. As soon as her footsteps faded down the corridor he let out a pained grunt and shut his eyes momentarily, lifting his hand to rub his forehead.
'You alright Tommy?' asked Ada as Tommy opened his eyes to look at his sister.
'Not overly.'
Ada gave him a concerned look which was also mixed with disapproval.
'You're trying to hide it from Maddie, aren't you?'
Tommy sighed and winced, throwing her a disgruntled look. The last thing he wanted was for her to give him a lecture on being honest with Maddie and showing a little human emotion for a change. He admitted that remaining so stoic and nonchalant after having his head cut open was a bit ridiculous, even for him, but that didn't mean he wanted Ada to remind him of that.
'We need to convince Maddie to go home, at least for the night,' he said.
Ada let out a long breath but nodded her agreement. 'I tried to get her to come home yesterday but she wouldn't have any of it. Once that girl has made her mind up, then there's no way of forcing her of doing anything different.'
Now that was an understatement; Maddie was as stubborn as a mule, a caveat of her personality that Tommy had learned early on. Unfortunately, he was just as stubborn, and the combination had already proved to result in confrontation between the two of them and he prayed that this wouldn't result in another.
'Maybe with both of us convincing her she will concede,' said Ada after some thought.
Before Tommy could reply, he heard Maddie's heels returning to the room followed by a separate pair of footsteps and a second later she reappeared followed by a doctor in his fifties, wearing a white coat and a stethoscope hung around his neck.
'Ah Mr Shelby, good to see you with us again,' said the doctor in a friendly tone.
'As am I doctor,' replied Tommy with only an ounce of sarcasm.
The doctor, who introduced himself as Dr Overman, stood at the foot of Tommy's bed as he explained briefly what injuries he had sustained and what they had done about them. Tommy glanced at Maddie a few times as Dr Overman spoke and saw that she was trying her best to look unperturbed, but he could see the small twitches her face made to keep her expression straight. Dr Overman then proceeded to do checks on him including shining a bright light in his eyes, getting him to lift his arms and legs and asking him questions about where he was and who was prime minister, which he managed to answer, even if his brain took a couple of seconds to process the questions with the amount of pain he was in.
'How long should I expect to be here?' he asked, once Dr Overman had finished and declared he was satisfied that the operation had been a success.
'Well, once that contraption is off your head, as long as it takes for you to get back on your feet,' began Dr Overman. 'But it's hard to say how long that will take following the injuries you had. You should know that it is likely that you'll probably struggle significantly with your balance, feelings of nausea and most likely some pain which will also need to be under control before I'd be happy to discharge you.'
Tommy held eye contact with the doctor for a moment as he considered his reply. It sounded like he was probably going to be stuck there for a few days at least and his mind was already beginning to list the things he needed to ask Arthur and John to do whilst he was there. He wished that Dr Overman hadn't mentioned pain in his reply, because as he said the word, Maddie looked over at him with a more inquisitive eye, as if trying to pinpoint signs of pain in him that she had previously missed, prompting him to solidify his false mask even more.
'Thank you, Dr Overman,' replied Tommy, signifying the conversation was over.
Dr Overman bade his goodbyes and exited promptly. As soon as his white coat disappeared, Maddie swivelled around to Tommy and scrutinised him with a furrowed brow.
'Are you in pain Tommy?' she asked.
'No, I'm fine,' he replied, lying yet again but determined not to share his current anguish with her.
Thankfully, Ada picked the perfect moment to intervene, standing up from her chair and putting her coat over her arm as Maddie looked as though she was about to call him out on his lie.
'He may not be in pain, but he does look fucking exhausted,' she said. 'Come on Maddie, we should leave him to get some rest until tomorrow. He needs it.'
Ada indicated to Maddie's coat for her to put on to get ready to leave but she immediately started to shake her head.
'Maddie,' said Tommy now, squeezing her hand so she'd look at him. 'Go and get some rest.' He could see her resolve beginning to waver, her lips pursing together as she struggled to make her decision.
'You sure you'll be alright?' asked Maddie, obviously needing the final reassurance from him.
'Yeah,' he said with a small smile, hoping it would be enough to convince her.
'And you're beginning to look worse than him,' laughed Ada. 'You could do with a good wash and some fresh clothes.'
Maddie sighed and Tommy knew they'd managed to talk her round. She nodded begrudgingly before turning to him.
'Okay.'
She stood up and leant over him to plant a kiss to his lips softly before drawing back enough to smile down at him. 'I'll see you tomorrow.'
She gathered up her coat and went to the door where Ada was waiting and the two of them said one last goodbye before finally leaving the room, Tommy offering them a feeble wave. He listened to their footsteps get quieter as they went down the corridor and he waited as long as he could, to be sure that they had definitely left the building.
'Nurse!' Tommy yelled, no longer able to keep his composure.
His head felt like it was splitting open at the seams, literally, and the rest of his body was also sore from being laid on his back for so long. He was also parched, needed a piss and was still dying for a cigarette. The combination of sensations was now unbearable, and he was glad Maddie and Ada had left when they did as he was sure he wouldn't have been able to keep composed for much longer. A young woman in a nurse's uniform soon scuttled in a few seconds later, coming to stand by Tommy's bed, placing a comforting hand on his arm.
'What is it Mr Shelby?' she asked with concern.
'The pain,' grunted Tommy. 'I need something.'
Tommy was unable to say much more than this, but the nurse understood and hurried over to a trolly with various assortments on it. She drew up some liquid from a vial into a syringe with expert precision and returned to his side before straightening his arm. He felt the needle puncture his skin although the nurse's touch was so gentle it didn't hurt. She remained with him until he began to feel the pain ebb away a minute later, fading to just a dull headache so that he now felt he was back in the room. The nurse, seeing his pain receding, introduced herself as Alice before smiling compassionately at him. He wondered whether this girl knew who he was as she didn't have that same air of nervousness or intimidation most people had about them when they interacted with him. She tended to Tommy for a good half an hour, giving him some water through a paper straw and helping him to piss into a jug. By the end Tommy felt considerably more comfortable and ready to fall asleep again.
'If you wish Mr Shelby, I can come and wake you to give you some morphine regularly to stop the pain coming back?' asked Alice, as she got ready to leave the room.
'Yes, thank you Alice,' replied Tommy, keen to not have the pain come back again.
