𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟕

Maeve couldn't see, her vision was clouded with the bright white lights above her as she was wheeled down the hospital corridors. The voices of doctors echoed.

"Stay with us, Miss Shelby." They repeated over and over again. Her body was shaking, hyperventilating in fact. She was pale and her skin was cold to touch.

She could hardly make out what was going on as her dress was removed, her bare skin quickly being covered with some sort of hospital cloth. "

"Where is she?" A voice boomed as whoever it was followed through the halls, bursting in but only to be held back. "Is my daughter alive? Eh, tell me she's fucking alive!" It was Arthur.

"Arthur." Polly muttered, holding him by his arm. "Let them do their job.."

"No, fucking get off me!" He shoved them all off, "you'll let me see her- by order of the peaky blinders." His voice was shallow and the doctors soon stepped aside, watching as he walked into the room, his heart dropping.

Doctors were rushing about, trying their best to prevent the worst happening. "Maeve?" He asked, dropping his jacket to the floor, "Mr Shelby, i'm going to have to ask you to step away." One said.

"Artha!" Finn stood at the door, his chest heaving up and down, "Artha- Tommy says you need to come out. He's spoke to a doctors, you need to let them do their job." Finn said as he regained his breath.

Arthur looked between his youngest brother and his daughters body which looked as though she was seizing. "What's going on?" He asked lowly as panic clearly filled the room, the doctors exchanging looks with each other. "Arthur.." Finn grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"No- tell me what's going on! What av you done to my kid!?" His voice broke as Finn pulled him away.

Maeve's hospital bed was surrounded, multiple doctors and nurses trying to figure out what to do. Arthur's sobs were inaudible from outside the room whilst he was held back by Isiah and Finn.

-

John basically jumped from his seat when a nurse left Maeve's room, clipboard in hand. Ada gently woke Arthur and he sat straight, sniffing.

"What's happened?" John asked quickly, rubbing his eyes.

The woman looked at them up in a nervous way before looking down at her papers. "Maeve is somewhat stable..she's suffered badly, lucky to be alive really. If the bullet had been even half a centimetre to the left, she'd have died." She said anxiously.

"But she's alive?" Arthur asked. The woman nodded.

"Yes but she's extremely unstable, she's considered a high risk patient." She continued. Polly looked up, "high risk of what?" Polly questioned.

"Dying." The nurse replied bluntly.

Arthur paced the small waiting room before dragging a hand over his face. "Alright, you fucking listen, yeah?" He gritted through his teeth, pointing a finger at her, "am i allowed in there, to be with my fucking daughter or not?"

"Mr Shelby, you need to calm down."

"Well you ain't answered my question av ya?" He tilted his head, "can i go through them doors or not? Yes or no."

She looked down before nodding and Arthur smiled, glancing at the name at the top of the papers. "Thank you, Valerie." He hummed, barging past her and entering the room where Maeve lay, practically asleep.

"Maeve?" He asked, "my girl..it's me. Can ya hear me?" Arthur dragged a chair beside the bed and looked at her sadly. "I'll take that as a no, eh?"

John looked through the window of the door, waiting to see some sort of response from his niece. "Maeve just give us something, yeah?" He muttered to himself.

Arthur continued talking to Maeve despite the fact she couldn't hear him. But knowing she as alive, settled him slightly. "Scared the shit out of us..you did." He said, taking her hand and holding it in between his, placing a kiss on her knuckles. "Don't think i've ever seen John act the way he did."

"Is she alright then?" John sniffed, trying to stay calm as he watched through the window. Polly returned from wherever she'd been and hummed, "doctors say she's likely to be okay." She said, standing beside him.

"Aunt Pol..i don't think i've ever been so scared- like in all seriousness, i thought we lost her."

The sound of footsteps echoed and every member of the Shelby family turned their head, their eyes landing on a woman with auburn hair. The woman who had a face only three members of that family would be able to recognise.

