𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟕

Arthur ran up the stairs of the train station, hat in hand. His heart was racing, panic filling him quickly. Arthur stopped at the top and walked toward his dad.

"Dad?" he asked, stopping in front of him. Arthur Sr sighed and placed his hands into his pockets. "Hello, son. May I ask who gave you my whereabouts?" Arthur Sr. stepped away from the women he was talking with.

"Marsden, said you left him last night with a bill for your whores."

"Well, at least we got to say goodbye, son. And bid a fair adieu to your dear brothers would ya? Oh and Maeve, it's been good to see her." He checked his time piece.

"How could you do this to us?" Arthur asked, his voice shaking slightly. "Do what, son?"

"All that stuff you said about Shelby Casino and Atlantic City," Arthur asked him, upset lacing his voice. "Well if the truth be told, i'm not too acquainted with promised land that I made thee believe." He admitted. Arthur's eyes were glossy, "you're a fucking liar. And a thief. You give me back my fucking money."

"Don't despise the thief who steals to satisfy his starvation. Thats in the holy bible son, and i've starved for so very long."

"I waited for ya, i waited." Arthur charged at his father, only to be pushed up against the wall. "Listen to me, boy. You're not in the ring now. Don't you ever put your hands on me again or i'll cut your throat," he hissed, letting go of him.

Arthur pushed his head to the side, refusing to meet his fathers eyes. He couldn't believe what had happened, Maeve was right. It was all a bad idea, a really bad idea.

Tears were welling in his eyes as Arthur Sr let go of him. He fixed his coat and took his cap from the floor, wasting no time before storming off. Arthur Shelby was not to cry in front of anyone.

-

Maeve sat at the kitchen table, holding her head. The floorboards creaked and Arthur appeared sheepishly. Polly looked up from her newspaper. "Where's ya father?"

Arthur stared down at the floor, completely frozen.

"I'm assuming he's frittering away in the five hundred you took from us and put into his thieving whore groping hands. What were you thinking? How dare you do something like that without talking to Thomas or me." She scolded.

Maeve looked between the two, "Aunt Pol give him a rest, yeah?"

"Does Tommy know?" Arthur mumbled. Polly scoffed and looked back at the paper, "no, but you're gonna tell him."

Maeve's shivers had only gotten worse. Theadosia knew about the guns. Which meant Grace knew about the guns. It was over, the police knew everything.

-

Maeve had managed to sneak out, try and find Thea and interrogate her. First she went to the Garrison. "Grace," she spoke, hand on her chest, "Theadosia, have you seen her?"

Grace pursed her lips into a line and shook her head, "no, sorry. Anything else I can help you with?"

Before she could reply, Harry came up behind them. "My brother in Digbeth said the police are coming up in numbers. Asking for Tommy Shelby by name." He whispered.

And just like that, Tommy entered the pub, completely ignoring the presence of his niece. "Right then, you can fuck off." She scoffed, storming past everyone and going back home.

Home where nobody was, just her. It was eery, dark. Something was up. Maeve ran a finger over the wooden drawers and sighed.

There was a loud bang and the door swung open, coppers storming in as well as the inspector. She jumped and her eyes widened. "Maeve Shelby," the old man grinned, approaching her.

"Get out," she whispered. "I'm looking for Thomas Shelby." He said. This time Maeve couldn't act cocky, she was frightened of what this man was capable of. Campbell wrapped a hand around her upper arm and pushed her against the wall. "You'll never find him." She whispered.

He squinted, reaching for a gun and discreetly placing it against her stomach. "I don't care if you live or die."

"Neither do i, fucking shoot me!" She shouted, a lump in her throat. Campbell rolled his eyes and put the gun away, "another Shelby who isn't afraid of death. What is wrong with you people?"

"Why be afraid of something that can never catch me?" She asked, her words causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.

Inspector Campbell looked over his shoulder to ensure none of the coppers were close enough to see what he was about to do. Maeve frowned.

He wasted no time before placing a hand around her neck, pressing down. Maeve gasped, her eyes wide. "What're you- doing?" She struggled, attempting to rip his hand off.

"You tell me where he is?" His hand gripped the bottom of her shirt but he couldn't go any further as she'd taken a tight hold of his fist.

"I don't know!" Maeve hissed, coughing when his lifted her from the floor, the pressure against her neck increasing. Her eyes began hurting, her face growing red. "When you see that bastard father of yours and your uncle, tell them it's over." He said, dropping her before she could lose consciousness.

Maeve sat on the floor, tears threatening to spill. She held a hand to her neck, afraid as she watched them all leave after destroying the house.

"Dad.." she whispered, wishing he was there to help. For once in her life she wanted help. She couldn't understand what was going on. Had the police found the guns? Why did they come for her?

Maeve found herself searching for Arthur, not caring to take a jacket with her. It was freezing outside, windows on cars frosty. She knew he'd only be at one place: the gym.

"Dad?" She called out, pushing open the door. It seemed strangely quiet, the gym was never this quiet. "Dad are you here?" Maeve shouted, walking into the main room.

It was dimly lit. But her heart dropped when she saw her fathers limp body hanging from a rope. A hand covered her mouth and she thought she was going to be sick. "Dad..dad what are you doing!" She shouted, rushing over.

His face was red, his eyes were bulging. She could see the veins in his forehead. Tears were staining his face. His vision was blurry but he could hear her voice. Maeve struggled as she tried to get him down.

But thankfully he fell to the floor. Maeve kneeled beside him, pulling him onto her lap, "dad," she whispered, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He coughed. "Dad what are you doing- why would you do that!" Maeve shouted, tears finally spilling from her eyes. "You tried to leave me! Why would you do that?"

