Chapter Text
Tommy was standing in the field and he pulled the trigger of the gun at his head but nothing happened, he dropped to his knees then fell forward in the mud as he heard someone's footsteps squelching in the mud and Astella stood there glaring at him, "Arthur took the bullets out. On the way back. He said you stopped at a crossroads to throw up," She walked closer to him, "You're not even a soldier any more, Tommy. You didn't check your weapon. You're not a soldier, you're a coward. I heard you pull the trigger. Leaving your family behind without a goodbye... If you still need a way out... Here are six of them," She dropped all of the bullets from his gun on the ground in front of his face and walked off.
Tommy got up from the mud, collected the bullets from the mud and stood up, half of his face covered in wet mud, he looked in the direction his wife had walked off.
He started walking in the direction she went, "Mother... They let you pass through. They wouldn't let me pass. As if there were to be another consequence," Tommy said then stopped walking as he breathed heavily.
Tommy soon started to continue walking out of the field and towards his home as a van drove passed Tommy on the road. As he approached his home to hear his phone ringing in his office, he walked inside, poured himself a drink and picked up the phone, "Hello?" Tommy said as Astella walked into the room.
"Mr Shelby, I imagine you're curious as to who it was prevented the assassination last night. If you look out your window, you'll see a flag of truce. It's a unit of volunteers bringing the bodies of your dead to you to send to heaven in your own way," Astella walked over to the desk as Tommy looked at the window to see bodies being laid down outside their house and Astella looked outside, "Last night's operation was carried out by soldiers from three Dublin brigades of the Irish Republican Army. We need to keep Mr Mosley alive. That's all you need to know. Also, you should know that saving Mosley's life wasn't our only intervention last night. We've made some changes to the structure of your organisation. Ever since you began to build your empire...You've had a crutch to lean on. Last night, we kicked away that crutch. From now on, it will be us that you lean on. Also, there is a little present for your wife who continues to be a... Disappointment to us," Tommy looked at Astella, "Please be aware, Mr Shelby, that the deaths of your people... Are your own responsibility... Because you consistently fail to understand your own limitations," Captain Swing said and hung up.
"Are the kids all here?" Tommy asked.
"Yeah, or else I'd be screaming murder... What the hell is going on?" Astella looked out the window, "Who the fuck are they?" She looked at him and clicked on, "Oh, fuck, no, Tom... Not our family," Astella said and started to leave.
"Wait!" Tommy ran after her and pushed her up against his bookshelf, holding her there, "Listen to me," She struggled against him, "Listen to me!" She looked at her, "I want you to stay inside, have yourself armed. Your brothers and mine are still here. I'll go out there and look. Stay here, okay? Just stay here," Tommy said.
"Who was on the phone?" Astella asked.
"Captain Swing... The IRA... Stay inside... Stay inside. If fighting starts, do not engage, you're a mother before you're my wife, got it?" Tommy said.
"I know," Astella said.
Tommy stepped back and left his office as Astella walked over to the window and looked for the four bodies on the ground, she watched as Tommy walked out of their house. Tommy walked over to the bodies, he cut the ropes off of one body and sheet to see it was Barney, then did the same action to see it was Aberama, and then he copied the actions on the third body, he gasped and covered his mouth, looking at the body then sobbed softly.
Astella walked out of the house, "Tom..." She called out.
"Stay back!" Tommy got up and walked over to her, grabbing her by the arms, "You don't want to see," Tommy said.
"Who is it, Tom?" Astella shoved him backwards and ran over to the bodies, she looked at Barney and Aberama then saw the third body, she gasped and backed away, "Polly!" She yelled and rushed over, kneeling down, "No!"
"Stel..." Tommy said as he walked over.
"Who's the fourth person, Tom?" Astella asked.
Tommy walked over to the fourth body, he cut the ropes off then cut open the sheet and looked at the body, "I'm sorry, Stel," Tommy said.
Astella got up and walked over to see Stefano, she dropped to her knees and cried, "Dammit! What the fuck do the IRA want from us?" She asked as she looked at her husband.
"Mosley alive," Tommy said.
"Why?!" Astella asked.
"I don't know," Tommy said.
"Then find out," Astella snapped.
"Why was he in Birmingham?" Astella looked away, "I thought he was back in Italy," Tommy asked.
"I don't control my family, not like you do," Astella sneered and walked inside.
"Stella, what's going on?" Cecilia asked.
"I need to call Uncle Leo," Astella looked at her, "Get my brothers and meet me in my office. NOW!" Astella said and walked into her office as Cecilia hurried off.
