"You two better not be shagging" Tommy says through the door making Charlie roll her eyes, "you can come in" she calls back and he slowly opens the door, "dork" she tells him, from where she was sat by her mirror with Nate, whilst Isaiah was sat on the bed with DJ. "You, put a top on" Arthur says to Isaiah, following Tommy in, "take him then" Isaiah replies handing Douglas to Tommy, before going to the chest of drawers pulling an under top on, "and a shirt" Tommy says, "seriously Tom?" Charlie says, "seriously?" Tommy mocks, "course im fucking serious."
"What do you want?" Charlie asks her brothers, one of whom now had Doug snuggled against his chest, "i want one" Arthur says, and Charlie sighs standing up, handing him Nate as he smiles at his nephew. "Idiots. Is that all?" Charlotte says, "got something better to be doing in here?" Tommy questions the couple, coming to sit on the seat Charlotte had just left, "didnt think so" Arthur says as Isaiah finished buttoning up his shirt. "We are leaving at 5" Tommy speaks, "is that seriously what you came in here for?" Charlotte questions and they shrug. "You two just feel like getting on my nerves don't you" she states and they shrug again, nodding. "Do you have anything of importance to say?" Charlie says, "can't we just come see our sister and her lovely husband" Arthur replies, "what do you two want?" Charlotte questions narrowing her eyes at them, "now that you've offered, can you make us lunch? We're hungry" Tommy says making Isaiah laugh and Charlie slap his arm, "Thomas, Arthur. You are grown men, you can make your own lunches." Charlotte tells them, "we can, but we don't want to. And your food always seems to taste better" Arthur replies, "Isaiah, can you take the twins off the man-children, and go downstairs. I'm not sure what the hell this is about, but i'd like some privacy whilst we talk" Charlotte sighs, "this isn't about anything" Tommy replies, as Isaiah takes DJ and Nate off the two brothers. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pats the spaces either side of her which her brother slowly come and sit in.
"I think i understand what's going on," Charlotte tells them, "nothings going on Charlie" Arthur grunts, "look, i know Johns death is hard, you're both still grieving, and i think- that, maybe, perhaps, its making you miss Mum" Charlie explains, wrapping an arm round each of them, both the older men staying quiet looking into their laps, "i know its hard, trust me, we lost our brother, no-one expects us to just get over it, but we still have each other, and i know none of us are particularly good at expressing emotions that aren't anger, but your my brothers, if you need to talk, just fucking come to me, alright? Sometimes you just need to get it out, and i think things have been so hectic that you've had your minds occupied, but now its calming down, you've got time to process it, and its getting to your heads. Just neither of you two next, eh " Charlotte says placing a kiss on each of their temples. "Never gonna leave you Charlie" Arthur smirks, "But i'm not going to mother my older brothers" she tells them, "I've got 3 kids already" she adds, making them sit up straight, "3? You're pregnant?" Tommy asks, "no, just realised how that sounds, the idiot downstairs. Diego. Apparently he's my 3rd child" she laughs, "few," Arthur sighs as she stands up, "where are you going?" Tommy asks reaching for her hand, "i'm going to make you dickheads lunch, can't have you hungry for the big fight can we?" Charlie says winking at them as she walked out her bedroom.
-
"Do we have to be so extra? Can't we just go in the same entrance as everyone else?" Charlie groans as she follows Polly, Lizzie and Linda down the steps to the boxing ring, in the centre of the grand room, every male eye in the building on the 4 woman as they walk across the floor, seeing a mans hand reaching towards her aunt she steps in holding her lit cigarette to his wrist, "put your hand out like that again and i'll do you the favour of cutting it off" she threatens releasing him, stubbing her cigarette out on his hand. "What a waste." she tuts lighting another as she walked away, sitting down in between Isaiah and Diego.
-
"Ada, did i seriously have to come to the toilet with you?" Charlotte groans as Ada pulls her away from the fight, through the hallways to the women toilet where Polly and Lizzie were stood, "whats this some sort of mothers meeting?" Charlie says hopping onto the side.
"This fight is fixed, isn't it? Poor gypsy boys being battered" Ada says, "yeah, he knocks the giant out 4th round" Charlie says exhaling smoke, "right, you said you have some news?" Ada says, and Polly hands her a bottle of gin, "Lizzie has some news" Polly says, "Polly" Lizzie exclaims turning round, "well tell them, now." Polly says, "both of you have a swig you're going to need it" she adds opening the bottle, "i'm good" Charlie says pulling out her flask full of rum. "I'm up the duff. And its Tommys." Lizzie tells them, "how far gone are you?" Ada questions gulping the gin, "if i were going to London, I'd be in Coventry" Lizzie replies, "and are you carrying on past Coventry?" Ada questions, "all the way to fucking Piccadilly Circus" Lizzie says, "found out whether she's having a boy or girl, Pol?" Ada inquires, and Polly walks over to Lizzie cupping her right breast, feeling about whilst Lizzie laughs, "it's a girl, call her Ruby. Ruby Shelby" Polly smiles, "congratulations, can i go back to the fight?" Charlotte says, "Charlie" Polly warns, "right, well done for shagging my brother, congratulations on your baby, can't wait to meet her, Ruby is a lovely name, im happy for you. Now please may i go watch men batter each others heads in?" Charlotte says hugging Lizzie, "how small are you?" Lizzie says looking down at her, "I've never noticed that before" she laughs, and Charlie glares at her, turning to see Linda enter the bathroom, "now its a fucking party" Charlie mumbles necking some of her rum.
