Today was the day the boys return home. Lydia had missed her brother and the Shelby boys very much, she was practically part of the family, even more so after the war started. Lydia had helped Polly and Ada with everything from taking care of Finn and John's children to managing the business for the past four years alongside the Shelby women.
This was a day that was much anticipated by them all; Lydia particularly was experiencing a myriad of emotions. She feared that the men coming home would not be the same boys that left her all that time ago. However, Lydia couldn't complain, as all of them were coming home together in one piece, which was more than some of her friends could say about their own family.
As hoards of women and children gathered around the train station the crowd parted at the presence of Polly Gray, Ada Shelby, and Lydia Thorne. Trailing behind, the future Peaky Blinders pushed and shoved each other unaware of the limitless pairs of eyes that watched.
Lydia stood waiting on the arrival of the train with John's youngest child on her hip and Finn Shelby's hand in hers. Lydia had become a mother figure for all of them and had now adopted the name of 'Auntie Lyds'.
A wave of whispers rippled through the crowd upon the arrival of the men coming back from the war, each face was analysed as they stepped off the carriages carefully by the ladies. Ada searched for her brothers that would most likely be together by pushing her way through the crowds without a care in the world for others.
Polly remained calm and collected as she stood with Lydia and the children, they didn't speak a word but both gave a reassuring look to one another, knowing that things wouldn't be the same as before.
Lydia was startled by a booming voice ahead of her, she quickly started walking as fast as she could without stumbling and dropping Jack.
"LYDIA!" John shouted, with an elated expression across his face, he hurtled himself towards her; he instantly embraced her and kissed her cheek. He turned to see his youngest son Jack who had his eyes, John immediately took him out of Lydia's arms. He held the child tightly into his chest as his older three children wrapped themselves around his legs.
It was obvious they had missed their father dearly, as had Lydia. John and Lydia were ever so close, they used to everything together from Lydia attempting to teach him maths as children to getting blackout drunk in the Garrison.
"Oh, how I've missed you Johnny boy!" She said as she reminisced over old times, not wanting to ever let go of him again.
"Glad to be home Lyds!" He exclaimed as he bent down to be jumped on by each of his children.
Lydia's eyes soon met with Arthur's, "There you are old man!" She exclaimed, smiling at the eldest Shelby brother. "Come 'ere you!" Arthur replied, dropping his bags to the floor and opening his arms. Lydia wrapped herself around him as he lifted her off the ground and spun. Lydia squealed in excitement. "Put me down!" As he placed her down again, he firmly kissed her head and made his way to greet Pol.
Lydia searched for her brother and the final Shelby brother as the other two greeted the rest of the family. Her eyes connected with the ocean blues she had been missing. Tommy and Freddie sauntered over to the girl, who was overwhelmed with a feeling of relief. All of her boys were safe and home which was something she could have only dreamt of a year ago, and now she was surrounded by them all.
"Freddie get your arse over here!" Lydia exclaimed wafting her hand for him to hurry up. Freddie obliged and embraced her as she kissed his cheek repetitively. Freddie nestled his face into the crook of Lydia's neck and took in the smell of her perfume that his mother once wore. He had missed his sister more than anything, they were all each other had left after their had mother died.
"It's good to see your face again Lydia, who thought I could have missed this ugly thing!" Freddie joked pointing at her face, Lydia laughed in response and quickly chided him by backhanding his arm playfully.
She was finally left to greet Tommy, his face looked sullen and tired, yet his eyes were the same, a smile appeared across his face as they hugged one another. Lydia inhaled his scent she had deeply missed, it made her feel safe again. Tommy had missed that affection from her, he'd always had a soft spot for Lydia but never liked to admit it, yet Lydia certainly knew.
The Shelbys and the Thornes were delighted to all be back together after four long life-changing years. At that moment everything was bliss. They were a family again.
Five months later...
After the perpetual celebrations and incessant drunken nights, things had started to calm and return to a new form of normality with the men home. Lydia had just finished her shift at the hospital, tending to many patients with shell shock. The impacts of the war were still prevalent and Lydia saw the effects on the soldiers in the hospital every day.
The young nurse made her way to the Garrison to meet John assuming he would be there as usual. As she walked the streets of Small Heath the men nodded their heads at her and the women parted ways in the street, her involvement with the Peaky Blinders gave her some sort of reputation not to be messed with.
Lydia strutted into the Garrison and noticed the usuals in their respective seats, she strolled around and behind the bar to fetch a bottle of whiskey and two glasses for John and her. This was something she did frequently as everything was always on the house for them and Harry never seemed to have a problem with Lydia behind the bar with him. In fact, he quite liked Lydia, she was certainly fun to be around and she regularly called him Mr. Fenton making him feel important.
Lydia was struck with surprise when she heard a strong Irish accent behind her, she turned to notice a petite woman who looked utterly confused by Lydia's actions.
"Sorry, you can't be round here miss." The woman stated, making way for Lydia to walk past. It only took a second for Harry to interject.
"Grace this is Lydia, she's with the Shelbys. Like I said they get everything on the house and Miss Thorne here is very welcome to come behind the bar whenever she pleases." Harry said smiling at Lydia. The new barmaid just nodded in acceptance.
"Thank you Mr. Fenton" Lydia said greeting Harry with a gentle kiss to his cheek as she walked past Grace averting her eyes to the Irish woman for a split second. Lydia didn't take a liking to Grace, she was sceptical of her and questioned why she would want to work in a pub like the Garrison which was practically run by gangsters.
