𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟓

John had left with Arthur to do the job that Tommy had assigned for them. Madeline sat alone in the empty betting den, a tear stained face and her eyes wide.

When the door opened, she turned her head, jumping up and thinking it was somebody to update her. But it was George. "George? George, have they found him?" She asked. George grabbed her wrists when she ran up to him. "I'm not sure— they're working on it." He told her. "They know where he is. They sent Micheal."

Madeline nodded quickly and took a deep breath.

"Listen, Maddie." He whispered, grabbing her face. "I'm leaving." He said. She frowned. "What?" She asked. "Once they find James, i'm leaving for a little while. I'm going to America, Tommys orders." He said.

She frowned. "Will you come back?"

"I always come back." He ran a thumb over her cheek. "But you and John.." he said, "I can't wait around knowing you'll go back to him. I love you, Madeline. I always have. But I know you'll never love me. You can't. And that's okay," he forced a smile. "And you're going to be fine— you and John are going to work things out."

She didn't entirely understand. She felt guilty. Her and George had something together. Madeline didn't know what that something was but she knew George was her best friend.

"You need to go to the offices. I'll walk you down. Once they have the boys, that's where they'll take them." George whispered. He looked at her for a moment before kissing the top of her head.

"This was never supposed to happen, George. It wasn't. None of it was supposed to happen.." she said shakily.

He hushed her. "I know. But your lad is going to come home and everything's going to be fine." He assured her. Madeline felt sick to her stomach. "Okay.." she nodded finally, breathing deeply.

"But I need you to forget about me."

"I can't do that. You know I can't." Madeline refused.

"No. I know. But I need you to forget about us— if there ever was an us." He said. Madeline bit down on her bottom lip. "If you can forget, I can try and move on." He said. "I'll always love you though. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah— I know." Madeline nodded. "Where will you go?"

"New York." He said. "I'll be helping with the clubs he plans on opening up. We're moving up in the world, Madeline. The Peaky Blinders are finally meaning something." He laughed slightly.

-

The door fell closed and Micheal walked in slowly, Charles in one arm and James in the other. Madeline gasped and quickly walked to him, taking her son and breathing with relief. "Oh, my boy. Thank you, Micheal. Thank you." She rushed, cradling her little boy in her arms as Ada took Charles from Micheal.

"Are you hurt?" She rhetorically asked James, knowing he wouldn't answer. She pulled back and examined his face for any injury but found none.

Madeline closed her eyes and hugged the young boy tightly.

After what felt like ten minutes, John came running into the office building. "Is he here?" He shouted, pulling his cap off his head. The moment he set eyes on Madeline and James he let out a breath of relief.

Madeline stood and walked to him. John put on hand on her arm and another on the back of James' head, kissing the top of it. "Fucking hell.." he said to himself. "We blew up the train, Madeline. Finn got there too late."

Madeline shook her head. "Worry about that tomorrow, John. We need to get home to Katie."

"You're coming home?" He asked, his eyes darting around her face. She nodded slowly. "I am." She confirmed. John breathed and pulled her into his embrace. "I'll make things right, I swear it." He assured her.

"Okay—" she nodded. "Just let's get James home."

John nodded in agreement and put a hand on her back, walking them to the doors.

-

Stepping back into that house felt weird for Madeline. She hadn't been there in almost four months. And the last time she had been there, she found out that John had fucked Esme Lee of all people.

The moment the door closed over and they went into the living room, Katie was stood at the bottom of the stairs. "Madeline?" She gasped, practically running at the woman and wrapping her arms around Madeline.

Madeline chuckled and hugged her back. "Hello, Katie." She greeted.

"You're back?" Katie asked. Madeline looked at John. "Yeah, i'm back now." She said. "And i'm staying." She added.

Katie smiled widely and John laughed slightly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Go on, you. Off to bed. There'll be plenty of time to chat in the morning." He said, ushering her back toward the stairs.

They spent their time getting James to sleep and making sure Katie was safely in bed before they went to their own bedroom. Madeline stood beside the window with her arms crossed as she glanced outside.

John was changing, leaving his clothes messily on the floor.

