FOR THE ONE WHO STAYED ─ A peaky blinders fanfiction
━ IN WHICH, Elizabeth Shelby has to come to terms with the fact that sharing a name does not necessarily mean family.
━ AND IN WHICH, a father and daughter must learn how to find each other again...
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October, 1918
Leaves of every color mantled the streets, leaving loud crunches as they were trampled by heavy boots. The lane was crowded, the people were like a river, streaming fast in one way, to a way where everything would change forever. Again.
Shouting and laughing of women and children was audible, and there was something in the air no one could understand, an untouchable, indescribable feeling, existence, really. Joy, perhaps. -or hope.
"Come on Finnie, we're almost there!" Yelled behind her back the sprinting Elizabeth Shelby.
"You know I can't run that bloody fast Eff!" Shouted back her suffocating uncle.
She abruptly stopped, and waited out those seconds until Finn was by her side. She grabbed onto his hand, fastening her pace once again with a joyful expression and highly restrained smile. Finn's face on the other hand, was absurd from misery. Pools of sweat were streaming down their faces by the time they slowed down, surrounded and blocked by the mob.
"For fuck's sake Eff, Pol and Ada wont even be here for at least a ten minutes!" He whined as he wiped away the dirt and sweat from his face.
"That's exactly why" She said, not bothering to turn to Finn, instead craning her neck to find a clear path to the station. "Oi, Finn! Here" Motioned Effy towards a narrow gap between the crowd, and getting hold of his hand again they started flowing through the people. The hissing sound of numerous steam locomotives welcomed the two Shelby kid, the whistling trains and ocean of uniformed soldiers making them feel quite helpless, not knowing where to search.
"Look at there, Eff" Pointed Finn at the vault above them, which ended in two pillar, both lost in detail and knurl, giving them an easy place to climb up on. Effy went first without a second thought, Finn after. On the box they had the perfect view of the station and the pool of people. Their eyes were jumping on every tiny figure who might have been a Shelby. And then, very subtly, Finn whispered something.
"Is that Arthur?" He was so quiet yet so understandable, Effy had to hold her breath before answering.
"With a mustache" She didn't waste a second to jump down from the metal column, breaking trough the crowd with her eyes swimming. It felt unreal. Finn was chasing after her, but he was no longer shouting or whining at her to stop.
John and Tommy appeared now behind their oldest brother. The space between them was getting smaller and smaller, and it didn't take long for the returned soldiers to notice their two Shelby kids. Effy could see their lips move, whisper to one and other. Only a few more steps, her throat closed up. She didn't know what to do, what to say, who to hug, but that didn't matter when it came to the moment of truth. There was no time for thinking, not at that moment. Because when she saw her father, there was no one else around them. Only them.
