VICES AND VIRTUES | Thomas Shelby

TWENTY FIVE

make sure to read 24 first!

"Mummy! Mummy! It's Christmas Eve!" Daisy exclaimed as she bounced up and down on Elijah's side of the bed, waking Florence from her sleep.

"Morning, sweet girl," Florence smiled as she rolled over in bed, looking up at Daisy's happy face, "What time is it, lovely?"

"Ten!" Daisy told her as she sat beside her on the bed, "We've been playing downstairs with Emma."

"That sounds lovely," Florence smiled, happy that her daughter finally seemed content with one of the nannies that Margaret had picked out for them, "Where's your brother?"

"He's downstairs with Uncle Vinnie," Daisy explained, "Vinnie said I should come and get you."

"Of course he did," Florence muttered, "Why don't you go and show him where we'll be putting Father Christmas' whiskey and mince pie tonight while I get myself ready?"

"Okay!" Daisy exclaimed as she scrambled off of the bed, rushing out of the bedroom, letting the door slam behind her.

Florence slowly climbed out of the bed, making her way over to her wardrobe where she had picked out her clothes the night before. A dark red blouse with a tweed jacket and wide legged trousers. Her wardrobe had changed considerably since she had left Small Heath. She concluded that to do well in London society she at least needed to look the part.

Once she had got herself dressed and applied her signature dark makeup she slipped combed through her hair, taming any loose strands. Content with her appearance she made her way downstairs, welcomed by the sound of high pitched squeals.

"I'm gonna get you!" Vinnie's playful voice rang through the house as Daisy and her brother squealed playfully.

Florence entered the living room to see Vinnie chasing her two children around in circles. Daisy, now six years old, was dressed in a dark red dress similar to the shade of Florence's shirt. Florence's youngest child, Oliver, was dressed in a white shirt and deep red shorts.

Oliver was three years old and conceived on Florence and Elijah's anniversary trip to Paris, which was to make up for their lack of honeymoon. Despite Florence's concerns about whether the siblings would look much alike, they did share similarities, proving that the Dawson genes remained strong.

"Come here, you cheeky rascal," Florence crouched down, scooping up her son, "What have you been up to?"

"Chasing Uncle Vin Vin!" Oliver replied with an excited grin.

"Good boy!" Florence grinned, bouncing the boy on her hip as she watched Daisy drag Vinnie over to her dollhouse.

Florence knew that it wasn't the sort of life that an average twenty six year old man would be particularly interested in involving himself in. But that didn't matter, because all that mattered to Vinnie is that he was finally experiencing what it meant to be part of a loving family. He also adored his niece and nephew so that helped considerably.

"Mummy, when will Dad be home?" Daisy asked as she approached her mother.

"Tonight, petal," Florence assured her, "His ship docks in Southampton, one of the drivers will be there to pick him up, but he'll be back late tonight so you'll see him in the morning."

Florence realised in the first few months that she'd been living in London that it was best for her sanity to try and forget Tommy Shelby. But she knew that was easier said than done, because even though it wasn't necessarily blindingly obvious that Daisy wasn't Elijah's biological child, Florence could see Tommy everytime she looked at her. The way she smiled, the way she frowned when didn't get her own way, she had all the mannerisms of Tommy Shelby.