#shelby!sister

[slvt4agoodstory]

Peaky blinders

(Not my gif)

Main masterlist

Tommy Shelby

John Shelby

Micheal Gray

Finn Shelby (none..yet)

Arthur Shelby (none..yet)

Shelby!sister (none..yet)

[hb-writes]

Forgetful

Summary: 1922 in the Little Lady Blinderverse. When Clara gets in trouble at school, she forgets herself and keeps digging herself deeper with Tommy. Thankfully, her twin brother is there to help dig her out of trouble.

Characters: Finn Shelby & Clara Shelby (OC) w/ Tommy Shelby

Peaky Blinders (Little Lady Blinder) Masterlist

Comfy-vember/Comfy-cember/Fluff-uary/Marshmallow March Masterlist

—

A warmth seared in the muscles of Clara’s arm as she continued mixing, trying her hardest to wrangle the biscuit dough together as she held the bowl in one hand and the wooden spoon in the other. Clara’s gangly arm was growing tired from stirring the heavy dough, all her frustration focused on the aggregate of sugar, butter, eggs, and flour, but it was safer to place her anger there than with the proper parties. 

There was more than enough kitchen staff milling about—she could have asked any of them for help, but some part of Clara felt determined to endure the struggle, almost as if the pain in her arm was a sort of penance.

Not that Clara felt she was in the wrong here. Her righteous indignation was strong as ever. And loud as ever. 

“What a surprise to find you down here,” Finn said as he entered the kitchens, throwing Clara a smile as he passed her by, reaching for one of the sandwich triangles sitting on the adjacent countertop. “Tommy complained about you the whole way from Small Heath. Said you forgot how to listen.” 

Finn was probably just goading her, hoping for a rise. Clara knew as much and still, she nearly responded. The drive to correct—to be right—was so strong, and Clara nearly told her twin that what he’d just said didn’t sound like something Tommy would say, especially not to Finn, but then Clara remembered that she didn’t know their older brother so well these days.

She didn’t quite understand their older brother anymore, and beyond that, Tommy had taken a particular liking to noting all the things Clara had been forgetting recently.

I think you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to.

I think you’ve forgotten who’s in charge.

I think you’ve forgotten the way of things.

I think you’ve forgotten your place.

And yourself.

And the rules.

And how to act.

How to listen wasn’t so far fetched, and anyway, it wasn’t wrong. Clara hadn’t listened to her teacher, and then she had made a scene when Grace turned up at the school to collect her. And her reaction, her unwillingness to listen to reason, had nearly doubled her trouble on that matter.

Either way, Clara figured it must be getting quite tiring for her brother to constantly be thinking about all the things she was forgetting, all the ways she was casually disappointing him with each word and action. It would be easier for him if he would stop caring about it all. 

Clara was certain she had said as much, expressing her own apathy when he threatened consequences or enforced them. Clara rarely paid attention to her brother’s response when she told him she didn’t care, but if she had, she would see Tommy come close to flinching, her unrelenting misery like a scar on this new life he and Grace were seemingly insistent upon. 

“You’ve got nothing to say?” Finn asked as he finished off his sandwich and poured himself a cup of tea. 

“No,” Clara said as she continued on mixing, her face scrunching up as moving the spoon around the bowl became nearly impossible.

“Let me do it,” Finn said. He brushed the crumbs from his hands as he stood, taking the spoon and bowl from Clara as he nudged her aside. “Tommy wants to talk with you anyway.” Finn tilted his head toward the ceiling and Clara knew he meant their brother was in his office waiting on her so he could give some sort of lecture. 

If Clara was smart, she would’ve gone up to deal with it straight away, but she’d already proved she wasn’t interested in being particularly smart or self-preserving since she had spent her day back and forth between the stables and the kitchens rather than up in her bedroom as she had been told. 

“Well, Tommy can wait,” Clara answered. “I’m making biscuits.”

Finn gave his sister an impressed glance and then he stopped mixing, handing over the bowl and spoon.

“Thank you,” Clara said as she took it back and began scooping the mixture out onto the baking sheet in small dollops. 

“So you do have manners?” Finn asked. “I assumed you’d forgotten those, too.” 

Clara snorted, rolling her eyes as Finn plucked a piece of paper from the pocket of Clara’s apron. 

“What’s this?” 

“My punishment,” Clara answered as she continued working, placing the rounds of dough and moving the baking sheet to the oven. Finn pushed himself up on the counter as he set the paper aside. Clara glanced at the clock on the wall to note the time—the rosemary biscuits needed eighteen minutes in the oven—and then she pushed up onto the counter beside her twin, reaching for the last sandwich triangle before Finn could take it. 

“They made me write a letter to the teacher,” she said, taking a bite and nodding toward the paper Finn had set aside without reading. “Like when we were kids.” 

This letter had been Grace’s idea, but writing apology letters had been their mother’s rule, something each of the Shelby kids had done when they got in a certain amount of trouble at school. Clara and Finn didn’t properly know their mother, but Polly had upheld the expectation once the kids had been old enough. Clara had written fewer letters than Finn over the years, but she had helped him in writing out each and every one he’d been assigned anyway. 

“Haven’t had one of those in years,” Finn answered.

Clara hadn’t written one in ages either. Even with all the trouble she’d gotten in with Bartow at their old school, it had seemed like a relic of the past, but things were different now. Behavior and grades and reputation, none of that had been particularly important before, but now it seemed to be all that mattered.

