midwife » michael gray. [completed]

EPILOGUE.

It didn't feel real when Michael and Hannah finally left Small Heath, vanishing from sight in the middle of the night with only a few people aware of their plans. It had been months since it had first been considered but business had finally been tied up and Michael had officially resigned from his post at the family business, no longer connected with the line of work that had destroyed his relationship with Hannah in the first place.

They travelled to Lincoln and married in a small church, randomly taking a couple off the street so they could be witnesses to their wedding ceremony. It was not what Hannah had dreamed off but she was magnificently happy when she got to leave the church, legally Mrs. Gray after all those years and the man that she loved so dearly on her arm.

Hannah found work in one of the local hospitals, Sister Margaret's reference coming to great use. It was a completely fresh start where no-one knew about their past, the prison stints or the murders, it was a place where they could create a new life without the worry of enemies attempting to bring them apart. Michael found it hard to settle, especially with no work to keep him occupied and even though he hated the Shelby company for what it had done to him, it didn't stop Michael from thinking about it daily.

Michael always claimed that Hannah didn't need to work. Over the years, Michael had earnt and put enough money away to support the two of them financially for the rest of their lives but Hannah couldn't stand the thought of staying at their shared home all the time, she needed her independence still and Michael was more than willing to get it to her. He just hoped that one day he would go back to feeling like the old Michael.

The two of them returned to Small Heath from time to time, mainly when family events were held or when it was somebody's birthday. All of the family would welcome them back with open arms with questions about their new lives in Lincoln, John's children begging to come and visit. It was as if nothing had ever happened when they were all sat around the dinner table, laughing and making jokes over one of Polly's famous Sunday dinners, the business not mentioned at all. Hannah had even found it in her heart to fully forgive Tommy for everything that had happened, the bond the two of them once had repairing as time went on.

Hannah feared the day she would return to the convent, terrified that all of the nurses and the nuns would have turned against her for leaving so hastily. If anything, they were just grateful that Hannah was alive and well and that Michael was looking after her. Sister Maria found herself forgiving Michael for his past wrongdoings, finally accepting the donations he had offered the convent so long ago and thanking him for his help. The two of them had a chat over a cup of tea as Hannah caught up with all the other nurses upstairs, Sister Maria claiming that she prayed for Michael daily when she found out about the abuse that he had endured at the hands of Father Hughes. Hannah believed the words she had spoken; the woman had a kind heart but a personality that frightened the strongest of men.

Lily eventually moved on with her life when she realised that Michael meant his words and that his heart would always be with Hannah. She boarded the boat to New York and didn't look back, fully accepting that she couldn't get in the way of a relationship as strong as Michael and Hannah's. There was no reason for her to stay in England and pine over a man that had never fully loved her, especially when there were men back in New York that would treat Lily like she deserved. Hannah wrote to Lily one day, apologising for the words that had been spoken between the two of them. She never got a response back but Hannah felt as ease knowing she had explained herself properly.

Polly came and visited Lincoln, usually arriving when Hannah was at work but staying for a few nights so she could spend some time with her son and daughter-in-law. Polly attempted to find Michael work but she could see that if he craved the Peaky lifestyle, Lincoln not quite living up to what his life had once been. Michael knew that it was for the best, especially if they were to raise children, but it didn't stop him from missing his family and the factories he had grown to love.

Hannah would look at Michael everyday with despair, feeling guilty that she had took him away from his home. He always told her not to worry, this was just a chapter in his life that he would get over soon but Hannah knew the truth, her talent of being able to understand Michael well something that she prided herself on.

"I'd go to the end of the world if it meant I was with you," he would say, a grin on his face as he held Hannah's hand. It was a normal life they were living, going to work and making dinner in the evening but it was a repetitive life at the same time, both of them missed the drama that came with Small Heath, they just didn't miss the drama that involved the two of them.

It was about six months after arriving in Lincoln that things started to look up. Tommy had started to send Michael paperwork in the post, something to keep him entertained when Hannah was at work. It also gave him a reason to carry on in Lincoln, the urge to pack up and move back to Small Heath fading away. Talks of opening up factories under the Shelby name in Lincoln were being considered, a chance for Michael to return back to normality and go back to his career but other and more important things were happening in their life.

"Sit down, need to tell you something," Hannah said one day, pushing Michael's chest until he fell back onto the sofa. Hannah remained stood up as she towered over his frame, a grin on her face. "Have you noticed anything different about me?"

Michael looked Hannah up and down before shaking his head. "Your hair has got longer?" Michael asked, sighing when Hannah shook her head. "Erm, you've got a new dress? Painted your nails a different colour? Love, I really don't know..."

Hannah playfully rolled her eyes before placing both of her hands on her stomach, raising one eyebrow as realisation dawned on Michael's face. "I'm pregnant."

"Are you sure?" he asked, jumping up from the sofa and placing his hand on top of Hannah's. "Like are you one hundred percent sure? Have you been to the doctors and stuff? Fuck."

"Of course, I'm sure, I am a midwife, Michael."

Michael was unsure of how to react. He was happy, happier than he had ever been in his life. Being a father was something that he had dreamed off but now that it was actually here, there was a sense of fear within him. Would he be a good dad? He knew that Hannah would be a fantastic mum, her knowledge on babies and her strong love would make any child lucky to have her as a mother but Michael felt useless, he didn't even know how to hold a baby.

"You'll be fantastic," Hannah whispered as she placed one hand on Michael's cheek, sensing the fear. "You're a wonderful husband, a brilliant son and you will be the best dad ever, I promise."

"I've fucked up so much and I don't want to do it again."

Hannah shook her head. "You won't. I know it because you are the greatest people I have met and you can do anything, including being a father."

"You think?"

"Like I said, I know." Hannah leaned her forehead on Michael's as she smiled, finally content with her life and where she had ended up. It had taken struggles to get to where they were, dark times that Hannah thought she would never get out of but they were finally here, a place they would call their own with a child on the way. "I think a party is needed, don't you?"