When you don't have a father the men you meet tend to influence you and your relationships. Seventeen was a very critical year for Alexandria Crowe; she met the men who would become her family and the man that would become a father figure to her, well not exactly. Let's start at the beginning when she started down this path that would lead to her family.
Thirteen: She had never fitted in she was branded an outsider. At thirteen she finally found somewhere she did. Being half Native American and half white the Metis had accepted her. The Metis a group of mixed-bloods formed to protect but later got in the drug and gun business.
Fourteen: She starts selling drugs for Metis to keep a roof over her head since her junkie mother couldn't be bothered by it. She tries it just once; she got hooked before she knew it and that lead to sleeping with bangers.
Fifteen: At fifteen everything changed. A heroin overdose caused it. She was pregnant. The Drugs had killed her baby, a baby she didn't even know she was carrying. She changed for the better started doing twelve steps and talking to a priest.
Sixteen: She sells drugs to keep a roof over her head. It's all she knows how to do. She kills for the Metis but she doesn't feel remorse, she doesn't feel anything. She's the cleaner she fixes shit when it goes wrong. She stays with the Metis they're all she has.
Seventeen
Metis is having problems with an MC. She gets a call to come to the meeting. She started walking to meet her gang. Her thoughts went back to the last call she had received from them, that call had landed her in jail with an assault charge and well she wasn't a fan of jail cells.
She was walking down an alley coming from the downtown library, smoking her Newport, when she heard a sound coming from the other end of the alley. She quickly pulled out her gun from her waistband cautiously making her way down the alley.
She tightened her grip on the gun when she saw a trash bag move and a groan came from behind them. As she got closer she saw a man with black hair and a leather vest. He was covered in blood, without thinking she put her gun back in her waistband kneeling down beside him.
She finally looked at his face. At either side he had a scar running along his cheek.
"Hey man are you okay?" He moved with a speed she wasn't prepared for and she felt a knife at her throat.
"Are ya with them?" She didn't move but she felt blood run down her neck.
"With who?" As he spoke again she noticed his accent was either Scottish or Irish she wasn't really sure.
"Tha Ms darlin'" She shook her head. She was lying but she couldn't leave him out here, something in her wouldn't allow it.
"Come on 'darling'" She said in a mocking tone as she was pulling him up and throwing his arm over her shoulder. She moved him down the alley when she got to the end she glanced around and continued down the street. She half carried, half dragged him down the street. She was going the back way to her house which was a few blocks from where they were.
By the time they made it to her house she was out of breath and her left side was covered in his blood. At one point he had passed out and she had to drag him under his arms for a block. She was glad she didn't have her catholic school uniform on.
She leaned him against the wall beside the door as she unlocked her back door and praying her mom wasn't here. She pushed the door open; he was awake enough to help her get him to the couch. After she put him on the couch she stripped off her bloody clothes and walked to the bathroom to get her well stocked first aid kit. While she was looking for it she called Jo, his phone went straight to voicemail.
Hey Jo its Ally, something came up with my mom sorry. I know you needed me tonight but she was tweaking man. She hung up the phone and grabbed the case.
She went back into the living room only in her bra and panties; his eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow. She took off his vest, cut off his white t-shirt and pulled his jeans off. She cleaned the blood off of him using alcohol and a rag. As she wiped the blood away she noticed the tattoos there was a reaper holding a sickle and the name Kerianne.
It was as she finished rubbing him down that she realized she was helping the enemy, fucking reapers. She was a traitor but she finished the job anyway stitching him up and bandaging the lesser wounds.
After she finished playing nurse, she showered and went back into back into the living room. She started going through the pockets of his vest looking for a phone or identification, something to get him out of her house. If the gang found out she'd be dead and marked as a traitor. She was kind of glad the only color she had was two small Ms on her shoulder.
She glanced down at the sleeping man after not finding what she wanted. She walked towards him and shook him. He woke with a start and began searching for something which she assumed was his knife which was in her purse. "Calm down! I just need to know who to call to get you to a safe place and out of my life."
He set up and glanced down at his body. "Ya do this?"
She shrugged and said, "Been through a few scrapes myself."
He stood and wobbled causing her to rush forward grabbing his arm, "You lost a lot of blood. You need to rest."
She started to drag him down the hall and he pulled against her, "Why are ya helpin' me?"
She sighed and pulled him down the hall to her room. "Because I would like to think karma will pay me back if I help you."
She turned the covers down and pushed him onto the bed, "Sleep. I'll make you something to eat then we'll sort this out." He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
Two Days Later
She found out his name was Filip or as he said he prefers to be called 'Chibs' and that he's SOA like she thought. He told her a bit about himself he was Scottish but grew up in Belfast in Northern Ireland. He was married and had one daughter. She doesn't think he would be as open, no member of gang usually is. She puts it down to the amount of blood he has lost. When she came into help him clean up, go to the bathroom or bring him food he would watch her. At the end of the second day she got him out on the couch wearing a pair of sweats she found in her mom's room.