Like Clara was a mere reflection of Tommy and Grace, and yet the others were somehow excused from the duty. John and Arthur had their own lives. And Ada was off doing whatever she liked in London. Finn had been allowed to stop doing school all together and spent his days shadowing their brothers and getting up to mischief while Clara was expected to sit, all prim and proper, in that school remembering facts and remembering her place and remembering how to act when she could barely remember the last time when she had a proper conversation with a family member without arguing. 

Her older siblings were always teasing her these days or telling her to fall in line as the first topic of conversation because they’d mostly come around to the idea of Grace. It seemed Finn was her only companion these days, and his presence at Arrow House was intermittent at best ,so it was a nice reprieve for Clara to have him there, a nice reprieve knowing he would be present at dinner with Tommy and Grace, acting as a buffer.

“You’re staying the night?” she asked after quite a few minutes of quiet had passed, the two of them sipping from the same tea cup while the smell of the buttery, rosemary biscuits wafted from the oven. 

Finn nodded. “Not that it will be much fun since Tommy’s mad as hell with you. Why can’t you just—”

“This is his fault, Finn. Not mine. He’s the one who—”

Clara shut her mouth as Tommy stepped into the room, something about him there seeming completely out of place. Tommy had dragged Clara out to Arrow House months ago, and in all that time, Clara couldn’t remember seeing Tommy or Grace in the kitchens even once.

It was an easy place to hide away because of that. The same with the stables, as Clara couldn’t remember the last time her brother visited there either, let alone rode one of their horses.  

“I told her you were looking for her,” Finn offered, the words coming out like a reflex as he hopped off the counter. Clara elbowed Finn in the arm, but stayed seated, her legs swinging over the counter

“Can we do this later, Thomas?” Clara asked, glancing at the clock and ignoring the way Finn looked at her for calling their brother Thomas. The biscuits needed a few more minutes. “I’m in the middle of something.”

Tommy snorted. “In the middle of something, eh? You’re supposed to be upstairs, in the middle of thinking about your actions and making your apologies. That’s what I told you to do.” 

“Technically, Mary told me. Not you,” Clara answered, seeing as it had been the maid who delivered the instructions from Tommy that morning describing the conditions to be met if she wanted to leave her room. She would think about her actions, write the apology letter to her teacher, and then apologize to Grace for embarrassing her. Clara wasn’t keen on the conditions, but she had written the stupid letter and she would have apologized to Grace if she saw her, but that was before Tommy had come down to the kitchens, his mere presence drawing the fight out of Clara.

“And I’ve thought about it and I’ve decided I’m not s—” 

Finn cut Clara off, his elbow slamming into Clara’s arm as he realized his sister was about to go off, digging herself deeper than she already was just because something he couldn’t even be sure of about Tommy’s words had set her off. Finn couldn’t understand what his sister was playing at. 

“She’s plenty sorry,” Finn offered, nodding toward the oven. “Baking your favorite biscuits as we speak, Tommy, and she wrote this.” Finn plucked the letter for Clara’s teacher from the counter, handing it over. 

Tommy glanced at the letter as Finn continued.

“Was just saying she’s going to find Grace and apologize once the biscuits are done, too.” 

Tommy didn’t miss the look of annoyance that passed between Clara and Finn, but he let it go. 

“We’ll be in my office,” Tommy offered before he turned away, leaving the twins in the kitchens, the sounds of their muffled argument just able to be heard over the sounds of pots and pans, and dinner being prepared. 

“What did you say all that for?” Clara asked as she punched at Finn’s arm. 

“I was saving you,” Finn answered as he moved in front of her.

“I didn’t need—”

“I saved you from your own stubbornness,” he answered. “Aunt Polly said the two of you are both too prideful to admit when you’ve done wrong and if someone doesn’t step in, it’ll never stop. Now, if you’re looking for a way to thank me, you can make some of those chocolate biscuits—”

“Move!” Clara ordered, pushing Finn out of the way as she hopped off the counter to retrieve the biscuits from the oven. Clara focused on the task at hand for a few moments before glancing to her brother. 

“Thank you,” she finally offered, the words barely above a whisper. “Sometimes, I don’t know…” 

“How to keep your mouth shut? Trust me, I know," Finn offered, nudging her as he came to stand beside her, an arm slung over her shoulder as she moved the biscuits from the baking sheet to a plate. “Don’t forget, I’ve known you longer than anyone.” 

Clara snorted, but the notion brought her a bit of comfort. Polly had always said that she and Finn had a special bond because they were twins, because they’d been together since the beginning. There were times when Clara forgot how special it was to have a twin—times when they fought and times when there was friction between them—but then there were times like now when Clara found herself being so seen and so understood by Finn, so taken care of, that she couldn’t help but believe Aunt Polly was right, once again. 

Having a twin was a special business, and even if she didn’t always remember to say it or make him chocolate biscuits, Clara was thankful. 

—

Peaky Blinders (Little Lady Blinder) Masterlist

Comfy-vember/Comfy-cember/Fluff-uary/Marshmallow March Masterlist

[runnning-outof-time]

GIF blurb you say?

(not my gif. got off Pinterest.)

Omg thank you so much for answering the call!! I love all of the gifs you sent!! ☺️

My mind went in the direction of a younger Shelby!Sister for this one for some reason….I made her an OC because I’m not sure how readers would take to enivsioning themselves as a child.

My Eyes!

Young Shelby!Sister OC & John/Esme

It had been a long time since any sort of joyus occasion happened within the Shelby family. Well, besides the three oldest men coming home from France…but that wasn’t as much joyus as it was a relief that they’d lived through the terror.

So when John and Esme’s wedding came around, Lillie Shelby - the youngest of the Shelby clan - was having the time of her life.

