𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟓

Maeve saw the Hospital as the car got closer and she opened the door just as they came to a halt. The rain was pouring heavily but she didn't let it stop her. Maeve ran up the steps and pushed the door open to see Lizzie sat with her head in her hands.

"Where's Tommy?" Maeve asked, her breathing unsteady.

"I've tried to call him but—" Lizzie closed her eyes. "Ruby's gone, Maeve. It didn't work." She said. Maeve felt her heart drop. It felt as though it had broke. She couldn't breathe. She shook her head. "No.." She said.

Lizzie nodded slowly and bit down on her bottom lip that had began trembling.

Lights reflected off the glass door and they turned to see who they assumed to be Tommy. Lizzie pushed past Maeve and went outside. "Where were you? Where the fuck were you!" Lizzie screamed, stepping out into the rain.

Tommy's face fell and he took his cap off. Maeve stood behind Lizzie.

"She's gone, Tommy. She's gone. Just now.. five seventeen." Lizzie croaked. "You weren't fucking near!" She snapped. Tommy slowly walked up the steps with a look of complete heartbreak on his face. "Were you? Were you?" Lizzie added whilst tears streamed down her face. "It was before then she was here then she was gone now she's gone to where they put the dead. They put her with the dead people."

Maeve shook her head slowly and cupped a hand over her mouth. Her chest felt like it was cramping up.

"She was asking just now for you but went— five seventeen." Lizzie repeated.

Maeve's heart dropped further. Ruby had asked for Tommy and then disappeared. Maeve saw it happen. She saw it all. She fucking saw it.

"I told her that you love her. I gave her your kiss goodbye." Lizzie's voice broke and she slowly sat on the wet floor. Tommy looked to Maeve and in that moment wanted nothing more than to hug his daughter one last time. Maeve shook her head slowly and tried her best not to let the tears fall. Tommy moved his eyes to the ground and breathed heavily.

Maeve slowly approached Lizzie and kneeled beside her, a hand on her back.

Lizzie collapsed into Maeve's embrace and the pair began sobbing. "Tommy." Maeve whispered. He was frozen. Not a thought behind his eyes other than his daughter. He couldn't believe his little Ruby was gone. Just like that. And he didn't get to say goodbye.

Maeve let go of Lizzie and stood a few inches away from her uncle before stepping forward and pulling him into a hug. Tommy leaned his forehead against Maeve's shoulder and squeezing his eyes closed.

"She can't be fuckin' gone." His voice broke. Maeve rubbed his back and swallowed the lump in her throat. "My Ruby can't be gone." He said. Maeve sucked in a breath and held him tightly.

-

The door opened and Maeve stood there in the hallway with her clothes soaked through. The sun had began rising already and Isiah was awake with Lennon. "Mummy!" Lennon toddled over from the drawing room.

The young boy held onto his mother's leg but she didn't move. She didn't speak. She just stared ahead.

"Mummy?" Lennon frowned and tugged at her coat. Isiah appeared and set his eyes on Maeve, his face dropping slightly. Her eyes were tired and her skin was pale. "You alright, sweetheart?" He walked forward and picked up Lennon. "Is Ruby okay?"

Maeve slowly turned to look him in the eye. Her bottom lip trembled. "She died. She's dead. Gone."

Isiah muttered a quiet "fuck." before setting Lennon back on his feet and sending him away to play in the drawing room. "When?" He asked, placing his hands on either sides of Maeve's arms.

"Five seventeen this morning." She swallowed hard. "And I saw it. She asked for Tommy— Lizzie said she asked for Tommy before she went. And I bloody saw it." Maeve pressed a finger to her chest before leaning her head on Isiah's chest. "I want it to stop. I want it all to stop. All this darkness. All this heartbreak. I've had enough."

"Say the words and we will go, Maeve. We will go and nobody has to see our faces ever again." Isiah whispered.

