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𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑟: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑆ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑏𝑦 𝐵𝑜𝑦𝑠

As promised, that evening Betty dragged Sabrina, along with her siblings, down to the Garrison for a welcome back. It had only took her five seconds after entering their home and dropping her bags off, for Betty to whisk her away to their shared bedroom. She had pulled out piles upon piles of dresses and handbags, before shortly finding nothing to wear.

"Wait a minute." Sabrina said as she skipped back out of the door and down the stairs. She reappeared in the room with a suitcase.

"I brought you something back." Sabrina pulled out a parcel. It was wrapped neatly in brown paper and a blue ribbon.

Sabrina called for Mary, who walked in with Jane. She held out another two packages, wrapped just as precisely. Jane squealed, running to grab her own with a beam. Mary smiled and hugged Sabrina, before unwrapping her gift carefully.

The oldest sibling turned at the sound of a gasp from behind her. Betty held her dress in the air. It was shorter, it's waistline low and with fabric the colour of the night sky, scattered with sparkling stars, when hit by the light. The dress was perfect for Betty and her darker hair and eyes.

"I love it!" She exclaimed, hugging the dress to her chest and pulling her sister in for a side hug.

Mary and Jane had both unwrapped their own dresses. The youngest held hers to her body, twirling around in circles, giggling as the soft, purple fabric twirled around her waist and tickled her ankles.
"I feel like a princess!"

She fell back into Sabrina's arms, wrapping her own around her waist. "That's because you are a princess."

"Thank you Sabrina, these dresses are lovely." Mary said with a smile. Her own dress was a fashionable pink dress, a low waistline and boxy straps like Betty's.

The girls dressed quickly into their new dresses and helped each other style their hair in waves. It was not an hour later when the girls were heading downstairs to meet the rest of the Lewis family.

"How long does it take to change a bloody dress." Peter whined as they stopped in the door way.

Betty flicked the young boys head and with a roll of her eyes, said, "for a twelve year old your over mouthy."

The seven Lewis children along with their father left the house, mostly bickering, before meeting Henry and Jenny part way down the street. Sabrina walked close to Betty, nudging her lightly to get her attention.

She dipped her brows as she noticed the content smirk that was on Sabrina's lips; it looked unnatural in her innocent face. She nodded her head slightly in motion to the older man that had joined the front of the group.

"I hope you noticed them glances Henry gave you." Sabrina said with a chuckle and raised eyebrows suggestively. Betty pushed her sister slightly, her cheeks rising in a slight flush.
"What you on about?" Betty muttered.

Sabrina brightened at the sight of her reddened face. "You proper fancy him, don't you?" She whispered, although in excitement it came out as more of a shout.

"Keep your voice down." Betty's hushing just made Sabrina even more happy.

"I'll take that as a yes." Sabrina said, her voice quite. "And he likes you too. Has done for ages."

Betty rolled her eyes and interlocked their arms. She couldn't resist a quick glance in the man's direction, watching as he walked silently down the street next to her father, his strong, sculpted hand reaching to smoke his cigarette.

"When will you admit it?"

Betty took the opportunity to twist the conversation to a topic that she knew Sabrina hated talking about: John Shelby. "I'll admit it the day you finally admit your feelings to John Shelby."

Sabrina didn't have it in her to reply. Her heart seemed to flutter slightly as they crossed the last few steps up to the Garrison. She remembered the days she would run around the hoards of drunks when playing hide and seek as an eight year old and the many years she had spent serving the very drink that intoxicated those same men when she had grown out of her awkward child years.

But she also remember her sixteenth birthday, when her father had surprised her with a small celebration of family and friends in the same private room that she expected to be in tonight. Although she would rather not remember that night, as she had ended up having one too many gins and had to be carried home, one arm slung over fathers shoulder and the other over a much older Tommy Shelby's.

But lastly, she remembered the few years she would go to the Garrison with the odd boyfriend or even her sister and see John Shelby, as loud and beautiful as ever, tipping drink upon drink back. It was often countless the amount of times she had been caught staring.