Alice nodded before passing Tommy his last request, a lit cigarette before leaving him an ashtray within arm's reach and leaving the room. He took a drag of the cigarette with desperation, sucking in the poisonous fumes so they caused a wash of relief to spread over him. He contemplated his situation as he smoked, unable to let his mind rest even after brain surgery. He decided he would ask Ada to call for a family meeting at the hospital as soon as the stupid halo was off his head. There were many things that needed sorting, in particular he needed to ensure that the plan to blow up the train and rob the Russians hadn't been compromised, because if it had he was sure he and his family would soon all be dead. One thing was for sure, if there were worse circumstances to sustain a head injury and be confined to a hospital bed, he was hard pressed to think of one.
The next morning, Tommy was awoken by Alice who had come to give him morphine as she started her shift. The further doses she had given him last night were enough to make his raging mind slow, and he had soon drifted off into a deep sleep after the second dose. He was glad that she was so prompt, as when he opened his eyes, he felt that the pain had begun to return whilst he'd been asleep.
'Your lady friend was quite worried about you yesterday Mr Shelby,' said Alice. 'Quite an unusual girl, she threatened to break my jaw if I kept asking her to leave.'
Tommy huffed out a laugh. 'Maddie's unique.'
Alice smiled and nodded her agreement before helping him with some water and some tea she had brought. The tea went down a treat, but when she presented a bowl of porridge for Tommy to try, the smell turned his stomach instantly and he refused it, only just managing to stop himself from vomiting. The nausea that Dr Overman had mentioned had arrived and even though she had taken the porridge away, the sickly feeling in his stomach persisted so he had to keep swallowing the bitter saliva that kept rising up into his mouth.
When the clock ticked over to nine in the morning, Tommy heard the familiar voices of Maddie and Ada echoing up the corridor. When they entered, he was glad to see that Maddie looked like her normal self again; a good sleep and a wash had done wonders and she had her usual spring in her step when they walked in.
'Morning Tommy,' she said positively, smiling as soon as she laid eyes on him.
She made a beeline for Tommy's bed and sat on the edge next to him, taking his hand in hers.
'Morning,' he replied, although with less joviality.
Maddie leant over to plant a kiss on his lips before Ada approached and gave him a hug.
'We bumped into the doctor on the way to your room,' said Ada. 'He and the nurse are coming to take that thing off your head shortly.'
Thank fuck for that, thought Tommy. His neck felt unbelievably stiff and all he wanted to do was turn his head from side to side to relive the ache it was causing. The three of them settled into light-hearted conversation for a few minutes, Tommy reassuring Maddie that he had been fine during the night and that he had managed to eat some breakfast when she asked him about it. He could tell he was falling into a dangerous habit of lying to her, but he couldn't bear to see her worry and fuss over him. Soon however, Dr Overman and Alice interrupted their conversation, tapping on the open door to announce their arrival.
'Good morning Mr Shelby,' said Dr Overman. 'Time to remove that halo.'
Tommy eagerly welcomed them in and beckoned them over to his bed; he couldn't get the damned thing off quick enough as far as he was concerned. Maddie and Ada made room for the doctor and Alice and they hovered over Tommy as they began to unscrew the metal rods from the halo, loosening off the stabilisers that were pressed against his skull and he could feel control of his neck and head returning to him.
'Now don't move your head straight away, it will probably feel heavy at first,' warned Dr Overman as he and Alice removed the last part of the halo from the back of Tommy's head.
His head did feel heavy, like it was made of lead, and Tommy let it rest on the soft pillow for a minute as his audience watched before cautiously twisting his head to the left. The relief on his neck muscles was glorious but the movement made the room spin and his stomach churned angrily, forcing him to shut his eyes and breathe deeply through his nose so he wouldn't throw up.
'Take it slowly Mr Shelby,' said Dr Overman as Tommy turned his head back to a neutral position.
Dr Overman quickly examined Tommy's wound and said that it would be a few more days before the stitches could be removed and announced he'd be back tomorrow to check up on him again as he left the room. Alice lingered, gathering up the metal rods from the halo on a trolly as Maddie and Ada came to sit next to him again. He looked over to Alice as she turned towards him with a friendly smile as she was about to leave.
'Is there anything else you need Mr Shelby? Do you need me to get any more-?'
Tommy quickly held up his hand to stop Alice before she said the word morphine out loud, not wanting Maddie to know that he'd been needing regular doses to control the pain he'd denied he even had.
'No thank you, Alice,' he said politely.
Alice looked from him to Maddie knowingly, looking slightly taken aback, before nodding courteously and leaving the room, the trolly rattling loudly as she pushed it in front of her. The interaction was peculiar enough to prick Maddie's suspicions and she watched Alice leave before meeting Tommy's eyes.
'What was she going to get more of?' she asked.
'Tea,' replied Tommy calmly, holding eye contact with her. 'The cup I had this morning was the best I'd had in years.'
Maddie regarded Tommy silently for a moment, and he knew that her gut was telling her that he was hiding something. He debated whether to come clean now to save the inevitable reveal later, but his stubborn mind wouldn't allow it, so he kept his mouth shut and his expression indifferent. She must have decided not to probe further as she sat back in her chair as Ada began to speak.
'Arthur, John and Pol are coming to see you tomorrow,' said Ada. 'They phoned last night to see how you were. I didn't give them much detail.'
Tommy managed a small nod as he replied. 'Good. I want to have a family meeting, first thing tomorrow morning.'
He would have preferred to have the meeting that day but there was the problem of his head still being painful and the wooziness he felt whenever he moved his head would make the possibility of a comprehensive meeting an impossibility.
'Alright,' nodded Ada before turning to grab her coat. 'Sorry I can't stay any longer Tommy; I could only get someone to watch Karl until eleven.'
Tommy nodded his understanding as Maddie turned to address Ada.
'I'm going to stay if that's okay?'
'Of course,' nodded Ada with a smile. 'See you later.'
As Ada left, Maddie turned to Tommy and looked down at him, running her fingers through his hair gently. The touch was soothing, and he let his eyes fall shut for a few minutes as he let her massage his head silently. Eventually, he felt brave enough to try and move his head again. He slowly moved his head from one side to the other as she continued to caress it, working the knots out of his neck gradually. The movement no longer made him feel intensely sick, but he was still slightly queasy. Nevertheless, he felt it was time to try and sit up as he was getting thoroughly bored of looking at the ceiling. Tommy wasn't keen on doing it with Maddie watching, but it was likely she was going to be there all day and he knew he couldn't wait that long, he just hoped that he could hide his nausea from her for long enough for it to pass.
