Christmas dinner was a spectacular thing. This year, Polly had given in and let Phineas interfere. She had welcomed the over-sized stuffed turkey with all the trimmings. She'd happily accepted the roast potatoes and perfectly cooked vegetables and the joint of beef and gammon. No one questioned where Phineas got the food from, they were all thankful.

It was actually really nice to see Polly without having to worry about providing food for the family.

While the morning had been all about the presents and Christmas dinner had been about eating with the ones we loved, the early evening was what I enjoyed the most. John wandered off with his children into the parlour to spend some time with them and Polly, Arthur, Ada, and Finn were around the kitchen table entertaining Phineas and Newt.

It left some time for me to be with my boys. Just the three of us.

It was nice seeing Tommy interacting with TJ without the constant eyes of his family on them. I felt like he was more relaxed and allowed himself to be carefree with TJ. I only had to wonder how long that lasted for.

Soon, in the New Year, Tommy would be starting on his game plan on moving the business further and I didn't know how much of his time would be left for TJ. Or for myself.

Watching Tommy play with our son in the living room, rolling the stupid Hogwarts Express across the floor was something I wish I could pause in time. Seeing the smiles on their faces had me wanting to live in this moment forever.

"I got the feeling it ain't this easy to put him down," Tommy muttered, watching as I tucked TJ in and pressed a kiss to his head. "I know it ain't this easy."

"It's because he's worn himself out the last couple of days," I told him, taking his hand and leading him back downstairs. "There's something I want to show you."

Tommy didn't bother saying anything as I led him into the cupboard under the stairs. He did look surprised to find that all the snow had gone and instead we were in a fully bloomed meadow with a soft, warm breeze.

"It's changed," he muttered as I closed the door behind us and led him over to a blanket I'd set up earlier.

"I didn't want it being cold in here," I told him, pulling him down to join me on the blanket.

"You're nervous."

I hated that he was able to see that when he looked at me.

"Remember that story you told Freddie? About us meeting in France, marrying and then me falling pregnant with Thomas-J?"

"You think I could forget it? You came in guns blazing," he argued, grabbing my hand as I went to hit him. "What about it?"

I sighed and pulled out the envelope I'd hidden under the blankets. I held it carefully in my hands, fiddling with it as I glanced up at him.

"You might have realised that I didn't give you a present. No," I said, waving him off as he went to protest. "I wanted to get you something but you're a tricky man to buy for Tommy. Giving you money would be pointless because I know you want to earn that yourself. You wouldn't accept it from me."

"You could accept my marriage proposal." I rolled my eyes and tried to hide the smile from my lips.

"I have this." I handed him over the envelope. "I think, once you read it, it will mean more to you than anything else I could offer."

Tommy took the envelope and opened it, his brows furrowed as he read the pieces of paper and flicked through the collection of papers in his hands. He looked up at me, his mouth open slightly as he glanced back down at the papers in his hands.

"You don't like it," I muttered, feeling myself deflate as he seemed frozen.

"But you..." He seemed lost for his words and instead dropped the papers between us and leant forward, capturing my lips in a heated kiss.

"So you like it?" I asked, laughing as he pulled away and picked up the papers again.

"Are these real?"

"Yes." I took the papers from him and glanced down at the marriage certificate and the birth certificate. "I asked Phineas to get them for me."

"He did it for you?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "He did it for us."

Tommy didn't seem to believe Phineas would do something like this for us, but he wanted me to be happy and he wanted the best for TJ.

"He made sure to plant copies in the muggle world too. If anyone was to investigate us, this would be proof that your story about us meeting in France was true."

"But you weren't in France," Tommy said, looking back down at the papers.

"I was in France, just not in the same place as you or at the same time. Phineas has fixed that. He had someone forge papers saying I was there the same time you were in the hospital. He might have planted a few fake memories into the minds of the doctors and nurses over there, but if anyone was to ask them, they'd say I was there."

"All of this for us?"

"And for TJ."

"So, because of these papers, we're married?"

"Well, yes, technically. Legally we're married."

