Little Shelby's

One

John ran his hands through his hair as he made his way down to the Garrison, fuming that he'd had his work day interrupted by word of his kids causing chaos, as if it were anything fucking new. He'd told them he couldn't be called away from work today. Today was important and they weren't to leave the house. They couldn't do as they were told for one fucking day.

"Artie we have to go! Dad's gonna go ballistic if he finds out!" John heard Elsie's anxious voice say as soon as he walked into the pub. At least one of his kids is trying to behave themselves.

"You got that fucking right" John said, placing his hands on Elsie's shoulders from behind her, making her jump, and causing Artie and Joey to look up at their dad nervously "Would you care to explain to me what the fuck you're all doing in here?!"

John scanned the four kids in front of him waiting for an answer. His own three stayed silent and Eddie, Michael's boy, let out a snigger. "Something funny?" John asked "Don't think your father doesn't know you're here, you've got ten minutes to get your arse home so I'd get a move on if I were you"

"Fucks sake" Eddie mumbled, as he stood up and started pacing home. John simply rolled his eyes before glaring back at his own kids "Well?"

"Got bored" Artie mumbled, not looking his father in the eye.

"You got bored?" John repeated, raising an eyebrow, before bending down to his son's eye level where they were seated "Does that sound like a good enough reason to be in a pub at your ages? When I told you to stay at fucking home?!"

"No" Joey replied, also refusing to look directly at his dad.

"No it's bloody well not" John turned his attention to his daughter "And what the fuck do you think you're doing here?"

"Trying to stop them...." Elsie replied, tears in her eyes threatening to fall. She hated it when John was mad. She was such a daddy's girl and always tried to stay on his good side, rarely actually getting in trouble.

John nodded a little before standing upright. "Get home, now."

The two boys got up and started walking quickly, ahead of John, whereas Elsie took her fathers hand and walked alongside him. John almost exploded when he walked into a the house, where the place was a shithole, Hattie and Vinny were tackling each other over a toy, Tilly was trying to separate them while trying to clean up and while trying to cook, evidently failing at doing all three if the strong smell of burning was anything to go by.

"You two need to fucking pack it in" Tilly hissed, trying to pull Hattie off of Vinny.

"You need to watch your fucking mouth before I wash it out" John said, slamming the front door behind him. Tilly huffed and rolled her eyes.

"You bloody get them to stop then!" She snapped, before disappearing into the kitchen. John shook his head. She was a good girl, his Tilly. She wanted a simple life, wasn't into the fighting and drama that came with being a Shelby, just wanted to wear pretty dresses and be a girl, but she had a mouth and a half on her, always talking herself into trouble.

"Right, you two sit down and don't fucking move" He said, gesturing towards Artie and Joey "Elsie, get in the kitchen and help your sister try not to burn the bloody house down, as for you two" he said, walking over to Hattie and Vinny, picking up Vinny in one swoop, turning him around in his arms and smacking him 3 times, before grabbing Hattie and giving her same "You carry on fighting like this you'll both end up across my knee, you hear me? Now get this mess cleaned up"

The two kids sniffled at the smacks they'd been given, and John nodded satisfied as they started to tidy their mess. He then frowned as he looked around the room. Artie was here, so was Joey, Hattie and Vinny. Tilly and Elsie were in the kitchen, so where the fuck was Birdie?