chapter four / season one episode one.

OLIVIA WAS BEING WELL BEHAVED, IN POLLY'S EYES AT LEAST. The youngest Shelby girl had been making it home on time every night since throwing a few punches, avoiding Thomas like the plague, annoying John and not her aunt, and making sure all the little jobs were done around the house so that her aunt didn't have to do it all.

Regrettably, Olivia had taken on the job of trying to teach Finn to read. At the end of each session they did together they both felt like banging their heads against a wall, they were making little progress but Olivia counted any progress as a success at this rate.

John, however, would completely disagree with his aunt and claim that his little sister had turned into a bigger nuisance than she was before. On the first day of her extended grounding, John expected the Shelby girl to be just a tad bit more annoying but no! The girl had only amplified her annoyance and spent the whole day aggravating John.

And then Olivia had the nerve to ask if she could come to the fair with him and the other boys. Obviously, John had said yes because it couldn't be a trip to the fair without Olivia but once Thomas caught wind of it, he shut it down immediately; stating that Olivia was grounded and there should be no exceptions.

He was such a buzzkill, so much so that John and Olivia had spent all last night playing cards and slagging Thomas off - referring to him by his full name the whole night just to show how pissed off they were.

With Olivia on her best behavior and unable to go to the fair she found herself sat at the kitchen table, with a cup of tea in-front of her. She wasn't going to the fair but she was getting Polly to read her tea leaves, which was just as fun for the girl. (Granted she wouldn't be winning a stupid teddy bear but she'd be finding out about her future)

Olivia also got to spend the majority of the day with her aunt, which in her eyes was a victory. Ada was also meant to be joining them but she seemed to be missing. Olivia knew exactly where her sister had gone off to.

But, she'd keep that to herself. (Unless Ada seemed to be in real danger and then Olivia would spill the truth to keep her sister safe)

Olivia drank the tea in rapid speed and Polly had to refrain from rolling her eyes.

"I've told you before, drink it like a lady, Olivia."

The girl scoffed, "Lady and Olivia Shelby aren't two words that mix well, Pol. You know that."

It was true; Olivia was far from the standard of women in her city and she didn't care one bit for it. She liked to get dirty, a bit of mud under her nails never killed anyone, her hair was never really too long as it got in the way. There were many things Olivia did that the residents of Birmingham liked to stick their nose up to but she always reminded herself that she was having fun while they probably sat in the dark in their house and cried themselves to sleep with their miserable life.

"How could I forget?" Polly asked, sarcastically, smiling at her niece.

Had Olivia mentioned how much she loved her aunt? Obviously the two clashed heads, frequently and Olivia was no easy kid to deal with, she knew that. (She was trying to be better for Polly's sake) But, it was these mornings that Olivia cherished. Just her and Polly. Making quips at one another, laughing and knowing it was all in the faint of heart.

Reading tea leaves was something only Polly and Olivia did together, at first Olivia just wanted to do something with her aunt but now she found herself interested in how to read the leaves herself and even attempted to read Polly's leaves. The last time she had done so, Olivia predicted Polly to be having a baby soon.

The Shelby had not been invited to read her aunt's leaves since. Polly claimed the girl still had a lot to learn.

"Hand it over, Liv," Polly said, reaching out for the girl's tea cup - which had been one Olivia had decorated for her aunt when she had been much younger and able to get away with such shitty paint jobs.

Olivia did as asked and placed her head on her hands, "I think my tea leaves are gonna say I'm gonna be rich, and only good things are coming my way."

Polly raised her eyebrows, "You going to share this money with the rest of us?"

"You can have a fiver." Olivia mused with a smile that reminded Polly of John.

Polly remembered why she adored that smile of Olivia's and it was not just because the girl looked beautiful adorning a smile but because that smile had been the reminder of John over the years of war. For four years, whenever Olivia smiled it felt like John was still here.

Polly had often needed it to remind her that her boys were all going to come home.

They had. And Olivia's smile was still that smile that brought light to Polly's day. It brought hope that the Shelbys would be okay, one day.

Polly smiled at her niece before looking into the cup, it instantly dropped.

Olivia no longer felt like she was going to inherit a vast amount of riches.

Olivia stood up from her seat and hovered over her aunt's shoulder, despite knowing how much Polly hated it, "I'm not dying, am I?"

The Shelby tried to understand what her leaves were organized as but to her they look a lot like a pile of leaves, she never understood how Polly knew what they resembled (As you can tell, Olivia didn't really listen in their tea leaves lessons)

"No," Polly muttered, tilting the cup as if it would change the symbol inside the cup, "Potentially worse, for you."

Olivia's eyes widened, "There's something worse than death?!"

"Sit."

Olivia was never getting her leaves read again, this was far too much for her to handle especially with how shady Polly was being. Could her aunt not just be upfront and save all the dramatics for later?

Polly twisted in her seat and allowed Olivia to see the cup properly from her new seat, "Do you see that?"

Olivia nodded at the pile of leaves in one cup.

"The leaves in this cup linger between the middle and the bottom of the cup in the shape of a dog. Meaning that someone close to you is being unfaithful and they are a secret enemy." Polly was right; it was worse than death. "Have you made new friends lately, met someone new?"

"No." Olivia admitted. Her aunt nodded turning back to the tea leaves, shaking her head and wondering who it could possibly be referring to.

Olivia's eyes widened when she realized she had made a new friend; Kian, fucking, Cormac! The silly, little, Irish fella. Olivia nearly laughed at the thought of him being a traitor. But, then again, Polly's tea leaves had never been wrong.

