"Shelby" a deep voice says as keys jangle waking Charlotte up, stretching out, "Martin, how nice to see you" she smirks, "mhm, come on" Martin replies as he and another officer take each of her arms, Charlotte had been placed in a male jail cell after a week in the womens where she'd beat the crap out of 9 guards, "what the fuck? Where are you taking me?" Charlie says thrashing against their grasp which didn't slacken as they walked her through the halls, when she heard 3 familiar voices, turning the corner she saw their faces. "Arthur! Michael! John1" she yells struggling against the guards, "Charlie" they shout back thrashing harshly to try and reach her. "Wheres Tommy?" John yells as they get taken into a white room where 4 nooses were hanging. "Charlie!" Arthur shouts, "Arthur!" she calls trying to reach for him but gets slammed into a wall, making her cough violently, "get the fuck off my sister" John rages squirming harshly in their grasp as the get dragged underneath the nooses. Closing her eyes to realise what we used to have, we don't have it anymore, theres no religion that can save us, no matter how long my knees are on the floor she hums, the song from her and Isaiahs wedding, opening her eyes she accepts that this was how she was going to go, no fear of death. Thats what she'd told herself all her life, so thats how she was going to stay. She wasn't going to beg or plead, she was going to keep her dignity as she left. Smirking as the noose was placed round her neck.
"In the bleak midwinter" Arthur says, John repeating it, all eyes on the leevers.
The mans hand slowly grasps the handle, when a faint yelling can be heard, heads turning to the door, where a warden bursts through with Chris. "Chris? What are you doing here?" Charlie yells out to him, and he grins in her direction holding up a sheet, the nooses being lifted from the families neck, she instantly runs over to him hugging him like her life depended on it, "you're alright" Chris whispers glad he got there just in time, as another 3 set of arms join them.
-
"Isaiah, Diego" Charlie breaths out getting out the prison seeing her husband and bestfriend stood there, rushing into their arms, pulling away Isaiahs lips were instantly on hers, John and Arthur fake vomiting from behind them, making the couple blush and pull away, searching Isaiahs face she couldn't help but feel like something wasn't right, but he smiled, gesturing behind her shoulder where Finn was quite literally sprinting over pulling Charlie into his arms, staying like that for at least 5 minutes, before Charlie got pulled away into another set of arms she recognised as Scuds.
"Lets go home" Arthur exclaims as the group pile into the cars
"i got a surprise for you" Isaiah whispers to Charlie, "yeah? what is it?" Charlie asks, "nuh-uh, you gotta wait love" Isaiah teases seeing her becoming frustrated as she lays her head on his shoulder, "where are we going? The house is back there" Charlie says noticing they'd missed their turn, "is it?" Isaiah smirks, driving down a country lane as a private house comes into view, "who lives here?" Charlotte questions, as he parks up the car. "We do" he smirks, showing her the keys as her mouth drops, taking in her surroundings, she could see Crystal and Shadow Dale in the stables, "it's all ours" Isaiah says kissing her cheek, leading her inside giving her a house tour.
"Our final destination, the bedroom" he smirks lifting her up bridal style placing her on the bed, as they got to work removing each others pieces of clothing, their bodies entwined, moving together, moans and groans passing through their lips as they made love in their new house. Collapsing next to each other panting once they'd finished. "I fucking love you" Isaiah states pressing their lips together again, "i guess.. you're alright" Charlie teases, "given the noises you were just making i'd say im a lot better than alright, or do we need to go for round 2?" Isaiah says huskily his hand caressing the side of her body, "i think we need to go for round 2" she smirks, that turning into a moan as he enters her in one swift motion, thrusting in and out, leaving her a moaning shaking mess beneath his body.
