#he stripped and dumped his adult son on the street and only let him come back when he almost died

[worstloki]

Odin is actually so mean and twisted for the hammer thing like why is he controlling the ability of his thousands of year old son to fight battles depending on whether he's good enough on some imaginary criteria

[ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes]

Field of Poppies Part 8

Summary: After being apart for six years, childhood friends Tommy and Amelia reunite under odd circumstances. Tommy is an outspoken young man and Amelia is pregnant and out on the streets. The bond of family can be unbreakable but it is tested often. Especially when Europe descends into war.

Part 8: Maxwell Thomas Shelby, the newest member of the Shelby family. 

            It happened one unseasonably warm fall day. September 16th, to be exact. Amelia was getting a glass of water from the kitchen, just minding her own business. It wasn’t until she stepped to the side when she noticed a bit of liquid trickling down her leg. At first, she was embarrassed, not sure what was happening. Then it dawned on her that it was most likely the start of what she’d been afraid of for almost nine months.

             “Uh…Pol?”

            Polly was writing carefully in a ledger in her office in the betting shop. “Have a question, love?” She asked, a bit distracted by numbers. It was early in the afternoon and the shop was abuzz with activity. Odds being shouted back and forth, money passing hands, and the sound of chalk on the blackboard. But Amelia had quietly flitted her way to Polly so she wouldn’t call attention to herself.

            “How would I know if my water’s broke?”

            That immediately grabbed Polly’s attention. The woman’s head shot up and she dropped her pen. “Your water broke?”

            “I er, I think so. I don’t know for sure though.” Amelia pulled up the hem of her skirt a bit.

            “Alright, let’s get you upstairs then, just in case.” Polly jumped up and rushed over to the young woman.

            “I-fuck!” Amelia suddenly shouted and doubled over when she felt her first contraction.

            The men in the shop all turned to look at her in confusion.

            Polly knew if anyone had the most sense in the home, it was her. “All of you clear out.” She ordered. “Now.”

            “Pol…” Danny looked a little lost. There was no way Tommy and Arthur would appreciate all of them leaving in the middle of taking bets.

            “I said get the fuck out!” Polly snapped; a bit louder. That was enough to convince them, as they all scattered. But she stopped Danny at the door. “Get Tommy, bring him back here, tell him she’s gone into labor and he needs to get here now.”

            “Yes, ma’am!”

            Polly got Amelia to sit down. “Take some deep breaths.” She soothed in a calmer voice.

            “Pol, I don’t think I’m ready.” Amelia was suddenly terrified. It was easy enough to say she wasn’t scared when she was just pregnant. But as she was getting ready to give birth, the reality was hard to ignore.

