XIII. Wall Street.

4 Years Later.

Not much had changed in the last four years. Except for the birth of two new family members. Ruby Annabelle Felton was born first and a few months later, Oliver John Shelby was born. Both little ones were now turning four years old; Amelia had turned five, Edith was six, Charlie was turning seven, and the oldest of them all, Archie, had turned eight a month few weeks ago. Lizzie and Henry had also gotten married after the whole Changretta business was finally over.

They had also gotten to new additions in the form of furry little troublemakers. One was Cyril, a brown Bull Mastiff. He used to be Alfie's dog but Alfie forced Tommy to take the dog after Tommy found Alfie in Margate and shot him.

The second was a stray Charlie came home with, Pip. Pip was a mix that Maude couldn't quite figure out. All she knew was he was a big attention seeker and had enough fur to keep a whole family farm in harsh winters.

Life was mostly peaceful; there was no betrayal, no drama, no deaths, and no one wanted to kill the family.

There only came one small hitch in the road for the family, when one of Tommy's horses, Trouble, got sick. The family went out into the fields, far away from the house. They camped out in a wagon as Curly attempted to fix the horse, but after no luck, Tommy took the horse further away to put it out of its misery.

Maude stood in the makeshift camp they had set up. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she watched a few of the Peaky men dig a big hole to bury Trouble in. The horse lay nearby, covered so the children wouldn't see.

As Johnny Doggs passed, he gave Maude an apologetic look. While Tommy was away, Johnny spoke Rokker about the horse getting put out. And Charles understood every word the man had said. The children thought the horse was getting healed, and to find out the truth was a devastating blow for the young boy.

With a small sigh, Maude turned and approached the table where Amelia and Oliver sat, playing with Amelia's porcelain tea set that Polly had gotten her for the last Christmas. "What are you getting up to?" she asked her little ones as she crouched beside the small table.

"We're having a tea party, mummy." Amelia cheered happily as she held up her little teapot.

"Oh." Maude hummed as she raised her eyebrows and nodded her head. She grabbed one of the little tea cups from the set and nudged it towards her daughter. "Well then, ten spoonfuls of sugar for me, please." she teased.

"No mummy! You say that's bad!" Oliver whined as he shook his head at his mother. Maude laughed softly. She often scolded her children on too much sugar and she was proud her youngest was taking her wise words to heart.

Maude turned her head as Pip came bouncing up to her and she smiled, scratching behind his ear. As Cyril came running past, Pip followed. Maude's eyes followed the dogs as they played together, and then her gaze diverted to a hill in the distance. She smiled when she saw her husband riding back on one of the horses.

"Look." She urged her two little ones. "Daddy's back from his call. Everything's going to be all right now," she assured her children as she reached out to run her hand through Amelia's dark hair. Her gaze darted around and a frown tugged at her lips. "Where's Charles?" she questioned.

"Inside," Oliver spoke up as he pointed towards one of the wagons nearby. "He's still crying," he informed his mother in a small voice.

Maude stood up straight. "You don't go anywhere." She warned her two little ones as they continued playing. She went towards the wagon and the minute she opened the door, Pip pushed past her and bounded into the room, plopping himself by Charlie's feet.

Maude approached her son. His head was lowered and he was sniffing softly as he wiped at his eyes. "Charlie, love, you're dad is back, do you want to come out and see him?" she asked softly as she sat down beside her son.

"No," Charlie replied immediately as he shook his head. "I don't want to see him." he huffed as he sniffed again.

Maude reached out and brushed her hand through Charlie's hair before cupping his cheek. "Charlie...your father did what he had to," she informed him in a soft voice. "Your horse was sick my love. Your father gave him mercy. It's what you do when a horse gets sick." she explained. "Come and greet him." she pleaded softly.

