Give me a chance, he said.

I was all up for that, there was nothing else I wanted more.

Trying to find Tommy was the problem. Well, trying to find him during the day was a problem. He was always making his way round somewhere, finding trouble wherever he went.

Polly was waiting for the day he wouldn' come home, dead in a ditch somewhere.

"Dada!" TJ said, raising his arms up as the devil himself walked into the kitchen.

"Have you been good for your mum?" Tommy asked, cuddling the boy and pressing a kiss to his head.

"Yep!" TJ said, and I almost rolled my eyes in distaste as he picked up the slang from me. I could just imagine him walking around saying something like' defo' or 'no probs' when he was older. I was going to have to work on that with him, which meant I had to try and speak more like ... well, more like Ada.

"Alright', what's your ma been up to?"

"Making plans with Polly about minding TJ when I go back to work," I said, counting in my head. I knew he wasn't going to like it.

"Back to work? Where?"

"It's a magical job, working for the wizarding government."

"You ain't working," Tommy said, sitting down at the table opposite me and making sure I had eye contact with him. "You should be looking after our son."

"You can't tell me what to do, Tommy," I spat, resisting the urge to pull TJ from his arms. I felt like Tommy was using him as a shield, but he'd be mistaken if he thought I would hold myself back just because he was holding our son.

"As your husband, I have every right to tell you what to do!"

"You are not my husband, Thomas Shelby. You're not even my fiance, so don't think for one second you can tell me what to do." I rose from the table, frowning as TJ looked up at me, his bottom lip trembling. "Look, I don't want to argue in front of TJ, but if you think, for one second, Thomas, that you can tell me what to do, he will be the only child you ever have!"

"Romy," Tommy started but I glared at him and pulled TJ from his arms and marched up to his room.

"TJ, your father is a right old bastard," I said as I walked over to his crib and laid him down. "Take it from me, love. Anything he says, don't take it to heart. He's been through a lot and I think he says things he doesn't mean, but that man, he will always love you, no matter how pissed off at the world he is."

"Dada," TJ said, tilting his head to the side as if he was agreeing to what I said.

"Hmm, yeah, your dad can be hard work. He's not what I was expecting when he returned home, but I know some of the things he's seen in France and I can't blame him for being a changed man." I ran my hand over his face and leaned down and pressed a kiss to his head. "Be a good boy for mumma and go to sleep so I can deal with your father."

As if he knew that I needed not to be interrupted, he turned over and cuddled into his teddy, showing his thumb in his mouth. I hesitated as I came down the stairs, surprised to find Tommy still sat at the kitchen table as if he was waiting for me.

"I didn't—"

"You don't need to apologise," I said, resting my hand on his shoulder as I pulled out the chair next to him. "You have the right to your own opinion, even if I feel it's outdated." I sighed and took his hand in mine, lifting my head so I could keep eye contact with him. "Where I'm from, Tommy, women aren't ruled by men. We're allowed to do what we want, even when we're married. It's not all about cooking for your husband and pushing out the babies. We can have a career, we can work and bring money to the table and I really don't want you stopping me from doing that."

"Where are you working?" I could see that he was trying to listen to me, to try and work on us. He wanted me to give him a chance and that meant he had to try too.

"With Phineas and Newt so you have nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about? I've yet to meet these two wizards and one of them lives in this house!"

"Shh," I hissed, smacking him on the shoulder. "You'll wake the baby."

Tommy rolled his eyes and slouched in his chair. He'd been asking to meet Phin and Newt for the last two weeks and I wanted him to, I really did, but we all just needed time to adjust. I didn't want to throw too much on him at once.

"When can I meet them?"

"Christmas."

"Christmas?"

"I'm not making it up, Tommy. They've been sent all over the place to sort out Dementors. Since the war ended, they've been roaming around because there's so much happiness."

He knew about Dementors after Polly explained to him what happened to her. He seemed surprised that such a thing existed and he didn't like the idea of something making you feel cold and depressed.

"I promise you'll meet them," I said, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his lips. He leaned into the kiss, one hand coming up and resting against my hip as I leaned into him.

It seemed strange that this was only our second kiss but I felt so at home with him and it gave me hope that we could get past all these petty arguments we found ourselves having.

"Can you explain something to me?" he asked, pulling away and lifting my head slightly. I gave a soft nod, my eyes flicking down to his lips. "I know it's got something to do with magic, yeah, but how does TJ look like me?"

I was honestly waiting for him to ask and wondered why it had taken three weeks for him to spit it out.

"Just before Merry died, she got me to sign a blood contract which meant I'd become TJ's mother by blood when she was gone. Because it's a blood contract, TJ shares my blood which means he's got some of my genetic traits." Tommy nodded as he brushed his thumb over my cheekbones before wrapping his fingers in a strand of my hair. I was surprised it was a bright teal colour but smiled as I rolled my eyes. I was my father's daughter. "I'm a metamorphmagus which means I can change my appearance. TJ seems to have part of that ability. He hasn't done anything major, like bright blue hair, but he's seemed to take on your features."