Until she realized one of the main things that comes with a wedding: the kissing.

Lillie hadn’t really seen anyone in her family engage in a kiss before.

When John and Esme shared their first kiss as a married couple at the alter, the youngest Shelby didn’t think much of it. However, as she saw her brother continually engage in the act throughout the night, she began to feel more and more weirded out by it.

It all came to a culmination when they kissed right in front of her - not knowing the wrong they were doing.

“My eyes! My eyes!” the young girl shrieked, making the newlyweds break apart.

John was immediately grinning when he saw the grossed out expression present on his sister’s face. He chuckled as he responded to her: “you’re gonna need to get used to it, Lils, because I have no intentions of quitin’ on doin’ it anytime soon.”

Lillie frowned at her brother. Instead of saying anything directly back to him, she turned and walked off muttering: “just don’t do it in front of me.”

…I’m not sure who to tag in this, so if you happen to find it and read it, please let me know what you thought??

[wastingmylifesecondatatime]

UPDATE: 04.06.2024

NOTE: You can find other masterlists in  my mother masterlist

I have updated the following masterlists:

Criminal Minds Masterlist - One Shots/Drabbles

Peaky Blinders Masterlist - One Shots/Drabbles

Peaky Blinders Masterlist - Series

Cillian Murphy and his Characters Masterlist - One Shots/Drabbles

Golden Trio Era (Slytherin) - One Shots/Drabbles

Genshin Impact Masterlist - One Shots/Drabbles

[thatcrazyblonde57]

Meet Clara Shelby

“You can take away my books, Tommy, but you’ll never be able to take away who I am. I’ll never be like the rest of you guys, no matter how much you wish I am.”

Clara Elizabeth Mary Shelby is the youngest sibling of Arthur, Thomas, John, Ada, and Finn Shelby. She is 10 months younger than Finn, making them Irish twins. She is named after her Aunt Polly and her mother.

She’s the angel of the family; Sweet, kind, and naive. A hopeless romantic, head in the clouds type of girl. She is almost nothing like her other siblings, but she doesn’t have a few moments that prove her shelbyness. One similarity is her stubbornness. She’s incredibly stubborn which gets her into trouble quite a bit.

BE AWARE WHEN READING-

Her fics are kind of an au of sorts, due to the fact that I don’t like that the show writers killed off John and Grace.

I also aged Finn down a little bit in these, so instead of being almost 11 in the pilot episode, he’ll be almost 10 and I made his birthday a few months before so it was easier to have him and Clara be Irish twins. His birthday is in December now.

Another change I made was, their mother didn’t die like how she did in the show. In this, she died after giving birth to Clara.

Lastly, there’s shorter time differences between seasons cause I don’t want her and Finn to be that much older in season 6.

I’m so happy to finally be able to introduce Clara on here. I hope you guys love her as much as I do.🩷

[theshelbyclan]

A Sisterly Bond

Summary: Ada and Teddy don’t have much in common, but that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t make a good team

A/N: I just felt like writing again, and for Ada and Teddy in particular. I always imagine them getting on better and better as Teddy gets older. She’s still young in this one, so it’s a rocky relationship still 😂 anyways, hope you enjoy to whoever still is reading my stuff!

Words: 2630

*****

“Teddy, would you be so kind as to give me my coat?”

“No.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Ada sighed, “why do you always have to be difficult?”

“Am not,” Teddy grumbled.” I just don’t see why I have to be your lady’s maid, just because you’re my sister.”

“Ooh, there’s a big word!” the older sister replied sarcastically.

“Tommy says all fancy rich ladies have a lady’s maid.”

“ ‘Tommy says’…” Ada rolled her eyes and Teddy stuck out her tongue at her.

In many ways, Ada and Teddy were nothing alike. There was the age gap, of course, but they also just seemed to have very little in common. Ada didn’t care much for family business, while Teddy wanted to know everything about everything. Ada tried her best to live her own life without her brothers interfering at every turn, whereas Teddy wanted to be like her brothers in every way. Ada made an effort to never care too much, unlike Teddy, who cared so much and didn’t have a problem showing it. Also, Ada wanted to go out in her fancy coat and high heels, and Teddy wanted to run free in her brother’s trousers and shirt.

Polly watched the two sisters and followed Teddy with her eyes as she stormed out the door in a huff. She then turned to Ada and said, “Would it kill you to just say a kind word to her every now and then?”

Ada had her nose back in the papers and shrugged, “I don’t know, Pol. Would it kill her to practise some good manners?”

“You know what she’s like.”

“Oh, I do,” she sighed, “I remember when she was born and you told me how nice it would be for me to have another girl in the family. Instead we got… Teddy.”

———

Nine-year-old Teddy Shelby was walking through the muddy streets and pretended she was a pirate. With a stick in hand, she fought off the assailants only she could see and shouted out battle cries. But in the chaos of Small Heath, no one really noticed her. And if they did, they simply thought: there goes Teddy Shelby…

Her playing was suddenly interrupted though by her youngest brother. “Aunt Polly says she wants you to go with Ada!” Finn shouted out, as he ran towards her.

“Why?” she sighed, exasperated.

“I don’t know. She needs help carrying things from the market?”

Teddy kicked a rock, “Can’t you do it?”

Finn shrugged again, “It’s a woman’s job, isn’t it.”

“Oh fuck off!” As Finn pouted a little, she added, “Please can you go? Ada doesn’t even like me…”

If there was one thing Finn couldn’t stand, it was seeing his little sister upset, so he agreed. “You know, Arthur is always with John. Ada likes me, but you’re Tommy’s favourite.”

