The Shelby brothers returned from France, in stages, gradually throughout most of the first third of the new year.
They were all going to return to Small Heath, but it wasn't exactly like how they had left it. People moved, passed away or became vacant in the absence of their partners, brothers, fathers, sons- the war tore away many people's sense of hope and belief, but not Polly Grey.
As the 1/1st Royal Warwickshire Regiment returned, met by loud cheering in the Birmingham train station. The Shelby family patiently waited until they saw Arthur un-board the train with his hat between his arm and a wide grin glued onto his face. Finn, the youngest of all the Shelby's, was just happy that he no longer had to be surrounded by women. Ada was just happy she had one less person to worry about on her ever growing list of things to stress about, though she'd never admit it.
"I missed this shitehole of a place." Arthur's first proper words were, spoken loudly and with all of his chest.
After being scalded by his aunt Pol, he decided that the war would only have the affects on him that he allowed and that was rather philosophical of him to think. It could've been the Tokyo- or maybe the alcohol, but he'd try and stand by that, until death tore him from it.
The pout that grew on Finns face was almost able to rival that of a sad dog. Almost.
"I'm sure your brother missed you, Finn, he just needs to get used to it all again." Ada whispered to little Finn who was sad that Arthur hadn't verbally said that he'd missed him.
A small smile began to regrow, helped more so by the army hat placed upon his head by the eldest Shelby boy.
It was good to have one home, but Polly knew in her heart that it wouldn't be an easy feat. The boyish twinkle of mischief that Finn had, had almost vanished from Arthur - as if it had been swapped out by a look of vacancy.
Polly was glad that God had answered at least one of her prayers for Arthur, the most important one, but not the one that Polly might've taken priority with; after all, they were of Gypsy Royalty. That gave them an edge, a better chance; in Polly's mind, anyhow.
However, he had no news of his brothers; which only made Polly worry. He was fine; physically, though he seemed to spend his first week in the whore house with a bottle of rum in one hand, a bottle of whiskey in the other and a common whore on his dick.
Nothing for Arthur had changed; yet, anyway.
Anxiousness didn't seem to float over Arthur, not like it did with the others. He knew in his gut that his brothers would come home, and the excitement all but grew when the news of the next wave of soldiers passed through the household.
He'd been making bets with the lads he went to France with, that the next lot would contain a Shelby. Sure, it wasn't the most meaningful bet to make, there were three other regiments that contained a Shelby but that didn't stop him. He'd placed a crown that it'd be Tommy next, and half a crown for Bash, but he'd heard through the grapevine that they weren't shipping people back in any particular order.
Maybe he should've bet on John first, eldest then youngest — then the other two could fight it out to see who's last. That would've made more sense.
The second to return was Thomas, who looked as glum as he did on the day that he left. Polly knew that he had become a tunneller quite early on during his time at war, closest to the action and the opposition but she was just happy to see him walk off of that train without help and with himself fully intact.
When he saw Finn for the first time, was the only time Polly and Ada both saw him do something he had done before the war. The smile was small, but real, and it was all that they could've hoped for.
Finn was, of course, grateful for the small action. He didn't know that his brother was plagued by the ghosts of war, he just knew he wasn't as happy as he had been.
Even with his blue eyes, they held nothing behind them.
Not joy or sadness. Just ... emptiness.
"Life goes on, Pol. No point in crying over what could've been." Tommy's first words were more— of a selection of words that cut deep. There was no point in crying over what could've or should've been- but it didn't mean that what happened wouldn't cut deep into his mind every time he tried to close his eyes for a moments rest.
"I suppose you're right, I'm just glad that you're home." Polly replied after a moment or two, contemplating her move.
She knew he hadn't come home, not entirely, but his body and mind had. The soul would come later, when Thomas was ready for it, but only then. Not a moment before.
Rest would no longer come easy for Thomas Shelby and he just had to deal with it. Just like how wives and children would have to deal with those they lost.
