𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟖

It had been two weeks since Maeve almost died. A week and a half since Grace's funeral. And during this time, Maeve remained at home until Arthur and Polly deemed her 'fit to leave the house.'

She shakily stood, slowly opening her door to listen to Linda and Arthur's conversation downstairs.

"All i'm saying is that it's clear Maeve has..some things wrong with her. And that's why i think we should look at getting her some help." Linda suggested.

Arthur shook his head, standing by the fire. "She don't need help, Linda. She's a fucking Shelby-"

"Language." Linda scolded.

"She's a Shelby, yeah? She don't need anyone's help. She can get through it just like I did. Maeve has her medicine, she has her family. That's all my daughter needs, trust me." He snapped.

Linda stared at him. "Are you saying what she's done is acceptable? Maeve is seventeen and going round cutting people open. When I was seventeen-"

"When you were seventeen, you were going to church every bloody day! We don't do that- Maeve doesn't do that. And if you think for one second i'll force my daughter to do something that's more likely to drive her mad, then you don't know who I am." Arthur defended.

"Arthur, i'm not the enemy."

"Are ya saying my daughter is the enemy, eh? Is that what you're fucking saying?!" He shouted, inching closer to Linda and grabbing her wrist. "Cause if that's what you're saying, i'd suggest you pray to ya fucking lord and wish for some fucking mercy."

"Arthur get off me." Linda said lowly, pulling her wrist away. "One day you'll see how demented she's becoming. One day."

Arthur took a deep breath and left the room, slamming the door behind him and freezing when he saw Maeve at the top of the stairs.

"Demented?" She scoffed, "if anyone's demented it's your fucking wife." She told him, slowly making her way down the stairs.

"You're supposed to be in bed. Resting." He reminded her. "Dad, there's only so long somebody can rest for before they go mad. And according to Linda, i'm mad enough so i'd say it's best for me to be out of bed."

"Very well.." Arthur shrugged, taking out a flask of whiskey and opening it.

"You're doing that again?" She questioned, stopping at the bottom step. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "The flask, the whiskey. I thought you said you'd stopped drinking so much?"

"Yeah well this is only my second of the day."

"And it's only twelve in the afternoon? World record, kids will learn that in history." She joked, looking away at the window. "How's uncle Tom?"

"He's not doing well according to Ada. The funeral was last week, but Tom being Tom, hardly batted an eye."

"Yeah well, that Thomas for ya aint it? Speaking of, I heard you're going down to Arrow house today..reckon you can take me with?" Maeve asked, tilting her head.

Arthur raised his eyebrow. "No way."

"What?!" She practically "you're gonna deprive me of social interaction with my own family? Who is the demented one now!?"

"Alright shut up and get ya shoes on. I'm not arguing with you today." Arthur gave in, opening the door and grabbing his jacket as he did so.

Maeve grinned to herself and carefully slipped her shoes on before following him out the door.

-

"Afternoon," Ada said as Arthur and Maeve entered the house. "Oh Maeve," Ada beamed, pulling the girl into a hug gently. "Are you okay?"

"Getting better." Maeve nodded, hugging her Aunt and pulling away. "Come 'ere you," John approached, taking Ada's place and wrapping his arms around the girl. "Scared the shit out of us," he mumbled into her hair.

Micheal and Polly finally appeared and Arthur got up from his chair. "Alright, come on then." Arthur groaned. "He's already seen us," Micheal said.

Arthur looked at Ada. "He wanted to see people in a particular order," she said, looking around nervously. "I can normally read him but he's difficult to read, so be careful." Polly nodded.

John kept his eyes on Arthur.

"I thought it was a fucking family meeting?" he said. "All of us together, i thought." Silence. "John, he's grieving-" Polly placed a hand on John's shoulder. "To see everyone together would be too much."

"Yeah, well, come on John." Arthur urged. John sent Micheal a harsh look and followed Arthur into the office.

"There he is." Arthur said hesitantly, walking inside. "Hi, Tom."

"Hello, Boys." Tommy didn't look up from the paper in front of him. "We didn't get a chance to see you after the funeral." Arthur said, "well you disappeared on us, but, well, me and John, just wanna say that-"

"Arthur shut up." Tommy cut him off.

"All right." He bowed his head sheepishly.

"Talk to me." Tommy said, moving away from the desk. "We got to Angel at the hospital where he laid and killed him." Arthur said quietly. "He's dead. Cleared out the rest of the Italians out the south of the city."

"They mostly went to the Black Country but we told Betty Kitchens to keep her moving." John interrupted. "And Betty sends her condolences."

"All right, i have contacts, people in Cunard and Liverpool. They'll have passenger lists, they can get you into the point of departure. You pick Vincent Changretta up, and you bring him to me. Who's he got travelling with him."

"His wife.." Arthur said quietly, looking down. "What?" Tommy looked at him with a frown.

"His wife." he said louder. "So shoot her and bring him to me?" Tommy shrugged. John looked at Arthur. "Tommy, Mrs Changretta was a teacher at our school.

"She's a good woman, Tom, a good woman."

Tommy nodded. "Well if she's a good woman then she'll go to heaven, eh, Arthur? Just do what's on the list, nothing else. Then burn it. Don't speak in the phones, the secret service is listening. I want the old man alive, i want to do it myself."

