- Hello Sons of Anarchy Fans! Welcome to my first SOA fanfiction and my very first English written fanfiction. It's a Juice/OC and I really hope you'll enjoy it. I'll follow the lines of the story as much as possible although I didn't like everything so you'll see changes whenever I don't but I'll try to follow the same story line as SOA. Reactions are always welcome and please be honest to me. As I said, this is my first English fanfiction since English isn't my first language (it's Dutch Btw) so if you see any mistakes, please tell me.
For now; ENJOY!
I don't own anything except my OC!
Tara was walking through the hospital, making her way to Abel Teller's room. Opening the door and walking into the newborn ICU, she spotted a young woman standing in front of the window looking at Abel. Tara looked at the woman for a while, taking her in. She looked familiar... Judging by her clothes which were all wrinkled, she had been wearing them for a while. But it was the style of clothes that struck her. It looked like she belonged here in Charming. Her long blonde locks were up in a high ponytail, her skin slightly tanned by the sun. Her face wasn't visible, turned away from the door and focused on the newborn at the other side of the glass. Letting her eyes wander down, Tara saw a ring around her finger, one that stood out from all the others she was wearing. It looked like the kind of ring a Samcro member would wear but this one was more feminine. It was a silver band that looked like a crown, decorated with skulls, crows and diamonds. Tara had seen that ring before. She was sure of it. She just couldn't remember where and on who. After accepting she wasn't going to find out by herself, Tara decided to speak up.
'Uhm, sorry', she spoke in a hushed but stern voice, 'this section is accessible for family and medical staff only'.
The strange woman turned around, making Tara gasp. Blood streamed out of her face when the striking blue eyes looked straight at her, the kind of blue she only knew because of two people. One of those was Abel's father, her high school sweetheart. The other was now standing before her, looking beautiful as ever, maybe even more so.
'I am family', she spoke up with a smile playing at her lips.
It pulled Tara from her shocked state, making her move towards the young woman. Tara hugged the girl she knew as Christina Teller, Jackson and Thomas' younger sister. Tara smiled through the happy tears that were now streaming from her eyes. Christina did the same, hugging her friend she had missed so much.
When Tara finally let go, she looked at the woman in awe. 'How…' she started but didn't know how to finish. 'When… Whát are you doing here?! Last I heard was that you had left Charming. Nobody knew where you were going or if you were ever coming back!'
'I know-' she mumbled in embarrassment. 'I just… It seemed the best choice back in the day. After a few weeks I was ready to go back but then I heard about Opie being arrested. It made me think that things were never going to quiet down here. That was the moment I decided to not return home just yet'.
'But… you are here now, right? Does that mean you changed your mind?' Tara asked.
Christina smiled, looking back through the window at Abel. 'Maybe. I don't know yet. For now. The important thing is that I'm here now'.
'Does Gemma know?' Tara asked while she stood next to Christina in front of the window, both their eyes on Abel.
'Not yet', she answered. 'This was my first stop. The next will be Jax's house. Maybe my mom is there. If she isn't, the next will be her house. The clubhouse will be my first stop tomorrow morning'.
'Sounds like a great plan', Tara said before enjoying the silence between them, listening to the machines that kept Abel alive.
'What are his chances?' Christina asked after a couple of minutes.
'Hard to say', Tara answered softly. 'Wendy was using again. We found traces of needles in between her fingers and toes. Tox screen came back positive for crack cocaine and nicotine. It's what caused the gash in his belly. But he...' Tara hesitated even though Christina has the right to know.
The blonde turned her head towards the now quiet doctor. Looking at her face, Christina saw the struggle she was having with herself. 'You can tell me', Christina said making Tara look at her. 'It's his heart isn't it? He has C.H.D.'.
Tara nodded her head in confirmation. 'The tear in his abdomen and the early birth are because of the drugs and the cigarettes but the C.H.D. it's genetically determined'.
Christina huffed and rubbed her eyes. She was tired. She had been running around for a long time today and had called a cab to get her to the hospital right after her plane had landed. She hadn't stopped at a motel or something. If the situation really was as bad as Tig had said over the phone, she had to go to the hospital right away. Now, she was feeling it. She was tired, exhausted even.
'Maybe you should go home', Tara suggested by seeing Christina's eyes go tired. 'Abel will go into surgery tomorrow. You should go see Jax and your mom. They missed you'.
'How do you know, Tara?' Christina asked. 'You left even before I did. How could you possibly know if they missed me?'
'Because I see it', she answered. 'I see it in Jackson's eyes, how they are dull and dark instead of bright and blue. He doesn't smile that often and when he does it looks like someone just killed his dog. Gemma looks at her family and sees an empty stop, one that can't be filled by just someone. That spot can never be filled by anyone but you. The club may looks okay but they aren't. They need their princess, the one that can make everyone stop in their tracks, let them take a breath. Last time I checked, there was only one woman able to do that'. After her small speech, Tara walked further before stopping at Abel's door. She stepped in, checked his vitals before looking up at the window. Only to see Christina had left.
She had stopped her car in front of Jackson's house about thirty minutes ago. There was no motorcycle in the driveway, just Gemma's Caddy. Christina wasn't surprised. She could have known Jackson would run away from his problems. That wasn't how he always was. She knew he was pissed at her for running away from Charming because, according to him, that wasn't what a real Teller would do. That was what he had screamed to her over the phone the last time they spoke, about five years ago.
Accepting that it was time to face her family, Christina opened the door of her black 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback which she had picked up before heading towards Jackson's house. All her luggage was in the back. It wasn't much. Only a couple of suitcases and duffle bags.
Christina picked up her handback from the passenger seat before walking the path to the front door as slow as she possibly could. She was afraid of what her mother would say. Would she scream? Knowing Gemma Teller Morrow that probably wouldn't be the only thing. She would be smacked if her mother was in a bad mood. Judging by how stupid Christina had been for running away and how the day had gone to shit because of Abel's life situation; there was a big chance.
