Monaghan Boy.
The horse- and Bash- had quickly become quite good friends. Whenever he could, Bash would tend to him and make sure he had settled in- much to Charlie's displeasure. Knowing that his nephew was there- where Tommy had hidden the guns — directly on top of where Tommy had hidden the guns, hadn't sat right with him. It wasn't because the boy was blind, but rather the boy was a Shelby.
A Shelby that took after his father way more than his mother and it scared him. Charlie kept telling himself it was because there was too many hazards, he told him- but that was just an easy excuse, a cop-out for saying he was just afraid of any outcome.
If the horse was to be spooked, and bucked its hind legs, Bash wouldn't be able to move away in time- or if the horse bolted and dragged him down the docklands — that was what constantly ran through Charlie Strongs mind.
Day in, day out.
"Charlie, I can feel you standing behind me." Bash's voice cut the silence like a hot brass iron scalding a cows hind.
Though Bash wasn't entirely sure if it had been Charlie, but as he guessed, he was almost certain he was right. There was an air to Charlie that others didn't have, the way the air became less muggy almost. If anyone was to hear what happened, second handed, they'd think he has working eyes on the back of his head. Or, better yet, he had a power that could only be passed down via a gypsy princess, perhaps.
Hearing his voice had startled Charlie, almost making him drop the plate of freshly baked biscuits that he'd made Finn get from some local bakery.
"Sorry, Bash- didn't think you'd want any company."
Well, it wasn't a complete lie, and Bash could tell- not by his voice, but he could just tell. He knew something had been bothering the family for a day or two now, but he didn't know to what depths it was bothering them. It wasn't like he could ask, they wouldn't have responded truthfully regardless of the question.
No one ever told him the straight truth anymore. It was as if losing his eyesight made him more susceptible to talking.
"Company would be nice..." Bash hesitated in answering, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.
Letting people know that he wanted their company was like pulling at strings that lead to nowhere. No, it would lead to people pitying him and he'd had enough of that. He'd had enough of quite a lot of things, come to think of it.
Another bout of silence feel upon the nephew and uncle duo, just the sound of heavy horse breathing to cut the almost deafening sound of nothingness. If only he had lost his hearing instead. That would've made his life a whole lot easier.
"Yeah? I can stay for a bit, got Curly looking out for the canal boat."
The canal boat returning from Camden Town with contraband on, no doubt.
For a moment, Sebastian Shelby wondered what the Shelby Company was in all of its glory. A betting shop and a protection racket were the main two- those had been in place before the war, before they were even old enough to look over the kitchen counter. But now? He wasn't sure if things had been added under the radar, behind everyone's backs.
He knew race fixing were next on the agenda, to take on Billy Kimber, but that was all that was known.
"What do you think of Monaghan Boy?" Bash asked, taking his hand off of the horses neck- allowing it to fall back down to his side.
Charlie tilted his head, the boy really wanted to know about a horse, not about what things had visually changed, or what was new with the dockyard.
He just wanted to know about the horse. Charlie should've expected it, Bash hadn't changed in that sense.
"D'ya really want to know what I think of a horse?"
Bash nodded, a small and almost childlike smile etched its way onto his face, causing Charlie to let out a bellowing chuckle. It was refreshing to see such a look on his nephews face, it wasn't something he had seen on any of them in a while and it was a— well needed change.
"I think he's got real potential. Whoever chose him has a real sense of knowing." Charlie replied, patting the horse on its back gently.
The sound echoed through Bash's ears, a comforting sound that helped calm his erratic heart. For a split second, his mind wandered off on a small tangent, wondering if Charlie was joking or if he knew Bash was the one who indirectly had chosen the horse.
"— and I also think that with your help, he'll be the best addition to our fleet." Charlie concluded, pulling Bash's attention from the tangent back onto the topic at hand.
The horse neighed, vibrating through both Charlie and Bash- he was getting restless being cooped up inside a horse shed, but until he was given new shoes- he had to stay where he was. Though, the horse didn't seem to be too agitated nor aggressive, just— just restless. Bash couldn't blame him, he got restless too whilst sat in a room with cloth draped over his eyes. They could relate in that way, but that way alone and Bash would've preferred to keep it that way. The horse, Monaghan Boy, had quickly become a lifeline for him.
