XL. A woman in Whales.

The week Tommy slowly started getting back into business again, was the same week Maude decided she was fed up with laying around in bed all day. She was permitted to have a walk every day but Tommy insisted he walk with her, keeping a watchful eye on her and helping her around. Walks with Tommy were also just around the upper floor, as he forbid her from the stairs until her stitches were out.

Usually, when working, he still managed to keep an eye on her as most things were handled from the comfort of their bedroom. But on a Monday morning when Tommy held family meetings in his office at home, Maude decided to make a break for her freedom.

She slowly climbed down the stairs, hand pressed to her stomach. She waddled through the house until she found her brothers, Ada and Michael sitting around in the living room near the fireplace. Henry was the first to spot her, and his eyebrows furrowed. "Oi, why are you up?" He asked her and everyone's attention turned to her.

"Need to stretch my legs, doctor's orders." She informed them as Daniel rushed to her side, taking one of her arms and helping her walk toward the rest on the other side of the room.

"Should have called one of us to help you." Ada insisted as she looked at Maude with furrowed eyebrows, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Oh don't worry, I managed," Maude said as she dismissively waved off all their concerns with a smile.

"Here, sit down." Daniel insisted as Michael offered her his seat closest to the fireplace. Daniel carefully helped his sister sit on the chair before stepping away, crossing his arms over his chest." Tommy will blow a fuse if he sees you on your feet." He informed her and she hummed knowingly.

Polly stepped into the room, her gaze immediately setting on Maude. "Why are you out of bed?" She asked as her eyebrows furrowed before her gaze turned to Henry and Daniel. "Why is she out of bed?" She asked them as she pointed her hand in Maude's direction.

"Did you forget she's a stubborn one, Pol?"Henry asked as he raised his eyebrows at Poll, a lopsided smirk tugging at his lips.

Polly quirked an eyebrow at him as she rested one hand on her hip. "Much like you." She muttered as she pursed her lips, wiping Henry's smirk from his face as he huffed.

"Look who it is," John called out with a big smile as he and Arthur stepped into the room, their attention on Maude who smiled softly back at them. "How you feeling, ey?"John asked as he rested a hand on top of Maude's head.

"A lot better now that I'm back home." She replied as she pushed his hand off, giving him a pointed look when he chuckled with a teasing look.

"You look better," Arthur told her as he reached out and patted her shoulder, nodding his head as he softly smiled down at her. He turned to the rest of the family. "Right, let's go." He said as he nodded his head towards Tommy's office.

Polly nervously looked at Michael before turning towards the Shelby and Felton brothers. "Uh, we've already seen him." She informed them as her gaze turned towards Ada.

The air between everyone immediately grew tense, as family meetings meant everyone was seen at the same time, not in groups. Ada looked between the brothers as she pursed her lips. "He wanted to see people in a particular order." She explained as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I can normally read him, but he's difficult to read, so be careful," Polly informed the four men as she fiddled with her hands, sighing deeply.

"I thought it was a fucking family meeting." John snapped as his eyebrows furrowed, looking between everyone who stood around. "All of us together, I thought." He insisted as a huff slipped from his lips.

"John, he's in a fragile place," Polly explained and Maude immediately lowered her head as she let out a soft sigh. "To see everyone together would be too much." Polly insisted as she shook her head at him.

John tried to argue with her but Arthur had cut him off. "Come on, John." He ordered his brother as he nodded his head towards Tommy's office.

John huffed as he shook his head, following after Daniel and Henry who silently made their way over to Tommy's office. Before Arthur followed them, Polly grabbed onto his arm. "Arthur, we need him back." She insisted and Maude slowly turned her gaze towards them. "Sabini and Solomons have already sent flowers, so it won't be long before they come trotting up the A1 like wolves." She explained as she pursed her lips, letting go of his arm. "Only good news." She called out after him.

"There is only good news, Polly," Arthur replied as he looked at her over his shoulder before meeting the rest of the men by Tommy's office before they stepped inside.

