-CHAPTER TWO
Only a few hours of sleep had not been good enough for Alyssa and having to go to a funeral was even worse, she didn't know the prospect the service was for but he tried to protect her sister and Able, least she could do was thank him before he was gone. A shower and a quick shimmy into a pair of dark jeans and a simple formal black shirt, Alyssa pulled on a coat before heading out, funerals were hard on anyone but having the club together on such a day made it better, just a little happier for the grieving family over the loss of a brother.
Pulling up and parking pretty far back, Alyssa slowly made her way trough the crowd outside, spotting her sister outside next to Jax, good, they seemed like they worked out whatever it was that need fixing, and even better for Alyssa since she felt better being around both of them.
"Hey Tay, Jax." She spoke as she reached the couple, "..'Lyss… good to see you." Jax smiled weakly, his eyes apologetic,
"Jackson, you have a lot of shit going on, I don't need an apology, forget it." Alyssa sighed with a small smile, pulling the sad sap into a tight hug, patting his shoulders and releasing him, the sisters talked for a little while Jax light cigarette on fire, smoking it quickly before following the women inside.
Nodding and smiling sadly at the new faces inside, not long before reaching the room with the casket setup in, Alyssa stop by the door frame though, watching all the men morning over their brother, 'god he must have been a good kid...' Alyssa thought, her heart stinging at the sight, no one deserves to die, especially the ones so young. A few faces turned around after their silent prayers, nodding at her as they slipped past her and disappearing into the crowd, her eyes scanning the remaining backs before Opie turned to leave, meeting up with a blonde woman, hugging her before they got lost in idle chatter, Donna had been killed a few months back and that had been a completely new hole added to the many in her soul when she found out, Donna was a good woman. Alyssa smiled sadly at the pair as they caught her gaze, nodding at both of them as the woman waved, she really wanted to get to know his new lady, she seemed sweet enough and Opie was always good a judging the women he chose to be with.
"Hey." A voice called out to her, Alyssa was lost in thought the moment Opie and the woman had disappeared, her sadness was taking over quickly and she was glad that someone was going to distract her from it. Turning to meet the sad drenched eyes of Juice, her frown deepened, she didn't like this version of him, sadness and pain just didn't look right on his happy features, her eyes darting behind him, movement from her sister and Jax as they move closer to the casket, watching them stop before returning her attention back to the man.
"Hey...Juice, was it? You...um.. Are you going to be okay?" Alyssa questioned, a hesitant hand touching his shoulder for comfort, giving it a small rub with her thumb, her eyes trained on him all the while. A sad half smile draped his cheeks before he nodded, dropping his eyes to the floor, defeated, a hand rubbing at the back of his neck before he looked up once more.
"Yeah, thanks." He mumbled out weakly, placing a hand over the one she kept on his shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze before walking around her. If this day wasn't so miserable, she might have burned at his touch, been happy to make some sort of contact, but nothing stays real happy at a funeral.
Placing a hand on either side of Tara's shoulders as she made her way over to her sister who had slumped down and prayed against the prospect's tomb, Alyssa closed her eyes to give her own respect. "Thank you for protecting my family…" Alyssa whispered silently to the casket as Tara stood from her spot, slipping a hug to Clay before walking out, Alyssa touched the back of each man before walking out herself, following to her sister's side.
A few moments of laughs and smiles filled the room as everyone mingled about, Alyssa even getting to meet and chat with Opie's new old lady, Lyla, the night wasn't going to be completely ruined, we as a family will get through this together. The cool air hit her cheeks as she slipped outside, a small crowd had broken down near her and she felt it most respectable to not stare and just leave them to morn in peace, letting out a small huff, 'I'll need to drink myself to sleep if this continues.' thought spilling into her mind as she enjoyed the chilled wind that assaulted the air, the feelings of these past few days draining her high spirited personality.
Alyssa's eyes scanned around after a while, she had gone inside to find a familiar face and was met with none only to retreat back into the night, her brown hues perked as she locked eyes with Happy, 'finally..' she sighed.
He was with everyone a few yards away and that only made her rush quicker to their side, a smile on her face. "Hey Hap." She spoke as she slipped into his open arms, "Get lost baby?" the coarse voice asked, the 'baby' not even fazing her, how could it when he had called her that for years.