"Welcome to the extraordinary general meeting of the Shelbys ladies club" Polly greets hugging the 2 older women as Charlie perches back on the side, knowing her aunt wouldnt let her leave until Linda knew. "I'm not a Shelby" Charlie says, "born a Shelby, always a Shelby. Isn't easy to escape, trust me" Ada laughs.
"There were men out there spitting. Its fucking disgusting" Linda says, "some ladies like it like that" Charlotte laughs and Ada slaps her leg, "no, there's no spit on your back" Polly tells her, as Linda bends over snorting cocaine. "Since youre here, Lizzie has some news" Polly adds, "I'm pregnant" Lizzie speaks, "oh, and who's the father, have you managed to narrow it down?" Linda retorts, "oi, Linda, leave it out, yeah. It's Tommys. Makes her just as much family as it makes you" Charlie replies puffing on her cigarette. "Congratulations, you've won the raffle at last." Linda snorts.
"Right, ladies, lets rejoin our gentlemen." Polly says, "just remember if they spit, just spit back" Charlie speaks, "and fucking finally" she adds.
"Uh, Poll, Liz, 'scuse me for a sec" Charlie says noticing Alfie stood down an empty corridor.
"What you doing here and not watching your nephew?" Charlotte asks putting her gasper out with her foot. "I already know who wins, Pet" Alfie says holding his glasses up, "turns out you were right" Charlie sighs, "i'm right bout a lot of things, Pet. Need to be more specific" Alfie replies, "Bonnie. He spoke to Isaiah, Z tells me its like he was asking permission to make a move" Charlotte tells him, "ahh yes, the little gypsy wants to take the Shelby Princess down a trip to Shagville" Alfie chuckles, "think you got the wrong sister, Ada's more like a princess than i am," Charlie retorts, "who is it that decides what a princess is like, eh? Everyone got their own definition, the toffs will think different to us, won't they. Cause you see us, you and me, we come from an oppressed people, in our culture, you'd be a princess, loyal, fierce, and ready to lead when the big boss is away. It's all about perception" Alfie replies, "wise old man" Charlie teases, "who you calling old?" Alfie glares playfully, "right, well, i'm going to get back to the fight, pray for your nephew. Bye Alfie" Charlotte laughs patting his shoulder, "big fucks small, its the way of the world, Pet" Alfie says, "exactly, but your nephew don't have the biggest brain does he, its as you said, big fucks small." Charlie nods walking off.
-
"Where's Tommy, Arthur and Charlie?" Ada asks Polly, "let me go find them, looks like this'll be over soon" Polly says standing, and walking out the room.
"Come on Bonnie, fucking hit him" Charlotte yells, with the crowd, his eye catching hers and with a wink in her direction, sending an uppercut at Goliath, then following round with his left hand, smirking as the Cockney giant falls to the floor unconscious. The crowd erupting with cheers, and she searches for her older brothers but can't see them anyway, nor could she see Aunt Pol. Rushing over to where the girls were sat, "where is Pol?" Charlie asks, "went to look for you Tom and Arthur" Ada tells her, "i wasn't with Tom and Arthur, where's Finn?" Charlie asks and Ada points over to the youngest Shelby who was clapping and cheering, her eyes then catching Tommy walking from the direction she'd come in through, looked distressed, somethings happened, she thought as she pushed through the crowd towards him.
"Tom? Tom? Whats happened?" Charlie questions, "look, cant tell anyone, someone tried to strangle Arthur, but he's alive, he's alright, but we got to convince everyone he's dead, so act fucking distraught, send Isaiah, Diego and Finn to go and find another wop" Tommy instructs and she nods taking in all the information, "Finn, come here" she says pulling him in for a hug, "Diego, Isaiah. Arthurs dead, just been strangled by a wop, theres another one somewhere, Tommy says to go find him" she tells the three boys, "just go and find the cunt that did this to my brother" she says to them and they nod, each giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek before ruhsing off, and she lets out a deep breath. She knew Arthur wasn't dead, so why did it feel like she'd just lost another brother?
