𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟑

Maeve leaned over the front of the seats and looked at John who cradled a crying baby. Finn soon followed her gaze and let out a breath.

"Does that baby ever shut up?" He asked, crossing his arms and leaning back. Maeve shook her head and looked away. She looked over her shoulder at Isiah who was chatting to Micheal, looking at her without breaking conversation and giving her a smile.

The choir boys began singing and Maeve had to bite back her laugh, watching Isiah's dad walk up the isle, the cavalry men opposite them scowling at the sight.

"Here come the fucking cavalry, late as usual." Maeve muttered, looking down at the floor as Grace entered. "She looks pathetic- purple dress? Not very traditional is it?" She scoffed.

Tommy hesitated before lifting the veil from Grace's face. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join together in holy matrimony: Thomas Micheal Shelby and Grace Helen Burgess." Jeremiah spoke.

"Do you, Thomas Micheal Shelby, to take Grace Helen Burgess to be your lawful wedded wife?" Tommy nodded, "i do."

"Do you Grace Helen Burgess solemnly swear to love, honour and obey till death do you apart?" He asked. Grace smiled, "i do."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." Cheers automatically erupted from the Shelby side of the hall, John shouting multiple things as Grace and Tommy shared a kiss.

"Slag," Maeve huffed, standing with the rest of the family once Grace and Tommy left the hall. "As if she's been welcomed back- Tommys gone mad i'm telling you." Maeve whispered to Finn as they walked side by side.

"If that was one of us who did what she did, we'd be sent to live in exile!" He agreed.

-

Maeve stood in a small crowd, talking to boys around her age and looking at Isiah every now and again. Shivers climbed up her spine as he kept his eyes glued on her whilst he sipped from his whiskey glass.

Arthur began rounding the family up and Maeve bit her tongue at the sight of Isiah speaking to another girl.

"I was told to ask someone young- will there be cocaine?" The girl asked in a flirtatious way, practically fucking him with her eyes. Isiah didn't look back at Maeve before replying. "Sweetheart, I am young, informed and very well equipped. You chose your man wisely," he said, going to turn away only to be grabbed by Arthur.

"Come on, kitchen- now. And you," Arthur pointed to Maeve.

"Arthur this lady wants to play in the snow," Isiah argued as Arthur held his shoulder. "Nah, no snow today." He said to the pair.

Maeve stood with her arms crossed and followed Arthur and Isiah to the kitchen, sending her foot into the back of Isiah's knee and smirking when his leg gave out, almost sending him onto the floor.

"What ya doing that for?" He hissed. Maeve barged past him and entered the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of champagne from a passing maid and opening it.

"I am telling you now we got lost-" Arthur said, finally joining them. "You really need to do a map Tommy!" Maeve rolled her eyes and leaned against a table.

Micheal ushered Arthur to hurry up, stopping in front of Tommy.

Tommy lit a cigarette. "Right, boys, you're all here." he shared, looking around, "today, this is my fucking wedding day."

"Yeah and you said there'd be no bloody uniforms," John said, a harsh look on his face. "Nevertheless, nevertheless, John." Tommy raised his voice, "despite the bad blood, i'll have none of it on my carpet."

"Now for Grace's sake, nothing will go wrong." he nodded. "Those bastards out there are her family. And if you fuckers do anything to embarrass her, your kin, your cousins, your horses, your fucking kids, you do anything.."

"Tom." John said. "What!" he shouted. "What about snow?" Isiah asked.
"No cocaine." He pointed at him. Maeve raised her eyebrows and copied Tommy, pointing a finger at Isiah in a teasing manner. "No sport, no telling fortunes, no racing-" he looked at John. "No fucking sucking petrol out their fucking cars." he grabbed Finn's face.

"And you, Charlie, stop spinning yarns about me, eh?" he shouted. "I'm just tying to sell you to them Tom."

