"Edie, Edie we have to go now!"
Roughly shaken from her slumber she sat up bleary eyed, only to be all but dragged out of her bed by her brother Vernon. As her sleepy stupor started to dissipate, she realised it was late into the night, and the panicked darting of her brother's eyes in the darkness proved to a young Edie that something was very wrong.
"What's going on Ver?" She was met with silence as he thrust a bundle of clothing into her arms and told her to get dressed. Still half asleep she barely protested, not even realising that they were an old shirt and trousers- boys clothes that had belonged to the youngest of her older brothers when he was her age. The fit was terrible on her petite and wiry flame, the sleeves far longer than the length of her arms and the trousers needing to be rolled up at the ankles in order for her brother to stuff her feet in a pair of clunky boots. They headed downstairs, where her 4 other brothers and Father were congregated, guns in hand.
"Father?" Her voice questioned as she looked at the bearded man with wide eyes, though she wasn't really sure what it was she was asking.
His old green eyes were glassy and she found her own eyes tearing up as she realised for some apparent reason he was crying.
"You need to go with Vernon, Edie."
"Why I don't understand, what's the matter?"
He shrunk to her height to hold her tight, as Vernon's eyes followed his brothers' to glance out of the window.
There were figures approaching in the darkness.
They needed to hurry.
"I need you to do something for me Edie, okay can you do this?"
She nodded with a passion, though what she was agreeing to she did not know.
"I want you to be brave. Be strong and be brave."
"I.." She started to say, her inquisitive mind racing with so many confused thoughts, she couldn't even form one question.
"Father." Vernon spoke, and he nodded, kissing the top of Edie's head before tucking her lovely brunette locks into a cap.
"I love you, don't forget that. Now go with your brother."
Edie wasn't even given the chance to say an I love you back, as she was whisked away, with Vernon promising to find 'them' whoever 'they' where.
She struggled to keep up with her brothers run as they left the house through the back exit; her boots were atleast two sizes too big and it was raining hard, causing the cobbled streets to become slippy.
They were barely a short distance away from their home when a series of yells and a gunshot followed by several more were heard.
For a fraction of a moment Vernon, who was clutching her hand tightly, staggered.
Then his grip tightened and he set off in a run faster than before, when Edie was sure she heard the sound of footsteps splashing through puddles behind them.
A hand reached out from an intersecting alleyway, gripping the bag of her shirt and she wailed as she was torn away from her brother.
A gunshot ran out and she heard Vernon grunt, wriggling in the arms of her captor, kicking and screaming before using the only weapon she could think of next-her teeth, to bite down and draw blood.
She was released with a few angry curses, and Vernon aimed quickly, shooting at the man that had previously had her in his hold.
"Come on Edie, we're almost there."
Vernon breathed out, wrapping an arm around Edie's narrow shoulders and pushing her forward.
She was running again. Running through darkness, and rain and gunfire.
And then she fell.
Her palms scuffed the dirt, and the cap that was on her head toppled into a puddle with splash.
Vernon hurried to pick her up from the floor, but as soon as he did there was more gunfire, and then as she let out a horrified scream he crumpled infront of her- a bullet had shot right through him.
"Vernon!" She screeched, dropping to his side and pulling his arm to try get him to stand.
His mouth opened as he made to speak, only for a gargling cough and a splutter of a dark liquid to drip down his chin.
"Run."
He mouthed, but she shook her head refusing to leave his side.
The men pursuing them soon rounded up on her, some in uniform some in not, and as Vernon urgently tried to tell her to run she was grabbed and forced to her feet as the men inspected her.
"You're Chester Leadley's daughter aren't you?"
The one restraining her flailing limbs asked, looking over her boyish attire and laughing because her long hair and feminine face were an obvious answer.
Her eyes squeezed shut as a gun was fired, once then twice, then again and again, and the men around her dropped like flies as a dark figure emerged in the alleyway.
"How bad is it?"
Her eyes opened at the familiar voice, it was a voice she'd heard her father and brother talk business with many times before.
Vernon, let out a rasp of a breath, from his collapsed position on the cold wet floor.
"Edie..."
She scrambled over to her brother, brushing his damp curls from his forehead as his stuttering breaths slowed to a stop.
"Vernon!"
"Come on," The voice belonging to the dark figure ordered, but she couldn't bring herself to leave her injured brother.
She shook her head and like he was picking up a puppy, the dark figure grabbed her shirt by the scruff of her neck and pulled her to her feet.
"Come with me, now."
"But Vernon-" She protested only for him to huff.