Oh goodness. Olivia had brought a traitor into the group. How would she get rid of him without raising suspicions? Sure, Eleanora would agree in an instant - she really didn't like Kian, she'd been hesitant and right in the end - but Charlotte... she would not let go so quickly.

The tendency with Charlotte Junia was that she was kind at heart, always trying to see the best in people, sunshine in a bottle - essentially. Charlotte would never believe in Kian being a possible traitor, mostly because she didn't believe in the art of tea leaves.

And whenever the group made a decision, they had a vote. Meaning, Kian would also take part in the group. Meaning, it would be 2v2, and then Kian wouldn't be kicked out and democracy would've failed Olivia. And then Kian might kill her because he was the traitor.

Kian didn't look like he'd could kill a spider, let a lone a Shelby.

The leaves had to be wrong.

They'd never been wrong before.

They had to be this time around.

Polly noticed her niece's sudden silence, resting her hand on Olivia's arm, "Perhaps we should go to Church, take our minds off these leaves and light candles for the boys we lost."

Church? To get her mind off things? Now, forgive Olivia if she's wrong, but is a Church quite literally not the most quiet place to be? Where she will spend the next hour or two, hands clasped together as she tries to pray for the boys who lost their life but her mind drifts away to the fact Kian Cormac might be a snake. Olivia was trying to be a good person and show she cared for others but instead she focused back to her and her problems.

How fucking selfish could she be?

And she couldn't exactly say no to Polly's offer, she couldn't let Polly realize her niece had lied to her face and Olivia couldn't let those boys go a Sunday without having a candle lit.

So, Olivia Shelby ended up in Church. Praying for the eternal rest of all those that lost their lives in the war. She'd mutter Hail Marys under her breath, trying everything in her power to not focus on herself and instead focus on something good, something that granted others mercy.

And yet, she couldn't. Nothing could stop her from thinking about herself. She was a terrible person.

"Pray, Olivia," Polly said. She had been watching her niece intensely for the past ten minutes and while the girl had been muttering prayers, she'd hadn't exactly been meaning them. Polly just knew, don't ask how, she just did.

Olivia sighed, looking back up at the crucifix, "'M tryin', I'm just elsewhere, Pol."

"I know, Liv, I know but those leaves..." Polly didn't like lying to her niece unless it was completely necessary, and this was one of those times, "They don't always tell the truth. They can be wrong sometimes."

Olivia peered up at her aunt, "Do you think it's wrong this time?"

Polly smiled, tightly, hoping Olivia wouldn't notice, "Yes. There's no way Charlotte or Eleanora would betray you. Those girls adore you, like you adore them."

Had Olivia failed to mention her new friend to everyone in her household? Potentially!

In her defense, it's not as if any of her siblings knew of the little Irish lad that had stumbled into Small Heath. Olivia wished she knew more about Kian but she didn't. He was from Galway, lived above a pub and lived with his dear old Grandma. He was, quite literally, built to not hurt a fly.

And he'd sat at Charlotte's dining table with the brightest smile on his face. He was happy. He'd been happy to just be there and eat his cake.

Kian couldn't have been the enemy, the traitor, the snake whatever you want to call him! Olivia wasn't going to believe it, and she was going to believe her aunt's lie that the leaves were wrong just this once. Because if those leaves ever tell her she's going to be fucking rich, she's going to believe it.

Olivia let her shoulders slump. Was it naïve to just believe Polly like that? Probably. But, Olivia knew her aunt wouldn't lie. And Polly said the leaves were wrong, so they had to be.

Polly rolled her eyes, "Stand up straight."

Olivia glanced at her aunt, "Seriously? I was taking a two second break—"

"If you're going to pray, pray properly." Polly said to her niece.

"I was taking a bloo—"

"Olivia Ruby Shelby if you curse in this church you will cause me to do unspeakable things in-front of God."

The door opening did not stop Olivia from taking a stand against her aunt, "I didn't even get to finish my sentence and you're threatening me. Shocking behavior, Aunt Pol, shocking."

"Don't be so dramatic." Polly said, turning slightly to look behind her.

"Don't be so dramatic." Olivia mimicked, not turning around yet as she focused on her aunt's stupid words. Asking Olivia to not be dramatic was like asking someone not breathe. The Shelby girl supposed she learnt it from Ada... or Finn, both options were highly likely.

Olivia finally turned around when her aunt pinched her on the elbow. At first, Olivia just believed her aunt to be telling her off for mocking her but in truth Polly would give her a mouthing off for doing that, so obviously something else had happened.

It was not just something. It was a someone. A someone who Olivia didn't fancy seeing today.

"A gentleman would take off his hat," Polly told him as he started to descend down the aisle separating the pews, "and put out his pipe."

Olivia believed that the Inspector was far from a gentleman.

And that was made blatantly obvious when he tapped his pipe, quite aggressively and potentially in a condescending manner, against the wood of one of the pews.

Olivia and Polly looked at him in disbelief before focusing their attention back on the candles. A man who had so little respect for the house of God did not deserve their time or focus.

That was what Olivia originally thought was going to happen until Polly began speaking to the Inspector, the aunt did keep her back turned displaying the fact they did not respect the Inspector enough to face him.

"I see you specials only dare come here, when you know the boys are away at the fair." The fair. Olivia couldn't count how many fairs she'd been to in her lifetime, she was pretty sure the first one she attended was when she was about eight weeks old? That was when John had brought her home the ugliest, potentially horrific, pink pig teddy that she's kept to this day.

