Crown of a Prince (Finn Shelby)

62.

"What's the plan Arthur?" Ailbhe asked, stepping out of the car and noticing the complete quiet and silence in the streets outside the train station.
 
Tommy had made sure Moss cleared the streets of coppers, there wasn't a saint or a sinner on the roads and it was just them. Ailbhe turned her head, looking up at the high windows of the surrounding buildings and spotting where Finn and Isiah were position. She saw him wink at her, nodding and getting ready for any possibility of what might happen.
 
"I'm going to telephone Tommy, you're going to stand there" He ordered her, his hands waving frantically and nervously as Polly just leaned against the car and lit a cigarette.
 
Ailbhe stood where he told her, on the other side of the station's exit just a stone's throw away from Polly.
 
"You alright?" Ailbhe asked Polly, noticing how Aunt Polly was dressed for battle, a gun secured under her coat.
 
Polly just nodded, keeping her face set. She wasn't going to let sentiment start getting in the way now. Even if they found out he was guilty. Nobody knew how Polly would react, including Polly herself. If Michael had spoken to UVF, had talked about getting rid of Tommy and taking over they wouldn't have a choice but to put a bullet in his head. Would Polly let that happen? They were going to have to wait to find out.
 
They heard the train pulling in and waited as no one else came through the exit they waited at. Tommy had made sure that was clear too. He made them wait, as he often made Ailbhe wait in New York since he knew just how little patience, she had for him. She was almost sure he did it on purpose every time.
 
And then there he was, dressed like one of the characters in the American films they used to play in the picture houses. He looked so out of place Ailbhe almost wanted to laugh. Ailbhe saw Arthur, how he looked him up and down gave Ailbhe a look as if to say 'Is he fucking serious?'.
 
"Hello mum" Michael greeted, a smile on his face somehow.
 
Ailbhe felt her irritation grow even more. He had the audacity to stand there smiling when they had been told he was betraying Thomas and when he had lost almost every penny Tommy had given him.
 
She saw his so-called smile fade a little when he saw Ailbhe. She stood there, leaning against the wall and just watching him for any move he had that she didn't like.
 
"Ailbhe" He nodded; displeasure clear in his voice. He hadn't been looking forward to seeing her, especially after everything she had warned him of in New York.
 
Michael turned, extending his hand and pointing back towards the door.
 
"This is Gina, Gina Gray" He announced as the blonde Ailbhe had met in New York came around the corner.
 
She sauntered to Michael's side, linking arms with him and looking at her new mother-in-law. She didn't seem too excited to be in England nor to meet the family she had just married into but Ailbhe wasn't surprised. Gina was a bitch. Ailbhe had met her numerous times in New York and each time she met her, reminded her of why she didn't like her.
 
"The captain married us on board" Michael explained, proudly looking at his new bride but Polly didn't take her eyes off him.
 
Ailbhe felt her eyes roll. Great. They were married. Now Ailbhe had another Linda on her plate.
 
"She's my wife mum at least look at her"
 
Michael argued, his eyes darting to Ailbhe who was looking at him as if he was a crossword she was trying to solve. He hated when she did that, like she was climbing into his mind and rummaging around.
 
"Tommy said to ask you to tell me the truth" Polly stated, her voice staying calm and steady and yet Ailbhe knew there were tears in her eyes that she wouldn't ever let fall.
 
"Oh, so that's why you brought Ailbhe? To see if I was going to lie to you?" He snapped, smirking slightly as he glared at Ailbhe who stepped around them until she was on Polly's side.
 
"We've been travelling for fifteen days Mrs Gray" Gina piped up, tilting her head at Polly "Maybe we could talk about this another time? In private? When it's family only?"
 
Ailbhe just wanted Gina to stay out of it but she couldn't. As her mother used to say, she was one of those people who would get where water wouldn't. She just had to get involved in everything. And she had the nerve to call herself family, to say Ailbhe wasn't family.
 
"Yes, let's go home and we can talk" Michael exclaimed, not liking how out in the open they were. He knew his family well enough to know a copper cleared street when he saw one.
 
"You have no home until you tell me the truth" Polly retorted, stepping forward until she was right up against him, putting the fear of God in him.
 
Ailbhe nodded at Arthur, who slammed down the phone and exited the phone booth. He threw his arms up, pushing back his overcoat so they could all see he had a gun belt that wasn't empty.
 
"Michael!" He shouted, nodding in Gina's direction too "Hello love".
 
