Summary: Tommy founds out he has a daughter he never knew about. Or The long lost Shelby daughter raised as a widow comes face to face with her father.
Request: Nah
Warning: description of violence
Walking into the club in downtown London, Tomas Shelby let his eyes scan the crowded establishment in search for the young woman he had seen earlier that day.
Flashback:
"Mr. Shelby," Devlin called as her entered the office. "Your next meeting is here." He informed.
"Alright, send 'em in Devlin." Tommy replied putting away the paperwork her was been working on in her time between meetings.
Entering the office once again, this time with a woman following close behind. "Ms. Kitty Jurossi." He introduced causing Tommy to halt in his movement for a moment before looking up at the woman.
"Thank you Devlin." Tommy says continuing to put the papers away.
Once the two were alone they sat in silence for a few moment, through it felt equally as eternal for them both.
"Hello Tommy." Kitty greeted the man nervously. "Or do you prefer Mr. Shelby now?" She asked with a slight chuckle.
"Tommy is fine, Kitty." He answered with a close lipped smile. "Please have a seat, feel free to have some tea." He offered gesturing to the seat at the end of the table with a fresh pot of tea sat in front of it.
"Thank you." She replied shuffling over and taking a seat in the wooden chair. "It's been a long time, how have you been?"
"I've been fine Kitty and yourself." Tommy asked squinting his eyes at the sister of his former lover, a sense of unease creeping in.
"I've been fine as well Tommy," She replied. "It took me awhile after Greta passed on and I think I can just about put it behind me and move on. Which is why I've come here."
Remaining silent Tommy sustained his gaze in the woman allowing her to continue with her story.
"I've wronged you Tommy a great deal, before you left for the war Greta confided in me that she was pregnant." Kitty revealed. "She didn't have the heart to tell you knowing you may not have made it home to meet your child. She knew she was sick and that she most likely wouldn't have that chance either. She asked that when she died I take care of the child and if you returned that the child should be with their father." she continued tears began filling her eyes.
"But that didn't happen."
"No that didn't happen, Tom." She confirmed. "It was hard after Greta passed, I had just lost my sister, I had this baby I had no idea how to raise and no one knew how long the war would last or if you'd even make it back." Tears falling down her cheeks.
"I have no idea how they knew about the babe or why but about a month after it was born some people came to me, they said they would pay me a lot of money to let them have the baby, they said they would give it a good home a good family." She explained wiping the tears from her face. "I was skint and couldn't provide for it, so I said yes and I took the money."
"I have a child." Tommy stated.
"After I heard that you had returned from war it was too late, the child was already gone and I felt that it would do no good for you to know about it seeing as Greta had passed on, knowing you had also lost a child might have broken you."
"But I didn't loose a child did I Kitty?" Tommy asked shaking his head. "You sold 'em."
"I know I've done an awful think Tommy, its been eating me alive all these years." Kitty said now sobbing quietly in her seat. "Which is why I've come here today, to confess, I only hope that one day you... and Greta, may she rest in peace, can find it in your heart to forgive me."
"where is he now?"
"I don't know Tom, But I heard of you, I know you have money, connections things that would make it a hell of a lot easier for you to find them." She answered. "I know most men have no interest with raising a child and I'm not asking you to, I have myself together now, a job and house and they deserve to know about their family about Greta. I can raise 'em take care of 'em now, I just need your help to find the child Tommy, please."
For a while Tommy sat simply staring at the crying woman in his office, a woman who he would have once been his sister-in-law but had sold his child, a living breathing legacy of her sister, her own blood.
"Alright Kitty." Tommy finally spoke breaking the silence. "I'll look for the my child and I will find 'em"
"Thank yo-,"
"And you'll not come anywhere near him." Tommy interrupts. "This will be you first and final warning Kitty, I'll let you walk now, but if you ever come near my family again. I will kill you."
Hanging her head Kitty Jurossi gave a slight nod before standing from her seat heading to the door. "Tommy," Kitty called as she opened the door turning to face him once again. "You should know, the baby...it was a girl. You have a daughter."
It took longer to find her than Tommy would like to admit, but there was obviously no paper trail for the deal Kitty Jurossi had made. Tommy sent men out to search hospitals on any record of Greta giving birth, one came back the all records of the birth and the child itself was taken by a man claiming he was from a home for orphaned girl in London, though he spoke with a Russian accent.
More digging and with the help of his friends (Alfie) in Camden, Tommy found the was one girls home that received many shipments to and from Russia.
‘The Red Room Home For Orphaned Girls.’
Four days Tommy waited outside the home, watching, waiting but for what he didn't know. Yet on the forth day all his waiting paid off as he spots a young woman walking down the street, his breath caught in his throat as he stared at an almost exact replica of Greta Jurossi. She shared nearly every feature with her late mother save a few her and there, but the one thing that wiped away any doubt was her eyes, even from across the street Tommy could see the deep blue color of them. His eyes.
With confident strides she walks up the stairs of the building before entering the door.
"Where have you been for four days?" Tommy muttered to himself never taking his eyes off of the building as he reaches into his breast pocket pulling out a cigarette. What also caught his attention even more was that an hour later she was once again walking through the door and heading off down the street. "What the hell kind of girls home is this?"
With a quick honk of his horn Tommy caught the attention of the blinder down the street, nodding in the direction of the girl, a second later the man began following the unknown Shelby down the street.
[<_>}
Irina sat in the club, small smile on her face, enjoying a glass of champagne as she watched the people around her dance, do drug, have sex and more.