            “Well, that little boy is ready, so you’ll need to be too.”

~~~~~~~~            

            For a moment, Tommy thought Danny was playing a joke on him. But it became clear that Amelia was going into labor. So he ran the entire way back home.

            “Pol? Mel?” He called.

            “In the shop!” Polly yelled back. She was kneeling down next to Amelia, holding her hand and coaching her through her breathing. “Help me bring her upstairs.”

            Tommy froze a bit. Amelia looked panicked as she clutched Polly’s hand and gave little, shallow breaths.

            “Thomas, get your head outta your arse and help me!” His aunt stood up.

            Running on nothing but instinct, he scooped Amelia up into his arms and did his best to carefully bring her upstairs. Mid-way, Amelia let out a groan of pain.

            Tommy didn’t even have the words to comfort her. He had no clue what to say, all he could do was listen to Polly.

            “Go downstairs and get a heap of towels,” Polly instructed as he lay Amelia down on the bed. As Tommy dashed back downstairs, she helped Amelia sit up against the pillows. “As long as you keep breathing, you’ll be okay.” She promised as she helped the expectant mother strip down to her slip to make the delivery easier.

            Amelia had no time to be embarrassed, and she didn’t have a reason to either. Polly was like a mother to her and there wasn’t anyone else she trusted to deliver her child.

            Tommy came back upstairs in the blink of an eye, running purely off of adrenaline.

            “Set them down here.” His aunt instructed. She sat down by Amelia’s feel so she could check the progress of the labor.

            Tommy set the towels on the bed and stood frozen. He could remember the awful screams from the room when his mother was giving birth to Ada and Finn. It was terrifying and even though he was an adult when Finn was born, he was afraid his mother was going to die. It wasn’t the most outlandish thing. He’d heard of mothers who died during childbirth. What would that do to him if Amelia met with the same fate? He felt like his heart was in his throat and he had to push the thought away.

            “Tom…” Amelia reached out to him. Her hand was trembling slightly.

            “You want me to stay?” He asked, moving to take her hand.

            She didn’t even have to answer. Aside from Polly, there wasn’t anyone else there for her. Her parents didn’t care where she was or even if she was okay. The biological father was just as careless.

            “I’ll stay.”

     ~~~~~~~~~~      

            And he did. He didn’t move from his spot the entire time. Even when Polly when to wash a couple of towels or get a drink, he stayed.

            “Remember when Maisie was in foal?” Amelia asked, bringing up the conversation to take her mind off the contractions.

            It had been some time since Tommy had thought about the mare that they both loved so much. She was a paint pony, barely over fourteen hands with a long shaggy mane and a mark on her face that was the shape of a crescent moon. She was the first pony almost all of the Shelbys rode. When Amelia and he were about ten, Maisie gave birth to a beautiful filly they named Maybel.

            It was almost midnight as they crouched in the hay with a lantern in hand. They watched from afar, too curious to look away from the active birth. Charlie stood near, ready to intervene if needed. Amelia would always remember how Maisie tenderly cared for Maybel. Keeping her tiny foal close, and licking her damp coat. She and Tommy nearly stayed up all night so they could see Maybel stand on her wobbly legs for the first time. It seemed so effortless and beautiful. Now that Amelia was in the midst of it, she didn’t think it was as easy as Maisie made it look.

            “Yeah, she was a good horse. We gave her to a farmer out in the country when she got older. He needed a pony to keep his mule company.

            Amelia smiled. “That’s sweet. What about Maybel?”

            “Think we sold her to one of Charlie’s kin. One of their little girls took a liking to her if I can recall correctly.”

            That please Amelia. “Good, they deserved good lives. They were so kind.”

            “All horses do.” Tommy agreed.

            “Even that mean gelding who bit you and threw you off constantly?”

            “Major?” He chuckled. “That bastard made me a better rider.” He recalled when they were a bit older, maybe twelve, around the time he started to fancy his best friend. He took Amelia to the Yard to show off the new horse his uncle got. Tommy was allowed to ride him mainly because Charlie believed that a green horse was a good test for any Traveller boy.

            Major was the tallest horse he’d ridden at that time. He was a stunning creature, muscular and strong with a shiny, chestnut coat. But he was as mean as could be. Charlie said horses weren’t born mean, they were taught. No one knew exactly where Major had learned how to be so mean. They just knew that Charlie had rescued him from slaughter.

            And when Tommy took Amelia to see the gelding for the first time, he made the rookie mistake of turning his back to the beast.

            Amelia didn’t have enough time to warn him. Major stretched out his neck over the stall door and bit Tommy’s arm.

            It was humiliating to be bitten in front of the girl he had a crush on. But he loved the horse no matter how many times Major dumped him, bucked him off, tried to bite him, or pinned his ears back at him. Tommy knew he never would’ve become the rider he was without him.

            “I was scared of him,” Amelia remembered. “Everyone was except for you.”

            “He was just misunderstood.” Tommy shrugged. “He rode beautifully when he behaved.”

            Amelia watched him, her mind drifting away from the contractions she was trying to count. “You should see your eyes when you talk about horses.” She murmured. “You just light up, Tom.”

            His face burned up a little bit. “Well, I dunno.”

            “Maybe you take what you earned from the betting shop and put it into working with horses.” She suggested hopefully. Amelia figured that if she could draw Tommy away from the life of a bookie to someone who worked with horses, she would be doing him a favor. He’d be so much safer.

            “I plan to have horses.” He said. “Once we have it in the budget. We’ll have stables at our house in the countryside. That’s where Max can learn to ride.”

            It sounded so promising, even if it was a stretch to imagine it ever coming true. But Amelia knew that he was deflecting. Getting that house in the countryside would only be the result of getting money from God knows what. She didn’t completely know or understand Tommy’s plan of action, how he anticipated earning so much money. But she knew that no one earned the amount of money he was looking towards through honest means.

            But Amelia couldn’t give it any more thought. Another contraction hit her and she squeezed onto Tommy’s hand. “Getting closer.” She wheezed. “I’m so tired already.”

            “Try to relax best you can, like Pol said.” He soothed gently. “I’m right here.”

~~~~~~~~~~~           

            All in all, it only took about five hours from the time Amelia’s water broke in the betting shop. The sun was just starting to set as Polly helped guide the baby boy into the world.