She wanted to accept. She wanted to tell him to prepare the car and they could ride off to someplace nice — away from the smoke and the trouble. But it wasn't possible — not yet anyway. She'd be leaving behind too many. There were things that needed to be done. People she needed to see.

-

It had been a mere week since the passing of Ruby Shelby. And Maeve had slept in Lennon's room most nights, afraid something was going to take her baby boy away. Isiah didn't fight it this time. He let her do it.

Now the family followed behind the horse that pulled Ruby's body toward Charlie's Yard. Maeve held onto John's hand whilst Finn and Isiah kept an eye on Lennon. They kept their heads forward.

It was weird— the way it happened. It was like they were some cult or factory workers. All dressed the same. Wearing the same broken expression on their face. Walking the same. Maeve could hear Polly's voice in her head. "There's going to be a war.." it echoed horrifically throughout her head.

But when was the war going to end? Was it ever going to end?

John squeezed Maeve's hand a few times and they walked into the Yard.

Tommy pulled out a piece of paper, unfolding it. "Arthur. I've written some words. I can't speak them..you're the oldest. You speak them for me." He spoke quietly.

Arthur cried, shaking his head. "I'm sorry brother, i can't do it." Maeve departed from John's side and held Arthur's arm. "It's alright dad." She sniffed. Lillian shared a sympathetic look for them both.

Tommy stepped away, walking to the wagon that held his daughter and stared at it. "We could've afforded a golden carriage— she deserved a golden carriage. But we didn't afford ourselves that luxury. Because gold doesn't work. That was the last lesson that Ruby taught us. This place was her favourite place in the whole world. And she used to say, "Dad..you never know what's going to come down the river," and it's true. Cause little Ruby's fate came a thousand miles too soon. But in her name and in her memory, things will change. And whatever comes down that river from now on. We will make good, we will make peaceful and honest and good and send it back down the river better than it was. In her memory, we will do this."

He looked down, swallowing and blinking hard. "But for now, we send her on. To wherever it is you go in the hope that if there is a destination that it's a yard like this with horses and boats for her to play on." he turned away, looking at the floor.

Uncle Charlie held his shoulder and held up the gasoline. "I've got the petrol, who will light the flame?"

"Jeremiah," he said. Lizzie watched carefully. "Jeremiah, you made her laugh, you light the flame—"

Maeve cupped a hand over her mouth once more when seeing the tears roll down Charles' face. "Come here.." she whispered to the young boy and wrapped an arm around him. Charlie leaned into her and closed his eyes.

"No— No!" Lizzie screamed, running forward. "Lizzie—" Tommy tried to stop her.

"You won't burn her, no!" she cried. Tommy grabbed her. "I just want to see my baby." she cried. "We'll go and see her together—" he whispered, holding her as they walked up the steps.

"The devils who did this will pay, Ruby." Tommy whispered. Lizzie looked up at him. "Tommy what do you mean? What do you mean?" she watched him walk out and had confusion in her eyes. "Where are you going?"

He walked out, walking toward the gates of the yard. Lizzie ran after him and Charles grabbed him after ripping away from his cousin, hugging him. They watched as the wagon went up in flames. Lizzie broke down completely.

Tommy held her face before ripping his hand away from her and walking off.

Arthur choked on his own cries and Maeve couldn't bare it. Everybody was broken. Ruby had slipped through their fingers.

"It's alright dad.." she said despite crying herself. Lillian fussed over the pair and held back on crying.

Maeve left them alone and joined John who had nobody but Isiah at his side. "John.." Maeve whispered. She longed for comfort. A permanent comfort. And she could no longer search for that in Arthur or Tommy. But she could always search for it in John. Always. He always managed to give her the comfort she craved. It was a different type of comfort.

John sighed and held the back of her head, kissing the top of it and just holding her. Isiah walked to the side with Lennon and went to see to Lizzie and Charles.