Them members being Tommy, Arthur and John.

John's face was like a picture as they all stared at the anxious looking female. He knew exactly who she was, didn't even need to question it. "And who're you?" Ada asked.

They all turned to Maeve's hospital door as Arthur exited, looking up at them. "What? What you bloody looking at me for.." he trailed off once he noticed an all too familiar face stood before him. "Lillian?" His voice was shaky.

Everything flooded back to him. It was Maeve's mother.

March 1903

"Are ya gonna find yourself a lady of the night, Artha?" John asked as he followed his two older brothers around London. "Oh, I don't know, John boy. Don't have time for these women. All they want is money," he joked, throwing an arm around John's shoulder.

"What about you, Tom?" John leaned over his brother to look at Tommy.

Tommy hummed and shrugged, "dunno, wouldn't be disappointed if i managed though." He grinned, taking a drag from his cigarette.

The three walked into a bar they'd never seen before and looked about. "I'll get drinks, go find a table." Arthur offered, departing from the two and hovering at the bar.

"What can I get ya?" A man asked, cleaning the glass in his hand. Arthur tapped his fingers on the wood and thought for a moment, "three whiskey's." He nodded, looking over at a small group of women who were laughing with each other.

One who specifically caught his eye. She was clearly a few years older than him, she had breath-taking features. Auburn hair and brown eyes, her skin was fair.

He swallowed hard and slid money onto the counter, accepting the drinks and quickly joining his brothers once more. "What took ya so long, brother?" Tommy questioned, moving over to make room for him.

"Should've seen them girls at the bar! Look like fucking gold, i'm telling you." Arthur laughed, looking over his shoulder at the group again. John and Tommy did the same. "Yeah they're alright," John muttered. "Artha i think she's coming over- fuck, she's comin over!" John whispered, shoving Arthur in a teasing way and moving closer to Tommy.

The pair watched as Arthur and the girl shared light conversation, Arthur easily charming her with a few sentences. "Yeah..yeah i've got time." He nodded, "that's alright with you two ain't it?" He asked.

"Yeah, perfect." Tommy grinned, nodding at him.

Arthur allowed the girl to pull him to his feet and walk him away.

Little did he know, she'd be the same woman who left a baby on his doorstep. His baby. And he'd never see her until seventeen years later.

Arthur's heart had dropped and he looked at Lillian with wide eyes. "What're you doing here?" He asked coldly, pushing past John and Polly and pulling the woman to the side.

"I heard, about my daughter- our daughter. Is she okay?" She asked quietly.

"The fuck you mean you heard? Heard from who?" Arthur hissed. "You can't just show up after all these years, that girl in there is my daughter. Not yours. You fuckin abandoned her!"

"Yes, i know. Please don't remind me. Arthur, incase you didn't realise, your family is quite the hot topic around the country. So when I heard a Shelby girl had been shot at a Charity dinner- i knew it would've been her."

"You need to leave." Arthur shook his head, "Maeve doesn't know you- you ain't her mother!"

"Maeve," Lillian whispered quietly, "that's a beautiful name, Arthur."

"Lillian, you need to leave." Arthur pleaded, about to say more but only to be stopped by Polly. "You're Maeve's mother?" She asked plainly.

Arthur stepped away. "The fuck is she doing here, Arthur?" John asked, anger flooding through him. "John- i don't know." Arthur tugged at his hair and paced the room.

The look that Lillian was receiving from Polly sent shivers up her spine. "You don't understand- i just want to see my daughter." Lillian argued. "Oh i understand alright. My kids were taken from me at a young age, only recently did I get my son back." Polly gritted through her teeth, "you left that girl on my doorstep when she was all but three weeks old. For you to turn up now is ridiculous."

"I know, and it hurt me to leave my little girl without her mother, but I had no other choice."

"You had every choice! You could've spoke with Arthur, explained or something. But instead you left her at the door like she was some sort of delivery." Polly snapped, "that girl has grown up without a single clue of who her mother is. She didn't need you then so she certainly doesn't need you now."