'I'm going to try and sit up,' said Tommy, opening his eyes to look at Maddie who smiled and nodded.
'Okay.'
Tommy swallowed what saliva was in his mouth before bringing his hand up his sides to help lift himself up. He took a deep breath and slowly began to lift his head and shoulders off the bed. The effect was immediate and violent. His head swam like it was deep underwater, and he heard a whooshing noise in his ears as the sickly feeling retuned with more aggression than before. He groaned as he felt the liquid contents of his stomach begin to climb up his oesophagus. He must have looked as bad as he felt because Maddie didn't hesitate to turn and grab a nearby bowl and held it next to him. He turned and vomited into the bowl as soon as it was next to him, coughing up the contents of his stomach uncontrollably. There was no way that he could have stopped himself from vomiting, despite his best efforts to swallow it down. Since his stomach was empty, what came up was mostly water and tea mixed with stomach acid which made his throat and mouth burn horribly. He felt Maddie's soft hand on his shoulder as he retched, calmly holding the bowl for him before he took a deep breath and quickly slumped back onto the pillow before he needed to vomit again.
Tommy panted with his eyes closed as he listened to Maddie get up and rinse out the bowl in the sink on the other side of the room before coming back to sit next to him again, placing the bowl close by on the floor.
'Tommy,' she said softly, making him open his eyes to look at her.
Maddie's expression was calm but also a little hurt and annoyed. Tommy knew the jig was up, she wouldn't have failed to notice from his vomit that he hadn't eaten anything and therefore had blatantly lied to her. He immediately regretted his decision for keeping his true state from her and prepared himself for whatever bollocking he was deservedly about to receive.
'You didn't have any breakfast, did you?'
'No,' replied Tommy after a sigh and a pause.
'Why are you lying to me Tommy?'
He turned to look at her with a blank expression; he thought it would have been obvious as to why he was keeping his discomfort a secret from her. He cleared his throat gruffly before replying honestly.
'I don't want you to have to worry about me and making yourself exhausted.'
Maddie huffed and shook her head despairingly, taking a couple of seconds to gather her next words.
'So, you're allowed to fuss and worry over me when I get hurt but you won't let me show the same courtesy for you?' she said, a mixture of amusement and anger in her voice. 'I'm not a little girl Tommy, you know that. I'm strong enough to deal with what's happening, you don't need to protect me from it.'
Maddie paused and Tommy remained silent as he considered her words. He wasn't necessarily protecting her because he thought she was weak but because of the opposite. She was so tough and hardened due to being the slayer that he thought it unfair that she would have to deal with his problems as well as her own. He wanted to lighten the load on her shoulders, even if just by a fraction, to try and protect her in his own way. On deeper reflection, he knew there was some element of him trying to protect himself from the reality of his injuries; to see them reflected in her behaviour around him would make them that little bit more real and terrifying.
'I know,' said Tommy eventually after a few second's silence. 'I see you battle so much with your life that I just don't want you taking on my problems on as well.'
Maddie let out a sigh followed by a breathy chuckle, snaking her fingers into his and squeezing his hand.
'It's alright Tommy, I can handle it. Let me help you.'
She smiled softly and he returned it before nodding in defeat. Part of him still wasn't fully comfortable with letting her see him in such a vulnerable state, but he conceded that this was probably as bad as he was going to get and that he would only get better going forward. The other part was happy to have Maddie's shoulder to lean on, metaphorically and most likely physically once he got back on his feet. Tommy couldn't remember the last time that he could rely on anyone else to help him with something so personal, he only ever had himself until now. He considered that this might be the reason why he still suffered with the terrifying nightmares he'd had since the war. He'd never confided in anyone about it in detail, nor let on how much of an effect it sometimes had on his mind, but maybe she could change that. However, that was something that Tommy wasn't ready to unload to her anytime soon, even after the conversation they'd just had; one thing at a time.
'Come on, I'll help you try to sit up again,' said Maddie.
They spent the next hour getting Tommy sat in an upright position against the head of the bed, even then he was barely sat with his head and shoulders against the headboard, not able to tolerate being sat up any higher. Maddie had patiently supported his weight as he struggled to keep his head off the pillow without vomiting, doing just that another two times before his stomach was too empty to bring up anything else. Instead, he intermittently wretched dryly with every move he made to get higher up the bed, leaning on her chest as she helped. She tenderly wiped the sweat from his forehead as he began to pant with the exertion of trying to control his nausea and move his body the few inches up the bed he needed. The room span sickeningly, and his head throbbed excruciatingly as Tommy rested in this position, clamping his eyes shut to try and get these unpleasant feelings to go away.
'Do you need something for the pain?' asked Maddie, placing a hand on his arm as he grimaced and nodded in reply.
Maddie had Alice bring Tommy more morphine and after a few minutes the pain subsided, although the room was still moving around more than he would like so the nauseous feeling persisted as usual. He sat and tried to will the sickness away unsuccessfully for quarter of an hour before deciding to call it a day, sliding back down to rest his head on his pillow. He hoped that the nausea would have improved enough by tomorrow that he could make a better attempt at sitting for when his family visited. Maddie stayed for the entire day, passing him cigarettes as they talked as well as trying to tempt him with every foodstuff she could think of, which he declined much to her irritation. By the end of the day, he was exhausted despite not getting out of bed and he insisted on Maddie going home again, mainly because he knew he'd sleep better if he knew she was sleeping safely in a nice comfy bed rather than an old armchair.
The next day came round quickly and Maddie returned at the same time she did the previous morning. Tommy managed to eat a spoonful of porridge after she pestered him for a good ten minutes although it didn't sit well on his stomach and as soon as they tried to get him sat up again, he quickly vomited it out and resided that food wasn't going to be an option for a while. Not that he ate much of the stuff anyway. However, he did manage to get into a relatively comfy position against the head of the bed once his morning morphine had kicked in just in time to hear the booming voices of John and Arthur approaching up the corridor. Tommy sighed and readied himself for the barrage of questions that he was about to be subject to as Maddie giggled quietly to herself as she also recognised the sound of his brothers approaching.
John rounded the corner of the doorway first and paused in the threshold of the room as he took in this sight of his older brother lying uncomfortably in bed with an ugly wound cut into the top of his head. He took off his hat and took a step into the room with an awkward expression on his face.
'Feeling alright Tom?' he asked.