"But the main thing is, despite the provocation from the cavalry, no fighting." he nodded. "Oi" he shouted at Isiah.

"No fighting." he pointed at him, "no fucking fighting." he pointed at john, moved to Arthur. "No fighting,"

He turned, looking at Maeve. "No killing anyone," he changed his words before taking a deep breath. "No fucking fighting!" he shouted.
He then went to grab his suit jacket, a butler knocking into him. He turned, shoving him away. "Get the fuck off me!"

"Christ," Maeve shook her head, taking a large sip from the champagne bottle and trying her best not to laugh. "He's mad as hell."

-

"Vincent, Vincent, Vincent! What do you call an animal with a prick halfway up its back?" John asked the man across from him. Esme scoffed
"A cavalry horse!" John finished, laughing loudly. "He got it, he gets it." he pointed.

"Fuck it, fuck it," Arthur whispered, placing the paper that contained his speech in his pocket. "Where the bloody hell are they?"

"You're best man, Arthur, go find them." Linda told him.

"I fucking hate her..i do." Maeve whispered to Finn, referring to Arthur's new wife. Well, not really new. Finn and Maeve have such an identical look to the woman, people could've gotten them mixed up.

"Straighten your face," Isiah said from across the table, resulting in Maeve taking a piece of food and flicking it at him.

"You two stop!" Ada said quickly, shaking her head. "Sorry mum," She scoffed, leaning back into her chair and sighing. "This wedding is a shit show."

-

"So you're Artha's daughter?" A boy asked, handing her a drink. Maeve hummed and sipped the glass, scanning the room. "What's it like being a Shelby?"

"Fantastic," she replied sarcastically. "I'm kidding," she said, watching the boys face light up. "Sometimes it's good, the other times it's fucking awful. Insanity runs in the family.." Maeve pursed her lips into a straight line and looked away.

"You seem nice though," the boy assured her, tilting his head. Maeve shrugged, "doesn't matter when you're a Shelby. Automatically have a bad name for yourself- what's your name, by the way?"

"Kyle. Kyle Roberts." He said politely.

Her heart dropped for a moment, her eyes going wide. "Roberts?" She questioned. Kyle Roberts..like Theadosia Roberts?

Kyle nodded. "Do you have any family- sisters, cousins?" Maeve added. Kyle looked up, thinking. "I've got distant cousins on my dads side, don't see them that much though."

"Interesting.."

"Why'd you ask? Any specific reason?" Kyle said, looking at her with pure delight. Maeve thought quickly, "i used to know a girl with the same name as you..was just curious."

"What's her name? Might know her."

She paused, trying to figure out if she wanted to bring that skeleton out of the wardrobe or keep it locked up. "Theadosia." She finally blurted out, watching the cogs turn in his head as he thought.

"That's so strange, how do you know her?" Kyle asked in amusement.

"How do you know her?"

"She's my cousin. Have you seen her recently? Not spoken to her in ages." He asked, clearly oblivious to whatever had happened between the two girls. Maeve shook her head, "no, and i don't plan on seeing her anytime soon."

Kyles face dropped, "why?"

"Bad blood, that's all." Maeve lied, well technically it wasn't a lie but it was clearly more than just bad blood. "Another drink?" He asked once it for awkward.

Maeve cleared her throat and thankfully spotter Isiah speaking to a girl, once again. "Unfortunately no..i've got things to do. Thank you though," she said before disappearing into the crowd.

"Isiah- Isiah Jesus!" She whisper-shouted, grabbing his shoulder. Both him and the girl looked at her. "I'm a little busy, Maeve- can't it wait?" He taunted, nodding toward the girl.

The Shelby girl flashed her a smug smile and pulled Isiah away, "i've got cocaine and nobody to do it with, so are you coming or not?"

Isiah's frown was soon replaced with a grin and he nodded, "lead the way sweetheart." He agreed, loosely holding onto her hand as she pulled him toward the stairs.

