A/N: So welcome to the sequel to The Croweater Tales! As always, I hope you all read and enjoy, and let me know what you think!
He didn't love her in the fierce, passionate way that he had loved Fiona. She was no shy flower, but he was far past the times of his youth when he'd loved hard and wild. He didn't love her like he'd loved Jarry, as if she was nothing more than a hidden secret, something to keep the club afloat and to fill his own desires while stringing her along in a crazy push-pull game. No, he loved Evie in a different way, a peaceful, satisfied way that meant he'd finally found where he was supposed to be in this crazy life he lived. She was his saving grace, calming him and soothing the frayed soul that came with wearing the President patch. Evie Satterly was the best decision Chibs had ever made.
All those cold and lonely nights after Jax's death had been made a little easier by the redheaded girl who had quietly and unassumingly slipped her way into his life and firmly rooted herself in his heart. There had been no whirlwind romance, but just the same they were together and nothing was ever going to change that. Chibs had finally realized this after six months of Evie's constant presence in his house, in his bed, and in his thoughts, and as such he had taken her to Freddy's Tattoo Parlor, where so many other women had went before her and he sealed the deal with the former croweater. A proud black crow was captured mid-flight on the tan skin of her inner forearm, marking her as the newest Old Lady in Charming. Two weeks later, they stood in front of a justice of the peace at the courthouse, slipping simple gold bands on each other's fingers and officially becoming man and wife. No ceremony was needed, and wasn't particularly wanted, just the two of them; Chibs in his jeans and kutte, Evie in a breezy white sundress. It couldn't have been more perfect. She had brought so much happiness into his bleak world when he needed it most, and it was something that she had yet to stop doing. Though she was over two decades younger, she had the wisest, oldest soul he'd ever seen, and she still had the boys in black lining up for her advice or her help when they needed it. Without barely any trying, the beautiful girl that had first walked into the clubhouse over ten years ago had made herself an invaluable part of the Sons, as closely entwined to the reaper as the guys were themselves. Chibs' once bare-bones house was now a hive of activity nearly every night, Evie at the center of it all with the once again close-knit biker family she had cultivated.
Tonight had been another one of those nights. Much like Gemma used to, Evie had spent all day on a full course meal, spread out on the table while all the bikers and the women in their lives filled their bellies. It had filled Chibs with pride to see his family, the family that he had patched into, sitting around his table and being all together again thanks to his wife. Now he was leaning in the doorway of their kitchen, watching her put away the last of the dishes.
"The party was a huge success, lovey. Ya did good for a pregnant girl."
She was smiling when she turned around, her swollen belly poking out proudly beneath her loose dress. This was the latest development that had come in Chibs' life with Evie, a bouncing baby boy growing like a weed inside her body. That had been yet another shock to the Scotsman, and a great source of amusement for his SAMCRO brothers. He would never forget the jokes, the laughter that had been the universal reaction to Evie's pregnancy announcement. But he knew that his brothers were just as excited as he was, excited to finally have some good news given to them for once. A new life was being created, instead of one being snuffed out. Things were finally starting to lighten for them, and Chibs was at the center of the euphoria.
Dropping the dishtowel she was using on the counter, Evie walked over to Chibs and snuggled against his chest, letting him wrap his arms around her. "Tonight was amazing." Her hand went to her belly, and she winced as their son sharply kicked against her side. "But I do believe that some little man is ready for his mommy to take him to bed." Chibs placed his hand next to hers, but their son refused to kick for his father. At one week shy of eight months into Evie's pregnancy, Chibs had yet to feel his son kick, the little one seemingly just as stubborn as his old man. Evie knew it was frustrating her husband, and she placed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Don't worry, sweetheart, you'll feel him soon. It won't be too much longer and you'll be feeling him move in your arms." With a smile, she took his hand in hers. "Now take your fat cow wife to bed before my nonexistent ankles give out from under me."
Chibs couldn't resist her sweet face, and he scooped up his wife in his arms. He carried her up the stairs to their bedroom, gently laying her down on the bed and helping her out of her dress before he stripped out of his clothes and got into bed next to her. His body was warm and familiar as he wrapped his arms around her, his hand resting on the round curve of her belly. It was only a moment before their son kicked hard against his mother, exactly at the spot where his father's hand was touching. Chibs was swift to react, his mouth dropping open as he sat up and pressed his hand to another spot on Evie's stomach. Once again, baby Telford kicked strongly against his dad. Seemingly mesmerized at feeling his son move within his wife, Chibs moved to Evie's side, kissing her forehead before wrapping her tightly in his arms and snuggling close to her. They could both feel the baby kicking again, insistent on making his presence known to his parents. Evie rested her hand against the spot where the baby kept kicking, trying to calm him and give her side a rest.