Christina took a deep breath before knocking on the door three short times. She heard heels click, probably coming out of the kitchen and towards the front door. She heard juggling on the locks before there was a "click" coming from the door opening.
Looking up from her shoes a couple of seconds later, Christina saw her mother standing in the opening. Her eyes looked flat but judging by the tears which started to flow over her cheeks she was happy to see her only daughter.
'Oh my god', Gemma whispered when she had found her voice again. Seeing her daughter standing before her had struck her by complete surprise. She had dreamed of this moment many times but had never expected her to come back ever again. 'Chris…'
Christina smiled, tears brimming in her own eyes. 'Hi mom', she whispered just as one tear slipped out making its way over her cheek and smearing her make-up.
Gemma's lip trembled and even though she was angry because of Christina running away all those years ago, she stepped towards her before curling her arms around Christina's small frame and pulled her in a tight hug. Soon, the anger Gemma had felt was overthrown by happiness. Christina curled her own arms around her mother's waist, relieved to finally have that motherly embrace again. Her forehead leaning against Gemma's shoulder and soon Christina was crying. Everything was just so intense. It struck her how stupid she had been. Yes, she had enjoyed the years traveling around the world, meeting strangers and befriending them, not being sucked into the drama that surrounded Charming but right now it struck her how much she had missed it at the same time. She had missed her older brother Jackson who once had been her best friend, oldest friend and protector, missed the many uncles she had, missed her stepdad Clay who had taken her in as his own, missed her best friends Opie, Donna and Tara. But most of all, she missed feeling at home.
Gemma pressed her lips against Christina's temple, not bothered by Christina who was socking Gemma's shirt with tears and mascara. She really had to talk to her daughter about the why's and where's but that would be for another time. Now, Gemma would just cry with her. Happiness and sadness flowed through both women, making them hug each other even tighter.
'Welcome home baby', Gemma whispered in Christina's ear with a slight sob in her voice. 'Welcome home'.
After having pulled Christina inside Jackson's house, putting them both on the couch and letting her finish her crying, Gemma started cleaning up again while Christina spoke softly and Gemma told her about all the important stuff she missed; like the whole Jax and Wendy thing. Christina vaguely remembered a Crow-Eater named Wendy who was hanging around the club quiet a lot right before she moved away.
'So I see that Wendy made this her own personal crack hut', Christina said while she tried to get rid of all the smeared make up.
'Yeah well… she and Jackson kind of broke it off many times before getting back together. He knew she used crack. The last break up clearly was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Pushed her over the edge. She had been clean for a while but it never holds. This girl is too hooked. He just doesn't see it'.
'Maybe this was the last straw for him as well. Maybe he won't go back to her', Christina spoke.
'God, I hope so', Gemma laughed but without humor. 'Looking at Abel I really hope this made him see what is right in front of him'.
Christina nodded her head before closing her eyes and rubbing them again. God, she was tired. She really wanted to wait for her brother but she probably wasn't going to make it.
'You tired baby?' Gemma asked when she looked up and saw how her daughter was struggling not to fall asleep.
'Yeah', Christina sighed. She was able to open her eyes again, but they felt really heavy. 'I packed up my stuff and took the first plane to Stockton. Have been running around all day to make sure I didn't leave any loose ends. Never slept on the plane and didn't stop at a motel or something when I arrived. I went to see Abel right away'.
'So you are awake for how long?' Gemma asked with crooked eyebrows.
Christina looked at the clock on the wall. It was passed 11 PM. But to be completely honest, her brain was refusing to work. She remembered stepping out of bed before sunrise, having to run some arrant and going to work but had spoken to her boss and quit as soon as Tig had called her. 'Long', she then answered.
Gemma exhaled and walked towards her long lost princess. 'Why don't you drive to the house and take your old room. Sleep. You can go see Jax and the other boys first thing in the morning'.
'You kept my old room?' Christina asked in amazement.
'Well, I was pissed and tried to throw away all your stuff but it was too painful. After a while I decided hoping you would find your way home one day was easier than throwing away everything that helped me remember you'.
Christina smiled, stood up from the couch and kissed her mother's cheek. 'Thanks mom. I will see you tomorrow morning'. She stepped past the older woman, walking towards the door but Gemma called her name again, stopping her mid-step before turning back around.
'Where were you when you heard?' Gemma asked.
Christina smiled. 'Canada', she answered honestly. 'The weather here sure as hell is a lot better let me tell you that'.
Gemma smiled and nodded. 'Goodnight sweetie', she whispered.
'Goodnight mom. Ow and… please don't tell Jax about me being here yet. I want to surprise him'. Christina was very afraid Jackson would be most pissed at her for leaving Charming. It sure as hell sounded that way when he had called her the last time.
'He's not mad at you', Gemma said before she could leave. 'He was but… not anymore. He blames himself. We both know how… distracted he was before you left. Jax blames himself for not being there for you, preventing you from leaving. He literally found out over 24 hours later. He just needed someone to blame. In that moment he blamed the easiest person of all, you. Jax is smart, Chris. You will see'.
Christina nodded, turned back around and walked out. She put herself behind the wheel of her Mustang again before starting the engine and driving towards her mother's house. On her way she heard some sounds coming from the Mustang which really wasn't that weird. The car had been standing in a unit for over five years. When she would go by Teller Morrow tomorrow, she would ask someone to look at her precious baby.