Hopping into the boxing ring Charlie, looks for the signal from Tommy, who had just returned to the room, giving her a nod, she reaches for her gun shooting into the air 5 times. "CLOSE THE FUCKING DOORS! NOONE FUCKING LEAVES!" she yells pointing her gun at the crowd, then shooting the ceiling again, as Tommy joins her. "OUR BROTHER IS DEAD! YOU HEAR ME! MY BROTHER IS DEAD!" Tommy shouts, and in that moment it felt real, like Arthur was gone. Just like John. Just like her Mum. Scudboat had obviously seen her thought process as he came over pushing her gun down, hugging her to his chest, "Leah" Scudboat says as she struggles against him "HE'S FUCKING DEAD! GONE! SOME WOP HAS KILLED HIM JUST AS THOSE CUNTS KILLED JOHN!" she exclaims grasping at his shirt as she broke down in his arms, crying against his chest, scrunching his shirt as she hit his chest. "Scud, get her out, please, for fucks sake get her out of here" Tommy says not liking the sight of seeing his sister so broken. It'd slipped his mind that she'd been there for Johns death, she'd seen him die. She'd been holding it in for the rest of them, like a lighthouse for boat, bringing them to the shore, pushing them to safety as she was left to drown in the waves. "Come on Leah," Scudboat says guiding her out the ring, still tucked into his chest as he got the key unlocking the door, coming out the other side before relocking it.
"Wanna go home?" Scudboat asks Charlie, "i wanna see John" she cries clinging onto him, "Leah, Johns-" "DEAD, i fucking know that, but i can't accept it, i don't want to accept it. It's all my fucking fault, all of this. It's my fault" Charlotte exclaims, thrashing in his grasp but refused to let go, "hey, none of that, its not your fault, it isn't your fault" Scudboat says, "it is, i killed Changretta" Charlotte cries, "he hired someone to go for Tommy, ended up shooting you and killing Grace. He deserved it" Scudboat says, "he's not gone. They can't be gone." Charlie screams against his shoulder, "they're not dead! They can't just be fucking gone!" she yells, "they aren't, maybe in spirit, but they're here. As long as you never forget them in here they aint gone. You carry them round with you" Scudboat says pointing to her heart. "They can't be dead" she sobs quietly resting her head against his sternum. "He told me he was never gonna leave me. So where the fuck is he?" Charlie cries, feeling Scudboat hand her off into another set of arms, by the smell she could tell it was Finn. "Come on Charlie, lets get you home" Finn says walking out the building getting into the nearest car he recognised and driving away, his sister clinging to one of his arms.
-
"Where is she?" Tommy asks walking into the house, where everyone was gathered, Diego and Isaiah holding the twins, "upstairs with Finn" Ada speaks, "don't think she wants to see any- and he's already gone, to her. Not the rest of us. Her" Ada adds watching her brother run up the stairs, "did you watch your Mum die, the life drain out of her eyes, holding her hand? did you see John die? See your cousin get shot, watch your brother sleep for 4 days wondering if he'd gotten his arse kicked so bad he wouldn't wake up, stay through all his bad nights, the night terrors, Graces death, the tunnels, take 2 bullets for him, go to prison for him, saved his life countless times. She is his rock, he's selfish, he isn't going up there for her, he's going to her because thats who he needs at a time like this. We don't understand him like she does Ada. If he stayed here with us he'd explode at each and every one of us. Wouldn't be enjoyable for anyone" Polly tells her niece, who rolls her eyes but nods, watching as Finn comes down the stairs, grimacing. "Finn? Whats happening?" Harrison asks, as a loud bang can be heard from upstairs, "that came from Tommys room" Isaiah says, "yeah, he took her in there" Finn replies pouring himself a drink.
-
"Come on" Tommy says taking his sobbing sister into his room, "he isn't dead Lottie" Tommy tells her, "then why does it feel like he is?" Charlie whispers, "because everythings coming at once, like you said to us earlier, things have been hectic, you haven't had time to process anything. You've been so focused on saving us, you've neglected yourself. Now its slowing down, and you've cracked. Everyone cracks Lottie. I'm not going to lie and tell you its alright, you're gonna cry and thats alright, you taught me that. Its okay not to be okay" Tommy speaks holding her tight, "not me" she says her voice breaking, "i don't crack" she adds, "now you have, because we were all too self absorbed to notice you were suffering" Tommy says softly, "now smash something, let it out" he says stepping away gesturing to his bedroom, "what?" Charlie asks, "smash it up" he repeats, "where are you gonna stay?" Charlotte questions, "on the sofa, this room just holds shit memories, so smash it up, anything in here, get it out your system, then you can calm down and process. You're like me, this is how i cope." Tommy tells her and she picks up a bat he had near his bed, hitting a cabinet, screaming and crying as she whacked his bed repeatedly until it was shattered, and she fell to the floor, against the wall her body shaking as tears flowed down her face. Tommy sitting next to her wrapping an arm round her shoulders as she cried into his chest.
-
Hearing Charlottes screams and cries was an experience none of them wanted to go through ever again, they'd never heard her so vulnerable, and a few times they had to physically restrain Isaiah from going up to see his wife, as the screams and cries quieted so did the bangs. Until the house was silent apart from the soft sounds of people puffing on cigars and sipping at spirits.
-
Tommy didn't know how long they'd been sat there, but Lottie had finally fallen asleep, snoring softly against his shoulder, he didn't want to move in fear of waking her, but he also couldn't let her sleep in this position, so carefully, he lifted her bridal style, across the hallway into her bedroom, placing her on the bed kissing her forehead, "I love you Lotts" he whispers leaving her to rest.