A/N: I don't own Peaky Blinders. The Flanagan's are however my own creation. This is the first time in a long time that I'm returning to FF writing, this has been stuck in my head all summer and I've wanted to write my own version of Peaky Blinders since I first watched the show and fell in love with the Shelby Clan a year ago. Hopelessly in love with Tommy and I never much cared for Grace, I'm not sure if she'll be in this much if at all. This is the obligatory first chapter, its very long and hopefully not boring!
Lyla Flanagan and her older brother Louis were longtime family friends of the Shelby's. Their mother, Beth, was also a young gypsy girl who'd run off with an Irish man, Michael, and landed in Small Heath. Once there Beth felt incredibly lonely, but once she met Mary Shelby, another gypsy woman, and Mary's sister-in-law Polly Grey, they three became fast friends. Nearly inseparable. They were always together. Once Beth had Louis; him, Arthur Jr, and Tommy all played together. Louis was a year younger than Tommy, and three years younger than Arthur. The two Gypsy's were determined to raise their babies as they would within their own communities with other Romney. They would teach them their language, their beliefs, and their culture. They would bring them to fairs held by the caravans that passed outside of Birmingham. Three years later Mary had another little boy, John. Both she and Polly were there for Beth though as she suffered 4 miscarriages, year after year. It was two years after John that all three women where pregnant at the same time and all had little girls. Ada, Anna, and Lyla. Their little boys took to their baby sisters and cousin quickly with the understanding that they were to protect them from anything and everything. They all took their jobs rather seriously little boys of 8, 6, 5, and 2 (granted John was a little too young but he'd join his brothers). Polly had another baby, a little boy named Michael a year after her daughter.
As the years passed by the boys did protect their sisters and cousin. Even though the Flanagan's weren't blood they were still considered family and it was the deepest hope and wish of the mothers that one day they'd join their families together in marriage. The three little girls were princesses in nearly every sense of the word. Unfortunately, the Shelby boys had to protect Ada and their cousin Anna from their abusive father. Polly's husband died passed while she was still pregnant with Michael and thus had no father for her considered themselves lucky as Arthur Sr. spent less and less time with them. Michael Flanagan however took all the little ones on as his own. He loved his son and daughter very much, and gladly took on the Shelby's and the Grey's as his own children as well. He was a good man, and he taught all of the boys what it meant to be a good man. That a good man protects and provides for his family by any means necessary. When they boys joined a gang- the Peaky Blinders- he hadn't judged them, the world was a very dangerous place he'd told them 'better to be the dangerous man' 'better to be the feared then do the fearin'. Hell he encouraged Louis to join. Gangs were prevalent in every city and the Blinders had rules, they weren't a wild pack of wolves terrorizing the streets they kept everything ordered in Small Heath. They were feared and respected. Sure it wasn't all legal and they fought, but in all honesty Michael knew and understood that this was the only way these boys would ever be able to provide their future families with security. Boys like them born in towns like this didn't get far in the world, no one would ever let them forget where they came from, they'd be looked down on. Better to instill fear in the people who try to look down on you. Arthur had joined first, a year later Tommy and Louis joined at the respective ages of 12 and 11.
One hard year later Michael passed away from a sickness in his lungs, cancer they called it. Everyone was devastated. Little Lyla, only 6 at the time, spent a month clutching at her heartbroken mother's skirts, nothing anyone said could get her let go. On the day she did let go was the day her mom received a letter from her own father, John Owens, leader of the Owens clan. In the letter he asked, no told her to come home. Her husband was dead, she needed to return to her family. Lyla listened as her mother told Mary and Polly about it and how she was seriously considering it. She was housewife. How was she supposed to provide for her children? Lyla, for the first time in weeks, willingly let go of her mother and went to her room, she had decided she was going to run away. She packed a little basket of clothes, toys, and her favorite book, she even snuck into the kitchen and took some food before returning to her room. The women would see her leaving out the front door. Instead she opened her bedroom window dropped the basket outside and then climbed out herself.
