If Anne could choose one word to describe her life she would undoubtedly choose traumatic. Her entire life had been upended over a petty feud. It was part of the traumatic experience that made up the majority of her life. But it wasn't even the worst part. Anne wasn't going to cry about moving to another country, that she could deal with. Meeting new people was something she could deal with. But being forced to leave her son and move five thousand miles away from him was something that she couldn't handle. If it hadn't been for her brother, she wouldn't have been able to do it. She also wouldn't be meeting SAMCRO and earning their trust. She knew that she and her brother weren't going to look very trustworthy. Filip had just recovered from a knife attack and she wasn't the happiest about living stateside. It would be hard but it helped that they were coming from the Belfast charter. They had Keith's word to back them up.
The ride to Charming seemed to fly by. It had taken the brother and sister almost no time to reach the small Californian town. Anne's brother had ridden his bike while she drove her black Audi R8. She followed her brother to the address given to them by Keith. It wasn't hard to find in such a small town. It would be lovely to live in it. Anne was glad to to have the opportunity to get live in this lovely little town, but at the same time she wanted to be back in Belfast with her son.
They were supposed to meet the club at their clubhouse. SAMCRO's clubhouse was a sight to behold. It was nothing like the clubhouse in Belfast. Everything seemed more cheerful. Anne knew that was due to differences in climate. It was rainy most days in Belfast, and here in Charming it was hotter than hell, no clouds in sight.
Anne's car pulled in after her brother's bike. The sound of his bike drew the attention of the entire club. That caused panic to rise in Anne. She wasn't a huge fan of attention unless she was fighting. Although Anne hadn't fought since she was pregnant Padriac. She missed it. She missed the rush and attention that came from fighting but she wasn't ready for this kind of attention. They were outsiders to this tight knit family. Anne knew how MC life worked, outsiders were rare and untrusted for the most part.
Anne pulled her car beside a beautiful black Cadillac and prepared to face the mother charter. It was an honor that Keith had sent them, though Anne knew it was due to tensions between them and the IRA. Gave some bullshit about having trouble staying connected to the mother charter. Anne knew that if the MC wanted to talk to you that they'd find a way to talk to you. She braced herself to meet all these new people. She watched her brother get off his bike and she opened her car door and stepped out. Anne walked beside her brother toward their new charter.
Her nerves made her feel like throwing up, but she pushed all those feelings away. Anne held her head high and kept it that way. She had come face to face with the President, Vice President, Sergeant at Arms, and fierce woman with a child clinging to her side. Anne knew that this meeting was very important and it couldn't be fucked up. The siblings stood five feet away from the most important members of SAMCRO. The President walked closer to the siblings and was the first to speak.
"You're the guy that Keith sent over." It wasn't a question. He was stating a fact. Anne watched him as he analyzed them. Her brother was the one to answer.
"Aye." Was all he said. Anne would have laughed had the situation not been so serious. Her brother: the man of many words. He turned and looked at her, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. She wouldn't have been surprised if he did. They thought exactly the same way.
The President then turned to her. He scrutinized her before speaking once more. "And you are Ms. Telford. I am glad to welcome you both to Charming and the SAMCRO family. And tonight we'll have a little welcoming party for our newest brother and his sister." Anne knew that little was not the word used to describe parties thrown by the Sons.
Anne was the one to answer him this time. "Aye. Thank ya. We look forward ta this little gathering." Anne knew that the one word uttered by her brother hadn't showcased their accents, so when she spoke more than a word she was expecting them to stare at them. They both had a rather thick Scottish accent that hadn't been tainted by their time in Belfast and wouldn't go away during their stay in Charming. The one thing she hadn't expected was for Clay to laugh. It melted the tension between them.
"Shit, do both of you sound like that? How can anyone understand you?" He said laughing. This brought a smile to Anne's face while her brother remained all moody. She turned to him. And she hit his arm. Hard, but discreet. He looked down at her.
"Ach ciamar a tha sibh an gnìomh bhràthair. 'S e seo ar teaghlach ùr. Chan eil iad a'tuigsinn carson a tha sibh ag obair air an dòigh seo.1" She said lowly. Anne knew that no one in SAMCRO knew why he was depressed or why she was. That also meant that she knew they wouldn't understand. He nodded slightly to show her that he understood. The siblings turned back toward Clay. He had waited patiently, which seemed uncharacteristic of him.