She casually scanned the crowd waiting for her eyes to lock on the man she had followed here. Paul Lipton, he was in the middle of the dance floor, dancing with a pretty blonde women that most definitely not his wife. She knew that for a fact because that was the exact reason she was here, turned out Mrs. Lipton wasn't the type of woman to just set back and let her husband cheat on her.
Downing the rest of her drink Irina stood from her seat heading straight for the dance floor, Spinning and twirling as she attempted to blend into the crowd, making her way toward the unfaithful man she reached for the knife that was strapped to her upper thigh. Getting closer and closer to Paul she raised her arms, doing once final spin as she passed the man quickly dragging the knife across his throat.
It took Paul a few second to realize what was happening to him, she watched as the smiles slowly slipped from his face before his hands shot up to his throat in an attempt to stop his blood from spilling out of his wound. It wasn't until he fell to his knees that his partner noticed that something was terribly wrong. Seeing the red spill from his neck and down the front of his suit drew a scream from the blonde that pierced the ears of nearly everyone in the club.
In an instant the panic started as everyone began to scramble in all directions to what they hope would be safely.
Getting the feeling she was being watched Irina once again scanned the, now panicking, crowd. She had to admit she didn't expect to lock eyes with a man standing on the other side of the club dressed on a long black trench coat, blue eyes nearly completely covered my the peaky cap sat on his head.
After a few seconds of eye contact she took a step back disappearing into the crowd.
[<_>]
Pulling up to the large house 'Arrow' as it was called, Irina took note of the men standing causally outside. Guards, though not very good ones she would say.
"Ne nuzhno derzhat' mashinu v rabochem sostoyanii, ya chuvstvuyu, chto eto zaymet nekotoroye vremya." She said to the driver as he opened the door for her to exit the vehicle.['No need to keep the car running, I have a feeling this will take awhile.']
As she approached the door one of the men broke from the group stepping in between her and the door.
"Can I help you ma'am?" He asked looking down at her.
"No, I don't think you can." She replied rolling her eyes as he blows smoke in her face. "I have a meeting with a Mr. Shelby." She informed trying her best not to punch the man in the throat.
Looking over to one of the other men a bit away her nods his head in the direction of the door before turning back to her as the other walks inside. The man in front of her stares at her for awhile scanning her body ever once and a while.
"You know if your going to see Mr. Shelby, I'm afraid I'll have to search you for weapons." He smirked at her flicking his finished cigarette away.
"Touch me and it will be the last thing you do." She smirked back at the man already prepared to take him out. Her smile only grew as the man took a step forward.
"Mr. Shelby will see you now." The man from before announced sticking his head outside the door.
"Oh lucky me." She says sarcastically, side stepping the man in front of her, coming shoulder to shoulder with him she stops. "And extremely lucky for you." She states before walking up the steps and entering the home.
"Right this way ma'am." An older women in the other side of the door directed her though a hall that came to a large door way. On the other side was a dining room with a large table occupied by a approximately 13 people.
"Mr. Shelby, your guest has arrived." The woman says gesturing over to you. "Shall I take your coat?" She asked causing you to shrug it off allowing her to take it as she exits.
"Irina," The man sat at the head of the table greeted. "Thank you for coming, please have a seat."
Walking over to the table she approaches the seat Tommy had gestured to next to him. Across from her was a blonde woman who she noticed was in a very large portrait above the fire place, she sat next to a small child, obviously her son.
"Mr. Shelby." She greeted back taking a seat. "I have to say when I saw you at the club this isn't the exact way I pictured we'd meet again."
"No?"
"Well most of my clients don't usually introduce me to their family." She informed. "It's not really a family friends profession."
"Are you a whore?" The blonde woman asked looking at you from across the table.
"No...well, maybe." Irina smirked. "I like most people offer a unique service for a price, everyone is a whore is you think about it, just selling different parts of themselves."
"And what service do you provide?" A ginger haired boy a bit down the table asks.
"Finn."
"No its alright Mr. Shelby," She assured. "Well, Finn to put it simply. I kill people."
"Are you serious?" Finn asked looking around the table with a nervous chuckle.
"Deadly." She smiles. "Which is why I was wondering why Mr. Shelby called me here, its no secret that the Shelby family tends to handle grudges on their own."
"So you've heard of us?" A man sitting next to Finn asked with a smirk.
"I prefer to know who I'm working for." She replied. "I asked around about you 'Tommy Shelby the man who could make an enemy out of god himself', So Mr. Shelby who is it that now even the all powerful Tomas Shelby can kill?" She smiles excitement shining in her eyes.
"I'm afraid you may be quite disappointed," Tommy says looking away from the young girl and over to the woman sitting next to her. "I haven't asked you here to have anyone killed."
Slowly the smile slips from her face as she turns her attention to the head of the table, leaning forward with a glare on her face.
"So you've wasted my time?" She asks staring down the blue eyed man.
"I've called you here to offer you some...information you may find interesting." Tommy corrected.
"If I wanted interesting information, Thomas." She started leaning forward some more. "I would have went to a fucking library."
"Not this information love." The older brunette sitting to he left states.
"I don't know how to say this so I'll just come out with it." Tommy started.
"Please do."
"about sixteen years ago, before I went off to war, I was involved with a woman by the name of Greta Jurossi." He explains. "She died while I was still in France, but before that she had a child. My child."
"Is this what coming out with it means to you?"
"A few months ago, her sister came to me to let me know of the child." Taking a moment to clear his throat Tommy finally 'came out with it.' "That child is you."
All eyes were now on Irina as she looked down at the table cloth in front of her. Tommy took her silence as a sign to continue speaking and began introducing the various members of the Shelby family to the newest member.
Having gone down the table Tommy finishes looking back over to his daughter, after a few moments of silence a small chuckle was heard as her shoulder began to move more and more as her laughter became louder.
