VI. 1919

And finally the lock clicked as the handle was pushed down, he walked inside, "Alright?" Thomas greeted the two woman in the kitchen. It had been about twenty minutes since tea and Vivian had been getting bored. Polly stayed still, smoking her cigarette and drinking as the Shelby girl was sat at the table looking out at the den.

"Are you armed?" Polly questioned, looking into nothing. Thomas turned to her taking off his cap, and took a drag of his cigarette.

"No" Vivian didn't turn to the two as she was unaware of where this conversation might go, or if she was even mentioned. She had tried to leave before he returned but Polly's glare made her think twice about moving.

"Then I'll tell you . . . Ada and Freddie Thorne were married today. They defied your orders, they haven't left the city." Her aunt watched his expression, seeing if there was any visual reaction, but nothing, "and your other sister here, was the maid of honour."

Tom walked around the table, leaning on the chair across from Vivian. She watched as he sighed heavily, taking in the new information before looking at Vivian furiously.

"I'll deal with it" Polly said, walking over to her nieces chair. Tom stared at his sister, or more like through her, as if she wasn't there. He was deep in thought, which of nothing new to be fair.

"Thomas, I'll deal with it" she spoke again, after not receiving any acknowledgment from him. He had heard her but he obviously wasn't going to listen to her.

"Where are they?" He asked finally looking to Pol.

"Freddie's comrades have safe houses. Why do you want to know?" Why did he want to know? She thought. He either wanted to hold Freddie at gun point and threaten him or kidnap him and physically throw him out of Birmingham. Either way it wouldn't be good, and it would not make Ada any happier.

"I want to send them flowers. What do you think?" He retorted, then glanced at his sister, looking for an answer but she just stared right back at him.

"Would it be so bad if they stayed?" Poll questioned.

"I promised I'd run Freddie out of town" Vivian rolled her eyes at his answer.

"Promised who?" Polly asked as her and Vivian looked to the man. He checked behind him before answering but Polly was already a step ahead when she closed the green doors.

He looked to his sister before speaking, "I told the coppers, Freddie wouldn't come back. It was part of the deal."

"God, can't you handle not being in control of people's lives for one minute? Your sister's life?" She mumbled quietly but her voice travelled through the silent kitchen, earning glares from her aunt and brother. But neither responded as they turned back to each other.

"What bloody deal?" She was obviously sick of Tom not sharing business, family business. Everyone was sick of it. "What happened to family votes? What happened to meetings?" She said, calming down a bit before she went on, "if you let me deal with Ada and Freddie it'll end it peace."

She saw the way Polly paused, not looking in Tom's eyes like before, thinking about her next words, "Christ knows you've had your fill of war."

"You get Freddie out of town, Pol. Or else ill deal with it myself." He said before making his way upstairs. The two women listened to his footsteps; left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. Polly stayed quiet as she looked out the kitchen window.

"Just threw me under the bus there, didn't ya?" She spoke, her voice filling the silent kitchen again.

—

    Her black heels clicked against the wore wooden floors. The smell of mud, smoke, whiskey and everything in between, filled her nose. The glow from the moon was faint as it hid behind the smog and clouds that cover the city of Small Heath. Her dress brushed against her hands and she walked, her fingers touching the soft crimson fabric. The brunette hair was tied back into a quick ponytail for the past few hours. Some loose hairs tickled the back of her neck throughout the day.

She made her way to the door that was surprisingly still on its hinges after all these years, especially with its residents. She pulled on her coat on and buttoned it up. She opened the door to the winter air. The light breeze was familiar to her every time she was outside. It was comforting. She looked out on the street; it was busy and normal. As she past by the people they would tip their hats or politely greet the Shelby girl, as a way of respect. Respect caused by fear. She didn't really care about it, it was how it was for as long as she could remember, she'd grown used to it.

She made her way to the Jones residence. Ryan had called her and invited her over with no other word before he hung up. He was an odd person and it was something Vivian had grown to like about him. He was sweet and devoted, but, oh my god, was he annoying at times.

He was a flirt but still aimed for a picture perfect family with a wife and a few kids, maybe a dog. He never had that, it was just him and Kol. Their father had died soon after Ryan was born, and then their mother did a runner. Kol was left alone with Ryan. John had told his aunt about his new friend and his brother, and from then on, the Shelby family had taken them in. Looking out for them, feeding them, offering work. Kol was a peaky blinder, as well as Ryan, the new generation of the gang. They were trusted.

