To quote Eminem 'Guess who's back? Back again'. I haven't really wrote in a while and I'm a little rusty but this plot has been swimming in my head for just about forever. This is a continuation of 'For You and Yours'. The title of this fic stems from the Black Keys song 'Every Lasting Light'. They are an awesome band, but they do not pay me to say that. All characters remain the property of Kurt Sutter and FX Networks. Any similarity to people, names and events is entirely coincidental and this entire piece if a work of fiction. That being said, please, enjoy.
"...Wake up sleepyheads! It's exactly seven thirty am on another wonderful Monday morning! Cuppa Joe here on nine-zero Charming Local radio, bringing you non stop hits from past, present and future as well up to the minute traffic reports for Charming and the local area. We're gonna kick it old school and go back to where hip-hop really began, put your hand on the glock, it's Cypress Hill!
Crusing through the neighborhood
Some say I'm no good
Claimin I'm a criminal
But lets make it understood
"Turn that shite off," Chibs mumbled sleepily. Charlotte reached out her hand from the warm bedsheets and hit the radio on the nightstand randomly until Cypress Hill stopped.
"I like Cypress Hill," she mumbled back, yawned and turned over to go back to sleep.
Seven minutes later, their snooze was interrupted as the radio started up again. Cuppa Joe just wouldn't leave them alone, and felt the need to constantly remind them that it was not only Monday but it was a Monday morning.
"Oh, fucking Christ," Chibs muttered, crawling out of the warm bed and letting his feet hit the wooden cool floor suddenly. "When the fuck is the heating guy coming?" His voice was heavy and thick with sleep but his annoyance was plain.
"Wednesday," Charlotte mumbled from under the covers, poking a foot out the duvet and trying to adjust to the temperature outside their bed.
"Fuck that," Chibs looked at the clock bleary eyed and winced when he saw he had to be at the garage in half an hour. Monday mornings were always a bitch. "I'll see if the boys know anyone."
Charlotte didn't need to open the shop for another hour and a half but with Chibs' monologue about the heating - or lack of - coupled with the sound of the shower she couldn't get back to sleep. She got dressed quickly - no way could she stand being naked in the cool house - in dark jeans and a warm long sleeved top.
The house was silent and dark down stairs, curtains drawn gave the atmosphere of an even colder and un-lived in house. Pulling open the living room curtains and letting in the rising sun (for both heat and light) she saw Maddison curled up on the sofa and three empty beer bottles on the coffee table that Chibs had apparently downed, but not bothered to put in the garbage, before heading to bed last night. She threw the bottles in the recycling bin then put the coffee maker on, followed by the radio and turning up the volume to try and put some life into herself and the house.
She looked in her diary and notes book; Monday mornings were always hectic at her shop. All the stuff she couldn't be bothered to do on Friday or Saturday piled up for her. She was slowly weaning herself off working Saturday shifts, giving more responsibility to Ellie. Ellie was good with customers and helping Charlotte consider items to stock, but she didn't have the head for numbers. Yet.
Looking through numbers and notes and business cards, she began pouring herself a cup of black coffee. Three sharp raps on the back door made her jump. Peering through the still closed kitchen blind she spotted Jax hovering on the small porch, smoking the last inch of his cigarette.
"What are you doing up this early?" She asked unlocking and opening the door for him.
"Kids woke me up at dawn, driving me crazy," He replied through a yawn, throwing his keys on the breakfast bar and taking a seat at the counter. "Fuck, why is it so cold in here?" His eyes scanned the work surface for any signs of breakfast he could steal and eat.
"Heating's still busted," Charlotte explained, pouring him a cup of coffee and put three mountain spoonfuls of sugar in for him. As she set the cup in front of him Chibs' boots came stomping down the stairs, dragging across the dining room hardwood floor and eventually halted in the kitchen.
"Up early, Jackie boy."
"Yeah," he drawled, "Need to go see Petey before we head to the garage."
"Petey? Shit, my Monday just got better," Chibs replied sarcastically hovering around Charlotte to see what she was eating and if he could steal it. "Grapefruit? You can't eat fruit for breakfast, that's illegal."
"I like my arteries not being clogged, okay? And isn't Petey the guy with the two missing front teeth?"
Chibs and Jax started to laugh.
"Yeah, and every time he says a word with an 's' in it he fuckin' whistles," Jax added and the two laughed harder.
Jax and Chibs continued to take the piss out of Petey and his missing teeth, while Charlotte put in some rounds of toast and filled their cups.
