In Small Heath | Peaky Blinders

three; heres to a fake future

After two long and gruelling months of negotiations (over Sebastian Shelby's freedom), a finalised document had been procured by Crawford Longley.

The Shelbys had to fight tooth and nail to ensure that Bash was able to stay in Small Heath- under the guise of being able to run a new branch of the the Longley firm. A false guise, but it still worked- thanks to Polly and her strong developed skill in arguing (and also democratic voting), without her, there was no doubt in any of the Shelbys minds that they'd be a brother down.

Polly, and Thomas, spent almost two hours arguing their case as to why Sebastian had to stay in Small Heath. At first, Crawford Longley didn't seem to be interested in saying yes, he clearly didn't understand the importance of family, brotherhood, his family company.

Unlike the Longleys, everything the Shelbys did- they did together. No one had ever considered hiring outsiders to help, it was family or the business would close; that was the only thing the seven siblings could agree on.

"Can't believe you're getting married." John spoke first, breaking the silence that had fallen upon the kitchen table.

Bash couldn't believe it either, of all people- him. He didn't understand why it wasn't Thomas who was sought after, he had a far better chance of making a woman happy than he did.

"No, neither can I." Arthur interjected before Bash had the chance to reply himself.

Everyone, even Finn, was surprised that he had even considered it, let alone agree to it. But, as always, Bash was thinking of his family rather than his own happiness. The Shelby family were always going to be his biggest weakness, no matter how old he was or where he was in the world.

"Alright, alright, so Bash took one for the team, no need to hound him over it." Ada piped up, surprising Bash with her strong and demanding voice.

He knew that she'd be a great leader one day, of whatever she wanted to do. Create her own business? She'd be a millionaire in no time. Buy horses to train? Again, a millionaire in no time. But a silent assassin? She'd most definitely get herself caught within weeks. A Shelby is hard to disguise, no matter how hard one tries.

"So..." John said, dragging out the last syllable as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet.

He felt awkward, hell , they all did. Deep down they knew that women repulsed Sebastian, and if it was truly up to him he'd have already bought a house in the far north, away from everyone and everything.

"When you getting married, then? Gotta make sure I've got me good suit pressed n' all..."

Bash shrugged, he didn't even know when he was supposed to meet the woman's mother let alone when he was supposed to lose his freedom. Unfortunately however, both the wedding and something called an engagement party (which Bash didn't know even existed), had to happen down in Essex.

Nothing had ever gone well when the boys left the comfort of the West Midlands.

"Dunno, think they want to do it as soon as- which makes me think she's already pregnant." He finally said after a brief silence.

Thomas's featured sharpened. It did make sense, the man; Crawford, seemed so determined for it to be Sebastian who was to marry his daughter, despite Thomas being closer in age with her. There always was an ulterior motive behind the movements of a man with as much money as they say he had.

Polly hadn't meant to hear that, in fact- none of them were but Bash couldn't always stop his mouth from moving, especially when he was frustrated or tired.

"Sebastian Michael Lewis Shelby, did you just say pregnant? You've barely known that girl a week! A week!"

The older four boys faces began to pale, Ada couldn't help but let out a burst of laughter, or rather a cackle, before being silently shoved out of the kitchen. It was time for the adults to talk, or rather, be talked at.

"It's not mine, Pol." Bash mumbled into his hands, which had been covering most of his face since Ada had left.

It was embarrassing enough having to get married to a woman he didn't know or even want to get to know, but knowing she only wanted to marry him because she was pregnant with another man's baby? That was a blow to his self-worth.

At least, that was the only plausible reason as to why she wanted to get hitched so quickly.

"I think we have some people to visit, don't you?" She added, her eyes burning holes into the boys who sat before her.

Arthur almost shrank out of the fear she installed in him, and John wanted to do anything but offend that family again. He had yet to live a day where the moment of him calling the poor girl a horse hadn't been mentioned in passing.

... she did look like a horse, in his defence.

"Can't we just wait? We'll all be down in that shithole in a few weeks time. Something about a party?" Thomas spoke up for his brother, breaking Pollys glare on them too.

The sensible ones were supposed to be Thomas and Sebastian, yet the latter was about to make the biggest mistake of his life and Polly couldn't wrap her head around the why.

Why was he about to give up everything he had been aiming for, for a woman who looked about as rude as an actual aristocratic millionaire. One of the ones who already owned a working car, and had people to wind it up for them. She didn't want to think it was for a selfless reason as to helping get his family one step up from where they had been coasting for ten years.

No, she didn't want to accept that as fact.

Everything Bash had ever done was for his family... minus the stealing of a horse when he was eleven, and telling John that his teeth were all going to fall out the moment he lost his first one... or the time when he told Ada that the bogeyman only goes after girls with four older brothers.

"Yeah, can we just forget about it for a few weeks? Go back to living life like we had, like we were the only ones to exist?" Bash finally spoke, standing up from his chair.

The all too familiar sound of wooden chair legs scraping against the floor sent shivers down everyone's backs, but it made them all finally look at the five foot nine inch in height man who had barely turned twenty. Arthur noticed the pained look on his brothers face, John noticed how his hands hadn't unclenched from fists and Thomas noticed how he wasn't stood up like he usually was. He was almost hunched over, making himself appear smaller than he was, but to look into that more than surface level was a different ballgame in a different playing field. One no one had time to venture into and figure out.

Not even Sebastian himself.

"... anyone for a pint?" The eldest of the quartet spoke, earning sighs of agreement form everyone; including the matriarch who he had thought was already off to scold Ada for ease dropping.

"Fuckin' finally, I'm begging for something stronger than that natspiss Polly calls a cuppa'."