"George is going to America. Did you know?" She said, not taking her eyes from the window. John shook his head. "Nah, I didn't know." He said. Madeline felt a weird feeling in her chest and she took a breath, getting ready to speak. But something stopped her.

"You alright?" John raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah.." she nodded, looking back at the window.

"Listen—" he said, unbuttoning his shirt. "I'm going to make things right again. Like how they used to be." He said. Madeline forced a smile. "I know." She answered plainly.

There was silence for a moment before she spoke again.

"Can you believe Ada and Theo are engaged?" She asked, climbing under the covers. John hummed and nodded once. "Never would've seen it coming. Dunno what Theo sees in our Ada."

"I was going to say the same thing about Ada. Theodore doesn't bring much to the table." Madeline joked.

John smiled and leaned down to kiss her softly. "I've missed you, Mads."

-

After just over a week, the Shelby family had gathered in Tommy's home. All slightly confused as to why they were there.

"Before i begin, i want to let you know I made a mistake. I made a mistake. And i want to apologise to all of you." He stared at the table. "Arthur, you warned me against getting involved in Russian business. And you were right. I doubted your wife, for that i'm sorry. Linda i've added three thousand here in hopes that you'd forgive me."

Tommy slid the money toward them both. Linda had a sour expression as she took it. "Apology accepted." She said.

"Madeline, i doubted you as well." Tommy continued. "Now John has innocent lives on his conscience," she spat. "Ordinary working men."

"Yeah alright Maddie. Got it." John stopped her.

"No, shes right. Now you and Arthur are going to have to share that burden. But i hope the house you can buy with this can become a place of contemplation. Perhaps redemption." Tommy offered with a slight shrug.

"Charlie, for lost tools and dangerous goods." Tommy said to their Uncle. "And Curly's wise words. Johnny, for lodgings. Lizzie—" He looked toward her and trailed off.

Lizzie spitefully pushed the money back toward him.

"Micheal." He began, not arguing with Lizzie, "for the killings. Five for the cutting, five for the shooting." Tommy said.

"No, Tommy." Polly spat.

"What?!" Tommy shouted which made them all jump, "tell me, eh? This is who I am! And this is all i can give you for what you've give me. For your hearts and your souls."

Madeline looked at Theodore.

"Yesterday, i nearly lost my son." His voice trembled, tears fighting to escape his eyes, "you should fucking understand that." He hissed at Polly. "For what? For what, for this? And i know you all want me to say that i'll change and that this business will change but i've learnt something in the last few days. Those batards, those bastards are worse than us. Politicians, fucking judges. Fucking lords and ladies— they're worse than us."

Everybody stared at him.

"And they will never admit us to their palaces no matter how legitimate we become. Because of who we are. Because of who we fucking are and where we're fucking from. Isn't that right Ada?"

Ada sighed and looked away.

"Our Ada knows, she got smart about revolution and she knows you have to get what you want your own way." He said to them all.

Tommy turned his gaze to Lizzie again. "Lizzie, i want it know that the money was for you because some nights, it was you who stopped my heart from breaking. No one else." He admitted.

Lizzie looked down.

"And the rest of you, you took the kings shilling. You took the kings fucking shilling and when you take it, the king expects you to kill. Isn't that right Arthur? That's how it works, right John?"

"That's right." Micheal interrupted, leaning forward and taking his money.

"That's right, Pol. That's fucking right." Tommy breathed.

"Tommy, you've both had a hard time. We understand." Polly began. "So at an alternative time, when we have all recovered. I'd like to put before the family, an alternative view of the future of the Shelby Company Limited. A more hopeful view."

Ada grinned. "Which I for one would quite like to hear." Her hand was entwined with Theo's.

"As would I." Lizzie nodded.  

Madeline chose not to say anything, having hoped that once this was over with, her and John would no longer be involved in any of it.

"Come on, Arthur. The train for the dock leaves in an hour." Linda sighed, "then we will get the boat to New York and it'll all be in the past."

Polly went to hug Arthur and Madeline placed a hand to his shoulder when John just patted his arm, not knowing how to say goodbye.

"I'll be off then, Tom." Arthur bowed his head nervously.