"I'll go make you some tea, dear," Polly said as she turned to Maude, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder before walking off with Michael right behind her.

Only a few minutes after the men entered Tommy's office, did Maude's husband begin yelling. She glanced towards his office as her eyebrows furrowed, listening to his yelling and swearing for a second before slowly turning towards Ada. "How long has he been like this?" She asked softly.

Ada pursed her lips, sighing as she sat down next to Maude, recalling when Tommy had begun screaming and swearing at his family unprovoked. "Since the incident." She replied softly as she glanced at Maude.

Maude's eyebrows furrowed even further. Since the accident, she had not heard him yell once, not at her nor around her at anyone else. She gulped softly as her gaze returned to his office. "He hides it from me." She said softly.

"He doesn't know you're out here, thinks you're still in bed," Ada explained Tommy's outburst, knowing he'd not go on like that if he knew his wife could hear him. "He's scared," Ada concluded as she slowly shook her head. "I've never seen him be scared...never seen him show so much emotion." She insisted as her gaze returned to Maude again. "It's almost like he started becoming human again when he met you." She insisted. "He almost lost that part of him when he thought he was losing you." She said.

And Ada was right. The second Tommy thought he had lost his wife, the little humanity he still had left was nearly stripped from. As was his will to live.

After the men stormed back out of the office, each and every one of them pissed off, Maude took the opportunity to go see her husband. Tommy looked up when the door creaked open and she stepped inside. "Sweetheart." He spoke up, eyebrows furrowing at his wife. "Why are you not in bed?" He asked her.

"Doctor said it was important to stretch my legs." She reminded him as she waddled her way over to his desk, slowly lowering herself into one of his chairs.

"You should've waited for me to come get you." He ordered as he gave her a pointed look, a muscle in his jaw growing tense. Tommy knew he couldn't do much to help his wife get better, but he'd try his best to make her life a little more comfortable while she healed. But as Henry had said, Maude is stubborn.

"I can't be solely dependent on you, Tommy." She replied with a firm shake of her head before giving her husband a knowing look. "Especially since I know Esme gave you the name of the woman who might have answers for you, and I know you're going to go see her." She muttered softly as she stared at Tommy.

He sighed softly as his gaze diverted to his desk. This was a conversation he wanted to have with Maude on his own time, but he knew it wouldn't have been long until she figured his plans out for herself. "I have to know." He explained as he met her gaze again.

Maude's eyebrows furrowed as a deep sigh slipped from her lips."Why?"She asked softly as she shook her head at him.

"I need to know if it's my fault." He replied as he sighed as well, sitting back in his chair as he ran a hand over his face before his eyes turned to the ceiling, finding it hard to keep eye contact with Maude while discussing her injury.

"My love, whether it's cursed or not, it'll never be your fault." She insisted as she slowly got up to her feet and rounded his desk, sitting down on his lap as his arms wrapped around her waist, his gaze hesitantly meeting hers again.

"I won't get any proper sleep until I know." He informed her with a shake of his head. "My heart won't rest until I do." He explained softly as one of his hands reached up, gently cupping her cheek.

Maude nibbled on the inside of her cheek for a second before looking at Tommy with furrowed eyebrows. "Where is this woman?" She asked softly as her eyebrows rose.

"Wales." He replied and Maude looked away as she pursed her lips. "I'll only be gone for three days, and I'll take Johnny Dogs with me." He assured his wife as he pressed his hand to her cheek again, moving her head back towards him.

"Very well." She replied softly as she reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. She reached out, cupping both his cheeks as she rested her forehead against his. "Go, get your answers, and return to me. Return to me as whole again, Tommy." She pleaded. "I love you."

"And I love you." He replied as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

The two parted ways, Tommy getting ready to leave and Maude going with her family as they went to have tea and sandwiches in the servants' quarters, everyone mumbling about every other room being too cold and the servants quarters had big windows to fill the room with natural sunlight.