Tommy just blinked slowly at him and didn't bother to grace him with an answer to his question. John gave a small nod of understanding and began to look around the room for a chair as Arthur marched in next, almost skidding to a halt when he saw Tommy, his expression betraying a look of shock.
'Fuckin' ell' Tom!' he exclaimed. 'You've seen better days brother.'
Tommy wanted desperately to roll his eyes at him but managed to keep a straight face.
'But I've also seen a lot worse,' he replied, and Arthur nodded his head in agreement before sitting down next to John.
Polly, Michael and Ada were the last to enter the room. Polly took one look at Tommy and immediately shifted her gaze away from his, a guilty look painting her features. He furrowed his brow at her as they both greeted him and Maddie, and suddenly he realised how Father Hughes had known about the assassination. It was Pol, he thought, she let the information slip. Another second's thought and he figured she must have told someone in the church; her tendency to attend confession made that the most likely cause.
Everyone was now gathered, apart from Finn, who Tommy was glad they'd left behind. He cleared his throat before turning to Maddie to ask her to pass him a cigarette. She nodded and passed him one from the carton on the bedside table with his matches. He lit up the cigarette and sucked in the fumes with relief as Arthur spoke up to break the tense silence.
'So, what happened then Tom?'
Everyone turned their gazes to him, waiting for an answer. He looked over to Polly who finally looked up to meet his gaze, her eyes conveying enough for him to know he was right about her. He looked back at Arthur and took a deep breath before replying.
'The Russian's asked me to eliminate their contact with Section D, Father Hughes, as I discovered he was passing on information to the soviet embassy. Not many people knew about the assassination, but they knew, nonetheless. They were ready for me.'
The room exchanged a few glances at each other in shock and confusion. Michael looked particularly perturbed, as if he had seen a ghost but kept silent in the corner of the room. Tommy looked over at Maddie who also remained quiet as she looked at her hands that were sat in her lap.
'How did they know?' asked John.
Tommy looked at John steadily but saw Polly shift slightly in her chair, preparing for him to out her there and then.
'I don't know,' began Tommy. 'More than likely the Russian's let it slip, whether it was intentional or not we'll never know.'
John dropped his eyes from Tommy's to look at Arthur and Tommy took the opportunity to throw Polly a warning glance to keep the truth quiet. She met his eyes and pursed her lips in response before lighting up a cigarette of her own. He didn't see much point in letting everyone know that she was the source of the leak. It would create more trouble than it was worth and would only succeed in fostering distrust amongst his own family which was the last thing he needed. And, despite her cock up, Tommy still trusted his aunt more than most people; but he'd learned to be more careful what information he shared with her in future.
'What about the robbery?' asked Arthur after a moment's silence.
'It's still going ahead, although there are a few changes to tell you about.'
Tommy recounted the events of the meeting he had with the soviet embassy as everyone listened intently. Without pause he laid out the small changes he'd already figured out to their plan to steal the military vehicles. He still had a lot of details to work through, but at least the time he had to look forward to spending in the hospital would allow him ample time to think about them.
With the elephant in the room out of the way, Arthur, John, and Michael updated Tommy on the daily running of the business and assured him it was in safe hands until he recovered. Nevertheless, he still gave them orders to change certain things, unable to completely let go of his control of the business. Even if it would only be temporary. After an hour of discussion on various topics that were evidently beginning to bore everyone, especially Maddie, who Tommy was sure had nodded off several times during the meeting, the group announced their departure. Arthur and John grasped hands with Tommy before leaving, Michael and Ada following them out soon after. Polly however lingered behind, hovering next to his bed until she was sure she wouldn't be overheard.
'I needed to confess Thomas,' she whispered, looking down at him stony faced.
Tommy regarded her for a moment and noticed Maddie look at the two of them bewildered before taking a few seconds to cotton on to what Pol said.
'Wait… you told them Pol?' asked Maddie nervously.
Polly looked over at Maddie with hollow eyes. 'I'm not proud of it.'
Tommy nodded and hummed deeply in his chest causing Polly to look back at him again.
'I forgive you Pol,' he said. 'Just be more careful to who and what you confess in future eh?'
Polly let a small smile quirk her lips up, thankful for her nephew's forgiveness for nearly getting him killed.
'Come home soon, Tommy,' she said, turning away from them and leaving at a brisk pace to catch up to the others.
As it turned out, Tommy's estimation of a few days stay at the hospital was a vast underestimation. In fact, it was approaching almost three months before he was fit enough to be discharged and he thought it was impossible for him to be gladder to see his home as he did that day. The three months spent in the same room in that hospital had driven him stir crazy to the point that he either snapped or grunted at everyone, including Maddie, who had become less and less patient with him as the days passed.
Tommy knew he owed Maddie an apology, if it weren't for her he knew it was likely that he would have been stuck there for another few weeks. Every day she had patiently and persistently helped as she had the day of the family meeting; helping him to sit up, sit on the edge of the bed and eventually stand all while catching his vomit in a bowl with the first few attempts of each stage. She had supported him whilst he walked for the first time in weeks until he was strong enough to hold his own weight without falling and without emptying his stomach onto the floor. Maddie had been almost like a guardian angel to Tommy for the entire period, but he had noticed that the experience had taken its toll on her. His progress had been slow, and he saw that she was fearing that he would never fully recover, which he reassured her he would. Although she had settled into a routine that didn't involve her sleeping in a chair in the hospital, she did however get into the habit of getting there at seven o'clock in the morning and staying till ten o'clock or later at night and had quickly begun to look run down. Tommy also quickly realised that she must not have been out slaying for weeks and he insisted that she stopped staying so late so she could get out and blow off some steam before bed. She had agreed guiltily, not entirely convinced, but by the next day she had a wide smile on her face and a newfound energy which carried them both through the entire three months. Even if his foul mood by the end had made them both tetchy.
As Arrow House appeared in the distance, Tommy breathed a sigh of relief that he was back, and he heard Maddie do the same from the back seat of Arthur's car who had driven them both back home.
'Welcome home Tom,' said Arthur with a smile.
'It's good to be back,' stated Tommy as they pulled up outside the front steps.
They all got out of the car and made their way inside. Tommy breathed in the smell of his own home through his nostrils, not expecting to realise that he missed something as simple as the scent of polished wood. Frances was stood waiting for them in her usual place as if he hadn't been gone for three months, looking him and Maddie up and down as if expecting them to look like they'd been through a war.