            The first Tommy heard his son cry was heartbreaking. As the second oldest, he’d almost become deaf to babies crying. It was just a part of life. But when Max cried, it struck him right in the heart. This little bundle was now his responsibility until the day he died. It was something he didn’t take lightly.

            Amelia was exhausted but she let go of Tommy’s hand so she could reach for her baby.

            Polly wrapped up the wailing newborn in a blanket and placed him on Amelia’s breast. “He sounds healthy.”

            “I told you, she’s always right.” Tommy couldn’t help the smile on his face.

            Amelia was in too much awe to acknowledge Polly’s premonition. “Look at him, Tom.”

            Max’s face was all scrunched up as he cried, his little fist pressed up against his mother’s collarbone. He only had wisps of light brown hair but it was too early to tell his eye color.

            “Wow…” Tommy was stunned. He didn’t know what he’d feel when he first saw the child he promised to help raise. He figured it would be some sort of affection, who could look at a baby with malice? But he was taken aback by the devotion he felt immediately upon seeing Max.

            Amelia was completely overwhelmed as she cradled her son close to her chest. When she discovered she was pregnant, she was terrified. Everything about it scared her, her parents’ reactions, the father’s reaction, the reaction of friends. She was worried about how people would perceive her having a child out of wedlock. When she was disowned, she was angry at herself, angry at the man who assaulted her, angry at her parents for taking his side. She didn’t want to be pregnant. She didn’t want to be a mother. There was no way she would be able to care for a newborn. She felt lost and hopeless.

            But there, in Birmingham, holding her son, all of those fears and worries felt foolish. All of a sudden, she was willing to jump through hoops for her son, fight an army single-handedly to keep him safe. She would starve, be penniless, even die if it meant keeping him safe. This tiny little being was suddenly all that mattered to her in the world. And it brought tears to her eyes knowing that he depended on her. That he would look up to her and expect her to be her best. She needed to be her best for him.

            For nearly ten minutes, Amelia silently sobbed as she held Max. She softly whispered her promises to him. Whispered how much she loved him. Whispered how he would never know the struggles she had known.

 ~~~~~~~~~

            A couple of hours after Max was delivered, Amelia was wiped out. She fell asleep as Tommy went downstairs to introduce his son to the rest of the family.

            “Everyone, I’d like to introduce Maxwell Thomas Shelby, the newest addition to the family.” Tommy propped Max up a bit in his arms so everyone could see him.

            His siblings drew close to see their nephew.

            “Healthy looking lad, aye?” Arthur smiled, proud of his brother for stepping up for Amelia’s sake.

            “Now we’ve got two babies in the house?” John grimaced. “We’ll never get any sleep.” The teenager protested. 

            “I think he’s cute,” Ada said. “Is he and Mel gonna stay with us forever?” She asked hopefully.

            “Yeah, Ada, I think they are.” Tommy looked down at Max fondly.

 ~~~~~~~~~          

            Tommy couldn’t sleep and it wasn’t because Max was keeping him up. In fact, the baby was sleeping quite soundly in his cot. He’d cried about an hour earlier and Amelia had nursed him back to sleep. Now both mother and child were fast asleep in the same room. Tommy was sitting next to the cot, his back to the wall. He watched Max through the bars of the crib, watching every breath he took. Tommy wasn’t sure if he was scared by how fragile the newborn seemed to be, or if he was still in a bit of shock. He wondered what this little boy would grow up to be. Would he like horses as much as Tommy did? Would he look up to him?

            It was a bit frightening to look so far into the future and realize all that could potentially happen to any of them. The uncertainty drove Tommy mad. He wanted to give Amelia and Max everything they deserved, he just wished he knew the future so he could know he was going down the right path. He wanted to know that he would uphold his promise.

Permanent Tag: @papa-geralt-of-cirilla @giftofdreams @biba3434 @kimmietea @karmezii @enrapturedbythemoon @vampgirl1997 @tarafaithe

Tag list: @shelbyblinded

Masterpost

PB Masterlist

[neganandblake]

Negan and Blake AUs -  Masterlist

(Put all my Negan/Blake AU’s into a nice masterlist for you to read at your convenience. Enjoy, lovelies! :) )

‘Just friends’  - best friends who lives across the street from each other.