He was unable to respond. Maeve held him close, afraid that if she didn't hold him at all, he'd do it again. "Why?" She croaked.

Arthur looked up at her, still barely to make out it was even her. But he knew, he just knew. Nobody else would've came for him, nobody else would've helped. Nobody but Maeve.

"I don't have anybody other than you, how could you do that?" She shouted, gripping onto him tightly. Arthur reached up and touched her face. The moment she realised how harsh she was being and the fact he was practically being unresponsive, she panicked further. "Dad," Maeve whispered, holding his head, "i need you to wake up."

Arthur closed his eyes, tiredness consuming him. "Open your fucking eyes!" She croaked, her voice breaking.

Footsteps echoed through the gym and she refused to turn around. "Maeve what the fuck,"

It was Cameron. Cameron fucking Montgomery. Maeve slowly turned her head, her lips parted, "what're you doing here?"

"I just got back from..i spoke to someone." He shook his head, "what's happened?" he kneeled beside her, placing two fingers on Arthur's neck. Maeve winced at the red burn on his skin. "Maeve?"

"He tried to hang himself.."

Cameron bit his tongue and tried to usher Maeve away. "No get off me," she argued. "Maeve if you don't let me help then-"

"I don't need your help, i don't want it! You haven't spoken to me in how long? Why would i want you around now, Cameron? After everything you have caused."

"Maeve, don't be like that. I'm trying to help." Cameron refused to argue with her considering the circumstances. "He'll be fine just get off him!" Maeve protected, forcefully shoving the boy away. "Don't touch him, you'll hurt him!"

The look in Maeve's eyes petrified him. She was distraught. Looked like someone who'd just escaped a mental hospital. "Maeve just let me help..please. It's the best i can do." He whispered, slowly kneeling down and helping her kid Arthur to his feet. "Don't hurt him or i swear-"

"Maeve stop. I'm not going to hurt him, i'm going to get him help."

Maeve shakily stood back and watched as Cameron helped Arthur walk out of the gym. Her heart was racing, head spinning. She couldn't breath. Still, she followed them out.

Maeve refused to let the Montgomery boy take her dad to a hospital. God knows what people would say if they knew Arthur Shelby tried to hang himself. "Aunt Pol can fix it," she whispered.

Once they'd gotten Arthur safely into the house, Maeve clung onto the drawers beside her, staring at her dad who sat in the chair, completely ashamed of himself. "Maeve." Cameron muttered, "Maeve come on, come here." She whispered, watching as her eyes glossed over. He pulled her in and held the back of her head. "He could've died," she croaked.

"But he didn't, you got there in time. He's fine." Cameron said, rubbing her back. Maeve sniffed, holding onto him tightly. "Thank you, Cameron. I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Maeve pulled back and shook her head. "Whatever it is I need to say sorry for. There's that much i can't even remember." She wiped under her eyes, turning toward the stairs. She couldn't face him for another second, Maeve could feel her whole body begin shaking.

Maeve Shelby was not going to allow somebody to watch her break down. Especially not Cameron Montgomery.

She held her chest in a panic and leaned on the wall. "Maeve.." Arthur's groggy voice called from down the stairs. He was quiet. She couldn't move, her whole body was shaking viciously and her head was spinning. "Maeve?" He shouted again.

"Coming..dad." She managed to reply although she couldn't find the strength to move from her spot.

But when she did, she froze again at Arthur who stood at the foot of the stairs, staring up at her. "Maeve?" He whispered, confused at her state. Maeve dug her nails into her palms and tried her best not to let another ounce of emotion he revealed across her face.

It should be her comforting him. Not the other way around.

"My girl.." Arthur said lowly, gripping onto the banister as he slowly made his way toward her, "i'm sorry- y'know i really am. I-" his voice cracked, "i've failed ya, i have."

Maeve sucked in a breath and furrowed her eyebrows together. "No you haven't, don't say that. Please don't say that." She begged.

"No, cause it true. I've fucked everything up havent I? I should've listened to ya-" Arthur held his head in frustration, hitting his fist against it.

"Dad stop." She begged, attempting to grab his fist but he only hit himself harder, "dad please!" Maeve shouted.

"Always fuckin me!"

Usually when somebody said something like that, she'd laugh at them for being such a victim. But this time the person who said it was her own father. An actual victim. A victim of Tommy Shelby's poor behaviour toward his own brother.

"Dad!" Maeve snapped, grabbing his fists and pushing him up against the wall, "stop that. Stop it,"

Arthur pushed his head to the side, refusing to look at her. "You need to stop.." Maeve mumbled, "right now. Otherwise things are going to get worse than they already are."

"Is that even possible, eh? Not fuckin possible. My own fucking daughter found me hanging from a rope!" He hissed.

"I know! I'm your daughter, i found you!" Maeve reminded him, "and i need you to stop doing this because I need you- we all need you."

Arthur's expression softened and his heart dropped when he realised the severity of the whole situation. "Maeve i'm sorry, i really am." He relaxed slightly, grabbing the sides of her neck.

"You told us you were okay."

"Yeah..we'll. I- I don't think i am."

"You will be, i'll make sure of it." Maeve nodded, placing her hands over his. "It's not right, Maeve. You're fourteen and you've stopped me killin myself, it's not right."

"It's happened. It's over, yeah? We can move forward. Me and you, we can help each other."

Arthur nodded slowly, "yeah..yeah. Me and you, starting over." He forced a smile onto his face and sighed. Maeve glanced down at the gun in his holster and she quickly grabbed it, turning away from him and facing the wall. She fumbled with it and emptied the bullets onto the floor.

Arthur stood with his lips parted and let out a breath. "Just to be sure.." she said.

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