𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟗

Maeve walked slowly with John and Arthur underneath a bridge, looking over her shoulder every now and again.

John pulled a gun from his pocket and handed it to her. She carefully checked the bullets and tucked it into her own pocket before catching sight of two older people.

A man and a woman.

"Maeve if ya wanting to turn around, i'd go now. Because once they see us, there's no turning back." Arthur warned, pulling his hat over his head. Maeve shook her head and continued walking, a smile creeping upon her face at the terror that filled the couples face.

"Thank you officer, that'll be all." John said. The woman looked at them, "John Shelby..is that the lad I used to teach? John Shelby i used to smack your arse!"

"Let him go." Arthur warned, looking as she clung onto Mr Changretta.

"Please, please let her go." Vincent begged, holding onto his wife as if she'd disappear. "Arthur, how many times i looked the other way because of your sweet smile!" She scowled.

"I said let him go, he's coming with us."

"Not until i know my wife is safe!" Vincent shook his head. Maeve pulled her gun and pointed it, "listen, alright? We're here on strict orders-"

"She's safe, we're not gonna harm her." John interrupted. "Just get a move on." He added. "Look, we're disobeying Tommy's orders just by talking to you. Don't push it, please. Come with us- let him go." Arthur interrupted.

"Let him go too, say it's done! Say he's in the harbour. He can do you how harm from New York."

"We can't do that." Maeve refused.

Maeve looked at John as Vincent began trying to plead with his wife to let him go. "How long does it fucking take?" She hissed. "If you don't fucking let him go now, ill shoot youse both." Maeve threatened.

"Sorry..we're disobeying orders." John finally said, his voice shaking as he pulled his own gun. "Let him fucking go!" He shouted.

"You have ten seconds or Tommy's orders stand! They stand!" Arthur began counting and watched as the pair let go of each other and Vincent walked off.

Mrs Changretta charged at John and he grabbed her, holding her. "America," he whispered, "a new life...a new life."

-

"Do you know what time it is, old man?" Tommy asked him, sitting in the chair opposite. "I'll tell you. It's after seven in the evening, and I'm going to keep you alive until it gets light. I'll not deliver the final cut until we can both hear the blackbirds singing outside." he grabbed him, pulling him closer.

Maeve leaned against the wall, playing with her empty gun in boredom.

"It's a beautiful sound, which my wife will never hear again." Tommy whispered. "Now, I'm gonna have to choose carefully which part of you I cut away first. Open your eyes. Open your eyes, or I will cut away your fսck¡ng eyelids!" he threatened.

Maeve huffed and looked at John.

"Now look at me. Look at me. This is the end. This is the end. It was your tongue that gave the order. I'll take your tongue first." He grabbed the man's face. "Then I'll take your ears. Then I'll take your fingers. Then your fսcking toes. See, I take your balls first, you drain too fast like you fuckers do."

He paused.

"No, I think tongue first. Tongue first.Tongue first." he repeated, "If I take your tongue, you won't be able to explain, and I want you to explain. I want you to fսcking explain."

John and Maeve looked at each other. She frowned at how long Tommy was taking. She discretely placed her bullets back into her gun.

"Come on, Tommy. I forget who I am. I forget who I am. I'm a Blinder. I'll take your fսcking eyes first!" Tommy corrected.

He stopped when he heard a gunshot.

"I heard the blackbird sing." Maeve said, standing behind Mr Changretta who she had just shot.

"And we let his wife board the immigrant ship to New York. We didn't kill Mrs Changretta." John said. "And tonight... We're not those kind of men."

Tommy stared at the floor, wide eyes whilst Arthur left. "You get rid of the body, John. Get rid of those for good. All gone."

"You forget who you are, Tommy." Maeve said as she walked past him, "do not forget who you are."

-

Maeve looked up from her newspaper when her door opened. Isiah stood before her and she relaxed herself, sitting up. "Siah?"

"Hello, sweetheart." He said, his accent thicker than usual. Maeve removed the blanket from over her knees and got up quickly, ignoring the pain that was sent through her body.