“I know.”

“So it’s not that bad, right?” Finn tried hopefully.

“I suppose not.” But Teddy couldn’t help but feel a little sadness over it.

———

“Aunt Pol says I’m to get you ready for church.”

“I am ready,” Teddy motioned to her dress, which she hated so intensely.

Ada sighed, “What have you done to your knees now? They look like you’ve become the chimney sweep’s latest apprentice.”

“Why do you always have to badger me?” Teddy called out, full of frustration.

“Just… clean your knees before Polly sees,” she waved a hand and put on a hat.

Teddy started scrubbing furiously at her legs. Ada watched her and decided that maybe she should make an effort. So she asked, “What do you think of this hat? Does is suit me?”

“I don’t know,” the little girl shrugged, “it stays on so I’m guessing it fits your head?”

“Bloody hell, I don’t know why I even bother. Let’s go.”

———

In the late afternoon sun, Tommy was talking to a man about a horse. Next to him, a small girl was following the conversation intensely, trying to learn as much from the interaction as she could.

“I’ll give you four for her, but no more.”

“Can’t do less than six, mister Shelby,” the man slapped her brother’s hand, “She’s a good horse, that one. Strong.”

“She’s no war horse and I could have fucking five of her for that price. Four and a half.”

“I have a family to feed, sir. Five?”

Tommy shook his hand and that was that.

After he’d left, Teddy looked up and, like she’d been in the business for twenty years, said, “She’s worth at least ten, Tommy.”

“Is she?” he took a drag on his cigarette, but inside felt like he could burst with pride. Then he lifted Teddy up and planted her up onto the horse, “Go on, tell me what she’s like.”

As Teddy rode around the yard, Ada joined her brother. With her usual air of indifference, she commented, “Well, if it isn’t the big brother and his pride and joy.”

“Hello, Ada…”

“Did she persuade you into spending more money once again?”

“Look at her,” Tommy pointed, “She might be the best rider in all of Small Heath.”

Ada raised her eyebrows and mumbled, “High praise…” In truth, Ada was impressed. She’d always been the odd one out in the family when it came to horses. She never much cared for them and riding them had always been more of a chore than a pleasure.

“Why don’t you tell her how good she looks up on that horse, eh?”

“Me? Why the hell would I tell her?”

Tommy locked eyes with Ada, “Because it’s you she wants to hear it from.”

She laughed a little at that, “No, Tommy, it’s you she wants to hear it from. Everything she wants to hear from you.”

As Ada walked off again, Tommy called after her, “She is your only sister, Ada.”

“And what a joy she is,” but it didn’t come out that sarcastic this time.

After a few more minutes or riding, Teddy hopped down from the horse again. Her brother asked her some questions about the horse and she answered to the best of her abilities. But in between, Teddy carefully asked, “Was that Ada?”

“Yes, just on her way home from the Bullring.”

“Did she watch me ride?” Teddy asked in a small voice.

Tommy observed her for a second, “Now, why do you ask that?”

She shrugged her shoulders and turned away to brush off the horse, “Just curious.”

———

Polly was a modern woman in many ways, but not in every way. She might’ve even been insulted if you called her that. So, when it was time for the spring cleaning of the house, she asked the girls to help. Well, she didn’t really ask.

“Ada, you start on sweeping and Teddy you can follow her with the bucket.”

Both girls rolled their eyes so hard it had to hurt and Polly couldn’t help but notice how in those few seconds, they looked exactly alike.

“I’ll be in the back with the washing,” their aunt continued, leaving no room for arguments.

Cigarette in hand, Ada started sweeping the floors at her own leisurely pace.

“Hurry up, will you?” Teddy grumbled, “I have to wait on you to mop and I do have other things to do, you know.”

“Oh? And what important appointments might you have, you strange little idiot?”

“Don’t call me an idiot!” Teddy stomped down het foot, “and hurry the fuck up!”

“Swear again and I’ll give you a slap!”

“Go on then!”

Ada huffed and swung her broom, aiming for her annoying sister. Teddy ducked and laughed, “You’re too slow.”

“Teddy…” she sighed, “I don’t want to do this either and I don’t have the energy to fight you as well. Just shut up and get this done.”

“Fine. Go on then, work, unless you’re afraid you’ll break a fucking nail or something.”

That earned Teddy a firm smack around the head. Angrily, she picked up her bucket and threw its contents in Ada’s direction, instantly soaking her sister.

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?!”

Aunt Polly came barging in the house after hearing Ada scream. Inside, she found a furious Teddy with one red cheek and an even more furious Ada, completely wet and dripping.

“I left you two alone for five fucking minutes,” she glared daggers, “and you can’t even behave for that long?”

Ada seemed to have found her composure again and grabbed another, dry, cigarette. “That’s what happens when you leave me with an actual fucking savage, Pol.”

“It’s not my fault! She started it!” Teddy fumed, “She called me an idiot and she does that all the time because she hates me!”

“Jesus Christ,” Polly lit a cigarette of her own, “Ada, go get changed and then you can continue the work outside. Teddy, you take over the sweeping. Probably my own fucking fault for thinking you could get along for half a day…”

With all the dignity she could muster in a soaked dress, Ada stalked off. Teddy picked up the broom and tried to avoid Polly’s eyes.

“I’ll have a word with her,” Polly said eventually, not without sympathy.

“Which is more than I’ll ever fucking have again,” Teddy spit.

“God,” Polly whispered to herself, “Why did you have to make them both so fucking stubborn?”