"Hey Lyds, how was work?" John asked his best friend as she walked into the private room of the pub.
"Seen worse" Lydia plainly stated not wanting to think about the trauma she sees day to day. John poured the both of them a drink as Lydia leaned her head on his shoulder, exhausted from her day at work.
"How are the kids? I didn't get a chance to see 'em yesterday." Lydia asked John who looked as equally as exhausted as her.
"Running bloody rings around me." He said as he took a sip of his whiskey.
"I'm not surprised, I reckon it's 'cause they miss me" Lydia joked. John shoved her playfully in response.
"Who's the new barmaid then?" Lydia asked, kicking her feet up on the chair opposite. "No clue, I know she's not a whore though. Tommy asked her the other day and she got all offended." John stated nonchalantly. "Why am I not surprised Tommy asked." Lydia scoffed and asked rhetorically.
John and Lydia soon left the pub and went their separate ways home. She only lived two streets down from Watery Lane meaning she was always close to the Shelbys and wasn't too far from the hospital either.
Lydia was not shocked to find that Freddie wasn't home when she unlocked the door to their house. He was rarely home since the war, but Lydia always ensured she left dinner out for him every evening, and she noticed it was regularly gone each morning.
Just as Lydia was about to get into bed, a sudden knocking came from her door. She rushed to see who was requiring her this late a night. Lydia looked down to see Finn who was breathless from sprinting to her house.
"Finn, what is it darlin'?" She asked concerned.
"It's A-Arthur he was b-beaten up!" The young boy exclaimed attempting to catch his breath. Lydia instantly grabbed her coat and wrapped it tightly around her. Finn dragged her down Watery Lane as Lydia focused on not falling on the cobbled path.
In the front room of Polly's house John, Arthur, and Ada argued over Ada's incompetence to fix up Arthur's cuts. As Lydia walked through the door there was a sigh of relief from the eldest Shelby brother.
"You went to one first aid class in the church before you were thrown out for laughing." John stated pointing at his sister.
"Not before I learned how to stop somebody from choking!" Ada argued back, nudging her brother. Lydia made her way over to the beaten Shelby brother and examined his injuries.
"I'm not bloody choking a though am I?" Arthur said rather loudly.
"You will be when I wrap this around your neck!" Lydia quipped holding up a damp cloth. Everyone chuckled as John draped his arm over Lydia's shoulder and kissed her cheek. Lydia soon cleaned up Arthur's face and stitched up a gash on his cheekbone.
As the evening drew on Lydia was still sat in the front room of the house, yet only Arthur and John were still there. The three of them nursed their whiskeys, takings sips every so often, that was until Arthur downed the glass in one. He claimed it was to ease the pain from his cuts and bruises.
"Lyds you're a nurse, answer me this." John exclaimed turning his head to look at the girl. "If you got your leg cut off, would it hurt? He genuinely asked.
"Well yeah, obviously" Lydia replied unable to hold in her laughter.
"How though?" John quickly said
"'Cause your leg got cut off you fool!" Lydia stated the obvious.
"Where you gonna feel the pain though?" John asked. Lydia hesitated, knowing that her idiot of a best friend wouldn't understand.
"Exactly how are you gonna feel pain in your leg, if your leg is gone!" John stood up and wobbled due to the excess of whiskey drank, he attempted to balance himself. Lydia simply ran two fingers along the bridge of her nose, sighed, and slightly chuckled at her friend's stupidity.
"On that note, I best be off home!" Lydia said putting her hands on her thighs and standing up.
"No no, you're not walking home alone at this time." John exclaimed putting his arm across her. "And me and Arthur are too drunk to walk you, just stay overnight." John casually stated sitting back down on the sofa.
Lydia had often stayed at one of the Shelby's houses after drunken nights or arguments with her brother. She and John even shared a bed sometimes, yet their relationship had always been completely platonic. Arthur regularly teased the pair and said that they would end up together, but John and Lydia disagreed. However Polly had always believed Lydia and Tommy would end up together, all the Shelby boys were protective over Lydia but Tommy more so than the others.
As a young teenager, Tommy would scare off any boy that came near her. At first, Lydia didn't mind as she knew his intentions were good, that was until she was one of the only girls in Small Heath who hadn't had their first kiss at the age of fifteen. Ada had kissed Freddie and made Lydia swear not to tell any of the Shelby brothers. Eventually, Lydia went on a secret date with a boy named William who was in her class at school and had her first kiss, she only ever told Ada.
Ever since Lydia and Ada were secretive with who they got involved with, Freddie and the Shelby boys were very vigilant of the girls. Tommy was particularly cautious of who the girls were seeing, he didn't want them getting their hearts broken. Yet he wasn't one to talk as although Lydia would never admit it Tommy broke her heart. They spent a night together just before the war started. It was Lydia's first time, of course, it wasn't Tommy's, but they both found it unforgettable. The passion between the pair was insatiable. However, it was never spoken of again after Tommy left early that morning.
That night Lydia and John both fell asleep leaning on one another on Polly's sofa after talking until early hours in the morning until they could barely keep their eyes open.
A/N - thanks for reading the first chapter, I'm only loosely following the storyline of series one, but there's a lot to come for the story! Feel free to correct my inevitable spelling mistakes. - rory x