"How're you doing?" Isiah asked, wrapping his arms around her and closing his eyes. Maeve hummed, "getting better." She told him. Isiah held onto her tightly and placed a kiss on her shoulder. "Has anyone mentioned...never mind." He shook his head, pulling away.

Maeve frowned. "Mentioned what, Siah?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter?" He refused, sitting on her bed and pulling out a pack of cigarettes, "can i smoke?"

"Yeah..you can smoke. Isiah what were you going to say?" She asked, standing in front of him. "Nothing, alright!" He snapped.

Her face dropped and she took a step back. Isiah suddenly realised what he'd done and his heart pounded. "I'm sorry..i didn't mean to do that." She apologised.

"I don't understand why you can't tell me what you were going to say?"

"All i was going to ask was if anyone had mentioned the fact ya mum turned up at the hospital." He finally gave in. Maeve looked away quickly, wishing people would forget.

Yes, people indeed kept bringing it up. And she was sick of it. She didn't want to know who her mother was, she had her family and that's all she needed.

"No.." she lied. "And i don't want them to bring it up, i'd rather forget about it."

"What's going on in your head, Maeve?" Isiah asked seriously. Maeve stared at him, taking a deep breath as her heart pounded. "What?" She asked. Isiah grabbed her hands and pulled her to stand in front of him. "Tell me what's happening in there."

"Isiah."

"Maeve, i can read you like a book. It's easy to tell when you've got something running through ya mind." She paused, "you're the girl i've been in love with since two years ago." He admitted, his eyes wide when he realised what he'd said.

"Really?" Maeve whispered, her face relaxing at the boys confession.

Isiah looked away, embarrassed at the fact he'd just said he loved her. For the second time. He was petrified she wouldn't say it back.

Maeve didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if she did love him. Maeve knew she certainly felt a lot toward him. But the words I love you weren't something she heard a lot. Therefor it was hard for her to tell when someone meant it.

"Maeve.." Isiah spoke, begging that she said something back.

Her heart was pounding through her chest. "Isiah i'm sorry." She apologised. His face dropped and he blinked a few times, dropping her hands and looking down.

"I shouldn't have said anything- i'm sorry." Isiah apologised, running a hand through his hair and standing, causing her to step back.

"Isiah i'm sorry." Maeve said quickly. "It's just-"

"No- don't explain. I'll just go." He said bluntly, feeling extremely deflated by her actions. He reached for the door handle and she dropped her hands to her sides. "Isiah please!"

"Maeve, stop. I'll just leave, it's fine." Isiah said, not wanting to snap at her and make the situation worse.

She tilted her head and looked up when she felt her eyes water and a lump grow in her throat. Why was she about to cry?

"Please don't leave," she begged, "you'll make me feel bad. It's not my fault!" Maeve sounded like a child who'd just been scolded for knocking over a glass of water. Isiah stood still and glanced at her. "Maeve you can't make me stay. If i stay, i'll only say something I don't mean."

"What.." Maeve asked, a frown visible on her face. "Listen, i know I'm being difficult at the moment but you can't expect me to just say that to you!"

"Maeve, i'm not expecting you to do it! I'm hoping- Maeve you've had two years to say it. If you wanted to, you would. But here we are. Don't make me embarrass myself anymore, Maeve. It's torture."

And with that he left, slamming the door behind him. Maeve, without thinking, picked up a book from the shelf and launched it at the door. "Fuck you," she whispered, leaning against the wall and sliding down it. "Fuck..you!" She shouted, sending her palm into the wall and tugging at her hair.

Maeve didn't know what was happening to her. Something so small, a situation so minor had set her off.

Was it the fact Isiah said he loved her again?
Was it the fact he walked out on her?

-

"Do they always have to do the stock taking at night, Arthur?" Linda asked, walking through the bathroom, checking herself in the mirror.

"Only 'cause, you know, it slows down production." he said, she handed him a towel. "Thank you. Thank you." he stepped to the mirror.

