LONELY| Thomas Shelby

0.6

STICKING TO HER promise, Beth stayed in Small Heath for the next two weeks before she finally said her goodbyes and bid back to Alfie. Originally Alfie had decided to pick her up but Beth declined her offer and instead found herself in a black Mercedes, in silence. Thomas Shelby gripped the wheel tightly, his knuckles turning a slow and painful white adjourning the poppy bruises and cuts that scattered amongest them.

"Your sure you want to go back to Alfie?" Tommy asked for probably what had been the millionth time. Huffing out a breath of air, Beth ignored his question, yet again. John had been supposed to drive her up but he and Arthur had gotten too drunk the night before and both lay passed out on the Garrison floor, where Beth had found them that morning. She insisted to get a train or even a boat, but Tommy refused insisting instead that he'd drive her half way at least.

"If you don't answer the bloody fucking question Beth, i'll turn this car back to Small Heath and lock you in my fucking bedroom!" Tommy exclaimed, his voice low but eyes dark, a side of Tommy Beth knew not to mess with. "I'm going to London for a few night, then i'm coming back to Small Heath. In which I will stay with Polly and Michael liked she agreed to." Pausing Beth glared darkly over at Tommy. "No where near the bedroom you share with your wife."

Letting out a sarcastic laugh Tommy pressed down harshly on the breaks, the car jumping to a stop. "What the fuck Tommy!" Beth screeched, leaning over to shove him harshly. "I don't think you should go bloody back to Solomon's. Your happy Beth, you've got Finn and John and Arthur and Esme and Polly and me and everyone back. Look at you your bloody happy. That man has done nothing but change you, you don't even look the fucking same as the girl i fell in love with-."

Letting out an angry scream of frustration, Beth glared over at Tommy repeatedly banging her hand into his arm. "You piece of fucking shit! You did nothing but walk all over me and now you want me to back? To stay with you? Or to stay with your wife and children? I'm happy am I Tommy? Am i happy ? Am i fucking happy?" Beth roared.

"You have done nothing but hurt me, ever! You left me for war and came back when my brother was announced dead and I was so preoccupied with his death and my mothers and fathers that I didn't realise what a piece of fucking shit you are. Now you will drive me to Alfie Solomons house and I WILL go and live with Polly when i decided to return. I am not a child Tommy, let's make that very clear. And I T no swear to god if i want to change how i bloody look it doesn't have to involve a man. And that girl that you fell in love with, you haven't even apologised to."

Panting slightly, Beth reached up to fix her hair her eyes wondering over to Tommy to see his reaction. Tommy's hand pulled at his face and he turned to Beth, his eyes now welling with tears for the first time in god knows how long. "I am so sorry. I'm so bloody sorry. I could say i'm fucking sorry a million times and it wouldn't make you hate me any less. I am sorry for marrying Grace, I am sorry for her having that child, I am bloody fucking sorry for getting her pregnant, and I am sorry for you leaving when I needed you and John needed you and the whole fucking Shelby family needed you."

Tommy swallowed thickly his voice raw from shouting. Allowing the tears to roll down her face, Beth tugged at her skin. "I just want to be civil, for John's sake and Finns sake and arthur's and polly's and ada's because they bloody need you just as much as i do. I understand you hate me but please don't fucking leave me again for Alfie Solomons." Reaching her hand over, Beth's hand shakily grabbed Tommy's hand in hers bringing it up to her chest. His eyebrows furrowed as he felt her pounding heart under her chest and he opened his mouth to talk but Beth cut him off.

"I will hate you till my heart stops fucking beating, Thomas Michael Shelby but let me mistake you not I'm not running from your or that wife of yours ever again, instead i'll watch you beg and cry at my feet until you run away. Like the coward you are. I am not staying for you, I am staying for your family but I am not putting up with this fucking bullshit of you crying at my feet everytime i go to leave somewhere. Man fucking up Tommy or else you'll be left with no one all over again."

Watching as his eyes darkened, Beth pushed his hand roughly away from her chest and turned to the face the other side of the car as she silently cried. Tommy sat in silence for a moment, before he turned the car on and continued their drive, Beth falling asleep to the endless fields of green.

•

Waking up with a gasp, Beth's eyes shot open and she began to curl into a ball. A small whimper escaped her mouth as she gasped for air. A hand reached towards her and Beth realised she was still in a car, when she blinked back through the dark to feel a hand combing through her hair. "Tommy?" Beth mumbled. Humming slightly he grinned, his eyes on the road. "Sorry, it was just a nightmare." Beth whispered tiredly. "You were calling my name in your sleep, am i really that scary? Or was it a sex dream?"

Laughing tiredly, Beth shrugged. "Sometimes you can be that scary." Moving his hand to rub it over her back, in comforting circles a thing Tommy had done thousand is times through out his life. "Where are we?" Beth grumbled, slowly leaning out of his grasp. Coughing under his breath, Tommy moved his hand and shrugged looking into the night. "I must have taken the wrong turn." Grinning, Beth rolled her eyes turning to face him. "Is this what all we're ever going to do Tom? Fight then pretend everything's okay?"

Allowing a small chuckle to break through his teeth, Tommy huffed. "Just for an hour at least love, let's just pretend everything is okay and we're Beth and Tommy before war." Sniffling slightly, Beth smiled. "Only for an hour."