Despite its sewn on eye and discoloration, Oinks, looked as good as new. (Every other Shelby would beg to differ but never raised the matter with Olivia)

"You mean your nephews?" He mused.

Olivia and Polly paid no mind to his movements and instead continued lighting candles.

"With their guns and their razors? Is it them you're lighting candles for?"

"No," Polly clarified as he came to stand in their eye-line, "We are lighting candles for the boys from the Garrison who lost their lives in France. There's a list there. Look."

He did no such thing, instead played with his pipe.

Olivia rolled her eyes. She wasn't supposed to like this Inspector but he got more dislike from Olivia with every passing second. And when was a more perfect chance to be a wind-up-merchant?

"Did you make it to France, Inspector Campbell?" She asked, her tone conveyed innocence, as if to tell the Inspector she truly didn't know the answer when in reality, Finn had been the one to tell her he hadn't served.

The boy had his uses.

Polly smiled, "What a shame, Inspector Campbell." She blew the flame from her splint.

The Inspector disregarded Olivia's question and instead stepped closer to Polly, "You've heard of me. I've heard of you." Pretty impossible to not know who Polly Gray was.

He opened the gates, stepping further into the Church, "Is it the Holy Grail you're looking for?" She asked to stop him from venturing further into the Church.

"As a matter of fact, it is the Holy Grail I'm looking for."

Olivia looked between them, why were they speaking in code?

Oh.

Oh.

Because, Thomas Shelby is a thieving scumbag, perhaps?

"Something precious, something stolen," A something which Olivia had yet to figure out.

He pushed Polly up against the wall, one held hand out to stop Olivia from making any moves forward.

Olivia reached into her pockets, a razor blade which had somehow not been taken off her.

Polly peered over the Inspector's shoulder, shaking her head at her niece; telling her to let it go. How was Olivia supposed to just let this go?

Olivia looked as though she was about to speak and Polly cut her off, prematurely, with the raise of her eyebrows.

She sighed in defeat, her hand still gripping around the razor blade just in case.

"Perhaps you know what I'm talking about," He pressed her for information, her silence speaking volumes. The Inspector instead turned his head to Olivia, going to step away from Polly and towards the teenage girl.

Instead, Polly pulled on his arm and forced him to look at her before closing the gap between them and kissing the Inspector on the lips.

Olivia felt sick to her stomach. She had no clue how her aunt probably felt.

The Inspector took several steps back and Olivia saw that as an opportunity to make her way towards her aunt.

"Sorry, I misunderstood your intention when your pushed me against the wall." Polly reasoned, feeling as though she needed to wash her mouth out with soap.

The Inspector wiped his lips.

Bitch.

Polly stood tall as Olivia fought the urge to smirk. Didn't she just have the coolest aunt?

The Inspector walked away from them, opened a door and let crowds of coppers into the Church, "Turn the place upside down." He demanded before rounding back to Olivia and Polly.

"Arthur Shelby said you people would help us," Olivia snorted at the Inspector's words, Arthur didn't know his arse from his head.

"If we don't know what you've lost, how can we help you find it?" Come off it Pol! Just say it, say what's been lost! Olivia is dying to hear it!

The Inspector immediately responded, "But I have found out, subsequently, that I was speaking to the wrong man," Olivia rolled her eyes this time, Thomas, "Next time I want to talk to the boss."

The Inspector made his demands, still speaking as he stormed out of the house of God, "Lickey Tea Rooms. Friday, ten o'clock. And when I say the boss, I mean Thomas."

Olivia was glad to see she wasn't the only one calling him by his full name as of late.

Olivia frowned the moment he vacated the church, "Goodness, he knows how to suck the atmosphere out of places, don't he?"

"Don't, Olivia." Polly told the girl, packing up the remaining candles so that at least something would be tidy when they leave (Polly would still come back later to tidy up after the coppers make a mess)

Olivia sighed, "I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

"The mood doesn't need lightening. Your brother just needs slaughtering."

Olivia perked up, "Are you being serious? 'Cause I'm in if you're in."

"Olivia." The tone of her aunt's voice told Olivia all she needed to know.

And despite Thomas being nowhere near them, he had managed to ruin a perfectly perfect Aunt Pol and Olivia day.

❋

Olivia had been banished to the stairwell the moment the boys had returned from the fair, and Olivia was quite happy to do so. First of all, she did not want to be in that room when they got their scolding and demands from Polly and secondly she'd much rather spend her time sat on the stairs listening to what Finn got at the fair than glaring at Thomas.

The boy was rambling on about the yo-yo Arthur had won him. (Not legally and a vast amount of threats after he couldn't win the game legally), "I don't know how you use it though, there's this string and..."

Olivia plucked it from his hands, her finger looped into the string and with ease she dropped it onto the floor and back into its usual format.

Finn looked at his sister as if she was crazy. "How'd you do that?"

Olivia smiled, "A magician never tells her secret." She tapped the side of her nose and handed the toy back to Finn, watching him attempt to figure out a yo-yo was much more interesting that whatever was going on in the kitchen.

It was only when Finn paused in his actions did she become confused and a sudden change in his demeanor caused Olivia to worry for her brother.

"You okay?" She asked tentatively, afraid he'd curl back into his shell if he felt pressured to answer her question. The young boy was clearly debating whether to tell his sister the truth or keep what he'd seen and heard to himself.

If it had been Ada, Finn would've kept it to himself.

