bitter (michael gray.)

THIRTY TWO.

♛

Olivia sat in the windowsill, watching the birds outside feed their chicks. Her head rested against the window, soaking up the sight.

Polly was in the room, leant up against the wall smoking. Michael was furious as he sat in his wheelchair, careful not to do any damage to himself.

"He spared me. He said 'tell your mum that we have a deal'" He seethed as he stared at his mother. "What deal?"

Polly looked around the room, pretending to be confused.

"Just be you and me going to Australia Michael. Think about that." Polly avoided any eye contact.

"What fucking deal Polly? What've you gotten us into now? Do tell us, I can't wait to hear it." Olivia angrily walked over to the table, arms firmly crossed over her chest.

"What deal mum? What deal did you make with Luca Changretta?" Michael raised his voice.

"A deal to spare you life." She moved closer to her son.

"Spare his life? He had a gun pressed to his forehead!" Olivia shouted.

"In return for what?" Michael was a little more clam in his response.

"Men don't have strategic intelligence to conduct a war between families. Men are less good at keeping secrets out of their lies." Polly took a drag from her cigarette.

"You've agreed to give up Tommy, to save my life." Michael realised. "You never forgave him, did you?"

"We're out of our league." Polly leant on the table.

"No. No we don't do that to our own." Olivia shook her head in anger.

"Think, if it wasn't for me you'd be smoke blowing out of a mortuary chimney. Think about that." Polly spoke to her son.

"Think about Charlie. We went to hell and back to keep that boy safe. And for what? So that now he has to grow up without both parents?" Olivia's voice grew louder and louder as the anger bubbles inside of her. "Let me tell you Polly fucking Shelby, it's not fucking fun! Growing up with no one. No mother, no father. Not fucking fun!" She screamed as tears spilled out.

"Liv, calm down." Michael was calm.

"No I won't. She can't do that Michael. He's got a son. She doesn't get that." Olivia wiped some of the tears away.

"She does. Just relax." He sighed.

"Well, seeing as you're both on the same side, I'll leave you to it. Have fun in Australia Michael, you sure as hell know I enjoyed it." She through her coat on before storming out of the door.

Olivia shoved passed the nurses and doctors to get outside. She finally did, the cold air filling her lungs immediately. The past few hours had been too much to cope with.

Sometimes she wished that she'd died in that noose. She'd be with her brother, her mother and her father. And John. He and Sam would be tormenting her all day long, but she wouldn't mind. She'd have her family back. She wouldn't be at risk off death on a hospital ward. She would be so angry at life.

But she wouldn't have Michael.

♛

The whole gang, minus Michael, were gathered around the Watery Lane kitchen table. Tommy was stood in the doorway, Arthur was lining up some cocaine on the table. Olivia hadn't been to see Michael for days, avoiding him after she blew up in front of him and his mother.

"So, what the fuck happened today Tom? Eh? We all heard. Shooting in Artillery Square." Arthur snorted up his drugs.

"Yeah there was. Today I killed three men. Now our enemies are down to eight." Tommy stood with his hands crossed.

Olivia was perched on the crockery cabinet, Finn stood by her side and Millie on the other. No one expected Millie to be there, but she'd decided she needed to be more involved.

"I suppose they took you by surprise, did they?" Arthur questioned.

"No I knew they were coming."

"Just after Christmas, I received a letter from Luca Changretta-" Polly butted in. Olivia rolled her eyes, earning an elbow in the side from both Finn and Millie. "-offering to spare my son if I gave up Tommy." Polly directed her attention to Olivia. "And I gave Tommy up."

"Because that was the plan that Polly and I agreed on. I knew that Luca would want to pull the trigger himself so I used the set up as bait to bring him here." Tommy explained.

"Hang on, so you were never in any danger?" Olivia scoffed.

"I was in danger. But I wasn't going to die." Tommy sighed.

"You're a fucking idiot Tom!" Arthur shouted.

"Look, I didn't get Luca but I got three, alright? That's it. That's what happened." Tommy defended himself.

Charlie ran into the room with a smile on his face, Tommy scooped him up and held him.

"Aye, but he's right. I mean, I thought you'd gone soft." Johnny chuckled. "So you got three?"

"Yeah I got three."

"Well I'll drink to you Tom you mad bastard." Charlie Strong raised his glass.

Olivia didn't dare look up. She realised now how stupid she was, assuming that Polly would let her own nephew get killed. Polly was watching her process it all with a hint of sympathy. Liv wasn't to know the ins and outs, so her reaction was justified.

"Pretty soon you'll...you're going to get the shakes when your blood cools down. Let's go and get a drink." Arthur patted his younger brother's arm.

"Dad, you got three what?" Little Charlie asked in wonder.

"I got three shillings for a two shilling horse my boy." Tommy lied and pinched his son's cheeks.

"Wipe that look off your face. He's alright." Finn stifled a laugh at Olivia.

"Shut up. I'm not in the mood." She sighed and hopped off the cabinet.

Liv grabbed her coat and threw it on, heading out of the front door and into the car. She decided she needed to talk at Michael and make amends. She missed him.

♛

a/n: this was SO bad but i hadn't updated in ages and i felt bad x