'Welcome home Mr Shelby. You are looking well sir,' she greeted as she took their coats and hats.
'Thank you, Frances,' Tommy replied stoically. 'Tell the kitchen staff to have dinner ready in a couple of hours.'
Frances nodded as the three of them turned away and walked toward the sitting room where he could already hear the ruckus the rest of his family were making from within. As soon as he stepped into the room, there was a thunderous round of applause and cheering followed by a rush of greetings from his family and several members of the Blinders. They had all been invited to Tommy's welcome home dinner by Lizzie who had been given the job of organising it by Ada. They had initially tried to keep it a secret from him, but he had overheard Ada talking to Maddie about it a week earlier and had immediately complained to her about it. Despite his resistance, Ada still insisted it was going to happen and now Tommy was faced with a room full of people he needed to reassure he was back to full health.
Just as he realised this, Tommy's head began to throb as it usually did after a few hours without morphine, and he resisted the urge to wince. He circled the room and shook hands with all the Blinders who expressed their glee at his return as he nodded and smiled his non-committal smile in response and engaging some of them in brief conversations. Once everyone had had their turn and had settled into light-hearted chatter around the room, he took the opportunity to approach the whiskey decanter. He poured himself a full glass before discreetly taking out the small bottle of morphine from his inside pocket. He took a small fleeting sip of the viscous fluid before replacing the stopper and tucking it back in his pocket again. He turned and scanned the room for Maddie, now realising that he needed her familiar presence that he'd grown accustomed to over the past weeks. He took a sip of the whiskey as his eyes searched the crowd for her face but soon discovered she wasn't there. He sighed, she must have gone to the bathroom, he thought, taking another swig of whiskey. Instead, he went and approached a group that included Isiah, John and Skudboat who were discussing their current successes in the betting shop which interested Tommy enough to occupy him whist his headache began to subside.
A short while later, Tommy searched the room for Maddie again to find she still hadn't returned. He pursed his lips and looked down at his glass to see that it was empty. As he went to return to the whiskey supply, he stopped Ada who was walking past him.
'Hey,' he whispered. 'Where's Maddie?'
Ada furrowed her brows at him before glancing around the room and shrugging.
'I have no idea, Tommy. Maybe she went to get changed, she's had nothing but three outfits to wear for weeks,' she replied.
Tommy nodded and continued over to the whiskey, pouring a decent sized shot and knocking it back before ducking out of the room quietly to look for Maddie. He went upstairs and started in his bedroom, glancing inside quickly and spotting the pristine bed that had been left untouched since they left Arrow House all those weeks ago. He found himself longing to be in a bed that was comfortable and warm; the bed at the hospital had left much to be desired. Concluding that she wasn't there, he moved down the corridor to her room, if it could even still be called that, and noticed that the door was ajar.
Tommy pushed the door open, expecting to see Maddie in front of the mirror but this room was also empty. Then he spotted the dress she had been wearing that day discarded on the bed and the wardrobe doors were left open.
'Of course,' Tommy muttered to himself as he turned to go back downstairs.
Tommy headed for the cellar and to Maddie's training room, the sound of his guests shouting joyously echoing through the corridor as the party was beginning to get started. He marched briskly toward the training room, a sudden urge to have him in his arms in the place they called home overpowering him. He realised he hadn't talked much with her in the car home or once they arrived back, being so focussed on being back in his own house and re-establishing his position as leader of the family and of the company. He hoped that she didn't feel like she had been forgotten by him after everything she had done for him. Tommy entered the training room and was met with the sight of Maddie swinging a quarterstaff over her head before cartwheeling in mid-air and smacking the staff down onto the floor with a grunt as if hitting something on the floor. He watched her with a smile for a few seconds as she continued to do tricks with the staff before she eventually turned and noticed him watching her.
'Oh hey,' she said, stopping abruptly and smiling shyly. 'Sorry for my disappearing act, I felt like coming down here. I missed this room the most.'
'It's alright,' replied Tommy, stepping up to her and brushing a stray sweaty strand of hair behind her ear.
He gently took the quarterstaff from her hands and put it back in the weapons cupboard before returning to stand in front of her and took her hands as she watched him with confusion. Before she could ask him what he was up to he pulled her into his arms, so she rested her head on his chest. She relaxed into him immediately and sighed as he gently ran his hand up and down her back.
'We're home,' he said softly.
He heard Maddie's muffled giggle before she leant back to look up at him with a smile.
'Yeah,' she sighed. 'And we'll be back at the office again tomorrow.'
'Let's not think about that tonight, eh?'
Maddie nodded in agreement before Tommy lowered his lips down to hers in an eager kiss. She snaked her arms up and around his neck as he did the same with her waist, their kiss becoming deeper and more forceful. He realised that this was the most intimate the two of them had been in weeks. His stay at the hospital had given them little opportunity or desire to kiss or even touch each other much and he then recalled the last memory he had of them fucking. It had been on the morning before they left for the fair, the image in his mind instantly sending blood rushing to his groin. He remembered how he had Maddie pressed between him and the cold tiled wall of the shower, the hot water making their skin flush pink as he pressed her into the wall with his hips.
'Upstairs,' Tommy growled as he broke away from Maddie's lips before grasping her hand and beginning to lead her to the exit.
'Whoa, wait hold on!' she laughed, only half-heartedly resisting him. 'Shouldn't we get back to the party before they wonder where we are?'
'They won't,' he replied as he continued to lead her through the basement corridor.
Technically his family would notice their absence but would also know the reason and would hopefully not attempt to find them as long as they didn't take too long. Tommy marched them through the house and up the stairs to the bedroom, flinging the door open and slamming it shut before pouncing on her again. Pleasured gasps and moans escaped her as their hands began to explore each other for the first time in what felt like forever. He hadn't realised how much he missed that erotic sound or of the feeling of her soft skin in his hands. Now that they were back home and Maddie was back in his arms as she should be, Tommy knew he would be able to leave the nightmare of the past three months behind him followed shortly by the business with Russians as long as everything went according to plan.
Once they were both stood in nothing but their underwear, their discarded clothes surrounding them like a moat, Tommy lifted Maddie up and she wrapped her legs around his waist tightly. He kissed and nibbled at her delicious neck as he debated taking them over to the bed. However, he decided he wanted to save that experience for the end of the night so instead he turned and walked over to the door, pressing her back against it to trap her there. She looked up at him hazily and they looked into the blue of each other's eyes for a moment before her voice broke the silence.