-
"I ignored it yesterday, because i was happy to see you all, but i can tell with you Z. There's something going on" Charlie says as they curled up in bed the next morning, "your brother" Isaiah says, "which one?" Charlie asks kissing his chest, "you know which one im talking about Char" Isaiah says, "what about him?" she questions, "we still work for him" Isaiah says glancing down to see her reaction, "who is we?" Charlie asks pulling away from him looking betrayed, "all of us, but Esme and Linda." Isaiah sighs as he watches her get out of bed getting dressed, "where are you going?" Isaiah asks, "somewhere you're not" she replies, "Char-" "don't Char me- whilst we were stood with nooses round our necks, he was sat here free, and you're all still his fucking lap dogs" Charlie says, "it's not like that" Isaiah defends, "whats it like then?" Charlie asks putting her jacket on, "okay, so maybe it is sort of like that" Isaiah sighs, and she scoffs at him, "Char, he's got a plan" Isaiah says getting out of bed putting his trousers on, "oh does he? Has he told you his plan?" Charlotte says and he stays silent, "of course he hasn't" Charlie tells him, shaking her head. "Because he doesn't fucking care about anyone but himself, he's a selfish prick. He almost let us fucking hang, just yesterday, he doesn't care, he almost let his family get hung!" Charlie exclaims, "he doesn't care" she says sadly as Isaiah embraces her, "he was my fucking brother, but he doesn't care about us. We were pawns in his little game, thats what it is to him. A game, not peoples lives, some sort of fucking chess match" Charlotte says wrapping her arms round her husband, "why didn't he care?" she asks quietly, settling into his arms.
-
"Where are you going?" Charlie groans feeling Isaiah get out of bed, "I've got a job to do, I'll be back before you wake up" Isaiah tells her kissing her forehead, as she rolls her eyes turning away from him, and going back to sleep, after hearing him let out a frustrated sigh, the bedroom door opening and shutting and his footsteps walking down the stairs, the car engine starting, and driving away.
-
"So, how is she?" Ada questions as Isaiah walks into Shelby Company Ltd, where Ada, Michael, Tommy, Finn, Lizzie, Diego and Harrison were sat around, "still pissed, spends most of her days in the stables with Dale and Crystal" Isaiah sighs, "its been like 3 weeks" Diego whines just wanting to see his bestfriend, "and she's really fucking angry, im lucky she talks to me at all" Isaiah replies, "and when she's not angry, she's sad, find her passed out on the sofa with a bottle in her hand, and sometimes she'll just sit there staring at her gun," he adds, "and then what?" Harrison questions, "just stands up and goes to see the horses, or punches a bag she set up" Isaiah tells them, "sometimes she takes em out for the day, leaving at noon returning at sunset, never says where she goes, just walks into the house, lights a cigar and gets a drink."
Sighing Tommy leans across his desk getting a glass, then reaching for the bottle of whiskey in his top drawer. Ignoring all the looks he received as he poured it to the brim, pouring it down his throat in one. "Arthur mentioned seeing her, came to see the new baby, got into a massive argument with Linda, apparently Charlie should've given them more warning" Ada speaks breaking the tense silence, "more warning, i don't even know how she fucking worked it out" Lizzie scoffs, "she knows Thomas better than he knows himself" Ada replies, "Johns just got 2 new hunting dogs" Harrison says, "Isaiah, take this" Tommy speaks, making everyone look at him as he held out a padded envelope, Charlottes name written in his handwriting in capitals across the front. Isaiah eyes the envelope before taking it.
-
"Char, morning. I made breakfast" Isaiah smiles as she walks groggily to where he stood, cooking eggs, wrapping her arms round him from behind, her head against his back, he wasn't sure what was happening, they hadn't touched properly since her first night out, so whatever this was, he wasn't going to question it. "Help me" she whispers, and takes the frying pan off, turning in her arms, looking down at her confused, "i don't wanna live like this," she says, "i don't want to be drunk all the time, i don't want to keep ignoring you, I want our dream, and we are part of the way there. I love you" Charlie says, "i'm sorry that i'm still working for him after what he did, but you should know i'm not going stop" Isaiah replies and she nods, "i don't understand, but i respect that" Charlotte says, "eggs?" he smiles, kissing her, then spinning her, "dork" she replies laughing, "i'm your dork" he says, "that you are" Charlotte confirms pressing their lips together, both ignoring their breakfast as Isaiah lifts her onto the counter, "we are in the kitchen" Charlotte moans as his mouth latches onto her neck, "its our fucking house Char- just us, and i intend to fuck you on every single surface in this place" Isaiah breathes out looking into her blue eyes a smirk on his face, "then we better get to work Mr Jesus, naughty man" Charlotte replies, latching their lips together, as they work on taking off each others clothes.
-
"Ada, can you come over? I think Char might need some female company" Isaiah says into the phone, "why? I mean, i'll come but why? You arguing?" Ada replies, "i think she is ill, caught her throwing up this morning, but she kicked me out the bathroom" Isaiah says, "okay, give me 30" Ada tells him.
