The Garrison went quiet the moment the door opened. The clink of glasses, the shuffle of cards—all fell still as Linda stepped in with you at her side.

Arthur’s head snapped up first, sharp blue eyes narrowing, shoulders stiffening beneath his suit. Tommy leaned back in his chair, a cigarette between his fingers, gaze flicking between you and Arthur. Polly’s lips pressed into a thin line. Even John stopped mid-laugh, his arm frozen around Esme.

You walked in wearing a black full-length bodycon dress, an overlong coat draped around you like armor. Your hair fell loose, black strands brushing your shoulders, and though your lips curved into a smile, your brown eyes told the truth—tired, haunted, worn thin by battles too heavy for sixteen.

Arthur’s chair screeched against the floor as he pushed up, the mad bastard of Birmingham suddenly silent, every muscle in his body coiled tight. He didn’t see the dress, the coat, the false smile. He saw his little girl—the same one who laced her gloves in the morning to beat back her demons, the same one who cried behind a locked bedroom door when no one was listening.

“Come here, bab,” Arthur said, his voice rough, choked with something he’d never show another soul. The same man who’d slit a throat without blinking looked on the verge of breaking just from the sight of you.

Linda shifted uncomfortably, muttering something about responsibility, but Arthur didn’t even spare her a glance. His gaze was on you alone, burning, protective, feral.

Polly’s sharp eyes softened, reading the truth before anyone else could. Tommy exhaled smoke slowly, jaw tightening. Grace reached for his hand. John muttered under his breath, “Fuckin’ hell… she’s just like him.”

Arthur’s hand curled into a fist on the table, knuckles white. Then he opened it, extending it out toward you instead. “You’re home now, eh?” His Brummie accent thickened, soft just for you.

And in that moment, the whole room knew: if the world made his daughter cry herself to sleep again, Arthur Shelby would set it on fire just to put her back together.