𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟏

John sat beside the window, gun resting against his leg. He glanced outside every so often, watching to see anything unusual. Madeline crept down the stairs, Juliette in her arms. It had been days since she was taken out of hospital.

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

He didn't look away from the window. "You should be in bed, Maddie."

"So should you." Madeline retorted. "Katie is asking for you, John. She needs her dad." She said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. He let out a breath of relief as she did so and closed his eyes. "It's been five days since they came for me, John. Tommy has men watching the house." She reminded him. "Come to bed."

John sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'm just—"

"Come to bed." She repeated, "please?"

John looked up at her and she ran her thumb back and forth over his cheek. He leaned into her hand for a moment before nodding. He stood and leaned the gun against the wall, knowing he had one upstairs.

"Alright.." he replied, allowing her to walk first up the stairs. He looked over his shoulder before finally walking into their bedroom. "I'll be fine. Go and check on Katie."

He nodded and left the room, making a b-line for his daughter's bedroom. The door was open and she sat, playing with her hands. "Whats up my girl?" He kneeled beside her bed.

Katie looked at him. "I'm scared, dad." She whispered.

John frowned. "Why?" He asked, brushing her hair away from her face. Katie shrugged. "Just like me and your uncle Tommy said, we're all going to be okay. D'ya hear me? It's gonna be alright, love." He reminded her.

Katie nodded slowly.

"Ya don't believe me.. do you?" John whispered. Katie locked eyes with him. "No.." she replied quietly. John tutted and took her hands. "Listen to me, alright? You, Juliette and James are going to be just fine. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Katie asked.

"Because i'm here now." John said, "i'm back home and I ain't going anywhere. Not again." He assured her.

"Do you promise?" Katie asked. John nodded. She held out her pinky finger and John didn't hesitate to wrap his own around hers. "I pinky promise." He smiled.

Katie smiled slightly and leaned up to give him a hug. "I love you, dad."

"I love you too, Katie." He whispered, squeezing her slightly out of his own fear of the situation that was happening around them. Katie was his first child — which didn't make her any more special than the other two of course but she, at one point, was all John had.

Before Madeline came along, it was just John and Katie. Katie was the last thing he had of his late wife Martha. And, yeah, he had Madeline now and was grateful for that. He wouldn't change it. But, seeing Martha in Katie's eyes when she laughed was a relief to him. A relief that told him that Martha wasn't angry at him for marrying again or having more children.

A relief that assured him things would be okay. Martha was always hopeful. She was an optimist. Despite the harsh times they lived in, she always had hope.

The type of hope they all needed now.

The type of hope that lived in Katie's eyes — that lived in her smile.

-

Silence filled the room and Madeline looked around awkwardly, locking eyes with George who just shrugged. "So.." Arthur began, "what the fuck happened today Tom? We all heard. Shooting in Artillery Square."

Madeline looked at Tommy.

"Yeah there was. Today I killed three men. Our enemies are down to eight." He explained. Arthur paused, "I suppose they caught you by surprise?" He suggested. Tommy shook his head. "No. I knew they were coming."

Madeline looked at John who had his eyes glued on Tommy, waiting for a proper explanation.

"Just after Christmas, I received a letter from Luca Changretta—" Polly said. Madeline snapped her head toward the woman. "Offering to spare my son if I gave up Tommy. And I gave Tommy up."

"Aunt Pol—" John said angrily, not being able to believe that their aunt had betrayed Tommy.

"Because that was the plan that Polly and I agreed on. I knew that Luca would want to pull the trigger himself so I used the set up as bait to bring him in." Tommy interrupted John before he could continue.

"You're a fucking idiot Tom." Arthur said.

"I didn't get Luca but I got three, alright?" Tommy asked. Johnny Dogs began rambling about something but Madeline just shook her head. "So when will this war be over with?" She asked, knowing that nobody had an answer.

"What? Don't look at me like that.. I just want to know when it'll all be over— when me and my family will finally be safe." She said with frustration.