"Hold on a minute-" he stopped her as they reached the top of the stairs, "thought you stopped doing snow?"

"Yeah well.." Maeve struggled to think of a reply or a valid excuse apart from the fact she had to avoid things getting bad again. "I'm trying Isiah, i swear!"

"Are you taking your meds?"

"Shut up!" She hissed, opening a door to an empty bedroom and pulling him inside. "I am trying though, i promise. It's just sometimes I need this to pick myself up again," she shrugged, sitting down beside him and taking out the bottle.

Over the year that had passed, Maeve had been trying to get better.
Well, she was forced to get better, by everyone but John and Finn. Of course they encouraged it but never forced it.

She found it difficult considering the
constant torment and trouble that surrounded her and the family. But with the right people at her side she knew she'd be able to do it.

Even if it meant tearing herself down even more.

"You're sure?" Isiah asked, taking it from her hands. She nodded quickly. "Maeve, you promise me that you're alright though, yeah? This isn't just a cover up for how bad you're doing?"

"Isiah I promise," she held out her pinky finger and slowed him to link his with hers. "You need to promise that you'll look after me."

"Always," he agreed, lifting their intertwined pinky fingers and pressing their thumbs together, placing a kiss on them.

"Okay enough," she let out a breath, pulling her hand away.

Isiah shook his head jokingly and took her hand, flipping it over and pouring some of the white substance onto the back of her hand, letting go and allowing her to snort it.

She threw her head back and a laugh fell from her mouth, causing him to smile widely. "What you smiling at," she shoved him away gently.

Isiah pulled her back and grabbed her chin, kissing her. Maeve's arm fell around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Isiah's hands snaked around to cup her jaw, the pads of his thumbs grazing over her cheeks.

Maeve and Isiah's behaviour
like this had continued over the year. But he was still waiting on hearing the words her admitted through confidence. I think i love you.

Of course it didn't necessarily bother him that she didn't say it back but it certainly knocked his confidence. The pair had their ups and downs: purposely making each other jealous by talking to other people and using the excuse of we aren't together.

Isiah finally pulled away, leaning back onto the couch and taking out a cigarette. "So..Tommy's marrying that Grace then, what're the odds?"

"Clearly fucking high," she scoffed, running a hand through her hair. "Me and Finn can't believe it, can't believe he forgave her after what she did. It's ridiculous."

"Agreed." Isiah nodded, placing a hand on Maeve's knee when she threw her legs over his. "I want to kill her."

"Maeve!" Isiah exclaimed, pinching the bridge of her nose and throwing his head back. Maeve shrugged, "what? I'm just saying what everybody else is thinking."

"Even though it's..true- doesn't mean you should say it out loud! Half the fucking British Army are downstairs!" He reminded her. Maeve raised her eyebrows in disbelief, "i don't see any of them in here with us?"

Maeve took the bottle of cocaine from his hands and couldn't stop grinning at her wild idea. Isiah sat back slightly, removing his suit jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt, his eyes slightly wide as Maeve lifted her dress slightly and poured the cocaine onto her thigh.

This was exactly why her meds should not be mixed with cocaine.

"Actually?" He asked, slight excitement lacing his voice. Maeve nodded and took a deep breath as he lowered himself, slowly snorting the snow from her skin.

Shivers climbed up her spine as he did so. Isiah's rings were cold against her skin as he slowly wiped the excess from her thigh, looking up at her. "You might be mad but i fucking love it." He said before pulling her toward him by her legs and kissing her, being a lot less gentle that before.

His hands gently squeezed her sides and she lifted her leg up ever so slightly to get more comfortable. His fingers were tangled in her ginger hair and she couldn't help but smile at what she'd done.

"You've got me wrapped around ya fuckin finger, Maeve Shelby," he grumbled, breathing heavily between kisses as the desire grew within him, "and not a single complaint will leave my lips about it."

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝

do we want a return of Theadosia?