9th November 1919, Small Heath, Birmingham.
Spinning around the dirty field, dancing with Isaiah, it was like they were the only two in the world. So content in their own little world, until it was till to switch partners.
Spinning his girl away, Isaiah caught a gypies girl about his age, who introduced herself as Jasmine, she was pretty but nothing compared to Libby.
Libby was spun into a pair of familiar arms but it wasn't any of her familys or any of the blinders. Looking up, Libby was met with a smiling face. A sixteen year old boy with dark brown hair, tanned skin and big blue eyes.
"Fuck me, Rome. What are you doing here?" Libby asked, bewildered on how an old Geordie friend had ended up at a wedding on abc field in Birmingham.
"Well I fucken never. Is that really Miss Elizabeth Smith?" The smiling boy, who was called Romeo, asked.
"Yeah, but it's Shelby now." Libby said, still amazed at how her old friend was here.
"You married one of them? I got told the youngest was John, who married our Esme and he's twenty-four." Romeo was even more confused when Libby burst out laughing.
"He's my uncle. John is my uncle. Thomas is my dad. I found my family, you radge." Libby glowed talking about her family. Romeo could tell she was happy here.
"So you're not married?" Romeo asked, just double checking.
"You are a fucken idiot, you know that Roe. Of course, i didnt fucken marry one of them. What do you take me for?" Libby asked, offended that he would even say that.
"Oi, get away from my niece before I have your eyes." A very drunk Arthur said, stumbling over towards them.
"Here we go. Arthur I know who it is. He has been one of my close friends for over 7 years. He used to camp on the old field next to where the home was with his family. I've known them for years." Libby explained as Arthur kissed her forehead.
"Alright then as long as you're alright," Arthur grunted out, turning to face Romeo, "Keep your hands off her, alright?"
Romeo held his hands up as if to surrender, "I won't Mr. Shelby," His strong geordie accent caught Isaiah's attention as walked next to him. He was trying to find Libby but so far hadn't been successful.
"Libby, there you are." Isaiah said, walking over to stand behind her so he could wrap his arms around her as if to tell the gypies boy in front of them that Libby was his and to back off.
"Z, are you okay?" Libby asked, leaning into his embrace.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Who's this?"
"An old friend,Z. I've known him for years." Libby said as Isaiah reached over to shake his hand.
"Isaiah this is Romeo, he's a gypies from Newcastle but he has mainly travelled since the war i haven't seen him in about a year." Libby introduced Romeo before turning toward him to introduce Isaiah, "Romeo this is Isaiah. He's very handsome and he's my unofficial boyfriend but don't tell James because we haven't told anybody yet."
Isaiah didn't know Libby was drunk, she had seemed fine but then again she always did when she'd have a drink but her calling him handsome and her unofficial boyfriend proved that she was a bit more than tipsy.
"Nice to meet you Isaiah but if you'll excuse me . I have to go find my sister before she ends up shagging some gadge in a vardoo. Have a good night you two," Romeo left, figuring the young couple wanted some alone time.
"So, I'm your unofficial boyfriend now?" Isaiah asked, walking over to an empty vardoo that had been turned away from the celebration to sit down.
"Yeah, I said that." Libby replied, putting her hands on either side of Isiah's face as he pulled her onto his lap.
"Well how about I be your official boyfriend?" Isaiah asked, resting his forehead against Libby's.
"I would like that," Libby whispered.
"Well then, Miss Elizebeth Shelby, will you make me be the happiest man alive by being my Girl?"
"I would like that very much, Mr Isaiah Jesus."
"Good, cos now you're mine, I'm not letting you go."
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Z." Libby whispered again, connecting hers and Isaiah's lips.
Little did that young couple know the trouble that would follow but for now they were safe in each other's arms, together in their own little bubble.
It was a little while later and Libby and Isaiah had rejoined the festivities. They had decided not to tell Libby's family or anyone yet. It was still early days and they didn't want to ruin anything before they gave it a fair chance. Libby had, however already told Ada about their kiss on the Cut and Z laughed, said he expected Ada to be the one Shelby to know all of the gossip and he was right.
"Libby, come and meet my wife." John called out over the crowd. John was sitting with Esme on the steps of her old vardoo.
"Hi you alright, Libby?" Esme asked, she was nervous about meeting John's children. John had yet to tell her that she wasn't John's child she was Tommy's but when John said it was him and the kids she just assumed Libby was his.
"Yeah, I am. Nice to meet ya Esme." Libby replied, her strong geordie accent taking Esme by surprise. She hadn't expected one of John's kids to have such an accent.
"Are you from Newcastle?" Esme asked.
"Aye, I only moved here about eight month ago." Libby answered. It seemed to be going well. Esme seemed to like Libby and Libby seemed to like Esme. The only thing John had to worry about now was how she would be with his kids.
"Oh, so how did you end up here? If you don't mind me asking." Esme said, not wanting to offend the girl who had been nothing but welcoming so far.
"Not at all. I have nout to hide and we are family now anyways. I was in an orphanage from the age of seven with my twin and my dad found me. He came up with John and Ada brought us home and the rest is history really."
"John, you never mentioned you had twins," Esme said, looking at John.
Libby's eyes went wide, "Oh, Esme, me and my brother aren't John's we are Tommy's. I just live with John and James lives with Arthur. "
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed you were John's." Esme was slightly mortified at the mix up she had made but both Libby and John found it quite funny.
"It's fine Es, most people think she's mine anyway. She might as well be, right Libs?" John laughed.
"Aye, aye," Libby rolled her eyes while John pulled her into his chest and kissed the top of her forehead. Something Thomas Shelby wished he could do and Libby be as comfortable as she is when John does it.
Esme had gotten up and grabbed Libby's hand pulling her onto the dance floor. They were smiling and laughing as John watched with admiration in his eyes. He truely viewed Libby as another daughter and as shellfish as it sounds he hoped she never wanted to go back and live with Tommy because John didn't know if he could manage without her. In the short space of time she had been in Birmingham she had become his rock. He loved how she was with Katie, his eldest daughter, Harry and Charlie, his twins and Theo, his youngest.
John just wanted Libby to be truly happy and to be able to care for her like a father . Tommy however, didn't have those aspirations in John's eyes. In John's eyes Tommy had already proved that he was only interested in his kids when it suited him. It was like they were weapons he could weiled with no remorse and John wouldnt have that for Libby or James for that matter.
"Come and look, Esme. Come and Look at the family you have joined," A heavily intoxicated Ada started to shout, "Come and look at the man who runs it," Ada now had most people's attention. "Chooses his brother's wives for them. Hunts his own sister down like a rat," Ada started to list Tommy's dictatorship-like decisions to everyone, pushing Tommy away after everyone as he tries to calm her down. "And tries to kill his brother-in-law. He can't even look after his own children, for god sake." Ada ignores everyone's attempts to shut her up and continues, "Esme, one living with you and the other with Arthur. And now he won't even let me have a dance, not even at my own fucken brother's wedding."
"Sit her down," John ordered, he was furious. His family had yet again shown him up.
"Calm down," Polly smothered her.
"Is there any need?" Libby asks Ada, she had the right to hate her father and yet she didn't make a scene at John's wedding because of it.
"Ada, Ada, calm down," Polly said as a large gush of water was released onto Polly's foot.
"Wholy shit, water" Polly shouted, again everybody's attention yet again.
"Not now Ada," Arthur said like Ada had just decided to go into labour at her brothers wedding, "You do pick your times."