A/N: This is one of two new stories that I will be posting for SoA! I was in the process of trying to type up a couple of updates but my muse has other ideas so I guess I'll do this one so I can get my updates posted! There will be 2 OC's in this story... So even though it says Jax and Happy this story is NOT SLASH!
Disclaimer: I don't own SoA!
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Chantelle Miller was new to Charming, California and could only hope that her moving her and her adopted sister here would help them both heal from the shit that they had been through in the last six months. She wanted nothing more than to heal and finally be whole again but she doubted that, that would happen for a while yet. Luckily for her she already had a job so that she didn't have to worry about that. The house she had bought for her and Natalia was a six bedroom house, four and a half bath, a big ass kitchen, indoor and outdoor pool, and a gaming room. She had made sure that everything was set up and in place before he had even brought Natalia out here because she didn't want Natalia to get stressed. She was currently sitting in the office of the building she had bought making sure that everything was in order so that she could open up the next day.
She ran a hand through her hair as she stood up and walked out of the office and into the main part of the building. She looked around and smiled slightly when she realized that everything was as good as it was going to get and that meant that she was indeed ready to open up tomorrow just like she planned. She already had three appointments set up for tomorrow so she knew that she would be slightly busy and she could only hope that Natalia would be alright left on her own for at least five hours. She sighed and shook her head as she grabbed up her purse and keys and walked out of her physical therapy office which she had aptly named Healing Touch. She walked down the street and into the diner ignoring all of the looks she was getting.
She smiled at the woman behind the counter. "Hi, Abby, could I get two cheeseburgers with everything on them, an order of french fries, an order of onion rings, a coke, and a chocolate milkshake to go please?"
Abby nodded and smiled. "Sure thing, Chantelle. You getting settled in alright?"
Chantelle nodded and ran a hand through her hair. "Everything is set up and ready to go for tomorrow. I already have three people that have appointments. It will be good to be busy but yet I'm worried about Nat. She still isn't talking much and I don't know what else to do for her. I'm worried about leaving her on her own for hours on end without knowing if she is doing alright or if she needs anything."
Abby frowned. "Would you like me to stop in and check on her tomorrow before I come into work at one? You know I have no problem making sure she doesn't need anything. If she does I'll get it for her and then let you know."
Chantelle let out a sigh of relief. "I would appreciate it, Abby. I'm just not sure what to do anymore. I have to make sure that I'm home by six because the cribs arrive tomorrow evening and I know that she isn't strong enough to handle that on her own. I feel like suck a failure because of all this shit."
Abby shook her head and said furiously "You are NOT a failure, Chantelle Anna Miller! You got you and your sister out of a bad situation! You are taking care of her now when she can't do it herself! Damn it, girl, you killed for her! How can you even think that you are a failure? You are twenty years old and you are taking care of your soon to be eighteen year old sister who is pregnant with triplets from the man who raped you both! You packed yourself and your sister up and moved two thousand miles away! You are opening up your own business after getting through college in two years. You graduated early from high school! Darling, if you are anything you are too damn smart for your own good! You are NOT to blame for what that bastard did to you and your sister. It is NOT your fault that you didn't realize how he was before it was too late! The only thing that matters is that you and your sister are now safe! So you get that damn thought out of your head right this very second! You are in no way, shape, or form a failure and you never could be. Now you sit down and have a piece of pie while I give your order to Hank so that he can cook it for you."
Chantelle gave Abby a watery smile and nodded. She took the piece of pie that Abby was holding out to her along with a fork and went to sit in a free booth. She could feel eyes on her but once again she ignored them. She didn't feel up to meeting or talking to anyone. She had first met Abby when she came to Charming to see about the house that Elliot Oswald was selling and fell in love with the house and with the way Abby was. She couldn't help but smile as she thought about the fact that she would have loved to have Abby as a mother instead of the mother she had. She shook her head to clear it and then started eating the piece of cherry pie that Abby had given her. She groaned as she looked up when she felt someone sit across from her. She raised an eyebrow at the woman who sat down. "May I help you with something?"
The woman shook her head and smirked slightly. "I just wanted to meet you since you will be seeing my husband tomorrow. My name is Gemma Teller Morrow and you are Chantelle Miller the woman who is opening Healing Touch. Aren't you a little young to be a physical therapist?"
Chantelle shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Not at all, Ma'am. I graduated from high school at the age of sixteen and had my degree for physical therapy by the age of eighteen. I may look young but I know exactly what I am doing. Also I'm not too young to be opening up my own business seeing as I have raised my younger sister since I was ten years old pretty much by myself since my mother was too worried about getting stoned and when she was going to get laid again. However I have lived on my own since I was sixteen and got custody of my sister at that point also and she was fourteen at the time. I know my business so please don't doubt that."