For the past few weeks, the little one inside her had been crazy active, keeping her awake during the night and preventing her from doing much during the day because his movement often tired her out. She had stopped going to the clubhouse as often, though she still forced herself to go occasionally to make sure everything was going smoothly. As Old Lady to the newest President of the Sons of Anarchy, she was expected to keep up a certain prescence, no matter if she was carrying a baby that thought he was a marathon runner. But Chibs had been insisting lately that she stay home more often, to rest up before their son entered the world. He himself had even been trying to take small breaks from his all-consuming President patch so he could spend moments at home with his pregnant wife every now and then. A whiz in the kitchen when he tried, Chibs had been filling his wife full of hearty dishes lately in an attempt at making their baby as healthy as possible. Evie had taken to grumbling that their son was going to be born the size of a toddler if Chibs kept on, but she still complied when he begged her to eat. Even tonight, he'd insisted she sit down and eat a plateful of the dinner she'd cooked.
Finally the baby calmed down, and Evie felt Chibs' hand cradling the bottom of her belly once again. It was such a serene moment that she could've laid there forever, but the shrill ringing of a cell phone broke the peace. She heard Chibs curse under his breath as he reluctantly let go of her and reached for his discarded jeans, pulling out his phone and flipping it open. He was rather stern to whoever was on the other end, clearly aggravated at having his alone time with Evie interrupted. She carefully manuvered herself up out of the bed, waddling into the bathroom and turning on the shower. Presumably Chibs would be called away to the clubhouse, and she would spend the night alone. Though it wasn't as frequent as it used to be, she still hated the nights when he would be forced to leave and she would be alone. She could only hope this cycle didn't repeat itself once she was in the hospital giving birth because she would personally strangle every single Son if her husband wasn't by her side when she had their baby. They had just left the house a few hours ago, and already shit had happened that they needed Chibs?
"I got to go, love." He spoke those dreaded words quietly, because he knew how much she hated to hear them. The slight way her shoulders dropped as soon as he spoke, the almost-inaudible sigh that escaped her; he knew she was upset without her even turning to face him.
"I know." She came over and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly and resting her forehead on the dip between his collarbone, her head nestled under his chin. He held her close, gently rubbing the dip in her back where he knew she hurt the most from the weight of their son. God, how he hated to leave her.
"If anything happens just give me a call." The edge of worry in his voice was familiar to Evie by now; he worried that something will happen to her or their precious little one while he's away dealing with the other half of his life.
"I know that too. Just be safe." With a final parting kiss, he got dressed and headed down the stairs, the front door shutting moments later behind him.
With a sigh, Evie went to take her shower, standing in front of the mirror and letting her long dark hair out of its' clip. Since she had stopped dyeing her hair red, her thick curls had returned in full force, and her hair fell to below her chest now. Pale stretch marks crisscrossed her hips, her burgeoning bump dipping lower than it ever had as her son settled against her pelvis. Cramps traveled up her side as her muscles tightened, and she stepped into the shower to let the warm water hopefully ease her off. Gradually the pain subsided, and she washed off before toweling dry and struggling to wiggle into a pair of underwear. That was becoming a battle of its' own, and once that was accomplished she simply slipped one of Chibs's t-shirts over her head. They were quickly becoming the only articles of clothing that still fit her bulky frame aside from a few maxi dresses and pairs of leggings she had, thanks to her son growing extremely fast and her husband treating her as a bottomless pit for food. She managed to get herself into bed, trying to get comfortable between the baby seeming to kick every organ she had and worrying about her husband and whatever dangerous business he could be involved in at that moment.
Somewhere in the wee hours of the morning after the baby finally settled down and she finally managed to fall asleep, Evie was aware of Chibs coming home, of his warm body nestling next to hers in the bed and his heartbeat rhythmically thumping under her ear, and she was thankful.
Thankful for him, and for their baby.
Thankful for one more night spent with the man she loved.
Thankful for one more night that he came home alive.
