NEW STORY! YAY! This is the reason I have not updated ANYTHING in a while, Peaky Blinders. I got Netflix and started binging shows, and Peaking Blinders has gotten me hooked! And after watching…and re-watching…and re-watching again; the Thayers popped into my head. So, please, enjoy my Peaky Blinders story. I do not own anything Peaky Blinders related, just the Thayers.

Homecoming

November 1918

The dirty streets of Small Heath were crowded with women, all rushing around in preparation. The men were coming home. They had been arriving all through the week, with many to a few arriving at a time at the train station. Amid the organized chaos a girl of fifteen with light brown hair and hazel eyes ran down the street of Watery Lane, with a telegram grasped in her hand. She ran into the house, but noticed the sitting room was empty as well as the kitchen. She opened the secret door behind the curtain, and finally found one of the people she was looking for.

"Pol!" Polly Gray looked up at the girl, startled.

"Emily Thayer, don't scare me like that!"

"Where are Vi and Jo?"

"The Garrison, why?" Emily held out the telegram to her, to which Polly took and read. She looked up at Emily, shock written all over her face, and grabbed her arm as they both raced out of the house toward the pub.

It was about mid-day, and the Garrison had few customers inside, thankfully. Violet Thayer was cleaning glasses at the bar, when Polly and Emily burst through the doors. Polly looked up at her.

"Vi, where's Jo?" Violet set the glass down and came around the bar.

"In the back office."

"Come on." Polly started off toward the back office as Violet looked at her younger sister.

"What's going on, I have to pick up the kids soon?" Emily looked up at her as they followed Polly.

"We'll tell you when we tell Jo." They stopped behind Polly as she opened the back door, to reveal a woman with dark brown hair sitting at the desk over an open book. The sound of the door suddenly opening made her jump.

"Polly, what the fuck?" Polly motioned for Violet and Emily to come inside, before closing the door.

"Em, show her." Emily handed her telegram. Violet looked between her sisters and Polly.

"You two are scaring me, what's going on?" Jo read the telegram and covered her mouth, her wedding ring glinting in the sun, and then handed Violet the piece of paper. Jo looked at Polly.

"Really?" Polly and Emily smiled at her as Violet let a few tears fall from her eyes.

"Really. Our boys are coming home, Josephine Shelby."

XXXXXX

The train the Shelby brothers were arriving on was late, and that didn't help the patience of the women waiting for their return. Jo was pacing across the platform, Polly stood with her hands on ten year-old Finn Shelby's shoulders, Vi had children clinging to her skirt waiting for their father, and Emmy was watching down the tracks for the train to come. The sound of the whistle brought them all back to reality, and they all huddled together as the train pulled in. Other women waited further down the platform to great their men at the door, while the Thayers and the Shelbys waited by themselves toward the front of the train.

Men poured out of the train, some looking perfectly fine and others looking fresh from the battlefield. The women looked over the tops of heads for any sign of the Shelby brothers, and a second later a familiar face appeared. Arthur Shelby was walking toward the front of the train, when he spotted his family. Finn took off toward him, with Polly and Emmy behind him. Arthur stooped down to grab Finn in a hug, which soon included Emmy as he picked them up. Polly smiled at them as Jo and Vi walked up. Arthur hugged Polly, his nieces and nephews, and Vi as Jo looked up at him.

"Welcome home, old man." He chuckled at her and hugged her.

"You're a sight for fucking sore eyes, Jo." Just then, John Shelby appeared up the platform. His children and Vi ran up to him, all nearly tackling him to the ground. John laughed as he stood up with his kids in his arms, and looked up at a tearful Violet.

" Come on, Vi. Don't cry I'm home." Vi hugged him tightly and kissed him.

"You're not leaving me ever fucking again, you hear me?" John laughed again, and kissed her. Jo watched them with a smile on her face, not wanting to interrupt the moment they were having. She looked down the platform, noticing how the other people had mostly cleared out. She glanced at Arthur to ask him where her husband was, when she saw one last person step off the train. Tommy. She'd recognize him anywhere even while he was wearing his soldier's uniform. Jo took off running towards him, and he threw his bag down to catch her in his arms.

Tommy held her and breathed in her scent, and he swore for an instant he felt like his old self again. He kissed her, and then pressed his forehead to hers.

"I missed you, so fucking much, Jo." She looked up at him, a tear falling down her cheek.

"I missed you, too, my love." Tommy, hesitantly, wiped the tear from her cheek. Jo covered his hand with hers, understanding instantly.

"Tommy, you're not gonna hurt me, I promise."

"You don't know that, Jo." As she opened her mouth to answer the whistle of the train sounded, severally startling Jo. She grabbed onto Tommy breathing heavily, and he noticed his brothers jump slightly at the same time as her. He held her head to his chest as he whispered in her ear.

"We've both been fucked up, haven't we?" He could still feel her shaking as Jo looked up at him.

"Yes, we have, Tommy." She kissed him again before taking his hand.

"Come on, Polly will probably kill me if I kept you away any longer." He chuckled under his breath.

"Then, we best not keep Pol waiting." They walked hand-in-hand toward the rest of the family, and Polly could tell right away that all three of the Shelby brothers hadn't come back the same.

This is the first story I have written where I have written curse words, and it is a bit weird. But, anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Tell me what you think of the Thayers and their relationship with the Shelbys, and please stick around for more.