Author's Note: I'm so sorry that it's been so long since the last chapter, university life got in the way! Hope everyone is doing okay, lots of posts to come x

Amber light beamed from the windows of the house upon Eileen's approach and she didn't stop to peer in before forcefully jamming her key into the lock and throwing the door open. The house seemed quiet, even more so than usual, and the brunette dashed quickly into each room in search of her husband.

"Tommy!"

The sitting room was empty, as was the kitchen.

Lungs short of air and cheeks flushed pink from the run, the brunette rushed into the study blissfully unaware of her company. Though, it didn't take her long to notice their guest.

"Mrs Shelby."

The accent was like nails on a chalkboard and Eileen cringed internally. Of course, she was still here. Sat elegantly with her legs crossed, the woman sipped from a glass of what she assumed to be whiskey.

"Mrs Carlton." Eileen forced a smile at the woman, eyes hastily scanning the room. "You wouldn't happen to know where Tommy is, would you?"

Whilst her tone remained calm, on the inside Eileen felt as though she might explode. Her father's words echoed loudly in her head - mind racing to thoughts of Arthur and Michael in chains. How was the man always five steps ahead of them?

"He just stepped out to fetch some papers," May replied, gently setting her glass down on the desk. "Is everything quite alright?"

Was everything alright? The words were like the trigger on a gun, "No, things are not quite alright." Her voice was harsh, the false smile that had initially been there fading into a flat line. "In fact, I really think it would be best if you could leave."

May seemed taken back by the comments, eyes widening for a second as she looked from Eileen to the glass before her.

"Now," Eileen demanded. "If you will."

Their eyes met and May seemed to hesitate, as though expecting the brunette to suddenly laugh and insist she was joking. Eileen wished she was.

"Very well…" The woman gracefully got to her feet and was just beginning to collect her belongings when Tommy reappeared, stacks of papers in hand. He didn't have to overhear the conversation to understand the friction in the room.

"Leaving so soon?" Tommy frowned, looking between the two women.

Eileen answered before May had the opportunity to, "Yes. I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to finish this business at another time, hm?"

Within an hour. Eileen felt panic rushing through her body, her father had told her his plans were already in motion. With the arrest warrants issued, they were running on limited time if they wanted to save Arthur and Michael.

"Of course, don't worry, Tommy." May calmed.

Tommy. So they were on a first name basis now?

Pulling her furs back over her shoulders, the woman continued; "Have your men send over the necessary documents and we can organise another meeting from there."

Tommy could only watch as the woman left, his offers for another drink being refused as she made her way to the door. It was only once May had entered the night air that he turned to address his wife.

"What the fuck was that all about?" His voice raised slightly, brow furrowed as he stormed past to his office desk. The pile of papers in his hands were thrown down, scattering across his files.

"Ey?" He continued, "What are you playing at?"

Eileen seemed unphased by the outburst and it was only now that Tommy had stopped to breathe that he could take in the panic spread across her expression.

"My father," The words fell out of her mouth in a hurry, "He came to see me today and gave me these," The papers shook in her grip. "He's going after Arthur and Michael."

Suddenly alert, Tommy paced forward to retrieve the documents in Eileen's hands. His eyes hurried to take in the page's contents.

"Fuck," He breathed, the word all but a whisper.

"What do we do?" Eileen questioned, trying but failing to read Tommy's expression. It was rare that the man was taken by surprise - usually he was the one to be thinking miles ahead of his enemies - but in this moment, shock was all that she could see in his demeanour. Chester Campbell had outplayed them all.

"Call John, tell him to find Arthur and take him to Charlie's Yard." Tommy ordered, "I'll call Polly, we'll get Michael out of the city-"

Before he could even finish the sentence, the pair were silenced by the ringing of the phone. Neither of them had to answer to know what the call was about. They were too late.

For once, the betting parlour found itself in a stoney silence. As a place that was usually buzzing with life and the fast-pace of business, the atmosphere in the room was as though someone had died. Pale faces stared back at each other, none knowing the right thing to say.

The room was divided. On one side stood Tommy, calm and collected, with Eileen by his side. Even when their world had gone to hell, the man would always stand tall. They were the Peaky Blinders, how could they demand respect without stepping up to the plate.

On the other side of the room was Polly and John, less collected in their manner. It had taken multiple conversations and a considerable amount of swearing to even get Polly into the same room as Eileen. The woman sat on the edge of her seat, eyes staring through rather than at the brunette. The pair had never got on but it seemed that this was the final straw in their already tenuously held relationship.

In a warm mutual ground at the centre of the room sat Uncle Charlie, Curly and Johnny Dogs. The three men sank back in their seats uncomfortably, ready to take their orders and hopefully avoid any major conflict.

Tommy cleared his throat. "By now you've all heard," he began. "Last night, Sergeant Chester Campbell issued arrest warrants against Arthur and Michael."

Across the room, Polly's fists noticeably clenched at the mentioning of her boy's name.

"They have both been taken into custody." Tommy continued, eyes panning the room. "Michael's facing five years for arson, Arthur faces the gallows for the murder of Billy Kitchen."

Unable to bite his tongue for any longer, John called out, "And we're sat here doing fucking nothing, Tom." The man would always be protective of his family but Arthur was his right hand man, he couldn't rest while he knew that the man was behind bars.

"We're not doing nothing, John." Tommy replied, voice raised but still calm. "I have a-"

"-A plan?" Polly blankly interrupted, eyes narrowing in on the man. "Well, let's hear it Thomas. We're all listening."