He smiles were fake, his laughter was forced and Thomas Shelby didn't seem to be able to spark joy in the hearts of those he walked past. So, he threw himself into work, avoided people and made the best out of a very shit situation.
A medal sat in his bag, hidden from the world and not a soul knew he'd even been in possession of it. Tommy knew that everyone would've been proud for him, but the overwhelming sense of fear for the others who hadn't yet returned would've come first.
He'd tell them, after his brothers got back and had all had their heads shaved bald again.
News on his brothers was as scarce as fresh bread. The only thing of any worth he was able to tell anyone was that he expected John to be a day or three behind him. He wasn't wrong, but when was Thomas Shelby ever wrong?
... apart from him thinking he'd only be in France for a few months at the most.
John returned with a shrinking fleet of others, a week after Thomas. Many walked out without looking for their loved ones- or simply they knew they'd have no one waiting for them, but John knew. John knew that he would see his wife and kids, and his sister- and he couldn't forget his God loving Aunt Pol.
"I'm dying for a proper meal. I'm fuckin' starved."
Johns first words were that of humour. He had been away from Pollys cooking and had clearly missed it- but what he hadn't missed was Adas piss poor attempts at butchering a rather decent sandwich.
When she had handed him a ham and cheese sandwich, with half the crust missing because she had gotten hungry whilst making it, he was astonished. Her haphazard attempt at buttering the bloody bread - well, if you could've even called it that! It looked like the bread and the butter both had a fight with the knife and neither saw themselves as victors.
"The fuck did you do to it?"
"Just eat the bloody thing! Be glad I even made the attempt!"
People would've thought the two were twins with how they argued, but Ada was just glad she now had someone closer to her age to actually argue with. Maybe even butt heads with if it came down to it.
The thought of what he could have when he got home was what helped him during his last few months in the trenches- that and his own bed, but also being reunited with the three he should've never been split up with.
He'd spent months asking why he couldn't have just been kept with his brothers. Tommy and Arthur had been together for the first few months, but keeping the four stooges away from each other was the dumbest thing they could've done - in his opinion.
Of course, it was all down to bias.
Had a man been shot down and in need of assistance, and then a Shelby brother not long after, they needed to know that they'd go for who they'd think would have the best chance at survival.
Not just because they were brothers.
Finn, on the other hand- wasn't all too pleased with seeing John. They butted heads- but Finn was only eleven (just), and he was simply afraid he wouldn't live up to Johns high expectations that he had put upon himself.
John didn't care, though. He wanted his kid brother to have a kid life, no worries of war or other forms of hell that could happen on any Small Heath corner.
"Bash ain't' coming back just yet. Something about some bullshit-" John had quickly started just as he finished, he hadn't much information to give, just that they weren't going to see the missing brother for a little while.
But, it was better than still thinking he was M-I-A. She'd have something to tell the ladies on the street who had all been spending their extra candle on praying for the return of their secret. favourite Shelby.
John didn't say why, because he didn't know, but Polly had a feeling that it wasn't going to be a good reason. They never kept a man from his family for almost two months after the war was over for nothing.
Polly didn't ask anymore questions about Bash, or about how he was or his time away, knowing that his kids would do all of the question asking in front of the fire with a good cup of tea by their sides. After all, Shelbys were naturally intrigued by things they probably shouldn't be.
Especially things that they saw their father and uncles doing.
Bash had been kept for far too long down in Kensington, with Charlie and Jimmy. Thomas managed to wiggle his way out of there the moment he was able to, but even then it took too long for it to happen.
When they were all finally allowed to leave, Bash was blindly sent out towards the ticket booth in St Pancreas, and luckily for him, both Jimmy and Charlie were there to help.
He would end up towards the final step towards stepping foot in the smoggy city of Small Heath.
The journey was quiet, no one talked, eyes were staring out towards the passing trees, or in Bash's case, staring blankly out watching as light went to dark and straight back to how it was.
So, as the fourth and final Shelby sibling stepped off of the train, the wind was almost knocked out of Pollys lungs.