-
"Thank you for coming" Isaiah says greeting the eldest Shelby sister, "where is she?" Ada questions, "down by the stables" he says pointing to where Charlie was washing Shadow Dale. "Alright, see if i can talk to her" Ada says, "thank you, want a drink?" he offers, "maybe later, eh" Ada nods, heading down the path to the stables.
"Leah" Ada speaks gaining her sisters attention who looks up giving her a slight nod, she was still mad Ada was working with Tommy, "Isaiah called me, thought you'd want some female company, says you've been throwing up. Now to a man that doesn't ring alarm bells, but to an elder sister it does" Ada tells her, "i'm fine" Charlie mumbles, "how late are you Leah?" Ada questions, "7 weeks" Charlie returns, "but i can't be-" Charlie states, "why not?" Ada asks, "i thought the gun shot- i mean they never said it, i just thought because of where it was" Charlie rambles, tears in her eyes, leaning against her sister as she embraces her, "we'll take you to get tested, it's going to be alright" Ada assures stroking her head, "when was the last time you did it?"
"2 months ago, but i don't know which" Charlie says, "what do you mean which? another guy?" Ada questions, "no, no, i meant which time" Charlie says pulling away from the hug, "which time? How many times did you do it?" Ada asks, "8" Charlie blushes, "8 rounds! Damn- go you" Ada teases, "now, lets get you tidied up, you smell awful, we'll go tomorrow. Something smelt nice up at the house, and i'm hungry" Ada says inviting herself for dinner, "if you're eating here, you might as well stay over, we got plenty of spare rooms" Charlotte offers.
"So, the envelope Tommy gave you, what was in it?" Ada asks, "haven't opened it, its in my desk drawer, locked away with everything else" Charlotte says unconsciously touching the necklace that hung from her neck, she don't know why, but after her release she was drawn to it, and hadn't taken it off, she wasn't sure where she got it, she assumes it was her mothers, however Ada noticed the movement, a small smile coming to her face, it was a silver chain with a heart locket, Tommy had given it to her the day the boys went for war, Charlotte used to sleep with it clenched in her fist for the first year until it mysteriously went missing, it must've gotten misplaced, Charlotte probably didn't even know.
-
At his office, Tommy was sat elbows resting on the desk with his head in his hands, looking down at the pictures that lay there, it was the ones of them from her wedding day, he'd gotten Ada to get 2 copies of them. He'd never admit it to anyone but he found himself staring at these pictures more often than not, his sister hated him, he'd have to live with that. She wanted nothing to do with him. He always thought she'd come back, he fucked up plenty and she always came running back into his arms, he looked at the door of his study, as if she'd come storming in, her blue eyes fiery, a big grin on her face, as she walked over to him, obviously on her way to annoy or tease him, but he missed that. He missed her stupid drunken thoughts, he missed her creative threats, he missed her. His office represented his life empty. Picking up the photo a small tear dropped down his cheek as he looked at the picture they'd taken of him off guard. Memories of them together flashing through his mind
I love you Tom,
Stay with me Tom, don't leave me,
you've done good Tommo, this family wouldn't be half as well of without you.
its a shame im so much like you then.
is that a heartbeat i hear inside that chest?
you raised me didn't ya
None of us are dead. None of us are locked up. That's you Tom.
its okay not to be okay Tom, so fucking let out what you want to, stays between us.
Always looking after me aint you T, I love you dickhead
We are almost there Tom, you can do this
i never want to see your fucking face again.
I will never trust you again
I hate you. Fuck you
He winced as the last words she'd spoken to him rang through his mind, repeating over and over. The words drowning him, just as the drinks were. His mind everywhere, trying to find the tunnel to the other side, she was his tunnel, his rock, now she's fucking gone.
its okay not to be okay Tom, so fucking let out what you want to.
Screaming he launches the bottle of whiskey at the nearest wall, breathing out heavily, flipping over his desk and kicking his chair, he was like a tornado destroying everything in that room he possibly could, the chairs, the tables, glasses, bottles, books, paintings, anything he set his eye on he smashed. Everything in the broken and torn apart, including the man in the centre of all of it who was now sat against a wall, tugging on his hair with one hand as tears escaped his eyes, looking down at the picture of them. "I'm sorry Lottie. I'm so fucking sorry. I need you. I always need you. I love you." Tommy whispers as the darkness overcomes him.