"Are you ready?" Betty whispered, tucking her arm tighter. Sabrina nodded with a smile.

The large group stepped into the Garrison. It was already packed but Fred Lewis paved their way to the private room with his intimidating strides. Sabrina spotted Harry through the crowds and waved her hand as he beamed across at her.

"Blimey! Is that Sabrina I see?" He shouted, his lopsided grin and curly hair never leaving her eye sight thanks to his large height.

"Fresh from Paris and in the flesh!" Betty shouted back as she wrapped her slender arm around her shoulders, tucking her close.

"I heard you never replaced me." Sabrina said as she found her way to the bar and managed to squeezed herself and Betty in front of Harry. "I'm simply irreplaceable."

Harry chuckled, his hand still lodged in a pint glass that he was cleaning. "That and everyone around here is too busy drinking the drinks to be serving them."

"Well I hope you're in need of a hand, I'm in need of a job." She said, leaning across the bar with a charming smile.

Harry looked conflicted as he considered her offer. "I don't know. You've changed Sabrina. Men around here can't resist a pretty face."

She laughed and raised her brow unimpressed, "come on Harry. Could you imagine what my brothers would do if they even looked at me the wrong way?"

Harry was quite for a minute before he let out a sigh and smiled. "Go on then, it'll be good to have you back, I was considering hiring, it was already set to be in next weeks paper."

Sabrina beamed and leaned across the bar with a jump, wrapping her arms around his next was spluttering thank yous. Her times with Harry had always been fun.

"Start tomorrow?"

"Of course, thank you. Now I must be going. It's a celebration!" Sabrina gave Harry a friendly peck on the cheek and turned back to Betty, looping her arms and zig zagging through the crowds once again.

The private room was full of her family greeting friends, some closer than others. Jane had already ran off somewhere with Finn but John was nowhere to be seen. Not that Sabrina had looked.

"Ah there she is!" Polly Shelby's hands were seen up in the air before her voice reached Sabrina's ears and she came towards her, wrapping her in a hug. She patted her back, smiling warmly as she pulled away, holding her at a distance so she could look her over. "My god, you're like a new woman."

"Wait until John takes a look at you." Polly said, taking her by the arm and walking her to the table where the rest of the crowd of people were sitting. She placed herself on the edge of the bench and accepted a glass of gin. "I haven't seen him to be able to tell him you're back."

Before she could reply, a loud voice interrupted their conversation from the open door. "Alright, no one told me there was a party."

John entered the room with a smirk and nodding head, his arms open wide, welcoming the drink. It was obvious he had already knocked back a few drink and gravitated to a large pint on the table. Polly rolled her eyes, making Sabrina laugh before she shuffled off toward Finn who had picked up a cigarette and attempted to make a show of it in front of Jane.

The tiny space of seat beside Sabrina dipped as a person settled themselves beside her, wrapping their arm around her shoulder. She turned her head, looking up at the blonde boy that sat beside her, and smiling brightly upon noticing who it was.

"Hello." John beamed down at her with his normal cheeky smile, but scrunched his brows. It was a half response and half question. "Hello?"

She could tell that he didn't remember her. Not only had he asked who she was but he was confused by her greeting. Her smile never faulted as she chuckled at John's confused expression. She thought it was cute. Sabrina was going to play a game.

"How are you?"

John snorted slightly, his arm never moving from around her shoulder. "How am I? I'm good." He began, his voice slightly playful yet still curious. "But I've got a better question, who are you?"

Sabrina laughed lightly once again, shaking her head. "What? Am I supposed to know?"

"I guess I have changed." She said, tilting her head slightly as she looked up at him through batted lashes.

He was grinning from ear to ear as he looked back down at her, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Come on then. You from Small Heath?"

She nodded.

"Fuck off, I know everyone in Small Heath." He exclaimed playfully, earning a happy laugh from the girl to which he was smugly pleased about. It seemed to be all she was doing with John and she loved it.

"Clearly not."