"I'm sorry," She apologizes as she looks around to see no one else laughing. "I just find this whole story a bit ridiculous."
"You think we’re lying." The younger brunette with a short hair cut asked seemingly offended.
"Yes...No...well, weather I believe it or not doesn't really matter." Irina said waving her had dismissing the topic. "But you were right Mr. Shelby this wasn't a waste of time after all. Because I have some 'interesting' information for you as well."
reaching down in a small pocket in her skirt pulling out a bullet setting it upright on the table. On the bullet a name, crudely etched into the side.
‘Thomas.’
"I'm sure you are familiar with a name by the name of Sabini?" She asked rhetorically. "Well it seems you have offended him in someway seeing as he contacted me sometime ago with the request that I end your life."
"Imagine my surprise when I not only spot you in London, alone, unprotected, but then you invite me to your home." She laughed in disbelief. "So I guess the question now Mr. Shelby is, Mr. Sabini paid a lot of money to have you killed, How much are you willing to pay to stay alive?"
Summary: Evie is in bed, listening to her father pace back and forth in his office. Just as he does every night until it stops for second ending in a bang! Evie rushes down the stairs to him, scared that she may find him dead.
Warning: Mention of death
Word Count: 1,068
I hope you enjoy. Please leave a comment and reblog! Thank you @strangergraphics (again) for the divider.
Money never bought happiness, Evie had realized. Even at her worst, she never prayed for luxury, only necessity. Arrow house was big, uncomfortably so, and Evie couldn’t stand walking its halls. Big houses hold an emptiness that was uncomfortably loud with silence. At fourteen, she’d lie awake, studying the ceiling as her recent widowered father spent his nights pacing. She could hear the shoes scruff against the hard wooden floors. That’s all she’d hear.
Until one night, or early wee hours of the morning, the shuffling stopped for a second allowing complete, empty silence. Her slight curiosity stomped as the house shook with a bang coming from his office. Evie shot up and threw the blanket from her body. Charlie had only been a little shy of two. Somehow already a mastermind, climbing from his crib. On his hands and knees, he peeked from his room. Evie slid across the wooden hallway, telling herself to ignore him.
One could ask if Evie was fond of young Charlie, but it’d be a difficult answer. Of course, she had to love the boy. He was, unfortunately, her brother. And she knew, deep down in her heart, that it wasn’t his fault her father put pressure on her to take care of him. Evie halted at the end of the hallway that met the edge of the stairs. Slowly backtracking, she cursed to herself. “Alright, let’s get you back into bed first. Prepare for funeral number two,” she said under her breath, opening the door and scooping the boy up and placing him back in the crib. But after he was placed down, she wasted no time in rushing to her father’s office.
With both palms pressed against the door, she shoved it open, panting. But there was nothing in that moment that would allow her to catch her breathing, easing the anxiety that flooded her brain. Once in, she paused, the office bouncing back her wheezing. Her eyes scanned along her room until before her, Tommy laid. “Daddy,” she whispered, foot nudging at his own. He laid sprawled out like an eagle, faced down. His hair was drenched with sweat. Kneeling, she cautiously touched his neck, trying to find his pulse because that’s what you do, right? Evie had no idea, but so many thoughts flooded her mind. Scenarios of her having to raise Charlie by herself and manage that big, awful ugly house…. “Daddy!” she cried, swallowing the lump in her throat. Tommy was breathing alright. Just bloody fucking drunk, again. Evie looked over at the pitcher of room temperature water across the room. Not even moved from when the maid put it there almost a day ago…. Evie jumped up and sprinted for it, feeling a slight nick at the bottom of her foot.
When Tommy had passed out, he dropped his whiskey glasses, leaving little pieces of shards across the floor. Evie managed to step on a piece of glass, leaving traces of blood. Adrenaline overrode any ounce of pain that would have been felt otherwise. As she splashed the pitcher over his face, his eyes shot open, and explored the room before he propped himself up. “Daddy!” Evie said, kneeling and holding his cheek. “You fell…I heard it from the upstairs-”
“W-what?” he asked, looking around before feeling the wetness on his clothing. “Fuckin’ ‘ell,” he whispered to himself, groaning as he sat up and pushed himself against his desk. Evie watched as he attempted to ground himself on Earth again, wiping his face and shaking his head. “Time is it, Evelyn?”
“The time? Um…” She reached over for his pocket watch on the desk and opened it. “Nearly three in the morning….I-I’m sorry, I heard you fall and I just wanted to-”
“It’s fine, it’s fine, love,” he said to make her stop talking. Looking up at her, seeing a girl who matured into a woman overnight. Where had her youth gone? He felt like shite, sitting there and incapable of taking care of himself while his fourteen year old daughter wore the grown up trousers. Reaching out his hand, he forced a smile. “C’mere,” he called out to her. “My love….” Evie softened her face and grabbed his hand, but resisted against him.
“You need to go to bed, daddy,” she told him. “It’s too much now, you need to go to sleep. It isn’t fair to us or yourself….You’re running yourself ragged-”
“I’m fine,” he whispered, tugging her down. “Sit here with me.” Next to him she sat and he pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. “You’ve grown up, love….” When his eyes cleared of drunkenness, he spotted the trickles of blood that followed her foot. “You’re bleeding. Let daddy look!” Evie hadn’t even noticed, but when her eyes matched his, studying her foot, she hissed. The sting shot up her leg. Gently holding her foot, his thumb felt along the wound. “Glass. Darling, I told you to wear slippers.” Evie winces as he pulled it out with fingers before landing a soft kiss on the sole. “You need to be careful.”
