#tommy and ruby

Summary: Tommy has just returned back from North America and is spending the day with Ruby. After her tragic death, Tommy can’t cope but as he starts to see spirits of her, his world is turned upside down.

Characters: Tommy Shelby, Lizzie Shelby, Charlie Shelby and Ruby Shelby

Word count: 1,613

Warning(s): English is my second language, smoking, swearing, spoilers of Ep2, Ep3 and EP4.

Published: 23rd March 2022

Author’s note: This is my first time writing for Tommy and Ruby, I know this is not perfect but I really was inspired by episodes “Black Shirt, Gold and Sapphire.” I am loving the new series and I love the relationship between Tommy, Lizzie and the kids. I really wanted to write something so I decided to write this. 

It was 9:45am and Tommy was driven down his house Arrow House after a long few weeks away from his loved ones, he went away for Business now he’s back and ready to be a father again.

He rarely smiles but he’s smiling as he’s so happy to see his children and wife again.

Tommy Shelby is a man of many things and one of those things is happiness. He loves his family more than anything in the world.

He got out of the car, with a big cute smile on his pale face. He shut the door behind him and walked over to his youngest child, his daughter Ruby who is an angel, she is his angel.

She was running to her dad, she was so excited to see him again she hasn’t seen him for weeks. “Hello Ruby.” Tommy said with his lovely smile.“ Dad I missed you, I’m so happy that your back.” She said, the dad and daughter hugged.

“So am I Ruby, so am I. You look so beautiful look at your hair it’s grown a bit hasn’t it?” He said, she giggled “Yeah it has, I didn’t want it cut I like it long.” She says, “So do I Ruby.”

“Dad your back.” Charlie said running to him and Ruby, this is Tommy’s oldest son the son he had with Grace. “Hello Charlie, how are you son?” Tommy said, hugging him.

“I’m good Dad, did you get us any presents?” He said, “Yes I have you can both have them later, but there’s something that we’ve got to do first.” Tommy said, the children sighed they really wanted to open there presents from him now, they didn’t want to wait.

“Now where is your mother?” He asks, “She’s coming dad.” Ruby said, “Have you missed her dad?” Charlie asks, “Of Course I have, I’ve missed all of you so much.”

“Tommy.” Lizzie said, “Hello Lizzie, god I’ve missed you.” He said, hugging her. “So have I Tommy, the house hasn’t been the same since you left. Come on I’ll make you a tea, let’s go inside it’s a bit cold isn’t it?” Lizzie said.

“Don’t worry Lizzie, we can do that later. I am taking Charlie, Ruby, you and me for a ride in the car.” Tommy says still smiling.

“What why? Tommy, Ruby is fine there is no need for her to see another bloody doctor. She’s all better now.” Lizzie says, crossing her arms. She doesn’t like when Tommy fusses.

“Well I just want him to check her over one last time, that’s not a problem is it Lizzie hey?” Tommy says, opening the car door so the kids can get in, “No it’s not a problem Tommy, it’s fine.”

Lizzie says, “Good, now ladies first.” He says with a smile, they kiss before getting in the car, Lizzie gets in first, Tommy closes the door and gets in the front.

The driver drives them all to the doctors where Ruby is checked over and she is all clear.

After a terrifying night of Tommy having a violent seizure and Lizzie helping and cleaning him up, Tommy finally got some rest and sleep.

In the morning he wakes up around 7, he sighs as he stills feels weak but he knows that he must get up so he can get on with his life. In his own words “there is one last deal to be done.”

He gets up and gets dressed, he greets his family at breakfast and has some toast he receives a letter from Churchill, as in Winston Churchill the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Tommy works closely with Churchill, they are very good friends. “What’s that letter you’ve got there Tommy love?” Lizzie asks, she’s very interested in what letter Tommy has got.

“Oh, it’s just a letter from Churchill asking me to appear in Parliament on Tuesday.” He says, while putting the letter aside on the table, he then drinks his glass of water.

“Churchill? Do you mean Winston Churchill dad?” Charles asks, he knows exactly who Churchill is. “That’s right Charlie, Winston Churchill I’m very good friends with him.”

“Right I’ve decided to take you Ruby out today, there’s this lovely new little café that does really nice cakes and sandwiches. Ada took Karl last week, he didn’t like it though.

Then I was thinking that we could go Shopping Ruby, we could have some dad and daughter time. What do you think?” Tommy asks. Hoping that his daughter would say yes to his idea.

“Yes please dad, I’d love to that today thank you.” Ruby said with a smile. “Your welcome Ruby, anything for my beautiful children.” He said. “What about me dad.” Charlie asked, he looked sad.

He felt a bit left out as he wanted to go out with his dad and Ruby was he wanted to be included. Ruby got up from her seat and walked over to Tommy to hug and thank him again.