It was several hours later when Beth had been convinced by Mary and Polly not to leave Small Heath that anyone realized Lyla was missing. Beth collapsed crying, her baby girl was gone. Luckily it happened to be the same time as the boys had all gotten home, every Wednesday night they all had dinner at the Flanagan's. When Polly explained what happened they immediately took off scouring the town for the little girl. Louis felt horrible, like he'd let his father down.
"Don't worry, We'll find 'er Louis." Arthur told him as they searched.
It wasn't until well into the night that someone stumbled upon Lyla. Tommy had decided to check the pasture he and Louis took the horses to for exercise. His own sister wasn't fond of the muddy pasture but Lyla loved it. She loved picking the wildflowers, making herself a crown, and dancing around. Sure enough the closer he got to the old stone wall on the far right of the field he could hear little sniffling.
"Lyla?" He called out as he made out her little form sitting at the base of the wall easily enough, the sky had started to lighten.
"Tommy?" Her head shot up off her knees and he'd hardly knelt before her when she'd hurtled herself into his arms crying.
He held onto her tightly, relief flooding through him at finding her after such a long night. She didn't seem hurt, maybe just a bit scared. It was then that he noticed the little basket sitting next to where she'd been. So Aunt Pol was right, she hadn't gotten lost, no one led her away, she'd run away.
"Lyla, why are you trying to run away, love?" He asked softly, trying to pry the girl from him so he could look her in the eyes.
"Mama's gunna take us away! I don't want to go!" She told him crying harder.
"Shh. Shhh. Love, look at me." Tommy took hold of her chin and made her look up at him again, "Your mum's not takin' you anywhere."
"But she said-"
"She's not." Tommy let out a heavy sigh. "Ya know you had us all very worried, love." He said as he wiped away her tears with his thumb.
"I know." She looked down at her hands, pulling at a loose string on her dress looking thoroughly ashamed. "Everyone's gunna be mad at me ain't they?"
"You scared us, but no we're not mad. Everyone will just be happy that your safe. Come on, let's get you 'ome." He lifted her from his lap and stood, grabbing her basket with on had and offering the other for her to take.
"M'kay." She mumbled before letting out a large yawn and grabbing Tommy's hand letting him pull her toward home.
Lyla didn't make it half way before getting so tired she started stumbling. Tommy let out his own yawn before stopping and scooping little Lyla up in his arms. He looked down at her, watching her eyes slowly close as she fell asleep. This was how he brought her home, passed out in his arms. It was a long walk and his arms had started to hurt despite her being small for her age, but he knew he'd make it. Dropping the little angel wasn't an option. All three women fussed over her as Beth took her from his arms. Oddly he missed the sensation of her head resting on his chest above his heart. The Flanagan's did stay in Small Heath much to Lyla's happiness. However, another bad year came and Polly's two children were taken from her, 6-year-old Anna and 5-year-old Michael. It would be a long time before they would ever see them again.
When Ada and Lyla turned 13 the two were joined at the hip and determined to cause as much trouble as possible. They're older brothers tried to give them hell for it but one look at Ada's big brown eyes or Lyla's green ones and they gave up. They couldn't however get by their mothers or Aunt Polly though and the boys were well aware so usually a threat to tell was enough to keep them from doing anything too crazy. But occasionally it wasn't. To the dismay of their big brothers, Ada and Lyla had discovered that they were in fact becoming women and that boys were interesting and cute. Arthur, Tommy, Louis, and John all agreed that this wasn't a good thing. Oh how they wished their little sisters could go back to thinking boys were smelly and gross.
From the day they were born Ada and Lyla had been close and Ada was usually first. Ada was born April 5th and Lyla born the 6th. Ada lost her tooth first, and Ada had gotten her monthlies first. Now both little women were out on the town giggling as they ran about from shop to shop. They had grabbed the money they made from their chores but needed just a bit more to make their purchase.
"Who should we ask?" Lyla whispered to her friend as they headed to the Garrison, it was a bar frequented and under the protection of the Peaky Blinders.
"Whoever's in the pub of course!" Ada laughed as she grabbed Lyla's hand and pulled her into the bar and went straight into the snug.