'I love you, Tommy.'
Tommy cupped her face with one hand and smirked down at her. 'I love you too.'
He paused for a moment, causing Maddie to look back at him with confused suspicion before he quickly fisted a handful of her underwear at her crotch and tore it roughly, the fabric popping as he ripped the seams apart leaving nothing between him and her wetness. She gasped erotically as he did this, her eyes widening at the sudden aggressive act which soon closed again as his finger gently glided up her already wet pussy to circle her clit. He could tell her eyes were rolling back beneath her eyelids as he caressed her, and it only spurred him on more. Tommy ducked his head down to Maddie's neck and began to plant feathery kisses there as he moved his hand down to push a finger inside her and massage that soft area just inside causing her to pant and moan his name into his ear. He could feel his cock straining against his underwear and so too could Maddie because she suddenly regained her senses and palmed his erection to begin working it rhythmically. He let out a strained groan with the sensation, realising he needed to put effort into not reaching his climax too early after an extended period of not being touched in this way. Thankfully, he took comfort in the fact that she seemed be doing the same, her lips pursing stressfully as he kept up his assault on her pussy.
Before too long, they were both panting and moaning uncontrollably, and Maddie looked up at Tommy with a look in her eyes that was akin to begging. It was enough for him to remove his hand and free his cock from his underwear before swiftly sliding it inside her waiting wetness. He grunted with the familiar feeling of her warmth surrounding him and immediately began to thrust in and out as her head fell back with a thud against the wood of the door. Moans quickly began to erupt loudly from her lips as his thrusts became quicker and he relished in the sound. The realisation that them fucking loudly against the door would likely draw unwanted attention crossed Tommy's mind briefly but the pulsating of Maddie's pussy around his cock made him realise he didn't care, and this notion was immediately forgotten.
They settled into a steady rhythm, neither too fast or too slow and neither wanting to contain their moans or expletives as the pleasure continued to amplify until Tommy could feel his orgasm approaching. He had managed to last longer than he initially expected but now his end was fast approaching just like Maddie's, who had begun to whimper uncontrollably as she usually did when she was close to her climax. He put a hand under one of her knees and lifted it up higher to bend her leg back more before quickening his pace, hitting the spot inside her that made her scream, which of course she did. A few short seconds later his orgasm came, and he emptied himself inside her, his skin rippling with electricity and his head swimming dizzily. She followed only a second later, swearing loudly as her knees squeezed his sides as the pleasure rushed through her veins.
They paused for a moment still resting against the door, lying their heads on each other shoulders as they caught their breath. As the ringing in Tommy's ears began to subside, he picked up on what sounded like giggling coming from the other side of the door. Figuring out what the sound was, he sighed into Maddie's neck and shut his eyes. They must have been even louder than he realised. He straightened up and opened his mouth to warn her what was about to happen, but before he could a rapturous sound of cheering and whooping came from the other side of the door making her jump. Tommy shook his head in despair as a banging on the door, which could only have been John, made it shake prompting him and Maddie to separate and he pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. She giggled despite the embarrassment she was evidently feeling, her cheeks blushing scarlet as the two of them shared a look.
'You two alright in there!?' came the sound of John's sarcastic voice followed by bellowing laughter from what sounded like several people. 'Sounded like you were trying to kill someone.'
The laughter continued out in the corridor and Tommy turned to Maddie with a sigh, pulling on his undershirt.
'You get yourself dressed, I'll handle this,' he said as Maddie scooped up her slip from the floor.
'No,' she responded, a new look of confidence and determination on her face. 'Let me.'
Tommy quirked an eyebrow at Maddie as she pulled on her slip and without more hesitation grabbed the doorhandle and swung the door open violently. The movement made John, Finn, Isiah and Johnny who were stood right in front of it jump back a step before the smiles faded from their faces as their eyes landed on Maddie who stood with her arms folded in the doorway. Tommy stood behind her and threw an angry look at the men who decided to listen in on them, making them shuffle and look down nervously.
'Has everyone forgotten that I can break a man's neck with one hand?' Maddie asked simply, raising one hand up by her head and wiggling her fingers. Tommy struggled to contain a smirk as fear flickered across the four men's faces before they silently shook their heads. 'Good. Just make sure you remember that the next time you decide to eavesdrop. I won't be as merciful if you do it again.'
'This is all the information our man on the inside has gathered for us so far,' said John, dropping a slim file onto Tommy's desk. 'He doesn't sound too happy to be there either, poor kid.'
Tommy glanced at the folder and nodded before pinching the bridge of his nose. His regular headaches he'd been suffering with since his accident were beginning to get on his nerves, and he pressed his eyes shut briefly to will the pain away. He was beginning to regret pouring his morphine down the sink first thing that morning but remembered that it was probably for the best. His vision of Frances standing naked at the foot of the bed in the middle of the night was enough to make anyone forsake the damn stuff. But when that horrid hallucination was followed by one of Maddie walking around with her throat slit, blood trickling down her chest to the floor, Tommy vowed to never touch it again.
When Frances had asked about his medicine at breakfast, he embarrassed her and Maddie with nonchalantly describing his first hallucination, keeping the second one a secret he would take to the grave. Maddie soon began to worry what Tommy would do about the pain now that the morphine was gone, knowing just how frequent his headaches were. He hadn't realised how dependant he had become upon it during his stay at hospital; the odd little hallucinations he had initially started with of cats running past doorways or of voices coming out of nowhere were brief and easily ignored but Tommy knew his use of the drug was becoming addictive and he needed to quit cold turkey before he had any more disturbing visions. He would just have to grit his teeth through the pain and ignore it, hopefully it would get better and eventually stop.
'Thank you, John,' replied Tommy after a sigh. 'Now take a few men and go to the factory and finish those jobs on that list.'
John paused for a moment then nodded before striding out of Tommy's office silently. He opened the file to skim read the first page but struggled, noticing that his vision was slightly blurred meaning he had to focus on the words in order to read them. He had first noticed this change to his eyesight a week or so after his surgery when he tried to read the newspaper's small print but failed horribly and had to ask Maddie to read it for him. I need glasses, he thought, I could have had worse problems after a brain haemorrhage, I suppose. Tommy leaned back in his chair with a huff. His eyesight aside, it was all beginning to come together, just a few more details to iron out before the robbery. Just a tunnel and a jeweller. He even had someone to take care of Father Hughes when it was all over.