Maude sat silently at the table as she listened to everyone speak, watching Polly and Ada rush around the room to make sandwiches and tea while the men drank whiskey. Her mind was on Tommy, wondering if he was still in the house or if had he left already. She wondered how much trouble she'd get for not telling anyone about Tommy's plan.

"The thing is, we all naturally came in here, where the servants eat," Ada said as she rounded the table with plates for the sandwiches.

"It's nothing to do with politics, Ada," John grunted at his sister as he drank his whiskey. "It's fucking freezing in the big room." He huffed.

Polly's gaze darted toward him as she approached the table with a platter of cheese. "John, mind your language in front of the children." She scolded as her gaze flicked towards Karl playing on the floor before turning to Charlie who sat on his uncle Henry's lap, playing with a stuffed bear.

"Ada, we're in the servants' quarters because it's where the fucking booze is kept," Daniel added as he looked over at the girl, refilling both his and John's whiskey glasses.

"Daniel, find better words!" Polly scolded the youngest Felton sibling as she picked up a knife and began slicing cheese for the sandwiches.

John got up to his feet, rounding the table as he stared at his aunt. "Pol, does swearing in Gypsy count?" He questioned her with an amused look on his face.

"There's no reason for us to be speaking Rocker or Shelta in any case." Polly insisted and everyone howled and cheered as they looked at her, met with the older woman rolling her eyes at them. "I'm just saying there is no need." She insisted.

"When she's drunk, my wife can't speak fucking English," John commented and Daniel and Arthur let out laughter.

"John!" Polly yelled at him as she pointed with her knife between the children.

Michael stepped into the room and the atmosphere immediately grew tense. Maude glanced between the men as they glared at each other and then her gaze turned to Ada who sat next to her, pouring cups of tea as she shook her head.

Ada handed Maude one of the cups of tea and Daniel pulled out a flask of whiskey from his coat pocket, pouring a little into his sister's tea as they both wearily eyed Polly to make sure she didn't see, because just like Tommy, Polly was strict about Maude's healing.

"You dealt with it?" Polly questioned, referring to the amounts of flowers and messages Maude was receiving from the Italians and Jews.

"Incentives, no threat," Michael replied as he poured himself a cup of tea. "Implied consequences without specific reference to physical harm." He added.

"That's why young Michael is the boss," Arthur commented as he nursed his whiskey. "He knows better words, right, Pol?" He insisted as his gaze flicked up to his aunt who glared at him.

"Arthur," Maude muttered softly, warning in her voice as she stared at the man ready to cause trouble. And trouble was the last thing Maude wanted in her house. Especially because she knew trouble was coming once everyone realized Tommy left.

Michael glanced at Arthur with a blank look on his face. "Since when was I your boss, Arthur?" He questioned as he raised his eyebrows.

"First, the boss meets you. Then the workers meet you." John added as he glanced at Michael and Maude sighed softly as she and Ada shared a irritated look, both women knowing what was coming.

"When did either of you two do a day's work?" Finn questioned as he raised his eyebrows at them and Ada let out a chuckle.

"In the old days, Finn, family meetings used to be all of us together," Arthur said.

Maude sighed again as she stared at him. "Arthur shut up." She muttered softly as she shook her head at him, her voice holding a hint of pleading.

Arthur only ignored her, barely hearing her speak as he was already continuing on. "Now, me and John, we're just fucking bin men whose duty it is to obey." He huffed as he mockingly bowed, his gaze settled on Polly and Michael. "Mrs. Changretta." He muttered softly as he half-heartedly raised his glass in a toast before finishing it.

Arthur reached out to grab the bottle of whiskey on the table but Maude was faster, pulling it out of his reach. "Arthur shut up." She pleaded with him before turning to the youngest Shelby. " Finn, go and get us cigars." She insisted as Tommy had thrown out every last cigarette she had until she was completely healed again. Finn nodded at her and got up, leaving the staff quarters in search of the cigars Tommy kept in his office.

"So what are we gonna do all night, eh? Climb fucking trees?" John questioned.