She stopped the car in front of her mother's home, the house that had once been her home. Looking at the bright yellow building, the feeling of home warmed her from the inside. Christina stepped out of the car, pulled out the most important bags before walking towards the door. She opened the front door with the house key she owned, which surprisingly still fit. Christina stepped inside, closed the door behind her before walking the familiar way towards her room. Opening the door, she found out her mom had been right; it really still was the same. Everything was in its rightful place. Nothing had changed. Christina was happy with that. She could use some familiarity right now. She dumped the bags on the side, in front of her closet before opening them. When she had found a clean set of underwear and PJ's, she walked towards the bathroom she had once shared with Jackson in desperate need of a shower. She felt her body relax when the warm water hit her skin, washing away all the sweat, tears, dirt, loneliness and every doubtful thought about coming back to Charming. The young woman was happy for the first time since leaving. She had to be honest with herself; she had doubted leaving Charming. In the cab on her way to the airport that day so very long ago, she had been wanting to tell the chauffeur to turn the cab around and take her back but she hadn't. Instead, she had done what her father had done. She had run away from her problems, away from her feelings. Christina now saw, after her homecoming, how wrong it had been to walk away from everything and everyone. She had done what her father had done after her brother Thomas had died; she had taken the coward way out. But now, being back, she was ready for a fresh start, starting with her first shower back home.
After finishing washing her body, making sure all the old make-up, sweat and tears were gone, Christina stepped out and dried herself with a fresh towel. Pulling on her clean underwear and PJ's, Christina was ready for bed. She put her hair up in a messy bun before throwing back the blankets and laying down on the mattress of her double bed. Christina had drifted off to sleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
Voices had woken her up early the next morning. She heard her mother's voice, which she would recognize anywhere, and the voice of her step-father Clay Morrow. Christina smiled through her sleepy eyes before throwing off the blankets. She looked in her full length mirror on the door, pulling her clothes straight before opening the door of her room and walking towards the kitchen, knowing she would find them there.
Clay heard a door inside the house open while he was reading the paper and enjoying his coffee. It had his immediate attention, looking up from the article in front of him. His wife was just smiling while doing the morning dishes. He saw her putting another cup on the counter before filling it with coffee.
'Is there someone else in the house, baby?' he asked.
Gemma's smile grew wider, putting sugar and creamer in the coffee. She wasn't going to answer him, knowing he would have his question answered any moment now.
'Phew', he heard a sweet voice sigh making him look away from his wife. 'I think that is the best I have slept in over five years. I forgot how amazing it is to wake up at home'. Christina smiled, ignoring Clay's shocked face and walked towards her mother. She pressed a kiss on her cheek before grabbing the coffee from the counter. 'Thanks mom', she whispered before she walked towards the table where Clay was still silently looking at her. Christina stood next to him and took a sip from her coffee. 'Hey there pops', she then greeted, smiling smugly at him.
Clay was pulled out of his shocked state and stood up before pulling her in his arms. Christina tried not to spill the hot coffee all over him but hugged him back with her free arm. When he was done hugging her, he let her go but not completely. He kept one hand on her shoulder before looking her up and down.
'God you have no idea how good it is to have you back, princess', he then said with tears brimming in his eyes but not spilling.
Christina smiled her full happy smile at him. 'It feels great to be home', she answered him.
Clay looked up at Gemma who was looking at the two in total admiration. 'When did she come back?' he asked her before turning back at Christina. 'When did you come back?' he asked her now.
Christina giggled but Gemma was the one to answer. 'Last night', she answered before walking towards the two. 'Was just standing on Jax's porch waiting for the world to blow up. She looked like a complete idiot'.
'Wauw, thank you mother for the warm welcome', Christina said sarcastically when Gemma took in the place besides her husband.
'Well, idiot or not you still are Samcro's princess. We missed you little girl', Clay said before kissing her forehead. 'I would really like to enjoy the homecoming party a little longer but we have church'.
'Okay baby', Gemma said before kissing him shortly. 'I will be going to the hospital with Luann'.
'Oh, hey! Is there a chance I can interrupt church? I would really like to let everyone know I'm home and it will be the best opportunity since every one of them will be there', Christina asked looking at Clay with her pleading angle eyes. 'Please? I promise it will be a one-time thing, I promise'.
Clay didn't need a lot of time to make his decision. He rolled his eyes before singing in defeat. 'Okay but just this once because it's a special day. Just because you are the princess doesn't mean you can get away with stuff like this'.
'Yes it does', Christina and Gemma answered at the same time, smiling when Clay groaned in annoyance.
'I will see you later', Clay said pointing at Christina. 'And you', he said now looking at his wife, 'I love you'.
'Love you too baby', Gemma said before kissing him again but this kiss was a little deeper and more passionate.
Christina groaned and turned around before walking back towards her room, coffee still in her hand.
About 45 minutes after going into her room to change and put on her make-up, Christina pulled her car into the lot of TM. She stepped out rather quickly, kind of nervous to see everyone again after her sudden departure. Some mechanics who recognized her had greeted her but didn't hold her up. The blonde opened the door of the clubhouse, seeing it empty except for a couple of Crow-Eaters, hang arounds and a skinny looking guy behind the bar wearing a prospects cut. Christina decided he was her best chance of getting the boys out of chapel. She walked towards him, taking a seat on one of the many bar stools and pulled off her sunglasses so her striking blue eyes were now visible. They clearly had done their thing because the young man came walking towards her quickly.
'What can I do for you, beautiful lady', he said with a grin on his face.
Christina smiled before pulling out a pack of cigarettes from her purse. 'First, you can give me a fire', she said while putting one between her shiny pink lips. They boy rummaged through his pockets and soon pulled out a lighter. He held it out to her, letting Christina light the stick herself. She soon handed it back to him and took her first drag. 'Second', Christina spoke again while breathing out, 'you can hand me a beer'.
'A girl that drinks before noon', the prospect concluded before grabbing a beer from the fridge behind him. 'I like you already'. He opened it for her before putting it down in front of her.
'Please', Christina scoffed before taking another drag. 'You liked me the moment I walked in and put myself down in this stool.
The prospect nodded. 'Fair enough', he confessed. 'Is there something else I can do for you?'
'Yes', Christina said and started to grin herself. 'You can walk over there', she said and sighaled towards the chapel doors, 'knock and when someone opens you tell him to send out Gigantor and goldy locks'.
