Chapter 1

Thea wanted nothing more than to be working alongside her cousins at their illegal but popular betting shop. But unluckily for her she was currently sat in a stuffy classroom learning her times tables sat amongst other kids who wouldn't so much as say hello to her, fearing that they would attract the attention of the Peaky Blinders. Thea hated this because she was often alone while at school and didn't really have anybody her age to socialise with outside of the school gates.

"Thea Gray! 14x8 what is the answer" shouted Mr Arden the maths teacher, causing the rest of the class to gulp and stare with wide eyes at the now nervous Thea.

"Uh I don't know sir I'm sorry" she offered hoping he wouldn't ask any more questions; she was too caught up in her mind to hear what the class had been learning about this lesson.

"I'll give you one more chance, what is 14x8'' he repeated lifting up a ruler ready to strike the girl with if needed. Thea didn't want a clouting as she remembered how painful a strike to the back of the knees would be, she never got punished at home as the Shelby's worshiped the ground she walked on she was like another sister to them could never do any wrong in their eyes, but she had earned her fair share at school.

''112 sir" she said quietly not wanting to sound cocky. Thea was extremely bright but didn't want to seem like a boffin so often pretended to not know a question when asked.

"Thank you. Please join me up here this instant" he retorted; Thea was reluctant but joined him upfront anyway. As she neared his desk her heart began to race as she knew what was coming.

"I said I was sorry" she said hoping to deflect the situation.

''Now you have earned yourself 3 strikes from the ruler, you're relentless Miss Gray. Firstly, you failed to listen in class, secondly you lied about knowing an answer and thirdly you can't keep your mouth shut when being reprimanded'' anger clearly in Mr Arden's eyes. Thea sighed, closing her eyes and looking up to the ceiling. She waited for this nightmare to be over flinching 3 times as the wooden ruler made contact with her skin.

As her final lesson of the day ended, she was relieved that it was time to go home. Her right leg was still stinging but Thea daren't look she didn't want to see if there was a mark there, she thought if she put her mind to it, she could forget about the pain. As she left the school gates, she looked for Tommy Shelby who had arranged to meet her something that he would do every day Thea went to school. Being a young girl in 1920's Birmingham was never safe, and the Blinders swore on their lives that she would be brought home to their aunt Polly safe and well.

''Hi Tommy" she smiled as her cousin came into view, standing tall in his tailored black coat and grey hat with a freshly lit cigarette hanging out the left side of his mouth.

"Thea" he nodded his head, removing the cigarette from his mouth.

"What did you and the boys get up today then?" she pondered excitedly eager to know what deadly goings on that she missed by being at school.

''Nothing that you need to know about, come on Pol wants you back before 4 family meeting" Tommy announced, Thea wondered what her mother had to say.

''She's going to announce that I'm becoming a Blinder" Thea grinned twirling round behind Tommy has they both walked the short 10-minute walk back to number 6 Watery Lane.

"Maybe one day eh?" he smiled; Tommy very rarely smiled but when it came to Thea, he couldn't help but cheer up. When Thea was a young child, he and his brothers would help aunt Polly take care of her, often playing alongside their youngest brother who was only a mere 2 years older than Thea.

"One day sooner than you think" she giggled, ending the conversation soon landing in a comfortable silence. When she and Tommy arrived back home Thea hurried up the stairs and quickly got changed out of her school uniform into a pink silk nightdress which was a hand me down from her cousin Ada. Soon enough she found herself sat in the now closed for the day betting shop on a wooden chair at a wooden table sitting beside Arthur and John her eyes hopefully watching Polly waiting for her to announce what she had gathered the family for.

''Tommy can you come and join the rest of the family at the table please'' Polly asked her nephew who was sat in his office with the door open a jar, his feet up on his desk smoking a cigarette.

''Very well Polly" he spoke as he joined the family at the table.

"Now that I have you all here, I have something I'd like to tell you" Polly smiled, her family chatted indecently amongst themselves.

''Anna's alive!' she announced happily. Thea put her hand to her mouth in shock.

"I can't believe it" Thea leapt from her seat rushing to her mothers' side. hugging her tightly, Polly picked her daughter up and spun her around.

"Me nether, Michael will bring her home by the end of the week" Polly looked the happiest she had been in a while. Anna is Thea's older sister who had been kidnapped as a young girl and brought up in America, Polly sent her oldest son Michael to track her down as there was word going around that a girl with the surname gray was working in a live music bar in Brooklyn New York. As Polly set Thea down, she made her way back to her seat suddenly being pulled into Tommy's office.

"Where did you get those bruises on your leg" Tommy asked sternly.

"I fell over during break time is all" she lied, smiling at her pretend silliness.

"What really happened? Was it a boy if so what's his name?" Tommy wouldn't let this slip no matter how hard she tried to lie.

''I got them from class" she eventually announced. Sighing in disappointment at her revelation.

"And why was that then?" Tommy wondered.

"Mr Arden, didn't like my behaviour in class Tom" Thea replied casually her thick Birmingham accent shining through.
"By the sounds of this me and the boys might need to pay him a little visit this evening then" Tommy added.
"No it's fine honest I deserved it I wasn't listening in class and I back chatted him while he was telling me off" Thea panicked, she knew Tommy hated school violence at the best of times even more so when it came to his own.

"No man has the right to lay a finger on you teacher or not do I make myself clear!" He snapped. Thea didn't understand what the big deal was it was normal for a school child to be struck if he or she misbehaved.
"Yes Tommy" Thea looked to the ground trying her best not to cry, she bit her lip hoping to stop the tears that had formed in her eyes.
"Thea look at me" Tommy said softly he felt slightly bad for making her cry. She looked up at him the tears now falling freely, she hated him seeing her cry as if she was to become a Peaky Blinder crying shouldn't be on the cards.
"I didn't call you in here to upset you. I wanted to make sure that you know that nobody will ever lay a finger on you again" Tommy got up from his chair and pulled Thea close to him hugging her gently, she accepted his embrace staying there for several seconds before stepping back slowly and turned to face the door walking towards it slowly.

"Thank you Tommy" she smiled as she left the room and re-joined her family at the table.
There was a sudden sound of a bullet shattering the window of the room where Thea and her family were sat, Thea screamed as she saw the small metal object hurtling towards her trying to get out of the way.
"Thea get down" Arthur yelled as he quickly knocked her to the ground shielding her as the bullet fast approached them.
"Arthur no!" She sobbed as blood started gushing from Arthur's body.
John helped Thea away from the scene as the family rallied around Arthur who was now unconscious.
"John it's all my fault" Thea cried, John pulled her into his embrace.
"Shh, don't say that" he soothed kissing her head trying to comfort her.
When the second sound of gunshot filled the room, everybody feared for their lives.

Hi everyone, for a while now I've had an idea for a Peaky Blinders story in my head. This is a challenge that I think I need; I've never written a fic where it has been historic so I'm sorry if it's not historically correct. I'll try my best to make it as interesting and gripping as possible. I hope you'll enjoy my latest fic.