She didn't bother knocking, he knew she was coming. She shook the handle, realising it was locked. Although it was locked, she pushed the handle down, forcing it to push further. It soon clicked over and unlocked. She propelled the door open and closed it behind her, pushing the handle back up and in, fixing it. It's was a very old door and she had been to the house too many times to forget how to open to door.

She unbuttoned her coat, as she felt the fire from the next room, and taking it off. "Bloody hell, are you trying to break my door?" he spoke, turning up out of nowhere, "every fucking time." Kol muttered, looking like he was just leaving.

"Hey Vivian, great of you to join us, come on now." He smiled at her as he entered, walking over and pulling her toward him, "and you can piss off to the Garrison."

"Do not cause trouble. And please, for the love of God, make sure the house stays in one piece." Kol warned, pointing a finger in Ryan's face but he stood there not fazed, it was nothing like Polly's warnings. It was quite often that aunt Pol had to remind the friends over and over again, and to say the threats were frightening was an understatement.

"Yea, yea, Goodbye." He said, practically pushing his brother out the door.

It wasn't long when the door closed before Ryan dragged her by the arm toward the kitchen. Before opening the door, he muttered a quick "sorry about this." And then she saw Scott leaning against the countertop. She scanned him. It felt like ages since they last spoke. His hair was a bit of a mess and there was a cut on his jaw, it was new, as well as the bruises on his knuckles. His trousers were all crinkled and crumpled and his laces were untied.

"I don't know what is going on, but you two are not speaking and you should talk things out . . . Properly. Now, I'm going to leave you two, and just in case, I have locked all the knives away." Ryan finished off, looking between the two before leaving. She wanted about following after him but she failed to move.

Vivian looked out the window near Scott, as he watched her. He waited for her to start and she waited for him to start. She tried to separate their happy moments from the memory from the alleyway the night of the fire. She missed him but when she looked in his brown eyes it brought her back to the night, the shock when she realised it was him. She didn't feel it was right for her to feel scarred or anxious over what could have happened. She felt she didn't have the right to have nightmares about what could have happened.

"You look nice" He said, filling the silence.

She closed her eyes, sighing, before turning to look at him. She had no idea what was about to be said or if anything else was going to be said. He had no idea what to say, even after thinking about it all night.

"Look Vivian, I know what I did wasn't great and I'm sorry, I really am." He spoke sincerely, calling her by her full name, walking toward her, stopping a few feet away from her, when she timidly stepped away. They both looked tired.

"What are you sorry for?" She gritted through her teeth, repeating the words from their last conversation. He sighed softly, wanted all this to be over and for them to be back to normal.

"I said some stuff I didn't mean." He sighed, looking down.

"And . . . ?" She asked, waiting for him to go on. He continued to look down. Did he remember or was it all an act to end their argument? She thought. She didn't speak, he didn't either. Silence fell over the room again. She was sick of the quiet so she gave in to it, "you had me against the wall, making me think you were just another arsehole looking for something to stick his cock into. I was crying for you to stop, you didn't."

Scott didn't move nor he didn't say a word. He didn't seem surprised; it was as if he knew what he had done. She remained still and unemotional, looking for any reaction.

There was silence again, "Are you sorry for that?" She asked, but no reply came, "if you don't answer my question, I'm leaving." She stated, feeling like she was talking to the wall at this point.

"I'm sorry for that too, I regret the events of that night." He didn't look up. She rushed over to him, placing her hands either side of his head, harshly, making him look her in the eye.

"Are you telling me you're sorry?" She spoke in his face, angrily. She didn't know why she came this close to him when she didn't even want to be in the same room as him a few moments ago. It irritated her when he didn't look her in the eye when he spoke.

Looking her dead in the eye, "Yes" he said, genuinely.

"Then tell me and not the fucking floor." Vivian spat, looking into his eyes. She pushed his head out of her hands, but he grabbed her face, kissing her. It didn't last long before a hand met his cheek. She stepped back while he held his cheek. Scott looked at her, stunned.

