𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟑

It had been three months and Tommy was finally home. Maeve stood at the door with Charlie in her arms, waving at her uncle as he approached them.

"Hello you," he smiled, talking to Charlie and taking him from his niece. "How's he been, eh? Has he been good?" He asked. Maeve hummed in response. "You're a life saver, Maeve." Tommy whispered, pulling her into a quick embrace before stepping into the house.

"Ya dad and John will be coming over shortly. We have business to attend to." He said whilst walking away. "Business that you'll be attending too, Maeve. Go get ready for the day."

-

Tommy cleared his throat his throat and raised his eyebrows as Mary placed down a tray of food.

"Did you remember your medicine sir?" Mary asked before she walked out. "Do you ever read the bible, Mary?" he asked her. "Sometimes." she shrugged.

"Do you ever read it out loud while standing naked next to my bed?" he asked her. Her face dropped. "Cause when i take the morphine the doctor gave me, that's what you do. I'm wide awake, but you are standing there naked, plain as day." he informed her. "Reading from the book of Leviticus."

"Do you wanna know what happens next?" she shook her head. "No, neither do i. So i poured the medicine away. Go and get Johnny, Mary."

-

Maeve stood in the corner of Tommy's office and flicked through a book that she wasn't even paying attention to.

"Good morning Mr Solomon's," Tommy sighed, stepping to his office. "Yeah it is." Alfie nodded. "Nice little place you've got here, Thomas. What is it? A foreclosure of a gambling debt from some poor young lord who you pumped full of opium in one of your casinos?." he asked. "Or is that just tittle-tattle?"

"He's funny." She snorted with laughter and sat down in a chair with the book still in hand.

"Drink?" Tommy sighed. "Nah i don't touch it mate. Your housekeeper said you're not allowed to drink. Eh? She said you are suffering from so many ancient injuries from your sporting life, that your head is like some sort of smashed vase that has been stuck back together by a horse." Alfie looked him up and down.

"Did my housekeeper tell you that or my niece?"

Alfie looked at Maeve for a moment and examined her. "Nah, never seen her in my fucking life mate. It was ya housekeeper. It had to be." He paused. "Now, word in London is that you can be found wandering the streets of Birmingham stark naked, throwing away money, Tommy."

Tommy sat down frowning. "You talk to dead people," Alfie continued. "Also that you believe you are powerful enough to summon up Jews..of a very particular standing up to the gentle wilderness wherein you live in order for them to do your fucking bidding, mate."

"And still you came," Tommy sighed.

"Yeah, well, you know i was passing wasnt i?"

"Do you know something, Alfie, this morning i tried to read the paper, and i realised that the only consequence of my terrible accident is that i now need glasses." he trailed off.

"Right.." Alfie nodded, "right well i know a man, who can make you a pair of these." he pulled out his own pair.

"He is a magician, mate." he nodded, "he is a magician. So not only will you be able to read your newspaper but you will also be able to see into the future.. Now i know this because he made this pair here for me. So you don't have to worry about telling me what this is all about cause i've already seen it mate."

Tommy nodded along. "You're fucking about with the Russians ain't you, you silly boy."

A whistle left Maeve's mouth and she finally slammed the book down causing the pair to jump. "Somebody other than me has you figured out, uncle Tom. Can't be letting this happen or you'll loose ya place on the throne." She taunted.

-

"Right you've got two choices Micheal." John said, smoking a cigar. "Fuck off to America with Arthur, join the Apaches, or you marry the girl."

Micheal sighed, placing his hands into his pockets. "This isn't a joke."

"Arthur, are you really gonna live with the Apaches?" Johnny Dogs asked. They ignored him. "Told her father yet?" Arthur questioned.

"No." Micheal said, frustrated.

"He'll fucking shoot you, man. I know i'd shoot the bastard if that happened to Maeve. Are you sure that kid's yours?" He tormented. "I wish i hadn't told you," Micheal sighed, pacing the room.

"Then think of marriage a beautiful road, flowers all the way down it." Arthur spoke. Micheal raised his eyebrows, looking at John. "Is he joking?"

"Oh, it's hard to tell these days."

"Do you, uh. Do you love the woman?" Arthur asked. Micheal leaned forward, hands on the table. "Fucking what?"

"Go and marry her like the rest of us."

"She's doesn't want her family to know. She doesn't want to have the baby." Micheal groaned, pinching his nose.

"We know a woman."

"Shut up John."

"Same woman who helped you out twice." John nodded at Arthur. "Not my women." Arthur refused, leaning back in his chair.

"Hm? That's why you had them fixed Arthur."

"Charlotte will want the best," Micheal admitted. "She is the best," John told him. "Used to be a nurse. 20 minutes. Done."

"You don't have to go in or wait outside. You go to the Garrison, drink whiskey, have a laugh. Remember John? Then this kid walks in, no shoes on and says 'it's done.' Second time we was in there, same kid. This time he's wearing..shiny new shoes. He shouts 'it's done Arthur!'"

