Shelby Madness

Chapter 32,'A beautiful baby boy,'

9th November 1919, Small Heath, Birmingham.

"John, you're going to fucken kill us!" Libby shouted, clinging to Arthur in the back of John's new car. John was normally an okay driver apart from the obvious road rage he had but John was drunk and stressed, so he couldn't keep the car in a straight line.

So far he had nearly driven into a ditch and would have if it wasn't for Esme grabbing on the wheel to help him steer, run three people over and drive into a lamp post. Libby wanted out of the car as fast as possible, however it was a possibility the only way she would leave would be in a bodybag if John didn't slow down.

"Slow her up, nice and easy." Arthur said as the car pulled onto Watery Lane.

"Story of your fucken life Arthur," John joked.

"He won't have a life soon if you don't improve your driving." Libby said as the car came to a halt.

"Here we are," Arthur declared before jumping out of the car, then turning around to help Esme out so John could help Libby.

"Nice car, John. How did she run?" Tommy asked as the four of them approached him and James, who were standing outside the front door of 13 Watery Lane.

"Yeah, really smooth, beautiful," John replied, causing Libby to scoff.

"It's a shame your fucken driving it's like that John. Cos you've just nearly killed everyone." Libby complained. John had a feeling she wasn't going to let that go and he was right. Libby was never going to let John live down the fact he nearly killed her with his horrendous driving.

"Your sister is giving birth and you're talking about a bloody car." Polly exclaimed, coming to the front door. She guided Esme and Libby in with her hand, keeping her arm stretched out so Libby couldn't get back out of the house to go and get drunk with her uncles, brother and dad.

"Not much us men can do now pol," Tommy said, giving Libby a smirk to run in the fact he wasn't stuck helping Ada give birth.

"Expect to go and get drunk," Arthur said with a smile.

"Come on, James-Lad," John said, putting his arm around him.

"I'm getting pure legless me, like." James shouted heading down the street towards The Garrison.

Inside Ada was withering in pain. Libby felt sick to her stomach, was this what her mother had to endure alone twice?

"Ada, Freddie can come. Tommy called a truce. He's going to get word to him now!" Polly shouted happily, running back into the house. For once Tommy had done the right thing. He had allowed Frddie to be with Ada when she needed him most.

Maybe it was because of the constant weight of guilt pulling him down. The guilt of his kid's mother having to experience this kind of pain by herself, lock in the tiny box room in Eileen Winters' flat with damp in the corner at 15 or maybe as his brother had suggested it was the pretty barmaid that made his head stip or maybe it was the brotherly love he felt of Ada and his once bestfriend, Freddie fucking Thorne.

It made Libby think, maybe she and Isaiah didn't need to hide their relationship. Maybe everyone would understand but that didn't seem possible but neither did Tommy allowing Freddie into his home and yet that had happened.

Ada's labour so far had been slow and painful. Libby had tried her best to comfort Ada throughout but she was never the overly emotional type so compassionate and sympathetic were qualities she lacked. Thankful, Esme and Polly were also there to coach Ada through.

Emse kept Ada cool and Polly was in full midwife mode, while still offering her words of wisdom to Ada.

"Keep going. That's right." Polly encouraged, "Push, push."

"I think it might be the wrong way round," Esme pointed out, noticing Ada's discomfort, more than the normal pain of giving birth, "I tended three sisters."

"I think you're right," Polly agreed.

Libby had no clue what they were going on about but she did as she was told and helped move Ada onto all fours, staying by her side the whole time.

"Not long to go now darling." Polly declared, "Push, one , two, three."

And just like that Ada and Freddie had welcomed their first child into the world.

"I am never having kids," Libby declared, looking at how exshoused ASda looked.

"Neither," Esme agreed. She was standing next to Libby, who had her back pressed against the staircase.

"Well, that's fine. John got four." Libby said smugly, causing esme to lightly chuckle.

A knocking was heard at the door and Esme rushed to answer it.

"It's a boy, Freddie!" Ada told him, noticing him run through the front door.

"A beautiful boy boy," Freddie said, taking a hold of his son, "Welcome to the world son."

Seven hours of agonising pain had been worth it. Freddie and Ada had their perfect family, a beautiful little boy and for the first time in a while were in their own little bule. But like most things it wouldn't stay like that for long, the knocking on the door of 13 Watery lane for the second time that fateful night would attests to that.

"You can't come in here." Esme shouted, only to get pushed out of the way, "There's just been a baby born!"

The police, however, didn't care. They had a job to do and they were going to do it and no interruption from any woman would stop that.

"You heard her. Fuck off!" Libby shouted, only to be push against the wall like Esme was.

"Please you're hurting him," Ada cried, "Freddie."

"Let go of him!" Libby shouted but was ignored.

"You're taking me away from my son!" Freddie shouted, tears in his eyes, "Ada."

Ada was a mess; she was sobbing and collapsed into Libby's arms climbing onto her in case she was snatched away from her like Freddie was. Esme held the little boy, rocking him gently.

Polly, on the other hand, was furious. She was a woman with a vengeance and fire in her heart. You would have to be stupid to stand in the way of her. Libby was just glad it wasn't her on the receiving end.

She had a felling of who was to blame and how could she of been so stupid to of thought that her and Isaiah stood any chance of been happy together when her father had shown many time before he was in control and nobody was going to stand in his way, having Freddie Thorne arrested proved that.

A/N:

Episode 4 is over and I loved writing it. I hope you enjoyed it.

Tomorrow will be bit of a filler chapter but it is really cute and then I'm starting episode 5.

-Jane