But it was Liv. His big sister. The same big sister who'd clung to his crying frame after they'd just sent their boys to war and promised that they'd come back, they'd come back to him.

They had.

Olivia was Finn's safety blanket. He was safe here.

"Was mum a whore?" Olivia nearly fell off the step she was sat on.

"No." The respond came from her lips a little too loudly for her liking, but she didn't care. Olivia wanted this thought ridded from Finn's mind instantly, "No. Good grief, no. Who said that?"

Finn sighed, setting his yo-yo down and instead gripping onto Olivia's hand, "One of the Lees said she were a 'diddicoy' whore."

You don't even know how to spell diddicoy. Olivia so wanted to say! And perhaps if Finn had come to her with this several years ago she would've said it - because several years ago Olivia had hated Finn's guts and made that very clear and now she was the one he trusted the most.

It's crazy how things change.

"They're wrong, okay? The Lees are lying bastards who push people's buttons, they want any excuse to fight. Our Ma was far from a whore." Olivia told him sternly.

Not even twenty-four hours later and her Ma was getting called a whore. Olivia felt like starting a war with the Lees and James' rich, twatish, family just to defend her Ma.

Deep breath in, and out. Unclench your fists and breathe.

"Any excuse to fight?" Finn asked wearily.

Olivia looked at him concerned and began checking his knuckles to see if the boy had gotten a few punches in.

"Not me, Liv," Oh. "Tom threw the first."

Oh.

Oh, how the tables have turned Thomas Shelby.

"It were horrible, Liv, there was blood everywhere. And lots of screaming." Finn explained, squeezing his eyes shut as if he was picturing it all over again.

Olivia stood from her place and crouched down in-front the boy, her hands placed on-top of his kneecaps, "Finn, open your eyes, you shouldn't have had to see that." She told him, ignoring the fact it was Thomas who had started the fight just for a moment. There was more important things to do.

"Finn." Olivia said sternly, reminding the boy of his aunt.

He peeked open his one eye, "I closed my eyes after he cut an eye."

Olivia sighed and grabbed hold of one of Finn's hands, "I'm sorry you had to see that, Finn, no child should have to see that." Olivia wasn't quite sure what to say because as a child he shouldn't have seen that gore, but then Finn was a Shelby. One day (probably before Olivia) he'll wear a peaked cap with razors that peak out and he'll be just like the rest of them.

Olivia wanted to tell him he'd have to get used to it, because he did. It's what she had to get used to, Finn would have to do the same.

But, Olivia couldn't say that and watch his eyes fall crestfallen. She wouldn't do that to him, even if she should warn him for the future.

Perhaps a part of Olivia liked to believe Finn would be too sweet to wear that cap that took out eyes. (Even if he was a pain in the fucking ass, he could be sweet. Maybe he'd hold onto that)

"Our brothers are dangerous men, Finn, you know that don't you?" He nodded at her question, "The next time that happens will you promise me you'll turn away straight away. You don't need to see that."

"Promise." Finn let the corners of his lips upturn, even if he didn't truly mean it.

Olivia didn't quite know what else to tell him. It was scary, really, how used to she was that her brothers cut people's eyes out and she just went a long with it.

Finn noticed she had a lack of words to say and that was okay with him. A part of him knowing that was all the comfort she could offer him due to how she'd accepted what her brothers do.

"Can I go show Isaiah my yo-yo now?"

Olivia rolled her eyes, teasingly, "You and that Isaiah, bloody inseparable."

"I could say the same about you, Charlotte and Eleanora. Keepin' me up all night when you have sleepovers." Finn rolled his eyes at the vivid memories of the nights the giggles of the three girls had kept him awake.

Olivia smiled knowing she had succeeded in her mission of making him annoyed with that.

"Go on then." Olivia patted his knees as she stood up and handed him a few pennies, "And if you manage to cross paths with the sweet shop, you wouldn't mind getting me some blue bonbons would you?"

"Only if I can have three of them."

"Jesus," Olivia sighed, "You kids these days want the whole bloody world."

"I want four now."

Olivia tilted her head to the side, "Scamper before I decide to give you two."

Finn laughed as he made his short journey to the front door, it ceased immediately when he noticed Eleanora stood at his front door with a bloodied head. "Uh... Livvie..."

Livvie? Finn didn't call her that unless he was extremely scared or worried.

She turned around and found out exactly why he had been scared.

"Finn, go to Isaiah's. Nora's gonna be fine, aren't you Nora?"

Eleanora winced as she smiled, "Yep! Have fun, Finn!"

Finn looked between the two teenagers, apprehensive to leave but left with one final nod sent by Olivia.

"Polly!"

Olivia was sure she heard wincing from the kitchen and Arthur exclaiming; bloody hell.

"What happened to you?" Olivia asked, looping her arm around Eleanora's shoulder and tugging the girl into her house.

The Faye whimpered when Olivia, accidentally, put too much pressure on her stomach. "The raids."

Olivia's eyebrows furrowed, "I thought the raids were 'cause of commies?"

"Polly!" This time, Olivia represented something like an animal screech, one that caused Eleanora to cover her ears due to close proximity.

"If that bloody girl doesn't stop screaming." She heard the aunt mutter as she got closer to the kitchen door. "Oh."

Polly's anger with her nephews and her niece (for screaming the house down) soon disappeared as she took note of the disheveled Eleanora Faye who now stood in her house.

John and Arthur took this as their cue to get on with the jobs Pol had sent them out on.

