A/N: Chapter 5!

Lyla was enjoying her walk with Alex, it'd been years since she'd seen him. He'd been her only true friend while she'd been living with her mother in the camp. Alex was one of the only one's who didn't judge her for being a bit more Gorger than Romney at times. Also he'd been one of the few boys around her age that didn't try to grab her and kiss her, although them hanging around each other was frowned upon, they were to close to marrying age for it to be appropriate to be running around together. Once she did hit 15 her grandfather had sat her down and told her that she'd be getting married soon and needed to behave as talk had been spreading through the families that she was impure. That was when the problems really started for her and her mother.

"Alright, I have to be honest with you." Alex stopped their walking.

"Let me guess the minute you told your parents you were coming to Small Heath thy wanted you to look me up and try courting me?" She raised an eyebrow, had he forgotten she clever one?

"Yes...they even talked to your grandfather, then he sat me down and reluctantly gave me permission..." He trailed off looking at anywhere but her.

"Alex Strutter do you want to court me?" She tugged on her arm and forced him to look at her.

"Maybe? I'm not really sure...I mean we were good friends and yeah I had a little crush on you back in the day but what do you want?" He asked her looking very unsure of himself and rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"What I want?" She looked off to the side, Tommy, I want Tommy, but I can't have him. "Well I haven't seen you in a long time so I think we should continue walking and talking and if when we part you'd like to walk together again I- I wouldn't say no."

"That sounds like a good plan." He let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Of course it is, now come on I've got a few more stops to make." She pulled him forward and gave him an easy smile hiding her wounded heart at the thought of never being with Tommy.

It was nice talking with Alex, catching up and hearing about how everyone was at the camp before he left. She wasn't surprised in the least that he was rebelling against his gypsy heritage and not following his fathers footsteps in the family business. Alex had told her many times when she was staying in the camp that he wanted to live in one place, he didn't like the traveling like the rest of his family. In all honesty Lyla hadn't enjoyed the traveling much either, she found it a drag to go from place to place and maybe that was because she hadn't been born traveling, although she did like being surrounded by family and close friends. Her grandfather might not understand it but she could have both the permanent home and being surrounded by family and friends in Small Heath. As the pair walked toward Lyla's home they changed the conversation to Alex's plans now that he was in Small Heath and had work. So far he was renting a room at an inn near the factory but planned on saving up his money to buy a real home. He'd also heard about a pub that he planned on stopping by that evening, The Garrison. Lyla then had the pleasure of explaining it was a good pub but if he went to stay out of trouble because that was were the Blinders all went and she didn't want to hear about her brother beating him up.

"I promise," He laid a hand over his heart, "I'll not get in any trouble. Though I would like to see your brother again, and your mother of course."

"I'm sure you'll run into Louis at the Pub but Mum never goes there, not unless there's an occasion, but she works at the bakery on Watery Lane 3 and I'm sure she'd liked to see you again. You were one of the few kids around my age that she liked at the camp." She told him as she walked up the steps to her front door, turning around she started fidgeting with the basket in the hands.

"I'll make sure to stop by and if you do want to go on another walk, say next Sunday..." He looked nervous again, "Do you want me to ask your mother from permission? I mean I feel like I should, it'd be the proper gypsy-thing to do but... if you don't want me too, I mean I know you don't follow a lot of the customs... " He eyed her cautiously despite their earlier conversation.

"Next Sunday sounds nice, and as for asking permission my mother and brother will be pissed if you don't but I'm a grown woman who doesn't need their permission let alone anyone else's to go out with a man. Really I think the whole idea is barbaric, I'm not property. So no you don't have to ask and if they, or anyone else for that matter, give you any grief point them in my direction." She'd puffed up at the idea that anyone would have to ask permission to see her out, ridiculous! She was her own person and she decided who she did or did not see and if anyone- her Mum, her brother, or even Thomas-freaking-Shelby- thought they were going to tell her what to do they had another thing coming!

