little shelby|| Peaky Blinders

2

Maxine's pov
I'm three. My brothers have been tense. I wonder why. I walk to Tommy and tug at his pants and he picks me up "hello little love" I ask "okay?" He sighs "not quite love" I tilt my head confused. He kisses my temple and takes me in the meeting room and says "can't continue this way" what? Aunt Polly says "Tommy" warning. He sighs "we can't. She'll wonder where we are if she wakes and we're gone" gone?

He tells me "John, Arthur and I are gonna go away for a bit" they always leave for I don't know what. Why is this different? I nod "work?" He shakes his head and kisses my temple and Arthur pipes up "it's different Max. We will do everything we can to return" what? John says "think of it as a long business trip love" I shake my head. Why are they talking like they won't come back? They'll come back right? I hug onto Tommy and say "don't go" he replies "we don't have a choice I'm afraid love" I pout "stay" Tommy makes me look at him "we have a week until we go. Maybe longer. We will do whatever it is that you wish to do every day until then. But when we go you'll be with aunt Polly and Ada. And we will do what we can to return. And when we do...it'll be just us. Nothing to tear us apart" I pout "I want you to stay" he hugs me "we wish we could. But we cannot love." I nod upset they're leaving me. Ada hates me. Polly is the only mother I know.

John's pov
The days pass before we'd like. She keeps begging us to just stay. We want to. None of us want to go to war. But we've been summoned. Todays the day and she's in my arms as we go to the train station. We've made her as happy as possible. Got her anything she's wanted as usual, spent time together. We celebrated her birthday months early. Because we know we won't be here for it. Or any others if we die out there.

Arthur's pov
Soon it's time for us to go. We purposefully missed the other trains so we can spend more time with her. This one's the last call. I take her "you be good alright Maxi" she hugs me tightly and I hold her to me as she sniffles "don't leave me" breaking all of our hearts. I tell her "it won't be forever sweetheart. Be good for aunt Polly yeah?" Handing her back over to John to say his goodbyes. She sniffles "I don't want you to go" tommys taking this the worst. We all look after her and love her and do all we can to give her the life we never got. But tommys especially attached to her. John tickles her gently with a soft smile as she tries and fights her giggles. He kisses her forehead wiping her tears "lemme see that smile aye?" And she hugs him "I love you" he kisses her head "I love you too max. We all do. Go say your goodbyes to Tommy yeah?" She nods and he lets her down. She walks over and he kneels to her height and that's when she fully breaks. Him holding her "aye look at me love" and she does sniffling "I love you alright? We all do." She sniffles "why leave?" He sighs. She doesn't understand it. She's only 3.

Tommys pov
Seeing her like this breaks our hearts. She's the light of our lives and seeing her hurting like this hurts so much. I sigh "Max we don't have a choice. If we did we'd never leave ya. Okay?" We're called for. Last call. This makes her hysterical. I hug her "shhh loves. It's alright. We'll be back before ya know it" forcing myself to kiss her head as she tries to grip onto me. I stand and she tries to clutch onto my leg but aunt Polly stops her and I swallow thickly "cmon" I say to the boys. I sigh in pain hearing her call for us crying. But we leave. To war.

Maxine's pov
I sniffle as the train leaves. My voice hoarse "t-Tommy" Polly says "cmon love. It won't be long until they're back" but why couldn't they stay? She asks "want some sweets when we get home? Put you in better spirits love?" I shake my head. Choosing silence. They left me. They said they wouldn't and they did. They're gone. She sighs "max" I shake my head grabbing her hand walking us home. Finn and Ada with us. Ada rolling her eyes "they'll be back no need for a show" I ignore her.

Polly's pov
It's been weeks. She's not spoken a word or made a sound. She's taking this really hard. Those boys mean everything to her. And she means everything to us. She often spends time with her horse she named Abby. But other than that she's alone. I told her to write to them and she did. Only once. If only I could know what's going on in her little head. She doesn't laugh, she doesn't smile, she doesn't talk. She's not the same happy little girl she once was. I even took her to someone hoping we can do something. But there's nothing to be done. Her voice works, she's just upset and refusing to talk. I've told the boys about it but no word back so far. And that's how it goes the 2 years they're away. She doesn't utter a word. She hardly writes to them too. Ada is often scolded for how she reacts to her not talking and her actions. She acts out. Finn and her grow closer and closer through the years. Atleast she has that.