Dream home -imagine Negan and Blake’s dream home

Blake being a virgin - Blake's first time

Negan and Blake as teachers - Part 1  Part 2   Part 3   Part 4

Fem!Negan & Blake

Being friends instead of lovers

One of Negan’s wives has his baby

Blake has David’s child

Negan and Blake ‘just friends’ - Negan offers his help

If Blake had returned to Alexandria with David

The Dance Class (Negan, Blake and baby Isla)  - @a-distantdreamer - Negan takes his baby daughter to Blake’s dance studio for her first class.

Adult film stars - Negan and Blake get ready to film together for the first time

The Wedding Day - Negan is in church waiting for Blake to arrive.

A Divorce Part 1  Part 2 - what if Negan and Blake were separated and gong through a divorce.

The Single Mom Part 1 Part 2  Part 3- by @qhbr2013 -What if Blake was a single mom who never expected to find love again...

You’ve Got Mail  - @thamberlina - is it possible to fall in love with someone you’ve never actually met?

Trick or Treat - Negan takes his daughter Isla out trick or treating and turns up on Blake’s doorstep

The Strip Club Part 2 Part 3 - Blake works as a dancer and falls head over heels for Negan, but all is not what it seems and some bruises will take a long time to heal from.

Unrequited Love - What if you loved someone who was with someone else?

The Barn Part 1 Part 2 - @a-distantdreamer - Negan shelters from a storm with his daughter Isla in a dusty old barn and meets Blake.

A trip to DisneyWorld

Finding a puppy at the Sanctuary

A Welcome home - @qhbr2013 

Lemonade Part 1   Part 2   Part 3 - Farmer!Negan AU. Blake sees Negan working on the garden at Aleaxndria after years apart

1950s AU: Negan and Blake honeymoon cruising with additional fic by @thamberlina here

The Set Up - @warriorqueen1991 - Negan and Blake get set up on a date together by their friends.

Relentless - Does Negan ever give up?

From kindergarten to high school - Watch Negan and Blake grow as friends from tiny babies, right through to graduation.

Through College - Follow on from Kindergarten to high school. Negan helps Blake out with something that’s been worrying her.

Till the world stops spinning - @warriorqueen1991 Set in the future as Negan and Blake rule the Sanctuary.

Still Here @starlessskies94 - After losing his Queen, Negan struggles to continue life on his own but he might find that his love isn’t so far away after all.

Peaches and cream - @warriorqueen1991

Love at first inkdrop  - @thamberlina - When Blake dumps her asshole of a boyfriend David she decides to have fresh start and takes the hump to get her first tattoo. Sparks fly when she falls for the owner of a tattoo parlor, a gorgeous guy named Negan.

Killer Queen - Role reversal AU - What if Blake was the bad girl with the bat instead of Negan? Would she fall for sweet guy Negan?

The Nurse  @starlessskies94 - What if after Negan had his throat cut he was looked after by nurse Blake at the Hilltop? And what if Blake found herself falling slowly in love with him?

Daddy Daycare - @thamberlina - Negan takes care of his twins boys

Daddy Daycare, Negan’s Pride @thamberlina -  Follows on from oneshot ‘Daddy Daycare’ The world is slowly getting back on its feet and the twins have firmly found theirs at The Sanctuary. Negan and Blake, now with a new addition to the family have everything running smoothly. But is there trouble on the horizon?

Call Me Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 - @longlostx11 - Blake’s first job as a call girl doesn’t quite go to plan when Negan is her first customer

Arat’s best friend - The Saviours come across a group where one of them is someone Araat knows very well indeed...

The bodyguard - Blake is a high profile actress who hires Negan as her boyguard

The King and the Queen - King Negan and Queen Blake are rivals and enemies from two side-by-side kingdoms. Both rule in completely different ways, but when both come together for a truce, the first of it’s kind for hundreds of years, their ‘meeting’ turns into so much more than just that.

The Saint and the Sinner @starlessskies94 -  Vampire Negan and Mortal Blake cross paths but what will they make of each other?

Earth and Fire @roguesandsaviors - Part 2 When earth elemental Blake finds herself showing around a new mutant to Professor Xavier's school, things are not all they first seem...

Pro Ball player AU PART 1 PART 2   PART 3  @roguesandsaviors - Pro Ball player Began meets Blake at a bar and can’t get her out of his head.

My Saviour - A Negan and Blake Titanic AU by @a-distantdreamer

The Art Class - by @thamberlina - Negan and Blake join an art class but when the life model doesn't show, Negan takes this as his chance to shine in front of his blonde gal pal.