Tommy smirked and I could already tell what was going through his mind. He thought I was fighting him on marriage, but I was willing to accept it because I loved him.

"We're still gonna have a wedding," he said, looking up and locking eyes with me. "This doesn't change anything." He held up the papers, telling me I wasn't going to escape his marriage proposal because I'd found a way to get us married without all the drama of a wedding.

"Whatever you say, Tommy," I told him, rising and slowly unbuttoning my dress, enjoying the way he watched as he looked up at me.

"What are you doing?" Was it me or did he sound nervous?

"I'm going for a swim," I turned my back to him, smiling at his intake of breath when he realised I was naked and I glanced over my shoulder at him, "you can join me if you wish."

Not bothering to wait for his response, I walked into the pond, diving under the warm water.

When I rose from the water, I could hear Tommy swimming up behind me. His fingers brushed against my bare back and I leaned against him, sighing softly as I felt his naked chest against me.

"Polly told me about your future." What was that supposed to mean? "She said men and women of your time aren't frowned upon for having children out of marriage. No one cares if they sleep around."

"Ask me," I whispered knowing what he wanted to hear. I turned in his arms, resting my hands on either side of his face. "Ask me, Tommy."

"Have you ever given yourself to anyone?"

"While it's more acceptable in my time for people to be together without being married, my family is old in their beliefs. Marriage is important to my family. So, no," I said, giving him a small smile as his lips tugged up. "I've never been with anyone."

Tommy seemed pleased about that as he leant forward and kissed me, wrapping his arms around me and tugging me towards him. I hadn't realised he's taken a step in my books and come into the water completely naked.

His hands slid down my sides until they gripped my hips and tugged me closer to him. I lifted my legs and wrapped them over his hips, sighing into his kiss when I felt how hard he was between my legs.

As soon as I had my legs around his hips, Tommy's hand slid under my bum and held me as he walked back, taking us out of the water.

I wasn't sure if my skin erupted into goosebumps due to the heat between us or the warm breeze that coated our naked skin.

Tommy was like a starved man as he didn't waste any time setting me down on the blanket, kissing his way down my neck to my breasts.

I closed my eyes in satisfaction as his lips caressed my skin. I had to wonder if this is what it felt like every time you were to give your body over to a man, or if this was because it was Tommy and I loved him.

"I love you," he whispered against my stomach, his hands running down my thighs. I couldn't help but laugh as I glanced down at him and his blown pupils.

"My dad told me never to believe a man that said that in the bedroom," I replied, running my fingers over the downturn of his lips. "It's okay, Thomas, I love you."

He grumbled something as he shifted above me, his hands running up my hips and into the dip of my waist.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't love you," he said, nudging his nose against mine.

"I know," I whispered, lifting my lips to his. "Can you just fuck me now?"

Tommy snorted at my request, shaking his head as he smiled down at me. There was an unusual look of fondness in his eyes. A similar way he looked at TJ but with more passion.

His hands were doing things that had me distracted so when he did push into me I was surprised. I gasped in delight as he rolled his hips forward, sliding deeper into me.

"Tommy," I moaned, gripping onto his shoulders as I shifted my hips, groaning as he gripped onto my hands and pulled them away from his shoulders. He started sucking on my collarbone, his tongue swiping and his teeth nibbled lightly at the skin.

Tommy was mumbling something against my skin but I couldn't hear what he was saying. The wetness on my skin and his light breath across my collarbone was causing goosebumps to rise over my skin. Tommy licked his way up my neck until his nose brushed against my earlobe.

"I love you," he whispered, his lips pressing a kiss just under my ear before he bit down, sending a shock through me as I tightened around him, sending a spasm through where we connected. "Jesus," he groaned, rolling his hips again as he picked up the pace.

"Tommy," I moaned in encouragement as I rolled my hips with him, digging my feet into his lower back to ensure he went deeper.

Tommy groaned again, his hands resting on my hips as he shifted us so I was straddling his waist. The new position gave a different angle, one that seemed to intensify everything. Tommy rose, his chest bumping against mine as he wrapped his arms around me, his lips finding mine again.