She was doing her homework and watching re-runs of 8 Simple Rules while he was sitting there watching her. She knew he had got his strength back and was a little wary of him but pretty much he just sat there. Once in awhile he'd ask questions, over the last two days the questions had been spread out but consisted of:
"What's your real name and not tha one ya fed me"
"Alexandria Jade Crowe."He had looked at her for a minute. "Would you like to see my birth certificate?"
"No thanks. How old are ya?"
"Seventeen."He had just nodded.
"Do ya live here alone?"
"Pretty much, I pay all the bills." He looked at her for a long time before looking away.
"What's ya race?"
" I'm half white, half Native American, why?"
"Just askin' is it your ma that's Indian?"
She shook her head. "No my dad was. He was a Marine. He died when I was three."
"Where is your mother, deary?"
"In a crack house somewhere," He nodded and that was the last question until now when they sat there in silence.
"Why'd chu join a gang?"
Her head snapped up and she blinked at him, "How?"
He pointed around, "Your ma's not around, you seem comfortable enough. You don't seem to be struggling and I think you respect yourself enough not to sell your body. How long and where are your colors?" She shook her head but answered him,
"Since I was thirteen, it's on my shoulder." She showed him the small red Ms.
"You lied to me that night."
She narrowed her eyes at him."Look, if I wanted you'd be dead but no I'm helping you and the phone's right there. Call whoever you want."
He sighed, "Can't."
It was then she asked him the first question, "Why were you there by yourself? I don't know about your club be we don't leave people behind."
"They didn't know I was here, its IRA stuff you wouldn't know about that." She just blinked at him deciding not to ask any more questions.
She glanced at the clock and then at him. "I think I know how to get you home safe along with your bike."
Three O'clock In The Morning
She got the keys to the old truck that was sitting in her garage, it was unsafe the only time she used it was to go see her Memaw and to get groceries. Now she had Chibs in the front seat with her heading for his bike which was parked only a few blocks down from where she found him.
She stopped at a stop sign, saw the bike and looked around for her brothers. She pulled up with the tailgate toward the bike. She and Chibs hopped out, he dropped the tailgate while she glanced around but not giving herself away. He rolled the bike toward the truck, they struggled to get it in the back but once it was done they relaxed.
They got back in the truck. As she started the engine she saw headlights. "Get down."
The car pulled up beside her and she rolled the window down, "Hey A.J. what you doing out here?"
She sighed, "What I usually do Tay, Clean-up." She smiled at the man who could easily cause her death.
"Aight, you comin' to the party tomorrow?" She laughed, "No I have Mass in the morning."
The man scuffed, "Whatever, see you around."
She watched as they drove off, "Shit." She put the truck in gear and headed for the highway.
Once off the on-ramp Chibs sat up groaning. "Shit that hurts. Jesus Christ."
She was starting to panic and mumbling to herself that she was dead.
Chibs grabbed her hand, "Darlin' we'll protect you."
He squeezed her hand when she didn't reply to him, he was about to say something else when her phone rang. She read the caller ID: Jo. "Shit," she said before answering. "Hello?"
Where are you?
Cleaning up, she said it without a trace of emotion.
Yeah well I wasn't ready for that mess to be cleaned up. Where is he?
I have no clue what you're talkin' about.
The fuck you don't Ally, give him to us and you'll be forgiven, swear.
Oh yeah isn't that what you said to Sasha and where the fuck is she?
Fine but you coulda had mercy now you die like the traitor whore you are. He hung up and A.J. threw the phone out the window.
She started repeating the word shit under her breath and Chibs grabbed her hand and told her to pull over which she did. He pulled her out of the truck and told her to breathe. He wrapped his arms around her, she knew he was feeling guilt but she had made her bed and now she had to lie in it.
She sobbed into his chest while he rubbed her back." You can stay with me as payment for you saving me. I'll protect you." She nodded and relaxed, "We need to get a move on A.J. or we'll get caught." He drove while she slept, a little after six they traded and he slept while she drove to Teller-Morrow.
The Clubhouse
She pulled into the parking lot glancing around; she pushed Chibs' thigh, she had learned this was the best way to wake him.
"We're here." He grunted and opened the door; she got out after him heading for the tailgate. He dropped it while she hopped into the back by the time she got it up someone had brought a wood board and placed it on the gate and she helped guide it down to the concrete.
She hopped down and Chibs grabbed her hand pulling her toward the clubhouse with the prospect following looking confused. They entered and Chibs made a warrior yell which made the leather vest jump up.
She soon found herself in a booth with the same prospect that had helped with the bike, the reason she knew who he was, was because of the vest. She listened to cheers, laughter and loud voices as she laid her head on the table. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes falling asleep.
He kept an eye on her the whole time, he watched her fall asleep before telling them he had to check on something. He walked to the table, "Hey Juicy pick her up and follow me." As Chibs walked passed, Clay told him. "Church in five."