𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃
chapter 35

Micheal glanced at Polly who walked down the stairs in slight distress. He tapped his cigarette against the ashtray and watched her search the drawer. "What did you do with them? My tablets were in the bathroom cabinet, what did you do with them?" She asked quickly

Micheal sighed. "I threw them in the lavatory." he said honestly. "Tommys orders?" she asked, angrily. She glared at him. Micheal shook his head once."No, my own decision." He said.

Polly continued to root through the drawers. "How am i going to get through Christmas without them? They close everything." she said to herself. "How am i going to get through Christmas without them?" She placed her hand to her mouth. "I'll help you." Micheal sighed .

"They don't open anything— Fucking no apothecary nothing!" she raised her voice angrily. "You can move in with me, i'll help you." Micheal repeated.

"How am i going to fucking get through Christmas?" She launched a bottle at the wall.

"You can move in with me, i'll help you!" Micheal shouted. "Me and Florence can help you, mum. You know we will." He said. "Fuck off.." she whispered. "Fuck off Thomas Shelby. Fuck off."

Micheal hesitantly restrained her. "Stop it's me, it's me." He assured, scared by his mother's manic state. "I don't want to, fuck off." she panicked further and began shaking. "It's all right it's me. Mum that has got to stop!" Micheal practically begged.

"I just want the tablets." She told him.

"This has got to stop. Tommy said to believe in spirits with you but i can't. I can call Florence, mum. I can call her and have her come see you. She misses you." He said.

-

"Merry Christmas John." Florence said,
embracing him. "Morning." Esme sighed. "Morning Esme," she smiled. "Shall we open some presents?" She asked as the rest of Johns kids entered the room. "Micheal is coming, he's late for whatever reason." she said, glancing at the clock.

Micheal drove his car as quick as he could but was stopped by a horse and wagon that was going ever so slowly down the thin road. Swearing to himself, he beeped and drove around it. He pulled up outside John's house and walked round the the side of the house.

"Hello?" he asked. The sound of a gun cocking came from round the corner and he grew cautious."Oh fuck it's you." John said with slight relief as he lowered his gun. "Got nothing better to do on Christmas morning?" he asked his cousin.

"Tommy wants everybody at Charlie's Yard now, come on." Micheal explained.

"What gonna happen, it's fucking Christmas." John said with little to no care as he led Micheal to the front of the house.

"Look John, we don't have time for this." Micheal grew frustrated.

"Hello Micheal," his sister appeared at the door, cup of tea in hand. "Florence."  he nodded. "Come in the house, have some food." he told Micheal. Esme stormed outside to join them.

"Tell Tommy Shelby we can look after ourselves." she hissed. "Tommy says that they could come for us today." Micheal told her.

"Tommy says, tommy says. Are you his fucking parrot?" Esme laughed looking at John. "Look it's the mafia all right?" Micheal pleaded with them all, genuinely worried. "This is the New York mafia we're talking about!" Micheal shouted. "Why don't we all come inside?" Florence suggested.

"And we're the peaky fucking blinders." John said. "No we're not John, not unless we're together." Micheal corrected.

"You were together in the gallows." Esme began, "with one man missing." She said, forgetting about Florence's part in all of this.

"John, Esme, come to the meeting. All right, think about the kids." Micheal looked at them. Florence, Esme and John looked at the vehicle that pulled up full of hay.

"No it's christmas day."Esme looked at Micheal. Florence eyes widened as a man in a hat jumped over the hay and John stepped forward, cocking the gun.

"Get in the fucking house!" he shouted.

"Esme," Micheal said, pushing the two girls to the side.

Suddenly, shots fired and John was sent tumbling down. Florence's eyes widened and her vision blurred. "No.." she whispered , unable to move.

"John." Esme shouted.

"No— " Florence screamed, watching as Micheal tumbled backwards. She ran forward, falling beside him in pain as she looked down at her bleeding leg, she'd been shot.

The firing stopped and Esme rushed out, sobbing. She grabbed John, pulling him toward her.

"Micheal," Florence whispered, grabbing his face. "Come on, brother." she said, pressing her hand on his stomach which was covered in blood. "Micheal come on." she whispered.

She looked over at John, her heart breaking when she saw Esme sobbing next to his dead body. "Esme is he dead?" she asked. "Is he dead?" she repeated.

Esme slowly looked up, nodding.

Florence covered her mouth.