𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

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TOMMY SHELBY DIDN'T scare easy. The man had been dragged through hell and back a thousand times – toughening him to extremes that he didn't even understand. Tommy Shelby had looked death in the eyes and told him to fuck off each and every time, but seeing his sister sitting in a pile of her own blood nearly sent him to an early grave.

Evelyn was barely conscious when Tommy pulled her slumped body to his chest, her bloody, weak hand gripping her brothers white sleeve. She could still feel a dull pain in her thigh, meaning that William hadn't done any proper damage to her leg and that she would eventually heal. But she had lost a lot of blood, even though she had torn her shirt to shreds in order to tie it around her wound.

"Eve," Tommy whispered, his hand pulling back the blood soaked fabric tie on her thigh to see her wound. She had stopped the bleeding for now, and Tommy let out a sigh in relief that his little sister was going to be okay. "C'mon, we've got to get you help."

Lifting his sister under her arms, Tommy dragged her into the living room and placed her into the nearest seat that just so happened to be Alfie's favourite arm chair – causing Evelyn to feebly protest.

"I'm gonna get blood on Alfs seat," she slurred, her head slumping against her brothers chest as her eyes shut. 

"Shit," Tommy cursed, pulling her away to try to shake her awake – the sounds of sirens echoing in the distance. Tommy had been prepared after he had received Evelyn's call, scared that he was going find her dead, calling an ambulance as soon as he arrived in London. "Eve c'mon, wake up or Alfie's going to blame me for the blood on his cream cushion." His joke falling upon deaf ears.

The sounds of footsteps entering the room caused Tommy to look around, sighing when he saw the doctors. His voice heavy and desperate.

"Help her. Please."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Evelyn awoke with a loud groan, her body protesting against her movements. The smell of cigarette smoke filtered through her nostrils, as she blinked rapidly to clear her vision. Her eyes searched around the room in confusion as to where she was, until they landed upon a familiar figure. 

Tommy.

Noticing his sisters alertness, Tommy tossed his cigarette to the ground and stubbed it out with his shoe. As he made his way from the door to her bed - recognition of a hospital room settled through Evelyn's mind as she remembered the events that led up to the current moment – causing her to shake her head.

"You shouldn't smoke in a hospital," Evelyn croaked out, her throat dry and voice hoarse. Tommy grabbed the glass of water on the bedside table, helping his sister sit up and drink. With an amused smile, Tommy shook his head at the fact that Evelyn could still joke after everything she had been through in the last few hours. 

"Wouldn't be smoking in a hospital if my sister didn't get herself stabbed, would I?" He sassed back, taking a seat in the chair beside the bed, before his expression became serious again. "Speaking of, you want to tell me who fuckin' stabbed you?"

"The names are William and James Frank," Evelyn groaned, turning to look towards her brother. "I killed their father and now they're working with the Wop's – except they only want revenge on me. They're not going to stop coming after me until I'm dead."

The Shelby siblings sat in silence, Tommy taking in his sisters words as he ran his thumb over his bottom lip. Evelyn waited for Tommy to speak up, not too sure where his mind was currently at. 

"Nobody knows you're in the hospital," Tommy muttered, Evelyn's ears perking up as she tilted her head in confusion – waiting for her brother to continue. "These men, you're certain they're not going to stop until you're dead?"

Evelyn nodded. "Certain. Said so themselves."

"Then you're dead," Tommy stated nonchalantly, causing Evelyn to choke on air. 

"What are you thinking, Tommy?"

"They're not going to stop until you're dead, they left you to bleed out thinking that nobody would reach you in time," Tommy began, tapping his fingers on the armrest of the chair. "So, we make them think that you died today – that you bled out right there in the kitchen from being stabbed."

"Are you fucking insane?" Evelyn snorted, running her hand down her face. "I can't make everyone think that I'm dead."

"And I can't have them attempt to kill you again and again until they succeed and you finally are!" Tommy exclaimed, running his hand through his hair. It was then that Evelyn had noticed that Tommy hadn't changed out of the clothes he must've found her in – her blood having stained his shirt and skin; and she tensed at the sight. 

"Tom-"

"Fake dead is better than real dead, Eve," Tommy raised his voice slightly, leaving no room for protest as he pointed towards her. "I'm not saying goodbye to another family member – especially not you. Not my baby sister."

"How would we even pull that off, Tommy? Alfie isn't going to stop seeing me because I have to hide in the shadows and pretend to be dead."

"Then we don't let him, or anyone else know that it's pretend," Tommy shrugged, causing Evelyn's stomach to drop.

"Tom, I can't do that to Alf. It would destroy him."

Tommy only rose to his feet, walking over to the phone beside the hospital door. "You don't have a choice, Evelyn. Where is he?"

With tears beginning to spill over her cheeks – Evelyn understood why Tommy was handing her the suggestion. The Frank's weren't going to stop coming after her until they were certain that she was six-feet underground; they wouldn't be able to pull this off without a genuine reaction from the Jewish gangster and her family.

Speaking through through small sobs, Evelyn couldn't even look at her brother who stood at  the phone. "Leeds. H-he's doing business in Leeds."

Evelyn could only watch as her brother dialled and finally reached Alfie, hearing him tell her fiancé that he needed to get back to London and meet him at the hospital – her hand covering her mouth to stop her heartbroken cries from reaching the receiver. After hanging up on Alfie, Evelyn watched as Tommy called her aunt Polly, telling her the same news.

Placing the phone back onto the wall, Tommy walked over to his sister – taking her shaking hand in his before tugging her gently to his chest.

"I've got to keep you safe," Tommy whispered, wiping Evelyn's tears as they continued to flow. "They will understand, Eve. I've got to keep you safe."

Evelyn wasn't sure if Tommy was trying to convince her or himself that he was doing this to keep her safe – only one thought swimming around in her mind.

'Alfie's never going to forgive me.'

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