Maddie squinted happily up at the white blanket sky as snowflakes fluttered onto her face and got stuck in her eyelashes. She giggled hysterically as she flapped her arms and legs outwards to make a snow angel on the ground as she heard Charlie's laughter next to her as he copied her in making his own little angel in the snow.
It was New Year's Eve, and during the lazy period of days between Christmas and now, snow had been falling thickly and almost consistently in a way Maddie had never witnessed before. She had heard that the snow in the olden days was much more impressive than the pathetic little spells that occurred back home in the future. She had always loved the snow and now she felt like she was in wonderland. She had watched in awe and excitement as the snow grew thicker and higher outside to the point where it was nearly up to her waist in some places. The Shelby's had left the day before the snow had gotten too heavy and now as a result everyone was stranded at their own homes, meaning their New Year's dinner at Arrow House had unfortunately been cancelled.
However, that hadn't gotten Maddie too down in the dumps as she had gotten so excited at the thought of days of snow filled fun with Tommy and Charlie had made up for it. It was only when she had run into Tommy's office with his coat, gloves and hat did she realise that he didn't share in her enthusiasm for snowmen or sledging.
'Come on!' she had nagged, pulling on his arm like a child. 'Let's go outside and play with Charlie!'
Tommy huffed as he struggled to carry on reading the letter in his hand that had been painstakingly delivered by a courier that morning who had defied the odds and delivered the letter after trudging through the snow on horseback. Did no one in this time understand the concept of Christmas holidays? Before boxing day had even been over, Tommy had returned to his office to go back to working which put Maddie in a tetchy mood as she had wanted the Christmas fever to last for as long as possible.
'I've got work to do,' he had replied flatly, shrugging her off. 'You go ahead.'
Maddie pouted at him in annoyance which went ignored by Tommy as he continued reading with his jaw set in hard lines. For the first few days of the snow, Maddie had contented to playing outside with just her and Charlie, but she wanted nothing more to get Tommy out to enjoy it with them. She had manged to finally coax him outdoors that day after pestering him for an hour and bribing him with promises of certain sexual favours later that night. However, he seemed less than pleased to be outside in a blizzard as he had done nothing but silently trudge through the snow after them, a cigarette hanging from his lips the entire time. He was likely thinking about Cerberus curled up next to the fire inside who had stubbornly refused to move from his warm bed, no doubt as a result of being forced outside in the show by Maddie for the last couple of days.
Lifting her head up from the snow, Maddie looked around to see if Tommy were watching her and Charlie create their works of art but frowned when she spotted him taking shelter under a nearby tree. He had his collar turned up against the wind, his scarf covering his ears and his hands in his pockets as he stood tensely as he braced against the snowflakes that swirled around him. His cap was pulled down over his forehead and he seemed to be staring at his feet rather than at them. With a huff Maddie sat up and called to him.
'Tommy! Come and see what Charlie and I have made!' she shouted with a beckoning gesture.
'Papa come see!' called Charlie eagerly.
Maddie watched as Tommy lifted his head in their direction but made no attempt to move from his spot and instead squinted at them through the snow.
'Very good, Charlie boy!' called Tommy half-heartedly making Maddie scowl at him.
She got up from the ground, her backside starting to feel wet from the melted snow and picked up Charlie so he could look down at their angels. He laughed and clapped at them, the concept of making these images by lying in the snow obviously and great novelty to him. Then Maddie heard footsteps crunching over the snow and turned to see that Tommy had started walking back toward the house, his shoulders hunched as he dragged himself through the deep snow.
'Oi!' shouted Maddie. 'Where are you going?'
'Inside,' replied Tommy without stopping. 'Don't stay out too long.'
Grrrrrrr, he is getting on my last nerve, thought Maddie. What kind of stick-in-the-mud doesn't like playing in the snow? She let out a huff as Charlie let out a small noise of disappointment, wanting desperately for his father to join in their fun. Then suddenly, she had an idea and smirked to herself before putting Charlie down at her feet.
'Watch this Charlie,' she whispered to him as she scooped up a handful of snow and pressed it between her hands into a round ball before standing up again.
Tommy was now a good twenty yards away, but she knew her aim was more than good enough to hit her target. She drew her arm back, pausing a moment dramatically before swinging her arm and lobbing the snowball through the air. It glided through the air silently for a suspenseful second before hitting the back of Tommy's head with at 'pffft', almost knocking his cap from his head. He stopped in his tracks, standing still for a moment and she felt her heart jump, realising that she might have pissed him off more than intended. Charlie had also been struck silent, even he knew his father well enough to recognise that this action could set off his temper.