Thomas, had too stood up, and felt a shiver run down his spine at the knowing smile on Olivia's lips.

They'd been cut from the same cloth after all, she was bound to find out.

Thomas left shortly after and Polly worked together with Olivia to sit Eleanora down in a chair at the table.

"What were they doing at your house, sweetheart?" Polly asked, handing Olivia a clean rag to clean the Faye's dried blood.

"The communists."

Olivia rolled her eyes, "We know that, Nora, I just didn't peg you as the type."

"You didn't know?" Eleanora asked, confusing Olivia even further because she had been sure the girl wasn't a communist two days ago.

"Have you recently fallen ill and fallen into Freddie Thorne's trap?" Olivia asked, removing the rag and instead pressing her hand to Eleanora's forehead, "No fever or nowt, she's perfectly fine."

Eleanora gasped slightly when Polly pressed down on her stomach, "I got hit a couple times in the stomach." She explained, a sad smile on her face that Olivia could tell was false. "And give me that rag."

Olivia frowned but complied nonetheless.

Eleanora proceeded to hit Olivia with the rag she had just handed over, "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Polly rolled her eyes and began figuring out a way to check out the bruises that had no doubt formed on Eleanora's stomach from the horrid harshness of the coppers. (Yeah. The coppers)

"What was that for?" Olivia exclaimed, holding onto her arm where the rag had made harsh contact with her skin.

Eleanora looked exasperated at her friend, "I'm not the communist! Me uncle is."

They'd been friends for a handful of years at this rate, and Olivia was failing to find one reason to like Eleanora's uncle.

"Your uncle is a twat." Polly didn't dare glare at her niece for her crude language this time around. "Did he at least get beaten black and blue, or arrested?"

Eleanora seemed to shrink in her seat.

"You're kidding. Tell me you're kidding."

"He weren't there. So, they just decided to beat the rest of black and blue." Eleanora whispered.

Polly stopped rolling the girl's skirt up. "Even the baby?"

Eleanora shook her head, "Mum stepped in the way."

"I'll cut them a smile, Nora, I'll do it I will." Olivia threatened.

Polly pulled the girl's hand out of her pocket, immediately. Alongside the razor blade she kept in there.

Olivia felt as though she was missing a large chunk of herself with that blade no longer there.

"It's no use, Liv. The coppers will get away with anything now that Inspector's here. And people aren't gonna care about the collateral damage of a communist round up, are they?" Eleanora asked, Olivia sighing in defeat.

"Yeah, but they should." Olivia scoffed.

Polly fought a smile on her face. There was her Olivia. Not the one pulling blades out, but the caring Liv.

Eleanora felt her skirt being rolled up again, immediately reddening in her face. "Oh, my stomach'll be fine, Pol. You don't have to worry about checking it out and all that."

Olivia frowned at her nerves.

Eleanora turned to her friend, "Really. Don't worry about it. You've done enough with cleaning up my head and sticking a plaster on it." Olivia smiled at her handiwork of sticking the plaster on completely lopsided.

"And what of your mother? Did she take it worse than you?"

"She's got a scrape on her arm but she just started shouting at no-one in particular. That's why I came here." Eleanora explained, a frown on her face as she realized her mum would be far too used to patching herself up anyway.

A few cuts and scrapes and especially bruises were certainly not something that the Faye women were unaccustomed to. Not that Eleanora would tell.

She'd take her bruises to the grave if she had to.

Polly nodded, knowing that Eleanora's mum had been struggling lately, "Stay here the night, Nora. Just incase these injuries take a turn."

"Really, I'm fine, Polly. I don't need—"

Polly raised her eyebrows and the blonde knew better than to argue, "I'll call Charlotte round and you can keep everyone up with your giggling. How about that?"

"Really?" Olivia jumped out of her seat in excitement.

Polly nodded her head, "Really. Think of it as a reward for that good behavior of yours."

Eleanora winced as she snorted, "Don't make me laugh, it hurts."

"Don't know why you're laughing when I've been an objectively good person for the past day."

Eleanora tried to hide her smile, "Exactly. It's been one day, Liv."

"Any milestone is an achievement, Eleanora."

Polly tuned out the bickering, knowing it would never end and sooner or later give her a headache but right now, she didn't quite mind. Polly just wanted to keep both girls safe. And if that meant having a sleepover that would end in giggles till four o'clock in the morning, Polly didn't mind.

As long as Eleanora was safe from her uncle, Polly didn't mind.

As long as Olivia was happy annoying her friends and not causing trouble, Polly didn't mind.

And as long as Charlotte was being her usual ray of sunshine, Polly didn't mind.

Those girls couldn't of been traitors.

The tea leaves had to of been wrong.

❋

"And then the copper comes in, right, stay with me Lottie," Eleanora paused her comical recount of the raid noticing Charlotte hadn't been paying attention, "And he gets all up in my face and I bloody head butt him."

Charlotte, unconvinced, nods, "Right."

"I did!" Eleanora protested.

Olivia smiled looking between Eleanora and Lottie. There was possibly nothing more special than the friendship the three girls had formed over the past three years, it was the thing Olivia enjoyed most in life.

And the girls might've had their fallings out that only lasted a handful of minutes and hit each other with tea towels, rags or pillows they loved each other dearly.

They were best friends. (Not enemies)

Which made it all the worse for Olivia when Eleanora had stumbled through that door, in pain, just 'cause of her uncle. The Shelby girl had tried relentlessly to just get Eleanora to move in but it never worked.

Olivia needed something that could guarantee Eleanora's safety.

