I'm going to write this without any preparation, because that's what I usually do. I want to talk a little about Luke and Ezra and their comparisons to the sun and the moon.
This won't be a post about the Skybridge, but you can interpret it however you want.
Let's start with Luke. He came with the dawn. His light and hope illuminated the creatures. Like a star, he gave people the strength to keep going. He is a strong and powerful man whose presence leaves no room for doubt. He warms and sometimes burns. He acts boldly and with confidence.
On the other hand, there is Ezra. He is like the moon. He is not the strong light of a star. Ezra is a soft reflection. He listens and leads. Sometimes he observes silently, but he never stands aside. The moon always watches and protects. The moon cannot be alone, because the moon is a reflection of the light of others. Without light, the moon will be dark and silently gaze into the cold void.
This is actually one of my thoughts about these boys, and I'm not sure if it will stay with me for long.
Summary: Leah Hart had left the Shelby's in her past, or so she'd thought, a surprise wedding invite pulls her back to Small Heath. A place filled with people she had tried so hard to leave behind, but as her mother had used to say, somehow, you'll always find your way back home.
Tommy Shelby x OC (Leah Hart)
Word count: 2500 (approx)
...One year later...
"Alfieeee!" A Birmingham accent rang out through the distillery, reaching Alfie's ears as he sat at his desk, back aching from the morning spent hunched over signing papers.
"In 'ere treacle!" He yelled, small smile on his face as his favourite person stepped into view, her brown hair shining under the lights. "What do I owe such a pleasure, aye?" He questioned, squinting at the small smile playing on the younger girls lips.
"Well, my dearest Alfie." She began as she slipped into his office placing a quick kiss against his cheek before perching herself at the edge of his desk. "I have come with a question." She grinned, kicking her feet excitedly as she thought back to the letter she received a few minutes ago.
"How much d'you need?" He sighed, automatically assuming that she needed more money to buy more dresses that he was sure the girl didn't need, no matter how much she told him otherwise.
:readmore:
"Not money Solomons, well, maybe but that's not why I'm here." She grinned, laughing at the exasperated sigh that Alfie let out. "I need to go back to Birmingham." She grinned, faltering slightly as she watched Alfie's face drop.
"And why is that Treacle? Thought you had nothing left there no more." He muttered, rubbing a hand over his bearded chin.
"I don't, not really, but I got an invitation this morning, to a wedding." She gave him a small smile, feeling bad that she'd never actually told Alfie why she'd fled Small Heath, hell, he didn't even know that she was from Small Heath, only Birmingham.
After walking out on Tommy and the rest of the Shelby family just over a year ago Leah had ended up in London, knocking on factory doors looking for work when she'd stumbled upon Alfie's little set up. After an interview where she'd quickly impressed the king of Camden Town she became his secretary, then a friend, then one thing lead to two and she was wearing a diamond ring on her left hand. He'd questioned where she'd came from, of course he did, he'd asked all about her past and her family but the answers he got were always the same.
'My Parents died a long time ago, my aunt ended up raising me but it just wasn't working anymore, so I left.'
He knew that she was an only child, and had 2 best friends that she would sometimes speak off, although names had never been mentioned, not to him anyway. As suspicious as that may seem to some people Alfie never judged her, he figured that if it was anything important or anything that she wanted him to know she would tell him, for all he knew there was some kind of deep dark secret that had Leah running from Birmingham, but it wasn't his place to pry, and if him being in the dark meant he got to keep his brummie angel then that was fine by him.
"And whose wedding would that be?" Alfie asked, eyebrow raised slightly as he looked at the childish look of excitement on his fiancés face.
"My best friend, John, he's getting married!" She grinned, her heart bursting with happiness for her best friend.
They had lost contact when she'd left, and as much as she remembered her promises to write to the Shelby family she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She'd sent two letters since arriving in London, one to John letting him know that she had made it safely and had rented a flat, failing to mention the whole working for Alfie thing, she'd received a reply a week later, begging for her to go back, if not for Tommy then for him and the family but she shook her head with tears in her eyes and threw the letter into the fire, watching as the flames ate at the words John had wrote.