"Yeah actually, thanks for getting my attention, I was about to head home if I didn't find anyone." She muttered as she left his side, being met only by those sweet, sweet eyes,
"Juice." She added with a slight waved, finding herself in step with him as everyone walked, Happy to her one side, Clay to Juice's other,
"Alyssa." He nodded politely, hands in his leather's pockets, eyes up ahead after greeting her, he was silent and that was perfect, chatting wasn't on her mind right now. "I need a drink…" She spilled, rethinking and sharing her past thought, something about him made her want to talk, even though they really didn't have to, this only causing a slight laugh and head shake from Juice,
"Sounds perfect right now." He countered back, a slight smile shining her way, sure it wasn't his full but it was still something special, making her cheeks poke hot, feeling like there being no reason to blush, she looked away eyes landing on a passing van. Her brown eyes widen as the doors flung open, men in mask moving quickly, pointing their guns as the door opened wider, utter terror flushed her features as the bullets started to spray.
A drive by.
Alyssa's mouth opened in shock right as the bullets scatted across the people, the sound of screaming, gunfire, and just utter hell broke through within minutes, bodies dropping from either being hit or taking cover. All the air and complete control had left her body, frozen in place, eyes dancing on the people as more and more hit the ground, 'move!' she yelled in her mind, 'MOVE!' her head screaming louder, this wasn't like her, her usually quick moving feet were cemented in place, of all times, of all places.
A strong force slammed her down to the floor as a spray of bullets passed by their area, sudden rush of unimaginable pain hitting her left thigh, "I….I've… been shot…" Alyssa gasped into the floor, she didn't really comprehend what was happening, what had happened, but one could put two and two together, bullets equal pain, a lot of it.
"Fuck!" boomed from above her, pulling her up with a slight force, Juice's worried face appearing and disappearing with every throb of pain, forcing her face to contort. "Tara!" Juice yelled after seeing Alyssa's jeans starting to darken from the crimson liquid spilling from the wound,
"Alyssa's been shot!" if yelling her name didn't get her attention, then the mention of her sister was sure to force Tara to snap into action.
"The bullet grazed your thigh pretty good….but you'll be okay." Tara's professional domineer showing even with all the chaos around, shooting an apology with her eyes any time Alyssa had yelled out in pain with any contact to the wound, the bullet had made a pretty deep gash opening the surface enough for what was supposed to be inside to make an appearance, luckily not hitting the muscle.
"We need to get to the hospital, I need to stitch it up as soo-" another round of yells forcing everyone's attention to the road, Tara quickly rushing to get a better look. Alyssa tried to keep her eyes on her sister through the pain, wanting to keep an eye out, quick to yell if anything was going to happen again, now that she was ready,
"is that Hale..?" Juice asked, as a clearing of people moved away from the scene, a uniformed mess lying in the middle of the road.
The sight of blonde hair jumping off a ledge and into the streets caught Alyssa's attention, "Jax!" She cried, whatever was happening, Jax running anywhere meant something horrible. With the name of his VP in the air, Juice's eyes darted from Alyssa and following her stare of desperation, "Come on!" he yelled, quickly grabbing Alyssa into his arms, rushing to the scene, gently placing her back on the ground next to Tara's side. Watching Jax smash one of the shooters face into the ground before a few brothers pulled him off, screaming.
"FUCK!" She screamed, balling tight fists.
Alyssa wasn't the best person when it came to pain, quick to cry once a fight was over and she alone; she wasn't weak, not really, won plenty of fights and lost plenty of them too, but either had always coxed a good sobbing from her sore body that night or morning after. Finger pressing the shit out of the emergency button that was attached to her hospital bed,
"I need morphine you fucking shit!" she screeched as they nurse opened the door, "Honestly Miss Knowles, you got shot in the leg, it's stitched up and you'll be fine." Really, that was the last thing she had wanted to hear.
