𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟓

Maeve walked alongside the whole family, pulling uncomfortably at her clothes like usual. She hated wearing such annoying clothes.

Arthur grabbed her by the shoulder. "Come on you, picture." He said, pulling her in to the rest of the group. She forced a smile onto her face and let it fall immediately after the camera flashed.

John threw an arm around her shoulder and walked inside the new Grace Shelby Institution. "This is all ridiculous, why do i have to wear these clothes?" She whispered as they took their seats.

"If we're doing good things for the people, we need to look the part." He told her, getting comfortable in his seat and taking his and Esme's youngest kid from her arms.

"Welcome to the opening of the Grace Shelby institute for the none insured children of the poor. I would very much like you to join me in thanking the man that made the founding of this establishment actually possible. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Thomas Shelby."

People began clapping and Maeve whistled, cupping her mouth to make it louder, "come on Tommy! Speech, give us a speech!" She said with a smile, a genuinely proud feeling filling her.

"Yeah go on! Speech!" Arthur joined in. Tommy shook his head with a smile and handed a crying Charles to Ada. He stepped in front of the microphone. "Lay the foundation!" John called out.

"I didn't come here today to make a speech but i will say this. These children are now safe. In our care, they will be safe. Because we are from the same cold streets as they are and in our care, they won't be shipped away to the colonies. Or separated from kin. Or made to work for men in their various ways. They will grow up here, at home. Loved in Birmingham because this is our city."

"By order of the Peaky Blinders!"Arthur shouted jokingly earning laughs from a few. People began clapping despite the small selection that didn't support their family.

"Now let us sing Immortal Invisible." Polly spoke.

"I'm not bloody singing that stuff. It's bollocks." Maeve shrunk in her seat, crossing her arms.

-

"I just spoke to Johnny Dogs and he said the tunnels, it's heavy clay. It's slowing them down." John whispered to Tommy. "How long?" Tommy asked.

"Two days before they hit the wall."

"Tell him to dig a sink hole to drain the clay." Tommy said. John looked about, "he's asked for you to go down and have a look yourself, Tom." John said. "Told him wild horses wouldn't get you down there."

Before Tommy could reply, a woman had joined them. "Mr Shelby," she began. Tommy quickly smiled. "I would just like to say i wish i had met your dear wife before she was taken from us. And i'd like to allocate an hour a day of each of my ladies time to make winter clothes for the little ones."

"Should be glad you didn't meet her. She was a sneaky bastard." Maeve muttered.

Tommy had directed the woman over to Lizzie so he could continue talking. But it didn't take long before another came to him.

"This is a joke," Maeve complained, going to sit with Karl and John's kids as they played on the floor. "This is all silly aint it, James?" She asked Johns boy as she accepted a toy horse from him.

"Maeve, where's Charlie?" Tommy asked in a panic. Maeve looked up and frowned. "Ada gave him to you." She said, slowly standing up.

He looked around in a panic and began sending people in different directions. "Charlie?" Maeve shouted, running down one of the halls and rattling the handles of locked doors. "Charles where are you?"

Maeve could hear the distant shouting of Ada and the light mumbling of her dad. "Fuck— Charlie where are ya?" She continued looking and ended up outside.

"Maeve, Maeve!" Tommy shouted, "where is he? Where's my son?" His voice cracked. Maeve rushed over to him, John coming from the opposite way. "I can't find him, i've looked in all the halls."

John grabbed Tommy and began speaking to him whilst Maeve spun slowly, shouting the boys name loudly. "Charlie!"

"Maeve get in the car, you wait at the house with Polly. I ain't having you get involved with any of this." Arthur ushered her to the car that Tommy was getting into. She didn't argue like she usually would because she understood that this was different.

"We will find him, Tom." She said as the car began driving.

-

"I need Micheal at the Maypole junction. I need Moss to block all the roads south." Tommy instructed, grabbing the phone. "Give me Moss— gone where?" Tommy launched the phone into the wall and Maeve stood with wide eyes.

"Tommy." Polly warned. He began pacing. "It's them," he told her. "Who?" She asked. "It's fucking them." He repeated. Polly looked at him, "look it might just be some random woman, you know sometimes women go mad."

"No it's them."

Polly panicked and pushed herself from her chair. "Did you break the phone?" She grabbed the pieces from the floor. "You broke the phone. It's alright we've got another phone."

Maeve walked through to the office to get the other phone. "Tommy!" Ada walked through the house.

"Ada."

