𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔𝟑

Maeve sat outside a building she was unsure about. She tapped her fingers against the seats in the car. Arthur had driven them there and left Maeve inside the car. He told her he wouldn't be long. But considering it was a Sunday and most places were closed, he'd been long enough.

Having had enough, she got out of the car and walked into the building, the sounds of grunts and screams of agony filling her ears.

Dread grew within her and she quickened her pace. "Dad?" She asked, turning the corner. That's when she saw it. That's when she saw him. Arthur was beating a man.

"Dad!" Maeve shouted, rushing to the pair and attempting to pull Arthur off. He'd been holding a cloth over the man's face and he was now no longer conscious.

"I am a good man— i'm a good man like you." Arthur said on the verge of tears. Maeve forcefully dragged Arthur away and kneeled beside the man, placing two fingers on his neck.

"He's still breathing— dad what the fuck are you playing at? Who— who even is this?" She asked, holding the man's face.

Arthur stumbled backward and wiped his mouth. "That—" he pointed, "is the man that Linda has been going to about our bloody marriage." He said angrily. Maeve closed the eyes and let out a breath of frustration. Linda.

It was only seconds before Maeve had gotten Arthur by his collar and shoved him up against the wall. "Look at what you're doing. To yourself, to other people. I thought you'd gotten better." Maeve whispered.

Arthur looked away and his chest heaved up and down. "Linda is not worth this trouble, dad." She paused. "Look at me." He did nothing. "Arthur, look at me!"

He turned his head at the mention of his name and locked eyes with Maeve.

"I'm your daughter. If you were to look in a mirror— you'd see me looking back at you. We are the same person, dad. If i'm the devils daughter, that makes you the devil. Linda took Billy. I'm all you've got. So for the love of god, listen to me. Please listen to me."

"Yeah..yeah i'm listening." Arthur said.

"Linda isn't an angel, dad. She's selfish. She forced you into living a life that wasn't fit for you. All of this," she paused, "the life we have lived for years, is the life we belong in. Even if it makes us bad people. Me and you don't have the capabilities to change. No matter how hard we try, we will always be bad people."

Arthur nodded and closed his eyes, leaning his head on Maeve's shoulder. "What have I done, my girl?"

"You've let that bitch get inside your head. Let her go. Let her go for the sake of your own sanity. If you have any left." Maeve whispered with a smirk tugging at her lips.

Arthur stifled a laugh and lifted his head. "She took Billy, Maeve. My son." Arthur said.

Maeve nodded sadly and held the sides of his neck. "And i'll do everything I can to help you see him again. I promise." She whispered to him.

That conversation and seeing the way Arthur had lashed out on an innocent man is what made Maeve think. There was only one thing she could do to try help him. And it could either go terribly wrong or work in their favour. Get in contact with her mother Lillian.

Maeve remembered Arthur's reaction to Lillian making an appearance at the hospital when Maeve almost died. And he didn't seem to resent the woman. So surely seeing her again could help him.

-

Maeve sat at the desk in Tommy's office with her head in her hands. Tommy was away somewhere with Oswald Moseley and Arthur was on his way down to Ireland for an unknown reason.

She stared at the phone and thought for a few moments. She knew her mother's number off by heart. Fuck it. Maeve grabbed the phone and dialled the number, letting it ring.

"Hello?" Lillian spoke. "Mum? It's me, Maeve." Maeve said nervously. "Oh Maeve! How have you been, love?" Lillian spoke cheerfully from the other end.

Maeve leaned back in the chair and took a breath. "I've got a proposal for you." She said plainly. "And what would that be?" Lillian asked.

"Before I tell you, i must warn you that you're allowed to tell me no." She said. Lillian hummed in agreement. "Not too long ago..dad's wife, Linda, picked up and left with his son and we haven't seen her since. As you can understand, he isn't doing too well and I was wondering if maybe.." Maeve paused. "Maybe you'd consider coming down to Birmingham sometime. I feel it might help him."

There was silence for a few moments. "And you're sure he won't go mental on me— or you for that matter?"

"I don't think he ever stopped loving you, mum." She replied. "I think he needs someone other than his daughter who has also lost the plot in the same way he has."

"I understand." Lillian sighed. "I'll figure something out, Maeve. It's nice talking to you again."

"Goodnight, mum." Maeve finally said before putting the phone down. There was a knock on the office door that made her look up. "Yeah?" She called out.

Lizzie entered with a small card in hand. "This has came for you. There's no name or return address on it." She told her, walking over and placing the small card on the table.

"Thank you, Lizzie." Maeve frowned, picking it up and looking at the writing on it.

'Old ways won't open up new doors. Soon you'll realise it's hard to forget someone who gave you so much to remember.'

Shivers climbed up her spine and she uncomfortably leaned back again. A quick vision flashed in her head but it was too quick for her to understand what it was.

A strange feeling washed over her. An all too familiar feeling. The same feeling she would feel when being a teen. Each time, a problem would be arising for her or the family.