Theo watched carefully from the corner, watching to see what type of looks everybody was giving his sister.

"I understand your concern, Madeline. But, as i've told John— we can't tell when it'll be over but as for now, you, John and the children are to stay here where no harm can be brought to you. And when the time is right, Luca Changretta will meet a bullet between his eyes."

She crossed her arms and just nodded.

-

Madeline sat with Juliette in her arms as she stared into the fire. The door creaked open and she glanced at it to see George holding James. "Go on, you go upstairs." He ushered the hot once placing him on the floor. She offered George a smile and he looked at his feet for a brief moment.

"Was he good?" She asked, referring to her son.

"He was— he always is." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Listen, Lina. There's something I need to talk to you about." He said. She frowned and nodded. "Is everything okay?"

George rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm going away for some time— Tommy needs someone in America to watch over Michael and he wants me to go." He said.

She bit down in the inside of her cheek. "Do you know for how long?"

George shook his head. "No, no I don't." He breathed.

"When do you leave?" Madeline asked with uncertainty. George blinked a few times. "Tonight." He answered bluntly. Her eyes shifted to the wall and she nodded slowly. "Tonight?" She asked. He sighed, "yeah. I'm sorry—"

"Don't apologise." She cut him off.

"I love you, Lina. You know that." He shoved his hands into his pockets, "but you're not mine." His words stung the pair of them. "You have John. He's the one for you and I don't expect any sympathy from you— just for you to understand how close I hold you to my heart." George spoke. "Finding you again after so many years was the best thing this hell of a place has brought me."

"George.." she shook her head, teary eyed, "you speak as though we will never see each other again."

"How can we be sure that we will?" George reminded her, "with the Italians after all of us, there is no guarantee, Maddie. You know that." He reminded her.

Madeline stood carefully, sure not to wake her baby. She stood a slight distance from him. "You'll come back though, won't you?" She asked.

Madeline knew that even if she didn't love him in the way he wished she would she couldn't let him go. Not so easily. He knew every part of her. Her mind, her heart. He had seen her as a young girl and as a grown woman. George was her best friend. She didn't want to forget that, not any of it.

"George, I know what happened between us might not have been right but it happened for a reason." Her eyes were burning, "and as much as that guilts me to admit, I know it's correct. We love each other, George. Maybe in different ways but nevertheless."

He swallowed, her words harsh but true. "I just hope that we find each other again.. in another life?" He suggested.

She let out a soft laugh. "In another life, George." She looked at him with sympathy, knowing that she was breaking his heart.

"You won't forget me, will you?" She asked with doubt, afraid he would erase her completely from his memory once he got to America. George shook his head slowly. "How could anybody forget a face like yours." His words made the hair in her neck stand up.

George walked forward with hesitance and looked down at Juliette. "She looks like her mother," he whispered, gently grazing his thumb over Juliette's skin.

George looked at Maddie. "I have to go now, Lina." He whispered.

She nodded slowly and he hesitantly used his hand to move her hair away from her face before placing a friendly kiss on her forehead.

"Find yourself a good woman, George. One that'll look after you and give you the life that you deserve." She said to him, touching his arm. George nodded. "I'll try." He said. "Whoever it is, she'll be lucky to have you." She said honestly.

George swallowed and took a step backward. "I'll see you."

"I hope so." Madeline replied, watching as he took one last look at her before leaving the house.

Madeline and George were a beautiful yet painful experience. He had loved her his whole life while she loved somebody else. She loved him but not enough to leave everything behind for him. She knew that somewhere along the way, she had loved him in the same way he loved her but it didn't stick. And though she did not regret that, she wished he would've stayed around.

George was her best friend — the one who defended her when she was younger. The one she searched for in the face of everybody before she got married to another.

She began to wonder what it would be if she had never found him again.

But it was impossible for her to think about. She simply could not imagine.

At some point, they needed each other. They had each other. And they always would have each other. George would be there, waiting. Every time without fail. That was all he could do.

short chapter. not proof read.