"There's someone outside- a priest." Ada said. Polly jumped from her seat and Tommy pointed at her, "stay here, Pol. Stay here." He said, unable to stop Maeve as she practically ran to the door, swinging it open. "Maeve come back!"

Maeve ran outside and ignored the men who stood by the door and went for the car. "You bastard!" She shouted, hitting the window with her fist. "You bring him back, you hear me? You fucking bring him back!"

Maeve felt herself being pulled away by Tommy. "Maeve go- Maeve." He warned as she fought his grip, "Maeve go inside with Polly and Ada. Wait by the phone."

She shoved him away and stormed back to the house, wiping the rain from her forehead.

"Maeve." Arthur said when Maeve entered the house again, panting and trying to regain her breath. "We need to make calls, they have Charlie." She was speaking far too quickly.

"We're sorting it, yeah? Sit down." Arthur placed two hands on her shoulders and pushed her down into a chair. "Ada get her some water or something."

"Whiskey." Maeve corrected.

Arthur pointed a finger at Ada, "water."

"Where's Linda?" Tommy asked, causing Maeve to jump. Arthur began pouring himself a glass of whiskey, "with Esme."

"Esme's waters broke. Was just with her running around. Fucking broke her waters." John told them all when he walked through the door.

"Where's Finn?"

"Helping with the others, looking for the Riley. We couldn't reach him." Arthur grumbled. Maeve looked up, "helping with what? Youse haven't got him doing something dangerous have you? He's still a kid."

"He's sixteen Maeve, you're not even eighteen yet so quieten down." Arthur instructed.

"I need to know who spoke. Our enemies know everything. Everything- i need to know who spoke about business outside of the family. I need to know who spoke and who they spoke to. Now-" Tommy began.

"Tommy." Arthur cut him off.

"Your wife, Arthur?" Tommy accused. Maeve snorted. "Wouldn't be surprised with all that yapping she does in church." Arthur looked at her coldly. "I'm going to tell myself that you're not thinking straight. Your minds not clear." He looked back at Tommy,

"Or Esme?" Tommy suggested. John raised his eyebrows. "Using cash for cocaine, eh John."

"Fuck you." John hissed.

Tommy directed his glare to Ada. "All of a sudden back in the family, Ada? Eh, that's a surprise. Out of the blue. On whose orders?"

Ada shook her head in disbelief. "Tommy this is not helping find him." Polly stood in.

"And you and your painter. You said he knows you. Things developed, you talked. If anyone has talked about the tunnel to anyone else, i need to know and i need to know this second." Tommy demanded.

"What about your clay kickers. Drunk in a pub."

Maeve remained quiet. "I trust those men with my life," he said. "More than you trust us?" Arthur gritted through his teeth. "Yeah. As of an hour ago yes."

"Where's Micheal in this fucking line up anyway?" John huffed. Polly snapped her head toward him. "You leave Micheal out of this."

"Oh yeah? Don't even fucking know him. How long have you fucking known him? Fucking three years."

"No he's not going to he your willing boy." Polly refused. "Don't even fucking know the boy." John shrugged.

"I never told Micheal about the Lily's of the Valley." Tommy interrupted, "the only people i told are in this room." He looked back at Ada. She stepped forward. "Tommy i want you to know that i came for love. And common sense." She walked off.

"And Esme's got no need for extra cash." John muttered, following after Ada before stopping in his tracks. "What about Maeve? You said the only people who know are in this room? What about her. Isn't it all a bit weird how she's suddenly ya best mate." He accused.

Maeve shot him a harsh look. And if looks could kill, he'd be dead. Arthur didn't even defend her. "So what, you think the same, eh dad?" She said through disgust.

A pathetic laugh fell from her mouth. "For your information he told me because i'm the only person he can truly trust. I'm the only person smart enough to understand him. So you know what, John?" She asked, standing and walking to him. He raised his eyebrows and waited for her to continue. Maeve leaned close to his face. "Fuck off." She hissed.

John leaned back slightly and let his mouth part. Maeve looked over to Arthur. "You can fuck off too. It's like i don't even know who you are anymore."

Arthur stared down at his feet and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "You bring my wife into this— means we speak when this business is done." He looked at Tommy from over his shoulder.

Maeve couldn't believe him. All he cared about was Linda.

"John, Arthur. I need fifty sticks of BSA dynamite and three hundred lines of cable. And six detonators. By midday tomorrow, this evidence i need you to scatter it. You're blowing up a train and people are going to die." Tommy told them and placed paper on the table.