"Ms. Telford, you can go with Gemma while we introduce your brother to the rest of the boys." Clay said speaking to the more cooperative sibling. Anne nodded but wanted to clear one thing with Clay.
"Ya can call me Anne ya know?" Anne called out to Clay, who nodded as if accepting that. Filip walked off with Clay and the other two men while Anne walked over to Gemma and what seemed to be her child. Anne knew that she had passed one of the MC's tests but knew that Gemma was another test all together. She was the one that determined if Anne and Filip were accepted.
Anne stood in front of Gemma for what seemed to be forever until Gemma spoke. "Are you hungry?" The question had caught Anne off guard but knew that she couldn't decline. She had to get comfortable with the people she would probably be spending the rest of her life with. The realization that Anne would probably never see her son or niece ever again hit her hard, and it made her sick to her stomach.
"I could eat." Was the simple reply she gave the older woman. Gemma smiled and took the young girl's hand.
"Come on then. Emily and I will take you to one of our favorite spots. It probably won't compare to anything you had in Ireland, but it should suffice." Gemma said softly. Gemma was already trying to read the Scottish woman to see if she and her brother would be good for the club. When Anne smiled and nodded, Gemma relaxed a little.
"I'm sure it'll be lovely. I can follow ya there." Anne replied. She knew that this meal she was sharing with Gemma and Emily would be filled with questions that determined her trustworthiness. Gemma nodded and motioned for Anne to follow her and Emily. Anne studied the woman and girl in front of her. Emily reminded Anne of Kerrianne. Sure there was an obvious age difference between the two girls, but the way Emily clung to Gemma was similar to the way that Kerrianne had clung to Fiona.
The ride to the restaurant was filled with old memories for Anne. Memories of a better time. Though now was not the time to sit back and think about it. She had to make new memories in this new town, and that would start with the women she had come here with. Anne sighed and got out of her car. Gemma and Emily were waiting for her. The three women walked inside and were immediately seated. Anne pushed her sunglasses on top of her head, which forced her bangs out of her face.
Gemma got her first good look at the Scottish woman while they were waiting on their waitress. She had curly dark hair that seemed to reach her lower back, dark hazel eyes that seemed haunted, and pale skin littered with scars and tattoos. Gemma wanted to know exactly what haunted the Scottish woman and if it would affect the club. Gemma decided to be the one to initiate a conversation between them. "Anne, do you like Charming so far?" Gemma decided to stay with a safe opener for now. The more personal questions could come later.
Anne looked up at Gemma, shocked at the simple question. "It's a lovely town. I'm used ta large cities, so tha small town is a welcome change." Anne's answer was simple and true. She had never truly lived in a small town. Anne was prepared for the personal questions to come. She knew that she couldn't hide anything from the MC if she wanted their trust, but she wouldn't reveal everything at once. It still hurt too much to think about.
Gemma was about to launch another question at Anne, but Anne was saved by their waitress. "Hi Donna, how are the kids?"
The waitress, Donna, smiled at Gemma and replied, "They're good. What can I get you guys today?" She went into waitress mode. She wasn't too keen on talking with the Queen of SAMCRO today. She wasn't a big fan of the club.
All three of the women gave Donna their orders and went back to their get to know each other session. Gemma smiled at Anne, sensing that the younger woman was nervous to be sitting in front of her. "What did you do for a living?" She asked Anne.
"I'm a tattoo artist. Sometimes I helped tha lads out at SAMBEL. Either through bartending or fixing up their bikes." Anne's answer seemed to pique the interest of both Gemma and Emily. Anne's attention was on Emily, who's face had lit up at the mention of 'tattoo artist'. Anne smiled at the young girl, but she wasn't expecting her to talk to her next.
"You're a tattoo artist?" Emily asked the older woman, eyes shining with excitement. Anne's eyes held amusement at the young girl's excitement.
"Aye. I did most of my tattoos myself. Are ya interested in art lass?" Anne replied, her attention completely on the child in front of her. Gemma watched the interaction between her daughter and the new addition to the SAMCRO family with a strange glint in her eyes.
"Yes! I love art. I'm really good at it too. I only wish that my school had a more in depth art program." Emily replied. She was upset that her small town wasn't big on the arts. Anne smiled at the young girl again. She looked at Gemma while she talked to Emily this time. She would need Gemma's approval before doing this.
"I'll tell ya what lass. If ya can get ya ma's approval, I'll teach you more about art. But it's only if she says ya can." Anne said lowly to the girl. Gemma smiled at the Scottish woman's offer. It was nice of Anne to help her daughter with art, but Gemma wondered how she would.