I flung my head back, my arms slinging over Tommy's shoulders as he helped the flow of movement.

My mind was beginning to fog and I was growing less focused on the way our bodies moved to the building pleasure within me.

My hands gripped onto his shoulders, my nails making marks on his skin as I fluttered around him, my toes curling as I reached my peak. Tommy hissed out, his head sinking against my chest as he shuddered and released himself inside me.

We were both breathing heavily, his hands fisted on my hips as he tried to regulate his breathing. I rested my head on his shoulder, my lips pressing small kisses on his salty skin as I panted and tried to calm my heart.

"We should do that again," I said, turning my head and pressing my lips to his ear.

He didn't respond but I could feel his lips tilting up in a smile.

***

Boxing day was all about the races.

Well, to the Shelby's, boxing day was about the races.

Traditionally, in my family, we went to whoever was holding the gathering and spent all day catching up - although we often spent Christmas eve and Christmas day together - playing games and being jolly.

In the end, we came to a compromise.

Family breakfast was shared where we all laughed at Arthur's pain. Ada had warned him about drinking too much.

After that, the Shelby's would go back to business, locking themselves away in the betting den, listening to the radio as they waited for the winner of the races.

While they were doing that I would take the children to visit the soldiers in the hospital before they closed down in the new year.

"Oi, we got some news," I said, interrupting everyone before they could rise and leave the table. Tommy raised his eyebrows as he settled his hand on my knee. I gave him a small shrug as I leant over a wiped TJ's messy mouth. "I'm sure you're all aware of the story Tommy told Freddie in the Garrison."

"Everyone heard," John mumbled under his breath, giving a small smile as I glared at him for interrupting me.

"Well, for the sake of TJ we've decided to go with that story."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Trust it to be Polly to question it.

"In all sense of the w0rd, Polly, I am Andromeda Shelby, wife to Thomas Shelby and mother of Thomas-J Shelby. We met in France and married in secret and I fell pregnant and moved to Small Heath." I shrugged as if it was as simple as that. "And now we're here."

"Are you getting married?" Ada asked, the hope in her eyes so clear as she looked between us.

"Well, technically, we are married," I told them, looking to Tommy as he took the papers from his suit jacket and gave them to Polly.

Pol looked them over, her eyes widening as she took in this information and shook her head.

"Surely you're not going to—"

"I've told her my intentions of marriage," Tommy said, his hand giving my knee a squeeze as I rolled my eyes.

"Legally we're already married so we don't need to do it," I muttered, ignoring the shared looks around the room.

"That's not fair!" Ada exclaimed, looking put out as she crossed her arms and glared at me. "You're taking this away from us all. Tommy has a right to a gypsy wedding."

"Ada," Tommy warned, sending her a look, shaking his head slightly.

I paused and took in the way his shoulders tensed at his sister's words and realised I'd missed something. Sharing a look with Newt, I had to wonder if this gypsy wedding was similar to a wizarding wedding. I had to wonder if this wedding was as important to Tommy as blood-adopting TJ was.

"Fine," I said, rubbing at my head as I glanced between Ada and Polly. I could see the relief in both their eyes before turning and finding the same in Tommy's eyes. "I'm not doing it now, I'll give you three months." I don't know why I said three months. Perhaps I was hoping they'd need longer than that and decide it would take at least a year to plan. "We are legally married so it doesn't really matter when and I don't want anything ... big."

"Good luck on that," John laughed, nodding at the conspiring look on Polly and Ada's faces.

"And I want Phineas and Newt there. Oh, and Harry," I added remembering the man that was my uncle in this time period.

"Don't forget Alfie," Newt said, and I nodded in agreement. I knew the gruff man wouldn't complain about it but I knew he'd be hurt if I didn't send him an invite.

"Yes, and Alfie, but I'll ask him myself."

"Fantastic," Polly said, riding from the table and clapping her hands together. It was unusual to see her so chipper. "Let's get to work."

I honestly didn't know if she was talking about actually work in the betting den or if she was talking about planning the wedding but I didn't care. I was taking this as my opportunity to flee.