After a few seconds, she saw his head tilt to the side and she managed to pull herself out her own stunned state to crouch down and scoop up more snow, deciding she may as well double-down on her decision. As she scooped, she watched Tommy turn around to face her fully, but she couldn't tell if he were angry or amused by her attempt at playful provocation. Before she could chicken out however, she stood up and threw a second snowball, this one hitting him square in the face and knocking his cap off his head and making him flinch. Maddie gasped this time, covering her mouth with her hand as she realised what she had done. She didn't know whether to laugh or shudder in freight as he slowly raised his hand to wipe the snow from his face. He looked down for a moment, the silent tension in the garden palpable before he looked up at her with a cool expression. They held eye contact a moment; Maddie frozen to the spot until she saw his lips start to turn up into a small smile. Suddenly, Tommy crouched down and snatched at the snow at his feet before standing up again swiftly as she realised what he was doing.
Just as he threw the snowball, Maddie ducked to the side and the ball flew past her shoulder, missing her by inches and she took off in the direction of the trees.
'Hide Charlie!' screamed Maddie with excitement. 'Daddy's coming to get us!'
She heard Charlie let out a squeal of excited terror behind her and hoped that he was running for cover although she doubted he was going to be Tommy's primary target. She made it to a tree and hid behind it before kneeling to make a handful of snowballs that she cradled in her arm as she waited for any sound of his approach. Sure enough, she soon heard the sound of what were unmistakeably an adult man's footsteps on the snow to her left and she jumped out of her hiding spot and threw a snowball in the direction of the sound followed swiftly by another. The first hit Tommy in the chest and the second he managed to block with his arm before he whipped his hand to throw his snowball back which Maddie tried to dodge but it clipped her on the hip as she dived back behind the tree with an excited screech, dropping her pre-made snowballs.
Knowing she couldn't stay there any longer, Maddie dashed to another tree a few yards away but was unable to reach it before she felt a snowball hit her back and she lifted her arm to cover her head as she laughed. This was more like it! She made it to the tree but quickly ran to another to try and fool Tommy so she could regain the advantage. She made up a new snowball and pressed her back against the tree to wait for him. After a minute she heard nothing and soon became impatient. She began to shimmy around the large tree slowly, peering around to try and spot him but was surprised to see that he was nowhere to be seen. She looked down at the ground to try and identify his footprints but could only see her own. He must be by one of the other trees, she realised, and she began creeping out toward the last tree she ran from. Even for her, it was impossible to move silently in snow as her feet caused the snow to crunch loudly.
Maddie reached the tree easily and began to circle it as she'd done the previous one when she finally heard a sound from behind her, as if someone were circling the tree in her wake. She turned to face the noise, holding her snowball up in readiness to throw as she continued to circle the tree backward. However, this proved to be a rookie mistake as she then heard the same noise, but now from behind her again and before she could turn, she saw a hand come around from behind her and smash a handful of show into her face. Maddie squealed as she felt Tommy grab her around the waist as he continued to rub the snow into her face. He pulled her backward a few steps as she fought back playfully, blowing the snow from her face. However, they soon lost their footing on the slippery snow and they tumbled over, Maddie landing on Tommy's lap with a giggle. He kept a hold of her waist however and she reached down to grab fistful of snow to chuck over her shoulder to try and get him back, but she must have missed as he began to chuckle victoriously. She tried do the same again but to no avail before she felt his other hand suddenly force itself down the front of her coat and shirt to stuff a freezing cold handful of snow down her front where it immediately began to melt and run under her bra between her breasts. She let out another scream and began to twist herself round in his arms as his chuckle grew into full blown laughter.
'Hey!' she yelled. 'That's no fair!'
Maddie managed twist herself around in his grasp to face him, ready to pin him down into the snow to stuff as much of it as she could under his shirt when she heard Charlie squeal from behind Tommy before he appeared, dumping what looked like all the snow he could carry on top of his head. Tommy released Maddie and shook his head to shake the snow off his now wet hair as she burst into fits of laughter. Good one, Charlie! She took this opportunity to scoop up more snow to throw at Tommy as he playfully flicked up a handful of snow over Charlie who laughed in giddy excitement. Tommy then got hold of Charlie and lay him in his back in the snow as Maddie pounced on him and they rolled over a few times into deeper snow which nearly engulfed them.
