1908, Birmingham

She popped out of nowhere. She popped in Small Heath, Birmingham, just like she had always been there. Except she hadn't, of course.

There were a few things people knew about her: her name was Sullivan Miller, she was eighteen, she was American, and she lived in Watery Lane, alone. No matter how hard she tried to reach for a British accent, she couldn't help but keep her own.

Despite the fact that she was a stranger, there was something else in her. Something noticeable. Her beauty probably, the way her eyes shined, the way she was smiling to strangers. Even the most dangerous ones.

For her, everything started with a bump. It was a Wednesday morning, two days after her arrival, and Sully was in a rush. She needed to meet someone in Small Heath that morning, and to find a job as well. She didn't have many time to lose, so as soon as she had locked her front door, she walked fast to find her way. And she bumped into another woman, whom of which was walking slowly, probably returning from the shopping, because her groceries fell on the floor, spilled around the two.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry madam," the blonde said softly as she grabbed a few groceries from the ground, and when she turned around, she found out that the woman was staring at her, a slight frown on her face.

"That's nothing dear. You're the newcomer, aren't you?" Sully blushed slightly, bitting her bottom lip nervously.

"Yeah, my name is Sully by the way," The woman nodded, then shook her head, clearing her mind.

"I'm Polly Shelby, it's very nice to meet you. Do you want to come inside for a minute?" The blonde didn't find it in herself to refuse, mostly because she had just ran into the poor lady. She smiled nicely and murmured a slight "after you", the woman already unlocking her front door. Sully stepped on the porch and then inside, waiting patiently in the hall for the lady to guide her.

"This way," Polly indicated by pointing a little kitchen on her right. The house was nicely decorated, the interior was darkened by the closed curtains but it still looked cosy.

"You have a really pretty house, Mrs.Shelby," the brunette smiled and grabbed the few groceries that Sully was holding to put them on the counter. Polly smiled and put her hand on the blonde's arm gently.

"That's really nice of you, but please call me Polly. Makes me feel old, being called Mrs.Shelby, you know," the girl nodded with a slight smile, while the eldest woman was turning away to prepare some tea.

"Please, take a sit, Sully," Polly placed a cup full of tea in front of her, while she took a sit across the table, facing nicely the blonde. Sully looked around herself, noticing the numerous chairs that were surrounding the table. She smiled while imagining the family Polly should have, full of children, running around in the house.

"So, where-" Polly couldn't finish her sentence, because she was cut off by a scream from upstairs. She heard a laugh and some intelligible talk. The blonde frowned and looked at Polly, whom of which was rubbing her temples slightly.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" Sullivan smiled and lowered her head in order to hide it. Polly sighed loudly, and Sully lifted up, catching the woman's gaze.

"There are my nephews, sorry for the noise, they are very annoying!" Polly screamed the last part of her sentence, making herself heard by the boys. "Downstairs, now!" She heard the boys upstairs sigh, and she was about to tell her she was leaving when a tall boy walked inside of the room. He had raven hair, and blue ocean eyes, which locked instantly with Sully's ones. The women stood up simultaneously, Sully's eyes still locked with the newcomer's ones.

"Where are your bloody brothers?" Polly asked with a frown, as they heard footsteps running down the stairs. A taller one, followed by a little one, appeared in the kitchen, all stuck behind their brother.

"Boys, this is Sullivan, our new neighbor," The boys turned to face her, all eyes on her face. "Sullivan, this is Arthur, the taller one, Thomas, and John, the littlest." Sully nodded her head with a bright smile.

"It's very nice to meet you all," she stated.

"You're not from here, are you?" Thomas asked, while he took a sit on her right. Arthur sat on her left, and the youngest sat next to his aunt, a curious look in his eyes.

"I'm American," Sully giggled, her eyes closed as she turned around to listen to another question.

"When did you arrived in town?" Arthur demanded.

"Two days ago. I was about to go looking for a job today," Sullivan explained, her eyes locked on her hands.

"What kind?" Thomas' deep voice asked again.

"Back in Cheyenne, I worked as a barmaid, and I was food at it. That's what I'm currently looking for," She caught Arthur's frown, and she frowned back. "What?" She asked with a tensed voice.

"Cheyenne?" Arthur looked at the girl, a smirk on his lips. "Like, really? You're from a town named bloody Cheyenne? Sounds like a slut's name to me." Sully pursed her lips together, looking all around her, before laughing. It was like a symphony in her hosts ears, and Polly couldn't stop herself hitting Arthur's arm, while the boys were laughing too around the table.

"That's true, I have to admit," Arthur leaned backward in his chair, his eyes glued on the girl's frame.

"We have a pub here," the blonde turned to Thomas again, whom of which was looking at his hands. He seemed to think about his words, before looking at her too. "We need a barmaid, so you're very lucky. Maybe you can come over, at 6 o'ckock?" She widened her eyes, her eyes passing from Polly to Thomas, back and forth a few times again before smiling brightly.