Maeve let Arthur and John walk past her and out of anger, she grabbed a glass and threw it at their feet. "You're a fucking pair of cowards! Cowards who refuse to see the truth behind anything! Animals aren't supposed to be kept in cages, dad!" Her voice bounced off the wall and he tried his hardest to ignore her whilst he walked away.

Polly had somehow slipped away during this, leaving Maeve and Tommy to be the only ones in the room.

"Animals are not supposed to be kept in cages." She repeated, her voice cracking ever so slightly. "Just like you said, Tom. But here we fucking are. Just animals kept in this bloody zoo!" She kicked a chair to the floor.

"One day they'll wish they'd seen your potential Maeve." He said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pistol.

Her eyes widened slightly and he opened up the gun, taking out the singular bullet that sat inside and took her hand. He opened it up and placed the cold metal onto her palm.

She wrapped her fingers around it and gasped slightly. Tommy held up the bullet. "Read it."

Maeve took it from him and rotated it to read the engraving. Hughes. Her breath hitched.

"It was supposed to be Micheal carrying out this shooting, Maeve. But Polly has refused. She's threatened-"

"Tommy, sorry i'm late. We looked everywhere, all the way up to Haye Mills. So nothing." Finn walked in. Tommy looked away. "Get four cans of petrol in the boot of my car and bring it round. Put cigarettes in a lamp in the box." He instructed.

Finn looked at Maeve for a few moments, curious as to whatever it was she was holding behind her back. She couldn't meet his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to say something.

-

John stood with Arthur and they turned their heads when they could hear the light footsteps of Maeve. "I spoke to Micheal earlier and he said he was on the road with Tommy this morning. And he killed a man. He needed cover and Micheal was all he had."

"Hold on a minute, why are you here?" John asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "I'm the one carrying out the killing of Hughes. Not Micheal."

John and Arthur looked at each other. "What did he give you?" Arthur asked. Maeve pulled the gun from her pocket and showed him. "He said it was good for closed range."

"You'll be better with mine," Arthur offered. Only she refused. "No this is mine now, he gave it to me for a reason. I've used a gun before."

Arthur shook his head and John pulled out paper, moving on the conversation to avoid anymore trouble. "This is where we think Charles is being held."

"They're not expecting no one. So, he should be alone." Arthur assured her. "There's two good men there. You do what they say."

"But i fire the bullet, alright?" She spoke in a demanding way. "Yes you can be there but it's better if they do it. See these are experienced men, Maeve." Arthur tried to change her mind. "When you're sure the kid is safe, you call Finn."

"All right." She agreed hesitantly. "Why is it you don't trust me to do this? Tommy does."

"That's because Tommy's using you as his own personal mad dog, Maeve. An you need to see it before he gets you involved in shit you don't need to be involved in." John piped up.

"Maybe you're right. But maybe that's because he's gotten sick and tired of his own mad dog. Ever thought of that?" She suggested, referring to her father.

-

"You wait here." Maeve spoke, "i'll do the killing. That's a fucking order." She said, playing with the gun in her hand.

The men in the front of the car didn't argue when she got out and approached the church. Her heart was pounding and she felt like she could hear it through her chest.

As Maeve entered the building, she pushed a door open slowly and held the gun close to her. Maeve took deep breaths and pointing the gun when Hughes appeared.

"What do ya think you're doing?" Hughes asked, gasping when Maeve pressed the barrel of her gun into his eye. He held his hands up. "Please don't- please don't shoot. Please don't shoot."

Just as Maeve was about to fire a bullet into Hughes' head, he'd knocked the gun from her hand.

Hughes shoved Maeve against the wall and then into the floor, kicking her. "What do you think you're doing?" He hissed, picking her up and punching her. "Do you know who you're fucking with?"

"Do you know who you're fucking with, eh?" She shouted back, dragging him by the jacket and trying her best to put up a fight.

He held Maeve by the neck and stared her in the eye, watching the girl's face grow red. "I'll take ya fucking life from ya! You gypsy bastard."

And with that, she sent a blade forward into Hughes' eye, causing him to stumble backwards. "This bastards mine!" Maeve shouted as the two men from the car stormed in. "Go call Finn!" She instructed, wasting no time before kneeling down and pressing his blade into Hughes' neck.

Maeve watched as blood poured and the colour left the his face. He watched as the life was drained from Hughes' eyes.

She held her head and leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths as she slid down it. "I've done it, Tommy. I've done it for you." She whispered to herself, peeking her head around the open door when she could hear the light babbling of Charlie.

"It's alright." Maeve wiped the blood from her hands onto her legs and reached for Charlie, taking him in her arms.  