“I just heard you fall and I ran for it.” Tommy held her foot, massaging away the pain. There were no bandages near them, and neither had the energy to get up. She watched as he closed his eyes, caressing her foot along his cheek, taking deep breaths. “Daddy, it’s been nearly two months now-”
“Shhhhhh,” he said to her. “I know-”
“She wouldn’t want you living like this-”
“She can no longer want or need or think for anything, Evie,” he said, opening his eyes. “She’s fucking dead. We’re the ones that have to do all the thinking, wanting, and needing… A man has to grieve somehow, someway-”
“A man has to still be a father,” she whispered, reaching out for his cheek, caressing it. “And I mean that for Charlie-”
“I do, don’t I?” he said, half listening, dropping her foot and pulling her in closer to him. “Fuckin’ ‘ell, wouldn’t life be so much more simpler if it was just you and I, Evelyn? The caravan, the stars, and the horse…. That’s what I’ll do. You and I, and the caravan.” Evie sighed and wanted to remind him that solutions were not that easy, but if living in his mind helped a man, she was willing to sacrifice reality for a little longer.
An introduction to the life of Nelly Shelby and her chaotic family.
a/n: This is the first chapter i’ve written for Nell, I hope you enjoy reading :)
Masterlist
England, 1919
“How are the numbers Nell?”
It had been a busy day in the shop. Another race was coming up and everyone seemed to be excited for it. Thomas had a new horse, Monaghan Boy, and people seemed to have a lot of faith in him.
Nelly didn’t really care about the race or the betting, she cared about the numbers and not making any mistakes.
“Great, a lot of people are coming in.” She smiled up at Thomas, who had his hand on her shoulder. He ruffled her hair at her answer. “Good girl, keep working.” He told her and made his way to Arthur’s office.
As she got her focus back on the books and numbers, she didn’t notice Finn coming in the shop and sneaking around. Her younger brother wasn’t really allowed to just run around in the shop. He always complained saying it wasn’t fair that he was not allowed, but his sister was, despite her only being three years older than him.
After working for a little longer, the 13 year-old needed a break from all the numbers. She stood up and smoothed down her dress, before making her way to the kitchen, joining Polly who was enjoying a cup of tea.
Her aunt was surprised to see her. “Already done?” Nelly got a cup from the cupboard and grabbed the kettle to pour herself some tea. She shook her head. “No, I just wanted a break, too many men in there.”
Polly smirked at the girl’s answer. Polly wasn’t too fond of the fact that her youngest niece was surrounded by strange adult men. However, knowing her three older brothers and some other Peaky Blinders were there gave her some comfort. She knew Nelly was academically gifted, especially in mathematics, and she knew Thomas trusted her the most with anything that involved their finances.
Nelly was enjoying her time with Polly until she heard a gunshot, followed up by Ada screaming. Aunt Polly immediately ran and made her way outside, with Nelly following close behind her.
What the pair found was Finn holding a gun and a dumbfounded Ada.
“What the fuck do you think you are doing, Finn Shelby?” Polly’s voice boomed through the streets. She walked over to Finn and took the gun from him, straight away taking the bullets out of it. Nelly recognised the gun as John’s.
She held up the gun. “Where did you get John’s gun?” Poor Finn was still in shock. He didn’t know the gun was loaded when he took it from the betting shop.
“I-I-I didn’t mean it Aunt Pol, I didn’t know it was loaded. It was on the sideboard of the betting shop and I thought it was empty and wanted to play with it. I’m so sorry, really!”
While Finn was explaining himself to his aunt, Nelly made her way to a shaking Ada. “Are you okay, Ada?” Her older sister simply scoffed and rolled her eyes. “He nearly blew my fucking tits off, Nell!” She hugged her sister, trying to stop her from shaking so bad.
“Nelly, please take your brother and sister back to the house, while I deal with John.” She gave Polly a nod and stuck out her hand for Finn to grab. Ada linked arms with her sister and put her head on Nelly’s shoulder. Nelly was quite tall for her age and was about the same height as Ada, who’s eight years older than Nelly.
When they finally reached the number six on Watery Lane, Nelly instructed Finn up to his room until Polly came back.
She joined Ada on the couch. “How’s everything going with Freddie?” She whispered to Ada, wanting to distract her from what just happened.
Her older sister gave her a smile at the mention of her secret boyfriend. “Good, good. I’m seeing him again tonight.” Nelly loved seeing Ada this happy. Freddie had known the youngest Shelby girl since she was a newborn, being the former best friend of Thomas. Nelly really liked Freddie, he always looked out for her and made her laugh.
“That’s really nice, Ada. I really like you two together.” She told her sister. Ada smiled and grabbed her sister’s hand upon hearing her support.
Nelly was the only person who knew about the couple. Some weeks before the young Shelby had noticed a shift in the behaviour of her older sister and had asked her about it. Ada was hesitant at first, not wanting anyone to know about the relationship, but she felt a need to talk to someone about Freddie and the relationship. The best person for that was her little sister, the most trustworthy person she knows.
“Thanks, Nelly. I’m just so sick of the sneaking around, I want to tell everyone, but he doesn’t want that.” Nelly understood the impatience of Ada, but she also understood why Freddie wanted to wait. Him and Thomas weren’t on good terms, and Freddie was kind of scared of the Shelby brothers and what they could do once they knew of the relationship.
She nodded at her sister’s words. “I understand, maybe you should talk about it with him? That can help.” Nelly loved being able to help people or give them advice, she didn’t care Ada was older than her.
“I appreciate it, Nell, but I’m your older sister, I should be giving you advice about boys, not the other way around.” Ada tells her.
