chapter one / season one episode one.

"HE WERE! I SWEAR ON IT LIV, TOMMY WAS SEEN DOING THE POWDER TRICK."

Olivia Shelby huffed sitting on the floor of her bedroom, opposite her were her two nearest and dearest friends CHARLOTTE JUNIA and ELEANORA FAYE, the Shelby girl was trying to overcome her sadness that her elder brother, Thomas, had gone to do the powder trick without her.

The sadness would be short lived because Olivia surrounded herself with two girls that never failed to make her feel better. (Plus, it wouldn't be long before Eleanor and Olivia fell into another screaming match over whether one of them was cheating in the card game they were playing)

Olivia huffed, again, as she sloppily threw a card down onto the pile, "I just can't believe he'd do it today."

"Maybe you shouldn't have got grounded." Eleanora snickered at the unimpressed face of Olivia Shelby.

"It weren't my fault, Nora. It was bloody Finn's, he's a right—"

Just before Olivia could curse out her younger brother, he stumbled into the bedroom, huffing and puffing with his hands on hips as he tried to regulate his breathing.

"Speak of the devil." Eleanora commented, as all three girls watched him with amused smiles on their faces.

He held a finger in the air before taking a deep breath and finally speaking, "There's a family meeting, Liv. It's gonna be a big one, Arthur was mad as hell!" The boy exclaimed in excitement.

"What'd you know about hell?" Olivia queried with a raised eyebrow as Finn rolled his eyes. (Weirdly enough, that was the second time that he'd been asked that question today)

"Are you comin' or not?"

"Hold your horses, I'll be down in a minute." It was Olivia's turn to roll her eyes as the boy began to creep down the stairs, as if to avoid any attention drawn to him, which was pointless considering every blinder knew that Olivia and Finn stand outside the doors in attempt to hear anything that goes on in the meetings they are rudely excluded from.

Olivia turned to her friends, "Will you two still be up here when I get back?"

They both shook their heads, "Sorry, Liv," Charlotte apologized, "I asked Eleanora to help me set up for my birthday party later, I'd ask you to come but..."

At the mention of her birthday party a large smile came to Olivia's face and both of her friends knew the girl would not be sticking to the terms and conditions of being grounded, "I'll be there."

Charlotte shook her head. If there was one thing Charlotte did not like, it was when Olivia was grounded and went against the rules of her grounding. The Junia girl was majorly concerned that one day Olivia would lose her footing and fall right out the window, breaking a number of bones! Poor Charlotte wouldn't be able to live with herself knowing that Olivia had hurt herself just so she didn't miss the party.

It was safe to say, Charlotte easily had the biggest heart out of all of them.

"No, you won't, Liv, you're going to stick to your grounding rules. That can be your birthday present to me."

Olivia furrowed her eyebrows, "If I can't get to the party, how will I give you your birthday gift?"

Eleanora shook her head with a smile, "There needs to be bars on your windows, Shelby."

If possible, Olivia smiled even more! "I'd still find a way to sneak out. See you both later!" As the girl raced out of her bedroom, she could hear the quiet tuts of Charlotte - who was no doubt cursing her name, but Olivia didn't care. Not only because her name was probably cursed everyday, but because there was no chance she was going to miss her best friends birthday party.

Finn, at the bottom of the stairs, heard Olivia before he saw her. He stood with an exasperated look on his face, "Will you be quiet, you heffalump. They'll hear us!"

Olivia stood on the final step, "Finn, they know we stand outside, we're not exactly discreet about it."

"Not with your noisy feet we aren't." He muttered as the two made their way towards the green doors of the betting shop.

"Don't mutter, it's rude." She flicked him on the back of the ear. Knowing he'd roll his eyes and ultimately his scolding would have no effect and he'd be back to muttering in no time.

Olivia positioned herself against the door, her ear right up against it. The Shelby girl and her younger brother knew exactly where to position themselves for optimal hearing, they had spent a whole afternoon testing it out so they were glad to be given the reward.

"What've I missed so far?"

"Somethin' about an Inspector coming to town to clean up. Apparently Tom knew everything and Arthur didn't!"

Olivia scoffed, "It's not as if he'll be bloody able to clean the streets, imagine the time that'd take."

Finn furrowed his eyebrows, "I don't think it was meant literally..."

Clearly the boy had not understood she was joking. "I wasn't being literal, it was a joke, Finn."

He nodded his head and turned his ear back to the door so that he didn't have to listen to his sister anymore but rather the extremely important meeting that was going on.

Finn and Olivia both grimaced when Tommy decided that he had nothing to share with the 'women'.

"Tosser." Olivia muttered as she decided she didn't want to hear anymore and sat down on the floor.

Finn nodded his head and took the opportunity to curse his brother, "Yeah, tosser." He grinned devilishly, as if he'd conquered the whole world by cursing his brother's name.

