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Arthur hadn't been able to let go of the sight he'd seen of Nancy with another man. Although he had no right to be angry after what he'd done, it didn't stop him from laying awake at night, staring up at the ceiling wondering what things would be like if they'd happened differently.

He'd done this to himself. It wasn't Nancy's fault. No, this was all on Arthur. His selfish actions and reckless decisions along with his inability to think straight for more than five minutes had pushed him down this path, and now it felt like a dead end.

Linda was there some days and not others. It wasn't a relationship, she was living with the man she'd gone with behind Arthur's back, but it seemed like the Peaky Blinder had somewhat of a hold over Linda, making her return every now and again for a night.

Arthur kept the picture Vincent had drawn inside his suit pocket at all times. It was painful, but a constant reminder that even though sometimes it didn't feel like it, he did have a heart. That drawing was there to keep Arthur steady, telling him that he was human and he did have feelings.

It was around a month after Arthur had seen Nancy that evening that Arthur was walking through Small Heath in the middle of the afternoon. The schools had just finished for the day and the streets were littered with children running home.

Arthur strolled with his hands in his pockets and his head down, occasionally kicking a football back to some boys who'd passed it to him.

"Mr Shelby!"

His head snapped up when he heard his name being called. He looked all around, not knowing where the voice had come from in the sea of children.

"Mr Shelby!"

His name was called again but this time it sounded closer. The next thing he knew, his trousers were being tugged on.

"Did I scare you, Mr Shelby?"

Arthur looked down and saw Vincent beaming up at him with the same twinkle in his eyes just like his mother and hair that looked white as snow in the sun.

"No son," Arthur laughed and ruffled his hair, "You just made me jump, came out of nowhere didn't 'ya."

Vincent giggled, closing his eyes as he laughed and throwing his head back. His energy radiated onto Arthur, pulling on his heart strings and making him feel a positive emotion for the first time in a long while.

"We played football at school today, you should've seen me. I'll be playing for Birmingham one day, just you wait."

Arthur grinned at the boy, "I'm sure you will. Where's your mother, Vincent?"

He looked around, trying to spot Nancy through the rafts of people that were still walking through the school gates, though he didn't see her.

"She's with my Dad. They were talking about something but I got bored so I walked off, then I saw you and-"

"Your dad?" Arthur interrupted, "Where are they, Vin?"

"I'll show you, come on."

Panic immediately set in for Arthur. He felt his chest tighten and his stomach turn as Vincent pulled him through everyone around a street corner.

Sure enough, Nancy was stood with Henry. Arthur had imagined another horrendous scene, crying and tears, bruises and cuts. Though that time, there was nothing.

Nancy was laughing, a small laugh, but still a laugh. She was looking up at Henry with her big brown eyes and cherry red cheeks. Her hair was pulled into a pony tail down her back and she wore a simple white slip dress with a black fur shawl over her shoulders and matching black heels. She looked like a movie star.

He froze when she finally turned her head and saw him stood holding her son's hand. Arthur let go of the boy instantly, watching him run down the street towards his parents.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?"

Henry noticed Nancy staring and followed her gaze, unhappy at what he saw. He began walking towards Arthur who just let out a heavy sigh.

"He was on his own, I was bringing him back to you safe, that's all."

Henry chuckled and shook his head, his arms folded at his chest, "We don't need you to look after our son."

"Arthur," Nancy appeared from behind Henry, a small, timid smile on her face as she greeted him, "Thank you for bringing him back, he's always running off."

Arthur just nodded, feeling like he couldn't tear his eyes away from her as she looked at him with no anger and no bitterness, not like he had expected.

He could feel Henry's eyes cutting into him like knives as he stood opposite them. Arthur was intimidated, though he would never have admitted it.

"I haven't seen Linda in a while, she's not been at work all week. How is she?"

Arthur was taken aback by Nancy's question, stuttering before he answered.

"Oh, I, I wouldn't know," he said with a sheepish laugh, "I don't see her, at all really."

"Oh." Was all Nancy said.

Silence lingered among them for a few awkward moments until Henry announced he had to go to meet his friends at the pub. It seemed like nothing had changed there. He kissed his son and whispered something to Nancy before walking away, not before barging Arthur's shoulder as he walked by.

Nancy chewed on her lip, both her hands clasped around the handle of her bag. Vincent was kicking stones against the wall of a house next to them, not seeming phased about his father disappearing.

"So, er, you and Hen-"

"No," Nancy cut him off quickly, shaking her head, "No, we're not together."

Arthur swallowed as he stared at her. She seemed on edge, as if there was something she desperately wanted to get off her chest but couldn't decide whether she should or not.

"It's not like that, I'm trying to let him see Vincent now and again. Even if it's only for half an hour after school. I wouldn't want you to think-"

"Why do you care what I think?"

Nancy paused, her lips parted as she looked at Arthur. She hadn't seen him in over a month and she'd forgotten how much the way he looked at her made her feel like home. She'd forgotten the scars on his knuckles and the ring on his finger that she never saw him without. She'd forgotten the way his lips would curve ever so slightly when he smirked and the way his hair fell against his forehead whenever he took his cap off.

"I, I don't know. I guess after everything you've done for us, I..."

"Nancy, you don't owe me anything. I'm the one that screwed up, alright? I want you and your boy to be safe and happy, you don't need to think about me or my feelings, it won't help."

Nancy sighed and looked down at her feet. Her heart felt heavy. She had missed Arthur deeply but hadn't realised it until now. His company was unlike anybody else's, he made her laugh and smile, and he made Vincent laugh and smile. He cared more than anybody else and that's why it had hurt Nancy so much to cut him out of her life.

Though she hadn't expected to feel the way she did when she saw him again. Nancy had told herself that the ship had sailed. She'd spent days convincing herself that her situation with Arthur Shelby was never enough to shed a tear over, but seeing him again brought feelings back that she thought she'd suppressed forever. Only this time, they were a million times stronger.

"But what if you hadn't screwed up? Where would we be now?"

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