"Night work will have to end." Linda said quietly. "It will. It will." Arthur agreed. "You'll have things to do at night." she said.  "Yeah. I know. We've spoken about it." Arthur shrugged, not entirely sure what she was talking about.

"I was gonna wait until you had a strong cup of tea in your hand." she started. "Come on, then." he smiled. 

"But I'm gonna have a baby, Arthur." he stepped back into the bathroom.

"Pregnant?" he asked after moments of silence. "Yeah. You said you spent the night taking stock. Well, so did I. This working at night will have to stop." she whispered.

"You'll have a baby." he smiled. "Yes."

Yes a baby was a beautiful gift. But not in a world of Shelby's. Not in Arthur's world. He'd seen the stuff that happened with Maeve, he'd seen what she was like. And he wasn't entirely sure this was a good or a bad thing.

God only knew how she would react.

It was only when they both heard a loud bang that they thought of the teenage girl. Arthur frowned in concern and quickly pulled his clothes on, walking down the hall and opening Maeve's bedroom door.

"Maeve? You alright my girl?" He asked, leaning against the door and watching as she kept her knees against her chest.

Maeve shook her head sadly and looked up. "I've done it again..haven't i?" She asked, referring to a breakdown.

Arthur pursed his lips into a straight line and looked at Linda. "Yeah..yeah i think you have. But you know, it's alright. Happens to the best of us." He tried to assure her.

Maeve shook her head. "It doesn't happen to the best of us. Look at John, i've never seen it happen to him- or Finn." She whispered, her eyes fixed on the wall. "All because fucking Isiah," Maeve huffed, kicking the book she'd previously thrown, away from her.

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Isiah?"

"Yeah." Maeve mumbled, feeling as though she was going to cry again. "He said he loved me, dad. Again."

"The fuck you mean, again?" He scoffed. "And why're you fucking crying about it." Arthur was smiling slightly, for once finding the girls meltdown funny.

She threw her head back and waved her arms around dramatically. "Why are you laughing at me!" She raised her voice, sounding like a toddler who wasn't getting their own way.

Arthur covered his mouth. "I do apologise, go on."

"No, i'm not telling you now." She crossed her arms. "You've upset me."

"How old are ya? Seven?" Arthur tormented, "come on, get up on ya feet and wipe your eyes. Love ain't something to cry over."

"But it is!" Maeve whined, "i haven't said it back to him. He's said it twice, one today and once like..two years ago! I physically can't say it back."

Linda stepped into the room and Maeve didn't even give her chance to speak. "Don't start giving me your religion bullshit, Linda. Because i'm really not in the mood for that. Don't be telling me about the lord loving every one cause i ain't the fucking lord, alright!" Maeve snapped.

Linda pursed her lips into a line and let out a breath. "Very well then."

"Maeve, listen to me yeah? Don't feel like you have to say it to him. It's not something to throw about, you and I both know that. So if Isiah can't accept that you're not ready, so be it. Let him walk away. It'll be his loss."

"Jesus Christ what's happened to you. Who are you and what've you done to my dad?" She said, disgust painted across her features. "What have you actually done to him, Linda? He's making sense for once."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Give over. I'm trying to help you."

"I appreciate that but sometimes i think i prefer the advice you gave me when you were drunk..you know cause it made no sense, i didn't have to listen to you." Maeve grinned, wiping the tears from under her eyes.

"For crying out loud- can you ever just be grateful?"

"Oh I am grateful." Maeve flashed him a sarcastic smile and sat on her bed. "I'd be even more grateful if ya got your wife out of my room. Bye Linda," She held her hand up, wiggling her fingers as if to wave.

Linda's mouth parted slightly and she turned away, walking out.

"Dad i really fucking hate her, can't we just burn her in the woods like you did with that Russian fella at Tom's wedding?" She suggested.

"No we can't burn her- hold on, how the fuck do you know about that?"

Maeve shrugged. "I'm magic."

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