"You're accent though, it sounds posh."

"I was born and raised in Birmingham all of my life." Sabrina said, she was proud of the fact.

He paused. "You're not going going to tell me, are you?"

"Not when the guessing is fun."

John raised to his feet with hands in pockets and tilted his head, motioning toward the bar. "Come on, let's get you a drink."

They both walked to the bar closely. Sabrina's face had reddened at the face Betty pulled upon spotting her older sister trailing being the younger Shelby. Her eyes widened and after getting over the initial shock of Sabrina actually speaking to John, she smirked suggestively, earning a roll of the eyes.

She could feel the heat creeping up her neck. It was surely far passed the rosy glow that women wanted and she could imagine it resembling the colour and even roundness of a fat tomato. What would he think of her childlike embarrassment? Sabrina didn't even want to think about it.

John has managed to claim two seats next to the bar. The two men who had sat there previously almost tripped while scuttling from the seats, upon seeing him approached. She realised how much John had changed, not only since she left but from when they were both small children. No longer was he a cheeky young boy, that was known to steal bread and sweets from stalls to provide for his family. And Sabrina didn't know what he was now known for and in all honesty, it frightened her.

"Do you live near Watery Lane?" He got straight to the point in trying to remember who she was. He was sure he could faintly remember seeing her face while walking towards the betting den as he did most days.

"I actually live with my family on that street." He slammed his palm on the bar and motioned his hand to Harry for a drink and turned back to her with a smug smile. He knew he was right.

"Alright Tommy." John called, seeing his brother walk through the door and heading to the private room, as usual. He turned, hearing his name and met them at the bar. "There's a party or something in there with Aunt Pol. Lots of women."

"I know, John. That's where I was heading." He said, while placing his peaky cap in the bar taking the drink that Harry had already delivered in front of him, replacing it with a few coins. "Hello Sabrina."

Tommy nodded at the younger girl and turned to the bar again, his cup now empty. "A bottle of whiskey please, Harry. And a couple glasses."

"Hello Tommy, I'm back!" Sabrina said happily, her dimples showing as she smiled around at him.
She had noticed that he still held the same stance about him, the same gaze that he held since he came back from the war. It was nonchalant and intimidatingly cold, yet his eyes were distracting enough in all their intensity.

"As you are. How's you're father?" He asked but her reply was interrupted by a loud exclamation from John.

"Wait, Sabrina?" He said, turning her slightly so he could take a good stare. He couldn't believe it, the scrawny young girl that used to glow red and dart round corners when ever he saw her couldn't be sitting in front of him in the Garrison. The only resemblance the two women held were the soft, chestnut hair, bright, blue eyes and the blush on her cheeks. They were blushed with roses, infused with a champagne-pink tinge that gave away her embarrassment.

She hid it with a timid laugh, shrugging her shoulders and holding her hands out as if to say 'yes it's me'. Her previous confidence had left her in a flood and she wished for someone to pull her from the situation.

"Sabrina! Sabrina! Quick, Aunt Pol need your help!" Jane screamed, although her face held no worry and only happiness, calming Sabrina's nerves. The youngest Lewis spun through the crowd, almost sending John toppling from his chair as she leaped to grab her sister's arm, pulling her from the bar stool. 

"Bye Tommy." She said, turning her head to give a polite nod before turning to John, her voice lowering slightly as she tilted her head. "John."

He smiled at her cheekily and she could feel the heat creeping up her cheeks once more, and turned, cursing herself lightly as she was pulled to the private room. Jane stopped next to Betty who stood, arms quickly attaching to her elbows and shaking her with a squeal.

"You talked to him Sabrina!" She squealed, pulling her in for a bear hug.

"Where's Aunt Pol?" Sabrina asked, realising the women who called for her wasn't even in the room.

"Oh I saw: you looked like you were about to be sick! I had to save you." Betty said, while patting Jane's shoulder in thanks.

Sabrina let out a deep breath she didn't realise she had been holding and hugged her sister. "What would I do without you?"

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