Olivia pointed at him, "Don't say that." She hissed, "I'm already in enough trouble 'cause of you."

Finn only smiled in response, the little shit. Olivia believed that for the four years of her life, before Finn Shelby had come out wailing, she'd probably been an angel child (The rest of the Shelbys would love to disagree) A child that could do no wrong or no harm. And then Finn joined the family and it all went to shit, the girl found herself taking the wrap for things he had done, just so he didn't have to face the rath of Polly Gray at nine o'clock in the morning.

Especially today when she'd found out Finn and Olivia were down by the cut, with a little something (John's loaded gun) the two Shelbys had been in a world of their own pretending to shoot one another and jumping around as if there was no tomorrow. So, when Ada Shelby came poking her round the corner the two jumped in shock and the gun landed on the floor and nearly shooting her in the tit. The keyword there was; nearly. Luckily, Ada had been too frightened getting her tit blown off to notice who had actually been holding the gun.

Aunt Polly didn't understand that the gun had merely scraped by Ada and persisted that Olivia was grounded. It didn't matter how much begging Olivia did, she even promised to clean up the betting shop! But Polly did not budge.

Olivia swore that was the last time she was taking the blame.

"Move it!" Finn harshly whispered as he kicked his sister's foot, "They're all coming out."

Olivia rolled her eyes but let herself be dragged to the bottom of the stairs by her brother, "Again, you act as if they don't know that we sit there—"

"Shush! They might hear you."

For her brother's sake Olivia decided to sit quietly as members of the Peaky Blinders started to filter out of the kitchen, either talking amongst themselves or ruffling Finn and Olivia's hair - which usually wouldn't annoy the girl but considering Eleanora had been kind enough to plait it, the Shelby girl was proper pissed off at Scudboat for potentially ruining them (Although, Olivia did suppose she could get them redone later)

Luckily, Olivia had swatted away Arthur's dirty hand away from her head before it could make contact, "Have you ever heard of a bath?"

"Yeah," Arthur said, pinching Olivia's cheeks, "You should take one, you reek."

Olivia's face contorted with disgust that her brother had stolen her joke. "That was gonna be my joke!"

"You'll have to do better than that, nutter. Finn, boy, come on."

Olivia looked between the two as Finn grasped onto the hand of his oldest brother, "Woah!" Olivia exclaimed, "Where are you two off to?" She must admit, she felt a little bit left out considering Finn had promised to stay by her side during her grounding period, Olivia claimed that 'desperate times call for desperate measures' but she did actually enjoy the company of Finn. Only as long as you don't tell him she said that. She'd never live it down.

"Men's business." Finn grinned. And with one glare from his sister the smile quickly faded, "Sorry, we're going to the goals, Arthur said he'd teach me how to tackle like a proper man."

Arthur smiled brightly, "That's right, Finn, I'm gonna teach you how to take the legs off the opposition."

"Can I come?" Olivia sat up taller, excitement nearly bubbling over at the idea of tackling Arthur to the ground and potentially causing great damage.

Arthur grimaced, "Sorry, nutter," he anxiously scratched the back of his neck as he didn't like saying 'no' to his sister, "Pol said you were grounded, maybe next time?"

Next time. She nodded, even if she knew Arthur would forget he'd even said those words come tomorrow morning; that's if he was awake by this time tomorrow.

"Yeah," Olivia nodded, trying her best not curse out the rules of being grounded right there and then, "Next time."

Arthur and Finn happily skipped out of the front door. And by skipped, Olivia meant Finn skipping and Arthur who was merely dragged along by the young boy, protesting that he couldn't be seen 'skipping' as it would ruin his reputation.

It was Ada and John who came out of the door next, causing Olivia to smile widely at her older siblings, "How's your tit, Ada?"

The older sister scoffed in response, "Barely hanging on, stinker." She spoke sarcastically as John laughed and reached over to pat Olivia the shoulder.

"I'll teach you how to shoot someday, Liv, can't have another miss like that." He smiled cheekily. A smile that Olivia often thought was missing these days, one that was wiped away with the war. But, Olivia felt as though it was coming back to him. It wasn't going to be instant, obviously, no-one wakes up one day and the memories of the gunshots, the blood, the tears is just gone.

And it would take time. Olivia would be by all brother's sides waiting until they came back to themselves. She'd wait days, weeks, months, years if she had to. And she wouldn't stop trying to make them feel at home, even if it made Ada hit them with her handbag and strut out the front door, muttering under her breath.

"Polly is proper fuming at you though, so pretend I didn't say that."

"My lips are sealed."

"Good," John smiled, "See you later, right? Might bring the kids round if you're lucky."