Tommy stuffed more snow under Maddie's shirt which she also did to him as they continued to playfight in the snow, Charlie also joining in and jumping on them with excited laughter. After a couple of minutes, she became aware that her clothes were starting to feel wet although she did not yet feel the cold. Eventually though, they began to get out of breath and eventually stopped their fighting, lying in a heap in the snow as they panted for breath.
'I knew you liked the snow really,' teased Maddie once she caught her breath.
'I suppose I like it a little better,' said Tommy.
Just then, Maddie felt a shiver ripple up her spine and suddenly she was aware of how soaked they were, her icy clothes now clinging to her horribly. Tommy must have noticed this and sat them up and looked down at her with a creased brow before looking at his son whose teeth had started to chatter.
'We should get inside before we freeze,' he said as he heaved himself up, his own clothes sodden, the thick fabrics now weighing a ton.
He pulled Maddie to her feet and picked Charlie up who was also looking sodden before guiding them all back to the house through the snow. Charlie, the cold now getting to him, began to shiver and sob in Tommy's arms and he held him close to shield him from the still falling show. They hurried as fast as they could to the front door, dashing inside and closing the door behind them. They heard Esther's footsteps approach as they shuffled into the foyer and they saw her halt in shock as she saw their soaking, snow covered forms.
'What on earth…?' she exclaimed, looking especially shocked to see Tommy in this state. At least she expected it from Maddie.
'Snow fight,' explained Maddie who manged a smile despite her chattering teeth.
'Snow fight?!' replied Esther. 'Honestly, you'll catch your death a cold! Look at poor little Charlie!' Maddie looked at Charlie to see that he was shaking violently, and his cheeks were flushed bright red in an attempt for his body to keep him warm. She and Tommy shared a slightly guilty look as Esther marched over and took Charlie from Tommy. 'I'll take care of him, you two can sort yourselves out.'
This was the most annoyed Maddie had ever seen Esther, the motherly woman obviously seeing their actions as awfully irresponsible.
'Thank you, Esther,' said Tommy who for once also looked a little sheepish.
Esther marched off toward the stairs and Tommy turned to Maddie, putting his ice-cold hand in hers. 'Come on, let's get warmed up, eh.'
Maddie nodded with a thankful smile, and he led them both up the stairs and to their bedroom and into the bathroom as she fought to control her shivering. Tommy went over to the bathtub and turned the taps on, gorgeous steaming hot water streaming into the tub invitingly. He then started to rid himself of his soaked clothes and Maddie bit her lip before starting to do the same. A hot bath with Tommy? Yes please!
As she began to unbutton her jacket, Maddie noticed how numb her fingers had gotten, even if she had been wearing thick warm gloves, and undoing the buttons was proving more difficult than normal. Annoyingly, Tommy didn't seem to have the same issue and had managed to get down to his underwear in no time as she began to have a fight with the clasp of her bra which may as well have frozen together.
'Need a hand?' asked Tommy and Maddie quickly noticed his smug grin and pursed her lips in defeat.
'Obviously,' she replied before turning and facing her back to him.
As his cold hands touched the skin of her back, she felt her muscles jump instinctively and set off another round of violent shivers. She looked down at her feet and saw that her feet and toes were almost blue from the network of veins that were showing through the translucent skin.
'You're freezing, luv,' said Tommy as he made light work of her bra clasp. 'No more going outside before the weather improves.' Maddie rolled her eyes but smiled to herself as she chucked her sodden bra on the floor. Her nipples were as hard as bullets and almost ached with how cold they were. She looked down and saw that they were a dark shade of purple rather than pink and concluded that maybe he was right about not spending too much time in the snow. 'Come on,' he said, nudging her over toward the now full bathtub.
Maddie stripped herself of her underwear before perching herself on the rim of the tub and lifting one leg over and into the water. She hissed with the heat of the water, the contrast between the searing heat and her icy skin causing an initial aching sensation through her muscles and joints. She then lifted her other leg up and over into the tub before steadily lowering herself in with a relieved sigh. Tommy stripped his underwear off and followed her into the tub, gesturing for her to slide up so he could sit behind her with his legs on either side of her. He laid back into a reclined position and Maddie smiled over her shoulder at him coyly and he smirked as he reached over to pull her back to rest against his chest.
