Anna [J.Shelby]

CHAPTER SEVEN

"And you'll be okay?" John asked Anna, shrugging on his suit jacket, placing his peaky cap on his head and checking his pocket watch.

"I've looked after children and been okay every time, your "rowdy lot" will be no exception" Anna laughed.

"aye, but I mean it when I say they're rowdy. And they'll drive you insane."

"I'm sure that's just a father's perspective, now leave, it's only across the road." Anna ordered him out.

"Alright, James, you're in charge" John told his oldest, making Anna roll her eyes.

"don't listen to him, I'm in charge" Amna teased Jack.

"Alright, Katie, Jack. James, Harry, what do you want to do?" Anna asked the group once John finally left.

James was the oldest, at 7 years old, closely followed by the twins Katie and Harry at 6 years old and then there was Jack at 3 years old.

"Lets see who can build the biggest bridge with the blocks'!" Katie shouted as Anna sat down with them, pulling Jack into her lap.

Anna had met them only an hour ago and already they had grown fond of each other.

She could understand why John said they were running circles around him, their tower building had turned until the eldest 3 throwing the blocks at each other and knocking each others towers down, much to Anna's annoyance one had hit Jack, the youngest, in the face and it took half an hour for Anna to calm him down.

2 hours in and Anna and the children jumped as they heard a bang on the door, completely unaware that it was in fact coppers that were trying to break down the door which, by John's request, was bolted completely so should give Anna and the kids some time.

In blind panic, Anna gestured for the children to get into the wardrobe, she was sure it could take all four of them if they squashed in and sat still.

"Hurry, I need you to get in here, I'll close the door and under no circumstances do you come out until the house is quiet okay? I need you all to be very quiet, and strong because I promise you nothing bad will happen, okay?" Anna told them, trying not to panic in front of the children as she placed the youngest, Jack, onto Katie's lap.

She turned to the oldest, James, "You know where Auntie Poll's house and the betting shop is, don't you?" She asked the young boy, to which he nodded.

"When everythings quiet, I need you to go to Auntie Poll's, and tell her that Anna has been taken away, okay?" James nodded in reply, Anna could clearly see the fear on their faces.

"Be strong, and stay quiet" She whispered to them before shutting the door, and standing up, calming her shakey breaths as she rushed out of the children's room and towards the stairs.

She let out a cry as the door was finally kicked down, and it took only a few seconds for the men's eyes to land on her.

"We're taking you in" Was all the police said to her, before grabbing her harshly, Anna was sure they would leave bruises.

"I haven't done anything!" She protested, trying to resist against them, their hold tightened and Anna winced in pain.

"I haven't done anything!" She cried out once again before she was thrown into the back of a car, her head hitting something hard and she blacked out.

Just like Anna had told him, James waited until he was sure there was nobody in the house and escaped the wardrobe, telling his siblings he would return with their father soon. On his tip toes, he shut their room behind him and ran downstairs, his eyes widening at the sight of the broken down door and smashed glass.

It took only a few moments for James to run down the street and enter his Aunt Poll's home, taking her by much surprise.

"James, what the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Anna?" She asked him in utter confusion.

"Someone came to take Anna away, Aunt. They broke down the door, she told us to hide in the wardrobe and when I got out she wasn't there. Katie's crying, an' so's Jack." The young boy rushed out, making Polly's face pale as she screamed for John, swinging the double doors open with James' hand in hers, catching the men in the betting shop by surprise.

Up on the stand and by the chalkboard was John, whose eyebrows furrowed at the sight of his frightened son and a pale Polly.

He gestured for all the men in the shop to scatter as he approached the pair.

"What's goin' on?" He asked.

"James tell your father what you just told me" Polly directed her great-nephew.

"There was a bang at the door, Anna told us to hide in the wardrobe and not come out until the house was quiet, she told me to come and get you, to tell you she had been taken away. She sounded scared, Dad, what's happened to her? The door was broken down" It was clear to John that his son was very distressed.

"Fuckin' hell" John breathed, his mind going into overide at the thought of his children and Anna being put in danger.

"What are we going to do?" Polly asked John.

"There's not a lot we can do, Poll. The police have her, she's in their hands now, we can only wait" Tommy replied cooly, lighting a cigarette, the others unaware he had heard what had occured.

Polly steered James away and went to collect his siblings before John had the time to blow up in front of him.

"The fuckin' police have her and you say there's not much we can do? We're the Peaky fuckin' Blinders, we ain't scared of no coppers, Tommy. And what do you suppose they want with her eh? If they want information then they'll fucking tear her apart trying to get it. And you want me to fucking sit back and let it happen? Fuck no, I won't" John raged, Tommy unphased by his words.

"John, try and keep a clear head. We can trust Anna, she won't give out any information on us"

"I dont give a shit if she gives out information, I give a shit about her safety. If she doesn't give them information then she'll be sent back just as bad as Arthur was, and if that happens then they'll be hell to pay. Nobody touches a Peaky Blinder girl and gets away with it, not even a fuckin' copper" John spat, completely unaware that he had just branded Anna Smith as a Peaky Blinder girl, something that didn't surprise Tommy one bit.

He had watched day by day week by week as Anna and John fell further and further unbeknownst to them, it had been the happiest he had seen John since Martha died, and he agreed that if anything tore that away from him there would be hell to pay.

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Peace never lasts forever in the world of the Peaky Blinders. It was only a matter of time before Anna was used to the coppers advantage, but what will happen? We'll have to wait and see...

Hope you enjoyed!