"A good looking boy," Tommy teased, pressing a kiss to my lips. I laughed at his teasing manner and brought my hands up and let my fingers run over his bottom lip.

"You don't mind, do you? I think it's cause he saw your photo every day," I said, nodding to the photo of him on the shelf.

"Well, I mean, he could have looked like Arthur," Tommy grumbled, leaning his forehead against mine. "I don't mind, Romy. I already told you he was my son."

"It's a big responsibility, Tommy."

"One I'm willing to take." I smiled as I leaned closer to him, finding it awkward to get closer to him while sitting in this chair. "Is there a way to make him mine?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning slightly as he pulled back.

"Like your blood contract? Is there a way he'd be mine if anything happened to you?"

"He's already yours, Tommy. You are his dad. If anything happened to me, he'd go to you."

"But if I want him to be mine through blood? Could it be done?"

"You're talking about a blood contract, Tommy. I don't think you know what it means," I said, pushing away slightly and taking in the way he sat up slightly.

"I know what it means, Andromeda. I want to do it."

"You have nothing to prove to me, Tommy. You don't need to—"

"Stop interrupting me!" he snapped, rising from the table and pacing in front of me. "You won't marry me." I opened my mouth to argue but he spun on his foot and pointed in my face. "Don't. I told you to listen." I was going to say something about the firm tone he gave me but could see that he was getting a little flustered. "From the moment I saw him I knew he was mine. If I can do something to make it so, then I will. He's my son, Romy, and I want everyone to know."

To my surprise, Polly agreed with Tommy.

"He already loves that boy, if there's a way he can make it by blood, he will."

"But that doesn't prove anything, Polly. If I say TJ is Tommy's then he is," I argued, glancing over to said child as he played in his playpen.

"It's different here, love. People will start saying things about you now. You'll be known as a whore and he'll be a bastard."

"I think you've gotten confused, Polly, because we all know that Merry carried TJ, she was his birth mother."

"Your magic changes that!" she snapped, slamming her hand on the table. I glanced over to TJ to find him watching Polly with a curious look on his face. He looked just like Tommy. "No one's gonna believe that boy is anyones but yours and Tommy's. One look at him and all you see is a Shelby."

I saw it. I really did.

"I know you loved Merry, I really do, but I think for the sake of TJ, that you need to let her go now."

"I don't want to let her go," I whispered, glancing over to the photograph that rested on the shelf where Tommy's once lived.

"It's difficult being a mother," Polly said, leaning over and taking my hand in hers. "You won't ever replace her, love, but you need to let her go because you're holding back."

"What do you mean?"

"You're afraid you're going to replace her in TJ's life, but you're not. He never knew he, Romy. He's only ever known you. No matter how much Merry loved him, he can't love her the same way he does with you. Your fear is keeping you from moving on and it's stopping you from being with Tommy." It was like she was reading my soul. How she knew every deep, secret thought I had was beyond me. "You love Tommy, it's clear to see but the fears you have won't let you move on until you let it."

"Polly, have you heard what he said? He told me my place was looking after TJ and not working." Polly turned her head away, her eyes resting on TJ as she tried to avoid my eyes. "Oh my God, do you agree with him?"

"Don't take the Lord's name in vain," she said, sighing as she turned back to me. "I just think that perhaps you should spend some time as a family before you go running off looking for a job."

"No. No, I don't agree with that," I said, shaking my head as I rose from the table and pulled out the pie from the oven. "You say take a year and then I'll do that and then he'll want to get married. Once the wedding's over I'll end up pregnant and then he won't let me work. Don't roll your eyes at me."

"You're being a fucking idiot," Polly said as she rose from the table and shook her head in disappointment. "You're lying to yourself, Romy. You say you don't want the marriage and the home life but you're already living it."

"So what, I cook for him and he comes round for dinner every night. It's so he can see his son! It's not a bloody marriage, Polly."

"I give you three months," she said as she left the kitchen, heading for the door.

"Three months till what, Polly?" I called after her, following her to the door and watching as she gave me a smirk and left the house. "Urg." I spun to TJ, frowning as he sent me a bright smile as if he knew what his aunt was talking about. "I'm starting to dislike this family, TJ. Think they know every god damn thing."

If Tommy was so insistent on binding himself to TJ so bloody much then he could deal with him at night. He could spend hours getting the boy to sleep and fretting with each cry in the darkness. He could tend to ever nappy change and a snot-filled nose.

If Tommy wanted this so fucking much, I'd show him what it was like being a mother.

"I think your father's going to be angry with me," I muttered to TJ, as I scooped him up and pulled on his coat. "Just ... go easy on him."

TJ giggled as if he knew what I was about to do and clapped when I opened the front door and entered the dark street. I would long for the days of eclectic street lights.

I held TJ as I made my way down the street and towards The Garrison where I knew he'd be. It wasn't an unknown fact that the Shelby brothers and their little gang liked to chill out in the pub after work.