The second letter she had wrote was to Tommy, laying out all of her thoughts and feelings, the paper littered with tear drops as she told him how much she loved him but just couldn't stay, not if he didn't love her the same. It took her a week after writing it for her to eventually post it, but she did, and in turn she felt the upmost rejection as she never got a reply, she had laid her heart out to Tommy Shelby again and had been kicked in the teeth, again. That was when she vowed to never bother with him again, the Shelby's were her past and no matter how much she loved and missed them she needed to move on. At least that's what she thought until she received a call from the landlord of her old flat that said there was an important looking letter sitting on her desk that had been left for her, an invitation to Johns wedding, which apparently was a secret that even he didn't know about, Tommys doing, she guessed.
"Well then Treacle." Alfie paused with a smile, "We best be getting you back to Birmingham."
-----
Getting off the train at Small Heath Leah couldn't help but smile as the familiar smell of damp and piss filled her senses, home sweet home, she thought as she lifted her suitcase with a huff. Happily making her way down the streets of Small Heath she ignored the stares of passerbys as they watched with wonder, Tommy Shelby's girl who had disappeared without a trace was back.
The weight of her engagement ring seemed to increase as Leah slowly approached her childhood street, shaking her head slightly she pulled off the ring slipping it into the small compartment in her bag, she was only here for the weekend, there was no need for them to know about Alfie. She couldn't help but feel the nerves trickle in as she reached the top of watery lane, the row of houses making her heart race as she recalled the years worth of memories that she had on this street.
Taking a deep breath she carried on as she reached her destination, the big brown doors in front of her were closed a sign on the door stating it was for a family meeting and they'd be open again by 3. Checking her watch she sighed seeing it was just gone 1, shaking her head to herself she reached up and knocked loudly on the old wooden door.
"We're not open!" A voice came from inside, a female voice that she couldn't quite put her finger on, huffing to herself she raised her fist and knocked again.
"We ain't fucking open! Can't you read the fucking sign aye?!" A voice that she'd never forget reached her ears before the door swung open.
"Hello Arty." Leah grinned as Arthur's eyes widened upon seeing just who was banging on the dens door.
"What the fucking hell have I told you aye?" He groaned before a smile broke out on his face. "Oh come here Le!" He laughed as he reached forwards and pulled the young girl into his arms. "They're gunna lose their fucking shit." He laughed as he rested his hands on her shoulders.
Laughing at Arthur's excitement she followed behind as he led the way into the den, looking around she realised that nothing had changed, nothing but her old desk which now held the belongings of someone else, someone else's coat on her chair and someone else's bag where hers once sat. Dropping her bag outside of the door to Johns office, which hadn't changed at all, she noted, she hurried to catch up with Arthur as he stopped just outside the double doors which lead to the family kitchen.
"You ready?" He grinned with a wink, placing his hands on the door.
"Ready as I'll ever be." She murmured, her nerves through the roof as she heard the unmistakeable noise of the Shelby family on the other side of the doors.
Pushing open the doors Arthur couldn't hide the grin on his face as all eyes turned to him in confusion. "You'll never guess who I found." He said before stepping out of the way revealing Leah behind him.
"Uh, hi?" She more questioned than spoke as six pairs of eyes landed on her, all stunned into silence.
"Leah!" Finn was the first to break the silence as he got up from his chair and launched himself into Leah's arms.
"Finn!" She cried as she crouched down and wrapped the young boy in her arms, in the year that she'd been gone the young boy had shot up, now almost 8 old he was no longer the little baby that she had remembered, standing almost as tall as her. "Jesus boy what have they been feeding you?" She exclaimed as she put his hands on his cheeks and smooshed them together. "And so handsome too!" She grinned, laughing as his cheeks heated up in embarrassment.
Standing back to full height she looked over the rest of the Shelby clan, her eyes skipping over Tommy as her heart pounded in her chest.
"Oh you silly girl! Get your ass here now!" Polly practically yelled as she made her way over, wrapping her arms around the girl that had been more like a daughter than her nephews friend.
"I've missed you so much." Leah mumbled with tears in her eyes as she squeezed Polly as tight as possible. "I'm sorry I didn't write." She sighed as she pulled away, the guilt eating away at her.