"If we give him better horse shoes, and perhaps—" Bash cut himself off, "maybe if we try and find a field or two to see how fast he can go before we report back to Tommy?"
Charlie nodded his head, forgetting that the other couldn't see it. He didn't say anything for a good few minutes, causing Bash to look blankly into the void- awaiting a response.
A response that wouldn't come until someone else spoke up.
"He can't see you nodding, Charlie." Tommy's voice called out, pulling Finn into the shed behind him by the collar of his newly fitted coat.
Only when Thomas Shelby pointed out to his uncle that the other Shelby boy who had been there from the beginning couldn't see did he finally verbally agree with him. Finn let out a little chorus of giggles, patting the horse with a heavy hand.
Charlie placed a hand onto Bash's arm, causing him to flinch in reaction, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up in trepidation.
"Sorry 'bout that, Bash!" Charlie muttered a true apology to him before exiting the shed with a yell of a goodbye simply leaving the three Shelby brothers with their loved horse.
"So, Finny-boy! What do you think of Bash's new friend?" Tommy asked the youngest, patting him on the shoulder gently.
Thankfully, the beaming smile glued onto Finns face was enough to distract from everything else in the room.
Even Tommys hand.
Said hand had been dyed red, and was clutched behind his back. Tommy hadn't even told their Aunt Pol about doing a little dirty trick, the Chinese powder trick, but it was no one's business but his own. Despite what Bash thought, that horse was not his, but Tommys. Though, he also he knew that if Sebastian found out, he'd steer clear from the horse— the horse that was going to bring the family more than just money, but an in to one of the most lucrative businesses that England had to offer.
His head shot up, looking between his brothers and the horse. Finn barely came past the knee of the horse, Tommy and Bash barely past it's back. With eyes full of hope and adoration towards the horse, and hopefully a new friend for himself, Finn continued to run his hands across its belly.
"I think I like him more than Bash does."
Bash scoffed at Finns cheeky remark, but it could have been true. Finn was far too easy to like, whilst Bash and his older brothers were like— chalk and cheese. John on the other hand, well he just had one of those personalities that either lit the room or dampened the light.
"You know what, Finny-Boy, I think you could be right." Tommy replied, before dragging the other two Shelby's out of the stable.
Once out, the sudden brightness that Bash could see made his eyes water. Though he couldn't necessarily see, he could see the change from almost darkness to the smoggy outdoors. A little bit of a warning would have been nice, but Tommy doesn't give those out very often.
"Orrite' Charlie, we'll see you in a few days, Sebastian here has neglected his duties."
Those duties—
Well, they weren't really duties. They were appointments with the doctor, and Bash hated doctors, and dentists— any medical professional, actually. Had done since before he could walk. It was as though they had been sent down from whatever other world was out there, just to personally torture Bash and created this irrational fear that had yet to leave him.
Those appointments he had to go to were of no priority. Not since Monaghan Boy, or babysitting Finn.
"Yeah, yeah. Neglected my duties, whatever."
Tommy knew, then and there, that Bash wouldn't go to the doctors- even if he was paid. So, he'd just have to get a little bit more...
Creative.
He hadn't exactly made a deal with his brother, but he had gotten a little bit more freedom because of Monaghan Boy, which meant he'd had to actually go to a few appointments. Though, what he had kept to himself, was he wasn't going to be as cooperative as he could be.
"So, come on then." Tommys voice cut Bash out of his inner monologue, he could feel the steel blue eyes burning into him.
Awkwardly brushing his hands down his trouser legs, Bash stood up from where he'd been sat on a new bail or hay and took a step forward, mindful of where he could feel the what from where the horse was stood.
Finn stared at his two older brothers for a moment, noticing how similar they looked but how dissimilar they were too.
Those two were his hero's, but he'd never willingly admit it. John was still his favourite, but Tommy and Bash? They'd done things that were extraordinary, out of his minds ability to think of, they were bloody brilliant but awfully damaged.
And at almost eleven years old, he could see that plain as day.
"Fine, but I'm going by myself."
Now that wasn't what Tommy had expected, Bash didn't know that an Irish copper had taken over a vast majority of the Birmingham police, his own soldiers coming over from Belfast and beyond... nor did Bash know that the copper in charge was after his family, and maybe even him.