Anna [J.Shelby]

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

Small Heath, Birmingham
Christmas 1924

Eventually, too many days went by with not one word about John. Anna grew anxious and angry because she knew that if he was hung, then she would be the last to find out. They had been well and truly fucked over.

So many months had gone by that Anna had lost count of the amount of times the children had asked where their father was, why he hadn't been home in so long. Anna wouldn't say a word, just that he's gone away, and she doesn't know when he will be back.

She had lost count of the amount of days the kids had to skip a meal because she frequently refused the money Finn tried giving her to keep the house running and the kids healthy- off Tommy, of course. She gave up in those attempts eventually, because the kids needed to eat 3 a day, not 2.

She had lost count on the hours of sleep she had lost, crying and worrying over her husband, wondering if he's alright, if he's gone mad. She had lost countless of hours looking after a newborn all by herself, baby Eddie was no longer newborn, but 6 months old.

Her father had tried to convince her into moving in with him in the countryside, but her only response was that John wouldn't know where they was if he came home.

Linda was in the same situation, with a 3 month old, struggling to make ends meet and the pair had somewhat came to rely on eachother for some sort of comfort, they helped eachother out here and there. Both had lost husbands to Thomas Shelby and his destructible ways.

It was 5 days until Christmas, Ada had arrived to stay for the Christmas period with Finn, before she had to go back to America to continue on with business.

Anna had missed Ada's company dearly, she had started to go insane with only the kids and weekly visits off Linda.

The knock at the door sparked happiness inside of her as followed by all the kids, she answered the door.

"Ey we've got a whole big welcoming, haven't we Karl? " Ada joked with her son as she smiled at the family.

"Please come in, Ada." Anna smiled to her, ushering the kids into the living room.

"Oh it's so great seeing you" Ada pulled her into a hug.

"Look at you in your American dresses and coats and hats. Hard to believe you're the same woman who talked about revolution and 'the people'."

"Oh shut up you! Give us a look" Ada held her arms out for her nephew, Anna handing over the chunky baby.

"Oh he's gorgeous, he's grown so big!"

"That's because he never stops feeding" Anna snorted.

"Is Linda coming?"

"Linda will come in a bit and Finn will probably be round later too. I can't tell whether he comes to help or if he just comes for the food I don't have"

Ada let out a laugh.

"And how are you, really?"

"Getting by, barely. I get 4 or 5 hours sleep, the kids are either arguing or asking me where John is"

"What's in the bag near the Christmas tree?" Isabelle ran up to Anna who laughed at her.

"You're just going to have to wait and see aren't you" Anna smiled at her, brushing her hair out of her face.

"But that's ages away!"

"It's only 5 days!" James replied.

"See, James can wait. Now go and play, go on, the lot of you" Anna told them, Ada laughing as they all ran off upstairs along with Karl.

Ada took Eddie off of Anna as she boiled some water to make tea.

"So how's America ?" Anna asked her.

"Amazing, and not a lot different from England"

Ada held Eddie as he bounced on her lap, his fingers in his mouth and tiny giggles escaping his lips.

She glanced over Anna as she placed the tea in front of her.

"Have you heard anything, from Tommy or Finn about John, Arthur, Michael and Polly?"

"I know nothing, honestly, Ada. Finn keeps telling me Tommy's fixing it, but Tommy said he would fix it 6 months ago. 6 months of looking after 7 kids all by myself. Linda gave birth to her son 3 months ago, and nobody else was around. Arthur hasn't even met his son, and I gave up thinking that Tommy was going to fix it months ago."

Ada's next words were interrupted by Finn stumbling through the back door.

"Hello you" Ada smiled at her youngest brother.

"Alright Ada"

Linda entered not long after, Ada was quick to take the baby from her and coo over him.

Ada caught up with her sister-in-law and Finn while Anna made more tea, the rowdy kids soon invading the downstairs again.

There was a loud knock at the door that had Anna spilling the tea and cursing under her breath as Ada went to get it.

"Bloody hell" The words fell out of her lips as those in the kitchen glanced at eachother, Anna wiping off her hands and worming her way around the kids to the door where a forgotten-looking John and Arthur stood on the doorstep, their face looking almost void of emotion but their eyes said otherwise.

Anna could swear her heart stopped as she froze in utter shock, but she was in John's arms within a split second, a tear seeping from her eye and John held his own as they held so tightly onto eachother and John never wanted to let go.

◇◇◇

John boys home!

You might hate me when I say this but you'll all have to wait for S4 because I haven't finished writing even the first 2 parts to it and I want to get them all written in advance because it's easier. Plus, the new fanfic comes out as S4 does so I need to do that too while juggling college.

Life is great.