I prayed hard for a saviour and he sent me her. I never knew I needed her until she came, my little red head...
"Jesus Tommy I thought you said he knew about this" Ana gasped as Tommy lifted her down off the fence, they had found themselves running from Farmer Stan and his rifle.
"He does, the old bastard's probably forgotten" Tommy's gasps were equal to Ana's as they ran hand in hand across the field "Come on or Polly will set the law onto us if we miss tea again"
"I can't run anymore Tom" Ana halted and Tommy looked behind him "Not in these shoes"
"Take them off then" Tommy gasped and Ana frowned "Come on hurry up"
Ana took off her shoes and another gun shot rung threw the air "Shit Ana come on" Tommy reached for Ana's hand again and dragged her along. She dropped her shoes into the dirt as she lifted her dress to run faster.
×××××××××××××
After tea Tommy and Ana stayed in the sitting room, they were listening to some music and reading the newspaper with Polly and Grandad.
An urgent knock on the front door caused Polly to rise "This better not have anything to do with you two" Polly warned a she headed down the hall. The knock knocked again before Polly had made it to the door "Yes alright I'm coming" she yelled out and opened the door.
Standing behind it was a Policeman, in his hand he was holding a familiar pair of shoes "For god sakes" Polly cursed under her breath.
"I take it you recognise these then?" The officer asked "Is she in?"
"Ana" Polly yelled.
Ana stood up and looked over at Tommy who also stood and followed her down the hall towards the door "Is there a problem officer?" Ana spoke gently, almost nervously.
Polly rolled her eyes, she had heard this tone a million times before. It was Ana's butter wouldn't melt tone. The tone that usually got her out of trouble "Are these yours miss?" The officer held up the grey shoes and Ana glanced at Tommy.
"Oh yes thank you I thought they were lost forever" Ana took them back.
"So you know where they were found then?" The officer looked troubled "You're not going to deny you were there?"
"Why would I? Tommy and I were there, having made a prior arrangement with Mr Stan, but the poor old bugger must have forgotten and thought we were trespassers. We only went to look at his horse" Ana played the victim so well.
"I see" The officer seemed unsure "So your saying Mr Stan made arrangements with you, but forgot?"
"Yes" Ana sighed "Look I know you know about his problems officer. Please don't make anything of it. I know how upset he would be if he realised he shot at us unprovoked" Ana twisted it on its head and the officers face softened "It was really scary"
"Alright well I suppose in those circumstances the less said about this the better" the officer frowned and Ana and Tommy walked back inside.
"Will that be all?" Polly frowned and then shut the door. She turned to face Tommy and Ana and half smiled.
"I swear that girl could talk you out of anything" Grandad Shelby had been listening from the hall way.
"That's because she's a red head" Polly laughed a little "Fiery one at that, don't you think Da" Polly turned to Grandad Shelby who was already shaking his head with a knowing smile.
"No Poll, she isn't just a red head...she's a Shelby, I knew as soon as I saw her. Just born to the wrong family..." he replied.
"Well I'm glad she was born into her family, because that means I can marry her...She will be a Shelby as soon as the law allows it" Tommy spoke up.
"Shush Tom" Ana blushed and Grandad Shelby laughed.
"If you say so lad, if you say so" he patted Tommy's shoulder before leaving the room. Polly smiled and shook her head gently.
"I mean it Poll, Ana will he my wife as soon as we're old enough" Tommy frowned and Ana took him by the hand.
"I don't doubt it for a second Tommy" She chuckled before leaving.
"Did you really mean that Tom?" Tommy had always been taller then Ana, she looked up into his eyes "Do you really want me as your wife?"
Tommy pulled Ana closer to him using her waist "There's nothing I want more, it's only ever going to be you, and in 3 years time when we're both 18 then I will ask you properly, and we will get married"
"And I'll be an official Shelby?" Ana smirked and Tommy nodded.
"Yes Love" Tommy kissed Ana's forehead "But not only that, you will be my wife"
××××××××××××××
Later that evening Tommy and Ana took themselves out for a while, they had decided to join Polly in the pub for a drink "Two lime cordials please" Polly asked and the bar man brought them over. Ana noticed Tommy was a little distant.
"Tom are you alright my love?" Ana asked as she watched him watching a man across the room.
"He's been watching you since we walked in" Tommy snarled "hasn't taken his eyes off you..."
"He probably just isn't used to seeing a red head" Ana sighed "It's okay my love let him look, he's wasting his time, I only have eyes for you" Ana kissed Tommy's neck and Tommy turned his head towards her and kissed her hair.
Ana turned and watched as the barman walked over to the the young man...
××××××××××××
"Have you got a death wish?" He asked cautiously "Do you know who that is?"
"I don't care she's a beauty" The young man grinned still not taking his eyes off Ana.
"Look I don't want any trouble" the barman spoke nervously.
"Why would there be any trouble?" The man was curious.
"There will be if you keep staring at her like that, she's off limits"
"They married?" The young man was growing very confident, almost a little cocky even.
"No, but..." the barman tried to explain but the man wasn't interested.
"Then she isn't off limits is she?" The man started to sit upright in his chair.
"She is when she's with him...his name's Thomas, he's a Shelby" the barmans explanation soon knocked the man's confidence "That's Tommy Shelby"
"She's a Shelby?" The man's voice had lost all cockiness as he sunk back down in his chair, all his confidence had vanished.
"As good as..." the barman informed him before turning back on his heels and heading back towards the bar. The man looked up and realised Tommy hadn't stopped watching him, there was a deathly look in his eyes that raised fear in the young man.
That barman had been right, acting that way could quite possibly had gotten him killed, Ana belonged to no-one else except Thomas Shelby...
