The Tailor's Daughter - Tommy Shelby

9: Under a Smoky Sky

//Happy holidays from your guilty author! Fall got a little hectic for me and I had to set aside fanfiction for a bit. But I'm hoping to get back to it a bit. Hope everyone is enjoying their winter festivities :)

            Marcie was awoken by frantic knocking on the front door. Blinking blearily, she stumbled to the window and opened it. She looked down to see Polly at the door. "Ms. Gray, is something wrong?" She stifled a yawn.

"Tommy's in the hospital, he's asking for you. Get dressed and come with me."

The news was enough to wake Marcie and she quickly donned the closest dress she could grab. Her mind was racing, wondering what might've happened to Tommy. And why was he asking for her?

In her haste, Marcie left a brief note for the twins on the kitchen table before going outside to meet Polly.

It felt like a long trip to the hospital and all Marcie could do was think. Polly didn't offer up much information other than Tommy had been jumped in an alleyway in London. But Marcie was smart enough to put the pieces together. The Peaky Blinders had Italian rivals in London. Tommy requested Marcie come to the hospital. Sabini was looking for her.

~~~

When they went into the hospital wing, Polly waited by the door. "He asked to speak with you alone."

Marcie hesitated but entered the room. Tommy was alone, lying in one of the few beds in the wing. She tried to keep her breathing in check, not looking to hyperventilate in front of him. Her hands wrung around the straps of her purse as she walked closer. "Tommy?"

He looked over and she nearly gasped at the sight of him. He weakly waved a hand over. "S'alright, I'm alive."

She came to his bedside. In the morning light filtering in through the window, she could see the extent of his injuries. His right eye was completely swollen shut and he had various stitches and bruising across the rest of his face. "Are you in pain?"

"I'm managing." He let out a sigh. "I'm glad you came."

Marcie pulled up a chair to sit next to the cot. "They're looking for me, aren't they?" She whispered.

He nodded. "Your parents passed the buck," he said. "Told Sabini I kidnapped you. So, he thinks I have a debt to pay him."

Marcie squeezed her eyes shut and blindly reached for Tommy's hand.

He upturned his palm and let her fingers rest there. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He soothed in a low voice.

Again, she wanted to know why he was sticking his neck out for her. Reasonably, Tommy could've avoided getting beaten to a bloody pulp by telling Sabini where she was. But he clearly kept his mouth shut. "What do you need me to do?"

"You need to be careful." He gestured to the pack of smokes on the table next to Marcie. "Would you mind?"

She nodded wordlessly and handed him a cigarette, leaning forward to light it for him.

"Good thing I taught you to shoot." He said between a couple of draws.

Marcie clasped her hands between her knees. "When Polly told me you were in the hospital I..." She shook her head. "I regretted how our last conversation went."

"Why?"

"Well, because I guess you're not supposed to leave things unsettled with people that you're...I guess it's best to be honest with how you feel." She struggled to meet his eyes, feeling like she would cry at the sight of his injuries.