Nelly chuckles. “That doesn’t matter, Ada. Aunt Polly has said many times that us sisters should stick together, especially when it comes to our brothers.”
“You’re too good for this family, Nell. You’re gonna do well in life.” Nelly just smiled at her, not entirely agreeing with her, but Ada didn’t need to know that. Those sentences had been said to her many times, by different family members. She didn’t like how degrading it sounded to the things her family had accomplished.
“I have to get back to the shop, otherwise Tommy will get upset.” She said while giving Ada a kiss on the cheek.
-----
Nelly said in silence during the family meeting. She didn’t really know why she had to attend them, she just did the finances for the company, nothing else.
“I reckon it’s communists he’s after.” Thomas said, in regards to the Chief Inspector coming to Birmingham. She gave a quick glance to Ada, who did the same.
Nelly rolled her eyes when Thomas said nothing had to be added to the meeting that was women’s business. At times her older brother forgets the women of the family ran this entire business by themselves. It was difficult, but they managed to do it.
By the way Thomas was talking Nelly got the feeling he was keeping certain information to himself. She wasn’t going to ask him about it , though. He would’t tell her anyway. He trusted her, probably more than most of the family, but he preferred to keep certain things about the business to himself or the older ones in the family. Those certain things mostly being illegal and dangerous.
-----
The next day was the same as always. Sitting in the shop and making sure the right amount of money went in and out.
She hadn’t seen much of Arthur today, she actually hadn’t seen him at all. She wasn’t alarmed by it, but it didn’t happen often that she didn’t see him for almost an entire morning. She felt a bit unsettled by it.
Her slight suspicions were correct as a bloody and bruised Arthur walked through the front door. Polly immediately called Nelly to clean Arthur up.
“Nell, wipe the blood out of his eye.” Ada ordered her. She grabbed a cloth and dipped it in water, before tending to her eldest brother.
“Since when did you give orders?” John amusingly asked his sister.
Ada rolled her eyes at him. “I’m a trained nurse.”
Nelly laughed at her sister, as did the others. She remembers Ada coming back from the church hall class, fuming because she got kicked out for giggling too much, it had amused the entire family.
“Be careful, Arthur. It’s gonna sting.” She warned him, before gently cleaning his bloody face.
Arthur hissed loudly when she put the wet cloth on his face, experiencing too much pain.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
He gave her a stiff smile. “It’s alright, Flower, just keep going.” The nickname, Flower, came from the fact that Nelly was born on the first day of Spring. Arthur was the one who uses the name the most. She found the nickname quite endearing in situations like these, but in other situations she found it dreadful.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Thomas came barging in and took the cloth from her.
“Hey! Thomas!” She protested.
“Give me that, you’re too gentle with him, Nell.” He told his youngest sister, not hesitating to put the wet cloth on Arthur’s face.
Arthur started informing Thomas on what Inspector Campbell had told him, during his investigation or better to say, his torture. While he was doing that, Nell just sat back and quietly listened.
Thomas didn’t seem surprised about what Arthur was telling him. She noticed his eyes widened a bit when the eldest mentioned a robbery.
The conversation started to die down and Nelly looked up, seeing Thomas give her a look that said “Please, leave.” She got his memo and went back to the shop, to finish her work for the day.
Thomas shared a look with Polly and they both seemed to be thinking the same thing. Arthur looked confused at them, before Thomas sighed loudly.
“You shouldn’t talk about those things when she’s present, Arthur.” Thomas told his older brother, while taking a drink.
“Why not, Tommy? Our Nelly is smart enough to know what kind of business we run in here.” He answered him grumpily, still in pain.
Now it was Polly’s turn to sigh. “Arthur, I won’t have any of you involving her in any of that copper business. She’s the best of us and you bloody know it.”
Arthur looked down at his Aunt’s words, knowing they were true. Eleanore Marie Shelby was a rare case for the Shelby’s. She followed the rules, listened to her family members and always the top of her class. Polly always said that the only bad thing about Nelly was her last name and the family she was born into. She could have a great career, be succesful and have an amazing life, if it wasn’t for the family she had.
The three of them fell in a silence, pondering about the future of the young Shelby girl.
Nelly is bothered by a man in the Garrison and her brothers fix the problem.
Masterlist
England, 1924
It was payday in Small Heath and the place-to-be tonight, was the Garrison.
Nell made a late arrival to the bar, as she had been in London the entire day, spending some time with her friends over there.
Originally she wasn’t planning on going to the Garrison, but John had insisted she would go and she had agreed.
She smiled upon seeing Arthur and John by the bar counter. She walked towards them.
“Hey, boys.” She put her arms around their shoulders, while greeting them.
They both slightly flinch, but smile immediately when they see it’s their little sister.
“You bloody made it.” John said.
Nell smirked at her brother, before grabbing a cigarette from her clutch, but she couldn’t fin her lighter.
Arthur noticed. “Here, Nell.” He lightened her cigarette for her.
She winked at him, as a way to say “thank you”.
Arthur got up from the stool and fixed his jacket. “I’ll see you lot later, I’ve to check up on Linda.” He said.
She nodded at him. Meanwhile, John couldn’t help teasing his older brother. “Yeah, checking up.” He said, raising his eyebrows.
“Fuck off, John.” Arthur laughed, and he disappeared in the crowd.
There were a lot of people present in the Garrison, more than Nell anticipated.
“What ‘re you drinking, Nell?” John asked her.
She thought for a moment. “I’ll just have a gin.” She answered, taking another puff.
“Oi! Get the lady a fuckin’ gin!” John yelled.