The hot water submerged them up to their collar bone and Maddie let herself relax into Tommy; her head nestled on his shoulder. She let her eyes close and her breathing settle as they sat like this contently in silence for a while. She heard him reach over to the small table next to the bath where he had left his cigarettes and light one up. She listened to the sound of him dragging on the cigarette and blowing out the smoke rhythmically and realised she found the sound comforting. After spending so long living with Tommy, Maddie had gotten used to the constant cloud of cigarette smoke and it no longer bothered her to breathe it in.
A few minutes passed like this, and Maddie felt herself slip into a meditative daze with the feel of the water and Tommy's hard body behind her until he finished smoking. She then felt him move slightly to stub it out in the ashtray on the table before lowering his arm back under the water where he rested his hand on her stomach. He let out a long breath and she felt his cheek lightly rest against her temple as he slowly began to draw circles around her naval. She hummed her approval to the action softly and inhaled deeply, pressing her body back into him even more. Soon she felt his other hand enter the water and rest on her thigh where he gently massaged the large muscle there.
It took only a couple of seconds before Maddie felt the familiar tingling between her legs and she now realised where this situation was quickly heading. This was confirmed by the sensation of Tommy's hardening erection progressively pressing into the small of her back as he massaged her gently and she couldn't stop her lips from lifting to an excited grin.
She heard Tommy exhale deeply against her ear as he moved the hand on her stomach up wards towards her breast purposefully, cupping one of them and resting his index finger on her nipple, pausing before he delicately began to rub circles around it. Maddie couldn't stop the little mew that escaped her as pleasurable ripples began to surge across her body and down to her clit which she felt was starting to throb in anticipation. The hand he had on her thigh, which had not moved until now, began to slide slowly up her leg and her breath hitched slightly in her throat. She felt herself drop her knees outward to open her legs instinctively and heard Tommy breath out an amused huff against her neck before pressing his lips against the soft skin behind her ear.
As was expected, Tommy made the journey to her pussy as slow as possible as he continued to stimulate her nipple expertly. Letting herself become putty in his hands had become so natural to Maddie since knowing him and she found it gave her a sense of relief to let him be in control. At least some of the time, anyway. She squirmed slightly as he continued to press soft kisses against her neck as he brushed his fingers up her thigh to rest in the crook where her leg met her crotch. His erection now felt like a solid rod against her back, and she could feel it throbbing against her skin, begging to get some attention. She knew it would be easy. To just lift herself up and down onto his waiting cock in one swift movement before he could even stop her and the temptation to do just that was getting the better of her.
Maddie opened her eyes to slits mischievously and began to shift her hips back and her chest forward to move herself, but Tommy of course had predicted her actions. The hand on her breast moved swiftly out of the water to wrap around her throat so his forearm pressed against her chest between her breasts. He pinned her back against him firmly, keeping her head against his shoulder as he squeezed her throat firmly but not too roughly to harm her.
'You stay where you are,' mumbled Tommy then, his voice deep and gravelly in her ear. Maddie let out a small gasp before smiling eagerly. She wasn't sure if he could see her expression, but she was sure he could sense she was getting more excited by the second. 'Don't you want to find out what I'm planning?' he asked once she had settled herself back against him.
'Mm hm,' she hummed softly letting her eyes close again. Tommy's fingers tightened around her neck in command for her to speak properly and she inhaled quickly to respond. 'Yes, I want to know,' she gasped, and he released his grip on her slightly.
'You will as long as you stay put,' he whispered back, and Maddie nodded her understanding before relaxing her body as much as possible.
Tommy lingered for a second before brushing his lips against Maddie's ear and nipping her earlobe as she felt his other hand beneath the water finally move over to cup her pussy. She sighed and tried not to tense, which was easier said than done. His fingers then began to part her folds before he pushed another down and into her pussy. Curling it up to press against the spot inside her that made her loose all senses. She moaned loudly and arched her back as he pressed her against his chest to keep her still. He added another finger and soon began to pump them in and out of her, causing her to tense her abdomen in pleasure as he pressed the same spot over and over. The pleasure amped up again as he began to rub the heel of his hand against her clit at the same time.
Maddie quickly lost what little control she had left and began to moan and whimper in ecstasy as her orgasm began to build rapidly. She couldn't keep her hands still now and she lifted the arm that wasn't pinned by Tommy out of the water to reach up and grab a handful of his hair. He didn't seem to mind, in fact she heard him growl in approval as he pressed his palm against her throat roughly, now making it harder for her to breathe although the sensation only heightened her pleasure. He pumped his fingers into her a few more times until she began to pant as her climax approached when he removed them to quickly start rubbing rough circles around her clit to bring her over the edge.