"Don't you worry about that now Le, I'm just so glad you're back." The older woman smiled as she wiped away the few tears that had managed to escape.
Leah couldn't help but laugh as her eyes landed on John, sat at the table beside his sister with the biggest grin on his face.
"Well, you just gunna sit there Johnny boy?" She grinned, letting out a loud laugh as John bolted from his seat racing over and wrapping his arms around her waist before spinning her around the small kitchen. "I missed you too." She laughed as John finally placed her feet back on the floor.
"I honestly never thought I'd get to see you again." He said quietly, the smile on his face not hiding the hurt that sat in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry John." She whispered, her heart lurching just thinking about the pain her silence must have caused. "But I had to come back at some point right, otherwise Finn over there would've broken my legs!" She laughed slightly, thinking about the promise that she'd made to the young boy all that time ago.
"Break a promise and I'll break your legs." John laughed as he nodded to himself before pulling her in for another hug, squeezing her tightly. "I'm never letting you leave again." He sighed happily as Leah rested her head on his chest, only letting out a soft hum as she knew that in a few days she'd be back on a train to London, to Alfie.
"She'll leave again whether you like it or not." A bitter voice sounded throughout the room, all eyes turning to Ada as the pair broke apart. "And then she'll promise to write, promise to come back, but she won't." Her voice got sterner as she rose from her seat, Leah's eyes widened as they landed on Ada's swollen stomach, information she was in no way aware of.
"Ada.." Leah trailed off, her eyes burning as she looked at the younger girl who was once her sister. "I'm sorry, I am-"
"Yeah, sure you are." Ada cut her off, shaking her head before making her way towards the door. "If anybody needs me I'll be upstairs." She growled before walking out and slamming the door behind her.
Sighing to herself Leah looked down at the ground, she couldn't expect everyone to be thrilled at her return, she supposed. She jumped slightly as she felt John wrap his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her into his chest knowing that Ada's words hurt more than she'd ever say.
"You came back then." The same female voice that I'd heard earlier spoke, Leah's eyes locking onto those of Lizzie Stark, last she heard Lizzie was very popular with the males in Small Heath, those that had enough to pay anyway. The two girls had never gotten along seeing as Lizzie had always had a huge crush on Tommy, who only had eyes for Leah, but that didn't stop her from trying every time she managed to catch Tommy alone, only to be shot down every time.
"Lizzie Stark, well I'll be damned." Leah smiled falsely, never getting over the dislike that she held for the woman. "Never thought I'd see you at a job that doesn't require a bed." She snorted, laughing even harder as John buried his face in her neck, his own shoulders shaking with laughter.
"Enough." Leah flinched as she finally heard Tommy's voice, her eyes immediately drawn to his as he stared her down. "If you're done with the reunion I called this family meeting for a reason." He scowled, his eyes leaving hers and scanning the rest of his family.
"Get on with it then won't ya, I say we go to the Garrison and celebrate!" Arthur cheered, backed up by John, Finn and Polly.
"Family meetings are family only." He spoke with authority, as he looked straight into Leah's eyes, his cold, calculating eyes staring into her soul.
"She is family Tom." John was the first to speak, stepping out from behind Leah and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
"No, she isn't." He said, keeping his eyes on Leah, his heart clenching at the sight of the girl he fell in love with all those years ago, knowing he was currently causing the pain in her eyes.
"She's a part of this family just as much as anyone! And much more than that!" Polly exclaimed as she pointed towards Lizzie who sat with a red face glaring daggers at the Shelby monarch.
Leah couldn't help but laugh at Polly's words before shaking her head. "It's fine Pol, I'll wait down at the Garrison, I can't be dealing with this shit anyway." She smiled, placing a quick kiss to Johns cheek and a wave to Arthur and Finn she made her way back out the kitchen, through the den and back onto Watery Lane, trying to act as though Tommy's words hadn't driven a dagger right through her heart.
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Part One here:
💬 3 🔁 2 ❤️ 42 · Always ~ A Tommy Shelby Fic · I started this fic a while ago and have only just remembered!
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