"Welcome to Birmingham, eh?" He exclaimed, sauntering up beside them and standing beside Ailbhe.
 
Ailbhe looked at Arthur, knowing he wanted to wait for that nod from her to say he was guilty. But she wasn't sure yet.
 
"Michael" Polly warned him, they didn't have all day.
 
He nodded, looking between Ailbhe and Arthur before keeping his eyes on his mother as he explained.
 
"Our ship docked at Belfast; I was then taken off the ship by two men"
 
Gina interjected "At gunpoint!".
 
She had arrived only a few minutes ago and Ailbhe was already getting sick of her.
 
Polly cut across her, not taking her eyes off Michael "I am speaking to my son!"
 
"Fuck you" Michael shouted, right in Polly's face.
 
Ailbhe didn't take kindly to anyone shouting at them but when they shouted at Polly, she felt the need to the end of a revolver down their throat and shoot the words back down it.
 
"Fuck you too Ailbhe, and you Arthur" he bellowed, looking at them "This is my fucking wife. I'm bringing her home, to this"
 
He scoffed, shaking his head at them in disbelief but Ailbhe didn't believe him. Did he think he would welcomed home with open arms? Personally, Ailbhe wished he hadn't come home at all.
 
"Come on Gina" he scoffed, grabbing her hand and pulling her away from them.
 
But that wasn't going to be happen. Ailbhe stepped aside, putting herself deliberately in Gina's way and Arthur did the same to Michael.
 
"Get out of my way" Gina snapped, towering over Ailbhe. She was considerably taller and older but Ailbhe didn't care, she wasn't scared of her.
 
Ailbhe stared back at her, not moving a muscle.
 
"Well, where are you going now? Eh?" Arthur taunted Michael, not moving and getting in his way.
 
"Introduce me at least" he snapped sarcastically nodding towards Gina.
 
"Don't get too excited Arthur" Ailbhe smirked, Gina wasn't much to look forward to get to know.
 
Gina stepped around Ailbhe, rolling her eyes and moving away from them.
 
"Look at this, this is it Gina. My fucking people" Michael shouted, waving his hands around at them.
 
"Not your fucking people if you betrayed us Michael" Ailbhe snapped back, feeling her patience wear thin for Michael's theatrics.
 
Michael spun around, glaring at Ailbhe. She had been a thorn in his side for years but she wouldn't ever forget what he did to her, how she was almost hung by Luca Changretta because of him.
 
"Do you wanna know the truth?" he shouted, turning around and throwing his arms out "I did not betray my fucking family!"
 
Arthur stood next to Ailbhe, look at her and raising an eyebrow. She gave a subtle shake of her head. She didn't believe him.
 
Polly explained that there was a suite for them at the Midland Hotel on Tommy's orders which of course, enraged Michael. He couldn't bear to be told what to do, especially since he knew that the Peaky Blinders had the Midland Hotel under his jurisdiction entirely. Michael wouldn't be able to blow his nose without them finding out.
 
"Yeah, well why don't you think of it as quarantine Michael?" Arthur snapped, circling Michael like a wolf and its prey.
 
"And how fucking long will this go on?" He snapped, knowing he wouldn't have any say in when it ended.
 
"Until Tommy fucking says so" Ailbhe replied, rolling her eyes. He was insufferable sometimes she really didn't know how he was Polly's.
 
"Oi, you two. Stop it" Polly snapped at Arthur and Ailbhe, clicking her fingers at them.

Arthur and Ailbhe, despite all their years of age difference and completely different personalities. They always riled each other up, a lethal cocktail and yet Tommy always put them together.
 
"Phone Thomas. Tell him that Polly says Michael's telling the truth" She told Arthur, loud enough so Michael and Gina could hear.
 
Ailbhe wasn't so convinced. But Finn and Isiah would have no use for the guns today. She looked up at them, nodding that they wouldn't be needed anymore.
 
Gina and Michael started walking away from but Polly wasn't finished. She pushed her sunglasses back over her eyes and called them back.
 
"Oh, Gina?" She called out, waiting until both Michael and Gina turned to face Ailbhe and Polly again.
 
"Don't ever call into question who is family again."
 
She warned her, not allowing Ailbhe to be spoken to as though she wasn't their family. Ailbhe was as much a niece to Polly as Ada was and Gina would do well to remember it.
 
"And welcome to the family, Gina Gray" She added, throwing the cigarette aside and turning away from them again.