Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Another Thing to Fall Part Three

A/N: The final chapter! I gush at the end.

Nucky and Eli Thompson stood on the porch.

"We come with a peace offering," Nucky said with practiced ease as Richard opened the door. Ever since goddamn Leader Whitlock had interfered and got Clara out of the sanitarium where she might not have been comfortable but where he at least knew she was safe. Owen Sleater had failed to find the Butcher. No one was living up to their obligations, and Nucky did not appreciate having to come up with a new plan on the fly. Especially when it meant depending on Eli for security and support for this, the most important part of his plan to reclaim his city and his daughter.

"Arnold?" he then said, after spotting Rothstein and Lansky standing with Harrow, and Luciano in the living room with James, Clara, and the boy. The New York contingent in James's living room was not a happy surprise.

"Paying a social call," Rothstein said smoothly.

"Come on in, Nuck. No need to haunt the doorway," Jimmy instructed from the living room, his eyes glinty and hard.

Nucky nodded and stepped forward, the water collected on the brim of his hat cascading to the floor unnoticed when he removed his hat.

Eli stood silently but took in the scene in front of him. Clara looked like Mabel, sitting there with the Darmody brat in her lap. Jesus, Eli thought when she turned to smile hesitantly at him and he saw the bruises on Clara's neck. What did they do to her in that place?

"Owen has captured Manny Horwitz, I knew that Jimmy would want to know," Nucky continued.

Richard looked at Jimmy upon hearing this but was surprised to see Clara also shoot Jimmy a glance.

Luciano every so slightly nodded his head at Lansky.

Nucky was so focused on spinning his tale and achieving his objective of getting Richard and Jimmy to go with them to the Soldier's Memorial that he missed the quiet reaction to his words. Eli fell back into his role as Nucky's silent support easily, surprised at the comfortable feeling of being in his brother's shadow once more.

No one was looking at Tommy, who had climbed down from Clara's lap.

"Oww! God damn it kid, why did you do that?" Eli cried out suddenly, causing everyone to look at him. And to Tommy, who was kicking Eli with all his four-year-old might.

Clara stood and moved to grab the boy.

"You are the bad man!" Tommy yelled, kicking Eli once more in the shin.

"Uncle Eli," Clara breathed out, refusing to believe it even as the missing pieces began to fall into place.

Clara was a child of the Boardwalk, and Nucky had not been unaware of the importance of having his little daughter pictured in the papers enjoying new Boardwalk attractions the day they opened. Sheriff's daughter had morphed into Treasurer's daughter and still she had dipped and spun on every new ride, thrown endless balls to win endless games, admired countless new sideshow exhibits. She liked most of them, but she hated the Whirligig. The feeling of spinning while the world dropped out from underneath her was not a sensation she enjoyed.

Standing in the beach house living room she felt that sensation again. Making ham sandwiches. Hearing the knock at the door. Smiling when she saw his face. She was spinning through her memories and dropped harshly into the reality of who betrayed her, of who took her from her life and threw her into hell.

"Dollface," Eli said pleadingly.

The spinning feeling dissipated, and Clara crossed the space between them so quickly that neither Jimmy who was standing behind her nor Richard who stood behind Eli had any chance of getting to her. Her body twisted as she moved, and she put her entire weight into her arm. Eli saw it coming he didn't try to avoid it.