While the two Shelby sibling started laughing with each other and catching up, they didn’t notice the man next to them, taking Arthur’s previous seat.
John was caught off guard for a moment when an acquaintance greeted him. Nell didn’t know him, so she took a sip from her gin.
She suddenly felt a hand cupping her ass. She took a step back, and scoffed. She saw John’s acquaintance just leaving and took his place next to John.
“John, that cunt just touched my ass.” She told him, folding her arms.
His head immediately turned. “What?”
“That guy, next to you, just grabbed my ass.” She confirmed.
John got up from his seat, taking a few step and stopping next to the man in question.
“Did you just fuckin’ touch my sister?” He asked, angrily.
The guy looked scared. “Your sister? No.” He denied, while directly looking at Nell.
She rolled her eyes at that.
“Are you saying she’s bloody lying?” With each second that passed, John was getting more pissed off. You don’t touch his baby sister, without her permission.
“Mate, I didn’t touch her.” He denied, again. The guy had gotten up from his seat.
John had enough and punched the guy in the face. Straight away, he fell to the ground.
Nell just took a step back, slightly enjoying the show. That guy really had the audacity to touch her and then lie about it.
While John continued to beat the guy. Thomas and Arthur had approached Nell, asking her what was going on.
“The guy he’s beating up, grabbed my fucking ass and then told John I was fucking lying about it.” She explained, nonchalantly.
Automatically, Arthur moved to help John, to beat the fucker up, but Thomas stopped him.
He whispered something in Arthur’s ear and Arthur nodded at him.
They both grabbed John off the guy, and he loudly protested.
“Tommy, he touched Nell!” He yelled.
Like with Arthur, Thomas whispered something in John’s ear.
She saw John smirk and nod at his older brother.
Arthur and John grabbed the guy, who looked unrecognisable with all the blood in his face.
“Enjoy your gin, Nell,” Thomas told her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Guys, come on.” He instructed Michael, Isiah and some other Peaky Blinders.
Nell watched as her older brothers, followed by some Peaky Blinders, dragged the man out of the Garrison.
She honestly didn’t care what would happen to him, she didn’t appreciate being called a liar.
About ten minutes later, the men walked back into the Garrison, like nothing had happened.
The three Shelby brother walking over to their little sister.
“He isn’t dead, right?” She asked them.
They just laughed. “No, Flower, but he won’t fuckin’ touch you again.” Arthur told her.
She nodded, with a slight smirk.
Even though Nell was old and capable enough to handle those kind of men on her own, sometimes she likes the help of her older brothers. According to them, the message would be clearer then.
Nelly tries to help Ada and Freddie, but that seems harder than she thought.
Masterlist
England, 1919
“What do you think, Ada?”
Ada was seated in front of Nelly’s vanity. She had asked her little sister to do her makeup for her secret wedding. Nelly had sneaked Ada into the house, so no one would see her.
“I love it.” She replied, while looking at herself in the mirror.
Ada looked at her sister through the mirror, she gave her a smile. “Thank you for doing this, Nell. I wouldn’t have been able to do this on my own.”
“You don’t have to thank me. What else are sisters for?” Nelly smiled back at her.
Nelly suddenly remembered something. “Oh. I have a surprise for you.”
Ada turned around, with a curious look on her face. “What surprise?”
Nelly opened her closet and took out a veil.
She had stayed up all night to hand make a veil for her older sister. She had cut a piece of fabric from her curtain and sewed it until it somehow became the form of a veil.
Ada opened her mouth in surprise. “Nelly, oh my god.”
“What’s a bride without her veil, right?” She smiled at Ada.
“But let’s do your hair first, and then I’ll put on the veil.” She told her sister.
Ada nodded at her and she grabbed the flower crown they had made for this special occasion.
Nelly carefully put the flower crown on Ada’s head and twisted her sister’s hair a little bit.
“You look beautiful, Ada.” Nelly told her sister. She had put slight curls into Ada’s hair and the flower crown added some beautiful detail to her hair.
Nelly grabbed the veil. “And now the veil.” She secured it on Ada’s head with some clips, so it wouldn’t fall off.
After checking everything and retouching the makeup a bit, Ada was ready to get married.
“Look at you. All ready.” Nelly said, excitedly.
Ada smiled a bit nervous. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
“It’s going to be okay, Ada. This is your big day, it’s not very common like this, but still.” Nelly comforted her sister.
Ada nodded and walked towards the door, she turned around, to look at her little sister.
“Thanks Nell. Really, thank you so much.” Nelly saw the appreciation in Ada’s eyes as she thanked her.
Nelly smiled. “Come on, go on. Tell me everything about it afterwards.”
“I will. Goodbye, Nell.” Ada waved quickly and then she disappeared into the city.
Nelly watched her sister leave, in her wedding gown, hoping that whatever would happen, Ada would be okay.
-----
Polly and Nelly sat in silence in the kitchen, as they heard Thomas enter their home. Worry written all over her Aunt’s face.
About an hour after Ada left, Polly came home. Nelly had been sitting in the kitchen already, when her Aunt came in. Polly could see her youngest niece, had something on her mind. Nelly was smart, but she was not subtle.
Polly grabbed a chair and sat next to her niece. One concerned look from Polly and Nelly told her everything. Ada and Freddie hadn’t left and Ada was now a married woman.
“How do you know that, darling?” Polly grabbed Nelly’s hand, as she asked her. She was angry on the inside, but didn’t want to take it out on Nelly, knowing she doesn’t have any bad intentions.
Nelly looked down. “Because I helped Ada get ready for her wedding.” She admitted.
Polly had just nodded at her and got up from her chair. She poured herself a glass of wine and grabbed a cigarette, probably to calm herself down.