Emily looked up at her mother, pleading her with her eyes. Emily stared at her mother for a while before she saw that Gemma was giving in. "Alright baby, you can learn art from Anne. I have a few rules though. It can't interfere with your grades, you have to listen to what Anne tells you, and you have to tell your father about this," Gemma told her daughter who hugged her. She then turned to Anne, "Where would you do this at so I can know where to check in at?" Anne thought for a minute.
"I bought tha tattoo shop in town. I'll be there most of tha time. If it's alright with ya, she can come there with me after school. But if ya don't want your girl at a tattoo shop, then I can figure out somewhere else ta do it." Anne replied to Gemma. Anne didn't think that Gemma would have a problem, but she still had to smiled at Anne. She was glad that Anne asked her permission when it came to her child. It made Gemma trust her more. "I'm completely fine with her learning at the tattoo shop. Just let me know when you'll start." Anne nodded.
Gemma's next question caught her off guard. "Anne, do you have any children?" The question was simple and innocent, but Anne's breath caught in her throat. She could feel the tears in her eyes but she didn't allow them to fall. Anne had to remind herself that Gemma didn't know.
Gemma saw the effect her question had on the Scottish woman and almost immediately wished that she could take it back. Anne swallowed thickly. Gemma spoke quickly, "You don't have to answer. It was just the way that you have treated Emily makes me wonder. I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories." She said this quietly and in a sympathetic voice. Anne looked at Gemma and sighed. She really wasn't looking forward to this question but she would answer it anyway.
"Aye. I have one son. He just turned 15. He's still in Belfast. Living with tha lads from SAMBEL. Boy can't wait ta prospect with 'em." Anne replied, her accent growing thicker as she became more emotional. Gemma noticed the sadness in Anne's voice and eyes as she talked about her son. Gemma reached over and took one of Anne's hands to comfort her. Anne was surprised, but she welcomed the gesture.
"Why didn't he come with you and Filip?" Gemma asked softly. She wanted to know more about the situation the Telford siblings were in, and how it would affect the club. She felt sympathy for the woman, but still wasn't completely sure of her.
"His da forbid him from leaving Ireland. I'm sure Keith told your husband about tha IRA. They are keeping 'im there till he can join the MC." Anne responded just as softly. The thought of her son being forced to stay in Ireland made Anne want to go home and not leave. Gemma's heart ached for the woman who was forced to give up her son to move to another country. She couldn't imagine having to leave Jax or Emily due to issues with another MC. She decided that she would try and accept the Telford siblings into her little fold. Clay had told her all about what had happened to Filip, or as the boys in SAMBEL called him, Chibs. The siblings had a rough life according to what Clay said.
"Sweetheart, I am so sorry. No one should be separated from their children. I only hope that you and your brother find a second family in us." Gemma said softly. She was willing to trust the Scottish siblings for now. Anne smiled. She knew that she had passed the queen's test.
"Tell me Anne, who's older? You or Chibs." Gemma asked jokingly. She wanted to lighten the mood now that she was done interrogating Anne. Anne laughed at the question. Not a lot of people knew how close they were in age. The nickname was another reason that Anne was laughing. That stupid nickname that Liam and Keith had given her brother seemed as if it was gonna stick around no matter where they went.
"Jeysus, that nickname followed 'im here. He doesn't like ta admit it, but I'm older than 'im" Anne replied with a laugh. The man was stubborn when it came to that. He wouldn't tell anyone that he was the younger sibling. Gemma smiled at Anne.
"How much older are you than him? Jax constantly teases me about being younger than him." Emily piped up, finally being comfortable with contributing to the conversation. Anne laughed, Filip would kill her for this.
"I'm 'bout thirty minutes older than 'im. Not many people know we're twins. He'll argue that he came out first but that always caused a fight that ma had ta break up. We gave her hell as kids." Anne replied thinking of their childhood.
About the time they finished their serious conversation Donna had returned with their food. Anne had decided on a simple salad without dressing, while Emily and Gemma had both ordered burgers with a side of fries. The rest of their lunch was uneventful the women making mindless chatter about the town of Charming. Anne enjoyed the quiet lunch, though she truly looked forward to setting up her shop. Anne turned to Gemma. "What time do I need ta be back at tha clubhouse for this 'little gathering'?" She asked Gemma.