John could feel Maeve's hurt. He could see it in her eyes. She was done. She was so fucking done. Ruby was her final straw. "She didn't deserve it."

"I know.." John stroked Maeve's hair.

"I'm leaving, John. I'm leaving this fucking city. Soon— i'm going to go. I'm going to leave it all behind. I cannot give Lennon this kind of life. I've had enough." Maeve pulled back to meet his eyes. "I'm going to help Tommy with this last— whatever the fuck it is he has planned. Then i'm leaving."

John's mouth parted as he watched the tears roll down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thumbs. "Take a breath." He could feel her heart pounding.

"It's gone too far. It's all gone too far." She cried. "I should've left when the Changretta's tried to kill us both. It would've saved the trouble of what came after."

"You didn't know any of this was going to happen."

"Yes I did!" Maeve whispered. "I saw it and that's what makes it worse. I heard her cries, John. I heard them and I wasn't even there when it happened. Polly warned me. She told me people were going to die in this war." Maeve grabbed John's face. "We need to get out of here."

That was Maeve's way of telling him she couldn't leave without him. John, being the legal guardian of Finn, knew that meant taking Finn along too. Maeve couldn't leave them behind. She knew Arthur had Lillian and they could have ways of staying in touch.

But she just needed to get out.

But unfortunately for Maeve, her loyalties were too strong. She wouldn't leave before helping Tommy finish his business. And her loyalties always seemed to be what almost got her killed. But not this time, no. She was going to get away.

"I'll speak to Siah— i'll speak to him and we will find a place for us to go. How about that? Me, you, Finn, Isiah and Lennon. We'll go some place quiet. Do you remember that house that Aunt Pol used to take us too when you were little? We'll go there."

Finn stood a distance away, hands in pockets and eyes glued to the floor. He didn't know how to act. Everybody was grieving and he was grieving in silence.

Maeve shared a look with John and he nodded. She walked away and placed her hands on Finn's shoulders. He looked at her and the moment they locked eyes, his eyes filled with tears. She tutted and hugged him tightly. "It'll all be over soon, Finny. I promise. We'll get out peace. Just like we deserve."

-

Maeve sat, exhausted, at the dinner table in Tommy's house as the guests arrived. "At this late hour we assumed you'd have had dinner. There is drink and sandwiches—" The butler announced.

"We're not here to eat." Jack interrupted.

"Mr Shelby will be down shortly." He said. "Please tell Mr Shelby on behalf of us that changing the world can wait." Oswald said. "Sit down." Maeve hissed, her hand wrapped around her drink.

"He doesn't want to wait. There is champagne."

"Oh goodie." Oswald whistled. Maeve rolled her eyes and stared at the wine in her glass. Her head burned and an imagine of Ruby flashed quickly in front of her eyes. Maeve hissed quietly and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Sing it. Sing it, I love that song." Jack urged.

"I can't be singing rebel songs in a house of grief and mourning." Laura refused. Maeve watched carefully. "Sing it to me softly. It breaks my heart." Jack pushed. Laura looked at Oswald. "Don't look at him, he's English. He can block his ears."

Maeve scoffed.

"Darling, should she sing her Rebel IRA song while we wait or would that be inappropriate?" Oswald asked Diana as she lit a cigarette.

"You know I went to a meeting with similar intent to this in Berlin. Attended by the chancellor himself and Göring and Himler. It lasted till the sun came up. We spoke about the future of the world in a serious way. When the first ray of light entered the room we all stood and stared at it as if it were the world to come. There was no singing, no giggling. And when breakfast was served on the terrace overlooking the mountains they brought up some Jews and while we waited our eggs they were forced to eat grass and we watched as we sipped our coffee. We shall all remember this is serious business." Diana spoke.

Maeve hit her fist against the table. "Nobody gives a shit about Himler or your cruelties, Diana." Maeve snapped. "Or the fact you'd have fucked all the men that attended that meeting!"

Jack tutted in amusement and Laura looked down to conceal her grin.