"No." Charlie remained firm as he shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

Maude sighed, not wanting to push her son into anything he wasn't ready to face at the moment. "Alright love," she replied softly as she kissed the side of his head before standing up, leaving him and Pip in the wagon as she left.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Amelia called out as Tommy drew closer on the horse. She took off running towards her father, and Oliver followed after his sister, his little legs struggling to keep up with his very fast sister.

Tommy climbed off his horse and took a few steps towards his daughter before crouching down, spreading his arms wide. "Come here, you," he told her and Amelia crashed into her father's arms. Tommy picked her up and kissed her cheek as he held her in one arm. As Oliver caught up, Tommy picked the little boy up in his other arm. "Come here."

"You're back," Amelia said happily as she wrapped her arms around her father's neck.

"I am," Tommy confirmed as he walked towards the camp with his two youngest in his arms. "Now, what have you been up to, eh?" he asked them.

"We had a tea party," Oliver informed his father in a small voice and Tommy hummed as he nodded along to Oliver's words.

"Get it done, Johnny," Tommy called out to Johnny as he passed the hole they were digging. He approached his wife, and after kissing both Amelia and Oliver on the cheek, he put them down on the ground.

Tommy stepped up to his wife, placing his hands on her waist. Maude pressed a kiss to his cheek, smiling as she wiped her lipstick smudge off his cheek before kissing him on the lips. Tommy and all three children, sometimes even Maude's brothers' children, often had Maude's red lipstick on them.

"Are you alright?" Maude asked softly as she cupped Tommy's cheek, giving him a concerned look. Maude was no stranger to how much Tommy loved horses. He loved Trouble and she knew his heart was aching even if he wouldn't admit it.

Tommy sighed softly as he gave a small nod of his head. "Yeah," he mumbled softly before his eyes darted around. "Where's Charles?" he asked as he looked at his wife, raising his eyebrows.

Maude sighed as she pulled away from Tommy, crossing her arms over her chest. "He's in the wagon," she informed as she nodded towards the wagon where Charlie was hiding. "He won't come out. He heard Johnny talking Rokker. He understands more Gypsy than we think. He heard him say you shot the horse." she explained to her husband. "I told him it was mercy. I said it's what you do when a horse gets sick. He doesn't understand."

Oliver stood beside his father, looking up at Tommy with big blue eyes. "Daddy, why did you shoot him?" he asked in a small voice as he gave a pouty frown.

"Go play," Maude told her two children as she pointed towards their tea party table, and the two pouted but, nevertheless, ran off to go play.

Tommy let out a deep sigh as he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before turning towards the wagon. "Charlie, get out here now," Tommy called out to his oldest. "Let's get it done," he demanded.

"Tommy, maybe leave him for now," Maude suggested as she wrapped her coat tighter around herself, giving her husband a pleading look.

Tommy looked at his wife, considering it for a moment before shaking his head and turning back to the wagon. "Charles? Come here," he called out firmly.

The door to the wagon slowly creaked open and Charlie hesitantly stepped outside. "Sit down," Tommy ordered as he pointed at the steps of the wagon and Charlie slumped down. "Now, listen to me. 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." he explained as he put his hand on Charlie's shoulder.

"No!" Charlie huffed at his father and Maude pursed her lips as she stared at her son. "It's what YOU do! Shoot horses, shoot people!" he yelled.

"Charles!" Maude yelled at her son as her eyes widened in horror. She didn't know where he had heard that last part, about people. But she figured it was only a matter of time until the children found out what their family did.

"Everybody says!" Charlie yelled as he looked at his mother with a frown before he got up and stormed back into the wagon.

Maude sighed as Tommy turned to look at her, his jaw clenching. "He's upset." she tried to reason with Tommy.

Tommy didn't respond as he pulled out a cigarette and walked over to where the hole for Trouble was dug. The horse already lay in its final resting ground. Amelia went over to her father and stood by his side as he said his goodbyes to the horse.

A moment later, a car came approaching in the distance. As it stopped in the open field, Arthur climbed out, looking rattled as he held a newspaper in his hand. "I've called the house, the office." he ranted at his brother. "But if I tell you....you won't believe it...so I'll show you," he explained as he handed Tommy the newspaper.

