Future to Past

{-Chapter Four-}

The six of them were bored, Ada still had not returned home, the Shelby men were probably at the Garrison having a drink, Polly was actually out of town for the day, going out with some of her friends for a weekend trip to London. "What should we do?" Katie questioned; they had played as many games as they could, but they were bored.

Seraphina glanced at the door, her fear of seeing her father out in the streets of Small Heath frightened her, but she was in the past her father was in the future. She hoped. "Let's go outside, we could use some, worse air." She joked as she stood up, the children were surprised at her when she made her way to the door. "Come on." She called as she grabbed an old jacket, she wasn't sure whose it was, but she hoped they wouldn't be mad at her. "You lot probably know this place better than anyone. So, show me the true Small Heath." She giggled as the children rushed over grabbing their own coats.

"Oh wait." Katie said as she rushed into the kitchen writing a note for her uncles and dad, letting them know they would be at the cut later in the day or that they were wandering around the town. She ran back over and explained what she had done.

"Good thinking." Seraphina stated, before helping Hazel with her coat.

Finn handed Seraphina a Peaky cap this one not laced with razor blades. "Let's go!" Finn cheered as they ran out of the house, Finn locking the door behind himself, he took Seraphina's hand and pulled her along as they started to run along the street. As they got further and further away from Watery Lane, what the six didn't realise was that Tommy, Arthur, and John were making their way inside the house.

Stepping in before his older brothers John called out to his children. "Kids!" He shouted, but her heard silence, which made him feel unsettled, he walked into the sitting room seeing no one, so he quickly went up the stairs to their rooms they had here to find no kids. No Ada. No Finn. And no Seraphina. "Tommy!" He shouted running down the stairs.

"What John?" Tommy asked facing his brother as he rushed into the other side of their house, into the betting den.

"They ain't here Tom. No kids, no Ada, and no Seraphina, the house is empty!" He shouted as he ran his hand through his hair, stressed that they were all gone.

Tommy and Arthur froze, before rushing into the house to find any clues. It was half an hour later when Ada returned to see the boys ordering the men around. They turned to see Ada. "Ada?" Arthur questioned, pulling her into a hug before noting no children, no Seraphina. "Ada where are the kids and Seraphina?" He asked her.

"Here." She said with a raised eyebrow. Tommy stalked over to his sister glaring at her.

"What did you do today, Ada? Did you watch the children?" He asked her. "Or did you fuck off leaving Seraphina here with the children?" He questioned glaring at his little sister.

"So, what if I did, she needs to earn her keep." She scoffed.

"For fucks sake Ada, they're gone!" John shouted, he was the most stressed out of his brothers, his children were gone. "What was Seraphina meant to do if someone broke in and attacked them, huh! My children aren't here, your brother isn't here either, they are missing, and you what decided to go have your own fucking fun! They are your family, not Seraphina's she shouldn't have to look after anyone," John ranted.

Tommy motioned to his boys to start looking for the children and Seraphina. As John stalked out ready to look for his family. Tommy and Arthur didn't look at Ada disappointed in the girl. Ada huffed, but let the tears fall as she realised, she did make a mistake, all because she was jealous of someone she didn't know.

Out by the cut, the Shelby children and Seraphina were smiling as they watched the water go by, Seraphina getting them into a racing game, all of the grabbing different things that could float tosee whose would win first. They were laughing and giggling as they played, Seraphina was cautious of where the children draped themselves on the bridge railings, watching the people as they walked past.

The children may have let slip what their family did, and that the people of Small Heath either respected the Shelby's or they feared them. So, she made it her mission to make sure no one touched the children, even if it meant getting hurt herself. Katie let out a cheer as her stick came out from under the bridge first, followed by Collins, Seraphina's, George's, Hazel's, then last was Finn's the boy groaning that he had lost.

Seraphina congratulated the young girl, as she clapped, the group joining in, after all it was just a game. They all quickly brought their next items out going to the other side to drop them once more. "I'm definitely going to win this time!" Finn cried as they all lined up.

"Okay on three!" Seraphina called they all nodded. "One!" She started. "Two!" She continued and just as she was about to shout three, they heard people shouting.

"Found them!"

Finn frowned as he saw Scudboat waving to Tommy, John, and Arthur. "What's going on?" He asked as John went to his children hugging them tightly.

"All six of you buggered off!" Arthur shouted, making Seraphina flinch at the loud sound.

Katie wiggled her way out of her dad's hold before speaking up. "But I left you guys a note, it's on the kitchen table, letting you know we had gone to the cut; we were bored." Katie stated.

"Yeah, we cleaned the house as a game, and we didn't want to mess it up again, so we decided to show Sera the cut." Collin added.

The three men blinked not knowing what to say. "You lot, cleaned the house?" Arthur asked after some silence had passed.

All of them nodded including Seraphina. "Yeah, when Ada left, we sort of got a little out of hand, Finn told us off, because we might have scared Sera, but she was okay until she saw what had happened to the house." Katie stated.

"Sera came up with a game, and she sang as we cleaned the house and our rooms. But she helped clean too." Little Hazel cheered smiling up at her daddy. "It was so much fun." She giggled. The young girl was smiling much brighter than normal, after their mother had passed Hazel had become a silent mouse, she never really said anything at all always hiding behind her Collin or Katie.

Seraphina smiled gently as Tommy came up to her. "Are you alright?" He asked her.

"Of course, the kids showed me all their spots, and then we came here, we've been playing the whole time." Seraphina giggled. "We were just about to have another race, then you guys showed up."

"Yeah, I was supposed to win this round!" Finn shouted annoyed with his older brothers.

"No! I was supposed too!" The others shouted all beginning to bicker with one another.

Seraphina watched as John tried to control his children when Seraphina shouted. "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" Instantly all their heads shot to Seraphina waiting for her to tell them what to do. "One more race and then we go home, alright." She said sternly, all of them nodded their heads. Running to the edge of the bridge they pulled out their items lined up beside each other. "On three. One. Two. Three!" Seraphina shouted as they all dropped their items and ran towards the other side.

"I win!" Finn shouts as his sticks comes gliding down the cut. The older boy cheering excitedly. The others congratulating the boy as he grinned under the praise.

"Okay, daddy let's go home now." George said nodding his head and going over to John. The men watched as the children flocked around Seraphina and walked towards the house on Watery Lane.

"What?" Arthur just questioned as they quickly followed after the group. Neither brother knowing what to do.