Tommy said nothing. "I'll see you, eh? I'll see you, brother." Arthur said. Polly smiled hopefully at Polly. Madeline held John's arm, knowing he was fighting back tears.

"You can go, Arthur but you won't get far." Tommy said as he stared down at the table. "Alright Tom." Arthur stifled a laugh, unsure what he meant.

"I spoke to Moss last night." He began, "he told me that the chief constable of Birmingham has issued a warrant for your arrest. Murder, sedition, conspiracy to cause explosion. John, they're coming for you as well. Murder, conspiracy to cause explosion."

Madeline's heart dropped. So did her face. She felt sick. "No," she whispered.

"Micheal, the murder of Hughes." He said. Everyone's stomach turned, their hearts dropping. Arthur stared in complete disbelief. "Polly, the murder of chief inspector Chester Campbell."

"What the fuck." Arthur said. "Wait a minute what the fuck are you talking—"

"Why didn't you fucking tell us, Tommy?!" John shouted, his voice breaking. Madeline gripped onto his arm and shook her head. "You set them up! You did! This was your work they did and you set them up—" she cried out.

"The people that betrayed us last night, they want to take us down. Now they control the police, they control the judges they control the jury and the jails. But they do not control the elected government!" Tommy explained.

Arthur was shouting as well as John. "Why didn't you tell us before— what have you done?" John roared.

Madeline cupped her hands over her mouth, crying. Seeing John's reaction made her worse. Theodore ushered Ada out the room before returning to Madeline, trying to get her out too.

"Listen to me— I have made a deal in return for giving evidence against them." Tommy said. Arthur shouted about how they'll be hanged. "It's all taken care of. Lizzie collect the money and bring it to the cellar— you'll all get your money in due course. When the police get in don't resist you go with them and don't say anything."

John dragged Madeline from the room by her hand and the moment they stepped out, Police had burst in.

She clung onto him, shaking her head and trying to fight off the coppers. "No, you can't take him! This is Tommy Shelby's fault! Take him instead. He is the devil. The fucking devil. Get your hands off my husband." Madeline begged, tears streaming down her face.

"Let her go—" Polly shouted as she was pressed against the wall, "you'll hurt her baby. Let the girl go!" Another pair of hands pulled her away and John shook his head. "You'll hurt her stop!" He shouted as his hands were held behind his back.

Madeline's eyes widened. Baby? She glanced at Polly with teary eyes and Polly just nodded.

"John!" She screamed. "Stop— leave him alone, please!" She cried. Finn stood away, watching in shock as his family was pulled from the house.

"I love you, Madeline." John shouted. "John!" She screamed, falling to her knees when the copper let her go. Finn rushed to her side and helped her back up, consoling her the best he could.

Madeline sobbed into his shoulder, her arms loosely around him as she stared down Tommy who stood at the door. "You'll pay for this." She pointed at him. "When you play with fire, you get burnt." She screamed. "And silly Thomas Shelby has played with fire." She hissed.

Ada ushered both Madeline and Finn from the room. "Finn, go get the car with Theodore. He's already out there." She demanded.

Ada held Madeline's face and hushed her. "This can't be happening, Ada." She croaked. Ada nodded and wiped her tears. "Everything is going to be sorted." She assured her. Madeline swallowed hard. "Polly said—" she paused, "she told the police to be careful because they'd hurt my baby, Ada."

Ada's eyes widened and she looked down at Madeline's stomach.

"Okay— listen it's fine. In a few weeks we will take you to see a doctor. When everything has calmed. And we will find out. When did you last.."

"A few weeks ago.."

"With John?"

Madeline nodded. "Yeah with John." She said, feeling her heart pound. Ada tutted. "Oh, love." She sighed.

And that night, Madeline returned to their home on Watery Lane and had Katie and James sleep in the bed beside her. She couldn't bare being alone. She also didn't know what to tell the children. Theodore said he would help with that though. And George said he would go see her before he left for America meaning he would help too.

Madeline felt defeated. Being pregnant with a man who was likely to be sentenced to death made her feel sick to her stomach.

Just when she thought it was all over. It wasn't.