Shelby Madness

Chapter 27,'I'll always look out for her,'

29th May 1919, Small Heath Birmingham

John was fairly exhausted by the time he reached Watery Lane, it was only half six and yet John thought he could sleep for a week. "Libs, are you in?" He shouted, wanting to know if she was hungry because he was starving. They were meant to be having a night together and John was going to take his niece out for food to spend quality time with her since her father seemed to neglect the fact that it was his job to do stuff like his not John's. His kids were staying with Lizzie, the girl he had been speaking to for a short while now so John could go out and wouldnt have to worry about being back in time for the sitter leaving. Furrowing his eyebrows when she didn't answer, John went to see if she was in her room.

Knocking on her door, he shouted to her again, "Libby?" Inside her room was bare, her clothes, photos and books were gone. John had wondered if she had moved back in with Tommy because she told him that she would go and speak to him today but it was weird because she hadn't told him she was moving out. "What the fuck." He muttered, going back down stairs.

That's when the folded piece of paper caught his attention. He picked it up and read it and immediately knew that an argument with Tommy had caused the latest disappearance from his niece. He just wondered what was so bad that Tommy had said it would make her leave.

Bombing into 13 Watery Lane, John was furious, his brother had made his niece leave and made her feel like it was her fault. "Tommy." John screamed.

"What do you want, you've just gone home?" Polly asked, standing with her hands on her hips making a cup of tea.

"Where is he?" John asked

"Who?" John rolled his eyes

"Tommy, Where is he"

"He's in his office, drinking himself into oblivion like usual," Polly answered.

"Ever heard of knocking John?" Tommy questioned after John had stormed into his office. He had a feeling it was because of his argument with libby. He hadn't meant to make her that upset, they were just arguing and it came out and now John was here to give him a hard time about it.

"What did you say to her," he asked, getting straight to the point.

"What are you going on about?" Tommy asked.

Scoffing John through the letter st Tommy before turning on hid heal ," I'm going to look for your daughter and prey she doesnt do something stupid and if i find her she is staying with me and you are going to apologies and never bother her again, Tommy. That girl has shed too many tears over you and i won't have it anymore, it's not fair that you keep breaking your promises to her. You are going to break her heart if whatever you said hasn't already."

"She's my daughter John, not yours. Mine and Maddies."

John stopped in his tracks and turned to face Thomas once again, "Really, cos last time i checked Maddie is fucken dead and you cant seem to give your kids the time of day. So when you finally get up of your arse and give a fuck then maybe you could call yourself a dad. I mean come on Tommy, You've made your daughter feel like she can't even be in the same town as you so she packed her bags is is god knows where and your son is living with arthur because you didnt care and he had no rules, so Arthur, fucking Arthur took him in to provied the stabilty you couldnt justv like I did with Libby. So next time you want to use a line like that make sure you actually are being a father, yeah?" John had nothing else to say to his brother so he left, to fix his mess once again.

John had guessed that Libby would be trying to get out of town and possibly back to Newcastle so that's where he went, to the train station.

In the ten minutes it took John to walk, well run to the train station a plethora of things were running through his head. Endless possibilities of what have happened to his niece who nobody has seen or heard from in hours.

Like what would happen if she had been kidnapped or worse killed, Small Heath was a dangerous place for anybody to be out alone in nevermind a fourteen year old girl.

"Libby?" John screamed, running onto the train station platform.

"John," A male voice called out.

Turning around, John saw none other than Isaiah Jesus sitting down on the bench with a tired, worn-out Libby asleep against his chest. "Thank fuck," Jphn breatghed out, relaxing abit now he had found his niece.

"I was going to bring her back, I found her running here in tears, we were just talking but she fell asleep and i didnt want to move in case she woke up and i didnt want to leave her here asleep by herself." Isaiah explained.

"Thank you, Isaiah. You seem to find her when she's in trouble and get her out of it," John joked, sitting down next to him with his cap in his hands.

"I'm her friend, I'll always look out for her, John." Isaiah replied.

"And I hope that's all it stays cos if there more i won't hesitate to have your eyes," John warned,Lighting up a cigarette.

Isaiah gulpt, he and Libby were just friends but he thought she was more beautiful than a friend should and even though he and Libby would probably just remain friends it still didn't make the threat any less terrifying.

John lightly chuckled at the clear discomfort he had but Isaiah threw. John had done his job and warned of any possible romance of feelings Isaiah felt towards Libby because in his eyes nobody was good enough for his niece and nobody deserved her in their life, especially her father.

Carefully, carrying Libby home, he laid her into bed and pulled the covers over her and went downstairs to wait for her to wake up. Libby had woken up the minute John had closed the bedroom door, she knew she was safe and she knew at that moment maybe Small Heath could be her home too but maybe it wasn't with her father, maybe her home was across the lane with John and his mangle of kids.

A\N:

Im sorry its late but its been a very busy week and I haven't stopped but I am going to try and get a few more chapters out before Christmas and hopefully finish season 1 off before New Years day but that is probity wishful thinking.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this weeks chapter. See yous soon.

                                                       -  Jane