"I'll be fucking damned! Want me to shoot you in the fucking leg to find out just how much it really hurts, bitch?!" Like a bat out of hell, Alyssa was a bit over dramatic when it came to pain but even a headache would leave her in bed for a whole day if she wasn't medicated, her body so used to using drugs to numb anything. "Alright, Alright." The nurse sighed, disappearing from the room, sighing to herself while closing her eyes, she took a few breaths itching to just calm the fuck down, with the sound of the door opening again, she smiled,
"That was quick sweethea-" opening her eyes to meet a familiar President and others as they spilled into her room. "Oh, now I'm sweetheart? Flattered but married, happily." Clay poked, receiving a glare in response, it's like the club could feel when someone was upset, bringing the party everywhere they went.
"Glad you're okay weeh' lass!" Chibs boomed, kissing her forehead, "Eh. I'll be fine… you guys know how I am with pain, I'll be set once I'm in bed with the sweet, sweet meds." She murmured out with a sigh, getting a few guys to shake their head and others laugh. "You gotta' be careful with that shit 'Lyss." Happy replied uneasy, he was the one who forced her to throw up when she took one too many pills one drunken night back at the club some years ago, first and last time doing that one, she never wanted that killer's finger in her mouth again.
"I know, dad. I'll keep you proud." She mewled, looking up at Happy mockingly, but he knew she was serious, he threatened that she would be another smiley face on his body if he caught her like that again and really? Who can defy a killer, certainly not her.
"Alright boys, let's go visit Chucky and brighten his day." Clay smirked, pointing at the door after giving Alyssa a quick hug, each man following his example by giving her a hug before leaving, until Juice was last to exit.
Standing by her bed, looking over the machines and tubes attached to her, Juice cleared his throat, expecting the words to slip and hit the silence, "uh… um… thank you Juice, for moving me out of the way, that is." She started first, breaking the horrible awkwardness that hit the two, her words seeming to perk him out of the nervous daze, but any less awkward.
"Oh, yeah... no problem. I couldn't just let you get shot." He replied, realizing what had slipped out, "But.. uhh.. you did anyways.. so uh, I failed, kind of. Okay. Shutting up." With a lift of a finger and the actions of opening and closing his mouth, he gave up, shaking his head. "Sorry… I don't have a filter or an off button." Besides the obvious tension he was creating, Alyssa laughed, a real good hearty laugh,
"You know… you're really funny. I'm not going to bite the head off the guy who saved my life you know? Stop being so damn nervous." Once that had been said and that amazing lopsided grin showed itself once more, Alyssa's mood only brightened, cheeks turning hot. Feeling her own blush, she let another laugh spill from her lips before waving him off, "The guys are probably waiting, run along Juicy." And with a quick nod and slight laugh he was gone, leaving her in the hands of the nurse and sweet, sweet morphine.
A few days later, Alyssa walked stiffly from the hospital doors, being checked out before midnight, the darkness of the fading day hiding most of the town. Huffing as she leaned her ass against a table, the trip from her room to the waiting area outside took more out of her than a long day at work, changed and clutching her few weeks' worth of morphine tablets, she had heard from a nurse that one of the Prospects was going to pick her up in a few minutes. A bit peeved that she had only been visited by the boys that one afternoon, no one was answering their cell, she was tired as hell, and her leg was killing her, Alyssa just couldn't wait to get to her cat and her bed. "Really, not a single person is answering, I want to go home!" she whined, shoving her cell back into her pocket, the back of her other hand rubbing the sleep away from her tired eyes, trying to keep herself occupied by kicking a stone with her better leg.
An hour passed before the sound of bikes hit the air, mixed along with a blasting alarm from the ambulance's sirens, "What the fuck….?" She whispered, the sounds of bikes was a little disturbing, seeing as the prospect drove the van, and if those said bikes were following the ambulance, then someone important was inside. Walking as fast as she could back to the front of the hospital, Alyssa silently hoped that the roaring of bikes was of the few other MCs in town, but with all the other shit that was happening, of course, the reaper was all she saw in the night.
"What's going on!?" Alyssa wailed, watching as Gemma's unconscious body was quickly rolled into the building, Clay not far behind, ignoring everything and keeping his attention on his queen. Confusion and panic hit Alyssa's tired body, burning her insides, "J-Jax?! Tara!" she yelled, seeing the next wave of people following into the building,
"Alyssa! Oh my god… what are you doing outside!?" Tara whined, steadying her sister's off balanced body as they reached one another,
"Don't change the subject, what's going on!?" Alyssa demanded, "… and why haven't you answered your cell!?" Alyssa spat once more, darting her eyes from the building to her sister,
"We don't know yet, Gemma just collapsed, let's go inside, I'll explain everything in there once we have the answers." Tara pushed, following everyone back into the building.