“You Charles? We can go fishing tomorrow if you like?” Tommy said. “Yeah that’s sounds great dad, thanks.” He said. “No problem Charles, now Ruby my darling we have got to get ready haven’t we?.”

“Yeah.” Ruby said, “Come on them Darling, go and out your coat on, that’s it good girl.”

Tommy says, they put on their coats and Tommy picks up the car keys.

“Come on let's see them off Charles.” Lizzie says, “Alright mum” Charles says, they get up and walk to the front door to see them off. “Be good Ruby love, and don’t eat too many cakes I don’t want you to be sick when you come back” Lizzie says.

“Don't worry Mum, I won't eat too many.” She says, she hugs Lizzie and Charles before she gets in the car with Tommy. “Bye Dad, have fun” Charles says, as he waves at him. “Bye Charlie, now you look after your mum while I'm out with your sister, won't you?” He asks.

“I will dad.” he says smiling, “Bye Ruby” he says, “Bye Charlie I`ll miss you, bye” Ruby says hugging her big brother, she waves at her mum and him and walk to the car, Tommy closes the door behind her and they drive away as they wave at Lizzie and Charlie.  

Lizzie and Charlie walk back in the house together while Tommy and Ruby drive to the café, when they arrive, they have sandwiches and tea and cakes, then they go shopping together they laugh and smile.

Two days later, that’s when hell happens after Ruby tells Lizzie that she is hearing voices coming from the chimney, she tells her that the Grey man is coming for dad, she becomes poorly quite quickly, she has a temperature of 101 and she is coughing up blood.

Tommy comes home quickly after having another flashback from the war and fighting with a solider in a room after he spoke in Parliament with Winston and Oswald both present. He drives himself, Lizzie and Ruby to the hospital after phoning Madonna so he can speak to Esme Shelby Lee, John`s widowed wife who is a Gypsy.

He carries her inside the hospital while she is unconscious, they run to get her the help that she needs and he see a doctor, he finally hands her over to the Doctors and Nurses who will try to make her better. He wants to get near to her, “I need to be with my daughter.” Tommy shouts.

All he wants is to be with her again, he is so scared that something is going to happen to her again, like becoming more ill or worse pass away, Lizzie comforts him and he apologizes to them.  

After seeing Esme, up in the mountains and discovering the truth about Evadne Barwell`s seven-year-old daughter Connie`s death by being cursed with the Blue Sapphire that he gave to Grace before she died. He returns back to Birmingham to only learn from Lizzie, that Ruby has died, he is saddened by this and a piece of his heart is missing which Ruby took with her as she died.

After her funeral, Tommy started to see spirits of her and hallucinations of her in the house. “Help me Ruby, please help me I'm fucking struggling here.” Tommy said while sitting in a room in the house, he can speak to the dead and he is trying to speak to Ruby even though she is dead and not in his life anymore.

“I'm here dad, don’t worry I`ll look after you.” Ruby said, she is speaking to him from the dead. Like with Polly, Tommy speaks to her and to Grace and Grace speaks back to him. His world has now been turned upside down for good.

He sees her standing in the middle of the room and smiling, with her hair tied back with a rich red ribbon, Tommy smokes a cigarette and cries, he throws all of his paper work everywhere and throws a bottle of whiskey that he has been drinking all day across the room, glass shatters into a thousand pieces.

“FUCK” he screams. “I just want you back Ruby, I just want you back, please come back to me. I need you Ruby I need yah.” he says, he falls on the floor and is comforted by Lizzie.

His angel Ruby is gone.  

“She was an angel, My angel.”

Technically, Tommy's never been aggressive towards her so she's not afraid of him personally. But she sees his anger in general, so she might be scared of him, I believe that she is actually, because Tommy is pretty absent in her life. So she rarely sees him and on that rare occassions she usually witnesses his outbursts of anger.

But still, she runs up to him to show him affection? It's not weird at all - even if he was aggressive towards her (he would never be, we all know, but I'm just trying to make a point xx) - she just wants her daddy to *see* her, to *appreciate* her. She wants to show him affection because: 1) she wants to soothe him when he's angry. she might also think that perhaps he's also angry because of her, if he's so angry all the time when she's around (that's how she sees the world at this point) 2) she wants to earn his love. she wants to show him that "hey, maybe charlie and mummy don't listen to you, but i'm here, please love me"

So basically, Ruby might be afraid of Tommy, but she's his little girl and she craves his love and affection, so she's still going to hug him, kiss him, give him gifts etc.

Gosh, that was so long, I'm sorry 😭😭😭

Oh no need to apologise it's totally fine. I love getting asks!

But yes you've made a point here. The thing is I never understand this dynamic of theirs specially when Lizzie says she's a different kid when he's not around and all.