Heart Series by @thamberlina -  Negan and Blake both suffer from the same heart condition and need a transplant, but the wait is long and their time is short.

Living Arrangements Part 2 Part 3 - Negan meets Blake and her two year old daughter Mia who live just across the hallway. But what happens when Blake gets evicted and has no where else to go?

The Crimson Case @starlessskies94 -  This AU ‘Nake’ oneshot is set in 1940′s film noir…with Negan as a Private Eye and Blake as the gangster’s moll.

Facing Fears @starlessskies94 - Negan helps Blake with her fear of water.

A baby bump named Beansprout Part 1 Part 2-  Negan is living a worthless existence locked down in his cell, but what happens when a beautiful pregnant girl named Blake shows up, brightening his world and stirring feelings in him he didn't think possible.

The mark of a soulmate @starlessskies94 -  When a soulmate is near or about to come into one another’s lives; their names magically appear on each others bodies like a tattoo.

Like Father, Like Daughter @starlessskies94 -  An older eighteen year old Mia; all grown up and following in the footsteps of her parents. Negans junior badass; ready to take on the world with her bat wielding daddy!

Baby, it’s cold outside @starlessskies94  Part 2

The Star and the Saviour @starlessskies94 -  Blake is a famous singer with Negan as her manager; handling the PR for her new upcoming album.

The Slytherin and the Hufflepuff     MASTERLIST - A Hogwarts Teachers AU.What if Professor Negan, ex-Slytherin, ex-pro Quidditch beater, started at Hogwarts as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts and Quidditch coach. And what if the one person that caught his eye was lovely, kind Madam Blake, ex-Hufflepuff and Hogwarts nurse. Harry Potter/Walking Dead crossover.

Cujo | A Negan and Blake Vet AU @roguesandsaviors - Negan’s dog is out of control, so how is a sweet, blonde vet ever gonna help calm him down? 

Socks | A Negan and Blake Vet AU by @roguesandsaviors - Negan’s dog is sick and he knows the best person for the job.

The Sheriff and the school Mistress by @thamberlina -   Blake Beaufort finds herself in a new town in dire need of a new start, almost immediately she catches the attention of the rugged Sheriff Negan. With Blake’s past nipping at her heels, can love flourish in the Wild West?

Last days of summer by @thamberlina -  A Negan and Blake oneshot. Negan has recently taken a promotion with his company which is in another State, meaning he has to reluctantly leave behind his wife Blake and their 5-month-old son.

My Saviour by @a-distantdreamer - A Titantic crossover

Reluctant sick day by @thamberlina - Negan gets sick and is reluctant to let Blake play nurse.

Home sweet home by @a-distantdreamer -  Crossover with Negan and Blake, exploring their journey to growing their family and adjusting to parenthood.

Admin Error by @thamberlina  - After an admin error at the college, Blake, a brainy, timid student finds herself sharing a dorm with leather-clad biker bad boy, Negan.

Hide with me by @thamberlina - Blake Beaufort and Negan Morgan are the top two detectives in the city. So when Blake is unwittingly the eye witness of a crime committed by one of the city’s rising gangsters, her life is thrown into turmoil at risk of imminent danger. Can Negan protect his partner? And what effect will being forced into hiding have on their professional and personal relationship?

Just shelterin’ from the storm, darlin’ - Part 1, Part 2  Part 3 When Negan returns to the place he once ruled over, will he find anything there worth sticking around for?

Behind Bars by @thamberlina -  Locked up in a tiny concrete cell being kept like a caged animal, Alpha!Negan has almost resided himself to his fate. Until one day, a scent in the air of an Omega ignites a burning hunger. His Omega. His Soulmate.

Schoolyard Crush - Released from the confines of his prison, Negan is slowly settling into community life at Alexandria. But what happens when Judith’s teacher catches his eye? Can Negan really fall for someone, after so long spent alone?

New Perspectives - A Biopunk AU by @roguesandsaviors 

The start of a beautiful relationship - A frontier Au by @roguesandsaviors

This is big, Lady,  dont screw it up - An AU by @roguesandsaviors - Blake has her big shot at stardom, and yet her poisonous leading man has other ideas? Will her dashing stage manager come to the rescue?

Bodyguard or Boyfriend by @thetruebornwildchild -  Working for Atmage Security Services Negan attends a work lunch for his new job when he meets Blake. Stunned at first by her, it only get’s worse when he realises she’s the client, and there is a small stipulation in the contract.

(Please let me know if I’ve forgotten to add any).