"John, stop swearing in front of the kids." Polly scolded him again, now visibly agitated with his choice of words in front of Karl and Charlie.

Maude hummed in agreement as she picked up her tea cup. "Yeah, and who said you're staying the night?" She questioned as she lifted her cup to her lips, but Polly grabbed it before she could have a sip, giving both Maude and Daniel a pointed look as she went to pour the tea out, having seen their little stunt earlier.

"I know what we can do," Arthur spoke up as he glanced at his brother. "We get the guns out, John. We go outside, and we shoot some fucking pheasants." He suggested before his gaze smugly turned to Michael. "That's what the bosses do, isn't it?"

"Fuck off, Arthur," Michael muttered under his breath as his gaze lowered down to the table.

Arthur sat back in his chair as he stared at Michael. "Fuck you just say to me?" He questioned.

"I didn't ask for separate meetings today, all right?" Michael insisted as he shook his head.

"No," Arthur muttered as he got up to his feet, getting in Michael's face. " No, what the fuck did you just say?" He questioned again and Daniel and John were immediately up on their feet to drag Arthur away from Michael. "'Cause I didn't fucking hear you right," Arthur grumbled as he tried to pull away and get in Michael's face again.

Michael turned towards Arthur, blankly staring at the older man with not an ounce of fear on his face, despite knowing how fast Arthur could snap. "I didn't ask for separate meetings today, all right?" Michael spat

"Fucking pheasant.." Karl spoke up as he stood peering at the adults over the table, and both John and Henry broke out in laughter as they stared at the little boy.

"Karl!" Ada gasped as she got up from her chair and rushed to her son, crouching down in front of him. "You can't say things like that." She said, her voice laced with amusement.

"Now look what you've done," Polly muttered as she stared at Karl before her gaze turned to Charlie, almost waiting for him to say something as well, but he was far more interested in playing with his uncle's pocket watch.

"All right, brothers," Arthur muttered as he looked between the three men who surrounded him, amusement on his face as well. "It's just the fucking whisky talking." He insisted.

"I don't ask to be protected, all right?" Michael muttered softly as he stared up at Arthur.

"Right. Shut up. All of you, sit down!" Maude demanded as she stared between the four men, her eyebrows furrowed deeply as she looked at them with a scowl. "Sit down!" She ordered and immediately all of them found their seats.

Polly came to stand behind Maude, resting her hands gently on the younger woman's shoulders. Look around you." She spoke to the men. "And look at this house. Look where we are. Look how far we've come." She demanded. "I think it's about time we all started acting in a way more appropriate to our station. We're none of us bin men anymore, Arthur." She insisted as her gaze briefly settled on Arthur before turning to the rest again. " Maude and Tommy need us all together." She insisted, giving Maude's shoulder a squeeze before she grabbed one of the whiskey bottles on the table. "I'd like to propose a toast." She said and everyone grabbed a glass, bottle, or cup and lifted them in the air. "It's a family united that shall never be defeated."

Finn ran into the room, catching everyone's attention and concern as he panted. "Tommy's gone." He informed them and Maude's heart sank as she lowered her gaze onto her lap. "Swear to God, he's in a wagon with Johnny Dogs."

Everyone got up to their feet, rushing out of the room and down the hall. Maude slowly got up to her feet, taking a deep breath before following after her family. She stood by the door, arms wrapped around herself as she watched the men run after the wagon with her husband inside.

Polly turned towards Maude who stared at the wagon riding away, a knowing look on her face. Polly approached Maude with raised eyebrows. "You know where he's going?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Maude's gaze diverted from the wagon to Polly. "To get his questions answered and his heart settled." She replied softly as a deep sigh slipped from her lips." He's going to Wales, he'll be back in three days' time." She informed them as the men returned, looking at her with questioning looks on their faces.

"Right," Polly muttered with a nod of her head as she looked back at the men. "Come on. Let's go to the big room." She insisted before turning to Maude, resting a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Let's go drink whisky, with water." She said as she lead Maude back into the house again.