𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

1

DISCLAIMER FROM ME: this story was written around 2/3 months ago (it's currently november 2023) and it was my first ever wp story so i'll apologise now for the lack of punctuation and the terrible writing in some chapters + how short they are. my more recent books are better (Mirrors, The Devils Daughter, Cracking, Do I wanna know and Silver Springs) I have more but they're my favourite. All of them Peaky blinders stories.

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Lottie couldn't remember much from before the war, all she remembered was that her brothers were never the same once they returned. But she didn't blame them for that, she understood that war was bound to change them as people.

Lottie Shelby was 9 when her brothers left to fight in France. She had just recently turned 14 when they returned.

During the war, Lottie remembered sitting on her window sill, her legs hanging outside, praying that her brothers were still okay. She got through it okay because of her Aunt Pol and older sister Ada.

Finn wasn't much help though, all he did was run around the house chasing her.

She remembered the day they returned as if it was yesterday.

-

November 12th 1919

"Lottie Shelby get down these stairs" Polly shouted, glancing at the clock. "Coming" the fourteen year old shouted as she pulled her peaky blinders cap over her ears.

"Don't want to be late for your brothers" she reminded the girl, pulling her coat over her shoulders. "Where's Finn?" Lottie asked. "With Ada outside" she nodded, placing a hand on Lottie's back and hurrying her outside.

"Do you reckon they've changed much" she asked. Polly nodded. "War changes everyone love"

Ada took her younger sisters hand in hers as they began walking toward the train station. "What if they forgot about us" Finn questioned, looking up at Polly. "Don't be silly" she laughed at the boy, dragging him along.

Finn was 4 years younger than Lottie.

All four of them waited in the train station as trains pulled in. Groups of families sobbed, hugging men in uniform. "Can you see them?" Ada asked, standing on her tip toes.

Lottie's eyes widened as she saw John step off the carriage, Arthur and Tommy behind them.

Lottie took off running. "John!" she shouted, a wide smile plastered on his face. Her older brother looked down at her as she ran. Lottie threw herself into his arms and he lifted her off the floor.

"Hello Lottie" he laughed into her hair. She held him tight, scared he would disappear again.

Arthur took the cap from her head and she glared at him.

"You've got a moustache" she chuckled, pointing at it. "Hello to you too Lottie" he scoffed, John placing her back on the floor. "Hi Arthur" she tilted her head, wrapping her arms around him.

"Hello kid" he grinned, holding his younger sister.

"You forgot about me?" Tommy joked, watching as the girl turned around, embracing him automatically.

"How are you" he asked her. "I'm good" she shrugged.

Polly glared at the two.

"She's been kicked out of school again" she told them. John smacked her over the back of the head. "What you doing that for" she moaned, hitting him back.

"Told you not to get in trouble whilst we were away" he scolded, wrapping an arm round her shoulder as they walked back to watery lane. "It's not my fault the boys at school keep teasing me" she defended.

"What they doing to you, eh?" Arthur asked.

"Taking the piss out my hat all the time. Saying i look like a boy" she shook her head, folding her arms. "Well good on you, don't take shit from no one" Arthur praised, earning a hard look from Polly.

"Told him i didn't care because it's Tom's hat that he gave me before youse went away" she added. A small smile sat on her brothers face as she continued telling stories about school.

They eventually made it back to their small house and Lottie dragged all three of her brothers to the dining table. "As i was saying," she sighed. "I basically threatened to take his tongue if he carried on winding me up" she nodded as if it was normal. John stifled a laugh, placing his fist to his mouth and earning a slap from Polly.

"Well then" Tommy sighed, "Don't be going round telling people you'll cut them, yeah?" he asked.

She shrugged.

"Now that you are all back maybe they'll stop" she suggested. "Yeah, maybe" Tommy nodded.

"What was it like?" Finn asked. Arthur took a deep breath, "It wasn't nice, Finn" he admitted. "Not nice at all"

"You two stop asking questions and go get ready for bed" Ada told them, squeezing Lottie's shoulder. The younger Shelby siblings groaned and pulled themselves up the stairs.

"Do you think they've changed" she asked her younger brother. "They look older" he said causing the girl to chuckle.

Lottie loved her brothers more than anything in the world. And she knew that they would do anything to protect her, even if it meant putting themselves in danger.

Lottie sat staring at the cracks in the ceiling, the thin sheet draped over her body.

She couldn't sleep, every now and again, she could hear the creaking of Ada's bed or the panicked breathing of Tommy down the hall.

It worried her that they had changed in a bad way, she didn't want to lose her brothers.