Kip couldn't say if she was serious but when he wasn't moving immediately, she urged him with a glare so he started walking. He had to admit that he was confused. Never had anyone urged to interrupt church, not even Gemma. So what made her? And why the hell had he this feeling he had to listen to her for his own sake. It probably was the tone in her voice that had put him into gear.
Half-Sack knocked on the door, hearing the heavy voices inside. Nobody opened so he knocked again. He thought he heard Clay say someone had to go and look what was going on and not very long after, the door opened. Bobby was looking at him with a mixture of confusion and anger.
'What is it prospect?' he snared. 'Has nobody ever told you not to interrupt church?'
'Yeah but there is this lady and she… uhm'. Half-Sack knew this was going to sound totally weird.
'What? A woman? You interrupted church because of a woman?' Bobby asked.
Inside there sounded laughter. Kip was wondering if it maybe wasn't better if he would just let it go. But hearing them laugh made him speak up again. 'Yeah well, she said to knock and send out Gigantor and goldy locks'.
When Christina heard him speak the nicknames she had for Opie and Jackson, she grinned before taking a sip of her beer. If this was going to be a bad reunion, she needed alcohol which was why she was drinking at 10.30 in the morning.
The church room went totally silent before there was the sound of chairs being moved and heavy feet moving out of the church. Christina wasn't going to look up just yet. She liked the moment of surprise.
After having heard Half-Sack say his and Opie's nicknames, Jackson moved out of his chair and towards the door in record time. Opie was right behind him, the same hopeful expression on his face. Walking out of church with the rest of his brothers right behind him, Jackson immediately saw the blonde sitting at the bar. She had a cigarette in between her lips, lightly sucking it and a beer bottle in her hand. It was like a weight was being lifted of his shoulders, like he was finally able to breathe again now that he knew she was going to be at his side again.
Jackson wasn't the only one seeing her now. Opie was right beside him, the rest not far behind. Everyone was being completely silent, either not knowing what to say, not knowing if they were still drunk or who she was.
When the silence was becoming too much for her, Christina drained the bottle of beer and finished her smoke before turning around in her barstool, now looking directly at the group of man.
'Don't just stand there', she said a grin playing at her lips. 'Where is my welcome home hug?'
'Jesus Christ!' Jax then finally yelled before walking over to her in a quick pace. As soon as she was in his reach, he curled his arms around her body and pulled his little sister close to him.
Christina laughed when she saw how happy he was. She curled her own arms around her brother, enjoying feeling his embrace once again.
'I missed you Chrissie', she heard him whisper to her. 'I really missed you. I- I'm sorry about that last phone call and never calling you again after that. I really am. I was a terrible brother and-'
'And I was a terrible sister', Christina interrupted him. 'I'm sorry too Jax'.
And just like that, everything that had happened was water under the bridge. After having embraced her a little longer, now knowing she was indeed with them again, he let go of her. When he did, Christina saw the red tired eyes sparkling with tears.
She smiled her beautiful smile at him, the one that made every man weak in his knees but lighted up his world. It was a sigh. She was here to help him, get everything back on both feet.
Before either of them could say something else, someone stepped in. Opie picked up the small girl and hoisted her up over his shoulder. Christina let out a squeal in surprise. The girl drummed on Opie's back, hoping he would put her down which he didn't. He just kept her there while he was spinning in circles, making her dizzy.
'Where have you been doll?' she heard Tig ask over her squealing and screaming.
'I would tell you if I would be standing on my own two feet', she answered in annoyance.
A laugh sounded through the group before Clay spoke up. 'Put her down Ope before she'll puke all over you'.
Opie did what he was told to by Clay, putting Christina back on the floor but held her by the shoulders a little longer to stabilize her. When she had, she looked up at the bearded man. Not a second later, Opie pulled her in his arms again but this time he kept her feet on the ground.
'I missed you sweetheart', he whispered in his ear, making her smile.
'Missed you too Ope. You going hairy on me dude?' she whispered back.
The two let each other go not long after. Christina had a moment to breathe before she was hugged again, this time by her uncles Tig, Bobby, Piney and Chips. The latter laughing in her ear loudly.
'We were afraid you wouldn't return to us little lass', Chips chuckled. 'Glad to see you did found your way home'.
'It took me a while to realize I needed Charming and Charming needed me', she answered.
'Damn right we needed you', Clay spoke and put a hand on her shoulder. 'You're here now. That's all that matters'.
'And you're never leaving again', Jackson said before putting a kiss on her hair.
Clay nodded, agreeing with him. 'Prospect, get some beers. We have something so celebrate'.
Not long after that Christina was seated in between her brother and uncle Tig, telling stories about all the places she had been. The prospect and another pretty new member were introduced to her. Half-Sack and Juice.
'Except for exploring most of South America, Australia and Asia', Bobby said, 'Have you been to Europe at all?'
'Ow yeah', Christina answered before taking another sip of her beer. 'I have been there for about two years before I decided to go to Canada. Visited England, Germany, Italy, Holland, Spain, Greece, France- O my god France Bobby! They know how to bake! I loved it there! But nothing tops Italy'.
'Because of the man of because of food, young lady?' Chips asked making the other man laugh.
'The food, defiantly. The man…' Christina made a face, telling them she wasn't quite fond of the man apparently.
'Did you have sex at all while you were away?' Tig asked.
'That really is none of your business. But to give sort of an answer, not as much as I wanted'.
'Why?' Jax asked from besides her.
'Come on! None of the foreign man would be able to handle the Princess of Charming', she answered.
'She is right about that Jax', Opie said.
'That she is. By the way, why didn't you visit yesterday? You said you returned around 9 last night. Why not come by'.
'Because this princess needed her beauty sleep', Christina answered.
Tig laughed beside her. 'Ah little Christabella is taking the roll of princess a little too serious', he said.
Christina cringed by hearing her birth name, biting her tongue and needed to restrain herself because otherwise she would have smacked him off his stool. 'God I hate that name', she growled before taking a big sip of her beer.