Maude's eyebrows furrowed as she watched Tommy skim over the newspaper. "I told Michael on Friday this was going to happen," he muttered as he looked at Arthur with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yeah." Arthur sighed as he turned to look away from Tommy. "Fucking Michael... said he was advised by the broker that prices would rebound," he explained before hesitantly looking at Tommy. "Everybody was told the same thing." he spat as he pointed at the newspaper. He was silent for a few seconds, struggling to keep eye contact with Tommy. "He held on," he muttered softly.

Tommy slowly turned to face Arthur, his eyebrows furrowing even deeper. "Michael held on?" he questioned in a low voice as he stared at Arthur. Maude watched the two brothers, growing concerned as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yeah." Arthur confirmed as he nodded his head.

Tommy turned around, his sharp gaze darting around before turning back to Arthur for a moment. He took a few steps away from Arthur, covering his eyes with his hands. Maude grew increasingly concerned but she kept silent as she stared at Tommy.

"Michael...Michael held on?" Tommy questioned again as he began pacing a small distance up and down.

"Yeah." Arthur confirmed once again.

"Michael held on...and carried on dancing and playing...and fucking in the snow," Tommy muttered in a low voice as he continued pacing, his jaw growing tight. He spotted the wagon, and his anger shifted in an instant. "Charlie! Charlie, come out here now!" he demanded

Maude's lips parted as she looked at Tommy, utterly confused by what made him so angry. She looked towards Arthur who lowered his gaze before her eyes returned to Tommy. "What is it?" she questioned her husband but he was already going off again.

"Kid never fucking listens. Never listens, Maude!" Tommy yelled as he pointed towards the wagon. Tommy looked towards his wife, and saw her standing there in utter confusion and worry. He held out the newspaper and Maude took it while maintaining eye contact with Tommy. "What do I have to do to make people fucking listen to me?!" he shouted.

Maude looked down at the bold printed headline in the newspaper. The crash of the stock market, thousands upon thousands of money lost. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. Tommy had invested a lot...a fucking lot of Shelby Limited's legal money in the stock market. And if Michael held on, it means all that money is gone.

"Holy fuck!" she gasped softly as she stared at the newspaper with wide eyes. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. Tommy's anger grew absolutely 100% valid to her.

"What do we do now, Tommy, eh? What do we do?" Arthur questioned as he looked at his brother.

"Maude, you go with Arthur to Birmingham; you stay in the house on Watery Lane," Tommy instructed his wife, and she nodded her head in agreement. He turned to his brother. "Arthur, call a full meeting of the board of directors tomorrow at noon. A full fucking meeting," he instructed as he took the newspaper from Maude and walked towards his horse, signaling for his men it was time to pack up.

"What about today, eh? What's wrong with today, Tom?" Arthur questioned as he looked over at his brother. He grew angry and stormed after Tommy.

"I need to do some thinking," Tommy replied as he climbed onto the horse.

"Oh, yeah. Oh, you do that best on your own, don't you, eh?" Arthur spat angrily as he stared up at his brother with a deep scowl.

Maude turned when Oliver rushed up to her. The little boy was tense due to all the yelling and angry emotions radiating off the adults. She picked him up, holding him protectively on her hip while taking Amelia's hand as the little girl approached.

"Sweetheart, you have the driver come back tomorrow," Tommy instructed his wife and she nodded in agreement once again. Tommy looked towards his brother. "And, Arthur, tell my boy... that sometimes death is a kindness."

Maude let out a shaky sigh as Tommy took off on the horse. Arthur huffed softly as he watched his brother leave before he approached Maude. "What now?" he questioned.

Maude looked at Arthur, shaking her head. "I told him," she whispered as she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "I fucking told him not to send Michael abroad. Told him we couldn't fucking trust him!" she huffed angrily as she shook her head again. She shared a look of concern and worry with Arthur.