"What are you two doin' in 'ere?" Louis asked from his seat looking up over the cards in his hand.
"We need a little bit of money." Ada informed them an innocent smile on her face.
"You two just got your allowances, what you need more for?" Arthur asked tossing a few coins on the table.
"We need it for new dresses." Lyla answered shyly.
"What's wrong with the dresses you 'ave?" He asked still not bothering to look up at them.
"Oh jus' give 'em a few bob, Mom, Beth, and Aunt Polly will have our 'eads if they find out they're in here." John said around his cigarette, he was a bit young to be in the pub but Mary realized she wouldn't be able to keep him from following his older brothers in.
"Here." Tommy leaned over and dropped a few bob in Ada's hand, but before the mischievous girls could run off her grabbed her wrist. "I better not catch either of you in 'ere again and get that look off your face Ada, whatever you're thinking of doing, don't."
"I don't know what you're on about Thomas." Ada said primly trying to appear much more grown up then she was.
"Ada Mary Shelby, I mean it." Thomas stared her down with his intense blue eyes, "Lyla, look at me." His little sister might not budge but Little Lyla would.
"We're not looking for trouble Tommy." Lyla told him honestly when she managed to look up from the floor.
"Right, go on now." He dismissed them with a small smile.
"I thought we were done for when Tommy grabbed my arm!" Ada giggled.
"My heart was racing!" Lyla was giggling right along with her as they ran to their intended target, an older girls home from whom they were buying items of a specific nature to entice the opposite sex.
After they bought their items they ran back to Lyla's house, if anything the boys would be at the Shelby's and Beth was at work in the bakery. They had the house to themselves, plenty of time to put together their new looks. Both their mothers and Aunt Polly used make up and they were women now so they could wear it too. The girl they bought their makeup and a bottle of fiery red nail polish, nearly the same shade as Lyla's hair, from was the same age as Tommy, she was 19 and more than willing to part with some for a bit of money. They took turns applying the different colors to their eyes, lips, and nails. Once they thought they both looked like the older girls in town they changed their dresses and danced about Lyla's room. They hadn't planned on leaving the house, no doubt they'd get in trouble for it if any of their brothers, mothers, or aunt found out about it. However, when Ada noticed a few of the cute boys from class walking by outside all thoughts of staying in went out the window while she went out the front door.
"Ada! Wait!" Lyla tried not to shout it as she quickly followed after her.
"Come on girls!" Marcus Johnson and William Bowman were two rather handsome lads from school who were two years older and very much liked the girls 'improvements'. They had swiped a bottle from Marcus's father and asked if the girls wanted to share with them down by the cut. Lyla had been more hesitant than Ada but wasn't about to let her best friend go off alone.
"Here have some," Will handed the bottle to Lyla leaning in toward her, "it'll help you relax."
"Okay." She took the bottle from him and took a mouthful, she choked on it as it burned down her throat.
Handing back the bottle Lyla looked to her left finding Ada and Marcus kissing, seems she'd had the first kiss first too. When she turned her head back around she found Will much closer than before. Her heart started hammering away in her chest as he continued to lean in. This was happening. She was going to have her first kiss. His lips were rough and warm; all she could smell was the alcohol they'd been drinking. Everything was good, fine in fact, until he tried sticking his tongue in her mouth. Lyla's previously closed eyes popped open wide. Was he supposed to be doing that?
"What the bloody 'ell is this?!" An all too familiar voice shouted causing both young couples to jump apart. Arthur.
"Get your hands off my baby sister!" Louis shouted before pulling Will up to his feet by the collar of his shirt.
"How dare you lay a hand on my sister!" Arthur was giving Marcus a similar treatment, both boys looked ready to piss themselves.
"Stop it!" Ada shouted hitting her eldest brother on the back with her little fists as he threatened to cut the poor boy.
"Ada what the bloody hells on your face?" John walked up and grabbed her by the chin, Tommy looked over his shoulder before striding over to Lyla and grabbing her by the chin as well he noted the same crap on her face and the tears welling in her eyes.