"Oh my God, that's so nice of you! Yeah, of course. What's it's name?"

"The Garrison," Arthur answered, as John stood up to grab a glass of water. "It's higher in the street, you just need to go straight up." Sullivan nodded, her smile still on her lips.

"Thank you again, Thomas," The boy frowned.

"Tommy." He corrected. ahe nodded her head and turned again to Polly. "You're welcome, Sullivan."

"Sully," She corrected with a smile. He snorted, while the girl chuckled.

Since then, they never left each other. The blonde became really close to the boys, and even more to the Shelby girls, Polly and Ada. She started her job as barmaid in the Garrison, working with the Shelby being her favorite job ever.

As she stayed with the boys, and even more with Thomas, they both grew closer. Until they couldn't stop themselves falling in love with each other. They protected each other quietly, even if Polly couldn't stop babbling about their love story. Which happened eventually, but never fully.

Thomas fell in love with her blonde hair, the way her curls fell in her shoulders. He fell for the musical laugh, her big smiles, which stretched her red lips, her green eyes which always seemed curious and always shined in a way only her made them shine. But mostly, he loved her American accent, the way she was speaking at him, nicely, with a sweet tone. The way she was arguing to defend her point of view, or to protect her friends. The way she stuck her cigarette behind her red lips, how she bit the lower one when she was nervous. How she was singing when she was doing her shift at the Garrison, all the men around listening to her in silence, even the whore upstairs listening while they were hooked up in rhythm of the song.

Sullivan fell in love with his ocean eyes, the way they were expressing every feeling he had. She fell in love with his laugh, loud, his deep voice, the way he was silently standing by her side, his eyes never leaving her frame, no matter how far they were from each other. She had fell in love with his rough accent, his soft scent, the hand he was sometimes placing behind her back with care. How he took the head of his family, to guide it's members since their mother's death, and their father's departure. She loved his eyes on her when she was singing, she loved the smile he arbored when he saw her somewhere.

During six years, they kept their love for each other quiet, even tho everyone around them knew about it. It stayed silent, until one week before the boys' departure for the war.

Sully had just finished her shift at the Garrison when the front door opened. She span around, catching the sight of Tommy laying on the wall, a slight closed-mouth smile on his face. She smiled back, and she exited from behind the counter, checking the surroundings, in case she had forgotten a glass somewhere on a table.

"I'm walking you home, tonight," Thomas announced, while opening the front door to her. Sully nodded, turning around to lock the pub door, before walking on the street with Tommy next to her.

"How was your shift?" He asked, turning his gaze on her.

"Very good," she answered with a bright smile on her lips. "Ted passed by to tell me how he and his wife are in a tense relationship these times." The man snorted, his eyes focused on the street in front of him.

"You're always so receptive to people here," Tommy said dreamily as the blonde giggled, hitting Tommy's arm playfully.

"I'm a fucking barmaid, that's my job, isn't it?" Tommy laughed as they arrived in front of her porch. They stayed awkwardly in front of the front door for a second, before she asked with a soft smile.

"Do you want to come in?" Thomas nodded, as the blonde was already unlocking the door. She stepped in, waiting for Tommy to do the same before closing the door behind him. She removed her coat and her heels, before walking straight to the kitchen, already earing her cat walking down the stairs for his food. She served him and turned to face Tommy.

"Do you want something to drink?" Tommy shook his head. Sully walked back to the living room, laying against the wall in front of the raven haired boy. They looked into each other eyes for a long time before he cleared his throat.

"I need to tell you something," Sully smiled to encourage him. His eyes were shining in a way she never saw before. It was something different than usual. "I..." Sullivan scoffed, rolling her eyes playfully.

"I love you," she muttered before he could speak, making him frown slightly.

"What?" Sully crossed her arms under her chest, a frown on her face.

"That's not what you wanted to say?" The blonde bit her lower lip, a slight brush on her cheeks. He didn't answer, but instead, he walked to her, grabbed her cheeks between his large hands and kissed her lips. When he removed himself from her lips, the girl brought him back to her mouth, as he lifted her up in his arms, the blonde wrapping her legs around his waist.

They never told anyone about the night they had together.

The only public love proof appeared to be on the day where the brother's left for the War. When she saw Tommy walking to the train, while she had one of John's kid in her arms, she put him back on the ground and ram to him, shouting his name loudly to make him stop from walking before jumping in the train.

When she arrived in front of him, she grabbed his neck to make him lean forward in order to kiss him. It could have been their last kiss forever, that's why they put as much love as they could in it, his hand around her waist, hers on both his cheeks. When they separated, she looked in his eyes, hers filled with tears.

"Please, don't forget to come back."