"And what?" John shrugged.

"She bought new shoes with the money i gave her. It was for a good cause.."

Micheal picked up a glass of whiskey, walking across the room. The bell rang. "Tommy said when that bell rings, we're to go to the big room." Johnny spoke.

"Arthur you said marry her like the rest of you. Where's Maeve's mum?" Micheal hissed. Arthur's face dropped and he slowly lowered his glass of whiskey. "You shut your fucking mouth."

Johnny patted Michael's back, "come on, Tommy has a plan."

They all joined Tommy and Alfie in the office and Arthur froze. "Arthur," Alfie smiled. Arthur tried walking out, "Arthur?" Alfie asked.

"Arthur come here," Tommy said. "Shalom." Alfie shouted. Arthur groaned and walked back in, closing the door. "Arthur, shalom-"

"Come on dad," Maeve urged and gave up her seat for him, standing off to the side. "Yeah..yeah ello Maeve." He grunted.

"Come here," Alfie said to Arthur. "Come, let's sit down. I owe you a little something don't i. I do. Come on."

Arthur looked at Tommy and sat down. "Listen, Arthur, i want you to know that whatever happened between us back then that was business..It was just business, alright? And i also want you to know that i have made my apologies via my own God," he nodded. "for abusing a very good day to get you clinked up and battered, which i did. And i would also like to extend my personal apologies unto you."

Arthur looked at him. "I hear you have allowed jesus to come into you life, Arthur."

"Oh you heard then?" Arthur asked. "Yeah that's beautiful, that's wonderful, that is lovely isn't it."

"And i was wondering how does that work for you on a day to day considering your line of work, mate."

"Your apology is accepted." Was all Arthur said. "Cause i hear you're a right fucking nuisance with it," Alfie continued. Arthur inhaled sharply, gripping the glass ash tray beside him. "Pack it in you two." She warned.

"You see all i'm saying is that every man craves his certainty, doesn't he?"

Tommy watched carefully.

"Even if that certainty of yours, right..well i mean it's fucking fanciful mate isn't it." he tormented. Arthur dropped the ash tray.

"I'm old testimony," Arthur whispered. "Fucking hell look at that, now that, that scared me more." Alfie pointed at his face. "Yeah. Congratulations Tommy. You now have the finished article right here don't you. See that man right he will murder and mail for you with God on his side."

"I thought she was fucking scary— and believe me it ain't often i call a girl scary but the look in her eyes, she's his daughter ain't she? You don't want to let them go." Alfie said enthusiastically.

They all turned their heads toward Maeve when she began clapping. "Thank you, Mr Solomons," she said sarcastically, "thank you for the wonderful performance you've given us this afternoon- and the inspirational words. I'll think of that tonight when i'm going to bed." She sat with a large grin on her face.

A breathy laugh could be heard leaving Alfie's mouth. "Well then, i'll be on my way." He said to Tommy when he finally stood up.

Maeve quickly went to pull the door open to let him out and flashed him a smile. "Mr Solomons," she stopped him and took a step out of the room. "You know.." she began, "if you were to  ever- i don't know, set my dad up again, yeah? If you were to do that again, I hope you know you'll be dealing with consequences too, hm? Did you know i like blades, Mr Solomons."

He listened to her carefully. Maeve leaned in slightly to whisper to him, "i've had my fair experiences with guns too— Tommy will give you a list of people i've almost killed. I'll tell him to leave out the people i actually did kill."

"Is that a threat? Cause if that's a threat, yeah—"

"No, no." She stopped him, "it's not a threat. How could a girl like me threaten a man like you? I'm just a girl after all. I'm harmless," Maeve shrugged, a wide smile still remaining on her face as she taunted him.

"You can all fuck off." He hissed, turning for the front door.

"I hope you like promises, Mr Solomons. Because i can assure you I don't make threats. But i do indeed make promises." Maeve called out. Alfie said no more but continued walking further from the house, mumbling things that were hardly audible.

"Not getting into trouble are you Maeve?" Tommy asked when he crossed the hall to collect a bottle of whiskey.

She raised her eyebrows, "no of course not! Why would I ever do such a thing."

Tommy chuckled and shook his head, "you're mad. Completely mad. But not in the same way as ya father— he's just off his head. But you," Tommy pointed a finger at her with his hand that held the whiskey bottle. "You are a force to be reckoned with."

"A force to be reckoned with," she repeated, "i'm going to write that down and have it framed on my wall." Maeve joked. "You're a man of many words, uncle Tom."

"But yet it always seems to be you on the receiving end of my many words, eh?"

"What is it that Linda says— oh yeah, there's a reason for everything. God has a plan." Maeve winked, clasping her hands in front of her and walking away, leaving Tommy completely baffled by what she'd just said.

"She makes no sense." He muttered when he entered the office again.