She wanted to scream Tommy's name as she came but he pressed even harder on her throat so that the word got trapped there. Her breath caught in her chest and made her lightheaded but not in a bad way, the feeling only making her orgasm more intense and last longer. He rubbed her clit until she had ridden out her orgasm fully, her body relaxing against him before he released her neck and she took in a much needed gulp of air. He wrapped his arms around her protectively as she took a few deep breaths to ward off the dizziness before she turned her head finally to look at him. His darkened eyes bore into hers for a moment before she pressed her lips to his hungrily, the post-orgasm tingling already beginning to fade away to fresh lust and arousal.
Maddie spun herself around to kneel and face Tommy this time and he let her do as she pleased, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as they kissed deeply. He lifted his hands up to hold her forearms before stroking them up to her biceps before his right hand paused over where the implant was still nestled in her arm. She felt Tommy's lips fall still as she kissed them and pulled back an inch to look at him as he felt the small device with his thumb.
'Let's take it out,' he whispered huskily. 'Why wait until the wedding, eh?'
Maddie sighed and smiled. Part of her wanted nothing more than to remove the implant as soon as possible and give Tommy what he wanted. But she wasn't going to change her mind. She wanted to savour every milestone that was coming in her life. Until a few months ago, she had believed that marriage and the chance of her own family was an impossibility for her. But Tommy had made all that and more a reality and she wanted to savour each event as it came without worrying about too much at once. The thought of having a child excited her, but also terrified her, and the last thing she wanted was to fall pregnant too close to their wedding.
'I know you want to Tommy but…' replied Maddie hesitantly as Tommy watched her with a hopeful look. 'I don't want everything to happen too fast. Before I know it all these things will go by in a flash, and I'll forget to savour it all.'
Tommy pursed his lips, looking ever so slightly crestfallen but nodded before setting his face into its sturdy mask. 'I know,' he said, pressing his forehead to hers as Maddie grappled to say something to ease his disappointment.
'That…' she began with a cheeky smile. 'And I want to try and be a bit traditional.'
Tommy chuckled and leaned back against the tub; his eyebrow quirked up mockingly. 'If we wanted to be traditional, you'd have to still be a virgin.'
Maddie grinned and giggled at Tommy's witty reply but bit her lip as she thought of a retort of her own.
'Who's to say I can't act like one?' she asked seductively, leaning back in close to him with fluttering eyelashes who's jaw muscles twitched as he watched her. 'If that's what you want, Tommy?'
Tommy regarded her icily for a moment and Maddie slid her hands up his chest to rest on his shoulders as she smiled the most innocent virginal smile, she could muster. He stared back at her silently for a second before speaking. 'Maddie,' he began, his voice dark. 'You couldn't act like a virgin even if you tried.'
She knew he was teasing her, but the statement annoyed her, and she retorted again without thinking.
'Oh, yeah?' she said, submerging her hand in the water again to wrap it around Tommy's still hard cock. 'Let me prove you wrong.'
She felt Tommy stiffen as she grasped him, but the action made him chuckle smugly. 'I'm fairly sure a virgin wouldn't think to do that,' he said with a victorious smile. 'Case and point.'
Damn him, cursed Maddie. Although she had to admit that he was right. 'Alright, clever clogs,' she conceded as she began to stroke his cock rhythmically as Tommy leant forward to start kissing her neck. 'But I could still try to act all innocent for you one day if you want?'
The thought of playing the innocent damsel at the mercy of the harsh older gangster was a scenario that Maddie was finding more and more appealing as they teased with the idea and he chuckled into her neck before looking down at her again.
'One day,' he said, kissing her and biting her lip. 'When I say so.'
Maddie and Tommy celebrated New Year's Eve with Charlie, the three of them playing together in the living room with Cerberus galloping around them in excitement. Charlie fell asleep before midnight, and they put him to bed before settling back in the living room in front of the fire as they watched the clock countdown to midnight. As the ornate clock on the mantlepiece chimed twelve, Maddie turned and wrapped her arms around Tommy and kissed him passionately.
It was a new year. 1925. There were times still where Maddie thought she must be dreaming or in a coma back home and all this was a figment of her imagination. Even if it was, she had decided she never wanted it to end.
