Edith meets Michael

This happens somewhere between Michael coming time Small Heath and the family meeting where he wants to go to the auction with the boys; changed the timeline just a little for the purpose of this one shot!

Edith's age: 12

Michael had been in Small Heath a couple of days before Edith had chance to make her way to Polly's to meet her cousin. She had heard all about him from behind the closed kitchen door, listening in on to the conversations she knew she shouldn't be hearing, yet her curious nature always drew her to press her ear against any closed door her brothers were hiding behind. Of course, her older brothers knew she was 'secretly' listening to them talk, yet couldn't see the harm in letting her have her fun, they always knew to keep serious business conversations away from the house and the youngest Shelby sibling. Edith, naturally, had been intrigued about this cousin she couldn't ever remember meeting, she was desperate for another family member close to her age she could form an alliance with. So, after school, Edith headed away from their house on Watery Lane, and off towards Polly's (having told John of her plans earlier that morning as she had skipped out the door past him, just so Tommy wouldn't fly into a tizz when she didn't come straight home from school, and send a search party out after her...that hadn't ended well last time).

Edith slows her pace as Polly's house comes into view, waving hello to the neighbour kids playing in the street as she reaches the door, pushing it soundlessly open and stepping into the house. She suddenly found that her excitement had quenched a little, and butterflies flew around her stomach from the nerves of meeting this 'new' family member.

"Hello," Edith calls shyly, sticking her head around the kitchen door, finding a young boy sat there.

"Edith! This is Michael. Your cousin!" Polly exclaims, leaping up from her chair to usher her niece into the room. Edith gives Michael a shy smile as she allows Polly to lead her over to the chair beside Michael, pouring her a cup of tea.

"Nice to meet you." Edith says politely, tucking her knees up to her chest, a nervous habit of hers. The pair sit in silence for a few moments, letting Polly's chatter fill the room as they dig into the biscuits she had placed on the table; the teens spared brief glances at each other, taking in their respective appearances, glancing away again just as the other turned their head. Silence falls again as Polly mutters something about putting the kettle on again, the only sound in the room being the ticking of the clock behind the teenagers, and the clink of their China tea cups hitting the tiny plates they sat on.

"When did you get back?" Edith asks finally breaking the silence, turning to face Michael again, who was already looking over at her.

"Earlier in the week, I came to look for Eliza- mum." Michael corrects himself with a shake of the head, glancing over at Polly who was pottering around the kitchen. "I met your brothers the other day."

"Yeah. I was at school." Edith comments, lifting her tea cup to her lips. "Were they nice at least? Can't keep them in line from there." Michael smiles at her joking tone, nodding his head.

"They were fine."

"Good." Edith replies, swiping her hand over her forehead in mock relief, instantly feeling less nervous in the presence of her cousin, now they were beginning to talk. "Have you seen much of Small Heath?"

"Uh, no. Not really."

"Bet Aunt Pol's got you on a tight leash, eh?" Edith jokes, nudging her toe against Michael's thigh as he nods, the pair glancing Polly's way again. "She'll let you out of her sight if you're with me. She trusts me not to go too wild. I can show you around? Show you my secret hiding spots away from this crazy family?" Michael cracks a smile, nodding his head in agreement. "Leave it with me. Just go along with it, 'kay?" Michael nods again, watching as Edith rises from her chair, making her way across the kitchen to where Polly was now preparing dinner, winding her arms around the older woman. "I was thinking I'd show Michael around, a little. Just the popular spots, where to get the best cakes, which shops to avoid, ya know, that kind of thing. We'd be back before dinner." Polly turns to face Michael who gives her a small smile.

"I'd stick by Edith, be back for dinner like she said?" He says hopefully, rising from his chair. Polly considers this for a moment, glancing between the two young Shelbys who she hoped would become fast friends. "Go on then," she says, giving Edith a smile as she nods her head towards the door. "Be careful, and come back by dinner, ok?" Edith nods enthusiastically, giving her aunt a peck on the cheek before taking Michael's hand in hers, and pulling him out on to the streets of Small Heath.

—

Michael and Edith wander around Small Heath for the rest of the afternoon, side by side, making mindless chatter as they stroll, stopping every so often for Edith to show Michael the best places to buy sweet treats.

"So, are you staying for good?" Edith asks around her mouthful of pastry. Michael, his mouth full too, shrugs, nodding his head from side to side.

"I think so. I'm 18 soon, I'll be able to make my own decision on where I live then." Edith hums in response, shrugging this time.

"It would be nice to have you around."

"Yeah?" Michael asks with a smile, Edith nodding in reply.

"You seem like a nice guy. I think you'll fit in with us, maybe more so me and Finn. You could hang out with us. Or, well, me, probably. I doubt your mum would want you hanging around the older boys too much. The boys are letting Finn do more in the company, I'm told to stay away." She says, knowing instantly by Michael's curious expression that Polly hadn't told him much about what the Shelby family did.

"Really?"

"Uh huh."

"Are you ok with that? Finn's not much older than you is he?" Michael asks, accepting the bottle of drink Edith held out to him, taking a long sip.

"No. He's not. But I don't mind really. Besides. I've got school. My time's pretty full with that." Edith admits, patting her school bag at her side.

"You like going to school?"

"I do. Gets me away from the business the boys do. Can't say I like it." Edith groans internally, cursing herself for not being able to keep her mouth shut about the business, again, judging by Michael's face, he was eager to know more.

"What do they do?" He asks, passing the drink back to Edith who smiles a thank you.

"What did Pol tell you they do?" She counters, refusing to meet his eye until she knew how far she'd put her foot in it.

"She said your brother, that came to see my mum, the one with the fancy car-"

"Tommy." Edith cuts in, supplying the name of her older brother.

"Right, Tommy. She said Tommy works with horses." Michael explains, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"He does." Edith states with a short nod.

"Do you not like horses then?" Michael asks, causing Edith to let out a cross between a scoff and a laugh.

"No, I love horses. I wish that was the only thing my brothers worked with...seems like Pol told you the nice version of the truth."

"What's the real version of the truth?"

"I don't really know." Edith replies with a small shrug. "They don't tell me."

"Oh." Michael mumbles, clearly having thought Edith would know more than him.

"Yeah."

"But it's not just work with horses, right?" He clarified, glancing over at Edith who shrugs again.

"It's not." She replies, crumpling up the paper bag her food had been in, shoving it into her bag. She lets out a groan as she turns her head, seeing Michael still staring intently at her. "Pol'd have my head if she knew this was what we were talking about."

"We don't have to tell her." He says quickly, a hopefully look crossing his face until Edith frowns, shaking her head.

"She'll know. Trust me." She states, shoving her own hands in her pockets to protect them somewhat from the biting cold wind.

"I mean, I could tell from the way your other brothers burst in with guns drawn that-."

"At you?" Edith squeaks out, pulling Michael to a stop with a hand on his arm. She lets out a sigh of relief as he shakes his head, dropping her hand as they keep walking. "John and Arthur?" She asks, watching as Michael nods. "'Course it was. Idiots."

"They seem nice." He says, smiling as Edith scoffs.

"They can be." She replies, rolling her eyes. "And sometimes they can be idiots. Just be careful around the boys, ok?" Michael nods in agreement.

"Thanks for showing me around." He says softly, smiling down at Edith.

"Of course." She replies brightly, turning to walk backwards the last few metres to the house. "Just don't tell Pol what we talked bout. Ok? She'll kill me." Michael nods, an amused, get somewhat confused look on his face. "Promise?"

"Promise."