Oceans [A.Shelby]

TWENTY

LILLIAN PEELED the letter open, her mothers familiar scrawl neat across the folded page, greeting Lillian as her 'Darling Daughter'.

Theo, who leant nosely over her shoulder, couldn't help but snort in response, to which Lillian threw her a scolding glare.

"Though we all have our indifference Theo, as it happens mother and I made up a while ago so don't mock her,"

"You and mother getting along? That's almost as rare as it would be seeing you and father sitting in the same room for longer than 15 minutes" Theo shook his head in amusement as his sister huffed.

"You and I are the disappointment of the family, though you were once the golden child you cannot deny you were also a complete rake. We must both admit it, Eddie is the favourite and only child in fathers eyes now." Lillian replied.

Her eyes scanned hastily over the page, her lips pursing as she reached the end marked with her mothers signature. She relayed the information back to her brother.

"Father has been awarded an MBE, they have invited us to dinner. Although, she said it's a private dinner, they held one separately with all the MPs and the lords and ladies, their respectable friends."

"And a gangsters wife and mad son doesn't fit into that category?" Theo raised his brows and Lillian couldn't help but shake her head.

"Your dry humour will get you into trouble one day Theodore May, you just wait!"

Lillian had full intentions of leaving her brother at home, however Arthur questioned why he wasn't out the door for the meeting to which Lillian glanced at him in question.

Arthur glanced at her only fleetingly before he cleared his throat, "you're not a Shelby but you are family, come on."

That comment made Lillian feel all sorts of ways, there were words she wanted to say that wouldn't form on her tongue and so she left them instead, opting to grab hold of her husbands hand with a smile.

Thedore May could understand as he stood in the betting den, watching the family as they spoke, he could understand why his sister didn't leave  when he mentioned before the war. He couldn't understand that through all the rubbish, through the flanders blues, through it all, Lillian stayed as loyal to her husband as a nun to their cross. She could understand why she fit in so well and perhaps, with her chaotic side, her devilish side, she fit in far better with her in-laws then she did with her own blood.

It was certain they weren't a conventional family, they were toxic and their trust was often misplaced. However, despite this they were loyal to eachother, sometimes those loyalties lead to bad decisions, misunderstandings but everything was often within reason and to help them thrive.

Lillian felt unsettled as she listened to Tommy brief the family on Billy Kimber and the races. She couldn't point it out but felt something wasn't quite right.

The doors swung open however, Lillian turning with a smile immediately lighting up on her face as her sister in law entered.

No longer was she hiding in her cold little flat, no longer would Polly and Lillian have to drop off food and beg her to talk or to ask for help.

"oh does anyone object if I bring a newcomer to the meeting?" Polly questioned.

"I'd like to introduce the newest member of the Shelby clan" There was a small proud smile on Polly's face as the family put their hands together and clapped for the youngest family member.

"Welcome home Ada"

"We named him Karl, after Karl Marx" Ada's name choice brought laughter amongst the family

"Karl bloody Marx. Let me get a look at him" Arthur approached her, amusement in his tone as Lillian and John looked at eachother with a roll of their eyes.

"Oh here we go" John chuckled, Lillian adding, "Arth you do this every time,"

"Ay, look, he looks just like me, look" Arthur grinned, his cap placed on the bundled head of baby Karl, laughter ringing out as loud as ever.

"He's alright, he's a Shelby" Arthur replied to one of John's snarky remarks.

"Well, Ada, am I forgiven?" Tommy asked, the inner circle beginning to disperse.

"If what Aunt Polly says is true."

"It's true" Tommy nodded, Ada breathing a sigh of relief and putting her arms around her brother.

"Stop hogging the baby Arth," Lillian told him, taking the baby from his arms and cradling Karl in her own.

"I thought you knew nothing about kids?" John playfully mocked Lillian.

"John, with respect your kids are more like a pack of wild animals you find in the zoo," Her reply made the family chuckle.

The men left, Lillian asking Arthur to be safe before she placed a desirous kiss to his lips and the pair parted ways.

It was fourty-five minutes before opening time so Lillian took back the baby as Ada and Polly talked, Karl seemed to sleep soundly in his Aunts arms.

"He seems so peaceful with you, with me he screams." Ada mused.

"That's your milk, he'll think everytime you hold him its dinner," Polly told her.

Polly Gray glanced fleetingly at Lillian, "you'll be a mother before long,"

"Why do you think that?" Lillian questioned her.

"Love, I don't think that, I know it." The woman stated.

An hour later, as clouds and dreariness hung over Small Heath, Thomas Shelby burst through the door, Lillian standing at the abruptness as did Ada who held Karl in her arms.

"What's the matter?" Lillian questioned her brother in law as Polly appeared in the doorway, waiting Tommy's answer.

"We're being betrayed, the Lee's are on the way to Worcester and Kimber is on the way here," Tommy's hands slammed against the table, Lillian jumping in her spots her eyes widened a fraction.

"Who knew Tommy? Who knew about the Lee's, Worcester, about Kimber?" Polly questioned, Tommy pausing as the women awaited their answer.

Polly Gray however, she knew. She knew who it was and had suspected for quite some time.

"There's only one thing that can blind a man as smart as you Tommy, love." There was a tone of disappointment in Polly's words as she stared at her nephew, the cogs turning in his brain.

"Grace?" Lillian questioned, Polly glancing at her fleeting before nodding.

"I'll deal with Grace, if you set eyes on her you might kill her."

Lillian was quick on her feet, and almost on her knees in front of her husband as she watched him collect his gun, loading it with his back to her.

"Arth, please," Lillian pleaded with him, "you've got nothing to prove! You don't have to fight a fight Tommy started! It's not yours to fight!"

Arthur shook his head at his wife, "if my brothers fight, I fight alongside them."

Lillian glanced to his hands, tremoring as she realised they held two not one, Lillian questioned him and her answer came in the form of heavy footsteps on the staircase.

"No," Lillian bit out, glancing to her brother behind her, "no, no"

"I said no to him, but he said yes," Arthur reasoned.

"You are both utterly stupid, you can't even hold a cup of tea without spilling it, how can you pull a trigger to defend yourself. A banging at the door makes you jump, how can you go out their with loaded guns?" Lillian's voice was raised as she looked between the pair in disbelief.

"Do as you please, but I wont be walking over glass or waking up at 3 in the morning to calm you down." She added, the men looking at eachother as she stormed through the house to the door, and they knew they had a very pissed off wife and sister on their hands.

They didn't blame her, but does anything happen the pair would regret it.