Her eyes wandered to the ceiling above, "'Sorry' means nothing." She mumbled, before leaving, closing the kitchen door behind her. As she walked through the Jones' house, she shrugged on her coat and buttoned it up, just like before. She didn't hear the door open behind her, just the kicking of a chair.

She opened the door and closed it behind her. From the warmth of the home, she felt to the cool smoggy air of Birmingham. She walked quickly down the lane and didn't stop until she was around the corner, making her way to the market.

Vivian pulled out a cigarette from her pack and placing it between her lips, while she patted down her coat, trying to find a lighter or even a match. She let out a frustrated groan as she threw the cigarette on the ground, walking faster into the market.

The Shelby girl pasted the stalls and the crowds, seeing the chaos and madness of vendors and customers. Everyone was busy. She pushed through and made her way to a particular stall. She looked to the woman who sat on a stool behind the counter reading a book. Vivian looked over the choices, before seeing his favourites. The woman hadn't looked up from her book, getting lost in her imagination.

She knocked on the counter, making her presence known. Picking out a few, the woman put a handful of sweets into a little brown bag. Vivian mumbled her thanks, fishing out a few coins for the woman, walking away before the woman protested. She stuffed the sweets in her pocket.

—

It was one o'clock by the time she made it home. Finn was in the front room, looking out the window, watching god knows what. "What the fuck are you doin', eh?" She grumbled, causing him to turn around, looking at her before turning his gaze back to the street. "Where were you?" He asked.

"I asked first" she said, hanging her coat up on the hook, "And why do you 'ave that?" She continued, seeing one of her brother's peaky caps. "Someone from school said 'you better watch your back', so I'm watching my back." He replied simply, turning Vivian's fed up expression, stone cold.

"Who?" She asked her brother. Finn still not looking, "Rory Bent-" "Rory Benton." She finished. He was her age, meaning he didn't have the balls to pick on someone his own age. "Why is he threatening an eleven year old." She said walking over to the window, where he stood, with his eyes glued to the lane.

"I don't know. I ran into him and he started shoving me and going on about being careful. I promise I didn't do nothing." He explained. "I believe you. And dont worry, you think someone like 'im would knock at our door. The Shelby's door." She joked but was being serious. He giggled.

"Now give me that cap, before you cut yourself again." She joked.

"That was one time." He reminded her.

"Yea, one time that you ended up at the doctors." She snatched the cap from his hands, laughing.

"Wanna play cards?" He said, pushing pass her to the small table in the middle of the room.

"I will, but imma get something from kitchen and get ready" he nodded to his sister before she walked into the next room.

The kitchen was empty. Her brothers were busy with peaky business and Pol was running errands. Ada was probably with Freddie. And Finn was here, by himself, everyone just leaving him to be beaten by Rory Benton, not that it would happen but still.

She left him there to set up the card when she made a cup on tea. Thoughts of this morning filled her head. Thinking if she should have forgiven him or at least stayed. She tried to forget about it for now and not let it ruin her day off.

"You ready to lose?" She said walking into the living room, with her cup of tea. The hot liquid spilt on her finger as she tripped over a lifted floorboard.

"You should probably stop talking to yourself, Vivvi" he said, sarcastically, laughing at her as she almost fell.

She deadpanned, "haha, now lets start." They were laughing and getting really competitive. After a very intense game of snap, Finn ending up winning and making a big song and dance about it. It made her laugh, seeing her brother all giddy.

He often cowered away from everyone, out of there way. Often staying outside or an empty room, but took any opportunity to be around family business. There was a age gap between him and the older brothers which made it a complicated relationship, as well as the fact that they were gone for four years. Finn tried to be like his brothers, it was obvious.

Pulling out the little brown bag, she held it up, smiling, "If you stop now I'll give you these. Jellies, take it or leave it." She offered.

"Take it." He answered and she tossed them toward him. They both sat on the couch talking nonsense, sharing the jellies. But soon a knock was heard, causing the two to look at each other in great confusion.

As Vivian had said before, who'd come knocking at the Shelby's door. "It's Rory Benton." Finn whispered, going to grab the cap on the table.

"It's not Rory Benton." She shook her head, getting up to answer the door, followed by Finn who held the razor cap in his hands ready to attack. She pulled the door open, being met with a kind smile, which was odd in Small Heath on a busy Tuesday. It was her new friend, Janet Greene.

"Well you're not Rory Benton." Finn lowered the cap.