Both Arthur and John had regret plastered all over their faces. "Come on John."

"Tommy if you haven't got a bird here, you're gonna have to tell us something." John pleaded, hands in pockets.

"Ask Polly."

"Not Micheal?" John asked. "What?" Tommy frowned. "Not Michael, no?"

"No not Micheal no. He deals with legitimate business." Tommy let out a frustrated breath.

"You saw him before us," John reminded him. "John not now." Arthur said. "Wait, what did you say?" Tommy asked him.

"You saw Micheal, before us!" He raised his voice. "Fucks sake John.." Arthur groaned.

"Because, John, legitimate business is the priority."

"Since when?" he shouted. "Since my fucking wife took a bullet, meant for me!" he shouted, pointed at John.

"Oh yeah, okay. So secret service, secret fucking service. Blah blah blah but you don't tell us shit!" John said. "We're a couple of fucking toy soldiers, do this John, do that John. Kill your fucking teacher John!"

"This is how it's gonna be? All right, listen to me. There's going to be a little war in a little place that no one gives a fuck about," Tommy said, "and the side that is gonna lose needs a bit of help and they're willing to pay. When that business is done, legitimate business is the priority, now do what's on the list and fuck off."

John stormed out of the office, shoving past Micheal as he returned to the drawing room.

"Maeve," Tommy called from the office. She looked around at everyone and nervously made her way in to the room where Tommy stood. "Hello, uncle Tom." She greeted quietly.

"You can sit," he said, taking a calmer approach toward the girl.

"Am i in trouble?" She asked, genuinely worried. Tommy shook his head. "No, but i feel you deserve an update on everything." He told her, "the Changretta's are going to be dealt with for what they've done. But you on the other hand, need to be more careful. There has now been multiple occasions where you've almost faced death. It's a wonder you're not scared to come out of the house."

Maeve smirked. "Thomas, I've said this before and i'll say it again. Why be scared of something that'll never catch you? You say i've almost come face to face with death, yet it always fails to catch me. Therefore i'll never fear it." She grinned.

Tommy looked at her with confusion. "Seventeen and you're already playing with death, you amaze me Maeve. You really do."

"Because i've escaped death or because you see yourself in me?" She asked. "What?" He frowned.

"Do I amaze you because i've escaped death or because you can see yourself in me?" She repeated, "you and I are two of the only Shelby's that don't fear death. Everybody knows that the only person who can kill Thomas Shelby is Thomas Shelby himself. And i'm certain it's the same with Maeve Shelby."

Silence.

"The only way you can kill Maeve Shelby..is if you use Maeve Shelby herself. I've faced the devil, different versions of him. But yet i'm sat here talking with one of the devils i grew up with, not an ounce of fear inside me. That is what ties us together, is it not? You don't fear anything." Maeve smirked.

Tommy swallowed hard. He didn't like the truth behind her words. "Left school at fifteen but you speak like some sort of fucking poet."

-

"The thing is, we all naturally came in here, where the servants eat." Ada said, referring to where they were seated. "It's nothing to do with politics Ada, it's fucking freezing in the big room." John said.

"John, mind your language in front of Karl!" Polly warned. "Ada we're in the servants quarters, because it's where the fucking booze is kept." Arthur laughed.

Maeve shook her head in disappointment and accepted a glass of water from Finn.

John patted his shoulder.

"Arthur find better words." Polly scolded again. "Yeah, dad. Shut the fuck up!" Maeve grinned, watching Polly fume and turn away from her.

"When my wife's drunk she can't speak fucking English." he laughed. "John." Polly scolded again. Micheal entered the kitchen and Johns mood dropped.

"You dealt with it?" Pol asked him. "Incentives, no threats." he said. "Implied consequences without specific referent to physical harm."

"That's why your Michael is the boss," Arthur nodded. "He's knows better words, right, Pol?"

"Since when was i your boss Arthur?"

"First the boss meets you then the workers meet you." John said.

"When did either of you two do a days work?" Finn asked earning a laugh out of Ada. Maeve smirked at the torment.

"In the old days, Finn, family meetings used to be all of us together."

"Arthur shut up." Ada said. "Now me and John, we're just fucking bin men whose duty it is to obey." he mocked. "Arthur shut up, Finn go and get us cigars." Polly pointed.

"Will you two give it a break? It's not Micheal's fault that he has to deal with the shit you two are incapable of. The least you could do is say well done." Maeve raised her eye word, shrugging.

"No one asked you, Maeve." John huffed. She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, "do you want me to smash this glass in your eye?" She asked.

John shook his head. "Didn't think so. Zip it."

"Maeve, go find Tom and tell him there's no more whiskey left." Arthur grunted, staring into his empty glass. "Not like you need any more," Maeve scoffed, getting up from her seat and walking through the house.

"Tom?" She asked, slowly pushing the office door open but finding the room empty. "Uncle Tom are ya in here?" Maeve frowned, walking round to the desk and picking up a note. "Bloody hell," she groaned, walking quickly to the front door and watching Tommy get into a wagon with Charles.

"Tommy! Tom- what're you doing? Where are you going..fucks sake." She shouted, running back to the kitchen and shoving the note into Ada's hands.

"He's left, he's left with Charlie." She panted, looking around frantically.

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