𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗

Madeline anxiously tried to fix her hair as the car pulled up to the hall. John looked at her and held her hand. "You look fine." He whispered to her. She let out a breath and nodded.

John leaned forward and quickly kissed her lips. Madeline pulled back and gently wiped the small stain of lipstick that hand transferred onto his own lips. "Let's get inside.." she smiled lightly.

The pair wandered into the busy hall and looked around for some familiar faces. There weren't many. But John, of course, found one and didn't think twice before departing from his wife's side and leaving her beside the drinks table. She sucked in a nervous breath and scanned the room.

Madeline tugged at the hem on her sleeves anxiously and chewed the inside of her cheek.

"You look beautiful." A voice said from behind her. She spun on her heels quickly but soon calmed when seeing George. "You always look beautiful." He complimented, gripping his whiskey glass so tight that his knuckles were turning white.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and smiled. "George."

"Why're you here alone, Lina?" George examined his almost empty drink. Madeline shrugged. "John has people to talk to." She said plainly. George pursed his lips together and stood beside her. "Like who— Esme?" He scoffed and nodded toward the pair.

Madeline frowned upon seeing the two stood laughing together. Esme had a hand on his upper arm as they spoke.

"That's odd." Madeline said. George nodded in agreement. "Slightly." He responded. Esme seemed to be enjoying herself a bit too much. "Do i go over?" Madeline asked.

"You can— or you can watch." He looked to her.

Madeline's eyes were glued to her husband and the way he leaned down to hear Esme properly. She didn't like this at all. "Have you seen Theo anywhere?" Madeline finally looked away and played with the hem of her sleeve again.

George shrugged. "I saw him somewhere." He said plainly.

She chewed on her bottom lip and downed her drink before shoving the empty glass into George's hand and walking toward John and Esme.

Esme's laugh faded out when being joined by Madeline.

"Having fun?" Madeline gave Esme a quick once over and held John's arm. Esme nodded and smiled. "John was telling me about Katie. She sounds like a clever little girl." Esme said. Madeline nodded slowly. "She is.."

John sensed a strange tension coming from his wife and tried to read her — it didn't work. He couldn't figure out what was bothering her.

"You're still yet to have a husband, Esme— is there anybody of interest to you?" Madeline asked.

Esme looked around and shrugged. "It's not something I think about." She admitted, her eyes slowly meeting John's. "Well— Theodore seems to be fairly interested in Ada." Madeline smirked when finally spotting her brother who was stood with Ada, talking and laughing.

Esme looked over her shoulder. "He deserves someone good." She nodded.

"Hopefully she doesn't break his heart then, eh?" John joked. Madeline forced a laugh and looked down at her hands.

"I heard that there'd been some trouble with the Italians." Esme brought up. Madeline placed a hand on John's upper arm. "We're not going to discuss that right now.." she let out a breathy laugh and moved her hair behind her ear.

Esme frowned but nodded.

"Listen to that— It's time for dinner." Madeline said with relief and began walking with John across the room. She smiled at Polly from a distance but the smile dropped when a man had shoved past her and raised a gun.

Madeline gasped.

"For Angel—" He shouted.

John had clocked on to what was happening and pulled Madeline to the floor, wrapping an arm around her. She covered her ears and a shot was fired. She squeezed her eyes closed and shook her head.

John slowly stood and had his eyes glued to Tommy who was slowly lowering an injured Grace to the floor.

"Fuck.." John whispered.

Madeline covered her mouth and John rushed to help Arthur who was beating the man to a pulp. She slowly approached Tommy and Grace and took off the white silk scarf that had been draped over her arms to cover Grace's wound.

"Get me a fucking ambulance now!" Tommy roared.

Madeline hushed Grace and pressed down in hopes to reduce the bleeding. Tommy stroked her face and shook his head as he watched Grace's blinking slow.

"Grace, keep your eyes open for me." Madeline whispered, the blood soaking through the scarf and transferring to Madeline's hands. "You're going to be okay."

But only seconds later her eyes closed and her breathing stopped. Tommy's face was pale and Madeline fell back onto her calf's with shock. "Is she dead?" She asked. Tommy just stared down at his lifeless wife and pulled her up. "Grace—" He swallowed hard. "Come on Grace. Open your eyes." He held her face.

Madeline covered her mouth and stared with wide eyes. She slowly looked over to John who just stood with bloody knuckles and a sorrow expression on his face when realising he was the reason Grace was dead.

Soon enough, an ambulance arrived and Grace was taken away. Not without a fight from Tommy. Madeline held him back and he gave in to her and fell into her embrace. Madeline held back her tears and rubbed his back.

"Madeline—"

"No it's alright." She hushed him.

-

Madeline sat at James' bedside holding a book. When noticing he was finally asleep she put the book to one side and pulled the blanket to cover him up.

"Goodnight..." She whispered before leaving the room and entering her own where John sat with his head in his hands. She sighed lightly and stood in front of him, wrapping her arms across his shoulders. John loosely draped his arms around her waist and had his head against her chest. "My love." She muttered.