Thomas entered the kitchen and had saw Nelly first.
“You alright?” He asked her, but she didn’t answer, just looking at Polly.
Polly spoke up instead. “Are you armed?” She asked him.
“No”
“Then I’ll tell you,” she looked at Thomas before speaking again. “Ada and Freddie Thorne were married today. They defied your orders, they haven’t left the city.”
Thomas pulled his cigarette from his mouth and looked around in frustration.
He made his way around the table and stopped behind Nelly’s chair. He put one of his hands on the chair and looked at her.
“And you knew this?” He asked her, looking deep into her eyes.
Again, she didn’t say anything, she simply nodded at him.
He sighed. “All right, another sister who doesn’t tell me anything.”
Polly intervened. “Thomas, I’ll deal with it.”
Thomas sighed again and asked where Ada and Freddie were currently.
“Freddie’s comrades have safe houses. Why do you want to know?” Polly asked him in confusion.
“I want to send them flowers. Why do you think?” He replied sarcastically.
Nelly had the urge to roll her eyes at her older brother, but given the situation she was in now, it was better to not do that.
“Would it be so bad if they stayed?” Polly asked him.
Thomas fixed his posture before answering his Aunt. “I promised I’d run Freddie out of town.”
For the first time since he entered, Nelly looked at her brother, same for Polly.
“Who did you promise?” Nelly asked Thomas.
He briefly looked at her, before looking into the betting shop, where one of the other accountants was seated.
Polly got his message and closed the doors, for more privacy.
Once the doors were closed, Thomas spoke up. “I told the coppers Freddie wouldn’t come back. It was part of the deal.” He told them.
“What bloody deal?” Polly asked him.
“What happened to family votes? What happened to meetings?” Her face nothing but seriousness.
“If you let me deal with Ada and Freddie, it’ll end in peace. Christ knows you have had your fill of war.” She told him.
Thomas was quiet for a moment and got closer to Polly’s face. “You get Freddie out of town, Pol. Or else I’ll deal with him myself.” He said to her.
He opened the doors of the betting shop again and left the two women in the kitchen, without a goodbye.
-----
“What the bloody hell are they doing here?”
Polly and Nelly had waited for Ada and Freddie, in their current safe house.
“Two hundred pounds, Freddie.” Polly said, while holding up the pack of money.
“For what?” Freddie scoffed.
“For us,” Ada replied. “For a honeymoon that goes on forever.”
The three women watched Freddie sit down on his bed, as he sighed.
He asked where the money came from, looking at Nelly.
“It’s from the family fund.” She replied to him.
He nodded at her. “Pockets of widows and desperate men.” He taunted her almost.
Ada sighed at him. “See sense, Freddie.”
“Tommy is not going to let this rest. Times like these, a communist in the family is bad for business. You have to leave the city.” Polly told him.
Freddie grabbed his cigarette out of his mouth. “You think I can’t handle Tommy Shelby?”
Nelly answered him. “You can’t.”
“I am having trouble these days and I’m twice the man you are.” Polly interrupted her.
Freddie just scoffed and lit up another cigarette.
“I went into town. The Cunard office. I booked you both tickets for the next boat, from Liverpool to New York.” Their Aunt explained to him.
“America, Freddie. They’ve already had their evolution, you won’t have to bother.” Ada added.
He stayed silent for a bit, before speaking up again. “Would you ladies at least let a man sleep on it?” He asked them.
Polly grabbed her and Nelly’s coat and walked out the door. Nelly quickly gave Ada a kiss on the cheek, before following her Aunt.
Nelly wished Freddie had just accepted the money and the tickets. Her Aunt Polly had gone through great trouble to plan everything for the young couple and he always still acting stubborn.
As her and Polly were walking back to Watery Lane, her Aunt grabbed her hand.
“It’s going to be alright, Nell. He’s going to listen eventually and they both will be safe.” She reassured Nelly, or maybe the woman was trying to convince herself, that it would be alright.
Summary: The Shelby and Changretta family's decide to form a truce before anyone got hurt from the rivalry.
Warning: None
Requested: No
OC/ Carmen 'CC' Changretta
"I just don't understand why I have to do this" Finn said throwing his head back in frustration. "Isn't there another way?"
"Finn we've been over this, the way things are going we are very near vendetta." Tommy explained. "John was almost killed as well as Grace, the Changretta family agree that seeing as no life has been lost this is the time to create a truce before someone dies."
"Why can't Michael do it?" Finn asked. "He's older than I am."
"Be that as it may," Tommy started. "Michael is a Gray and for this truce to hold the girl must take the Shelby name."
"What are you complaining about huh?" John asked his younger bother placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm the one who got shot, your doing all the easy work." He chuckled as Arthur joined them.
"Unless she's ugly." He joked causing the youngest Shelby to cringe. Finn never thought of himself as a superficial person, but he would be lying if that wasn't a thought that he had been trying to push to the back of his mind.
The sound of cars pulling up cut the conversation short as the room became tense, everyone shuffling around as the men took position in the front as the women stayed farther back.
The door to the Garrison swing open at Luca Changretta's tall form enters the establishment his brother Angel and brother-in-law Matteo flank him. behind the three men entered Aubrey Changretta and her husband Vicente.
"Luca." Tommy greeted stoically.
"Tomas." Luca retuned the greeting with a slight grin that usually graced his face.
"Shall we sit." Tommy offered gesturing to the small table that sat in the middle of the bar with four chairs sat around it, two on each side.
Tommy and Finn sat to one side as Luca took a seat across from the pair.
"As previously mentioned we are here to discuss the terms of a truce between our two families by means of marriage." Tommy noted.