Tommy remembered his visit from Michael just over a week ago and his revelation about what the priest did to him when he was in the care of the church as a child. He had been glad that Maddie hadn't been there that afternoon as he was sure she would have objected to Michael's offer to kill the priest and would have likely informed Polly about it. Maddie in fact had already offered to take care of Father Hughes as pay back for what he did to Tommy, an offer which had taken him by surprise considering her usual abhorrence for killing humans. He didn't turn her down straight away, her skills and strength along with her desire for revenge would get the job done easily; but he didn't want to see her cross that line for him. So, when Michael presented his offer, Tommy decided to accept, knowing that Michael needed the catharsis more than Maddie did. No one new about this arrangement apart from the two of them and he planned to keep it that way, the last thing they needed was another repeat of the last attempt to kill the priest.
A knock on Tommy's door shook him from his deep train of thought, and he called for whoever it was to come in, looking up to see Maddie poke her head around the door with a smile.
'John just left for the Lancaster factory,' she began as she entered the room, shutting the door behind her. 'I offered to go along to help but he said I'd draw too much attention.'
Tommy smiled and nodded, getting up from his desk and approaching his whiskey decanter. It was still early in the morning, but he felt like sharing one drink with Maddie to break up the monotony of their first day back. Besides, the alcohol may substitute as a pain killer in small amounts.
'After the duchess's grand catwalk through the factory I doubt the sight of another woman walking through it will be kept quiet,' said Tommy, pouring two glasses of whiskey and indicating to the sofa for Maddie to join him.
As they sat down, Tommy passed her the glass with the smaller shot in it which she gave a disdainful look at, rolling the glass in her fingers with trepidation like it would come to life and jump at her.
'Why do you insist on drinking this stuff?' she asked as Tommy took his first sip, enjoying the strong taste on his tongue.
Tommy looked over at her with a smirk. He couldn't understand where her hate for the spirit came from, but he found her stubborn opinion on it endearing all the same.
'Because I like it,' he replied, taking another small sip.
Maddie snorted sceptically, eyeing up the whiskey again before taking a tentative sip. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow with the taste, but it was by far the best reaction she'd had to it thus far. The possibility of making her into a whiskey drinker now seemed even more possible.
'God only knows why,' she mumbled, residing to holding the glass protectively in her hands as Tommy finished his glass, trying his best not to laugh.
Tommy put his empty glass on the table beside him before turning back to look at Maddie who smiled back at him, her eyes lighting up as she did so. In the light from the office window, he noticed the flush of red on her cheeks where she had caught the sun from the good weather that had arrived over the past couple of days. Her freckles had also become darker from the sun and were more noticeable and covered more of her face than you'd think at first glance. Her hair had grown out a couple of inches since she'd had it cut and now touched her shoulders which Tommy was glad to see, although he knew she planned on getting it cut again later that week. Despite the stress she had experienced over the past three months, none of it showed in her face or her body, her skin remaining smooth, glowing and youthful. If only he was blessed with slayer powers and youth, he thought.
'So, John got me thinking,' started Maddie after a brief pause. 'I haven't actually helped much… or at all, with this robbery business and I was beginning to wonder what I could do to help? Y'know, me having slayer strength and all.'
Tommy took in Maddie's nervous ramble and quirked his lips in a small smile before taking her ignored glass of whiskey from her hands and finishing it for her. He had been putting some thought into a use for her and had come to a decision on that during his long absence, although he hadn't shared it with her until now.
'You'll go with John and Arthur to the factory and help set up the explosives. They'll need a strong arm to help get it done fast. I have enough people to deal with the rest.'
Maddie grinned happily with finally been given a role to play, although she looked slightly unsure about being part of a plot to cause an explosion. Tommy however had every confidence in her, she had proved herself more than enough times and in all honesty, he trusted her as much as his brothers to carry out the job quickly and cleanly.
'Tommy?' asked Maddie after a moment of silent thought.
'Hmm?'
'What'll happen if we fail the robbery? I know you have the company on the line but… what'll happen to us?'
Tommy looked back at Maddie blankly and was reminded of the last time she asked this similar type of question and he'd avoided telling her the truth, which in hindsight had been a costly mistake. This time, honesty just might save his and his family's skin.
'We'll either be killed or arrested then executed. Even if we succeed there may be chance of us being arrested if the wrong people find out about what we're doing,' said Tommy flatly.
Maddie listened silently to Tommy's answer and raised her eyebrows slowly in response before nodding. He wished he was exaggerating but he had thought out every detail of the plan to the letter multiple times and he had concluded that death or jail would be the consequence if they fucked up. He had a few ideas with how to counter these events if they were to happen, but they weren't solid enough to pull them out of shit creek entirely.
'I'd better get back to work before Lizzie finds me a pile of paperwork to sort through,' stated Maddie after a second, not offering her thoughts on his words.
She leant forward and planted a brief kiss to his lips before getting up and leaving Tommy alone again in his office to contemplate whether it was worth risking Maddie and his family for the biggest pay check they'd ever receive.
It was a couple of days later by the time Tommy had gotten the plans for the tunnel up and running. He'd convinced Johnny Dogs to get the Lees to set up camp on the land he'd purchased outside the Russian's home, the planned place to begin digging the tunnel. He'd also sent out seven letters to his old tunnelling comrades from the war, including one to South Africa, who would be digging his tunnel.
As for his jeweller, Alfie had visited his home the following day to discuss the job with Tommy, much to Arthur's disapproval. He had been worried that he might have to restrain his brother from cutting Alfie's face with an ashtray at one point. Maddie had stiffened next to him when they watched the tense interaction between the two men, also looking considerably perplexed as to where Arthur's behaviour had come from. Tommy later had to recount the tale of Alfie's betrayal of him and then of Sabini just a couple of years ago making her even more suspicious of Alfie than she was before. Alfie of course had immediately noticed Maddie's presence at the house and now knew she was more than just a fighter to Tommy. He greeted her with mock surprise but didn't say anything more, although Tommy caught him watching her several times during the meeting, making Tommy unusually uncomfortable.
Despite the awkwardness of the meeting, Tommy managed to get Alfie on board as his jeweller and got a recommendation for someone to make him some spectacles as well. Even his headaches had improved despite the lack of morphine, his eyesight now being the primary cause of them whenever he tried to read. The only thing left to address was getting into the Russian's strong room and case the place out for real and identify the most valuable items to steal. Something which he was going to oversee himself tomorrow night in fact during a party the Russian's had invited him and his brothers to.