'What did you just call her?' Juice asked from the other side of the bar with a big, all teeth smile playing on his lips which made Christina bite her lip in flirtatious way.
'Christabella', Piney said. 'It's the name she was born with'.
'That is a lie, partly at least', Christina spoke up and pointed towards him. 'If we are telling the story, we are telling everything! You are not going to say that I did not appreciated the name my parents gave me because that is not true'.
Jackson laughed and turned towards Juice and Half-Sack who were patiently waiting. 'When Gemma was pregnant of Christina and knew she was going to be a girl, she wanted to give her a badass name. They thought of Raven. It would have been a kickass name. But then she was born and dad fell in love with her when he saw her for the first time. He said she was too beautiful for a name like Raven. So, he called her Christabella. I'm pretty sure it means beautiful or flower of Christ. Some hippy shit'.
'Yeah, I'm still pretty sure he was stoned when he came up with that', she commented which made everyone crack up.
'It's still a pretty name, sweetheart', Piney said. 'Appreciate it, cherish it. Your father was very proud of you, proud to be your father and above all he loved you very much'.
'Just call me Christina, please guys. Chris or Chrissie is good as well. Call me Christabella when I'm really in trouble but not in any other situation otherwise you might be smacked over the head'.
'You didn't smack me over the head', Tig commented.
'Don't jinx yourself Tigger', Christina said combined with a side glare which made everyone snicker.
Clay took the last sip of his beer before looking around to his man. 'Alright. I'm sorry Chrissie but we have business to attend. I have to take these boys with me, get them back to work'.
Christina knew what he meant with business so instead of complaining like she would do with normal business, she nodded. 'That's fine. I was going to check up on mom anyway. Oh, now that we are speaking of business, my car is making all kinds of weird noises. It's probably because it has been in storage for a while but I don't want to crash my baby so… could you let someone look at it?'
'Sure', he answered. 'No problem sweetheart. Leave the keys with Chips'. Clay looked over at the Scotsman. 'Make sure that car gets looked at. I want it safe'.
'Wouldn't want it to crash with our baby behind the wheel now would we?' Chips said with a smile.
Christina smiled at them before sliding off her stool and walking toward Chips. He held his hand open, waiting for her to hand over his keys. Christina was a little twitchy when she had hand over her keys and her car. She loved that car. She and J.T. had worked on it for a very long time and when he was gone, she worked on it with either Jax, Opie, Clay, Tig or whoever would be available. But eventually, she put the keys in Chibs' hand. She had to be brave, knowing it would be returned to her in a matter of days.
'Good lass', he whispered before standing up with his other brothers.
Jackson put an arm over Christina's shoulders, escorting her outside. 'So how will you go home?' he asked.
'I really don't know', Christina answered honestly. 'Now that you guys took my car away-'
'You handed it over, darling. No saying we did this', her brother chuckled.
'Whatever', Christina said in annoyance. 'I could walk. It's not that far anyway'.
'No way', Jackson said immediately, stopping in his step when he did. 'Someone will take you home or where ever mom is. Call her, I will see whoever is free to take you'.
'Jax, I don't want to bother anyone. I'm sure you guys have enough work to do. And with work I mean club shit to take care off'.
'You kidding? You are not a bother, Chris. Everyone should be honored to take Samcro's princess home', he said before kissing her cheek and walking off.
Christina exhaled, totally having missed her brother. She was glad to be back. She never wanted to run ever again. She just hoped stuff wouldn't go to hell again. But thinking about this being Charming and not being some small farmers' village like the village she stayed in back in Italy, she knew that wasn't going to happen.
The young woman pulled out her phone, looking for her mother's phone number before calling. The phone got picked up after only ringing two times.
'Hey', she greeted. 'Where are you?'
'I'm still at TM but I'm leaving right now. Where are you?'
'I was at the hospital but I'm almost home. They said they would call me when Abel would get out of surgery. Thought it would be best to go home, make some food and wait it out'.
'Sounds good. I'll be there soon'.
'Okay sweetheart. Love you'.
'Love you too mom', Christina said before hanging up. She put her phone back in her purse and started walking towards her brother and Juice who were standing at the garage boxes talking.
'Where is mom?' Jax asked when she was in his reach.
'Home', Christina answered. 'Just got from the hospital. Abel is in surgery'.
Jax nodded, not knowing how to react on her telling about Abel. 'Okay. Well, Juice is gonna take you home then', he announced before looking at him with a serious expression. 'If she gets hurt, I will break your neck. Understood?'
'Cristal', Juice answered with a nod before walking towards his bike. Christina grinned, thinking the level of protection her brother was handling was funny. She kissed his cheek before calling goodbye to everyone and walked towards Juice who was already sitting on his bike. When she was close by, he held out his second helmet to her which she took.
'So you are the princess we hear so much about', Juice said to her with a grin above the roaring of his Dyna.
Christina laughed while putting on the helmet. 'Apparently. I hope it's only good stories'.
'They are amazing', Juice said. 'Feels like I already know you'.
'Really? Then you better start talking because there is a lot to know about me. Maybe I get to know some stuff about myself I didn't know'.
Juice laughed, following her with his eyes while she walked towards the back of his bike before climbing on. When he felt her arms around his waist he sped off the lot in normal speed, riding towards Gemma's house. Juice felt how she pushed herself against him, her face away from the wind, her hair fanning around her and a small giggle sounded every once in a while when he gave a little extra gas.
They arrived at her house in no time. Christina got off the bike, undid the helmet and shook her hair so it would be at least decent. To his opinion, this wild hairdo looked hot on her.
'So', she said when she handed him back the helmet. 'You already know me?'
Juice shook his shoulders. 'It feels that way', he answered.
'Then what do you already know?' She was nosy. Everyone knew that about her. Nosy and cunning as hell.
The dark look in her eyes made him bite his lip for a moment before he answered. 'I know you were born in the spring of 1985'.
