Chapter 1 –Grey wonder
She was woken by a loud banging at the front door, scared she clung harder onto the cold frame that lay lying on the floor beside her. Peeking up from the frozen figures chest she gazed at the face of her mother, her grey eyes staring lifelessly at the ceiling 'I'm scared mommy' the little girl whimpered to her mother's corpse. Putting a small delicate hand on her cheek, she'd grown used to the cold, her mother had been this way for the past couple of weeks or so, Emery felt in her gut that something wasn't right but didn't quite know what, so instead she chose to ignore it and try to convince herself her mother was just sleeping, refusing to look at the dark red stain that marked her mother's top, she remembered the day her mother fell into what seemed to be becoming an eternal sleep well, it was a day she would never forget.
It had been a warm sunny day Emery was running round the garden her mum chasing her as she ran under the slide and through the other side. They'd been to the zoo and seen the monkeys, Emery loved the monkeys she loved the way the babies clung to their mother in a much similar way that she herself would cling to her own. She had a teddy which went with her everywhere she went, like a security blanket he was a teddy monkey which she named Tiberius after the name of the first monkey she'd ever met and had fallen in love with squawking when her mother had told her they had to leave. A day that had seemed so normal and casual had soon turned into what Emery would soon begin to define as a total shit storm. They had, had a barbeque and Emery was helping her mother out the best she could with the clean mainly just picking up rubbish and happily putting it into the bin bag, that night after her mum had tucked her into bed with Tiberius tucked snugly under her arm and chin she'd drifted off to a peaceful sleep being awoken hours later by her mother shaking her the look in her eyes scared Emery, she'd never seen her mother look so terrified ever. Emery began to sob knowing that something wasn't right her mum stroked her long deep red hair shushing her, she'd ushered her into a closet in the lounge and had told her to close her eyes and to not come out no matter what she heard. At that moment there was a crash as the back door burst open. Although she was told not to, Emery couldn't help but watch through the crack between the doors as two men walked in with masks covering their faces they were asking Lorna about some man whose name she'd never heard before, Lorna said something Emery couldn't quite make out and then a man grabbed at her mum she was frozen she wanted to help her mum but something in the back of mind was telling her that she shouldn't, that she should stay where she was and not make a sound. She herd the crack as her mums fist collided with the biggest of the men's jaw, flowed swiftly by a knee to the groin, he slumped to his knees on the floor with a pained expression on his face 'stupid bitch' he croaked out, that was when the smaller one pulled out something which glinted in the light it made a slight noise and her mother's eyes bulged wide as she fell to the floor Emery covered her mouth with one hand as the other clutched Tiberius fiercely.
'fucking dead bitch now' the smaller of the two men stated come on let's get out of here before someone sees us' at that, he hoisted up his friend and they walked out of the house Emery swore that she would never forget that voice not ever, she couldn't even if she had wanted to that man's voice haunted her dreams. Moving to her mother's form quicker than she'd ever moved in her life she hovered above her tears in her eyes 'Mommy are you okay, mommy?' her mum said one last thing to her that she didn't quite understand and didn't think she ever would, 'I love you baby, be happy and trust samcro' she wiped a tear from Emery's face before her hand fell limp to her chest Emery had stayed beside her mother since then only getting up to us the toilet or get a glass of water she ate bread off the kitchen side not being able to reach anything else she had gone hungry a few days after her mother's passing.
The loud banging at the door brought her out of her memory she shrunk down closer as much as she could into her mother's side tears pouring from her face, soon after the banging stopped there was a crash as Emery assumed the front door had broken just as the back had done on what Emery recalled to have been the worst day of her life, she clutched at a now dirty Tiberius as tears streamed her face and her nose began to run she let out a slight whimper but made no other sound as she held back her cry hoping to not be noticed by whoever had entered the house, 'Fuck me can you smell that' a crude voice spoke, eventually growing closer as her mother's name was called out, the two men entered the living room, Emery peeked out from her mother's arm to find two men staring at her one with piercing blue eyes with messy black curls framing his head with a stubble to his cheeks, the second had dark eyes with scars which resembled some sort of smile at either side of his face with a slight beard, Emery couldn't help but feel like she should be scared of these men but something inside her told her that things were about to change and that she was safe.