"Well, Diana. Now look what you've done you've killed the mood." Oswald began laughing. "Let her sing her fucking song to raise her spirits. go on, please."

Laura hesitantly began singing to rebel song that was about Belfast.

Diana stared at Maeve who was staring at Tommy who stood in the shadows, glaring forward and listening to the song. Maeve tapped her fingers against the wooden table and picked up her drink again.

All she could think about was Ruby and how she'd have felt when not having her dad at her side to hold her hand and tell her everything was going to be okay. Maeve then began thinking of Arthur and how deeply he was still struggling. And how deeply she loved him.

Tommy finally walked into the room and Laura trailed off.

"Mr Shelby—" Oswald stood. "No, please." Tommy stopped him. "No condolences. Thank you all for coming. Now let's try and find out how this new world of ours will look, shall we?"

Maeve shook her head in disbelief and shared a look with Jack.

"Perhaps Mr Mosley we can turn to what practical things Mr Nelson can do go further out cause whilst he is in the country."

"It's me who has the ear of the president of the United States—" Jack said. "Which is kinda why i'm here, right?" He looked around the table.
"We do indeed have things for you to whisper into the presidents ear.." Mosley nodded. "Tell him we are England—" Diana spoke. "We are the mood England is in."

"And in Ireland, appeasers to the English abound, but we represent the true liberated spirit of the country that populated your own." Laura added.

"I hear about communists in both places." Jack shrugged.

Maeve's eyes were focused on the almost empty glass she held in hand.

"We are the bulwark against them." Diana smirked. "When it comes to the working class, we could move out people from republicanism to fascism with just a nudge, they trust us." Laura said.

"You ride with hounds, Mr Mosley. Will you hunt communists?" Jack asked.

"Oh my hounds are baying." Oswald blew smoke into the air. "Shelby, you run as a socialist." Jack observed.

Silence.

"Thomas has one of the largest Commons majorities in England. In the heart of England, when the time comes he'll resign his party whip and run as an independent." Mosley spoke for him. Maeve shook her head.

"But underneath, do you truly believe in the cause, Mr Shelby?" Jack asked.

Tommy glared at him for a while. "I'm here. Mr Nelson i'm here. Four nights— four nights after and i am here in this room, in this meeting and i'm here, i'm serious." He referred to Ruby's funeral.

"Prove it to him," Mosley said. "Prove it, physically." he stood, raising his arm. "Perish Judah." he said.

Maeve's eyes widened slightly. "Thomas." She whispered when he stood. Tommy sighed and copied Mosley's actions. "Perish Judah."

Maeve dropped her head into her hands and closed her eyes.

"Mr Nelson can you report back to your president that the aristocracy and the meritocracy are united in their conviction that a new order is coming." Oswald said.

"Also, Mr Nelson, at present our weapons are coming from Germany. The British are closing out supply lines down, we would value a supply from Boston." Laura added.

"Weapons, i can give you if they're to be used in good cause. And while on the subject of import and export. Mr Shelby, in light of our new relationship and since you have proven your commitment in a most extraordinary way, Boston is now officially open for the importation of your merchandise." Jack smirked.

Tommy nodded. "Good." His eyes were red, he was exhausted and in need of rest. But Tommy Shelby didn't rest. Not until work was done. His eyes travelled to the small, wooden chair beside the fire that had belonged to Ruby.

Maeve could feel her presence in the room. He stood, walking out.

"If we have established what we came here to establish perhaps we should say goodnight," Diana suggested. "Absolutely." Mosley agreed.

Maeve sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "Leave. The lot of you. Now." Maeve pushed herself up from her chair and looked at them all. "There'll be no rebel songs or talk of meetings the next time you sit at this table. Or i'll cut your eyes out." She was speaking more to Diana rather than Laura.

All four of them watched as Maeve walked around the table and out the same door that Tommy had left from.

And then just.. silence.

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