Olivia needed something that could keep them all safe, really. Something to keep her friends close and at the same time her enemies closer.

Olivia had the perfect idea.

She was about to spill her idea to her best friends but the panting Finn, who stormed into the room, interrupted her, he clutched a picture frame at his side. "Liv! Lottie! Eleanora! We need to go round and collect pictures of the King."

Charlotte snorted, "You think I hang one up at home, Finn?"

Finn rolled his eyes, "I didn't just mean from your houses, we're collecting them from pubs, shop, all over the town! We're gonna burn 'em."

Olivia perked up, "Fire? As in a bright orange blaze?"

Charlotte stared at her friend, "That's not a normal reaction to fire, Olivia, that's actually mildly concerning."

Eleanora looked perplexed, "That's only mildly?"

"She's a Shelby, she says a lot of things that are concerning." Charlotte shrugged.

Olivia ignored her friends and stood up, "Are we going to sit here and discuss the mildly concerning things I say, or gather pictures of the King to burn?"

"Quick question," Eleanora raised her hand, "Can we draw on them?"

Finn was confused as to why they were asking him, surely they didn't think he was the head of this operation.

"It doesn't really matter what you say, Finn, we're gonna draw on them anyway." Olivia told the boy, patting him on the shoulder before making her way downstairs.

Eleanora, Finn and Charlotte would go round collecting the pictures and then meet Olivia at the meeting point so she could draw on them all before throwing them in the first.

Olivia just had a few pick ups to make before making her way to the meeting point.

❋

Kian Cormac had been thoroughly confused when Olivia turned up on his door step with a much younger and smaller boy stood next to her. First of all, he'd like to know how she knew where he lived and second of all, Kian wondered her connection to the young boy stood at her side.

"Picture of the King, please, mate." The boy held his hand out expectantly.

Kian looked at Olivia for reassurance.

The Shelby girl pointed at the picture on the wall, "That picture for two bob. We're throwing it in the fire."

Kian had only been in Small Heath for less than a week and was incredibly confused by the locals and their rituals. The people here were definitely different to those in Galway, but he was sure he liked it more here.

He handed it over to her, albeit confused, "Isn't that the King?"

The little boy took the picture into his own hands, "Yeah. That's why we're havin' a fire. Plus, he's well ugly."

Olivia and him exchanged a high five.

"And you're coming with. Can't have a fire without an audience."

The boy snickered, "Don't you know it."

Olivia hit him upside him head.

Kian looked unsure. A fire would not doubt cause lots of attention and could lead to a possible arrest. He wouldn't survive in prison!

"You're not gonna get in trouble," Olivia said, as if she'd read his mind, "All the blinders and the majority of Small Heath is gonna be there, the coppers aren't gonna touch us."

"Coppers are scared of us blinders."

Olivia patted his head, "That's right, Isaiah. Even the ones who blindly follow the Inspector won't come near us tonight."

Olivia looked at him, impatiently, "Kian, I'm not gonna stand around all night." Enemies close. "Sorry, I just really wanna make it in time so that I can draw all over the King's face."

"Yeah! We're gonna draw cocks!"

Olivia glared at Isaiah, "You wanna shout that any louder? You know what people are like round here. They'll steal our ideas, Isaiah."

"Drawing?" Kian asked, reaching for his coat. "I love drawing. I'm really good at it, I am."

"Come on then!" Isiah cheered, the King's painting tucked safely under his arm as he held onto the other two's hands and dragged them back to Watery Lane where the fire could already be seen.

Coincidentally, the trio had clashed with a quartet of John, Charlotte, Eleanora and Finn, who had all collected a fair amount of paintings to be burned.

"Did you get my pen, John?"

The older Shelby rolled his eyes, "The fancy fountain pen I spent a fortune on just for you to waste its ink on drawing cocks."

Olivia laughed, quietly, taking the pen into her hands, "I, personally, couldn't think of anything better."

"Of course you wouldn't." He ruffled her hair with a smile, "You gonna keep these lot safe, or do I need to watch you?"

Stupidest question ever. Mostly because John wouldn't even watch them all and get far too overwhelmed far too quickly for a practiced man with kids and partially because even Olivia wasn't going to be keeping these lot safe, considering the thing she was about to hand them.

"Yeah, yeah. I can handle it."

John kissed the crown of her head, "I don't doubt it. I'll be stood by Arthur if you need me, just shout."

"'Cause you'll definitely be able to hear it..."

John rolled his eyes, ruffling Finn and Olivia's hair as he walked away, knowing it would annoy them.

Olivia pushed her annoyance aside, "Everyone got their pens?" She clapped her hands together in excitement, "Now, remember, you want it to stand out, so make it big and bold, okay?"

Eleanora scoffed, starting her drawing, "What do you think we are? A bunch of amateurs."

Finn and Isaiah certainly were and their pictures of the King had certainly fewer cocks drawn on than the rest, but Olivia liked that. She didn't necessarily want them drawing cocks and had much preferred the burning house Finn had drew, or the dead bodies curtesy of Isiah.

It certainly wasn't what many would hang on their fridge, but Olivia certainly would've.

The time they took drawing had been spent in silence, on Olivia's part. The rest had made conversation and laughed loudly. Again, Olivia didn't mind. There was nothing better than the laughter of her friends.

There was a time when there would've been something better; the laughter of Thomas Shelby. But, Olivia doubted she'd ever hear that sound again.

