When We Were Young » Thomas Shelby

chapter 01

7 years later

Tommy's life hadn't exactly been easy ever since the war ended and he returned home; it had changed his life forever. He would never be the same man that he was before the war. Everyone had seen it and he wasn't the only one that had changed. So had his brothers, Arthur and Johnny, and his friends, Freddie and Danny. And there were many more. The faces of the people around him that had once been familiar had changed beyond recognition; the war casting dark shadows upon their appearances.

He was sitting on his regular chair at the bar inside the Garrison pub; the only respectable pub in Birmingham, or so he thought. John and Arthur were sitting next to him. They had a lot on their minds but they weren't about to give up, not now – not ever.

The new barmaid, Grace, refilled his now empty glass and casted him a smile that brightened her entire face. All Tommy could do was give her a slight nod in return. Smiling hadn't been something he was able to do after the war. Before the war, he had smiled at every little thing. But he found everything changed, everything had darkened. Little things had – had a meaning to him; his family was the only thing that mattered now.

Arthur had said something to him but he hadn't even heard him speak. His brother having seen he was totally out of it while he sucked his cigarette and allowed the whiskey to swirl around in his glass, he turned back towards John and allowed Tommy to stay in his own little place.

That was until the door of the Garrison burst open and little Finn ran through like a storm, going straight for Thomas. He pulled his older brother's jacket until Tommy finally snapped out of his state and looked down upon him with furrowed eyebrows, confused as to why his little brother would be here. It was only just after noon and he had expected for him to be at his aunt Polly's doing God knows what. "Finn?" he spoke which caught the attention of both men sitting beside him. "What are ya doin' here? You should be at home".

Finn stood on his tippy toes and lay his mouth close to Thomas' ear so he could whisper his answer. Once the message was past, he put himself back on his feet and looked up; waiting for his brother to react. Thomas looked down upon him with shock covering his face. "Are ya sure? Ya sure that's what he said?"

Finn only nodded before going out the door, quick to return home before his aunt Pol would come back from the market place.

Thomas just kept looking at the door Finn had just vanished through. Quickly, he swallowed his drink before running out of the pub the same way, going to look for the person Finn had gotten the information from – just to be sure. He heard the footsteps of his brothers right behind him. They tried to call for his attention but Thomas didn't give it to them until he arrived at the market. He spotted Jeremiah quickly. He stalked over, not caring about the people he had to push out of his way in the process of getting to him.

Jeremiah had turned around to face him, his trusted Bible in hand, having expected Tommy to show up sooner rather than later. He also wasn't surprised to see the other two Shelby brothers right behind him. "Tommy", he said and nodded his head in a greeting. "I take it Finn brought you the news?"