"What would you do with that if it was him?" She asked her brother.

Doing an impression of John, "Cut 'im a smile." he responded, making Vivian chuckle a bit, turning to the guest. She wore a similar dress to the last time they met but this time black and white, with a pair of red shoes.

"Hello, are you doing anything now?" Janet questioned.

"Am I doing anything now, Finn?" She didn't look away from her newest friend.

He nodded his head, "Yes." He answered, looking at the Greene girl too.

"Yes, why?" The Shelby sister repeated, looking past the girl, onto the streets, before turning back to hear her answer.

"No reason, just bored." Janet said, "But I'll see you around."

She was just about to leave until, "You could come in and play cards with us. It is really funny when Vivian loses." Finn offered, smiling up at Vivian.

"What?" The Greene girl asked, after hearing parts of his sentence. She looking at Finn who looked at his sister.

"You could come in and play cards with us. It is really funny when Vivian loses." She repeated her brother's words, with a grin on her face. Finn's smile grew hearing remark, "It's even funnier when Finn thinks he gets away with cheating." She added.

"So . . ." Vivian spoke, "Are you coming in or should I close the door over?"

Janet smiled and stepped into number 29 and looked around the front room. It was similar to hers apart from the decor. Vivian closed the door as Finn stood in front of Janet, with his hand out. "Finn Shelby, and you are Emily? Eve? Penelope?"

"Janet Greene, you are a gentleman." Shaking his hand. Vivian scoffed loudly at the comment.

"After playing one game with him, you'll see how much of a gentleman he is." Vivian remarked, walking around the couch, setting up the cards.

"How about Snap" Finn suggested sitting beside his sister.

"No." She exclaimed, taking the cap, that was on his head, off and throwing it onto the rocking chair in the corner. Janet flopped down in the armchair beside the couch, making herself at home. She wasn't a shy person and she didn't seem to care that she was in the house that belonged to the leaders of the Peaky Blinders, if she even knew. She had to, she knew they were Shelby's and she'd been here long enough to know. "Something less violent."

"Fine . . . Go Fish then. You know how to play?" Finn asked the newcomer.

Janet nodded, "I love Go Fish, but I warn you I get very competitive."

Vivian scoffed, "Why d'you think we're not playing Snap."

"You're the one that makes it violent." Finn protested.

"Where do you think I got this cut from," She pointed to the cut on the side of her nose, "you lost and threw your cards at my face." Janet laughed at the siblings.

They played together, talked and teased each other. It was about four before Janet had to go home and the brother and sister played and laughed into the night. And now Finn's head lay on Vivian lap as he snored.

—

    Her head hung over the edge of the bed, eyes shut. The girl hummed along to the music that was playing through the wall. The neighbours had a gramophone and the wall were thin enough that she could often hear the songs clear as day. The old woman next door had lived on Waterly Lane longer than the Shelby's. She barely left her home, her son delivering bags of groceries or clothes. She was a kind and private person and had good music taste.

It was nice to fall asleep to the melodies sometimes, instead of the sound of drunk men stumbling down the street.

The front door opened and closed as her brother came home, and right away she knew he wasn't in the best humour — if he ever was. She heard Polly and Thomas speaking in the kitchen but couldn't make out what they were talking about. She didn't bother to listen; they were so quiet.

Soon, she heard her aunt exclaim and then feet stomping up the stairs, "Vivian Shelby, get down 'er now." Pol shouted from the stairway.

Sighing loudly, she rolled over, "Fuck's going on now?" She mumbled to herself. She knew that her aunt tried not rose her voice a lot but when she did, not even God could save you. She opened the door and made her way down the hallway, pulling her cardigan around her. She hadn't bothered to get dress for bed, after working in the den all day.

She looked down the stairs seeing Polly looking at her, "Come on." She muttered, heading into the kitchen. She stepped down each step slowly allowing herself to question the sudden anger that radiated from the kitchen. The brunette stopped at the bottom, glancing into the kitchen seeing Thomas with his back turned. Walking quietly towards the room, she prepared herself.

Looking at her aunt, she saw the anger on her face but also the fear in her eyes. Polly looked around the room, thinking before she heard the floorboard creak. Her eyes snapped to the door where her niece stood. Vivian only saw anger in her eyes now, as Polly stood up quickly walking right up to her. Silently, she held a piece of paper up, before slamming it on the table beside her. The Gray woman walked away from her, standing beside the chair where she once sat, while the Shelby man turned around, studying his sister's behaviour.