Olivia tried not to let her eyes widen but they definitely did. "Luck" and "John's kids" did not go in the same sentence. Her nieces and nephews were probably lovely children it was just they reminded Olivia of miniature devils, always spitting, gurgling, vomiting or pooing (except Katie, Olivia liked Katie) but the others... they would chase Olivia around the house likes menaces! She was never safe in the company of John's kids. Truthfully, it may sound harsh, but John's kids did put her off having children of her own.

"Bye!" Olivia waved over enthusiastically at him, mostly because she was stuck in this house till sundown and now she'd have to wait till all of John's kids fell asleep to sneak out the window. That had not been part of the plan.

"Stop moping." The order came from her Aunt who strolled out of the kitchen, who had been in a foul mood prior to the family meeting but had only seemed to have been amplified afterwards.

Olivia plastered on the most convincing smile to her Aunt, pretending that she hadn't been thinking of all the fun she was currently missing out on, "'M not." She mused.

Polly raised her eyebrows, "Good. 'Cause girls who play with guns—"

"Don't deserve to mope, I know, Pol, I know." Could you tell Olivia had been caught with guns before? The previous times had worked out better for her because her brothers wouldn't have been around to take the mick and she'd have work to do in the betting den, but now she'd have to take all the crap and instead mope around the house.

"You'd think you'd of learned the first time."

Olivia nearly scoffed. If Olivia didn't view something as a serious matter there was no chance that she'd learn her lesson. And for Olivia to consider something serious it had to be something pretty bloody detrimental. She didn't class guns as that serious.

The girl didn't get time in for a quick, snarky remark as her Aunt had already put her coat on, kissed the Shelby girl's cheek and vacated the home on Watery Lane. Olivia sighed, realizing she'd missed a perfect opportunity to suck up to Polly and get out of her grounding, even if it would've been incredibly useless.

"Up." Someone spoke, like they were the voice of God.

Olivia sighed, realizing it was only Tommy.

"Would a please kill you?" She asked, standing up nonetheless and smoothed the creases out of her dress.

He ignored her question and lit his cigarette, "Pol said you had a gun this morning, did you?"

The two made eye contact and Olivia felt like a deer caught in headlights. Tommy probably already knew the truth, was he testing her? Was he trying to see if she'd tell the truth or lie to cover up for Finn?

To lie... or to grass Finn up... To lie or to...

"Yeah." She nodded, questioning her own loyalty to Finn. Had she gone crazy? Olivia had always told the truth when it came to the lies she told to Finn. "John's gun, Finn's idea, though." Technically, Olivia was telling some of the truth. It had been Finn's ridiculously stupid (ridiculously cool at the time) idea to steal John's gun.

Tommy hummed and Olivia knew he didn't believe her. "I'll tell Pol, see if we can get some of that time shaved off."

Olivia nearly squealed in excitement. She contained herself.

"Alright." Olivia smiled calmly, even though she was dying of excitement! The week long grounding... she never would've survived. A whole weeks worth of sneaking out was guaranteed to end in cuts and scrapes, if Tommy could get it down to two or three days she'd be wicked!

Tommy didn't say anything else but made his way towards the front door, Olivia's eyebrows furrowing, "Where you goin'?"

"Business." Was his short reply as he fixed his hat on-top of his head.

"Can I come?" If Olivia was guaranteed any success of leaving this house today, it would be with Tommy. The man could never say!

"No."

She looked perplexed at his answer. The man could never say no. He'd just said bloody no! Did he have a fever? Was Tommy alright? ... Maybe that was an inappropriate question, Olivia would probably have to rephrase it because Tommy never said no!

"Why?"

Tommy looked at her as if it was obvious, "'Cause you're grounded, we've got to start followin' Pol's rules."

"We've not followed Pol's rules for fourteen years, she won't say nothing." Olivia did love her Aunt but even Olivia had to admit that Polly often remained quiet on the subject of Tommy sneaking Olivia out of her punishments.

Tommy shrugged, "Now we are."

Olivia didn't know if she was more shocked at Tommy saying 'no' or following one of Polly's rules.

The Shelby man sighed, and loudly at that, when he realized his sister wasn't going to stop glaring at him until she got some form of solid answer, "There's trouble coming, so we all need to keep in line," she knew he wanted to add especially you on the end. "So, we're gonna be sticking to Polly's rules."

"But—"

Tommy raised his eyebrows as a warning and Olivia knew better than to argue with him, so instead she stomped up the stairs (knowing Polly wasn't home to shout at her) and threw herself onto her bed.

The second eldest Shelby remained at the bottom of the stairs and pinched the bridge of his nose. He and Olivia had never followed rules, not together at least.

And Tommy didn't quite know how long it would be until the Inspector picked up on the fact the pair don't listen.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
i swear olivia's not stroppy she just can't cope being cooped up in a house especially not when tommy won't let her out either and that girl is grounded more times than i can count

#freeolivia #shedoesntdeservethis