'Everyone in Charming knows that', she said with a scoff before pulling a pack of cigarettes from her purse. 'Tell me something nobody else knows'.
Juice laughed before he nodded. 'Fair enough. I know you hate cauliflower, because it smells. You also hate people who think they know all about you, people that call you princess without knowing the meaning of it and you hate it when the guys go on a run because you are afraid someone will get hurt. You always wanted a dog but your mom hates dogs. You were a total daddy's girl which is why you have such a great bond with all the other guys, did not have a lot of boyfriends because all of them get scared by your bond with Samcro. You are smart, cunning and nosy as hell. You are no girly girl, you hate that shit about hair, nails, boy talk, clothes and stuff. But you were an increasable flirt when you were starting puberty. After a couple of boyfriends and being surrounded by bikers, that grew out of you but you still got charm. Under need that beautiful outer shell there is a hard inside. You are hard and dangerous whenever you have to, you got that from your mom. You know how to protect yourself. Jax learned you how to handle a knife, Opie learned you how to hit and kick, Tig learned you how to shoot and Clay told you how to use that pretty little mouth of yours. When shit started happening around you, you wanted out. Nobody blamed you after a while. Your brother died when you were five which broke your dad, made him leave for Belfast. He even set up a charter there. When he came back he had changed. A lot had changed which made it hard for you. You were young, still growing and didn't understand. Your dad was either away or here but not here. When he died, shit got hard. And when Jax and Opie were patched in you felt alone. Jax buried himself in pussy, Opie buried himself in the club. Gemma was trying to keep the family together but there was a lot of beef with the Mayans back then which got everyone on edge. That's when you left, because you couldn't handle the life at the age of 18. You went away when you just finished High School, wanted to explore the world. And now you are back'. Juice was finished and looked at her, seeing the shocked state she was in.
'Was that better?' he asked, an unknowing grin on his face.
Christina just stood up, cigarette still between her fingers and almost ran the path towards the front door. She felt Juice's eyes on her back but she ignored them. She just opened the door and walked inside, shutting it behind her with a loud bang. She leaned against it for a moment. She wasn't angry at him, just shocked. Clearly he had talked to Tig, Chibs, Clay and Jax. They were the only ones who knew so much about her.
The blonde walked towards the kitchen, putting herself down in one of the dining table chairs. She smoked her cigarette in peace, thinking about everything Juice had said. There were a couple of small mistakes in his story but the overall picture seemed right. While she waited for her mom, she smoked another two cigarettes. It looked like she needed it but after the third she started to feel a little lightheaded.
The door finally opened again, Gemma stepping inside with grocery bags in her hands.
'Hey sweetie', she greeted with a sigh when she saw her daughter sitting at the dining table. She quickly walked to the kitchen, putting the bags down on the counter because they were getting heavy. When Gemma looked at her daughter again, she saw the hurt in her eyes. For the first time, Gemma saw how much the old pain still got to her, how the guild was slowly eating her alive.
'Baby', Gemma almost whispered before walking towards her daughter and sitting next to her in another chair. Gemma took Christina's small hand in one of her own, giving her a little squeeze which got her out of her thoughts. 'What is it? What are you thinking about?'
Christina let out a sigh before looking at her mom with tears in her eyes. 'Was it all my fault?' she asked.
Gemma squeezed her eyebrows together in confusion. 'I'm sorry but I don't know what you are talking about Chris'.
The young woman huffed before taking a deep breath, trying to calm herself and hold the tears which were trying to escape her heavenly blue eyes. 'All of this, everything that happened after I left… I just can't stop thinking that it is my fault. That I might be the cause of this. Opie being arrested and locked up for five years, Jackson marrying that crack whore even though he wasn't happy… or not anymore and everyone hated me after I left because for once I thought it would be a good thing to think about myself. But I have to be honest here mom. All those years that I was away from here I was living a lie. I had to tell myself every single day that leaving Charming was the best choice I had ever made. But… sitting in the clubhouse today, telling my stories and knowing all those awesome adventures they weren't a part of. It felt lonely. And then I heard the whole complete story, everything that happened to me, to all of us- It made me realize how much of an egoistic bitch I am. When I stepped in that cap all those years ago I had no idea how long I would be away from hom. But I stayed away for way longer than I had intended to. I lied! To you guys but most of all, I lied to myself. God I was such a bitch! Leaving Charming and staying away for over five years was the stupidest decision I have ever made in my whole life! I want my life back! I want to be that little girl, that princess that I once was. I want the bond that I once had with Jax, with Opie, with you and the rest of the guys… my club - my family! They are all calling me princess but it doesn't feel like that anymore. I don't feel like royalty. I feel like that person that watches from the other side of the lot. I feel like an intruder, an outsider'.
'And perhaps that's for the best', Gemma whispered while she stroked Christina's wet cheek, getting rid of the tears. 'Baby, you are no longer that girl who stepped into that cab and left Charming. Perhaps it's a good thing. You have grown up. Do you remember what you father always told you? "Everything happens for a reason". And you know what, that was the first and only time I thought he was right about something. Thinking about that got me through those years without you. It made me think that if you had left for a reason, you would probably also come back for a reason. Opie and Jax were both young. Opie being arrested was a club thing taking a turn for the worst. There was nothing you could have done. And Jax… well he is more my responsibility than yours. Maybe marrying Wendy also had to happen for a reason. Because now, we have Abel. Christina, you can't hold yourself responsible for everything that went wrong in this town while you were gone. You have changed but some things around here have changed as well. The guys just need to get used to having you around again. That outside feeling you have right now, it will go away. Just be patient. Everything will get better again. I sure of it'.
Christina was able to smile after her mother's pep talk. It had really helped her to feel better. She knew her mother would understand once she talked to her. Christina had to admit, talking about everything she had been feeling since she was back in Charming, it felt good. And what Gemma had said was true. She had grown up while she was away and now she had returned. She was better, stronger than she had been when she left. Now she could pick up where she had left off all those years ago.