The girl looked between her aunt, who failed to look at her and instead kept her eyes of the paper on the table, and her brother, who stared into her soul. He pointed at it briefly before taking a drag from his cigarette. Vivian stared at him as she picked up the note to read. Unfolding it, she thought of everything she had done and what it might say.

Vivian Shelby, arrest, murder, Ryan Farrelly, many words stuck out as she schemed through the report. The read over it about three times just to make sure. There was warrant for her arrest, on accountable for the murder of Ryan Farrelly. 'The male was found shot in an alleyway in the south side of Small Heath, Birmingham'. She couldn't wrap her head around it, 'arrest on sight, use force if necessary'. Last time she checked, she didn't kill a man and left him there in the street, but she knew someone else who did.

The barmaid.

"What's this?" She asked already knowing, but feeling confirmation. She heard her aunt scoff loudly, as her brother rubbed his eyes. She fumbled with the paper in her hand wondering why she was in trouble, she was framed.

"You are to be arrested." Tom spoke in a patronising tone toward her, "I spoke to Moss tonight and he said you were around the area where Ryan Farrelly was killed. Now there is enough shit going on and we don't need coppers showing up looking to lock you up, so would you care to explain why you killed a man?"

"Thomas." Pol scolded him, not wanting to listen to him rant on, and just get to the point, "Vivian, what were you doing around there anyway?" She asked calmly, but Vivian saw she was ready to crack.

"I was coming home from Ada and Freddie's wedding and I-"

"Why did you kill him?" Her brother cut in loudly, not letting her continue. She glared at him as he stared back, taking a drag.

"It wasn't me."

"Then who did?" Pol asked curiously, but was interrupted by his voice before she could answer.

She looked toward Thomas, "This isn't a fucking joke. You killed someone, eh? You . . . And you take responsibility for your mistakes, so grow up and admit it." He ignored Polly as she called his name. He went on, walking toward her, "I'll deal with it but it's the last time." He said pushing past her.

Silence took over the room as the two women stood there, listening to the door shut again. Her aunt's eyes bore into the side of her head meanwhile Vivian got lost in her thoughts. The Shelby girl heard the ticking of the pocket watch coming from her own pocket ever so quietly. "I didn't do it." Vivian whispered into the room before heading back to her room before her aunt got a word in.

Her feet quickly brought her to her room, hearing Finn's snores coming from his room but the music stopped. Instead she tried to fall asleep rather than staying up overthinking the whole thing.

It didn't take long for her to slip into her dreams, and for once they brought her peace and content when she awoke.

—

25th December 1911 | Birmingham

The shouting between Ada and Vivian as her older sister tried to get her into her Christmas clothes for church. The Shelby were all running through the house trying to sort themselves out. Some wrapping presents, making dinner and others screaming and shouting at each other. It was often like this, a classic Shelby-Gray-Jones Christmas.

An eleven year old Vivian Shelby had been fighting with her sister for an hour about wearing the dark purple dress that was too uncomfortable. "What's the point, it's gonna get dirty, it too itchy, it gets in the way. It's just a hassle. She complained as Ada faffed around with her sister's hair.

"Vi." Ada warned looking her at her sister in the mirror.

"Adie." Vivian copied her tone.

Ada tried to sway her sister "V, it is nice to dress up a bit. It's not often we do. Polly wants us to look presentable. Look just do it for aunt Pol, eh?"

"Then can I not wear this one? It's presentable, and the fabric isn't itchy and it doesn't make me want to rip my skin off."

"Just wear the dress. We'll go, sit down and listen to the priest ramble on about the bible and then we'll be home and you can change." Tommy appeared at the door, Vivian stared at her brother, debating whether to listen to it. She ended up listening to him and running out the bedroom door before Ada come do anything else to her hair.

She saw a pregnant Martha playing with Finn. Pol was shouting at John and Kol who kept messing around the kitchen. It was hard to believe that one of those idiots was about to be a father. Arthur was playing cards with Ryan, who was losing by what it seemed.

