Chapter 1
AN: Flora is 6 at the start of this story, and it will be set straight after the war, leading in to season one.
"Which ribbon do you want today Miss Flora?" Polly asks, pulling the young girl into her lap on the stool, the pair perched in front of the mirror on the dressing table.
"Purple!" Flora exclaims, reaching forward to grab the chosen ribbon, holding it out over her shoulder to her Aunt. "Please."
"Now, what's the first thing we do in the mornings?" Polly continues as she pulls the top part of Flora's hair into a plait. The young girl clasps her hands together in front of her, bowing her head.
"Pray." She replies, making the sign of the cross and beginning her prayer in her head. Polly pauses her work on her niece's hair, joining in with her silent prayer. "Please look after Arthur and Tommy and John. Amen." Flora finishes out loud, jumping off of Polly's lap as soon as she had finished weaving the ribbon into her niece's hair. The young girl moves across the room standing on her tip toes on the edge of the fire place, reaching up to carefully pull down the one picture she had of herself and all of her siblings, pressing kisses to her oldest brother's faces, before carefully placing the photo back where it belonged.
"Good morning Arthur and Tommy and Johnny." She whispers quietly, loud enough for Polly to still hear (unbeknownst to the young girl) who smiles sadly, tears welling in the back of her eyes.
"Come on then you." Polly says gently, her hand on Flora's shoulder to steer her out of the room.
"Pol! Polly!" Comes a shout from outside of the front door, loud banging following it. Polly pushes Flora back up the stairs behind her, racing down them herself, fearing the worst as she swings the door open to find their neighbour Jenny stood on the door step, gasping for breath. "They're home! They've come home!" She exclaims breathlessly, Polly's hand flying up to her throat as she lets out a strangled gasp.
"Flora! Get your coat on. Now!" Flora comes bounding down the stairs behind her Aunt, tugging at her coat to release it from the hook by the door, struggling to pull it on. Jenny steps into the hallway, holding the arms of the coat out to the young girl as Polly, in her own world, rushes around the downstairs of the house, gathering her bag, hat and coat. She swings her niece up into her arms as she moves back into the hallway, locking the door behind them as they rush down Watery Lane towards the train station.
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The train pulls in to the platform as the two women and Flora reach the station, the three of them hanging back, the two older women on their tip toes to see over the heads of the other women waiting to greet their loved ones.
"What's going on Aunt Pol?" Flora asks timidly, one hand clutching the fur of Polly's coat, her eyes darting around, taking in her surroundings. Polly and Jenny exchange a look, unsure what to tell the young girl in case her brother's weren't to arrive.
"We're just waiting for someone to arrive." Jenny says cryptically, shrugging at Polly's raised eyebrows. "Want a toffee?" She pulls a sweet out of her pocket, offering it to the girl in Polly's arms. Flora takes it gratefully, thanking their friend as she pops the sweet into her mouth, head resting back against Polly's shoulder, this time, one hand clutches the back of Polly's coat, the other running her fingers through the fur on the collar. Flora gasps suddenly, head bolting upright as the crowd clears somewhat in front of her.
"Aunt Pol!" She whispers, pointing a finger forwards. "It's Tommy. That's Tommy!" She wiggles in her Aunt's arms, Tommy's face softening as he spots his Aunt and baby sister at the back of the crowd.
"Do you want to go to him?" Polly asks softly, moving to place Flora on the ground. Despite her excitement, Flora whimpers, hands clutching tighter at Polly's coat, shaking her head. Jenny frowns up at Polly as Tommy continues to weave slowly through the crowd, Polly shaking her head in confusion as she bumps the young girl back up on to her hip. Flora lets out an involuntary shiver, Polly pulling her closer. "I've got you."
"What if he doesn't remember me?" Flora replies quietly, eyes never leaving Tommy's face as he struggles to make it through the crowd, finally finding an opening to move more quickly towards his family.
"My Joey!" Jenny shouts suddenly, her hand clasping Polly's arm before she takes off into the arms of her lover.
"Pol." Tommy breathes quietly as he comes to stand in front of his Aunt, who had tears streaming down her face. "Hello Flora." He bends to his sister's height, giving her a smile which she meekly returns. Polly pulls him into a hug as he stands tall again, squashing Flora between them, who lets out a shriek of protest.
"Where are your brothers?" Polly asks, shifting the young girl on her hip, who still had a deathly tight grip on her Aunt. Despite saying good morning and night to her brothers every day, seeing them in real life had shocked the youngest Shelby into silence, something that was very rare for the fast paced, excitable little girl.
"There." She replies for Tommy, pointing over his shoulder to her brothers who were shouldering their way through the crowd.
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"Polly?" Ada shouts as she slams the front door shut behind her. "Is it true? Are they back?" She stops short in the doorway of the kitchen where her brother's were sat at the kitchen table. Arthur stands first, gathering Ada into a tight hug, quickly followed by John and then Tommy. "I can't believe you're here." She breathes out, moving into the room towards Polly who was sat in front of the fire, Flora still wrapped tightly in her arms, Finn sat beside them, quietly taking in the conversations going on around him. Ada furrows her brow at Polly, silently asking her what was wrong with her sister. Polly cuts her eyes to her nephews who were watching the exchange, mouthing 'nervous' to Ada who frowns sympathetically. "Come here." She says softly, reaching down to lift Flora into her arms, swaying her gently from side to side as she whispers softly in Flora'a ears, her younger sister eventually releasing her right grip and relaxing in her sisters arms. In the years since their mother had passed, without being asked to by Polly, Ada had stepped into the role of mother to Flora, more so whilst the boys had been away. Polly had focused a lot of her day time attention on the company, Ada helping out where possible around the shop, but mainly focusing her own attention on her younger siblings. The sisters' bond had continued to grow, Ada always finding the time to give her little sister a cuddle before bed, no matter how busy her day had been, or how long her friends had to wait for her. "Have you said hi to the boys?" Ada whispers softly, moving Flora from where she had been resting against her chest, to sit on her hip, Flora's face still partially hidden in Ada's neck as she shakes her head. "Go on then." She gently nudges, turning her body so that Flora was looking at their brothers, who had resumed their conversation with Polly. John was the first to look up, catching his sisters watching the three of them. He smiles over at Flora who returns it with a smile of her own, lifting her hand to wave at him. "Go and give John a hug, eh?" Ada whispers, slowly lowering Flora to the floor, who hesitates for a moment, arm wrapped around Ada's leg until John pushes his chair back, leaning down to open his arms to his youngest sister. With one last glance up at Ada, who gives her an encouraging smile, Flora is off across the room, slowly, and straight into John's arms. He grins up at Ada, glad to be the one to break the tension between the baby of the family, and the three brothers she hadn't seen in years. He settles Flora on to his lap, both of them relaxing as she rests back against his chest, her tiny body releasing all of its tension as John begins to softly run his fingers through her hair (a habit he had picked up when Ada had been young and would occasionally settle herself into her big brother's lap). It didn't take long for Finn to follow his young sister's example, pulling himself up from his chair to slowly move across the room and to the side of John's chair. John quickly opened up his free arm, lifting Finn around the waist to pull him on to his lap too, the two youngest Shelbys quickly falling asleep in the safety of their brother's arm.