On the first day of 1925, Tommy awoke early and had locked himself away in his office again and Maddie knew that in his mind, the holiday season was well and truly over and there was now no time to waste when there was business to attend to. The snow was still thick outside although no fresh snow was falling which meant that the deep blanket of white would soon melt. Maddie, after the previous day's fun, felt she had had her fill of the snow and decided to do what Tommy had said for once and stay indoors until it had mostly melted. She occupied herself with training in the cellar as well as training Cerberus, something which she had neglected over Christmas and it was now beginning to show. The pup had ruined a pair of her favourite heels that morning, and she found the tattered strips of leather scattered around the bedroom and huffed in annoyance.
'Bad boy, Cerberus!' she scolded as she waved the tattered shoes over him. Cerberus simply looked up at her with unbothered eyes and sauntered off toward the door, leaving Maddie at a loss as to what to do.
Tommy, who had watched her attempt at commanding Cerberus with disdain, called out a harsh command in Romani that Maddie didn't understand, and the dog turned and padded over to him obediently and sat at his feet, looking up at him with a sheepish expression. She gritted her teeth in annoyance but tried not to let it show on her face. Tommy, since day one, had been able to command Cerberus in this way, the man seeming to have some kind of spell over the pup. When she questioned him about it, he just chuckled and said it was gypsy witchcraft. She had thought he was teasing her at the time but now she was wondering whether there was some truth to his statement.
'How do you do that?' she asked in a huff and Tommy looked up at her before commanding Cerberus again in Romani, pointing toward the door which the dog quickly trotted out of and down the corridor.
'It's not what you say, it's how you say it,' he said, coming over to press a kiss to her forehead. 'You don't have any authority when you command him.'
'Yes, I do!' whined Maddie.
'Maddie,' Tommy sighed with a small smile. 'You were laughing whilst trying to tell him off the other day for chewing the chair leg.' She looked down at her feet bashfully, realising his point. 'He knows you let him off the hook.'
'Okay, I get it,' sighed Maddie. 'I'll work on it.'
Tommy smiled again and kissed her softly before disappearing out of the room to his office. Maddie decided stalwartly then that she would take Cerberus' training more seriously and set to work training him that afternoon. Training him to be obedient was hard work for her but she managed to make some progress over the following few days as the snow melted.
As soon as the roads were drivable, Tommy returned to the office in Small Heath, leaving Maddie behind although she was joined by Ada most days who, being one of her lead wedding planners, had come to help start the preparations for the wedding which was now only a couple of weeks away. The event had crept up on them fast and Maddie's nerves were starting to simmer beneath her skin again. They had asked the head chef of the house to come up with a menu for the day which they reviewed and tweaked until they were happy with it. They also hired extra staff for the day to cater for the guests as well as a fancy carriage with a driver. They ordered flowers and decorations for the house, went over the seating plan, who would be staying the night and where they would sleep as well as a myriad of other details that made Maddie's head ache.
She was actually jealous of Tommy being sat at the office in relative peace, conveniently avoiding all the planning as he seemed for once content to not be in control of something and she now knew the reason why. The only thing that cheered Maddie up was a reply from Annie and Teddy stating they would attend the wedding. She had been sure to send an invite to them on boxing day, excited to send an invite to a friend she had made all by herself. Although this joy was soured slightly by the thought that May would also be attending the wedding, especially since she was now going to be training Count for the Derby. The party at May's had been a rollercoaster of a night, but Maddie had learnt that she could adapt to the social expectations of 1920's high society. Even under embarrassing circumstances. Recalling the plunge in the frozen pond made a shiver run down her spine, but she remembered how gracious most people had been about it and had concluded that not all posh types were as stuck-up as she originally believed.
That evening, before Tommy returned home, Maddie went into her old room and opened the wardrobe where she had hidden her wedding dress so he wouldn't find it. He still believed it was at the dressmaker's being altered otherwise she was sure he would try to find it to get a sneak peek. She pulled the white gown out of the wardrobe, still wrapped in a lace cover to protect it from dust and moths. She removed the cover and went over to the mirror and draped it over her body to admire it again. She stared at her reflection, her hair short and bobbed in the current fashion and her makeup styled to match and realised how different she looked from when she first arrived in the 1920's. If she met her old self now, she was sure she wouldn't recognise the woman before her. The change, although sad in some ways, was mostly happy and in no way did she feel that the dress she was holding would look inappropriate or out-of-place on her. Giving herself an encouraging smile, Maddie returned the dress to the safety of the wardrobe before going to her and Tommy's room to change ready to patrol for the night. She was still the slayer after all.