Kian had spent the whole time talking about his fountain pen that had been made in Ireland, claiming it to be much better than Eleanora's Birmingham made one.

Eleanora felt like she could strangle the Irish boy.

Kian felt happy that she was listening to him for once and not dismissing him.

Olivia snickered every-time she even looked in Kian and Eleanora's direction.

Charlotte had been minding Finn and Isaiah, which had proved harder than she had expected when taking the task on. She thought the two boys would be quite happy to sit there amicably and just draw but no. The two children seemed to fight every five seconds, then act best friends and then fight again!

The cycle had repeated for half an hour.

Charlotte wanted to rip her own head off.

The Junia girl had been trying to draw on her picture of the King but had made little progress due to having to break Finn and Isaiah up every so often. So, her final result ended up in some half drawn butterflies and a crown covered in blood.

Kian hadn't quite understood the task at hand and had drew a dragon. (It was quite an impressive dragon)

Eleanora had written the word cock over and over again.

And Olivia had been the only one to draw cocks until there was really no room on the picture left.

They group of teens and two children stood at the opposite side of the fire to the other Shelbys.

Olivia stood before it with a beaming smile and threw her picture onto the pile, cheers sounded for her work of art, she bowed before them and encouraged her friends to follow.

Charlotte had chucked it in quickly and ducked to avoid the way her cheeks lit up at the attention placed on her.

Eleanora made a right show of it, kissing her painting before throwing it on.

Kian had apprehensively approached the fire, nearly touched it and stumbled away from it. He had been the only one to not receive a standing ovation from the crowd - Olivia clapped for him though.

Finn and Isaiah hadn't been trusted to throw their own pictures in the fire, so Charlotte had done it for them.

Olivia watched as multiple pictures burned at once, "He were quite ugly, weren't he?"

"Bloody horrible." Eleanora muttered, a sad smile on her face as her painting burned.

Slurping could be heard from beside her causing Olivia to frown as she saw Finn and Isaiah slurping a pint. "Oi! Do you two have no manners? You don't slurp it, drink it properly."

At first, the two boys had looked as though they were deer caught in headlights. Finn had nearly shat himself thinking they were going to get told off. He had relaxed, greatly, when he got told off for slurping his pint.

Eleanora watched with furrowed eyebrows, "Aren't you supposed to tell them off for drinking?"

Olivia snorted, "Why would I do that?"

Kian seemed to be confused, "Aren't they supposed to be drinking?" Eleanora looked at him, astounded, "I've been drinking pints since I was four."

Eleanora and Charlotte were concerned.

Olivia smiled, wrapping her arm around his shoulder, "You're a bloody legend, Kian. You're going to fit in perfectly!"

He laughed, nervously.

"I scored us something, anyway," Olivia muttered, detaching from Kian and reaching into her pocket and pulling out a flask. "We'll have to take it in turns and slowly drink because I nearly got caught and didn't have time to fill up two."

Olivia took the first swig, not as large as her usual - she'd still like to be sober for her proposal.

"What is it?"

"Rum." Olivia smiled, devilishly, "Stole it from the stuff we used to clean Arthur's face up with."

Kian looked down at the flask and up at Olivia, "This touched his face?"

"Not the stuff in there, this stuff's clean. Promise." She clarified.

Kian nodded, taking a sip for himself before passing it onto Eleanora.

"We drink on bad days, or special occasions, Kian, so be prepared." Charlotte informed him. They had lots of bad days.

Kian frowned, "Bad days? How often do you have bad days?"

Olivia looked to the ground, "More often than we'd like to admit." Being a Shelby, or even just being friends with a Shelby meant a lot of bad days.

She looked up and planted a convincing smile on her face, "Which is why I've got a proposal!"

"No."

"No."

"No!" Isaiah and Finn cheered, they remembered the last time Olivia had a proposal which had ended in a lot of shouting and few minor burns on the three of them. (It had involved a fire)

Olivia raised her eyebrows. She hadn't breathed the actual idea yet. "Blimey. That's not gonna stop me from proposing it."

"We tried." Eleanora mumbled in defeat, it had been a half hearted rejection considering she was actually intrigued by Olivia's proposal.

Olivia grinned, "I was thinking of making a little group. For all of us. So, we could keep each other safe and all that. And people would be scared of us and all that."

"Like the blinders?" Charlotte asked with furrowed eyebrows.

Olivia thought about it for a second. Sure, it would be like the blinders in terms of its name but they wouldn't be as scary as the real blinders.

"No," Olivia said, causing confusion to build around her, "It'd be called the Peaky Jrs but that's it's only connection. We don't have to wear hats or stuff like that. We just carry blades in our pockets for our protection. And every Sunday we'll have a group meeting, stuff like that."

"We just carry blades in our pockets?" Charlotte's question had been all but quiet, causing Eleanora to clasp her mouth shut.

Olivia had expected that sort of reaction from the girl, "It's just a precaution. With the Inspector and these coppers, I just wanna make sure we're all safe."

Eleanora shrugged, "I'm up for it."

Finn and Isaiah eagerly nodded, thinking they'd get their own blades. (They were not receiving any blades)

"Will it fit in my boot?" Kian asked, hoping it was secretive enough to hide from his Grandma. Olivia nodded. "I'll join."

Olivia handed the two teens their blades, pretending to knight them with it, "Welcome to the Peaky Jrs, pleasure to have you."

Olivia stood before Charlotte, placing her hands in the girl's shoulder, "You don't have to have a blade, Lottie. You can join without one."

"Really?" Lottie perked up, a small smile forming on her face.

