Gold Rush ✸ Peaky Blinders

OO2'

OO2'

"You sure you can carry all of these?" Tommy asked Cersei as she grabbed five books off the counter. Cersei nodded looking up at her father with a smile. "Thank you, for getting them for me." She said gratefully "You're welcome." Tommy smiled down at her.

"Right, it's getting late we're best to be getting on." Tommy said Cersei nodded and rushed out of the shop. As they walked Cersei did not notice several people gawking at Thomas Shelby walking with a young girl who's arms were full of books.

"Do you have any other family?" Cersei asked Tommy, having Only met Polly, Ada, Charlie and John she was curious. "Uhm, there's Arthur he's the oldest brother, Then it's me, John is next, he has a few little ones, Katie's about eight. You've met Ada she's my sister and then there's Finn. He's a little bit younger than you are." Tommy replied

Cersei gave him a small smile. "Did you fight in the war? Hattie from my school's dad did." Cersei asked curiously, unaware that it was a sensitive subject for him. "Yes, Me, John and Arthur." Tommy nodded, clearly not wanting to touch on the topic.

"Are you hungry?" Tommy asked as they entered the back garden that lead into the house. Cersei nodded and followed Tommy into the house where Finn was sat against the coffee table playing with a lighter. "Finn put it down." Tommy said grabbing the lighter from him.

"Who's she?" Finn asked Tommy after letting out a small sigh. "Finn this is Cersei,  Cersei this is Finn your uncle." Tommy said introducing the two. "You have a kid?" Finn scoffed "No, Finn she's my fish." Tommy replied sarcastically which caused Finn to laugh a bit. "Hi." Cersei smiled at the younger boy. "Hello." Finn replied, he could tell Cersei was older which made him being her uncle confuse him.

Cersei was sat next to Tommy reading Little Women, a book she had picked out herself when Arthur and John entered.

"What's for dinner Pol?" Arthur asked as he entered. "Never you mind." Polly retorted frustrated with the two of them.

"Hi." Cersei smiled up at them. "Hello.." John greeted recalling the girl. "I'm Cersei." Cersei replied offering out a hand. "Nice to meet you." Arthur said taking the girls hand and shaking it.

"Are you my uncles?" Cersei asked "Tom?" John questioned "Cersei this' John and Arthur.  This is Cersei. My.." Tommy introduced the three but he had begun waffling at the end of his sentence. "Daughter." Cersei finished the sentence for her father. Arthur just smiled and John looked even more confused

"Dinner." Polly yelled.

After a silent dinner the family parted ways, the men went to the garrison, Ada  and Finn went to bed and Polly and Cersei sorted out her bed for the night.

Seven or so hours afterwards Cersei awoke crying and panting. "It's alright." Ada said calmly, smoothing the girls hair. "Did you have a nightmare?" Ada asked, Cersei nodded sitting up from the bed made on the sofa and wrapping her arms around Ada, desperate for the comfort her mother would give her when she was still alive.

"You're alright." Ada assured her. Cersei nodded.  Dreams about her mother had come and gone though none had been as horrifying as the one she had just had. "Why don't we get you some breakfast?" Ada offered pulling away from Cersei's grasp. Cersei nodded in agreement.

Polly rushed down the stairs, confused about the screaming. "What's the matter? Who's hurt?" Polly asked automatically assuming someone had gotten hurt due to the nature of her nephews and occasionally Ada.

"Cersei had a bad dream but, she'll be okay." Ada told her aunt, as her hand held Cersei's arm gently "Are you?" Polly began. "I'm alright." Cersei nodded.

Polly assumed that Rhea had always been quite welcoming of whatever emotions her daughter would have, Rhea's parents were quite restrictive of everything and even as a child Rhea hated it, Polly knew that well.

"I'll get started on breakfast, you rest love." Polly told the girl sweetly. Cersei dragged her fingertips over her clothed knees.

Arthur Shelby quickly rushed down the stairs. He pays no mind to the girl in the sofa, his aunt or his sister and went out the back door.

"Where's he?" Cersei began, Polly had only just noticed how different her accent was from her mother's. Rhea's voice was a sweet almost posh voice. Cersei's was very obviously an EastEnd one, though it was somewhat sweet it was sharper than her mothers.

"Pay no mind love. Arthur's got some business." Ada muttered. Cersei who was raised in East London and knew all too well exactly what 'business' meant. Funnily enough, the fact that her newfound family were possibly gangsters didn't shock her in the slightest.

Hattie's own father was one, part of a family of them, he was the fourth son so wasn't as high up as the others but he was still quite involved.

For a moment Cersei wondered if her life was fated to be chaos, if she had done something so bad that whatever god there was would punish her for all her days. She was unaware that she had barley scratched the surface of her life of torment.

She let out a small sigh as she stared at the door, the quiet hums of the kettle pounding in her ears so much so that she felt like something was inside her ears, trying to force its way out, hitting at the walls it was trapped within.

She wondered wether or not she was going mad, as she had often done since the death of her mother. In her moments of any emotion but blinding rage or overwhelming sadness a thought of 'something bad will happen soon, i know it' would linger in her mind, carefully biding it's time, waiting to screech its 'i-told- you-so's'.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Polly placing some toast and tea infront of her. She thanked Polly before picking the toast up and bringing it to her mouth, parting her lips to let her teeth knaw at the bread.

Within a minute both pieces of toast, that were coated in butter are gone. The tea needs to cool down, she's burnt her mouth one too many times to immediately try to gulp it down.

Tommy walked down the stairs as John entered, within a few seconds John had left and Tommy had sat himself next to his daughter.

"Cersei." Tommy began. She turned to face him "I thought we could go and see some horses today." Tommy continued once he knew he had her attention. "That'll be good." Cersei nodded sweetly.

"Yeah, you can get to know each other better." Polly nodded. Cersei copied the woman's nodding.

Cersei changed into a new outfit within a matter of a few minutes, her hair was still somewhat neat so she didn't bother to fuss it.

Cersei was stood behind her father, cautiously watching as he placed an apple in his hand, waiting for the horse to take it. "I don't like it." Cersei shook her head. "It won't bite you. Just pet it like you would a dog, on the head." Tommy told Cersei who sighed before doing it, the horse reacted well to Cersei's smoothing and Cersei smiled. "I like it." Cersei told Tommy who nodded contently, his thoughts about fatherhood had been so conflicting but seeing her so happy over something so small made him feel warm, that was something he'd not felt in a long time.

EM TALKS
i love her so much-