"You two stay the hell away from our sisters, we catch you near them again and we'll cut you up and throw you in the cut." Tommy shouted with an authoritative voice. "And you tell all the other boys they'll keep their distance if they know what's best!" He shouted at the two boys now running for their lives.
"What are you wearin? Huh?" Louis was furious at his little sister, she looked like a painted up whore.
"Home. Now." Arthur demanded grabbing Ada, who had been kicking up a fuss, by her upper arm and pulling her along with him, Louis did the same with Lyla.
When they arrived at the Shelby house Beth and Polly were already there, Friday nights everyone ate at the Shelby house. Beth was holding little baby Finn who'd only just been born a few days ago. To say the girl's mothers were furious would be an understatement. They'd been pulled into the bathroom and their faces scrubbed hard all while receiving lectures on the proper behavior expected of young ladies.
"Ya know at your age if I'd kissed a boy your grandfather would have made me marry him!" Mary screeched, Ada had been doing her fair share of shouting back, up until this point. "Maybe I'll send your brothers out to grab the boy and make you marry him!"
"You can't do that!" Ada looked horrified.
"I just might if it'd stop you from running around looking like a trollop!" Mary shouted, knowing she'd finally gotten through when Ada started crying, and mumbling about how she wasn't ready to get married! "Oh hush, I'm not going to." She pulled her daughter in for a hug.
"You both are lucky your bothers showed up when they did," Polly said as she scrubbed Lyla's fingernails, having already cleaned Ada's, "You could've lost your virginity out there, even if you hadn't wanted too, drunk boys take advantage of innocent girls too naive to know better."
"Lyla you've been awfully quiet," Beth said looking at her little girl who was growing up too fast, "what do you have to say for yourself?"
"I'm sorry Mum. I really am, I'll never do anything like that again. I swear." She had stopped silently crying but was still sniffling, "I promise I'll not kiss a boy again until I'm married. But is it…never mind." She looked away.
"What? What is it?" Beth asked her daughter tucking a loose red curl behind her ear.
"Is it normal for a boy too- too put his tongue in your mouth when you kiss?" She asked nervously still wondering why he'd done that.
"Oh dear." All three older women laughed.
"Yes darling, it is." Beth held her daughters face in her hands and placed a kiss on her forehead. "But you only kiss like that if you're married."
Neither girl would try wearing make up again for a while but eventually they would, especially Ada she loved how it made her look. A few months before Ada and Lyla's 14th birthday Beth received another note from her father, this time her presence was demanded because her mother was dying. Rose didn't have much longer to live and she wanted all of her children and grandchildren around when she passed. Louis and Lyla had been around their mother's family a number of times throughout the years but never for more than 2 weeks. Much to Ada's horror, after a week had passed she received a letter from Lyla saying they were traveling to Ireland with the Owen's clan, Rose decided she wanted to pass on Irish soil. A day later the next letter came with Louis delivering it, apparently their grandmother wasn't really ill but acting, still Beth refused to leave her mother's side, she wouldn't listen to her son and she was keeping Lyla with her. It was all a ploy. Louis and the Shelby boys had half a mind to go get them but it was 1914 and war was breaking out across Europe.
Arthur, Tommy, Louis, and their good friend Freddy Throne joined the army to fight for their country, John at 15 was too young. It was the right thing to do, but no matter how many times they told their mothers that they couldn't agree. No mother wants to send her child off to war, but it was impossible to keep them safe. Lyla would worry for her brother, the Shelby boy's, and even Freddie every day they were gone. She prayed to God every night that they'd all make it home safe. Before his older brothers left John proposed to and married his sweetie Martha, they were a bit young but in love and the wedding soften the blow of the older men leaving for war. By this point the Shelby's had taken over the Peaky Blinders and when they left they left the business as well; John, Mary, Polly, and even young Ada had to take over if they didn't want to lose all their business. Only a few young boys and a few older men who couldn't go to war were left behind in the gang to ensure protection.