"Is dead, and so is the rest of your family and so will you be if you don't follow me now, there was a lot of gunfire, the rest of them will follow the sound of it."
Edie debated for a moment whether to follow this man, tears streaming down her face and an aching lump in her chest as her eyes wouldn't leave Vernon's lifeless form.
They were all dead, her father, her brothers, would it really be so bad if she joined them?
"Listen 'ere kid, if your father wanted you to die along with them he wouldn't have gone through all this, he wouldn't have come to me, to see that you get out safe."
Edie sucked in a breath, rubbing her eyes and the man started walking, as if he knew she would follow.
They turned through a series of covert alleyways until they reached a house and a woman with dark curly hair opened the door and all but pulled Edie in.
The woman turned to the man that had brought Edie and exhaled a breath of relief.
"Thank god you're back Tommy."
The man barely muttered a response, heading straight for alcohol and a cigarette.
"She can stay in Aida's room tonight, we'll take her to Agnes when things calm down."
"Things won't be calm for a few days Pol." He said, and the older woman nodded, before turning her attention to the young girl.
Edie Leadley wasn't much older than Michael would be, though she had a babyface and small proportions that made her look so much younger.
"Poor child." Polly sighed, rubbing Edies shoulder as she watched the girl shiver from both the cold and fear.
"Let's get you sorted yeah?"
Edie was reluctant, but the woman had such a kind smile, one that reminded her of her mother. Her father had also trusted these people, so since they were the only thing she had left she nodded allowing Polly to take her arm.
She had been given a hot bath and clean, warm clothes, but it did very little to soothe Edie. Everytime she blinked she could still see her brother bleeding out and dying, and she could still hear the gunshots playing on a loop in her mind.
As Polly combed through her hair she explained to Edie, everything that was going to happen from now. Edie would be living with a new family, a woman named Agnes who had a son named Ernie who was two years older than her.
The woman then apologised because Edie had such lovely locks of hair and it was a neccessary evil (atleast for the time being), that it would need to be chopped. To avoid suspicion Edie would have to spend a short while in boys clothing as Eddy, and when it was safe she would be reintroduced as a sickly daughter of Agnes' who would eventually recover their health.
4 years Later
"Edie don't you fucking dare!"
Ernie, sent a look to Edie that was both desperate and at the same time came with a warning, as she held the manuscript over the fire.
She looked at him with an impish grin, raising an eyebrow and edging the manuscript closer to the glowing embers.
"Why shouldn't I? I wrote this third rate filth for you, and it's absolutely dreadful, so if I wish to burn it I absolutely can."
"You absolutely cannot."
Ernie stated exasperatedly, lunging to grab the papers that were starting to curl at the edges due to the heat.
Edie let out a childish giggle darting off and behind the desk, kicking a chair infront of Ernie to obstruct his path as he set chase.
"I have a deadline Edie, a very important deadline that I cannot miss."
"Well, you should have thought of that before getting drunk with John and the lads and cutting your hand on a glass."
She stuck out her tongue before proceeding to tear the papers into pieces.
The look of horror on Ernie's face contorted quickly into rage.
"I'm going to fucking kill you!" He said, and she shrieked, climbing over the desk and darting towards the door to escape.
The door swung open as she headed towards it, skidding to a stop upon realising who the figure stood by it's entrance was.
Thomas Shelby.
"Tommy" She greeted him, head lowered out of embarrassment because she had been this close to colliding with him.
The leader of the Peaky Blinders looked between the two with an eyebroow raised.
"It appears i'm interrupting something." He said, aiming his words towards Edie, who squirmed at his attention.
"no no," She protested, shaking her head and readjusting her cap, stuffing the loose tendrils of hair under it before recovering and putting on a firm front.
"Just sibling squabble."
She explained and Tommy nodded with an 'ah', as if it all made sense now.
As Tommy lit himself a cigarette, he invited himself into the premises, heading into Ernie's study.
"We have business to discuss."
The two siblings followed behind, finding Tommy examining a torn shred of manuscript with the slightest of smirks.
"Bad review?"
"His stories are a load of crap, the same contrived plots just with different characters."
"Women like them a lot."
Ernie retorted, earning a glare from Edie as he implied she wasn't woman enough.
Tommy agreed with the man.
"Yeah don't discuss your brothers books with Ada kid, she has a fancy for them."
Edie ignored them both and began to clear up the shredded manuscript.
"If little Edie thinks your stories are are a load of shit, perhaps a change of scenery might inspire you to improve. "
Edie and Ernie simultaneously turned their heads towards the blinder.
"What do you mean?"
"London."
Was all the Shelby said.
Edie's eyes lit up.
"We're going to London?"