———

It was the evening after pay day, so all the pubs in Small Heath were filled to the brim. Normally, they didn’t serve women on their own, but Ada Shelby was the exception to the rule. Harry wouldn’t dare to refuse her.

“Here you go, Miss Shelby,” he said, as he handed her a drink.

She took it gratefully and went to sit down. The truth was, she was hoping to catch a glimpse of Freddie Thorne, but he hadn’t been in yet.

After fifteen minutes, she wanted another one and made her way over to the bar again. But the place was packed and it took too long for her liking. So, Ada went behind the bar and poured her own drink. Teddy watched her and smirked slightly. Deep down, she did admire her sister, simply because she wasn’t impressed by anything or anyone really.

At the same time, an older gentlemen strolled into the Garrison. He was dressed differently, looked like money, and had the confidence to match. Short as he was, he made up for it in attitude. Teddy didn’t know him and eyed him carefully.

Then he spotted Ada and made his way over. Leaning on the bar, he started talking to her, but Teddy couldn’t hear. She stood up and walked a little closer, while remaining invisible in the crowd.

“Come on, sweetheart, pretty girl like you all alone without a man?”

“Who says I am?” Ada shrugged, and Teddy could tell she was uncomfortable.

He smiled at her without humour, “How about I take you for a good time. You don’t want to be difficult, do you?”

Teddy frowned and felt the urge to spit at him. But instead she noticed how he was standing up on the little ledge of the bar, just a few inches off the ground. Cockily, he balanced on one leg, presumably to make up for the inches he lacked.

So the little girl grinned and just as he was telling Ada about all the things he had and could offer her, Teddy walked up to him and kicked him in the back of his knees. At once, he lost his balance and his legs buckled. And in one swift motion, he collapsed onto the bar and then fell flat on his arse.

The pub erupted in laughter.

Teddy joined in, but only got to celebrate her triumph for a few seconds. The man became furious and grabbed her, raising his hand to strike her. But before he could, Ada had grabbed a bottle and smashed it over his head. Afterwards, she calmly brushed the glass off her own coat and bit, “Now, piss off.”

“Yeah!” Teddy added, “Piss off!”

Ada looked down at her and grabbed her hand. She didn’t feel like waiting for what was to happen next, so she marched her little sister out of the pub.

Outside, neither said a word for a long time. Eventually, Ada was the first one to speak, “Would you mind explain what the bloody hell that was?”

Teddy shrugged, a little winded from having to run after Ada in her four inch heels, “I thought he was a bad man, so I didn’t want him to talk to you.”

Ada looked down at her strange little sister and felt a sudden surge of love for her, “He was a bad man. And I didn’t want him to talk to me.”

“Why?”

“Teddy… there are some good men out there…”

“Are there?”

“…but most of them are just bastards.”

Teddy pondered on that for a second, “How do you know which one is the not-bastard?”

Ada smiled, “Well, apparently, you already do. This one was not one of them.”

“So, you’re not mad at me for kicking him?” She tried carefully.

“Mad?” She laughed, “I thought it was bloody brilliant!”

Teddy smiled back up at Ada, beaming with pride.

“Thank you, Teddy, because for a moment, I did get scared.”

“I can come with you all the time, if you like!” her little sister quipped happily, “Keep watch for you?”

“That won’t be necessary, sweetheart, but I appreciate the offer.”

Casting her eyes down again, “Yeah, I know you don’t want me around…”

And quite abruptly, Ada stopped her in the streets, “Now wait a second, you strange little…” she quickly swallowed her words, “Teddy. Just because I don’t always like you, doesn’t mean I don’t love you. Do you understand?”

“No. That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Maybe not,” Ada marched on again and Teddy once again struggled to keep up, “but it will as soon as you find your own not-bastard!”

Teddy looked a little too pensive for Ada’s liking, so she said in her version of being comforting, “I’ll look out for you too and kick any man that gets to close, don’t worry.”

“What happened to you two?” Polly demanded, as her two nieces walked through the door.

“Nothing,” they both replied in unison.

Thomas looked from one to the other, “Tell me what happened.”

“We told you, Thomas, nothing happened,” Ada replied airily, while taking off her gloves.

“Teddy, you fucking tell me now.”

But even Teddy didn’t crumble under her brother’s piercing eyes this time. Instead, she looked up to Ada and said, “It’s nothing, Tommy. Just women’s business. Nothing for you to worry about.” She was now directly quoting her other female role model and Polly had no choice but to bend her head to hide her smile.

Ada smiled back at Teddy and left the room, with her little sister in tow.

“What the fuck was that?” Tommy sighed.

Polly replied, not without some smugness, “I believe that was a sisterly bond in action.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Yes.”

“Fucking hell,” he breathed, as he lit another cigarette.

Polly turned around to continue her work, “You’re outnumbered now, Thomas!”

Tommy tried to make a dismissive hand gesture, “There’s four of us, only two of them.”

“Yes, but they’re women, sweetheart, and women count for at least two men. Besides, they’re together now.”

This was all too much for the great leader of the Peaky Blinders to understand. There were some things, ‘women’s business’ as Teddy so elegantly had put it, that he tried to steer clear of. Still, he felt a pang of sadness over his little sister growing up. Maybe he was losing her.

“You won’t,” his aunt read his mind, “but you can’t protect her forever either.”

“If I can’t, who will?”

Polly smiled gently, “We will.”

*****

Masterlist

[captaincvans]

Empire

Pairing: Shelby Brothers x Shelby!Sister

Summary: The Shelby brothers are ready to set the world on fire to ensure that their youngest sister would be safe.