-

All heads turned when the door of the Shelby offices was pushed open, Charlie's cries loud. Maeve appeared with blood all over. Her face covered in it, her bare legs too. As well as the edge of her dress.

Ada and Polly ran to her, Ada taking Charlie and calming him down. Polly just looked at her for a moment.

Maeve stared at Polly. Polly blinked a few times and turned away when panicked mumbling came from the other doors at the back of the room.

"Isiah," Maeve croaked, her eyes landing on the one face that would manage to give her a sense of relief. He let out a breath and practically ran to her.

"You did it, didn't you?" He asked quietly. Maeve nodded, almost ashamed for the first time after doing such a thing. Isiah cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in, holding her tight as she loosely draped her arms around him, not wanting to get blood on his clothes. "I did it." Maeve said.

Isiah hushed her and kissed the top of her head. 

"Sorry to disturb the moment but Tommy wants to talk to you, he's on the phone." Ada said.

Maeve slowly shook her head. "Tell him i'm fine. Charlie's fine. He can talk to me when he gets back." She sounded as if she were going to be sick. 

And she was. Isiah watched her rush back out of the building and into the rain, stopping outside the door and doubling over. He winced and went to rub her back.

"Get this shit off me," she begged, scratching at the crimson blood on her hands.

Isiah grabbed her hands quickly to stop her and shook his head. "It's all over, Maeve. This is an easy fix now, the trouble is done." He said, wiping as much blood from her hands as he could by using his sleeve.

-

It had been not even twenty four hours before the whole of the Shelby family were piled into the office of Tommy's house.

Maeve sat beside Esme and John, staring at the piles of money on the desk in front of her. "What's this, Tommy?" She asked, unsure if she wanted the answer.

"Before i begin, i want to let you know I made a mistake. I made a mistake. And i want to apologise to all of you. Arthur, you warned me against getting involved in Russian business. And you were right. I doubted your wife, for that i'm sorry. Linda i've added three thousand here in hopes that you'd forgive me."

He pushed the money forward. Linda scowled as she stood. "Apology accepted."

Maeve scoffed. "Esme i doubted you as well." Tommy continued. "Now John has innocent lives on his conscience," she said angrily. "Ordinary working men."

"Yeah alright Esme. Got it." John said.

"No, shes right. Now you and Arthur are going to have to share that burden. But i hope the house you can buy with this can become a place of contemplation. Perhaps redemption." Tommy offered.

"Charlie, lost tools and dangerous goods." Tommy threw his uncle some money. "Curly and his wise words. Johnny, for lodgings. Lizzie." He trailed off. Lizzie pushed the money back toward him.

"Maeve." He began, "for the killings. Five for the cutting, five for the shooting." Tommy said. Maeve reached for it but Arthur pushed her hand away. "No, Tommy."

"What?!" Tommy shouted, "tell me, eh? This is who i am! And this is all i can give you for what you've give me. For your hearts and your souls. Yesterday, i nearly lost my son." He sounded like he was on the verge of tears, "you should understand that." He hissed at Arthur. "For what? For what, for this? And i know you all want me to say i'll change and that this business will change but i've learnt something in the past few days. Those batards, those bastards are worse than us. Politicians, fucking judges. Fucking lords and ladies- they're worse than us."

Maeve looked at Isiah for reassurance.

"And they will never admit us to their palaces no matter how legitimate we become. Because of who we are. Because of who we fucking are and where we're fucking from. Isn't that right Ada?"

Ada kept quiet. "Our Ada knows, she got smart about revolution and she knows you have to get what you want your own way. Lizzie, i want it know that the money was for you because some nights, it was you who stopped my heart from breaking. No one else. And the rest of you, you took the kings shilling. You took the kings fucking shilling and when you take it, the king expects you to kill. Isn't that right Arthur?"

Arthur couldn't look at him. "That's how it works, right John?" Maeve leaned forward and took the money. "That's right." She nodded.

"That's right, Arthur. That's fucking right. Maeve knows more than anyone. And she's lived half the life of all of us."

"Tommy, you've both had a hard time. We understand." Polly began. "No you don't understand," Maeve defended, "because youse don't get belittled the way we do. You believe in him but who believes in me? Tommy. He believes in me."

Polly raised a hand to shush her. "At an alternative time, when we have all recovered. I'd like to put before the family, an alternative view of the future of the Shelby Company Limited. A more hopeful view."

Ada grinned. "Which I for one would quite like to hear." Esme stood. "As would I." She agreed. Maeve rolled her eyes, "oh sit down, Esme. You're not special."