A year into the war an outbreak of typhoid hit Small Heath hard and Mary Shelby caught it. She had to be sent to the nearest hospital to prevent further spread in the home. Polly sent letters to the boy's and Beth. Before she received their replies Mary had passed, she went quickly but not quietly and not without pain. John and Martha gave Mary her first grandchild before she left the world though. When the boys were informed their mother had passed they shouted, banged their fists on the ground, and wanted nothing more than to return home. But they couldn't without being labeled deserters and getting arrested the second the police spotted them. They couldn't be there to bury their mother; they didn't even get to say goodbye.
Beth and Lyla showed up the day before Mary passed and said their goodbyes, they stayed in Small Heath after that. Beth had finally realized her father's intent on marrying her off to a man in the clan, a cousin of hers but she could never marry another man after her Michael, he'd been the love of her life. Now back in their own house they joined John, Polly, and Ada in keeping Blinder business going, mostly that included the betting house. John, Ada, and Lyla took the bets with some of the younger boys. Polly and Beth made sure the books were correct while John led the more dangerous side of the Blinder business.
Over the next four years John and the women held the business together. John also became the father of 4 little ones; John Jr., Eugene and Evan (twins), and Clara. Sadly, Martha passed after Clara was born, she hemorrhaged after the birth and developed an infection. Luckily he had enough women in his life to help with the little ones. Lyla was usually the one pulled from the floor when the babes needed minding, John had an older woman who watched them usually but she couldn't always, and the wild bunch actually listened to her including little Fin. She ended up sending the majority of her time cleaning and cooking the Shelby house and her mother's home besides helping with the children.
November 11, 1918 the Great War was officially over. Their boys were coming home. At last!
"Where are they!" Ada whined far too excited to wait for the boys to get off the train.
"I think I see them!" John shouted from the bench he was standing on. "Arthur! Tom! Louie! Freddie!" He called out to the men as they climbed out of a car.
"Thank God!" Beth and Polly both crossed themselves as the men came into view, they were home finally, and safe.
Beth and Lyla held onto Louis tightly wrapping their arms around him as he wrapped an arm around each woman. Beth couldn't help her tears. Polly and Ada took turns hugging Arthur and Tommy, even John hugged each of his older brothers holding back his own tears. When Lyla went to hug Arthur he stopped her. The two Shelby's had noted the changes in their own sister who was now a beautiful young woman, now they noticed Lyla.
"No this can't be our Lyla!" Arthur exclaimed with a grin making her blush before pulling her in for a hug.
"Our Little Lyla's all grown up." Tommy remarked his eyes looking up and down her form.
Gone was the little girl Small Heath had known. Lyla was still short, but she was no longer flat chested with a skinny boyish body. No, now Lyla had a large bust, a thin waist, wide 'childbearing' hips as all the women at the camp told her, and a backside men liked staring at. When Lyla was with the caravan in Ireland she'd had a strange encounter with a gypsy witch named Lady Talia before they left. She told Lyla 'don't worry you'll not have a baby out of wedlock, he'll marry you'. She hadn't been aware she needed to be worried about such a thing, silly words she tried to call them but part of her knew they weren't. She pushed them out of her head though and focused on returning home to the place and the people she loved most in the world.
Tommy hadn't been able to take his eyes off of Lyla the minute she walked through the front door when they arrived at the Shelby house. She'd stolen his breath away that was for sure. Lyla wasn't the little girl who'd left at age 13, not at all. Now she was clearly a woman. Her face had changed a little a well he noticed her eyes still big, green, and full of innocence, her button nose still the same, but her lips were…plump like a peach he desperately wanted to bit into and she had more freckles on her cheeks and across her nose. Her curly red locks were pulled back in a thick braid and her blue dress helped show off her figure. He tried to stop himself from thinking about Little Lyla laying in his bed, but he could no more stop a moving train barreling down the tracks. He couldn't think about Lyla this way, she was only 18 and he was a broken 24. A man ruined by the things he saw and did during his time fighting but maybe one day he'd heal, he'd heal and then maybe he could…no he really shouldn't.
So there you have it! I hope you all enjoyed it and would love some reviews! Another post to follow shortly as I already have it written up!