'oh chirst' Chibs Scottish accent rang out, Tig couldn't help but stare shocked at the small figure that clung to her mother the girl had brilliant red hair that looked dull and dirty as was the girl. She was in a pink nighty with monkey's faces on it although her face was dirty grey eyes shone out at Tig and he noticed that they shined because the girl was crying, he glanced at Chibs his face mirroring the horror he presumed his also showed. Then he noticed Lorna, The woman he had once loved, probably always loved but, she couldn't hack the life and she wanted out only Tig didn't know that she was expecting he'd only recently found out when he eventually went home instead of staying at the clubhouse to find a letter from Lorna telling him that he had fathered a little girl who she had described as amazing and beautiful, she'd apologised about keeping her from him saying that at first she didn't want her to be a part of the Samcro life but that now she feared that something would happen to her, and that with Tig and the club she knew her little girl would be safe, she'd left him an address asking him to come pay them a visit where she could introduce him to who she referred to as 'their little angel' whom she'd called Emery and then he could gradually become part of their lives. He brought Chibs along for support fearing he wasn't ready for this he didn't know the first thing about taking care of a kid, especially a girl this was like his nightmare come true but looking from the body of the woman he loved with tears in his eyes to the fragile girl she saw huddled beside her obviously terrified he couldn't help but feel the need to protect her, feeling as though he had already failed, here this little girl sat by her mother's dead fucking body for what must have been weeks by looking at the girl and the body. The girl was so skinny he couldn't help but fall to his knees as tears began to pour from his eyes, he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder knowing it was Chibs trying to comfort him.
Without really noticing she had moved Tig realised the girl had crawled towards him and stood now before him, she looked like she was conflicted she gazed down at a teddy which seemed to be a monkey albeit a rather manky looking monkey Tig thought as she looked him in the eye and placed her small hand to his cheek and wiped one of his tears away.
'Why are you crying mister' her small voiced sounded.. comforting? Was this small little girl seriously trying to comfort the big biker man she clearly was slightly afraid of?
Tig tried to talk but choked slightly on his words, he gave a small smile trying again 'you must be Emery?' Tig asked in a small voice hoping not to scare the little girl although she seemed to relax slightly at the mention of her name
'Yes, what's your name mister?' she said then looked cautiously to Chibs, 'Who's he?' she whispered
Tig couldn't help but laugh a little at the curiousness in her eyes god she looked just like her mother same red hair which couldn't quite be classed as ginger more just red and those grey eyes, eyes that looked like they stared straight into his soul. 'I'm Tig, this here's my good friend Chibs, do you know what happened here Emery?'
'Did you know my mummy?' she asked hesitantly Tig realising this little girl wasn't about to tell a stranger what happed without knowing who he was
'Yeah I knew your mother sweetheart, we both did,' he gave a worried glance towards Chibs 'your mummy might not have mentioned me but I'm your' Tig hesitated 'I'm your daddy angel'. Emery looked at him she didn't seem convinced then Chibs spoke up 'I'm gonna call the lads get them over here brother, I'll get Clay to bring a car and have Gemma set up a room at the clubhouse for little Emery here' Chibs turned and walked away he noticed Emery gazing at Chibs's cut her eyes widening 'Samcro, be happy trust Samcro' Her tiny voiced stated sounding distant 'what was that sweetheart?' Tig asked now curious to how the kid knew about Samcro. She turned her gaze back to him 'mummy' the girl started 'after the men left mummy said I love you, be happy and trust Samcro' a tear slide down the girl face 'she's not waking up is she?' the girl asked and not being able to say the words that would break this little girl he just shook his head Emery lowered her hand from his face and stepped the rest of the way forward crashing into Tig monkey and all throwing her arms round his neck and sobbing uncontrollably.
Outside, Chibs listened as the phones dialling tone rang out twice before Clay answered. 'were gonna need you lads to come down here for a clean-up bring a car we've found the little lass but Lorna, Lorna's dead Clay she was shot found the little lass sat beside her looks like she's been there for at least three weeks poor kid' he herd clays gravelly voice from the other side 'We'll be on our way in ten how's Tig taking it? Think he's gonna step up to the plate and be a pa?' Chibs took a deep breath 'he looks terrified brother but I don't think he's gonna run away from the lass but he's gonna need help' Clays voiced replied ' good he'll get help she's family and Samcro take care of their own' soon after the conversation had ended, he returned to the house following the voices which lead to Emery's room Chibs smiled at the sight before him there Tig stood, the Crazy one of the group who would easily kill a man for looking at him the wrong way on the wrong day stood with his back to Chibs holding the kids hand with a pink hello kitty rucksack slung over his shoulder reaching to grab the suitcase, and in the girls other hand hung that damn dirty monkey. He quickly walked into the room he soon realised was Lorna's grabbing her quilt and covering her body as Tig and Emery walked out. The sound of the Harleys pulling up signalled the lads had arrived.