Tommy raised his brows and looked back at his dead aunt in sorrow.
Astella sat in the chair behind her desk and looked towards a photograph of her and Polly, before lowering her head into her hands, sobbing as Oscar and Shane walked in, "Stella?" Oscar called out and hurried over with Shane and Cecilia behind him.
"Stefano and Polly..." Astella took a deep breath as she picked up her telephone, "They're dead," She said.
It was the day of Stefano's body departure, Astella, Oscar, Marilyn, Shane, Lizzie and Cecilia stood together at the port watching Leonardo walking over to them, "What the hell happened?" Leonardo asked.
"The IRA," Astella told him.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me... He came back here because you asked him to help you with your... You know," Leonardo said.
"I know... I know. I won't be asking for any more favours from any of you," Astella said.
"We're family, it's what we do," Cecilia said.
"No one knew he was in town but a fair few," Astella heard footsteps approaching and they looked to see Tommy and Arthur walking up to them, "Oh, fucking fantastic," Astella said and looked away.
"What are you doing here, Tom?" Leonardo asked as he looked at him in anger.
"We came to see him off. He was a fine man, a fine soldier," Tommy said.
"Not a coward like you," Astella said.
"If you didn't keep secrets-" Tommy began to say.
Astella looked at him in anger, "If you didn't think you had to do all the things you do, none of this would've happened! Do not put your guilt on me, I have my own," Astella said.
"Enough, you two... They've been fighting for ages now," Cecilia said.
"I can see," Leonardo looked at Astella, "My offer still stands. Leave Birmingham and come to Italy," He said.
"Even though we're fighting, I'm not leaving... When I'm ready I'll jump out of the window before I pack a suitcase," Astella said.
Leonardo smiled and nodded, "Very well," He looked at Cecilia, "And you, dear?" He asked.
"I'm staying," Cecilia said.
"Alright... I'll visit... The family is welcomed to the funeral, but I need to get his body home," Leonardo said.
"Goodbye, Uncle Leo," Astella, Cecilia, Oscar and Shane said.
"Bye," Leonardo said and put on his hat before walking away to the boat.
Tommy walked over to his wife and stood behind her, "I really didn't mean this to happen," He said quietly.
"But it did... They threatened Michael... How did they know?" Astella asked quietly.
"I don't know yet," Tommy said quietly.
"I want them avenged, Tommy..." Astella said quietly.
Tommy placed his hands on Astella's arms and she flinched but didn't move away, "They will be," Tommy told her.
Later that day, the Shelby family gathered in the woods for Polly's funeral, Michael walked up to Astella who was holding Ruby and standing beside Tommy, "A word," He said.
Astella looked at Tommy then back at Michael, "Of course," She handed Ruby over to Daniel and the two of the walked to a secluded area.
"You saw mum, like a mother," Michael said.
"Yes," Astella said.
"I want you beside me," Astella looked at him in surprise, "She saw you as a daughter, you... You helped me a lot... I need your help, Stella... Please. Let's make a truce in our bickering for... For our mother," Michael said.
"What about your wife? What does she have to say about this?" Astella asked.
"This is for my mother, the woman who cared for you like her own," Michael said.
Astella smiled a little, "Very well, of course," She said.
Michael walked over and picked up two wooden torches, Astella followed him, she took one of the torches and they lit them both by the nearby fire, "Ready?" Michael asked.
"As I'll ever be... You?" Astella asked.
"Together," Michael said and offered her, his free hand.
"Together," She repeated and took hold of his hand.
The two of them walked over to the Gypsy wagon that was surrounded by kindling, Daniel glanced at his father, "What's going on?" Daniel whispered but Tommy stayed silent.
Astella and Michael used the torches to light the kindling and moved away from the fire before turning to the wagon, clenching hold of each other's hand. Astella turned to Michael and tapped his shoulder as she walked over to Tommy who placed his hand on her back, she looked at him and turned into him, placing her arms around him as he held her close.
Michael was looking at the wagon, "Mum... It was the ambitions and strategies of one man that caused this. And I swear in the name of Almighty God... No matter what it takes... No matter how many lies I have to tell... I will take revenge on Tommy Shelby," Michael muttered to himself before he turned to his cousin and Astella who was looking at him and he placed his hat on his head.
Michael walked over to Gina and stood beside her as they all watched the wagon burn.
"Goodbye, Aunt Pol," Natasha whispered as she held her children close.