Author's Note: This is my first Peaky Blinder Fanfiction. This story will be running a wee-bit AU in the first several chapters or so (Things should get sorted out around chapter 15 or so and no longer AU) That being said, with an added in character the story will always be slightly AU because of this factor. Please make sure to leave reviews on your thoughts about the story, not just "Please update soon!" and those such reviews! Thank You For Reading!
Heavy boots stormed their way through the dirty, filthy, run-down streets of Birmingham England. It had been nearly twenty years since Nicholas had last been here. Her eyes scanned the houses closely, seeking the one address that hadn't changed even after all these years. Many footsteps followed behind her, the gang that held both men and women followed closely. Her only friends and allies having her back every step of the way.
Her attire was simple. Black boots that allowed her to travel easy even through the deepest of mud. A large black coat draped over her muscular body.
She dawned a very simple American style suit that was fitted to her form. Her breast hidden away by wrappings that laid hidden underneath her white undershirt. Her dark hair cut in a boyish fashion that most laid hidden behind her father's old hat from his days.
Her bright blue eyes keeping close watch to those who seemed to steer clear of her path. Two pistols laid hidden beneath her suit jacket in case she needed protection. Her strides were long and she carried herself like the man she disguised herself to be.
Her crew dawned the same look as her, only the women kept their hair long and their breast visible. Her rules were clear, she didn't give a damn what your gender, sexuality, race, or where the hell you came from happened to be all she asked was for your loyalty and in return she gave them hers.
Two men and two women followed her lead as they marched up to the steps of the house she had been searching for since she arrived. Without so much as a knock, the door opened and stood a woman who seemed more than happy to see the young lady before her.
"Nicholas." she greeted, reaching out for a hug that was returned to the elder woman.
"Aunt Polly." Her smile was soft but strong. Pulling away the elder woman looked at her niece and the people following behind.
"You've changed so much, and I see that you've acquired some friends as well." Though it had been twenty years since Nicholas had seen her aunt, she knew when a woman was putting on a show just to be humane toward others. Nicholas shook her head, removing her hat for a brief moment to push back her hair before the hat rested once more.
"I never go anywhere without them. They're just as much my family as I am theirs." Aunt Polly seemed to understand and allowed everyone inside before shutting the door. She lead them into the kitchen where Nicholas could already hear many voices coming from behind the green double doors.
"There's a family meeting taking place right now." Aunt Polly explained. Nicholas ushered for her men to stand behind her, preparing for Aunt Polly to open the doors and give the greeting to the rest of the family.
"A lot has changed in twenty years, Nicholas." She reminded the young woman. Nicholas tilted her head just enough to the left for Aunt Polly to see a startling scar that ran clear from her lower jawline by her ear clear up to the bottom part of her nose. How had she not possibly noticed it before?
"Oh trust me, I know." Her voice held a tone that was somewhere between boredom and slight disappointment. Aunt Polly paused for a second, listening for just the right moment to open the doors. When she hear Thomas ask if there were any questions that's when her que was given and the doors flew open with Aunt Polly stepping out front first.
"I have a question." Speaking loudly she caught everyone's attention, but she didn't retain it for long when the looks changed to the five younger people behind her. Nobody made a move, questions marked their face, some seemed almost shocked and nearly ready for a fight if needed. Thomas was the only one who seemed his expression was unreadable from the rest of the family, same as always.
"Aunt Polly..." John started, slightly concerned for the family with the rather rough looking group standing behind her.
"And just who are these people?" Arthur spoke up sounding mad as hell from the sudden guest. Nicholas and Thomas stood their ground, nobody else in the room seemed to matter as their eyes were locked in a gaze that wasn't going to be broken so easily. He was trying to read the man in front of him, or at least who he had assumed to be a man from they're outward appearance.
Aunt Polly tilted her head to the side with a disappointed expression on her face. Her hands coming to rest of her hips as she faced the whole family.
"I cannot believe you don't remember your own family. Honestly, Arthur." Arthur gave the woman a baffled look as he glanced between her and the people standing behind her. He was quick to his feet.
"I ain't ever seen a damn one of them before!" he roared, ready to start a brawl like always. Aunt Polly ushered for Nicholas to come down by her side, which in turn she finally broke eyes contact with Thomas as she listened and walked over to the woman and Arthur. Aunt Polly placed her hands on both shoulders of the taller young woman that stood before her, her eyes never breaking from Arthur's as she explained.
"Nichole Shelby, Arthur, your younger cousin on my brother's side." The man's expression seemed as if he was suddenly hit by a train as he took a step back and studied the man before him, who was apparently a woman. He lifted a finger with a baffled expression as he started to stutter in disbelief.
"That ain't little Nic! That's a man!" Aunt Polly rolled her eyes, honestly Arthur could be so stupid sometimes. Reaching up Aunt Polly grabbed Nicholas's hat and yanked it from her head.
"She had to change her outward appearance to seem like a man! In America a woman has no rights in business so in order to be able to have at least some control over power as she deals with idiots like you, she had to make herself seem to be a man!" At this point Nicholas was smirking, amazing at just how dumbfounded Arthur really was after all.
