THE GREAT WAR || T. SHELBY (3)

ONE

CHAPTER ONE: 1929

IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE THE PEAKY BLINDERS KILLED LUCA CHANGRETTA.

Five years since Thomas and Tabitha found out they were having their second child. On a nice day on October in 1926, Charles Theodore Shelby was born in the Hearn Family Village when Tabitha went to visit Charity's grave. Lizzie had her and Theo's daughter Ruby two weeks before and went with Tabitha so Kezia and Finneas Hearn got to meet their third grandchild and first grandson.

Michael was running the Shelby Company Limited office in Detroit, Michigan for the last five years. He wasn't the only family Tabitha had over in America, her little sister Penelope and her husband Elijah were living in Sokovia and raising their sons Daniel and Anton after Charity's death. Penelope was writing music and worked as a pianist while Elijah became a banker and every week the couple sent letters to Tabitha and Thomas in Birmingham.

It was October 29th, 1929, the day the Wall Street stock market crashed. Thomas had just carried out orders for Isiah and Aberama Gold to kill a pimp in the Chinatown of Birmingham. The morning was spent in the country after Thomas and Tabitha put down their race horse Dangerous because he wasn't suitable for racing or anything anymore because he was, well dangerous. Tabitha with her and Thomas children, Maggie and Charlie, were at the sight with Johnny Dogs as they dug a grave for the horse.

Charlie was inside the wagon upset hearing Johnny say that his father killed the horse in Romany. The little boy understood the gypsy language more than his parents thought. Tabitha tried to get Charlie out of the wagon to greet his father, but he didn't. So Tabitha stayed outside with the twins as Thomas came on his horse Monaghan Boy. Once Thomas got off the horse, and Maggie ran to their father happily. Tabitha had a smile on her face as Thomas picked their daughter up in his arms as she walked to him.

"Hey, love," Thomas said to Tabitha.

He gave his wife a kiss and they walked with each other, the girl last in Thomas' arms still.

"Where's Charlie?" Thomas asked, putting Maggie on the ground.

"He's in the wagon," Tabitha said with a frown. "He won't come out. He heard Johnny talking Rokka. Him and Maggie know more gypsy than we think. He heard him say you shot the horse. I told him it was mercy. I said it's what you do when a horse gets sick. He doesn't understand."

"Daddy, why did you shoot him?" Maggie asked.

Thomas didn't answer, turning around and walking to the wagon.

"Charlie, get out here now. Let's get it done," Thomas said. "Charlie, come here."

Charlie came out of the wagon in his light blue coat and sat on the steps in front of his father.

"Now listen to me," Thomas started, putting his hand on Charlie's shoulder as Tabitha picked her daughter up. "Your horse was sick. He was in pain. The vet couldn't do anything. Even Curly couldn't do anything. I put him to sleep. It's what you do."

"No, it's what you do!" Charlie shouted.

"Charlie."

"Shoot horse, shoot people. Everybody says!"

Charlie got back up and went back into the wagon.

"Charlie, you do not speak to your father that way," Tabitha replied, surprised by her son's behavior.

Thomas only sighed, pulling a cigarette from his small silver box. He placed it in his mouth and didn't speak a word, walking over to the deep grave dug for Dangerous the horse. Tabitha was still holding Maggie on her hip, standing beside Thomas' left side as they looked down at the dead horse. As they did, Tabitha put Maggie down so the girl could give comfort to her father.