Olivia nodded, "Really. I know you don't like weapons or any of that. Plus, we need someone's house for meetings."

Charlotte's face fell, "Oh, absolutely not."

"I was kidding." Olivia smiled, patting the girl on her shoulders before addressing the group, "Meetings'll be at Charlie's Yard. I already spoke to Curly about it and he even offered us some cookies."

"Can we have milk there as well?" If he wasn't getting a razor blade, Finn at least wanted something to dunk his cookies in.

"Of course! Curly isn't a criminal!" Or so Olivia thought.

"Yeah, but did you see that pig that recently escaped near Charlie's yard." Finn said.

The girls had knowing smiles on their faces while Kian looked traumatized.

Olivia took a step back, looking her gang talk to one another and pretend as if they hadn't been involved in such pig stealing activities.

A smile on her face as she blended into the rest of the crowd watching the King burn. Olivia was most likely to get in trouble for when Finn inevitably slipped to that he was in a gang that carried razor blades but Olivia didn't really care. She just wanted to keep the people she cared about most (who weren't her family and had automatic protection because of their last name) safe, and make sure that if anyone was sent after her friends they could protect themselves.

Olivia wished Charlotte had taken the blade, she really had. But, Charlotte wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone hold a weapon.

The Shelby just prayed that no-one went after the Junia girl.

After all, the gang formed at this fire service today meant safety and meetings - they could trade others secrets, discuss potential threats and much more. But, at the heart of it, Olivia supposed she was keeping her enemies close to home.

She hadn't quite been thinking when she stumbled backwards into someone.

"Woah!" A voice she recognized, exclaimed, holding her up by the waist, "This is why people don't walk backwards."

Olivia's nose turned up, a Cockney. Lovely. Just what she wanted to run into.

She turned around to face the boy she was speaking to, ready to berate him and try and blame the situation on him but her eyebrows furrowed when she realized she knew the boy before her.

There was a small problem in the fact Olivia couldn't quite place him, but she definitely knew him.

Somehow.

The boy laughed, "If it isn't the girl I had to pull off beating someone to death."

Olivia swore he hadn't been a cockney that time. Granted, they had spent about five seconds together before she'd been imprisoned in the headteacher's office.

"And you're the boy who grabbed me round the waist without even asking!" Olivia deadpanned, not sharing the same enthusiasm he had.

"I apologize, just thought I'd help a friend out before you killed someone."

Olivia scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest, "If you're friends with James you can go back to the hole you crawled out of."

"I'm JACK, not a friend of James. Hoping to be your friend, if you don't slap me in the next two seconds."

Whoever this Jack fella was, he was insanely good at reading a girl he had known for two minutes. Or, Olivia just had a very telling resting face. (Which was highly likely and Olivia was giving him more credit than was due)

Olivia laughed in his face, "You want to be my friend?" She pointed at herself, "Jack, you really don't. I'm quite literally the last person on earth you want to be friends with."

"You stand up for yourself, I like that." He smiled, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

Olivia got easily angered and turned to violence and threats; if you call that standing up for yourself, you go Jack!

Olivia thought he might possibly be the stupidest boy in Small Heath, and that was considerably difficult when Finn lived here. But, perhaps his smile had been too kind for Olivia to realize how weird it was for someone offering to be her friend.

"I'll have to think about it," Olivia mused, tapping her finger against her chin, "Can't just be friends with anyone these days."

Olivia made an Irish boy chase after a pig with them and then invited him back for a slice of cake.

It was safe to say she let anyone who wanted to to be her friend.

(It's not like background checks existed. She probably would've done one on Kian. Not the sweetly smiling Cockney)

"You get back to me on that, Olivia, I'll be really upset if you don't."

"I might just have to make you cry." Olivia tilted her head to the side, a teasing smile on her face.

"Olivia! There you are!" Did Arthur, John and Thomas have quite literally worse timing.

Arthur's bellowing voice had caused Jack to smile in their direction before disappearing into the crowd.

"Who was that?" Arthur asked, watching the tall teenager push past the crowd. "He weren't like... you know...?"

Olivia smacked him on the arm, "No! Arthur! That is disgusting!"

John pinched her cheeks, "Look at her, boys, all flustered!"

Olivia swatted his hands away, "Because you are seriously embarrassing."

John wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they led the girl away from the fire that had slowly dwindled down, Finn holding onto Arthur's hand as they made their way home, "We make her embarrassed, he must be special."

Olivia huffed, trying to get John's arm to budge, "I met him like two minutes ago."

"I've done worse in less." Arthur admitted.

Finn and Olivia groaned, "We don't need to know that Arthur! That is seriously... it's called private business for a reason, keep it private!"

"Why?" Arthur shrugged, "When it annoys you so much?"

Arthur let go of Finn's hand and walked backwards in-front of Olivia, "Can basically see the steam comin' out of your ears, nutter."

Olivia groaned as Arthur began running away from her, he always liked to play this game - only 'cause he always won (only 'cause Olivia let him) "It's too late to be runnin'!"

Arthur laughed, loudly, "C'mon, Livvie, afraid to lose?"

That was enough taunting for Olivia to launch after him and chase him home.

It had been a successful day for her. Letting Arthur win this game, Charlotte and Eleanora coming back later to finish off their sleepover, keeping her enemies closer and realizing, for sure, this time that her and Thomas had been cut from the same cloth.

And Thomas couldn't deny it this time.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
meet jack...! he's such a great great guy...! (i'm lying)