John said nothing.

Madeline tutted and ran a hand over his back. "Are you okay?"

John sniffed. "Yeah—" he said plainly. Madeline kissed his head. "Grace is dead, Maddie." He stated. "She's dead 'cause of me." He added. Madeline wanted to tell him that wasn't true but she knew it was. If John hadn't have done what he did to Angel Changretta then they wouldn't have sent someone after Tommy.

"Say something, please." John begged and looked at her with upset eyes.

"I'm sorry." She apologised and took a deep breath. "The Italians are ruthless, John. They'd have sent someone after one of us regardless if you'd have harmed Angel." She tried to assure him.

John pulled away from her and paced the room with a hand covering his mouth. "Tommy's gonna be so fuckin' pissed.." John whispered. "Can you blame him?" Madeline let out a laugh of disbelief, "his wife has just bled out in his arms and you're worried about how pissed he's going to be?"

John turned away.

"How would you feel if that had been me tonight, John? If you had to hold me whilst I bled to death." She said.

"Stop—" he shook his head, not wanting to think about it.

"They have a kid together. Charles has lost his mother tonight." Madeline grabbed John's arms. "That could have been Katie and James. Think of that. Think of them the next time you go and make some stupid threat toward people who don't give a shit about hurting families." She hissed.

John breathed heavily.

"Because I will never forgive you if something happens to my little boy." She said. "Because I know how these people work. They will rip everything away from you— they don't care if they're children. And I guarantee you that they will come after our kids before they come after you or me."

"Nothings going to happen to them, alright." He frowned and shook his head.

"You don't know that!" Madeline argued. "They could be knocking at our door when we least expect it, John. We could wake up and find that they aren't in their beds." She said.

"Don't say that." He shook his head.

"But it's true! And you know it's true, John." She said, her voice cracking. "I love you, John. I do. But I will never forgive you if my children get hurt." She whispered regretfully. John swallowed hard. "Will you leave me?" He asked and placed a hand on the chair that sat beside the window.

Madeline lowered her head and shook it slowly. "I don't know.." she muttered.

John felt his heart drop. "You can't leave me, Mads— please."

"If it—" Madeline passed when hearing her voice shake, "if it protects my children then i'm afraid I might have to." She said. She wouldn't leave him unless something harmful came their way.

"I'll lose my mind, Mads. Please." He begged.

Madeline placed a hand to her mouth and leaned against the wall. "Then please, for the love of God, find a way to fix all of this." She said. John's eyes were glossy and his jaw was clenched.

"I love you— you know I do." John's voice was too beginning to shake.

"Yeah.. I know." She said with a breath. John ran a hand over his face. She looked down for a moment and John took a breath, thinking of what to say next. But when he had looked back at her, Madeline had left the room to go and check on the children. She often did that whenever they were in a situation like that. She did it when she didn't know what to say or what to do.

John just stared at the floor. John knew that there was nothing he could do. Not now. Tommy's wife was dead. It was in Tommy's hands now. He would be calling the shots. And whether they would resolve things, John didn't know. But what he did know was that he would be absolutely heartbroken if Madeline left him.

-

A few days had passed and Grace's funeral had been organised quickly. Everybody stood in the graveyard as the priest spoke a few words. Madeline decided to leave the children at home for this one. Tommy stood alone, quite some distance away from the family. Charles was in the arms of Aunt Polly.

John couldn't look at anyone. He felt so incredibly guilty.

"Amen." The priest said and stepped away. People began laying flowers down and saying their final goodbyes. Madeline looked at John out the corner of his eye and he still had his head down.

Once everything was coming to an end, Madeline took it upon herself to go and stand beside Tommy whilst everyone went and got in the cars. John watched her before he went to the cars, unsure what she was doing.

"I don't want sympathy, Madeline." Tommy mumbled, keeping his eyes forward. "Then I won't give you any." She responded plainly. He cleared his throat. They just stood in silence for a few minutes. And for some reason, in some way, to Tommy that was equal to receiving a hug from somebody or words of reassurance.

"She was a good woman." Madeline said, aware of what Grace had done all those years ago but not knowing enough to hold a grudge against her. "A good mother too." She said. "But even still— I believe you were made to be a father. And I believe you and Charles will be okay. Even if it takes time, you'll be okay."

Tommy glanced at her for a moment.

"Healing takes time." She said.

"I don't have time." He said. Madeline shrugged. "Then find time." She told him. He frowned and looked away. "It's bound to be difficult but as long as you're there for yourself and for Charles, you'll get through it. Although you'll never get over it, you'll get through it." She said.

Tommy somewhat understood what she was saying. "Thank you, Madeline." He said bluntly.

She nodded. "Of course.." and with that she turned and went to get in one of the cars where John was waiting. "The fuck was that about?" He asked, staring out the window.

"I was offering your grieving brother some advice and words of assurance." She said plainly.