The Sweetest Of Hearts.2|T.S

•Dad's the Devil.

I. Dad's the Devil.

Things changed after half of the family was arrested. Maude and Charlie stayed with Daniel and Anna for weeks. Maude couldn't bear being around her husband. She was filled with hurt and betrayal every time she looked at him. But when their stay at her brother's house, got dangerously close to being nearly a month-long, Tommy had enough.

He didn't care if Maude didn't want to see him if she was angry with him or even hated him. Her home was Arrow house, nowhere else. She was still his wife, his pregnant wife, and she had their son with her. Their place was with him, in the comfort of their house, where he could protect them, be with his son, and see the growth of their baby.

Once Maude returned to Arrow house, her relationship with Tommy grew visibly strained. They played friendly for their son, but behind closed doors, she barely muttered a word to Tommy. She didn't look his way and she refused his comfort when she cried sometimes. While they shared their bed, she slept so far from him, that some nights it felt like he was sleeping alone.

When he was granted his OBE from the King, things between him and Maude grew worse for a while. She was unbelievably angry with him. She was frustrated and betrayed. And despite the harsh words she threw at Tommy sometimes, words he knew he deserved, every day he tried to do right by her, tried to make things up to her.

It was only when he revealed that the family would not hang, and they would all be released with dropped charges, that something in Maude and Tommy's marriage shifted. Slowly she began talking to her husband again. Some days she was still angry with him, but slowly she learned to forgive him again.

As Tommy sat in his office, sorting out the last few things for his family's release, Maude stepped into his office, cradling her bump. She waddled a little, a sight Tommy found endearing. She only had a few more weeks to go now, and Tommy truly tried his hardest to fix everything between them before the birth of their child.

"When do they get released?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at Tommy as she found one of the chairs in front of his desk, lowering herself onto it with a huff.

Tommy glanced down at her stomach, finding it difficult to meet her gaze, because he knew she was still so angry with him. "Before the weekend." He muttered, his gaze remaining on her stomach, watching the blue fabric of her dress stretch over the bump.

"Thomas Shelby OBE, always has a fucking plan." She muttered bitterly as she glared at him, soothingly running a hand over her stomach. She had recently realized every time she got worked up and upset, her baby felt it and in return got worked up as well.

Tommy let out a soft sigh as he closed his eyes and lowered his head. "If I didn't do what I did, our enemies would have come after us, and killed us off one by one." He explained softly. He had told her this so many times already, but Maude didn't want to listen.

"Our family nearly hangs and you get yourself an OBE and a nice pat on the back." She continued, letting out a scoff of dry amusement as she shook her head at him.

"They're not going to hang, Maude," Tommy replied as his gaze hesitantly flicked up to meet hers, and he slowly shook his head. "They were never going to fucking hang." he insisted as he inhaled sharply.

"They don't know." She snapped at him with a shake of her head. "Have you for a second thought how it's fucked them up in there?" She questioned as she raised her eyebrows. "Henry won't even receive my visits. Says I'm married to the fucking devil himself." She muttered.

Henry didn't want to see her or Daniel. He refused their visits every time. Despite what had been going on, Daniel remained a part of The Peaky Blinders and The Shelby Company Limited. He was angry with Tommy as well, but he knew just like everyone else, escaping this family wasn't easy, so he stayed. Daniel still working for Tommy and Maude still being married to Tommy, rightfully upset Henry. He felt betrayed by his siblings.