Warnings: Nothing but fluff here! Maybe a case of creepy dude, but the Shelby brothers shut that down reals quick.

Word Count: 1.6k

Author’s Note: I have another Shelby!Reader fic in my drafts, but that might take longer to post. I'm still debating to have multiple parts or whether I just want to post one long fic.

The Shelby brothers made their way to the market with their youngest sister in tow. It was supposed to be a more pleasant visit, hence why the brothers thought nothing to let the 7 year-old tag along with them. The little Shelby held on to Tommy’s hand, tugging at it when she saw the rows of shiny red apples that were being sold in the vendor behind the ones that her brothers were talking to. 

“Tommy, I want an apple.” She tugged on his hand, pointing to the vendor. He glanced at the distance, nodding his head. 

“Stay where I can see you.” 

“Okay!” she nodded excitedly, running off. She stared in awe at the amount of apples, and furrowed her eyebrows in concentration to pick the best apple. She wanted to get extra apples for her family so she started picking the best ones and collecting them in her arms. 

“And what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” the seller growled. 

“I wanna buy 5 apples, mister!” she responded. “And Auntie Polly said that’s a bad word.” 

“And where’s your money, little girl?” 

“I-In my pocket.” She tried reaching for her pockets when the man grabbed her arm and slammed it on the small counter, making her drop all the apples she was holding in her small arms. She was standing on her toes, the counter being far taller than her, and the edge digging into her frail arm. “Wh-What are you doing?” 

“I’ve known little thieves like you to be a liar as well.”

“I’m not a thief!” She took out her little bag of coins. “S-See? I have the money!” 

He took the bag, grinning at the contents before pocketing it. “Girl’s got money, eh? You probably stole them from some poor lad and I hate thieves more than anything.” He slowly pulled out a butcher knife, ignoring her whimpers.

“N-No- please! I wasn’t gonna steal anything- I s-swear!” 

“Yea you won’t be stealing anymore with one hand-”

“TOMMY! Tommy- Help!” The girl could only scream for her big brother, squirming away from his grip. 

The Shelby brothers whipped their head at the source of the screams, their eyes widening at the sight of their baby sister being held like a criminal with a man about to bring down a knife to her pure, untouched skin. They all ran, and if it wasn’t for their sister’s close proximity to the man, they would’ve already shot him dead. 

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Tommy asked, his voice eerily calm.

“M-Mr. Shelby- I- I didn’t know she was-”  The man held up his arms, dropping his knife and trying to not aggravate the pissed-off man in front of him. 

“T-Tommy,” the little Shelby cried, running up to her big brother. Arthur and John had already made their way inside the vendor, grabbing the man to make sure he wouldn’t do anything else. Tommy picked her up, eyes narrowing at the man as he felt her shake in his arms. 

“Tell me what happened, love.” He pulled his head back as she instinctively tried to wrap her arms around them and burrows her head in the crook of his neck. He grabbed her right arm, scanning the rest of her body for injuries as she talked and noting the scratches she got from trying to pry her arm away from the man’s grip.

“I-I wanted to buy a few apples for us, b-but the man said I was trying to steal. I gave him my horsey purse but he wouldn’t believe me!” Arthur patted the man down in search for the little bag and threw it to Tommy’s ready hand. 

“Right, then.” He picked up a nice apple, handing it to her, and walking away. He adjusted his grip on her so that he was carrying her more like a baby as he knew the second they turned away, Arthur and John would make quick work of that man. 

“I-I was so-so scared, Tommy,” she sobbed. Her little hands, wiping away the tears that couldn’t seem to stop falling. 

“It’s okay, love. I won’t let anything happen to you, okay?” 

“He wanted to cut my hand off!” she exclaimed, sobbing even more. 

Tommy was seething in anger, wanting nothing more than to kill the man who would expose his baby sister to the dangerous world that he worked so hard to protect her from. Alas, he knew she needed her older brother and not the ruthless leader of the Peaky Blinder. “You know we would never let that happen, love. They would have to go through all of us before even touching a hair on your head.” 

They made their way to their home, Tommy giving the apple to one of the maids with instructions to clean it up and slice them for Y/N, and to get Polly. He took her to the kitchen, putting her on the table. He gently took her arm, assessing the damage .

“Hurts,” she mumbled, her sobs quieting down to a whimper. 

“Polly’ll take care of it.” He rubbed her back comfortingly, leaning down to give her forehead a kiss. 

“What’s going on here?” Polly asked, gasping at the sight of Y/N’s arm and her teary eyes. “Oh my poor girl. What happened to you?”

“A mean man tried to cut my hand off, Aunt Polly! I was so scared!” she wailed, lifting her arms and wanting to be comforted. 

The older woman and Tommy shared a look one that said it was being taken care of at the moment. Tommy took her in his arms, sitting down on the table as Polly took the other seat with an emergency kit with her. The little Shelby tried being strong while her Aunt cleaned up the wound, making sure there wasn’t any splinters before wrapping it up. 

“There you go, darling. All cleaned up and better. There’s nothing we can do about bruises but they will go away eventually.” 

“Okay” she said quietly. “Thank you, Aunt Polly.” She fell back against Tommy’s chest, the adrenaline was fading and she could barely keep her eyes open. “Thank you, Tommy… for saving me.” 

“You never have to thank me for that.” Tommy spoke quietly to comfort her. “I know you’re tired, love, but you gotta eat something.” It was past the time Y/N should be eating breakfast as they were supposed to buy fresh fruits for her breakfast in the morning. He motioned for one of the kitchen staff to place the plate in front of them. 

“Okay.”