Maeve gently dropped the card onto the wooden desk and took a deep breath.
Something was coming. And it didn't feel good.

-

"Sorry i'm late!" Maeve's voice rang out as she burst into the snug of the Garrison. Tommy and Arthur looked at her for a moment, a small sense of confusion within them.

They looked back at the woman sat before them and Arthur nodded. "She's alright. She don't mean no harm." He assured her.

The woman took out brown paper and placed it down, gently unwrapping it. Arthur placed down his glass of whiskey, unsure what to expect. That's when the woman revealed three dead song birds.

"Their singing was the only pretty thing in my life." She spoke shakily. "I don't care that my husband beats me but not this." She shook her head.

Maeve covered her mouth and tried to conceal her laughter. Arthur looked up at her with a look of embarrassment.

"Mrs Conners, we have your address. We will speak to your husband. My brother here will go to the bullring markets today and buy you three more Gold Finches." Tommy promised.

Arthur swallowed. "The er— same colours and feathers, you know." He played along.

"The new ones i will call Thomas, Arthur and Maeve. That'll make him pause." She spoke. "Even when he's drunk. Good day, Mr Shelby."

The pair stood from their chairs and Tommy placed a hand on her back. "Take care, Mrs Conners." He said kindly. Arthur stood with his hands behind his back and gave her a simple, "Goodbye."

Maeve cleared her throat awkwardly and once the door closed she burst out laughing. "I don't know how you do this, Tom. I really don't." Arthur said with a sigh.

"You learn things, Arthur. That woman has only two rooms downstairs. Her husband has lost his job and he beats her. And yet the thing that brings her to see her member of parliament is songbirds." Tommy said. "Now that's politics Arthur."

Maeve swiped Arthur's glass of whiskey and finished the rest of it, leaving him staring at his now empty hand for a few seconds. "That was mine that was." He said.

Maeve shrugged. "Well I found that I was rather thirsty." She said with a grin, sitting down and crossing her legs. "So I have a bird named after me. That was not apart of my plans for this week." Maeve lashed. "Or for any week."

Arthur stifled a laugh and pulled out a list to hand to Thomas. "I've made a list of losers."

Maeve took it first and scanned over what was on it but quickly handed it to Tommy when she realised it was about football.

"How much have we made on the football?" Tommy asked. "Ten grand this week. Finn— showing promise, Tom. Maybe we should put him on the track." Arthur said proudly. "Just a thought."

"I agree." Maeve nodded. Tommy raised an eyebrow at her. "You agree do you, Maeve?" He asked. Maeve placed her hands on her knees and looked up at the ceiling through frustration. "I was not talking to you, thank you." She retorted.

Arthur poured another glass of whiskey.

"But yes. I agree. Finn deserves to be apart of the bigger picture now that he's growing up. I was introduced to it all when I was younger than he was. It's only fair. If you don't start soon, you'll only be causing the fire inside him to grow." Maeve said, accepting the glass from Arthur and swirling it around.

"I'll keep my mouth shut on this one. I'd rather not have a blade pulled on me today." Tommy said sternly.

Maeve rolled her eyes.

"Tommy— the next fella wants to see both of you." Micky said from the window of the snug. Tommy turned to face him. "Do you know his face?"

"No, he's chinese."

"Chinese in our pub?" Arthur muttered, peering through the gaps between the designs of the frosted glass. Maeve sat up straight in her chair. "I thought we didn't fuck with the Chinese?" She asked.

Arthur looked down at her. "We don't. Tom—"

Tommy handed him a blade and nodded. Maeve reached into her pocket and retrieved the same switch blade she had pulled on Thomas only days earlier.

Tommy frowned at her antics as she began messing with it in her hands. He let out a breath. "Put it away, Maeve."

She bit her tongue and slipped it into her sleeve.

"Let him in slowly, Micky." Arthur instructed. Micky turned away from the window. "Three little birds, eh? Tommy, Maeve and Arthur." Arthur hummed to himself, holding his own blade between his fingers.

The door slowly opened and Arthur kept his hands behind his back. Maeve automatically examined the man who had entered— a fur coat over his light grey suit and a black hat on his head.

"Mr Thomas, Mr Arthur." He paused to take a seat and place his hat down. "And the queen herself." He spoke lowly, locking eyes with her. She almost laughed at the term used but decided not to.

"My name is Brilliant Chang." He said, removing his gloved. Arthur stood tall. "Brilliant Chang is dead." Arthur argued.

"Perhaps. Sometimes I wonder, is this heaven?" Chang laughed to himself. "Doesn't smell like heaven. So i would say I have survived." He said. Maeve and Arthur shared the same expression as they stared at the man.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Nobody moved.

"You should answer the phone, Mr Shelby." Chang suggested. It rang again. Nobody moved. Maeve took a deep breath and kept her eyes on the man before her. "Mickey being that phone here now." She said loudly, slowly getting up from her seat.