Polly struggled with the lot of them and Christmas was the hardest. She tries her best and the older ones help out as much as possible. The responsibility of the children was put on her all of a sudden and as well as that her son and daughter had been taken form her and she was dealing with the lost of her sister in law. However she knew how to keep them in line and keep them alive as well as caring for them, never losing her sanity to the chaos.

At Christmas, the family, like most, struggled with meals and gifting presents, but they made the most of it. The only tradition that was important to them (them being Polly) was going to church on Christmas Day.

It didn't take long before aunt Pol was pushing everyone out the door. Vivian walked along side Pol and Ryan. The walk to the church wasn't long but the young girl got bored quickly. She and Ryan had been trying to trip each other up, much to Pol disappointment. "Stop it" she scolded the two with a pointed look, causing the two friends to stop but silently giggling with each other.

Through the whole service, she was stuck between Arthur and John to keep her out of trouble but it did the opposite as Arthur whispered funny things in her ear trying to get her to laugh out loud, and John kept making noises and blamed it on the young girl, which only made her laugh more. It kept her distracted from the odd smell that filled the church and the itchiness of the dress.

After the mass, Polly, Tom and Arthur found the Thorne family. Martha was scolding John and Kol which wasn't a rare thing. Ada stood with her little brother while talking to a school friend. Ryan and Vivian ran up and down the stairs racing back and forth to the church doors, soon to be stopped by Tommy. She almost fell down the stairs when her brother caught her, watching her til the family went home.

The carollers stood to the left of the stairs, singing their hymns, Vivian humming along to the ones she knew as she was kept by Tommy's side. She listened as he spoke to Freddie about some girl, Gretchen or something. She had to pretend not to listen as they went on. Every time she tried to run to Ryan who was now joined by her nemesis, Isaiah Jesus, Tom would pull her back. He knew now that if he let her go that she would get hurt as well as Isaiah.

While Freddie was mumbling something for only her brother to hear, she made a run for it, hiding with Ada and Martha. She didn't hear Tommy call her which meant she was safe.

"Hello little Shelby." Martha smiled, putting her arm around Vivian's small shoulders.

"Hello Mar." She smiled up at her, "Can we go home now? Please?" She asked looking between the two women, both her sisters in different ways.

"Wait for Pol, she won't be much longer." Martha looked around for Pol seeing her speaking to and laughing with Freddie's mother.

"She's talking to Irene, we'll be here for ages" Ada laughed, looking at her aunt and a the family friend. Vivian groaned loudly, she was starving and kept pulling at her dress.

It had been fifteen minutes before Pol joined the group that had gathered since, "come on, let's go." Pol spoke putting her hand on Ada and Martha's back pushing them ahead to walk on, and pulling Kol by the sleeve to hurry up while he was speaking to one of the girls from the group of carollers.

Now, they all lay on the around the front room after dinner. The boys were in one big game of poker, Ada and Polly were laughing and talking, three year old Finn and Martha were playing with some toys he got from Father Christmas and Vivian lay, almost asleep, on the couch, full after eating.

Out of nowhere she heard music playing from the gramophone, it was Ada. When she open her eyes she saw her sisters dancing and laughing, obviously after a few whiskeys. She smiled as her tired eyes glanced around the room, the boys paying no mind to the music. Her aunt Pol was above her, pulling her up, "come on, up and dance." Pol was a little tipsy, more than a little if she was being honest.

The music played as the girl and her aunt swayed side to side, laughing as they bumped into her sisters. Tom was the first to notice the women as they danced and sung with the music, whacking Arthur's arm and pointing at them, the others laughed at the girls. They had been so invested in the game they missed the contentment that filled the air. They chuckle at their family as they drunkenly spun each other around.

It was moments like these, young Vivian treasured, the moments when she spent time with her family and it wasn't chaos. Everyone was content and happy and together, it was why she loved Christmas, her favourite time of year.

NOTES

HEYY EVERYONE, MERRY CHRISTMAS !!! Hope you all had a happy Christmas and enjoyed the day. Sorry I didn't publish yesterday, i wanted to make this chapter more Christmas for the holiday.

I love this little flashback and i might do more every once and a while. I hope you are enjoying the book. This chapter is inspired by the original storyline i had planned.

If you want any edits or updates on the book my TikTok is vvioletneklace.wp and please leave comments as i appreciate and love to hear what you think. Goodnight or day xx