She was taunting him and Tommy knew it, but he refused to rise to the bait. He levelled his breath and looked back to John. "Updates on London? Business first." He prompted.

"Coppers have lifted ten of our men in Camden town. They took all our whiskey and impounded all our vans. The Eden club and all our pubs have been raided and handed back to Sibini and Solomons." John shook his head, "The Black Country boys think it was Arthur who killed Billy because that's what the coppers told them, no more free passes for our whiskey boats."

Tommy's eyes closed for a second, taking a moment to process the information. Their world had gone to shit in less than twelve hours.

"So much for that plan."

Tommy's eyes opened again, finding Polly's and challenging her judgemental stare. "I don't see you offering up any ideas, ay?"

Polly's bite back was quick, "You can start by getting rid of that bitch." Her fist hit the table, glare no longer levelled at Tommy but at the woman by his side. "Family only. Have you forgotten what blood means, Thomas?"

Any sense of peace was lost, "You don't speak to my fucking wife like that." His own palm hit the table. "She has as much of a right to be here as you do."

"My ass she does." Polly pushed herself to her feet.

Tommy's mouth opened to respond but a hand gripped his shoulder.

"Don't," Eileen spoke. "Go on, let her speak." The brunette's gaze drifted over to Polly's side of the table. "I'm listening."

A silence resumed over the room as the two women faced off against each other. As much as Eileen loved that Tommy was always willing to back her corner, she wanted to prove that she could handle her own fights. If she was going to live in this world, as she was so determined to, she had to prove herself.

"Where to fucking begin." Polly almost laughed at the challenge, eyes rolling in her head. "You've been trouble since the day you walked in those doors but he will never see it." Her finger jolted accusingly in Tommy's direction.

The men in the room didn't seem to know where to look. Charlie, Johnny and Curly tactfully looked to the floor.

"That creature of a man that you can call father has made our lives a living hell," Polly continued. "And whose to say that you're not fucking in on it?" The woman's eyes were wild as she looked to Tommy. "Had you ever considered that? Always so smart but blind to what's right in front of you."

"I hate my father more than anyone here." Eileen boldly intervened. "I gave up my life to be here." She felt a lump in her throat as she searched for the words in her defence.

It was true, the brunette had sold away her entire life to be with Tommy in his world. She had changed for him, lied for him, even killed for him. If that didn't prove her loyalty, she wasn't sure what would.

A wicked grin crossed Polly's face. "Gave up your life to be in this shithole," She shook her head. "I pity you." Taking a step back from the table, she continued to rant. "If I ever get my son back, I'm taking him as far away from this place as possible. It's bad."

Invisible cogs were turning in Polly's brain as she thought, "This place is bad for everyone. He's bad," Her glare returned to Tommy. "And he's going to take everyone down with him."

Hours later and the late afternoon air was beginning to nip at Eileen's shoulders as she walked through Charlie's Yard. Though, as she walked, she found that the cold weather was the least of her worries. Everywhere she looked, it seemed as though their world was crumbling and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Trust. No one seemed to trust her anymore. First Tommy had refused to trust her with the Irish business. Then, people had been treating her like a feather ever since the ordeal at the auction. They thought she was too delicate, too broken - maybe she was. And now, after the family meeting, people thought she was a traitor. It was the last of the three that stung the most. After all she had done to become a Shelby, she still found herself on the outside of something that she would never be allowed into.

Pulling her coat tighter around her shoulders, the brunette strolled towards the last stable door of the row. She could hear rustling from within as she approached.

"What are you doing?"

Coming to a halt in the doorway of the stable, Eileen was shocked by the Tommy she found looking back at her. With sleeves rolled up, shovel in hand and sweat on his brow, the man looked like any other worker in the yard.

His answer was blunt, "Shovelling shit."

"I can see that," She nodded slightly. "Didn't think I would ever see the day that Thomas Shelby was shovelling shit."

Tommy threw another pile of muck onto the already large pile. "It helps me think."

Eileen took a step further into the stable, arms folded loosely over her chest. "Think about what?"

Another load landed in the pile, "About why I am who I am," Tommy mused. "And why I do the things I do."

Looking to her husband, Eileen could see that the man was struggling. After Polly's outburst at the family meeting, he had stormed from the betting parlour and hadn't been seen since. Having given him time to cool off, she hadn't had to search far for him. Along with their spot down by the water, Edna's stable would always be a place of sanctuary for them both.

"Polly's just upset, give her time and she'll come around." Eileen watched as he continued to dig into the piles of muck. His arm muscles strained under the pressure, sweat faintly appearing at his brow.

"She's right," Tommy eventually replied under muted breath. "She's always fucking right."

The shovel finally fell from the man's hands, being thrown carelessly to the side. His heart hammered from the pressure of the work, breathing slowly coming back to a steady pace.

"She's not always right." Eileen stated firmly, hand falling on Tommy's shoulder. The touch was warm and genuine, she could feel Tommy's posture relaxing under her grip. "Look at me." The man's eyes eventually found Eileen's, as piercing and pained as ever. Emotions had never been Tommy's strong suit but sometimes a look was simply enough.

"Now tell me, what are we going to do?"

Looking back at his wife, Tommy's racing mind finally came to a halt. Even after the auction, the interaction with May and the way Polly had spoken at the family meeting, the girl stayed loyal. He felt like it was a loyalty he could never repay. Staying in their comfortable silence, Tommy took in Eileen's expression. Her eyes were soft and still somehow innocent despite all that she had seen since being in his world. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest, he was ruining the girl but was too selfish to lose her.

"We go to London," Tommy eventually replied, "I think it's time you met Alfie Solomons."