"Yes," Luca confirmed. "This must be your unmarried brother, Finn right?" Luca asked though he already knew the names of every person in this room.
"Yes." He answered short and quick.
"So where is the girl?" John asked growing impatient.
"My daughter is waiting outside." Luca replied as the smile left his face. "I needed to be sure it was safe before walking my only child into uncertain circumstances."
"And we understand that." Tommy replied. "But as you can see there is no danger, and given the topic of this meeting I think it would be appropriate for her to come inside if that's not too much to ask." Tommy finished with a raise of his brow waiting for the next move of the Italian.
Turning his head to Matteo Luca gives him a small nod before Matteo lets out a ear piercing whistle, after a few moments the door once again opened and in walked a young girl. To say she wasn't at all what Finn was expecting would be an understatement.
She had pitch black hair, much like the rest of her family, that cascaded down to the middle of her back that was clad in a long black trench coat. Approaching the table Angel leaned forward pulling out the chair as Matteo went to take her coat.
"Grazie zio." She spoke with a firm but gentle voice before taking a seat next to her father.
"Tomas this is my daughter Carmen, Tesoro this is Mr. Shelby and his brother Finn." Luca Introduced.
"Carmen." Tommy greeted with a small nod. As Tommy and Luca discussed business arrangement as well as wedding preparations everyone listened in intensely besides the two youngest members of each family.
Finn was focused on his future bride to be examining her every feature with an unrelenting stare. 'She's definitely not ugly' he thought to himself.
Carmen of the other hand was preoccupied staring around at the additional occupants of the room. The one who maintained her gaze was a blonde woman who sat at the bar her eyes focused on Tomas so much Carmen assumed this was his wife. She wasn't sure how long she had stared at the woman in curiosity.
"Is there something wrong Carmen?" Tommy asked pulling the young girls attention away from his wife.
letting out a sigh Carmen kept her gaze of Grace who along with everyone was now looking at her.
"Why do you stay with him." Carmen asked.
"What do you mean by that?" The blonde asked glancing around the room.
"Well he's obviously cheating on you." She replied with a shrug. "Why else would he care who Angle was fucking unless he was fucking her too."
"Excuse me?" She asked shocked with the accusation.
"Or is it the other brother?" She asked tilting her head in confusion. "But he's married too, is that how it works in the family? You let your husbands keep mistresses around."
"Ms. Changretta." Tommy called. "Not that its any of your business bu-."
"Well I'm the one that has to get married because it." Carmen smirked turning attention to the man. "So I'd say it is very much my business, So which is it?"
"Lizzie is apart of our family and we take care with who our family associates with.'
"So your racists?" Carmen asked. "Because I don't think a marriage will fix that."
"No Carmen its not about that either." Tommy replied pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Then If Lizzie is 'apart of your family' and she and Angel already like each other why aren't they getting married?" Leaning back in her seat seeming amused at the stress she was causing the older man. "So which is it Tomas are you a racist or are you cheating on your wife?"
"andiamo tesoro non essere cattivo" Luca interjected with a chuckle. "This is the way it's going to be, the past doesn't matter compared to the future.” (Come on darling don't be mean.)
"Fine." She raised her hands in mock surrender, but seeing the look Grace was throwing towards Tommy she knew even if she was letting it go they Grace most definitely wouldn't be. "So lets get this over with."
"Alright then." Tommy sighed. "Finn." Causing the boy to place a small box on the table in front of the girl.
Looking at the box she slowly grabs it up opening it before examining the ring inside. Plucking it from its pillow she swiftly slides it onto her hand. While Carmen takes a moment to admire the ring on her finger Finn takes the time to wonder about what life is going to be like married to Carmen Changretta.
__________________Wedding___________________
At the request of the Changretta family Finn and Carmen had quite and extravagant wedding, it took place in London which was the location of a church big enough for Audrey Changretta's liking. despite the tension the ceremony went off with out a hitch and before she new it Carmen was now a Shelby.
"Ladies and gentlemen it now time for the first dance of Mr. and Mrs. Shelby." Arthur announced as John pushed Finn to the middle of the now cleared floor. Carmen approached her husband as the music started placing one hand on his shoulder as he takes hold of the other.
"Sorry about this." Finn apolozied.
"Don't be its tradition it would have happened eventually." She shrugged. "Speaking of things that will eventually happen, I'm fine with you sleeping with other women." She stated as if she were speaking about the weather.
"What?" Finn asked trying not to show the shock on his face.
"Neither on of us wanted this, it would be naïve of me to think that you won't satisfy your needs with women of your choosing." She explained approaching the situation with the same indifference Finn noticed she did with almost everything else. "All I ask is that you be discreet, I will not be humiliated by one of your whores showing up pregnant on our doorstep."
"No..." Finn said shaking his head.
"No?" Carmen asked.
"No... not... What I mean is I'm not gonna cheat on you." He states firmly. "I may be a Shelby but I'm not like my brothers, your my wife I'm gonna treat you like it."
Carmen simply looked at the young man waiting as he finished his declaration.
"We may not have wanted this but I don't think that we have to be miserable the rest of our lives. I think if we get to know each other maybe we...could...learn.. or try to-." Before Finn could stutter out the rest of his sentence Carmen moves her hand from his shoulder to the back of his head, Pulling the down as to be able to reach him and planted a kiss on his lips.
Finn freezes from a moment before beginning to return the kiss, pulling away he rest his head on hers looking into her brown eyes.
"Your sweet Finn and if your willing to try so will I." Carmen said producing what Finn suspects is the first genuine smile he had seen from her. "Though I don't think we'll have to try too hard."