A strangled meow came from Jax's feet and he looked down to see Bella. He leant down and scooped up the small grey cat with one hand.
"Ain't you dead yet?" He said quietly in the cat's ear.
Charlotte had found the little grey kitten in her trash can a good six years ago. The poor feline had such a bad eye infection that eventually the vet had to remove one eye and it went blind in the other about two months after that. It had practically every known disease and health issue known, but still, it wouldn't die. Bella walked around the house aimlessly but Charlotte loved it more than anything. She had latched onto the cat since she had her miscarriage. It was for all intents and purposes, a substitute of the baby she had lost. It would be more humane to kill the damn fur ball, but nobody dare. When the cat died, everyone knew she would fall to pieces again.
"Hello, my little baby," Charlotte took the cat from Jax and started baby talking and smothering it. It fit perfectly in the crook of her elbow, head resting on her breast. She got a bowl out the cupboard - Chibs made a face - and filled it with milk then set Bella on the counter and pushed it to her nose so she knew to drink it.
Chibs grimaced again. He hated the damn cat being on the work surfaces, hated the damn cat drinking from the same bowl he ate from, hated the damn cat full stop. More than anything he felt sorry for it and every time he saw it walk around the house bumping into furniture and people's legs, he just wanted to shoot it - take it out of it's misery. He'd hated that damn cat for six years now; but he'd loved Charlotte for longer.
Charlotte fed and watered all of them before the guys left to go see Petey.
"I'm going straight to Gemma's from work tonight," she reminded Chibs.
"Steak! Steak! Steak!" Jax and Chibs chanted together, mouths watering and getting excited. Clay did the best steak, Gemma did the best potatoes and homemade bread - a perfect match and a scrumptious dinner.
"See you later, babe," Chibs kissed Charlotte on the lips as he shrugged on his cut. Stepping out the front door the morning sun blinded him. "Fucking hate Mondays," he mumbled then put his shades on.
"Want me to pick Tara up tonight?" She asked Jax as he hovered in the doorway.
"Would you?" Even though he already knew her answer. Tara was heavily pregnant, due to pop next week, and not the best person to be around right now. She nodded. "You're the best," he kissed her forehead and followed Chibs out to their bikes, shielding his face from the sun.
Lyla and Opie's baby, Oliver 'Ollie' Winston, had sailed through a textbook pregnancy. Fifteen minutes after he was born the Doctor's took him away for tests and he was later diagnosed with Down's Syndrome. Now, at three years old, he was the sweetest, cheekiest and most charming boy you could ever meet. His development was slow and his vocabulary was limited, so everybody used sign language for the most part when talking directly to him.
Ollie was outside the garage running around in his diaper and a plain blue t-shirt with that morning's breakfast still stained on it. Through the open office door Charlotte could hear him laughing and singing. A few seconds later a tired Lyla appeared and took the plastic chair right next to the door.
"You okay?" Charlotte offered doodling on her paper whilst waiting for her lunch order to be delivered for her and the guys. Gemma was getting a manicure and pedicure before tonight, in her lunch hour, and there was nobody else around to cover the office.
"Yeah. Just tired."
Having Oliver had added a few years to Lyla's ever youthful face. Charlotte smiled sympathetically. They'd gotten close in the last couple of years; Charlotte thought Lyla always had it so good but when Oliver was born and Lyla couldn't deal with the stares she got from narrow minded assholes in their small town, Charlotte had finally seen her as a real person and had given a piece of her mind to people who thought Ollie was too different to be considered normal. What was normal anyway? Nothing, in their family.
"How about we go for a drink tomorrow night? Away from the Clubhouse. Just us girls - minus Preggers, of course. I don't think the guys are doing anything."
"Are you serious?" Lyla asked, "That would be so great."
Charlotte nodded and smiled, and noticing the delivery van pull into the garage she switched the phone to voicemail as she headed out to get lunch for the guys.
"Hey Ollie!" She greeted as Ollie ran up to her full speed, after distributing lunch to the workforce. She only just managed to pick him up and not fall on her back.
"Char char!" He squeezed her neck. He signed for a biscuit.
"Oh, baby, I don't have any biscuits."
Oliver frowned and looked like he was going out into a full blown tantrum.
Charlotte signed for a lollipop.
"Yeah! Yeah!" Oliver screamed. She set him down and ruffled through her bag and bought out a lollipop - an apple flavoured one she didn't like and had been sitting there for a good few weeks. Charlotte scooped him back up and he rested on her shoulder sucking at his lollipop whilst she ate her sandwich. Lyla sat with Opie and ironed out the babysitting details for the following night.