The following two weeks in the lead up to the wedding passed worryingly fast and Maddie struggled to hide her nervousness for the approaching event. She felt a palpable buzz to the air, as if the whole country were anticipating this day. Of course, there was good reason for this. The fact that Thomas Shelby was remarrying so soon after the death of his first wife, and to someone nearly a decade younger than him, had created a bit of scandal in some circles according to Ada, who was obviously in on all the gossip. She had told Maddie to pay no attention to the talk, saying that it was hardly shocking compared to some marriages of upper class people who often paired with their cousins who were almost thirty years apart in age. They only wanted to make it a scandal because of who Tommy and the Shelby's were or used to be: working class. This pissed Maddie off greatly and it was one of the societal culture shocks she had to get used to in this time, the separation of the classes. She realised she had been lucky growing up in the twenty first century, although there was some degree of class difference, it was not to the degree that she was witnessing now, and she wasn't sure she could ever get used to it. Tommy and the rest of his family did seem used to it however, and although she knew it irked them, they mostly got on with it and didn't let it be an excuse for failure. A mindset which she admired about them greatly. She hoped however that the gossip wouldn't ruin the wedding day and that most of the guests would be civil.
There was one event though that was sure to help Maddie forget about her anxieties. Her hen do! Or 'jumping the chanty' as the other women called it making Maddie laugh at such an odd saying. Marie arrived the day before the hen party as well as Annie and Ellie who she had also invited. She hugged them all happily and after introductions, they as well as all the Shelby women soon began to get on like a house on fire. Teddy and Danny had been invited to Tommy's stag do, or bachelor evening, as he put it, as well as Zach who also were staying the night. The men were all due to leave for Birmingham the next morning, which would be the last time Maddie would see Tommy before she walked down the aisle in just two day's time. The children were going to stay with a close relative of Esther's, who was also attending Maddie's hen do, before being dropped off again the morning of the wedding.
This was it; the big day was almost here.
That night, Maddie didn't see much of Tommy as they entertained their guests, the whole Shelby clan also staying the night making the house a loud and exciting place yet again. However, they did thankfully retire early for the night as they were sure tomorrow night would be a late one for the men and women alike, and she finally got him to herself in the safety of their room. They fucked for what would be the last time as a non-married couple, neither wanting to detangle themselves from the other to the point where they ended up laid in a tangle of arms and legs when they finally collapsed from exhaustion.
'You'd better behave yourself tomorrow night,' teased Maddie. 'Arthur had better not have hired any strippers.'
Tommy gave Maddie a confused look, evidently not knowing what she was talking about and she realised that the modern tradition of hiring a stripper for a stag do was not yet a thing and felt a wash of relief before explaining this to him.
'John did want to hire some erotic dancers, but I forbade it,' said Tommy. 'Although it wouldn't be the first time he has ignored me.'
Maddie gulped; seems men never change she thought. The thought of a slim attractive woman dancing for Tommy with everything on show made her hot with jealousy, but she dismissed it. She wasn't even sure John had anything like that planned, and even if he did, she knew Tommy could resist any temptation to put his hands where they didn't belong, so she laughed and decided not to worry.
'Well, if he has, you can look but don't touch,' she said, and it was Tommy's turn to laugh as Maddie grinned mischievously. 'And I'll try not to touch the male dancer Pol has hired for my party,' she added nonchalantly but with a serious tone to make him believe that Pol had actually gone and hired a gigolo. Tommy immediately stiffened and furrowed his brow at her angrily making her laugh earnestly. 'Oh honestly, Tommy, you are so easy to wind up,' she teased, which only seemed to annoy him more and he looked at her intently until she stopped giggling.
'If a man so much as looks at you from now on, I'll take his eyes,' he murmured darkly making goosebumps stand up on Maddie's arms. The statement was violent but made her heart flutter all the same as its possessiveness.
They kissed and wound themselves together tighter, silently vowing in that moment that all either of them wanted was each other.
Maddie watched as the men disappeared in their cars down the driveway to commence their day of masculine fun, leaving her and the women to enjoy their day of feminine frivolity. The next time she would see him, he would be standing at the alter as she walked down the aisle toward him.
Relax slayer, Maddie told herself, soon you will be Mrs Shelby and everything will be perfect.
Maddie's hen day began with a lazy morning of sitting around in their nightgowns, painting each other's nails and styling their hair. It was just like a sleepover back home and Maddie soon forgot about what was in store the next day as the women chatted and laughed together. Annie helped style her hair into finger waves as Maddie painted Marie's nails an attractive shade of dark red.