Later that night, while Clay and the boys were away, the phone had rung. Abel was out of surgery and still alive. Now, the little man could grow and hopefully live a safe and healthy life with a repaired heart and belly.
Christina had gone by the hospital but when Jackson had shown up, she had kissed his cheek and left. She wanted to give her brother a moment of privacy with his kid.
Christina had started to walk but where she wasn't sure. She wasn't going to stay at the hospital but she also didn't want to go home. So walking felt good. Apparently she had zooned out for a moment and when she returned to the here and now, she recognized the neighborhood she was in. She was very close to TM. The thoughts of a cold beer made her smile, soon deciding TM was where she was gonna go.
Walking through the gates, she spotted a couple of Sons on the picnic table in front of the clubhouse. Music was blasting from the building, clear they had something to celebrate. But a party wasn't what she wanted. She had hoped for a quiet night, sitting at the bar with a beer and talking to the boys. She really hoped the bond would be fixed soon.
Knowing that a quiet night wasn't going to happen but really being in the mood for that beer now, Christina started to walk towards the clubhouse doors. But then she spotted one of the garage boxes being open. The young woman stopped walking and turned her look towards the open garage. The lights inside were on, her Mustang shining and totally showing off. The hood was popped open, a muscular figure leaning inside so his face wasn't visible to her.
Becoming curious about the situation, Christina changed her direction and was now walking towards the garage box. The closer she got, the cleared the person became. Soon, when she was just a couple of feet away, she recognized him as Juice. She stopped in the doorway under need the garage door, leaning against the entre. She took the opportunity to really look him over, seeing the muscles flex under his caramel colored skin. His white wife beater was dirty, having black, grey and brown spots all over. She even spotted some oil or grease on the skin of his arms. A dirt rag was hanging from his jeans pocket, the jeans hanging low on his waist which made Christina bite her lip seeing the little patch of skin peeking from the space between his shirt and jeans.
Deciding that maybe she had been creeping long enough, she spoke up.
'Are you writing extra hours?' she asked which made Juice look up at her. 'Because if you do, Gemma will have your ass. She doesn't like it when people work extra hours because then she has to pay them extra as well'.
'Yeah, I know. I won't write them I just… I wasn't in the mood for a party and I couldn't sleep so… I thought working would keep my mind of things', he answered with his eyes on the engine in front of him.
Christina nodded and walked a little closer so she was leaning on her car just like Juice was doing, her eyes on the engine – the engine she had built herself, with a little assistance of course.
'Heard Abel's surgery went perfectly', Juice said which made her look up from the engine before her. He smiled at her, his eyes still flashy but they were no longer light. They seemed tired and dull.
'Yeah', she said with a smile. 'Yeah he will be able to grow now, live a full life with a repaired heart and hopefully die of old age when all of us are already six feet under and long gone'.
Juice had to laugh about the way she was saying it, like it was the most normal thing in the world. 'Good to hear', he said before going back to the engine.
Christina watched while he worked. Maybe part of her was afraid he would hurt her precious vehicle or maybe it was because he looked so fucking hot with the grease all over his shirt and arms flexing while he turned the wrench. When she looked back at his face, she knew by seeing him grin that he had seen her watching him.
'So what's the verdict doc? Is it going to be a big surgery or a quick fix?' she then asked.
Juice smiled but didn't look up. 'Well', he started. 'It seems you were right'.
'I am most of the time', she then said with a cocky grin. 'You will have to be more specific'.
Juice grinned, shaking his head because of her sharp remark. 'This morning, when you said the sounds were probably because it had been in storage for so long. You were right. Everything seems to work just fine it's just dusty and needs to be greased. I'm just looking at everything to make sure I didn't miss anything'.
Christina nodded, liking how much he was concentrated on the task at hand.
'Can I ask a question?' he asked.
'Sure', Christina answered with a shrug.
'How did you get this car?' he asked. 'Did you build it yourself?'
'It was a project', she said with a smile in her voice that got Juice's attention. He looked up at her, stopping for a moment to show her he was listening, wanting to hear everything. 'I remember J.T. saying that he wanted to build a car from scratch just once in his life for as long as I can remember. He wanted to just pick up a chassis, find a fitting engine and just take it from there. Well, when I was around four years old I remember him getting this 1967 Ford Mustang chassis. It was completely stripped down. The body was completely gone from rust and shit, no longer useable. He was able to find a fitting engine but a lot needed to be replaced about it. Then… a lot happened with the club, Tommie died, dad left for Belfast and shit. This beautiful chassis and engine just sitting there in the garage rusting away. I remember every time when I passed that engine, looking at the greasy chrome and just wanting to rebuild it. I wanted that car. I can actually remember myself say "one day, I will drive that car". I knew dad was doing it for fun and Jax was never going to drive it. He had made his choice of transportation even before he was born. That meant there was an actual chance that - that car would be mine. When I grew older and dad finally came home, I made a plan. I was always good at planning. Got that from my mom. I presented it to him, telling him that while I would look for parts, he would build it. We would work together on this. And we did… for a while. Then he got hit by that semi. He lived for two more days and I was at his bedside for almost 48 hours. I refused to leave him. I remember him waking up, looking at me with those amazing fatherly eyes and telling me: "finish it. Finish it and it will be yours forever". After he died it was hard for me to get back into that garage but one day I did. I looked over the parts that I already had, asked Tig and Jax to take a look at it and tell me if it was still possible. They told me that it was a good plan. They helped me analyze the parts that needed to be replaced and those that I already had. After I wrote them down I started looking. I spend hours on eBay and walking across junkyards looking for the right parts that would fit. I wanted everything to be original, just like dad had wanted. It costed me a lot of hours but I got all the parts… but one. The body. That body was the biggest challenge ever. Even after I had everything it took me almost a year to find it. I found one on a Mustang fan site. Basically it said that the man who originally owned it died and his children had found it on his property, wanted to get rid of it. I called and they told me to come and get it. I dove up there with Jax and Ope, me in the back since I didn't have my license yet. When we arrived there we soon saw that the chassis, where the body was resting on, was completely gone. Even if we took it with us there was no way we would be able to resell it. That part was completely gone. The original lights, seats, steering just everything was in there. The body was perfect. They didn't ask anything. They said that if we weren't taking it they would drop it off at the junkyard nearby. We took the gamble. Back home we got the seats out and asked mom if she could redo them. She didn't promise anything but she was gonna try. We put the body on the chassis and it fitted like a puzzle. Everything just came together with that body. Even while it still looked rusted and worn out, it was perfect. After another couple of months it was done. And even after so much time and even finishing it I wasn't able to drive it. I was still fifteen. But the day I turned sixteen and got my license, I drove it all the way to the Nevada border and back. It was a dream come true'.
