CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

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Small Heath, Birmingham 1924

"It's fucking massive" Were the first words that escaped Anna's lips as she glanced up the long driveway towards Tommy and Grace's new home.

"Massive is a fuckin' understatement, love" John snorted.

Pregnant again, not to the families or John's and Anna's surprise, and Tommy and Graces wedding was tommorow.

But that night, there was to be a dinner held, just for the Shelby family.

"Should have been expected, though, it's Thomas Shelby" Anna turned to John with a laugh.

All the kids, of course, couldn't fit in one car so was forced to split among the family, with Arthur surprisingly taking 2 of them.

"If Linda's converted Katie and Harry I'll have Arthurs fuckin' head" John cursed.

"I really can't tell if you're being serious or not. But I'll have Arthurs head if Harry or Katie talk about the flipping bible"

"What's bible?" Isabelle chirped up, making John smile and Anna shake her head.

"Ask Aunt Poll or the blonde lady with Uncle Arthur" Anna told her as she helped her jump down, Jack handed over a 1 year old Harriet, or Hattie as they called her.

"I could get used to this" Arthur spoke loudly, glancing up at the large mansion-like house.

"I prefer smaller housing" Linda spoke.

"I don't really have a preference, as long as there's less then 3 kids to a room that'll do for me"

"Men, ladies" Tommy and Grace stepped out of the home.

The remaining family, who were last to arrive, followed them through to a large sitting room that was lit by fires.

As soon as Isabelle recognised Polly, much to the family's amusment she asked her the same question she'd asked her parents.

"Aunt Poll, what's a bible?"

Polly laughed at the young girl and tried to explain it as something the girl would understand.

"So how does it feel, Tom, you're going to be a married man" Johns voice boomed.

The maids had taken the kids elsewhere, much to Anna's appreciation.

"You tell me what being a married man feels like, John"

"And I would be very careful what you say because your wife is sitting right here" Anna added, the family laughing in response, prompted by more as he kept his lips sealed.

"Dinner shall be ready in an hour, we can show you to your rooms" Grace smiled.

The room opposite to Anna and John's had a large bed as well as multiple other blankets and pillows and a cot. John had already decided they'd let the kids decide who slept where to save them a headache, and the cot was of course for Hattie.

Anna glanced out the window at acres of greenery, the dirty and muggy streets of Birmingham were nowhere in sight.

"I don't think I can remember a time where all I saw was grass and trees and horses grazing. It's peaceful" Anna spoke as Johns arms snaked around her waist as he pulled her onto his lap in a chair by the window.

"Yeah, well peaceful doesn't come to those with 6 kids and my families line of work"

"I wish it did, sometimes I wish we could move away. They're quite dangerous thoughts, really, nobody should be able to get lost in dreams"

"Not unless you make your dreams a reality" John spoke against her neck.

Johns lips against her neck sent shivers down her spine as he picked her up off his lap and threw her back on the bed, Anna laughing, bringing his lips up to her own as his hands ran down her body, he undressed her slowly, his touch creating sparks against her skin.

"John, we're in a house full of people," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"that's never stopped us before," this comment induced a laugh from Anna, silenced when John caught her lips in his own; two magnets.

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Welcome to Series 3..

This is the last pre-write I have left so I dont know when the next chapters (the wedding) will be up.

But I have a question, there seems to have been loss of interest from the beginning of the fanfiction to now, so what can I do to peak interest once again?

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