"Nichole Shelby," Thomas's voice called out, grabbing the entire room's attention like usual. All eyes turned to him as his gaze fell upon her own. It was then he did the most unexpected and outrageous action that anybody in the room had ever seen him do before now.
He reached out and picked up the bottle that was nearest to him on the table. A small upwards line came to play on his lips as Nicholas caught a hint of amusement in them as he held up the bottle for her to see.
"Care for a drink?"
Tommy had ended up taking Nicholas to a bar down the road a ways. It was just him and her as they road in his rather posh looking motorized auto. This wasn't her first experience in a vehicle, they had many back in America, but it was the first time in a long time that she had entered in a bar. He took her inside into a room that was sectioned off, so only he and her could talk about things of importance. Nicholas took a seat down across from Tommy and removed her hat, placing it down on the table with a rather loud smack due to the weight of the hat.
Tommy looked at her and she at him. He pulled out one of his cigarets and lit it, about that time a bar maiden walked in with a bottle of dark liquid and placed it on the table along with two glasses for Tommy and herself. Her and the woman locked eyes, holding each others attention till the bar maiden turned to look at Tommy before leaving the room and closing the door. Tommy opened the bottle and poured a drink for each of them, passing her the glass.
"Grace seems to think you're a man," Tommy said, watching as Nicholas stared at the glass of liquid that sat in front of her. "Would you rather have a Gin and Tonic?" Nicholas locked eyes with Tommy before a small sly smile came to her lips as she picked up the glass and in one fluid motion, drowned the entire glass as she sat it back down on the table, giving her lips a light smack showing that she enjoyed the taste.
"I not only have to look the part, but play it as well." This brought a very small and fast smile to Tommy's lips as he raised his own glass and downed it before pouring each of them another glass.
"So, Aunt Polly wrote you here on what business?" She knew Tommy wasn't stupid and there was no reason for her to travel clear across an entire ocean just to come to visit old family. Nicholas leaned back, her legs uncrossed as she sat with them spread just like any other man.
"Aunt Polly told me that you planned on expanding your work. She said that it would be nice to have someone with a clean mind to come help." Tommy looked at Nicholas dead in the eye, taking a drag from his cigaret before allowing the smoke to flow from his mouth.
"Someone with a clear mind, eh?" Nicholas didn't say anything, she just sat there and waited for the elder man to continue as he took another drag and repeated the process. "And what is that suppose to mean?"
"My only guess is that she meant someone who doesn't have an association with the following rival gangs around here. Someone new. Someone to help look after you with eyes unclouded." Tommy paused for a second, his gaze unreadable as his eyes never left Nicholas's gaze. He gave a small chuckle as his body moved with it, surprised with her words.
"Eyes unclouded? Unclouded by what?"
"I seen the way the bar maiden looked at you, Thomas. When you get distracted by a pretty thing, Aunt Polly wants me there to make sure you don't get shot in the back." Tommy finished his cigaret before extinguishing it in the ashtray on the table. He placed his hands together and leaned forward, resting on the dark surface.
"And just how old are you?"
"Twenty-five."
"And you think you'd be able to protect me?"
"America is a dangerous world. The gangsters are much more harsh there than here, Thomas. I myself am an excellent shot, carrying two guns under my jacket at all times; colts, very good aim." She knew she had Tommy's attention now by the look in his eye. "I also have taught all my men to be great marksmen, including the women. You give any one of them a rifle and they'll shoot a tin-can off a fence post at 500 yards; minimum."
"That's rather impressive. But can you fight?"
"Your uncle is one of America's largest legal boxing match owners in the country, what do you think?"
"So you know how to fight in a ring?" He gave an unamused shrug. "It's different out here in the real world, people don't follow the boxing ring code out here."
Nicholas gave a slight scowl, making Tommy question her next move. She pushed herself up off the seat and onto the table in front of her, mimicking Tommy's own posture.
"Give me a job, and I'll personally see to it that it's done. You want the fucking tongue of an IRA member that's causing you trouble; done. You want me to go shoot some low life fucker that's been doing you dirty; done. You want me to go turn some copper who thinks he's on the right side of the law into a devilish pig that works for you; done and done. No questions asked. There ain't nothing that I can do, Thomas. Don't doubt me just because I was born a woman, I already get enough of that from my bastard father." And with that Nicholas threw herself back up against the seat, his gaze smothering into Tommy's. He knew that she was trying to prove herself right now. He knew that she had the talk, but if she honestly had the balls for the job that was an entirely different story.
After what seemed like minutes of silence, Tommy finally broke it.
"So basically, you want to be my personal protection and do my dirty work?"
"Something like that." Tommy chuckled, picking up his glass and holding it in the air.
"Then allow me to make a toast." Nicholas hesitantly grabbed her glass and held it up as well, waiting for Tommy to continue. "A toast, to my newest body guard and new member of the Peaky Blinders." Nicholas smirked as they taped their glasses together, both downing the drink.