AFTER ESCAPING DEATH, by mere seconds of fate, John had refused to let Beth go home to Tommy. At first she was prone to the idea, not wanting to see him but after a while it got a bit tiring. Living in the countryside with John and Esme, who were only to described as madly in love and all their children. She felt lonely, to say the least. Everything reminded her of him; the rain, the smell of cigarettes, whiskey, rum, every last thing she could think of. Especially as it drawn closer to Christmas.
Christmas was Beth and Tommy time. God, she loved Christmas. She loved the snow, it reminded her of the times when they were around fifteen. A snow had fallen and Beth had spent near everyday in the snow alongside John, Tommy,Arthur and little Ada. It was probably the first and last time she had seen all the Shelby's in a buzz of happiness. Aunt Pol was delighted to see them out laughing and smiling as she and her sister stayed in side with baby Finn.
It was a Christmas Eve when Ada had shown up in her Bentley. John had been out shooting pheasants while Esme had been running around with her children and Beth had been sat inside the sit-room trying to distract herself by reading the newspaper, with a glass of Irish whiskey. The door opened but Beth never looked up from her newspaper when she heard two sets of feet entering the living room. "Hello Beth!" Ada grinned, looking at John who shook his head when Beth only hummed in return.
"Thought we lost you to the Great White Way of Broadway." John spoke, grabbing two glasses from himself and Ada and the bottle of whiskey. "No. Well this beats Watery Lane John." Ada beamed. "Does it? Here take a seat, I'll grab the kids." John instructed, refilling Beth's whiskey for her, who only smiled cheekily in return. "No it's alright, I'm not stopping. Just wanna drop those presents off for tomorrow. I don't want words on Christmas Eve." Ada spoke, fixing a photo that hung crooked on the wall.
"Well it's my house, you're welcome." John replied, sitting down next to Beth. "It's okay, I'm staying with Polly." Ada informed. "Eh, she's in a bad way." John spoke, sipping on his whiskey. With the mention of Polly's name, Beth shuddered. The last time she had seen the brunette woman she was sure it would have been the last. "I'll bring her to her senses." Ada snapped. "Micheal's already tried that." John grumbled. "I'll get through to her." Ada smiled.
"You still coming to the Party on New Year's Eve?" John asked in anticipation. "Yeah, who else is going?" Ada answered, glancing to Beth cautiously who placed her newspaper down. "Arthur, Linda." John listed, rolling his eyes when Esme who walked into the room. "Hello Esme!" Ada beamed. Beth nearly laughed at Esme's face who clear as day wanted nothing to do with Ada. "Who paid for you car and driver, Ada?" Esme taunted.
"Shelby Company Limited." Ada replied stoutly. "Nice car, treats you well, his last little pet." Esme growled. "Shut the fuck up, you bloody idiots." Beth growled, turning to look at both women who looked equally annoyed. "Look, this visit is meant to be about making things all right." Ada compromised, ignoring Beth. "John had a rope around his neck, he shit himself. Beth hasn't fucking been the same since." Esme spat, glaring at Ada. Beth hadn't realised she had been gripping the glass so tightly until it smashed in her hand, cutting up her palm.
"Shut the fuck up!" Beth repeated, her voice low and in shock, as she glanced at the blood that dripped from her hand onto her dress. "Go get her a tissue Esme." John instructed, tutting as he took Beth's hand and began to examine it. "Take the cars back to the money!" Esme spat at Ada, before storming off, her heels clicking off the floor. Ada stood in silence for a moment, raising her eyebrows at John who sat torn between the three women that all expected different from him. "Anyways there's you're presents."
"How's Arthur?" Ada asked, picking up her hat and gloves. "Uh, for Christmas get him a sewing kit, so he can sow his fucking balls back on." Ada only scoffed, grinning slightly as she walked out of John's home. Esme shortly returned, helping Beth clean up her wounds who only sighed as she let Esme clean up her mess. It was as if something had snapped inside of her. John had said to Esme that perhaps it had been depression. Micheal said it was trauma having gotten to her. Arthur reckoned it was a phase.
Once Esme had finished bandaging Beth's hand, she sat down onto the chair beside her. Beth raised her eyebrows at the raven haired woman who looked at her expectedly. "You've got us all worried, Beth. John says he's never seen you like this." Esme spoke, rubbing her hand up at down Beth's arm in attempts to comfort her. "I hate him so bloody much." Beth whispered, inspecting her bandaged hand. Esme only sighed, bringing Beth into a tight hug.
"I fucking love you, you know that? So does John and Arthur, Micheal,Polly,Finn and Isaiah. You don't need him, eh?" Esme comforted. Beth sighed nodding and planted a kiss onto Esme's cheek squeezing her tighter. John stood from his chair, squeezing Beth's shoulder as he departed out into the hall to find the post. Beth sat back, grinning at Esme who cupped her cheeks. "I'm going to make you some tea!" She announced, smiling widely as she took off to the kitchen. Beth grinned, shaking her head in amusement at the woman's antics.
John had ventured into the sitting room, his hands shaking as he looked at the card in his hands and then up to Beth. Handing her a letter with her name on it he turned to the phone and began to make a call. Beth's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at John's pale demeanour as she looked down at the letter in her lap. Ripping the envelope open, she pulled out a Christmas card. Opening the card, she felt the bile in her stomach build.
To miss Bethany Clover,
Merry Christmas.
Signed, Luca Changretta & family.
The other page adorned a black hand print. Beth sighed scrunching up her nose as she reached for her pack of cigarettes and her lighter. Standing up, Beth brought herself and the card outside. Staring out to the green fields, she dragged on her cigarette as she read over the card for what seemed to be the thousand time. She let out a huff of air, hearing Esme and John screaming at each other. If a black hand had came, Beth knew it was best for the Shelby's to be prepared and together.
Sighing, she sat down onto the steps in defeat and smudged out her cigarette. Her head spun with a hundred thoughts and Beth couldn't help but curse as she stared up at the sky. "Thomas Shelby if you're staring up at this sky, just know I'm going to fucking murder you when i see you." She grumbled, grinning in satisfaction as she imagined his face twisting as if to challenge her. The front door opened slightly and John appeared in a state of shock as he sat down beside Beth.
Wordlessly, she took his hand tightly and squeezed it. Nudging closer, Beth lay her head to his shoulder staring up at John who stared out at the fields in front of him as if reminiscing. "It's bloody Christmas, Beth." He uttered, staring down at her sadly. Beth nodded, tears building in her eyes as they stared at each other. No matter how bad she imagined it to be for her, John had children and a wife. "I fucking love you." Beth whispered, wrapping her arms around John tightly.
She buried her head into his shoulder as he pulled her tighter against him. Beth couldn't help but let out a sob into his shoulder, shaking in John's arms as he said nothing but squeezed her tighter. "I love you too." John whispered, unsure of Beth had heard.
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LONELY| Thomas Shelby
Fanfiction"when they're good they're really good, when they're bad they will burn the town to the ground." in which beth returns to the gangster life that she once lived, where everything is the same yet everything has changed. BOOK TWO OF VULNERABLE SERIES S...