Tommy was only keen on getting into their vault. If it were up to him, he would plan to leave as soon as the business was done but for appearances sake, he knew he would have to stay for the entire night. He'd heard what the Russian's were like when it came to parties; orgies, cocaine, and vodka to name but a few vices he was likely to encounter. John seemed almost excited to be attending such an event. Arthur however was exceedingly nervous, no doubt as a result of his feelings around Linda, who had been poking her nose into Blinder business even more and controlling Arthur to the point that he was becoming constantly anxious about Blinder work.
Tommy almost didn't tell Maddie about what type of party he was going to, remembering how she reacted when Tatiana visited the house a few months ago. In the end however, he decided to divulge the details of his planned trip to her so as to maintain honesty between the two of them.
'So, what kind of party is it then?' asked Maddie during dinner the night before they were due to leave.
Tommy wished she hadn't brought up the topic during dinner when both John and Arthur were part of the conversation. The two of them immediately looked at each other and sniggered, pricking Maddie's interest more causing her to look around confused.
'What? Should I already know or something?' she questioned.
'More like you don't want to know,' replied John with a smirk.
Maddie turned to cast a questioning look at Tommy who cast a cool glare at John.
'Thank you for your input John,' he said sarcastically through the cloud of smoke that engulfed the table from his cigarette he was having for dinner.
Tommy looked over at Maddie who was looking at him expectantly to explain and he cleared his throat and looked her in the eye for a moment before speaking.
'From what I've heard the Russian's have a particular way of celebrating. They have booze and drugs like we do but with the addition of orgies,' informed Tommy as he held eye contact with her, sounding bored on purpose so as to not make it seem like a controversial sentence.
It didn't feel natural mentioning orgies in such a nonchalant manner, and it obviously had an impact on Maddie because she blinked and shifted as soon as the word left his mouth. She pursed her lips as she considered what he said, trying her best to ignore John's muffled laughter who Tommy was two seconds away from shooting.
'Oh,' was all Maddie managed to say.
John was still smirking and giggling to himself next to Maddie and Tommy eyed him angrily, sensing that he was about to say something else in jest that would no doubt make her feel more uncomfortable. Then suddenly, she picked up her knife and stabbed it into the table with a loud bang just an inch away from John's hand. The tip of the knife was buried an inch into the wood with the force she put behind it and the act was enough to make John fall silent instantaneously, recoiling his hand away sharply.
'One more word John and I'll aim for your face,' warned Maddie.
Her tone was joking but there was a definite undertone of anger in her voice that made Tommy's heart lurch slightly, confirming to him that she was worried that he'd be unfaithful to her. Which of course she didn't need to be. Before he'd met her, in a previous life, he knew he would have engaged in the frivolities of the party, including if Grace were still alive. But with Maddie, he wasn't interested in anyone else. No one else could compare. No other woman even came close. Tommy looked into Maddie's eyes and silently told her what she needed to hear, offering her a semi-smile he knew would reassure her. She smiled back and sighed, thankfully picking up on what he was trying to tell her and relaxing, at least for the time being.
They were quick to finish dinner and retire for the night after that. John joking about how if dinner lasted any longer, he would be pulling cutlery out of various places on his body. Once alone in their room, Tommy didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around Maddie as she began to undress and tenderly kissed her neck to get her to relax against him.
'We will have to stay at the party to appease the Russians,' said Tommy deeply, waiting for a reaction from Maddie.
He felt her tense in his arms slightly before sighing. 'I know.'
She turned around to face him, looking up at him through her lashes suddenly looking small, lacking her usual confidence.
'What is it?' asked Tommy.
'Will they expect you to…' she stuttered, faltering on her words. 'Take part in an… orgy?'
Maddie sounded unusually small and childlike, taking Tommy aback and making him want to pull her into his arms. They way she asked the question implied she knew he didn't want to fuck anyone else but her, but also that she knew he would have eyes on him that would expect him to act a certain way. Including enjoying an orgy.
'Maybe,' Tommy replied honestly. 'But I won't.'
He didn't know what to expect at this party. More than likely he would need to expect the unexpected and end up still being shocked at what they'll find anyway. One thing was for sure, he wasn't going to betray the woman he loved more than anything in the world despite the pressure to do the opposite.
'Really?' asked Maddie, looking relieved but still slightly unsure. Tommy didn't reply and just raised one eyebrow at her followed by a half smile. She rolled her eyes and laughed, putting her head in her hands and shaking it.
'Okay, okay! I know I'm being worried for no reason,' she laughed.
'Yeah,' quipped Tommy jokingly with a full smile this time.
Maddie pushed him playfully on the shoulder and rolled her eyes before continuing to get ready for bed. Tommy turned away from her and went to rid himself of his own clothes when her voice filled the room at a soft seductive whisper.
'I suppose I should show you what I can do that is the next best thing to an orgy.'
The next morning, Tommy and his brothers were ready to leave by ten despite him feeling considerably sore from his and Maddie's fucking which kept them up later than he wanted. Nevertheless, they were on schedule and she had come to see them off at the front steps in her riding gear before she went out on Luna for the day.
'Expect us back about midday tomorrow,' said Tommy, squeezing her upper arms softly.
'Alright,' smiled Maddie with a nod. 'Make sure they don't have too much fun.'
Maddie tilted her head toward the car where Arthur and John were waiting. Tommy laughed but knew he probably would have to do just that, especially where John was concerned.
'I love you,' he said in a low deep voice, piercing her eyes with his icy stare.
'And I love you,' she whispered back as he tilted his head down to kiss her gently on the lips. 'I'll be here when you come back.'
They shared one last brief gaze before he turned away and climbed into the driver's seat of the car. As he pulled away, Arthur and John waved back at Maddie before settling into their seats. Tommy looked in the side mirror to see Maddie's shape watching the car drive the entire distance of the driveway before they disappeared into the trees.
'So, did you lie and tell her you wouldn't fuck any whores?' asked Arthur quietly and a little bitterly.
Tommy turned to glare angrily at him, causing him to look away without a word. Arthur's loyalty to his wife may be up for debate, but Tommy knew he wouldn't be able to hurt Maddie like that, that he was sure of. However, as they drove in silence, he tried his best to shake the image of her blue eyes looking into his back on the driveway, and the flicker of worry and doubt he saw in them as they said goodbye.