𝑨𝑵𝑵𝑰𝑬 • 𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒚 𝑩𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

~•~
"On a Sunday afternoon, two siblings sat on a sofa together, not knowing what to say or the first thing about each other. It was almost laughable."
~•~

Michael was pacing around. She's be here in a bit. He didn't know why he was so nervous to meet her, but he was. A part of him was almost ashamed she had been the one to find him first, while he never questioned the years he had trouble recalling. It had never once occurred to him that he could've been adopted.

Anna was stood outside. This home was much smaller. Their growth was admirable, they started from here and moved their way up. Maybe she would see that differently once Michael explained it all, maybe she'll find that admirable was the wrong word to use. She raised a hand up and knocked on the wood, Annie turned towards the car, an unsure look on her face. Andy and Henry threw their thumbs up and plastered on encouraging smiles. Annie looked away at the sound of a silent click, and then there was him.

It was almost like looking in a mirror. They had the same blonde hair, Annie noticed they had the same nose. Michael felt like his feet were glued to the floor, he was frozen, and then in one swift motion she was pulled into his arms. She rested her cheek against his shoulder blade, and let her eyes flutter shut for a short moment before wrapping her frail arms around him. Michael eyes were open but he was almost in some sort of daze, not completely aware of what he was doing but he was sure of one thing, he wouldn't let her slip away this easily ever again. "It's warmer inside." she heard him say before she was pulled into the home, the door shutting behind them. Annie took in her surroundings, there was a table, a fireplace, then two doors that led somewhere else. Annie followed him into another room, with sofas and another fireplace, Michael took a seat. Annie stood, her eyes still zooming all over the place.

"You'll get used to it." Michael said. Annie hesitated, then she took a seat beside him. "I heard you did get my letters." Annie half smiled, she couldn't ignore the tight feeling in her chest. He never replied to them. "Yeah ... Yeah I got them." Michael admitted. Annie felt her heart sink further. "Why didn't you reply to them?" She asked in a shaky voice, tears prickling her eyes. "I don't know." He answered, looking away. Annie still stared at him, a tear spilled down her cheek but she wiped away, quickly. "Our post came every Sunday. Before church, i would sit outside every week, hoping you'd write back to me. I gave up after a few months." And she cried for a few more months after that. Annie looked away, trying to conceal that she was crying but Michael knew, and he could feel the pressure in his throat build as he tried to hold back his own tears. "If I'd known ... I swear I would've-" He cleared his throat. "-I would've written back."
Annie nodded, wiping away at her tear stricken face. "I know." Is all she said. Maybe she would've just been honest, tell him who she really was, maybe then he would've replied.

"So did you make it to Gretna green?" Michael asked after a few minutes. "No, he passed away before we could." Annie replied, shortly after. Michael slowly nodded. It was silent for a while until Annie spoke up again. "You're the only one I've told about him." She said, she knew that Polly read the letters but he was the only one she'd actually told. She'd poured her heart out into those letters, she wouldn't even let Elsie see them.

Michael turned to look at her, she looked so broken ... fragile. It could've easily have been him had he not been the one to be adopted. Annie was trying her best to blink away the tears, taking deep breaths, and watching her, a part of him wished it had been him. "I couldn't tell anyone what I'd lost." Her hand rose to her mouth, as she tried to control her breathing. She felt michaels arm around her, and she rested her head against his shoulder. "You can tell me. As many times as you like, I'll listen." He said but Annie shook her head and moved off of him, "You've heard all there is about me, it's your turn now. I want to know about you." But more importantly, she didn't want to talk about him. Not not, not ever.

"Me? Well my life is a bit boring in comparison to yours, I'm sure."

"Boring sounds nice." Annie smiled. Her smile hadn't changed in the thirteen years, lopsided and the dimples. Picture perfect.

"Well where do I even start , I grew up in a village with my mum and my little brother."

"You have a brother?" Annie's eyebrows rose, a gentle smile gracing her face.

"Yeah," Michael laughed, thinking about how much he missed him already. "Most days it was quiet in the village, nothing to do but go to school."

"Well that sounds great, school does."

Michael pulled a face. "School?" He scoffed, "Who ever enjoyed that?" Annie looked offended. "I loved school." She laughed, "Was heartbroken when they pulled me out of it. Although, I did go to private school one time, when I was living in London for a while."

"Private school?" Michael snorted, Annie only nodded with a knowing smile. "Fucking hell." He muttered. Annie leaned back into the sofa, "Yeah, it was." She chuckled, "I ended up getting kicked out."

Michael paused then turned to her. "What?"

"Yeah. Alison visited me, and we ended up scrapping two other girls in the waiting room. It's a really long story, I'd rather not get into it."

When Annie was excluded from school, she and Alison had started fighting right after, that wasn't very surprising. Alison and Annie were known to have very physical fights, all their childhood, they'd usually get over it the next morning and then it'd repeat the next week or so. Sometimes, Anna thought they did more damage to each other than the nuns ever did.

"Alison's your sister, right?"

"Yeah, she's a fucking bitch, though."

Michael chuckled. Maybe Anna was cut out for this life, maybe more than he was.

"Michael, what are the Peaky blinders?" She had a pretty good idea just by the name of it but she wanted him to confirm it. She saw Michael freeze, his facial expressions stilled, and she felt herself becoming more and more anxious. "Exactly what it sounds like." He said, it was vague, but she knew.

Annie inhaled.

"They blind people?"

Michael nodded.

Anna felt her stomach turn, like she was about to be sick. Perhaps there was nothing in those hollow blue eyes, maybe that's why he could come up and execute something so gruesome ... inhumane. "The razors in their caps ..." Annie gulped. Michael nodded once more. "Fuck." She breathed out.

"You'll grow used to it."

"Used to it? Michael ..."

"The sick feeling in your stomach, I mean. It'll fade, and so will the shock of it." Michael got up, and she watched him pour himself a glass of whiskey.

"No, I don't think it will." She muttered.

Michael didn't turn around fast enough to see her get up, the sound of the door creaking open and slamming shut froze him in his place.

And when turned around, Annie was gone.

~•~

A/n Running away from your problems is a race you'll never win, I wonder when Annie will realise this...

Where do you think she's going?
Do you think Annie will ever get over this?

Vote and Comment!