Gemma thought for a minute before answering her. "I think Clay said it would be at eight o'clock tonight. Why? Are you not coming back to the clubhouse with us?"
"I'm gonna go up ta tha tattoo shop and see what work needs ta be done. Shouldn't take too long. And then I'm gonna swing by my house ta unpack and get ready for tonight." Anne replied. She knew it sounded weird to be running off on her own on her first day. Emily looked up at the mention of the tattoo shop. She looked at her mother.
"Mom, can I go with her? I'll be really bored just sitting at the clubhouse. I'm there all the time." Emily begged her mom. Gemma thought for a minute before answering her daughter.
"Baby that's up to Anne. I don't mind if she doesn't mind." Gemma said while looking at Anne. Anne nodded to Gemma discreetly.
"Ya can come with me. I don't mind. It'll be nice ta have company. Any specific time tha lass needs ta be home?" Anne said.
"Just bring her with you to the clubhouse. I'll be there and I'll take her home." Gemma replied with a smile on her face. Gemma and Anne paid for their respective meals before leaving. However this time Emily was getting into Anne's Audi.
Anne pulled away from the restaurant and drove toward the tattoo shop. "Emily, what kinda art ya inta? Drawing? Sculpting? Painting?" Anne asked the young girl. Emily's eyes brightened and she was glad that she had asked to come along with Anne.
"I like drawing best. But I also like photography. I'm not very good at photography though." Emily replied. She was a bit ashamed that she wasn't good at all kinds of art.
"Don't worry too much about not being able ta take pictures, lass. I can only draw really. That's why I got inta tattoos. They take drawing ta another level. I can help ya hone your drawing skills though." Anne replied. She knew how the kid felt. After all she had felt the same way when she was younger and was pressured into taking pictures by her ma. After that failure, it had taken days for Filip to calm her down and reassure her about her talent.
"That would be great Ms. Telford. Thank you so much for doing this for me." Emily said to Anne. It was as though Anne sensed her shame.
No one in her family was artistic, so this was the first time that anyone had offered to help her with her drawing skills. Anne waved her hand at the young girl. It wasn't really something that bothered Anne. It reminded her of the time she spent with her son. And Anne was up for anything that reminded her of Padriac.
"It's no trouble love. And just call me Anne. Ms. Telford is my ma. It won't be that entertaining at the shop, it won't be open until Monday. Ya can come ta work with me as much as your ma will allow." Anne told Emily. She wanted the girl to know that she was always welcome in her shop. It wasn't a matter of trying to get Gemma to trust her, it was more of she missed her child and wanted to be near someone that reminded her of him.
Anne pulled into the parking lot of the closed tattoo shop. She sat in her car and looked over the little shop. It was quaint, but it needed a lot of work. The outside needed painted and no telling what work needed to be done to the inside. Anne got out of the car, and Emily followed. She unlocked the door to the shop and the two walked inside. "Christ. It's like a goddamn hurricane went through here. What tha hell happened?" Anne muttered to herself. She hadn't expected Emily to actually hear her.
"I overheard Tig tell daddy that the last owner was on crank and got busted for it. The police came through here and destroyed the place." Emily said, recalling the conversation she wasn't supposed to hear. Anne rolled her eyes. Of course the last owner would be a fucking junkie. Now Anne needed to worry about finding crank and used needles in the shop.
"Did tha police get tha damn crank outta here?" Anne asked the ten year old. Emily scrunched up her face. She wasn't really sure.
"I dunno. You'll have to ask Tiggy or you could just ask the police." Emily said.
Anne almost laughed at the ridiculous suggestion of going to the police. She'd much rather ask this Tig guy. "Which one of tha badass bikers boys is Tig?" Anne asked the child. The idea of anyone connected to the Sons contacting the police was the most laughable thing she had heard. She needed to make sure that Emily understood that. If someone connected to the club was in trouble, they went to the club first.
"You met him today. Daddy's the president and Jackson is the VP. Even if you don't recognize him, you'll be able to find him. He's kind of weird." Emily remarked to the older woman. Anne definitely held in a laugh at this. Emily was already grasping the truth about most men.
"Aye lass, most men are weird. It's nothing new. My brother's tha weirdest man I know." Anne told the child while searching around the wrecked shop. Not only was there broken glass but broken containers of ink laying every where. Anne groaned. That shit would take days to clean up.
Emily snorted at Anne's statement. "Obviously you've never talked to Tig before. Talk to him tonight and then come tell me that your brother is the weirdest man you've ever met." Anne looked back at the child who had challenged her. Anne smirked.