Tommy pulled the plate closer to her so she could easily reach for the apples from his lap. He rested his chin lightly on her head, placing small kisses here and there to comfort her. He heard the front door open and waited for the inevitable loud entrance his brothers were going to make. 

“He’s taken care of,” Arthur said in his signature gravelly voice. “He’s never gonna bother her again.”

“How are you, love?” John asked, looking at the bandage on her arm. 

She shrugged her shoulders, eating another slice of apple. It didn’t take her long to finish the apple, her hunger beating out her tiredness. She cuddled closer to Tommy’s chest, the adrenaline fading and she was left with the crash. “Nap?” She looked over at her brothers and aunt for permission.

“Go sleep, darling,” Tommy nodded, kissing her head once more and positioning her more comfortably on his lap.

In a few seconds she was out, and the rest of the family was left to process the events.

“Fuck,” John muttered. “I was gonna skin the man alive.” 

“No more,” Tommy said decisively. “She’s never going anywhere without us anymore.” 

“Agreed.” Arthur nodded his head.  

“Now c’mon, boys. Your world is no place for a little child,” Polly chided.

“A child,” Tommy repeated as almost a growl. “There are too many goddamn fuckers who would have no problem hurting a child, Pol. We have to send out a message. Anyone who dares to even breathe in her direction wrong will have to deal with the Peaky fucking Blinders.” The girl in his lap shifted, and he quickly softened his voice, rocking her a bit. “It’s okay, love.”

If they didn’t know Tommy any better, it would’ve been a comical sight to see him change tune so quickly. Alas, the gang leader decided the conversation was over and carried his sister to his office. The rest of the family dispersing to their own work. The second oldest Shelby had always found comfort in having Y/N near him when he worked. She didn’t mind the occasional yelling and swearing when he was working, and instead focused on whatever was entertaining her at the moment. She was a quiet child, not as rambunctious as her older brothers Finn and John. Most of the time, she would draw or colour pictures, but as she is getting older, Polly had given her a few book to get started on her studies. He placed her on the couch, putting his jacket as a blanket on her tiny body, but before he could get very far she started whimpering and thrashing her arms around. Tommy’s heart broke witnessing his baby sister’s first nightmare, and picked her up again. He decided to keep her in his arms while he worked, ignoring the fact that he would only be able to use one hand as the other would ensure Y/N remained on his lap. He was used to having her on his lap as he worked or in family meetings when he knew she wouldn’t be exposed to their dirty world. A smile crept up on his face as he remember the days she would play with the buttons of his jacket or his pocket watch while he ran the meeting, her presence alone able to settle any tension in the room.

“Nothing will hurt you, I swear it.” Tommy was going to build an empire for his sister, and there was nothing that was going to stand in the way.

[anonymooseforever007]

The Proposal

(Technically Pre!Luca Changretta x female Shelby reader)

Summery: Despite the assumption of many others Thomas Shelby didn't like unnecessary bloodshed and neither did Luca Changretta. So before a full out gang war could begin, they came up with a plan to make peace between the families.....And obviously the best plan they could come up with was an arranged marriage. And even more obviously not everyone one was pleased....namely the bride.

A/N: Hi Y'all! No trigger warnings other than usually Peaky Language and discussion of arranged marriage. Y/N is furious. Luca isn't in this one but he's technically the groom so....I wrote this purely to prequel another part I'm still writing! Also this is technically S4ish but it breaks away from cannon and is my idea of how a Shelby sister may react if Tommy tried to marry her off to prevent the vendetta! Enjoy❤️!

WC- 1.5k

Main Masterlist Part 2

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You walked into the Shelby Company Limited, waving and exchanging happy greetings with those who offered them. Lizzie looked at you as you approached her desk. 

"Hi Lizzie! How have you been today? I absolutely love your dress today, the color is brilliant! You wouldn't happen to know if my brothers are in would you?"

Lizzie smiled, "Hello Y/N. Thanks, I got it at this new shop. I can give you the address of the store later if you'd like. I've been alright, your brothers are planning something though. Been in since this morning I've got no clue what it is though."

"Ohh that would be perfect! Thanks. It was, as always, nice seeing you," you nodded pleasantly to your friend as you started to move to the private office. "Oh and Lizzie? I'm sorry about the noise,"

"Wha..."

"THOMAS MICHAEL SHELBY!!! I WILL STRIP YOUR FUCKING BALLS AND USE THEM AS SKIPPING STONES!!"

The entire betting shop went deathly silent as the you stormed in, heading straight into your brother's office. Slamming the door behind, you ignored everyone else in the room and went directly for your target, grabbing him by his collar to bring his face closer to your attacking fist. 

Unfortunately you, and luckily for him, Arthur and John had just barely managed to grab you by the waist and drag you back a few steps before your fist could make contact. Unluckily for them, you turned your wrath another way, practically jumping in the air to land a foot of yours on each of theirs, before dragging them both forward so their heads collided with a hard thud. Both men groaned while you made another break for your older brother. This time he was expecting it and grabbed you in a hold that would be harder to escape. Your hands were trapped between your two bodies and Tommy had one arm around your back, preventing you from pulling back. He'd even managed to wrap one on his legs tightly around the back of yours to prevent any attacks aimed in "softer areas". If someone hadn't heard your words previously, it may have even looked like he was hugging you. And not just that, but hugging the way Charlie liked to do whenever you saw him, wrapped as tightly around you as possibly, keeping you from moving away. And while you absolutely adored such cuddles with your young nephew, this was most certainly not like those times. 