Gemma nodded and narrowed her eyes. "There is something familiar about you but I don't know why. I know that I have never met you before today even if I have seen you around town. You tend to keep to yourself and your sister is never seen in town at all. In fact the only reason I know that you have a sister is because of Elliot. You also have a haunted look in your eyes. Just what exactly are you runnin' from Darlin'?"
Chantelle shook her head and stood up. "I do not believe that is any of your business, Mrs. Morrow. I do not know you so therefore I do not have to tell you anything that I don't wish to. I know that you're just askin' cuz of the club that your son is president of so let me just give you this piece of information. My past is just that my past but I can assure you that you don't have to worry about it showing up here and causing trouble for your club because I made sure that my past is dead. Have a good day, Ma'am." She then turned and walked up to the counter where Abby was standing with her food in a bag. She shook her head and smiled ruefully at Abby. "I'll see you tomorrow, Abby. And you have a key to the house so you can get in to check on Nat for me."
Abby nodded and smiled. "No problem, Sweetheart. If you need me tonight give me a call. You need to be clear headed tomorrow so you need all the sleep that you can get."
Chantelle sighed. "I don't sleep much and it isn't because of Nat. My nightmares keep me awake most nights. I'll be alright. Thank you for caring though."
Abby sighed and shook her head but smiled as she watched Chantelle walk out of the diner and back down the street to where she knew Chantelle's car was. She looked over at Gemma with a raised eyebrow and motioned for Gemma to follow her into the back. Once she was in the office with the door shut and locked she turned to look at Gemma with narrowed eyes. "You know that I love you, Gem, but you will NOT harass that girl! She has been through hell and back in the last six months and she still isn't healing. I know that you're worried about Jax, Clay, and the club but you have NO reason to be where it concerns Chantelle. I heard what she said when she told you that you don't have to worry about her past because she made sure that it was dead and I have to tell you that she meant that literally, Gemma. While you know I don't like to gossip I will tell you about Chantelle only because I will NOT have you pushing her for information about shit that is best not to be talked about near her. She was engaged to a guy that got fed up with her not giving him any sex and he tied her up and raped her while making her younger sister watch. He then raped her younger sister and made Chantelle watch. Chantelle was trying to get out of the ropes and finally managed it and she got to the gun she kept in the closet before he even realized that she was loose and she shot him in the back of the head. Her body was black and blue and her sister was even worse. When the cops finally got to where they lived it was to find Chantelle doing CPR on her sister who wasn't breathing. When they got both Chantelle and Natalia to the hospital it was found out that Chantelle had two broken legs and feet but she still managed to make herself walk to get to the gun so that she could save her sister. Her sister isn't even eighteen years old yet and she is pregnant with triplets. Chantelle is doing everything on her own because her own mother isn't what I would even call a mother and her father is dead even though he left Chantelle and Natalia all of his money which is why she is able to open her own business and own the house that she does. They have been here in Charming for a month and a half now and Natalia still hasn't said one word to anyone. It's been six months since all this shit went down and Natalia hasn't talked since then and she will barely do anything. It is like she closed in on herself and has given up and it kills Chantelle but Chantelle still fights to get her sister back. It will be Chantelle raising those babies when they are born. It will be Chantelle who makes sure that everything is taken care of and she won't give a shit about herself. You saw how she looked, Gemma. She looks like a strong wind would blow her away because she forgets to take care of herself because she is too damn busy taking care of everything else."
Gemma's eyes were wide by the time Abby was finished talking. "Jesus Christ! Now I remember why she seems so familiar too me. She reminds me of myself. You let me know if there is anything that I can do to help. If she doesn't relax her work load some she is going to collapse. I'll have the boys drive by her business and make sure that everything is alright every couple of hours."
Abby nodded and ran a hand through her hair. "I'll let you know, Gemma, and thank you. Chantelle keeps to herself and that can't be good for her. I understand her reluctance to trust any man but she can't live the rest of her life like that. I am hoping that if she sees you and Clay together that she will realize that not all men are like the bastard she killed."
Gemma nodded. "I'll talk to Clay and Jax when I get back to the shop. I'm sure that Clay will have no problem showing her that not all men are the same. I had better get back to the shop before they send the prospect out looking for me again. I swear those two worry about me more than can be healthy for them."
Abby chuckled. "They love you, Gem. Let them know that I have a chocolate cake that I will bake for them if they keep an eye on Chantelle for me."