"Alrigh', love?" a drunk man asked as I entered the pub, tilting his hat down at me as I looked around for Tommy.

"Fuck off," I snapped as I spotted the man I was looked for and marched over to him.

"Fucking 'ell, Tom," John said as he saw me approach, hitting his brother on the shoulder. "Watch out."

"Romy?" Tommy asked, rushing to his feet as he looked at me in concern. "What wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, just thought I'd drop TJ off to you," I said, passing the boy into his arms and taking a step back so Tommy couldn't hand him back.

"What?" He was utterly bewildered.

"I've got an emergency." I gave him a look, hoping he'd understand that it had to do with magic. "I can't take TJ with me and as his dad, I thought you'd stay in with him and put him to bed."

"What? No, I—"

"Don't stay out too late with him, Tommy, he's only two," I said, quickly leaning forward and placing a kiss on both their cheeks before leaving.

"What the fuck?" Arthur muttered in bewilderment.

His thoughts exactly.

Tommy looked down at the boy in his arms, the confusion on TJ's face was matching his own.

"What's your mother doing, TJ?" Tommy asked, adjusting the boy in his arms and sitting down.

"You sure you wanna marry her?" John asked, frowning at the door as if he expected Romy to return. Tommy knew she wasn't coming back. He also knew she didn't really need to go anywhere. "She's a bit feisty."

"Don't think he can handle 'er," Arthur said, reaching over and ruffling TJ's hair.

"Fuck off, Arthur," Tommy grumbled, shifting TJ on his lap and knocking his hand out of the way as the boy reached for his whisky. Romy wouldn't forgive him if he let the boy drink at such a young age.

"He's got a point," John said, turning back and looking at his brother. It seemed so strange to John that Tommy looked so relaxed with a child in his arms. "She's too good for you, Tom."

"That I know," Tommy muttered, his eyes flicking over the pub as everyone kept giving them questioning looks. Harry gave him a nod and smiled down at his great-nephew but didn't come over to say hello. Part of Tommy was happy about that but he knew how much Romy loved Harry and knew he'd have to put in some effort with the barkeep. Perhaps a raise?

"Oi, Tom, Freddie's coming over," John whispered to him, nudging his arm as Freddie Thorne strutted over, a smirk on his face.

Of all the people to have the guts to come over to them, Tommy wished it was anyone but Freddie fucking Thorne.

"Alright, Tommy?" Freddie said as he looked down at him before dropping into the seat next to Arthur.

Arthur tensed slightly as he looked at Tommy, his eyes flicking back to Freddie. He was unsure of what was going to happen and Arthur was waiting for Tommy to give him an order.

"Freddie," Tommy said, brushing a hand over TJ's head as he looked up at his father and gave him a bright smile. His smile was soon replaced by a yawn and he clambered on Tommy's lap until he was resting on his chest, thumb in his mouth. Romy was right. He wouldn't be staying for long.

"I never thought I'd see the day where Thomas Shelby would be holding a child," Freddie said, a teasing smile on his lips. Freddie wouldn't admit it, but Tommy looked relaxed holding the child. "Who is he?"

"My son," Tommy said, shooting Arthur a look as he went to open his mouth.

Freddie let out a laugh but stopped when he realised no one else was laughing. It took less than a minute for Freddie to understand that Tommy was telling the truth and as the boy turned his head, he could see the miniature version of the stern man in front of him.

"You fucking serious?"

Tommy knew why Freddie didn't believe him. Not only had Freddie spent most of the war with Tommy, but Tommy hadn't once stepped foot in the brothels over in France.

"Aye."

"How?"

Now he was going to dig himself into some trouble. He knew TJ was an early baby, two months early in fact. Tommy was quick to calculate that this meant the boy would have been conceived sometime in March. This was lucky for him as it coincided with the time he was in the hospital for three weeks.

"Met a nurse back in France," he said, giving a shrug as if that was enough explanation.

"How's he here now?"

Tommy knew Freddie was going to ask that.

He also knew that Romy wasn't going to like his reply.

"I married her."

John looked to Tommy in surprise and Arthur choked on his beer. They were both wondering what was going through Tommy's head.

"You?" It also seemed Freddie wasn't believing his tale.

"It was like she had me under her spell." He smirked and could see that John and Arthur were trying to keep from laughing. "She wrote to me two months later saying she was pregnant. I told her to come here to Polly. That's it."

"That's it?"

Tommy shrugged and rested his hand on TJ's back as the boy squirmed against him. He really should be heading home now. He wasn't even sure if the boy had eaten.

"Great talk, Freddie, but I've gotta take TJ home."

Tommy didn't really care that he was leaving, not now that Freddie had arrived. If anything he wanted to leave faster.

"TJ?"

"Thomas-Junior," Arthur replied, also rising from his seat and following Tommy from the pub.

"Tom," John said as he stepped beside him. "You know Romy ain't gonna like it."

"She shouldn't have pushed me then," Tommy replied, not bothering to give his brothers a look as he walked to Romy's house.

If she wanted to play dirty, then so would he.