"Alright! I won't ask then," He laughed at how riled up she seemed to be getting, he remembered her giving similar speeches back in Ireland when he Grandad wanted to marry her off which is why asked her in the first place.

"Good. Then I'll see you next Sunday Mr. Strutter, bright and early." She gave him a winning smile.

"I'll be here bright and early Miss Flanagan." He gave a slight bow making her laugh before giving her a smile and walking off.

Lyla stood on the steps, her hand on the front door as watched him walking away with his hands in his pockets and cheerful countenance. She bit her lip wondering if there could ever been something between then other then friendship and mutual respect. She had to admit it was nice to be asked what she wanted, she liked that he asked if she wanted him to get permission, and she liked that he respected her decision. Alex would never try to push her into anything she didn't want, hell he was more nervous about all this then she was! Besides going walking with a man didn't mean she was going to marry him, it was just walkin' and talkin' nothing inappropriate or indecent, they'd be in the light of day, in public. Shaking her head she walked into the house and headed toward the kitchen in the back. Humming a tune to herself she damn near jumped out of her own skin when she saw someone sitting at the table, the newspaper they held up was blocking her from seeing their face.

"Who was that Lyla?" Tommy's voice drawled out from behind it.

"Jesus, Tommy! Are you tryin' to kill me? What are doing here?" She ignored his question as she let out a huff and stopped her shaking before walking to the counter to put the basket down.

"Lyla," There was an obvious warning in his tone, like she and Ada took money from him that one time to get make up.

Slamming down items on the counter she refused to be intimated or answer him. "I asked what you're doing here Thomas." She asked again, this time in her own warning tone. She started putting cans in the cub board loudly when he didn't immediately answer and thus missed the sound of him folding the paper and getting up from his seat, she wouldn't have heard him walking toward her even if she'd been listen because that damn man made hardly any noise when he moved. Like a wolf stalking its prey.

"Lyla, love, Who. Was. That?" He asked again, making her jump when his voice came from right behind her. Gripping a can of condensed milk to her chest she found herself irritated by his silent stalking and the way his voice caused a shiver to run down her spine when he was so close to her. Her damn knees felt weak when she saw his hands falling onto the counter on either side of her, trapping her between him and the counter. In an attempt to quash her feelings and show a bit of defiance she turned around and, swallowing hard, glared up at him.

"None of your business." She was surprised her voice wasn't shaky or breathless like the rest of her felt.

"I'd say it is my business who my girl walks around with." He replied evenly lowering his head, getting closer to her own.

"You- wait...your girl?" She looked at him utterly confused now.

"Yes, my girl." He raised an eyebrow as if daring her to say otherwise.

"But I thought-" She stared at him a little dumbfounded, had she been so wrong last night and this morning? Did he really have feelings for her that went deeper then just sex? "I didn't- Are you saying you want to date me, Tommy?"

"Yes and tomorrow night I'm going to take you out on a date." He responded simply, wrapping one of his arms around the curves of her waist and closing the small distance between them, he brought it other hand put her cheek and laid claim to her lips with his own. Simply touching her, holding her close, made the noise stop.

Lyla melted into his embrace, there was no better place for her then in his arms. This was only their second kiss in as many days and it was just as wonderful perhaps better than the first. Was that possible? How could his lips be so soft and firm at the same time, now that she was sober she noticed a lot more. He'd nibbled on her bottom lip causing her to gasp at the sensation, he took the opportunity to plunder her mouth. He tasted of coffee and cigarettes and she'd quickly become addicted to it, to him. While attempting to throw her arms around his neck she dropped the condensed milk which landed squarely on her foot.

"OW!" She howled in pain pulling away from him and grimacing. She took her injured foot in hand, lightly rubbing it. When she looked back up at Tommy she could see that he was trying not to laugh. Straightening up she pushed him away from her in retaliation. "Arse. That really hurt." She let out her own pitiful laugh at her misfortune. Will all their kisses be interrupted.

"Come 'ere love." Tommy walked to her side and then wrapped an arm around her back, knelt down and lifted her knees with his other arm, picking her up bridal style. He walked over to the kitchen table and set her down on it, and then lifted her foot up for inspection.

