The Darkness Within (Peaky Blinders) Thomas Shelby

1. Hide and Seek

We will run and scream

You will dance with me

We'll fulfill our dreams

And we'll be free

-Learn Me Right, by Mumford & Sons

"Got you!" John's voice yelled, coming up behind Kiara and scaring her before giggling.

She was running out of places to hide. There were only so many when you were restricted to a small park to play in.

"Come on, John. Can I be it now?" The young seven-year-old girl begged.

"Peaky Blinders don't hide from nobody." John explained with pride. Only seven and already thinking he was one of them.

"You don't have a hat yet, silly."

"One day I will. One day I'll be head of the lot with Arthur and Tommy. You wait and see."

"You gotta work on your seeking skills first. I was hiding behind that bush for ages!" The young girl teased.

"So long as you win in the end, it doesn't matter how long something takes." He declared stubbornly, raising his chin slightly. "I'll always be able to find you, K. Always."

"Fine. You might be able to find me, but you'll never be able to catch me." She joked before giving her best friend a mischievous smile and taking off with a laugh.

John Shelby took off after her, using everything he had in him to run as fast as he could, but she was right... she was faster. She zigzagged, making him loose his balance and skid a couple times as the two of them laughed; a light hearted and innocent childish laugh, fitting for their age.

And then it stopped.

"Kiara!" Riley Donoghue, Kiara's older brother, yelled out across the park stopping the two of them in their tracks. "It's almost sunset, time to go home!" He yelled to the kids. Beside him stood two other boys.

Thomas Shelby stood waiting for his brother John and beside him was another boy the same age; Freddie Thorne. Freddie wasn't from a family that belonged in the Peaky Blinders, but the three of them were all school friends and hung out quite a bit. They were four years older than John and Kiara, age 11, but they pretended they were much older than that.

The two seven year olds trudged across the park, mud caking their shoes, in a display of displeasure over the interruptance. John knew he had a family dinner to get to and would much rather continue playing then listen to grown up talk, Kiara on the other hand had a strict time table. Riley didn't like her being out too late, neither did their father and to avoid his belt she had to get back on time.

They finally made it to the older boys grudgingly. The both of them looking put out at the prospect of going home.

"You two are a complete mess." Freddie commented, looking over their clothes.

"You better get changed before dinner, Johny Boy." Tommy said to his brother. "Come on, lets get going. See you tomorrow, Riley." Thomas Shelby said to his friend before he and Freddie left with John who waved goodbye to Kiara. The young girl waved back with a small smile that quickly dropped once they were gone and had her turning to her older brother looking very serious.

"Why do we have to be home so early?" Kiara asked Riley as they began to walk home.

"You know why. Dad doesn't like us staying out too late."

"But why?"

"It's dangerous."

"He's dangerous." Kiara shot back. "And he's a Peaky Blinder. You will be one day as well. No one would dare come near us."

"Not everyone knows all the members, K. Everyone knows the Shelby's, not us. Besides you know better than to argue. If dad hears you talking like this you'll get another beating. You're still bruised from the other night so promise me you'll stop, yeah?"

"Yeah." Kiara sighed.

Everyone had their suspicions about how Cacey Donoghue treated his family, but no one dared intervene. It wasn't any of their business and most were to frightened to get on his bad side. It was common knowledge that the wrath of Cacey Donoghue could be sparked by the smallest of things and stopped by nothing less that harder punch... and no one punched harder than him. The Shelby's knew, however, but John, Tommy and Arthur's father didn't care and what could three boys and their aunt do against a man like Cacey?

Nothing.