LONELY| Thomas Shelby

5.4

BETH AND TOMMY, had made it to the seaside successfully, staying in an old cottage. Beth's mind was fogged with questioned as the first day they had gotten there, Tommy insisted on going for a walk along the side and bringing his gun. "Your doing business." Beth grumbled, following behind him out into the sun. "Your not going to like it if you follow me. I'd bloody tell you if you could get involved, wouldn't I?" Tommy grunted, walking faster as Beth jogged after him. "I've got my gun, I'm not bloody scared." Beth hissed, following him down onto the sand.

Tommy stopped abruptly turning to look at his fiancé with a stern glare. "If you come, you can't get involved. No matter what. You have to let me do this Beth." Beth's eyebrows furrowed as she nodded slowly. "What is it you are doing Tommy?" She asked quietly as they walked along the sand at a much slower pace, together. "I'm going to kill Alfie Solomons." Beth glanced out at the sea, swallowing thickly she nodded. "Okay." Tommy glanced over at her cautiously, slipping his hand into her own. "You don't have to come, you can go up to the beach house." He murmured, as a blurry figure came into site.

"I want to be there. I'd like to see him one last time." Beth spoke, pausing as she glanced over at Tommy. "I won't get involved, I get it. You have a deal." Tommy nodded, feeling better about the situation as Alfie came into their line of site. "You never said she was coming Tommy." Alfie spoke up, grinning over at Beth who smiled. "I wasn't supposed too. I just wanted to see my favourite prick in all of England one last time." Beth teased, watching as Alfie chuckled and shook his head. Beth stepped back, allowing the men to talk business.

"I do hope you're gonna leave the dog out of this." Alfie spoke, still facing the sea. "You were easy to find." Tommy recalled, staring at the side of Alfie's head. "Yeah well, there's a good reason for that Tommy. Because I wanted it to be here." Beth stared out at the sea front, her mind chaotic as she stared between the two men and the sea. Although having being engaged to Alfie Solomons, he had never once mentioned the sea side as the place he wanted to die. "I once told you Alfie, that for business reasons or in bad blood, I would kill you. I have no business reasons, it seems you have retired."

"So this is all purely for bad blood is it, tommy?" Alfie asked, turning to face the Shelby. "Yeah." Tommy nodded. "Right, yeah. Told you. I wanted it to be here. You gonna look after this dog?" He asked, looking around the sea front. "No." Tommy grunted, watching as his eyes landed on the blonde who stood a distance away. "Beth will, won't she eh? His name is Cyril. He will be very upset and distressed so you'll have to give him to her. She's a heart of gold." Alfie coursed, waving slightly to Beth who waved back. "Your not armed?" Tommy asked, ignoring Alfie's commentary on his fiancé.

"No. Don't be dull." Alfie replied, just as Tommy took his gun out of his jacket. Beth stood forward, walking toward the men. "The only thing I got on me, is fucking cancer mate." Alfie spoke as Tommy pointed the gun at him. "You what?" Beth asked, her hand on her stomach. "Yeah. Riddled with it. Doctor told me I might have it up in France from the gas or something. He even showed me a photograph-." Alfie ranted, nodding to the girl. "Alfie stop talking." Tommy demanded, glancing over at Beth. "Step back Beth, don't want the baby getting a fright."

"Your pregnant?" Beth stepped back slowly as Alfie continued to ramble on, her heart in her shoes as she stared at the man she once loved in front of a gun. "Come on tommy." Alfie ranted. "Alfie, look at me." Tommy demanded. "There's an honourable reason now to pull that trigger." Alfie demanded, going back into his rant. "Alfie look at me!" Tommy yelled. "Fucking get on with it. Stop acting like a little girl." Alfie grunted. "Alfie fucking look at me." Tommy yelled, as Alfie turned around, holding the gun in his pocket up and shooting Tommy into the side.

Beth gasped as Tommy fell to the floor, fear rushing through her body and before she could think twice her gun was out of her own jacket and the trigger was being pulled and Alfie Solomons was on the sand. Tommy stood up quickly, grabbing Beth's shoulder and turning her around to face away from Alfie's body. "Are you hurt?" She asked, grasping his face in her shakey hands. "I'm sorry, I don't know- I just panicked. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Beth whispered her ears watering, watching as Tommy shook his head.

"It's okay, eh? We're okay. I'm okay. Let's go, eh?" Tommy cooed, pushing her hair back from her face. Beth nodded wiping her eyes quickly, her and Tommy walking off into the distance when she suddenly stopped. "This isn't right." She declared, glancing back. "Go get Cyril." Tommys face twisted as he shook his head. "We don't need a dog, Beth." Sighing she glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Can you just get the dog? Please? I just shot my ex, the least you can do for your pregnant fiancé is to get bloody Cyril."

Tommy huffed, storming back toward Alfie and taking Cyril's lead. "Are you bloody happy now?" He grunted, walking the dog back toward the cottage. Beth rolled her eyes, taking Tommys free hand as they walked back toward the cottage with Cyril. "I always wanted a dog." Beth murmured, petting Cyril's coat. "We're not keeping the bloody dog. Not while your pregnant." Tommy asserted, glaring down at the dog. "That's what you think. He's going to be sleeping in our bed by the time the baby arrives."

Beth of course had been correct about Cyril. That night when Beth lay down to sleep, Cyril had creeped onto the bed, and lay down by her feet. Beth couldn't help but laugh when Tommy walked out, groaning to himself as he stared at the dog. Cyril let out a whine, leaning closer into Beth who sat up to rub him. Tommy lay into the bed, folded up from the bed addition in their bed, grumbling to himself. "Cyril's getting more rubs than I am and I came on bloody holiday-." Beth couldn't help but laugh loudly as she pushed Tommys shoulder softly.

"That's because Cyril's a good boy, right Cyril?"