"Who, Maeve?" John chimed in, "when has anything that's left her mouth ever made sense?" He laughed. "Trust me, John. The things that girl says when she's in the presence of me, they make complete sense. I'm starting to think that maybe i should be giving all your jobs," he nodded between Arthur and John, "to her." He finished.

"Ya takin the fuckin piss?" Arthur scoffed, "she's off her head half the time. There's a reason she's on meds, Tom."

"Yeah, the same reason you were on them two years ago, eh? Oh and Arthur, does she know about Linda's baby yet?" Tommy reminded him in a somewhat threatening way.

Arthur lowered his head and mumbled a "no."

"Hm, wouldn't it be a shame if she found out? Only God knows how she'd react to that. Especially if she wasn't taking her meds." Tommy said, sitting at his desk and opening the drawer to reveal the bottle he'd somehow taken from the room she'd been staying in.

But of course neither John or Arthur could see this. "Well the only way she wouldn't be on her meds would be if someone took them," Arthur laughed, completely oblivious.

"Yeah that'd be a shame, wouldn't it? Not like she'd realise if someone took them anyway."

Arthur's laughing trailed off slowly and he no longer found his brothers words funny. "What're you on about, Tom?" He asked.

Tommy shrugged and raised his glass of whiskey. "To our Maeve, eh? May the lord be fucking with us all." He said, no expression on his face at all.

John looked at Tommy then at Arthur. "Am i missing something 'ere or are you just being fucking weird?" He questioned. Arthur kept his eyes on Tommy, "i'm going with the second option. He's just being fucking weird."

"Someone go tell Maeve we will be leaving soon, wouldn't want her to come back downstairs and realise we have left her without warning would we?" Tommy leaned his head back.

"Since when did you care about her so much? Swear you tried to kill her or something- or was it the other way round?" John rambled.

Tommy groaned. "It was both, John. But she's still my niece, nevertheless. Now stop drinking all my fucking whiskey and go tell your daughter we're leaving. We can't be late- the Petrovna's won't wait." He turned his attention to Arthur.

He watched Arthur roll his eyes and practically drag himself from the room to find Maeve. But to his surprise she was already approaching the office. "Ello you." Arthur said awkwardly.

"Who pissed in your whiskey?" She scoffed, brushing past him to go into the office. "No one pissed in my bloody whiskey." Arthur retorted. "Well straighten ya face, you've got a face like a slapped arse." She insulted, going over to Tommy's whiskey table and pouring herself a glass.

John stifled a laugh and finished off his own drink.

"You taken ya meds today?" Arthur asked. Maeve stared down at her glass and stopped pouring, giving Tommy a very subtle glance before turning to Arthur and smiling.

"Took them this morning with my breakfast." She lied.

Maeve knew someone had done something with them. And she knew that the someone was Tommy. But she wasn't going to complain or ask for them back. Because she knew she felt better without them.

She felt normal without them.

"Right, go on you two. I'll meet you round by the car." Tommy said when he stood up. John jokingly shoved Arthur through the open door and they began messing about, their voices getting quieter as they got further.

"You've took them, haven't you?" Maeve asked Tommy. He stood with his hands in his pockets and nodded. "I have."

"Can i ask why?"

"Have you ever been to the fair, Maeve?" He asked. She frowned and thought for a moment, "despite the fact that there's very few fairs that i've been allowed at, yes i have. What's your point?"

"What animals do you see there?"

"Horses..yeah horses. I think that's it." She said, still confused. Tommy took a deep breath and placed down his empty whiskey glass. "Horses are tame animals, i'd say. You don't see any wild animals- dangerous animals locked up at the fair, do you? That's because dangerous animals go insane when they're locked up, Maeve."

"Continue." She nodded slowly. "Hold on, are you saying i'm a dangerous animal."

"Not exactly. I'm saying that your mind is the animal, the pills are the bars that keep you locked up. They are a restriction on your mind, no? Just like a metal cage is a restriction to a dangerous animal."

"You're ridiculous." She laughed.

"If we release the dangerous animal- let's say back into a more natural habitat. Yes it's still dangerous. But it's free. We all like being free, don't we Maeve?"

Maeve had now began understanding what he was saying. Despite the underlying insult of him comparing her to a dangerous animal, his words were true.

The only point of her medication was to keep her sane. Or on the other hand, keep her locked up. Not physically but mentally. And Maeve didn't like that.

And when did Maeve Shelby ever stick to something she didn't like? Never.

"I thought you dropped out of school, why the fuck are you so wise?" Maeve asked, throwing back the rest of her drink and blinking hard. Tommy shrugged, "when you have to climb your way to the top, you learn things along the way." He said.

She paused. "I heard what you said. Is Linda having a baby?" She asked. He dropped his head in disappointment when realising she'd been listening in. "Yes but ya father seems to be refusing to tell you."

"I don't care anyway. Dad already seems to be forgetting about me.What difference would a bastard baby make."

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