Christina seemed to wake up from the past, returning in the now and looked up at Juice's face. He had gotten inspired while listening. It had been sad, hearing how she wasn't able to finish it with the person who had originally thought of it but soon it was clear that others had helped her fill that void. Opie, Jax, Tig and all the other guys had been there for her. He had heard it before. 'It's a beautiful story', he said. 'Now I get why you love this thing so much'.
'It's a peace of my family. So many people have helped me rebuild it. It may have started with just me and my dad but in the end, almost everyone had done something. I think it's why I left it here. I wanted to drive around America with it but I left it here because… it would remind me of home. So instead, I got this'. Christina held out the inside of her left underarm, showing Juice the tattoo she had gotten around the time Opie was send to jail. 'It was something to remind myself to return home one day, whenever I would be ready'.
'It looks awesome', he answered. 'Great story behind it'.
'I want my tattoo's to have a story. Not all of them have but…' she giggled. 'The one that hasn't is actually one of my favorites'.
'Which is?' he asked becoming curious.
Christina hesitated. It was in a very private spot but after about a minute she looked around, not wanting to be spotted with Juice is a garage box while she would hold her shirt up. When she saw no one, she let her purse hit the floor and moved her hands to the bottom of her shirt.
Juice's eyes grew big, not knowing where the tattoo was placed but got a good idea when he saw her moving her shirt up. His eyes grew even bigger and a grin grew on his face when he saw the chandelier design under need her breast. She moved her bra a little bit up but it hadn't been necessary. It was done in grey but there was a hint of purple in the middle, showing some kind of gemstone. There were straight lines which surprised him since the design looked so difficult.
'It's one of my favorites. The designer and I came up with it together. It just fitted me perfectly', she explained before letting go of her bra and dropping her shirt. When she had done so, she pointed at the tattoos on either side of his mohawk. 'Did those hurt?' she then asked.
He wasn't going to admit it, but they hurt like a bitch. The first had been difficult but then Happy still had to do the second. He had bitten his lip, tongue and cheeks to keep himself from screaming like a girl. But instead of admitting it, he shook his shoulders. 'Not more than the rest of them', he answered.
Christina nodded but he saw her eyes squeeze together. She didn't believe him and he knew it.
'Whatever', she then said with a laugh. 'If you want to know. This one', she said and again pointed at her under bust, 'hurt like a fucking motherfucker. I couldn't stop screaming when he started on my sternum. That was the most awful pain I have ever felt in my entire life! I was so happy when he was finished. I'm so happy it's there but never again'.
Juice laughed before nodding. 'Bet it did. So you said it was one of your favorites. What is your favorite?'
Christina turned around to show him the back of her neck. She removed her long, golden blonde hair which made the crown tattoo visible. 'It was my first, done by Happy. Jax was right next to me that whole session. I was expecting it to hurt but… it really didn't hurt that much. Jax actually seemed disappointed when he had offered his hand but I didn't take it. But yeah… that's my favorite'.
Juice nodded his head again before looking back at the engine. Then he thought of something which made him look up again, catching her looking at him but she didn't seem embarrassed by it at all. 'About… before', he started. 'When I dropped you off. I'm sorry if I upset you I really wasn't trying to really I-'
'It's no problem Juice', Christina said with a twinkle in her eyes. 'It's just hard to hear it. Wounds may have healed but scars stay visible. That was it. No problem. You were just trying to impress me'.
She was right. He had been trying to impress her, showing her he had been listening when the others would talk about the mysterious princess of Charming. 'Did I? Impress you I mean?' he asked with a smile.
'A little', Christina answered back, a flirtatious grin playing at her lips. 'But you weren't right about everything you said'.
'What?'
Christina's grin grew wider when she heard the shock in his voice. She bowed closer towards him over the car, locker her stunning angel blue eyes with his dark, smothering ones. 'I did not leave because I wanted to explore the world. I left because I needed to take a breath, have a little bit of normality after all the chaos. It was a couple of months later, when I was ready to go back home that Donna called, letting me know that Opie had been locked up, arson charges. Then I called my mom, asking her how things were. I was… happy she was honest. She told me everything was either broken or starting to fall apart. Jax was even a bigger mess than he was when I left. I knew I would not be able to handle it so… I decided not to go back yet. Then I decided to explore the world, see something more while I was still at it'.
Juice kept looking at her even she had been finished. But she wasn't backing down either. So instead of doing so, he decided that two could play that game. 'Well at least I was right about the cauliflower', he than said.
Christina couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. After a while Juice had joined her, both of them laughing about her hate for cauliflower over her car which hood was completely open. It was a strange sight but while this was happening, Christina realized she liked Juice and she was sure she would get to know him a lot better in the upcoming months.
As you may have read, I put a little more time between Thomas' death and the death of J.T. But that's about the only change I've made so far.
Like it? Enjoy it? Hate it? Let me know people. And what do you guys think of Christabella "Christina" Teller, the youngest Teller sibling and my OC?
PS. For those who'd like to know about Christina's looks, how her tat's look and everything; you can find it on my Polyvore account (username mimsie).