Maeve picked up the phone and held it to her ear.

"Arthur— Arthur!" Finn said in a panicked tone from the other end. Maeve reached down to Tommy's holster and pulled his gun, cocking it and aiming at Chang.

"Finn, it's me." She said.

"I sent a woman with a gun to your youngest brothers office." Chang spoke to Arthur and Tommy. "Alright, Finn." Maeve assured him, trying to calm the boy.

"Wait, wait." Finn panted. Maeve lowered the phone to Tommys ear and heard Finn switch from panicked to angry. "What the fuck is going on?!" He should.

Maeve withdrew the phone and held it up to her ear again. "Do you want to die again, Chang?" Maeve asked. "Cause i'll kill you and that whore you sent after my uncle."

"Good. Now that the guns are pointed, now we are all concentrating. The moment is now pure." Chang explained.

"Purity is not necessary. Displays are not necessary." Tommy shook his head.

"They said Tommy Shelby— that door will need some kicking down." He said. Tommy leaned forward. "When you walked through that door it was open. You don't need to do anything to get my attention. Now what exactly do you want?"

"Do you have a match, Mr Shelby?" Chang asked plainly.

Maeve clutched the gun hard. "Let me shoot him, Tom. Go on, give me the order." Maeve begged. Tommy stayed quiet. "If anything happens to my uncle, Chang. You die." She threatened.

Tommy lit Chang's cigarette for him.

"If you die here today we will bury you face down with no hands and you'll go straight to hell." Tommy quickly said.

"I don't care about rituals. I'm a rationalist, Mr Shelby."

"Well tell your friend on the phone to put her gun down and we can all have a talk." Tommy offered. Maeve heard a gunshot echo down the phone and she breathed heavily, her hands shaking from anger.

"Hold your fire, Maeve. Hold your fire." Tommy said.

"I'm alright— she fired into the ceiling!" Finn said quickly down the phone. "He's alright." Maeve whispered, relaxing her grip slightly. "Finn's okay." She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and placed the phone down.

"Give me the order. Give me the order, Tommy. Yes or no." Maeve asked again.

"At ease." He said calmly. "I said at ease." Tommy repeated. Maeve breathed heavily and lowered her gun.

"May i take something from my pocket, Mr Shelby?" Chang asked. Tommy nodded slightly and watched Chang pull out a small paper envelope, leaning forward and pouring the contents out onto the table.

"It is the purest opium that has ever arrived in Europe. No salt, no flour. No lies. Pure truth." He explained. Tommy raised his eyebrows. "It came off a ship called The Capital." Tommy chimed in. "Out of Shanghai. A week ago—"

He paused when Maeve had exited the room, slamming the door behind her. No way was she sitting there whilst they spoke about opium of all things. Not after her uncle had just been threatened with a gun.

Maeve walked out the back door of the Garrison which led straight to the building where Finn's office would be. Walking through the door, she was met with Isiah's face.

"What're you doing here, sweetheart?" He questioned. Maeve let out a breath and kept walking. "Making sure Finn is still fucking alive." She said, walking up the stairs.

As she was about to walk into his office, she was surprisingly met with Finn's chest as they almost clashed into each other. She frowned hard as he shoved past her with his gun in hand. He ran down the stairs and Maeve followed after him.

"Finn what're you doing?" She asked, trying to keep up. Finn was quick to get back to the Garrison but Maeve was close behind. He stormed through the pub and into the snug, pointing his gun.

"What the fuck is going on?" Finn shouted. Maeve slipped inside just before Tommy had pinned him to the wall and slamming the door.

Finn's gun fired into the roof and Arthur held his arm up against the wall.

"Finn, we are conducting a piece of business." Tommy scolded.

"That bitch had a gun pointed at him, Tom!" Maeve argued. "She had a gun to my fucking head!" Finn said angrily. "But your trousers are dry. You didn't piss yourself. He didn't piss himself, Arthur."

"Well done Finn." Arthur tormented and gently smacked his face. "Leave him alone." Maeve defended seriously.

"Had a dispute with a lady and you didn't piss yourself." Tommy continued. "And Arthur here tells me we should put you on the tracks. It's gonna be a good day for you after all, Finn." Tommy aggressively patted his chest.

Finn fumed and looked at Maeve whilst Arthur snatched his gun.

"Always have your whores searched at the door." Tommy pointed.

"If I see that bitch on the street i'll fucking cut her!" Finn leaned forward but only to be pushed back by Arthur. "Alright come on." Arthur pushed him out the door.

Maeve followed after him and ignored the questions from her father.

"You alright Finny?" Maeve asked, linking him whilst they walked. Finn shook his head angrily. "It's a joke, Maeve. They're a joke— the lot of them."

Maeve sympathised for Finn, she really did. She couldn't imagine how he felt constantly being pushed to the side. He was the brother Tommy and Arthur never got around to. And unfortunately that didn't seem like it was going to change any time soon.

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