Within minutes Oliver had finished his lollipop and asked for another one. When told there were no more, the tantrum started. He sat on the ground, face going bright red as he screamed and fists balled up hitting the ground. Before it got any worse, Jax pulled into the garage on his bike with perfect timing, which silenced Ollie and left him with wide admiring eyes.
"Brum brum brum!" He jumped in Charlotte's arms with excitement and she took the time to grab a baby wipe and wipe his mucky face whilst he was distracted with the Harley.
"Hey little dude," Jax greeted and gave him a High-5 before heading back into the Clubhouse.
"Who's a clean baby?" Charlotte nuzzled Ollie's neck, smelling that fresh baby smell, peppering him with kisses on his cheek and he was giggling.
"Hey, Ollie!" Chibs' voice was unmistakable comng out from the garage behind them, "You stealing my woman?" He took Ollie from her and held him above his head.
"Mine!" Oliver laughed.
"Yeah, I thought so," Chibs agreed and handed him back and took his sandwich from Charlotte. "Thanks, babe."
"You're welcome." That was really hers, but, whatever.
"Down down," Oliver requested and Charlotte set him on the ground where his little legs took him off to Jax's bike. "Brum! Brum!"
"So, Lyla and I are going to the Coast tomorrow night. Suppose Gemma will too."
"Okay," Chibs agreed. The Coast was the best place to go in Charming for a girls' night out when they didn't want the guys tagging along to. It was pink, yellow, orange and only served cocktails and spirits. It was far too feminine and the only time Sam Crow had ever been in there was when it first opened and they offered the Club's protection.
"Hey," Jax tapped Chibs' arm on his way past to the office, and a nod signalled for him to follow.
"I'll see ya later," Chibs told her, dropped a wet kiss onto her cheek then turned to go into the office with Jax where the door slammed shut.
"Abel! Abel! Can you just calm down - please?" Tara pleaded, sitting on Gemma's couch with Abel running around and Thomas was sitting at the small children's table covered in gravy. t was even in his dark hair. Abel looked at her then ran off down the hallway yelling and pretending to be a helicopter. When he ran into the kitchen Charlotte cornered him to a stop.
"Go eat your dinner," She ordered.
"No! Army helicopters don't stop for food!"
"But they stop for fuel," she prodded his belly with the wooden spoon she was holding, "You need to fill up before your next mission."
"What's my next mission?" He asked breathlessly.
"Top secret," she leant to his eye level and tapped his nose. Abel ran off back into the living room, took his seat next to Thomas and starting stuffing his face with mashed potatoes. Tara looked relieved for the impending 3 minutes peace she would get before he finished his food.
Gemma smiled, mixing the filling for her pie and smoking a cigarette. "I'm glad someone can keep a handle on that boy's energy."
Charlotte snorted. "I wish I had half his energy. Stores killing me." She stopped pouring the dressing over the salad, but then thought maybe she should put some more on. Oh, who cared anyway? Nobody ever ate salad in their family it was just there for decoration.
"Why?"
"Two main suppliers went bust. High demand from customers but nothing to give 'em."
"Something will turn up. It always does. How's Preggers?" Gemma popped her pie in the oven and slammed the door shut, nodding to the living room.
"I daren't ask her."
The guys all turned up together and the house was suddenly filled with an explosion of laughter, banter and excited kids running around. Seats on the sofa in the living room were haggled over, and the television channel fought over. The kids were put in the spare room; some sleeping some watching the Disney DVD quietly. Only Ollie remained with the adults and he was content on Lyla's knee.
As the last warm dish was served on the table everybody took their usual seats. Clay sat next to Jax's immediate right, and as always when Jax passed he gave an appreciative squeeze on Clay's shoulder. Jax was the President but this was Clay's home, and he always gave up the head of the table for the head of the Club.
Random voices filled the table as people asked for different bowls of whatever and salt and sauce and another beer. The familiar sound of clashing cutlery and plates filled every body's ears as they piled on the food. As soon as every body's plate was filled the din ceased as people changed to stuffing their faces.
"You want me to take him?" Charlotte heard Opie ask Lyla.
"No, I'm fine, he'll be asleep in a minute."
A bottle of white wine appeared from somewhere and Chibs was pouring most of it into Charlotte's glass. Her eyes met Gemma's from across the table over the green bottle. Gemma smiled and took a sip from her own glass. Once Charlotte's glass was filled, Chibs kissed her cheek.
"Get that down ya," he nudged her with his elbow.