"What are you doing?" She couldn't help but laugh over his actions, and tried to pull her foot from his hand. "Tommy!" She screeched as he lifted her foot up higher and kissed the top of it making her giggle. When he refused to let go of it, the ensuing struggle caused her skirt to rise up past her mid-thigh, revealing the garter belts that were holding up her stockings. Lyla quickly pulled her skirt back down and Tommy let her foot go. She couldn't quite look him in the eyes until he lifted her chin with one hand and placed the other thigh.

"How's the foot now?" He glossed over the moment, knowing she was embarrassed.

"It's okay." She focused on his chin, ignoring his intense eyes and knowing that looking at his mouth would only make the heat burning on her face worse.

"Lyla," Tommy's voice took on a serious tone.

"Yes?" She still wasn't looking at him, trying to breath and calm down.

"Who were you walkin' with?" Thomas Shelby was not a man to be distracted from something he wished to know and what he wanted to know was who the FUCK was walkin' with his Lyla.

"What?" Lyla's eyes met Tommy's but this time in shock and little confused.

"I went to know the man's name." Tommy stated.

"Why so you can threaten him? Or hurt him?" Lyla's anger quickly came to the fore, part of her understood that if she explained the situation things wouldn't likely escalate she wanted to be with Tommy, however the other half of her disagreed and took control of her actions.

"Lyla I need to-" Tommy tried to explain.

"No you don't need anything! The man I was walking with was a friend, I have friends, I'm allowed to have friends of the opposite sex." She pushed Tommy away from her again and hopped off the table. She needed to put space between them.

"If he's just a friend of yours then tell me his name. I promise I won't hurt 'im." He stepped closer to her.

"No I don't need too, you should trust me enough to not have to ask." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I trust you, but I don't trust other men around you." Tommy just wanted the man's name, not to fight, if she had one fault it was that damn stubborn streak. "I bet you anything he didn't ask your mother or your brother if he could talk you out."

"He didn't take me out! We were walkin' I ran into him on the street and got to talkin'! But ya know he did ask me to go walkin' with him again next Sunday and I agreed, partially because he asked me if I wanted him to ask for permission but ya know what I told him? No. No, because I am not a child nor am I property!" She shouted at him.

"I asked your mother and I asked Louis because I respect them and I respect tradition. I even asked your mother to pick a chaperone for our first evening out." Tommy didn't raise his voice but kept it quite even though he was clenching his jaw tightly.

"I am not going on date with a chaperone!" She glared at him.

"Oh yes you are." Her mother had just entered the house and clearly caught the tail end of the conversation.

"Mum!" She turned around, unable to comprehend how her mother of all people would try to enforce these ridiculous rules.

"No, Lyla Marie Flanagan, you will have a chaperone young lady. End of discussion." Her mother was not going to budge on this.

"Mother I am not going to run off like you did, I do not need a chaperone to watch my every move." She argued.

"Lyla, love, we'll go out tomorrow night at 6 with a chaperone." Tommy had walked up beside her and leaned over to kiss her temple before leaving the house.

"We are not-" She growled as she heard the front door shut. "I am not going on a date with him tomorrow. Not with a chaperone." She stomped her way out of the kitchen and to her room. This was not what she wanted, she didn't want to fight with Tommy over Alex, she didn't want to fight with him over things like having a chaperone on their first date. Lyla understood that she was worried her daughter would follow in her footsteps but she wouldn't do that. Her mother had been extremely unhappy living with her parents but Lyla wasn't she was happy here, she wouldn't give that up.

Letting out a deep sigh Lyla came to the conclusion that yes she would put up with the chaperone as long as it meant she was Tommy's girl. She'd put up with the chaperone for the first few dates but eventually she'd convince her mother one wasn't needed. Or OR she could convince Tommy to ditch the chaperone with her and they...no everyone would know within seconds. No she'll put up with it. For now.

Beth should have known from experience that tightening the chains on her daughter would only lead to rebellion...