The entire company seemed to be frozen in silence waiting for what would happen next. Those outside the office listened for the sounds of more yelling of even the possible shot of a gun. And those in the office looked on at the brother and sister locked tensely together, seeming to have a ferocious conversation without a single word. The furious glare you were giving Tommy would make any man question himself, but your brother only met your glare with an equally strong stare of his own. 

Then with an annoyed sigh you finally relaxed in your brother's arms. You looked at your captor with a raised eyebrow signalling to him that this is the part where he lets you go. Tightening his grip slightly, Tommy raised an eyebrow of his own. 

"Are you done?"

".....Yes."

"Really?"

".....Yes."

"You're not gonna shout anymore?"

"....Yes."

"You won't punch me?"

".....Yes."

"You gonna apologize to John and Arthur?"

"No."

"Alright," he concluded, finally relaxing enough to let you step back from his grip. 

...

...

You lied...

It was mere seconds later when Tommy's head was turned to the side with an echoing smack. His glasses cracked when they hit the other side of the room. You started to bat your hands at any brother trying to approach you.

"How fucking dare you!!! FIRST of all: sending Finn, FUCKING FINN, OUR BABY BROTHER, MY FINN to tell me because you don't have the balls to do it yourself! I was so worried when he came looking like he was going to throw up, you fucking bastards!! I thought he was hurt or someone died because he was so FUCKING anxious. But NO! He thought that I was going to STOP LOVING HIM because he was the one who had to tell me about your little WEDDING PLAN! DING DONG RING THE FUCKING WEDDING BELLS," you spat venomously, thinking of the absolutely miserable look on your youngest brother's face as he came to see you only an hour ago. Apparently, your other brothers thought if he was the only to break the news of your impending engagement you'd take it willingly, maybe even happily if it came from your favorite sibling. And to be fair, from him you had. You knew it wasn't his idea and given the fact he honesty looked like he was going to cry possibly, thinking you'd hate him forever because of his message. Like it was him who signed your death warrant. No, for Finn and only him you'd taken the news calmly, telling him it was alright and you'd didn't hate him. Reassuring him once again you loved him, and that he could come to you for anything at all anytime and that you also wanted him home by midnight; you'd left him with a tight hug, quick kiss on the side of his head, and some money to take the sweet girl he'd been talking with to the movies....

Then you set out for your older brothers....

Now here you were, giving them your real opinions which they hoped Finn would soften the brute of.

"AND on that note! Who THE FUCK are you? THINKING YOU THINK YOU HAVE ANY FUCKING RIGHT TO MARRY ME OFF FOR YOUR LITTLE PISSING PARTY," your volume increasing as you raged, while dodging around your brothers to climb on Tommy's' desk so you could yell at them without being cut off as easily. "JUST BECAUSE YOUR LITTLE BIRD BRAINS ONLY UNDERSTANDS PLANS INVOLVING FIGHTING AND FUCKING DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE WHAT YOU SHOULD USE!!," John yelped as you stomped on his hand trying to grab your ankle to pull you off the desk. "I!! I WILL NOT BE USED IN ONE OF YOUR SHITTY LITTLE SCHEMES TO MAKE PEACE BECAUSE YOU MEN FUCKED SOMETHING UP AGAIN!! DO YOU FUCKING HEAR ME! I AM NOT SOME BARGAINING CHIP TO BE BET IN YOUR GAMBLING GAME," you kicked Tommy's stapler backwards towards Arthur's head as he tried to grab you from behind. "I WILL WORK WHERE I WANT. I WILL LIVE WHERE I WANT. MEET WHO I WANT. FIGHT WHO I WANT. AND FUCK WHO I WANT!! DO YOU YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND?!"

Again the room was silent as you and Tommy stared at each other. You from on top of his desk holding his empty whiskey glass, ready to throw, and him right in front, a bright red handprint blooming in his pale skin. Tommy opened his mouth to speak and you opened yours, still angry and ready to refute whatever he said. But then Tommy raised his arms in peace and took a few steps back slowly, keeping his eyes on yours in a show of surrender. 

"Alright. Alright Y/N we've heard what you have to say..."

"Don't fucking patronize me Tommy. I'm not a fucking horse you can calm or sell on a whim," you refuted, sighing as the fight finally left you. You were still furious yes, but you were tired of yelling. It wasn't something you did often and even now you were really only doing it to keep yourself from hitting your brother again. He couldn't listen to you if he was unconscious. Still moving forward with his arms slightly raised Tommy tried again.

"Alright," Tommy repeated raising one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose like he did when he was stressed. Sure he expected you to be mad, you had even been pissed when he arranged John's marriage with Esme, and you adored the women as much if not more than John himself did. He knew your feelings on marrying for Love and not business and to be fair he didn't disagree. And even if it made him slightly sick to think of having to do this, a pact bound with marriage was the only was Luca would agree to reconsider the black hands.

'A bond thorough blood bound or blood spilled' those were his words.

"I get you're angry Y/N. And I'm sorry it had to be this way," Tommy spoke firmly but vaguely, and there was almost a slight pleading there, ask if he was asking you to let it go just this once. As if he was asking you to grab his jacket instead of tie yourself to a man you'd never met. "But you don't understand the situation we're in." Tommy moved to grab one of the papers you'd knocked off the desk in your ranting. He reached up to hand it to and you grabbed it before staring at it for a moment processing what was before you. And for some reason you couldn't explain but that paper was all it took for your anger to return full force. Who at kind of death threat even was this?

"YOU EXPECT ME TO GET MARRIED TO A STRANGER BECAUSE OF A FUCKING FINGER PAINTING?!"

....

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Part 2

Main Masterlist