Peaky Blinders One Shots

Polly X Reader: A New Family (Part 2)

In the six months since you and Polly took in Elizabeth as your own, a lot has changed. She slowly became more bubbly and sociable after getting used to everyone. She now smiles and laughs every day. Most importantly, though, she has taken to calling you and Polly 'mum' or 'mummy'. They are titles both of you are proud to hold. She also loves having so many cousins, and they all love her in return.

Finn is so glad to not be the youngest in the house any more, so he'll often take Elizabeth for walks or buy her sweets from the shops, spoiling her with affection whenever she's near. John plays with her all the time, along with his kids, who all adore their new cousin. She has so many friends through them. Arthur reads her stories and likes to give her piggyback rides, jumping up and down to jiggle her and make her laugh. Whenever Ada comes to visit, she always has a new dress or a pair of shoes for Elizabeth, loving that there's another girl in the family. Even Tommy has taken a shine to her, often bringing her to Charlie's yard to show her the horses. He's also begun to teach her how to ride them, always sticking by her side while she's on one. You think this may have made him her favourite cousin, as each time she comes back home, she won't stop talking about all the things Tommy taught her to do, from actually riding the horses to taking care of them. She truly has become a member of the family.

Polly, of course, loves being a mum again. She loves cooking for Elizabeth, and the two of you join your daughter for tea parties every Sunday. Despite her joy, though, an underlying sadness rests upon her shoulders. You often wake up to her crying beside you, but for the longest time, she wouldn't tell you why. All you could do was hold her and stay awake until she fell asleep again, if she did at all.

It took her a long time to tell you that she's been dreaming of Anna, and that in the dream, her daughter tells her that she has passed on. You hope for Polly's sake that it isn't true, but you know that she is never wrong about these things. You're also the only person she confides in after she visits a fortune-teller, who told her that her dreams are true. That night is the hardest for her. She sobs into your chest, and you cry for her, and for her little girl, and your little girl who will never meet her sister.

It's only when Esme finds out who Polly has seen and tells Tommy, that it is actually confirmed on paper. Anna had died in Australia when she was only a small child. Michael, however, is still alive, and in Britain.

Tension rises between Polly and Tommy when he refuses to tell her where Michael is, despite the fact that he has gone to visit the boy himself. It's so tense, that even Elizabeth begins to feel it. She has become sullen and withdrawn over the last few days, something that worries you greatly.

"Why isn't mummy talking to Tommy?" She asks one afternoon while the two of you play with her new dolls in her bedroom in the house Tommy bought you three. You pause as you try to figure out what to tell her.

"Mummy is upset that Tommy is keeping a big secret from her," is what you decide on. Elizabeth only looks more confused.

"What's the secret?" She questions.

"I don't know, sweetheart," you tell her, which is partly true, "Tommy won't tell me either."

"Do you think he'll tell me?"

"No, darling, it's an adult secret. It's best not to ask him about it when he takes you riding." She nods then, and goes back to playing.

---

The night of the Garrison reopening, you offer to mind all the kids at John and Esme's, as you're feeling too tired to drink at the pub tonight.

It's an uneventful night for you. The kids stay up for a while longer than they should, but eventually you get everyone into bed, and then collapse on the couch yourself, exhausted from trying to tire all five kids and a toddler out.