Her and Marie were careful not to talk about slayer related business since Annie and Ellie were both uninformed about that side of their lives. They made up a story about becoming friends when Marie had come to England on holiday to see family a few years ago which seemed to satiate Annie and Ellie's curiosity. Thankfully the Shelby women also remembered not to mention the slayer topic and their secret remained just that.
After a late lunch in the kitchen, they went upstairs to start getting dressed for the evening. They had great fun trying on different dresses like teenage girls, matching things that in no way went together and laughing hysterically. Eventually they were all dressed up, even though they were planning on going absolutely nowhere. They went downstairs where they were greeted with dinner and alcohol which they all started to consume with earnest. Maddie however decided not to go too hard with her drink, not wanting to attend her wedding with a hangover, and stuck to beer rather than spirits.
Polly put on some jazz music in the living room, and they soon got swept up with dancing around energetically, spinning each other around with fervour. Maddie had to tell herself more then once to tone down her excitement as she almost forgot about keeping her strength a secret and barely stopped herself from lifting Ada off her feet in the air as they danced together. Marie was obviously more reserved and cast Maddie frequent warning looks when she was getting too overexcited.
'You must control yourself, Maddie,' warned Marie as they sat together on the sofa for a brief rest. 'Your friends will start to suspect zere is something more to you.'
'I know, I know,' huffed Maddie. 'Maybe I should sit here for a while before I get myself into trouble.'
'Zat would be wise,mon amie.'
They then spotted Annie saunter over and plop herself down on the sofa next to Maddie with a giggle. 'Oh, this party is such fun Maddie!' she exclaimed. 'I can't wait to see how much fun the wedding is going to be!'
Annie's infectious joy caused the other two to smile widely and she quickly delved into questioning Marie about her life in Paris which Marie entertained with tireless grace, excluding certain finer details.
'You would simply love Paris Maddie,' said Annie. 'The fashion is exquisite, and the wine is to die for!'
'Oui, the wine is certainly better zan zis English… how you say…merde?' added Marie, indicating to the glass of red wine in her hand, making Annie laugh hard.
Later into the night, Pol took Maddie by the arm and led her away from everyone else for a private chat by the window. The matriarch tucked a stray strand of Maddie's hair behind her ear with a motherly smile before stroking her cheek softly.
'How are you feeling, love?' she asked with a smile and Maddie felt the nervous bubbles in her stomach again. The night was getting late, and they would soon have to go to bed if they wanted to get up early enough the next day, meaning the big day was drawing even closer.
Maddie let out a shaky breath. 'Okay,' she lied as Pol observed her carefully, making her sigh and tell the truth. 'Terrified,' she admitted reluctantly, and Polly took her hand in hers.
'It'll be fine,' reassured Pol. 'You'lldo just fine, I promise.'
'But what if I embarrass myself Pol?' asked Maddie nervously. 'I'm trying to be calm like Tommy, but all this is so nerve wrecking!'
Polly chuckled in disbelief. 'After all the terrifying things you've faced and your scared of walking down an aisle?'
Maddie paused a moment and took in what Pol said. It was true, why was she so frightened after all the things she had done and seen? Then she figured out why.
'It's just so human,' said Maddie. 'Getting married. It was a human experience I'd never thought I'd have, Pol.'
'Well, take my advice, enjoy your chance to be human whilst you can,' replied Pol. 'Knowing you, there will still be plenty of ghouls around the corner to try and fuck up your life.' They shared a smile and hugged tightly for a moment before breaking apart. 'Oh, and don't worry,' she added. 'Tommy is far more nervous than he lets on.'
Pol turned and left her alone and Maddie hoped hat Polly's intuition about Tommy was right. If he was just as nervous as she was, then at least she wasn't alone in her feelings.
It wasn't much longer before everyone began to tire and they collectively decided to go to bed to get their much-needed beauty sleep, bringing a perfect hen night to a close. Maddie bade everyone goodnight and retreated to the quiet of her and Tommy's bedroom, closing the door softly and resting her head against it. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to get much sleep, her mind still unable to let go of her wedding nerves, but she had to try. She changed into her nightie and washed in the bathroom before getting into bed, feeling like a small child on the huge mattress without Tommy there to help fill it. She knew it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding, but she longed for him in that moment. To feel his body cocoon hers protectively against the world. She tried to ignore the swirling in her belly as she tossed and turned endlessly, wondering whether he was doing the same, before eventually managing to drift off into much needed slumber.