"As would I." Lizzie nodded.  

"Come on, Arthur. The train for the dock leaves in an hour." Linda said, "then we will get the boat to New York and it'll all be in the past."

Maeve looked up in confusion. "What? What boat? New York- what are you talking about, Dad what's she talking about?" Her heart began pounding.

Arthur stuttered. "I were going to tell you, Maeve. I was."

"Just like you were going to tell me about the baby?" She argued. "Yeah that's right, Maeve, the last to find out. I've known about the baby for days. It was only my lack of medication that forced me to not care. What do you all take me for?" She asked, tears welling in her eyes.

John squeezed her shoulder and Arthur refused to argue. "I'll be off then, Tom."

"You can go, Arthur but you won't get far." Tommy said as he stared down at the table. "Alright Tom." Arthur stifled a laugh.

"I spoke to Moss last night." He began, "he told me that the chief constable of Birmingham has issued a warrant for your arrest. Murder, sedition, conspiracy to cause explosion. John, they're coming for you as well. Murder, conspiracy to cause explosion."

Maeve's heart dropped. She knew what was coming. She knew what he'd done. It was over. 

"Maeve, the murder of Hughes." He said. Everyone's stomach turned, their hearts dripping. Arthur stared in complete disbelief. "And the murder of chief inspector Chester Campbell."

"What the fuck." Arthur said.

Maeve grabbed John by the arms, her whole body shaking. He looked at her with eyes full of anger and disgust directed to his brother. "John tell me he's lying," she begged. He held her arms and just looked at her.

John held her tightly. "Why didn't you fucking tell us, Tommy?!"

Tommy began briefly explaining things but people began pounding on the door. Arthur was shouting as well as John. "Why didn't you tell us- what have you done? Look what you've done to her!" John seemed more concerned about Maeve than himself.

Isiah was now holding her by the face, trying to keep her standing. Finn stood beside him and the pair of them repeated that everything would be okay. 

"They'll hang me, Siah." She cried, sobbing uncontrollably.

Everyone was ushered out the room and Maeve ran toward Tommy. "You bastard! What have you done! You said i deserved a chance, you said you believed in me." Maeve screamed, being pulled away by Finn.

"Finn you can't let them take me, you can't. I'll die. I don't want to fucking die." She begged. "Dad!" Her scream was torture to listen to and Arthur tried to go to her, tried to hug her but he was pulled back by a copper and pushed up against the wall.

"Dad! Please get off him! Stop it." She shouted.

Maeve screamed continuously when she felt her arms being pulled behind her back. "Isiah." She cried, "Tommy you can't let them do this to me." Maeve shouted as he just stood and watched.

Isiah was held back by Finn as he stared at Maeve who was worse than they'd ever seen her before. They were helpless, couldn't do anything.

Nothing at all.

"Thomas you swore you believed in me!" She cried, still fighting as she was being dragged away, "you swore to protect me from all of this— please don't let them take me, uncle Tom! I'm begging you don't let them take me."

Finn looked at Tommy with worried eyes, waiting to see if he would do something. But he didn't. "Tom do something. Please do something." Finn begged quietly, still holding Isiah.

Tommy looked at Finn coldly. And just for a moment, Finn could've swore he saw a slight glisten of guilt in Tommy's eyes.

"Finn-" Maeve was uncontrollably sobbing and putting up the biggest fight of her life, kicking and screaming like a child that hadn't gotten their own way.

"Maeve i'll get you out!" Finn shouted and let go of Isiah, taking quick steps toward her. "I won't let them kill you Maeve!" He promised, running outside and being pulled back him the arm. Isiah held him back, watching his close friend stare at the cars lined up full of his family.

Isiah's heart was pounding. They'd taken her away.

Finn stumbled backward into Isiah's chest and his breath hitched. "They can't kill her, Siah." He whispered, "she's just a kid."

Which sounded hilarious coming from his mouth considering he was younger than her.

"How could you do this?" Finn's voice cracked as he looked back at Tommy who hovered at the door. "How could you do that to them- to Maeve? She just wanted a chance and you made her think she finally had one! How could you do this?!" He broke away from Isiah and ran for Tommy, punching him in the chest over and over.

"Alright, Finn— come on, come here." Tommy forcefully grabbed Finn's wrists and pulled him in.

"You're a monster, Tom. A fucking monster."

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝

i want you to ignore the fact that in the episode this happened, Linda had a very visible baby bump. For the sake of the story line, she doesn't. Because Maeve just ignores the whole thing and acts like she's not interested considering she had to find out through Tommy and not Arthur.