She was told, by Tommy and another, that it would've been much easier if she met Bash alone. People weren't kept for that long if things were all hanky dory. Finn complained, of course, but Ada knew deep down that something was aloof. John had suggested that it be him and Arthur who went for him but she was having none of it.
It was her duty, the only thing she had been keeping herself up at night about. She had to do it, whether alone or with others.
It had to be her.
After Bash had stepped off the train, Jimmy was off, one hand clutching hold of Bash so he didn't wander too far and the other outstretched towards a still limping Charlie.
Polly wanted to scream.
Her prayers for Sebastian had been ignored, he didn't come home in one piece- something was missing. Albeit only his sight, she didn't know how he'd be able to cope- to deal with it all.
She watched from where she was stood, almost silently. She couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. The greying bandage that had been wrapped around his head was removed once they were away from the trains smoke and it was a sight to see. It wasn't gnarly, or like how the media had portrayed the injured, but it wasn't something anyone would've expected to see.
No longer did he have his mother's beautiful and bright eyes- now they were foggy, and looked an almost white-blue. The gasses that he had been exposed to whilst fighting a chemical war had blinded him- and killed others.
"Polly! Pol—!"
Despite not being able to see, Bash knew that his Aunt Pol would be there waiting for him, and with the almost quiet station, he knew she would've heard him.
And heard him she did.
Her steps towards the trio were quick and effortless, after all she had been dreaming of this moment for months. But, when she was finally in front of him, she wasn't entirely convinced that it was her nephew in front of her.
He knew that she was trying to figure everything out, but this thing didn't need to be figured out. Bash couldn't see anymore and he'd just have to find ways to make his life easier. To make their life easier, to make himself less of a burden.
Pollys hand came to caress his cheek, her soft touch made him flinch for a moment- before allowing himself to feel it. It was nice- it was what he had needed after too long. Her thumb carefully brushed away a stray tear that he hadn't even realised had formed nor fallen, and the pair stood there for a moment in silence.
Though, in their embrace, the only thing he had ever truly wanted was to hear that Dora was no longer there- and his one and only want had been granted after far too long.
Polly had confirmed it, by saying that she had ran off to the highlands in Scotland with a man who didn't sign up- or wasn't drafted. A deserter to the brothers ears, but all Bash needed to know was she was gone. He didn't have to protect her fragile ego any longer. In fact, he didn't have to hear her nasally voice screeching out his name whenever she needed a drink, or just to tell him something he didn't need to know.
Despite everything that had happened to him, Sebastian Shelby had come home from the war a free man.
A blind one but free nonetheless.
"Who're these, then?" Polly asked, her voice getting caught within her throat, unable to keep her eyes on her nephew.
Charlie stood there awkwardly, balancing on his good leg, despite the doctors having told him he had to put weight on it at some point. Bash didn't reply for a moment, the newly twenty year old forced a smile on his face whilst his boss remained stoic.
"He's Charlie, Charlie Burton."
Charlie Burton?, Polly thought, unable to think of whether or not she sent him off to war too.
"And the other one is Jimmy Dawson."
Jimmy Dawson, now that was a name that Polly recognised. She wasn't entirely sure where she had heard it before, perhaps in the chemist, or down by the docks - but she was just happy to have her Bash and these boys home.
"And they'll be staying here in Small Heath?" Polly asked, after shaking both the men's hands with a quick but firm shake.
"I live just across from the chemist, moved there in 1912." Dawson was the first to reply, which had helped Polly remember why she was so familiar with his name.
"Charlie's gonna be staying with us for a little. His parents live in the country but all his appointments are in the city."
Even with his own injury, Bash was still thinking of the others around him. She wondered if the boy, who had only just grown his first beard hair, was someone who Bash had saved or if he had saved Bash.
"Call me Aunt Pol."
And with that, the quad began to make their way towards the Shelby car. It reminded Jimmy of the one the King had ridden in, and reminded Charlie of greater things to come.
Bash was just happy he didn't have to squint under the spring sun anymore.
"Onward bounds, please."