"Please, Polly- let me see my daughter."

"I'll speak with Arthur. You better pray to the lords above that he even thinks twice." Polly said before spinning on her heels and returning to the family.

"So that's our Maeve's mum?" Finn asked.

"When the fuck did you get here?" Arthur asked in confusion, "i went to get food. I've been here the whole time." Finn frowned. "Oh..right. But yeah, that's the one." Arthur whispered.

"And why is she here?"

"Because she's somehow heard about Maeve's accident. For whatever reason, she's suddenly concerned for my daughters well-being." Arthur said, just as confused as they were.

"Arthur, you have to let the woman see Maeve. It's been seventeen years." Ada said.

They all looked at her. "Absolutely not," He shook his head.

While all this was going on, Isiah managed to slip into Maeve's hospital room and sit with her. All he did was hold her hand and watch her in hopes she'd wake up.

"They're all arguing about something out there." He whispered, placing a kiss on her knuckles, "not sure what. But it seems important." He let out a breath and leaned his forehead on her hand. "When really they should be in here..well that's what i think." He whispered.

Maeve could feel his hand in hers and her finger twitched. "Maeve?" Isiah sat straight. Maeve opened her eyes slowly, squinting at the light.

He jumped from his chair and pulled the door open, "Artha! Artha, she's awake!" He said quickly, moving aside to allow him to come through.

Arthur rushed to Maeve's side and leaned over her. "My girl, you're awake." He smiled slightly, sitting down. Maeve looked over at him tiredly and nodded.

She grew slightly uncomfortable as everyone crowded the room but she calmed at the sight of John stood at the end of the bed. "Dad.." Maeve whispered, glancing at the open door, "who's she?"

Arthur looked up, closing his eyes for a moment. "Er..Maeve- that's.." he struggled to speak.

"Go on, out. The lot of youse," John spoke up, ushering everyone out of the room. "Dad who is it?" Maeve grew agitated. Arthur took a deep breath, "that's ya mum."

Maeve's eyes widened and her heart dropped as she stared at the woman who stood at the door. "No it's not.." she refused.

Lillian came into the room, her hands behind her back. "Hello Maeve," she whispered. Maeve shook her head and forced herself to sit upright, wincing at the pain that shot through her body. "Get away from me!"

"Maeve." Arthur muttered.

"No, get her away- she's not my mum! I don't have a mum! Get out, fuck off!" Maeve shouted, her voice cracking as a lump gathered in her throat.

"Maeve please." Lillian argued.

"You're not my mum! Real mothers don't leave their kids out on someone's doorstep- real mums fucking come back for their kids! Get away from me! I don't know who you are, get away!" Maeve had began crying out of anger.

The look of horror on Arthur's face was awful. Yea he'd seen Maeve lash out, but never this way.

"I've got dad, that's all i need. You were gone for my whole life, absent. So why the fuck would I want to know you now?"

"Maeve, i came here to apologise."

"No, you came here because you knew what happened to me! If this hadn't had happened, god knows if you'd have even tried. Dad get her away from me before i-"

"Alright, come on Lillian." Arthur said quickly, not wanting Maeve to finish her sentence.  "But-" Arthur shook his head and grabbed Lillian by the arm. "She don't want to see you," John said as they exited the room, "she don't fucking want to know you. So get ya self away from this hospital. By order of the Peaky Blinders."

"John." Polly scolded.

"Nah, no this whore can fuck off. Never once did you try and show up for her. You knew where we lived and not once did you try. Not even call. So you get yourself out of fuckin Birmingham yeah, and don't return." He spat, pointing a finger at the hallway door.

"John that's enough." Arthur said, guilt filling him whilst they watched Lillian walk back with her head down.

"Nah, it's not on Arthur. That woman only came back knowing how far our family has come. That's the only reason. If she wanted to know her daughter, she'd have showed up years ago."

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