Gemma grinned as she stood back up. "I will. I'll see you tomorrow when I come in for the boy's lunch around two." With that said she walked out of the office and then out of the diner a minute later. She quickly got into her car and headed to Teller-Morrow Automotive. She needed to have a sit down with Jax and Clay and come up with a way to help Chantelle Miller without it being obvious. She sighed and shook her head as she thought about all the pain that the young woman has already been through. Once she pulled into TM she parked and headed into the clubhouse where she knew her son and husband were at. Once inside she walked over to where they were sitting at the bar. "Do you two have a few minutes? I need to talk to you about something important."
Jax frowned at his mother's tone of voice and the look in her eyes. He sat up straighter and exchanged a look with Clay before he looked back at his mom and nodded. He could see the others walking over and standing or sitting around but didn't pay them any attention as his eyes were solely on his mother. "Sure, Ma, what is it?"
Gemma sighed and ran her hand through her hair again in agitation. "I went into the diner for a few minutes because I saw the new girl in there talking to Abby. I sat down and talked with her for a minute and then after she left Abby pulled me back into the office to talk to me. Clay, when you go into tomorrow make sure that you keep your temper under control and that you are nice. That girl is only twenty years old and she has been through hell and has the weight of the world resting on her shoulders right now in a way that she should never have to have it."
Clay lifted an eyebrow. "What has you so worked up, Baby?"
Gemma groaned. "That girl killed someone six months ago. She drilled a bullet in the back of the mother fucker's head and I can't blame her for it at all."
At that Clay's, Jax's, and everyone else's eyes widened in shock but it was Jax who said "What the fuck? Ma, start from the beginning and don't leave a damn thing out. Are we going to have police here looking for her or anything?"
Gemma shook her head. "No, Jax, because it was ruled self defense. She drilled the bastard's skull after he raped her and her younger sister. The fucker had her tied up but she managed to get free but unfortunately it was after he had already raped her sister. She had two broken legs and feet from the beating he gave her before he raped her and she still managed to get across her bedroom floor to the closet and grab the gun that she kept there. She is only twenty fucking years old and she is opening her own business, taking care of a sister who doesn't talk or do anything, and preparing to raise triplets once her sister goes into labor. Abby said that Chantelle doesn't talk to too many people and that she pretty much stays away from guys. Abby seems to think that Clay and I can show Chantelle that not all guys are like the fucker she killed. That girl is jumpy and I'm not really sure how she is going to stand being able to help any single man that has to come to her for physical therapy but she will because she needs to do it. Add in the fact that the girl looks like she weighs maybe one hundred and ten pounds and I'm not sure how she'll be able to help bigger built people. Jax, I would like to ask for you and the boys to drive by her business periodically through the days that she is working to make sure that everything is alright. I don't know why but something is just telling me that I have to help her. She reminds me of myself when I was younger. Well except I never went through the shit she has but still. She reminds me of myself when I was about sixteen or seventeen and I felt like I had only myself to rely on."
Jax nodded solemnly as he looked at his brothers who all had angry looks on their faces. "We'll drive by and make sure that everything is alright, Ma. I'll talk to Elliot and see if he knows of anything that needs to be done at her place and see about getting it done for her."
Gemma smiled and leaned forward and kissed Jax on the cheek. "Thank you, Son."
Jax shook his head but it was Clay who said "If it is this important to you, Gem, you should know by now that we will do whatever it takes to make sure that she is alright. I'll talk to her tomorrow when I go in for my physical therapy in the morning and see if I can think of anything to help her with. For now you need to stop worrying because there isn't anything you can do about it right now. The only thing you can do is be there when and if she needs you. I'm sure that between you and Abby you two will make sure that she has anything she needs."
Gemma nodded and then laughed. "She actually told me off before she left. I've never met someone who has the balls to do what she did today."
Clay rolled his eyes as he smirked. "Good then you two will get along just fine. You just have to remember not to push her, Gem. She isn't one of the crow eaters so you can't boss her around like one. If you truly want to help her then just be a friend who cares."
Gemma sighed and smiled. "I'll do my best, Clay."
Clay nodded and then said "Well why don't we head home for the night then?"
Gemma nodded and then gave Jax a hug and then gave Happy, Chibs, Bobby, Juice, Opie, Koz, Tig, Half Sack, Quinn who was visiting SAMCRO for a couple days, and Piney a hug. She then let Clay lead her out of the clubhouse and to her car. She gave him a quick kiss and then got in her car and waited until Clay was on his bike and pulled out of the TM parking lot with him following behind her all the way home.