𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧. 𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘈 𝘔𝘢𝘯
...
IT WAS A REGULAR DAY for Mr. Shelby, nothing yet indicating anything significant. After all these years, even after the war, he still remains in Small Heath along with his family. The Shelby business still stands strong despite the departure of the Alder family many moons ago. The war had changed the blue eyed man, much like it did for anyone fortunate enough to to return home, but Thomas Shelby was like a walking shell of a man; nothing ever causing him to look twice, if even once at all. His once sparking blue eyes now seemingly hallow and grey. And nothing in his world, not even his cigarette on his walk over, could have prepared him for what he would encounter at The Garrison that early afternoon.
There she stood. His golden haired girl from what seemed to be a lifetime ago, or even from a distant past life, standing at the bar much like she would before. Her eyes were quick to meet his that were already locked in a gaze as a sinking feeling wash over him. Life 11 years ago flashes in front of the middle Shelby brother, suddenly reminding him of something that changed him in more ways than the war ever did; The time his golden haired girl walked out of Small Heath and simply never returned. Feelings the man had not felt for years, in which he forcefully always pushed down, began to re-emerge. Her face so familiar yet in a way he didn't know it at all. There was no doubt that he could see the girl he once loved when they were younger, now all grown up, just as he has. Her facial features had the same softness to them, yet more mature. The memory of her soft cheek in his hand replays in his head and his heart as their eyes stare back at one another.
To him it felt as if he was standing there forever, but in reality it was only a mere few seconds. His eyes move from her face down to her hands (more specifically her left) and the sparking ring that rests upon her finger tells Thomas all that he needs to know. His gaze becomes empty once again and without as much as a word he turns and walks into the private room up front, closing the door behind him.
Elizabeth stand silent, her bottom lip threatening to tremble. As if she had seen a ghost, she stare at the entrance of the still silent pub, even after he had walked away into the room. The boy from what only seemed like her dreams rather than her childhood just stood facing her, no more a boy but a man, yet his eyes still as blue as the last time she looked into them 11 years ago. A flutter of love rises in the girls stomach, but is quickly pushed into the ground with the overwhelming feeling of guilt and foolishness. Of course he wouldn't want to speak to her, one could only be so foolish to think otherwise. And even if he did, what would she had even say? What could she even say to the Shelby man for leaving him behind and never returning? Talks of their future together, marriage and children, were amongst the two during the last of their conversations; What could there be to say?
"Finally back for your Tommy I see", Arthur chuckles, "Luckily for you he is still available, even after you left his ass in the mud."
Elizabeth lets out a quiet but nervous laugh as she continues to rub her clammy hands together. Not really knowing how to respond she gives a little smile, "I-is there a um... a phone around I could use... here?", she stutters out of nervousness.
"Oh Liz no need to be nervous", Arthur chuckles as he slings his arm around her shoulder (much like he always would when they were younger), catching the women by surprise, "Hell we grew up together, I know every bloody embarrassing thing you've done during the first 18 years of your life for Gods sake!"
A small, but this time genuine, smile grows on Elizabeth's face. Arthur, much as she remembers, happens to be right. Although it was always her and Thomas, Arthur was no less important to her. He was like a second older brother to her, especially when Ben up and left Small Heath out of nowhere. Arthur was Ben's best mate first and when Elizabeth came along, although only being 3 at the time, from what a young Arthur could comprehend when laying eyes on baby Elizabeth for the first time he saw a small and delicate angel that he must guard and protect, even though she had a brother of her own already.
"I'm not nervous", Elizabeth says readjusting her posture to stand up straight.
"Still as stubborn as mule I see", Arther smiles, "Not that any of us expected that to change eh John", he chuckles as he nudges his brother shoulder back.
"What do you be needing a phone for anyways, you only just got here", John says.
To tell the two clearly happy Shelby boys that she was in fact not here to visit, but ended up in the small town by pure accident was something that Elizabeth wasn't sure she wanted to admit. Admitting we wasn't expecting to see anyone that she used to know when she did find herself in Small Heath once again was also something she didn't want to say either.
"I've to call the ugh nurses ward up in Manchester, see when they are needing me", she simply says, as it is not technically lying.
"Little Liz, a nurse like she always wanted", Arthur smiles, "You always were a smart one."
"You can use the phone back at the shop", John says, "But first we drink."
Before she could protest Elizabeth finds herself being dragged by the two Shelby boys into the private front room where she saw her ocean eyed boy walk into not long ago. She sees the man sitting in the corner of the small room with a drink in hand and a cigarette hanging from his lips. As she thinks of it, the view is not much different than what she could recall. That is until she looked closer. She saw not the Tommy she once knew, but a seemingly empty looking man. This eyes not fixated on anything particular, yet they stare in a continuous direction, not even flinching or bothering to look up when the three entered the room.
"Gimme the bottle", Arthur says as he opens the window to the bar.
"To the return of Elizabeth fucking Alder", he says holding the bottle up in the air, "Welcome home sweetheart. This time we we ain't lettin' ya leave."
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[ Chapter Status: Not Edited ]
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authors note: i have a few chapters completed and written up ahead of time (because i was getting really into it lol), and i'm not sure if i should release them one at a time like normal, or if i should do a larger update with the three chapters all at once for fun. if you have a preference, let me know!