Nicotine // [michael gray / peaky blinders]

Twenty-Four

"Florence, come here." Polly says, and I put a hand up, taking my last bet before standing and walking to Polly's desk. It's a race day.

"What?" I ask and she grabs my boob. "This again?"

"You're pregnant this time." She says and my eyebrows furrow.

"Three days ago I wasn't, and you said you were never wrong."

"Well, three days is a lot for a babe." She says. "You'll do leaves later." She says and starts to count out notes, and I turn, going back to my table, trying to not jump for joy because of the news I just received.

-

"Polly thinks I might really be pregnant now." I say, closing the door to Michael's office and his head shoots up.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah." I nod. "I'll be doing leaves once she's done counting." I say and he takes my face in his hands.

"We're going to be fucking parents." He says and kisses me.

"We're going to be fucking parents." I nod and kiss him.

"It'll mean we have to get married sooner. Mum will insist."

"So we'll get married sooner." I shrug.

"Or maybe we'll pull a Tommy."

"We could." I nod. "We have to get a choir better than the one at Tommy's wedding, though." I say and he nods.

"God, remember them?"

"It was a brutal thirty seconds." I nod.

"Oh, we've got that charity thing for Grace and Tom at the end of the week."

"Right." I nod. "I've got to pick up my dress. Did you get a suit made?"

"No, I can go in and do it tomorrow. Have them rush it." He says and I nod.

"We're going to be parents." I say, looking at him and he nods.

"The best parents." He nods.

-

"So?" I ask Polly as she looks into the cup of leaves.

"I can't read it." She shakes her head. "I think you need to go to the doctors. See what they think."

"I'll call Ruth." I nod. "Weird that you can't tell."

"Maybe your gypsy powers are blocking mine."

"You really think mine are that strong?"

"Thomas trusts your instincts on people with everything in him. You're his right hand for a reason, Florence. You've got a knack for knowing people's intentions."

-

"So?" I ask Ruby after I've got my dress back on.

"You're pregnant, Florence." She says with a smile and my hands cover my mouth. "Congratulations!" She squeals, hugging me.

"Oh my God." I say, hugging her back. "Who the fuck thought I'd be pregnant first out of our mates?"

"No offense, but I didn't think you'd have a kid."

"I love kids, you know that, but if I was getting forced into a marriage with Finn, it would be a different circumstance."

"That's true." She nods. "But I know you love all the Shelby's a lot, so even if you weren't with Michael, who I'm still yet to fucking meet, by the way," She starts to pack her things up. "You'd fall in love with Finn. Thomas would put a Gypsy spell on ya." She winks and gives me a hug. "I'll see ya soon, yeah? Every three weeks, we need to see each other so I can make sure you're okay." She points to my stomach and I nod.

"Got it. I'll make sure Michael is here one day so that you two can meet."

"Lovely. Also, fantastic place, you've got here. You're fucking loaded now. I'll see you later, I'm officially running late." She says and heaves her bag up before leaving my home.

"I'm going to have a fucking kid."

-

"So?" Michael asks, walking into the house, a hopeful look in his eye.

"We're having a fucking kid, Michael." I say and he rushes to me picking me up and spinning me around in a hug before connecting our lips.

"Fucking parents." He says against my lips and I kiss him again. "Well, this calls for celebration!" He says and tosses me over his shoulder, running up the stairs to our bedroom.

-

A few days later, we're on the way to the charity dinner that Grace and Thomas are holding, I'm quite excited for it, honestly, I hope that Thomas keeps his promise and finds some guys for me to play cards with, because I haven't played in quite some time.

"Oh my fucking God." I say as we walk in.

"What?" Michael ask and I nod towards his mother.

"Look at your mum." I say, a smile playing on my lips. "She looks amazing."

"She does look good." He nods. "We should tell her." He says and we walk over to her.

"Hello children." She says, a playful smirk on her lips as she turns from the mirror he was looking in.

"Hi, mum. You look amazing." Michael kisses her cheek.

"You look great, Pol." I hug her.

"Thank you dears." She pats each of our cheeks and John swings his arm over my shoulder.

"Let's get some drinks, eh?"

"None for me. I've got to get us home." I hold my hands up. "Figured I'd be the responsible one for once" I say when John turns to look at me like I've got ten heads.

"I'll be watching you tonight, missy." He narrows his eyes at me.

-

The night flies by in a blur and I find myself sober, and playing cards with drunk men, stealing away lots of their money, but doing it with a big smile on my face as I drank tonic water, pretending there was gin in it as well.

There was a songlike bell and then a man started to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen. The loyalty toast, to His Majesty the King."

"To the King." Everybody raised their glasses.

"Dinner is served." He says and Michael takes my hand, leading me towards his cousins—our family, and we follow Finn as we walk towards the dining room.

And then I heard it. I fucking saw it.

The shot that killed Thomas Shelby's wife.

The shot that killed Grace.

The punches and kicks that Finn, John and Arthur threw, all landing on the assailant as Thomas screamed for an ambulance and I stumbled back, pulling Michael with me as my eyes filled with tears.

"What the fuck." I sob as he gets us into our car, but not starting it. We need to stay.

"Hi, Pol." I say, my face puffy from crying and Michael's jacket drowning me as I sit next to her on the steps.

"Hi my sweet girl." She syas, pulling me into her side. "It's' a tragedy." She says and I nod.

"I have no idea what Thomas is going to be like without Grace around." I say and she nods.

"We're going to have old Thomas back. The Thomas we knew before he knew Grace."

"Cold Thomas." I say and she nods.

"Cold Thomas." 

/

IT TOOK A MONTH BUT HELLO

FLORENCE IS PREGNANT

DO WE THINK SHES HAVING A BOY? A GIRL?

NAME SUGGESTIONS FOR BOTH, PLEASE?