"Alright girlie. I'll do that. Assuming he ain't shoved up one of tha croweaters." Anne said to Emily. Emily grinned, she was glad to be making friends with at least one of the new members of SAMCRO. Anne walked to the back room where normally she would store all extra supplies and cleaning supplies. It also was completely destroyed. She would need to get cleaning supplies and then begin the grueling task of fixing the shop up. "Lee, ya think I could get help cleaning this place up? Think ya dad could spare a prospect ta help me?" Anne asked the girl, thinking of everything that would have to be done. Anne had plenty of money to fix the shop, but not enough to have a professional do it for her.
Emily shrugged her shoulders, surprised at the nickname. "I'll come and help you if mom and dad will let me. I can ask daddy if he'll let you borrow the new prospect from New York. I think his name is Juice," Emily paused, "I've never been called Lee before." The nickname was a new one. Most people just called her Em or Emily.
Anne smiled. "Thank ya lass. And if ya don't like it, I won't call ya by it." Anne had never really given anyone a new nickname, usually she just used the one they already had.
Emily shook her head. "No, I like it. I've just never heard of that one before." The new nickname was something Emily appreciated. She always felt like people ignored her for Jax, so having someone give her a unique name was a big deal.
Anne sighed and looked around once more. She put her arm around Emily's shoulder and pulled her out of the wrecked shop. "C'mon lass. We gotta head over ta my house. I need ta unpack and get everything settled. If I left it up to Filip, there would be boxes all over tha damn place three years after we moved here." Emily laughed with Anne. They got in her car and as soon as she started the car her phone rang. She looked at the number. It was as if her brother knew when she was talking about him.
She pulled her phone out and answered it. "Hello bràthair òrdugh.2" She heard him let out a sigh. She loved irritating him by calling him terms of endearment.
"Anne, I'm not in tha mood. Where are ya?" He replied back to her. His voice was rough. Anne knew it was due to his lack of talking the past few days.
"I'm leaving tha shop. That place is a goddamn disaster. I'm on my way ta tha house. I have Clay and Gemma's daughter with me though. So be on your best behavior little brother." Anne teased him. She knew he would be riled up by the 'little brother' comment.
"Why ya got tha little lass with ya? And I swear Anne Marie, if ya don't stop with that little brother bullshit we'll fight like we're kids again." He threatened, though Anne heard the teasing notes in his voice.
"Come at me ya old man. Are we threatening middle names now? Cause I can tell this young lass your's and let 'er tell tha entire MC. She's wanted ta come with me. I got Gemma's permission first though." Anne shot back at her brother. She was itching to fight again. Maybe she could taunt her brother into fighting her.
"Jeysus woman, ya better not. We really will fight then. I guess I'll see ya at tha house then?" Her brother promised her. If she wanted to fight then they would fight. Anne laughed at her brother before closing her phone. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and pulled one out.
"Will ya ma kill me if I smoke in front of ya?" Anne asked Emily before she lit it. Emily shook her head. Her mom and dad smoked in front of her all the time.
"Nah. It'll be alright." Emily said. Anne nodded and put the cigarette in her mouth and lit it. She inhaled the smoke in one long drag before exhaling and pulling out of the shop's parking lot. She smiled as she thought about the idea she may be fighting soon. She realized that she needed to tell Emily so that she wouldn't be surprised.
"Lee, I wanna warn ya that my brother and I may actually fight when we ta tha house we bought. Don't be alarmed. It's not serious." Anne warned the young girl. Emily shrugged. She was used to violence. She was raised by the MC, violence was a commonplace.
"It'll be alright, might even be entertaining. Can I place a bet?" Emily spoke up. Anne snorted and took another drag of her cigarette.
"Lee, I'll make sure tha next time that I fight my brother, ya can bet on it against other people. Seeing this one will allow ya ta have an advantage on those you are betting against." Anne spoke. Emily grinned at her older friend. These siblings were odd, but Emily had grown up around Tig Trager. No one could compare to Tig in the department of weird. Emily couldn't wait to talk to the twins without the MC around.
A/N: This was a pain in the ass to write. I had to get it perfect. Sons of Anarchy is my favorite show and I feel like if I didn't take my time to write this that I couldn't have done it any justice. Hopefully this works. ~Jess
Translations:
Mind how you act brother. This is our new family. They don't understand why you are acting this way.
Hello brother dearest.