Tara had disappeared into Gemma's room after a few nurses begged for more hands, leaving Jax pacing back and forth, Clay clenching and un-clenching his hands, and a few brothers shaking Alyssa's nerves by their constant moving legs. Forcing herself to peel her eyes away from all the moving, Alyssa pushed against a wall trying to keep her breathing steady, grabbing the base of her thigh, it was way past the time to take her medication and the pain from her stitches was throbbing at her temple.
"The prospect didn't take you home?" Opie's questioning tone hit the silence as he caught sight of her hunched body, moving her head so she could train her eyes on him, watching him as he lifted from his seat, "Don't move, I'm not going home and I can stand, I'll be fine." She managed with a weak smile, waving his attention away, and ignoring the other's look of pity.
"Good news is that Gemma didn't have a heart attack, it was an abnormal arrhythmia." A nurse answered as she had appeared into the room after what seemed like ages, leading Clay back to check on the queen bee and answer a few questions, "She's stabled but still unconscious, we'll let her rest." Tara replied as she slipped from Gemma's room, helping calm every body that had occupied the room. Jax had moved into Tara for a hug, thanking her for the help and kissing her goodbye as she left to get ready, "I need to change, you sure you don't want me to take you home? You look exhausted." Tara asked as she reached her sister on the wall, "No… I hate not being around when things like this happen, I want to stay… at least until Gemma wakes up." Alyssa spilled through tired lips, "I'll see you soon, Doc." She smiled up at her worried sister before Tara disappeared.
A few hours had gone by before her sister walked back into the room, waving her hellos before going back to work, sighing heavily as her sister left, her head pushing against the wall at the same moment, arms folding across her body,
"Long week?" asked a voice that had been long since absent,
"Hey tiggy, and you tell me? How's your bullet hole?" She laughed quietly, brown hues meeting up with the curly haired brother,
"I'll live." He replied with his own muffled laugh, joining her against the wall, him being unlucky enough to not get to a seat sooner. Everyone joining back into an uneasy silence, listening to the VP pour a cup of coffee.
A walking cut caught Alyssa's attention after a few minutes, Bobby, walking past everyone to get to Jax, asking about Gemma before whispering something to Jax and nodding to the hall, everyone lifting to their feet with one word from Jax, leaving her alone with her thoughts. "Good, I'm taking a seat." She laughed, watching the men spill into the Hospital's chapel from her seat, stealing Opie's spot.
"Where's Jax?" Tara's voice wondered at the lone woman, Alyssa pointing down the hall, "Official club business." She smiled, watching another body leave her side and down the hall.
Nodding as Jax and Tara returned only moments later, going back to Gemma's room, with all the people going back and forth, Alyssa decided being alone wasn't what she wanted. Walking stiffly to the chapel, peering in before opening the door, "Hey guys… I don't want to be alone out there." She confessed, slumping against the wooden door, looking over the faces peering at her as they stopped talking.
Nervousness hit her quickly, was the club business still going on even after the VP left? "Oh, did I interrupt? I'm sorry, I'll go back." Nervous laughter escaping her, she had thought she was doing a good job at hiding it until Chibs and Opie started laughing,
Chibs waving her inside, "Aye' lass, we're done talkin', come en." A smile hit her face quick as she slipped inside, standing next to Opie who was standing himself. "How are you feeling?" Opie asked resting his arm around her shoulder, "I'm tired as fuck, leg is heavy, and I'm in pain. I'm perfect." She laughed, nudging his side with an elbow, "How's everything with Lyla?" she grinned, Opie was like a big brother, protecting her whenever she had been scared as a kid, helping her find the strength she never knew she had once joining the club with her sister, the two held a very special bond and making sure he was happy was always important to her.
Chatting away with all the brothers, few laughs and finding out exactly why Trager got shot, everyone had something to say, except Juice, his lack of participation caught Alyssa's attention, she watched as he messed with his gloved hands, wondering what was so special about them to keep his attention so greatly. Watching him so closely, she seemed to get lost with his features, there was something new to see every time she saw him and she was completely attracted to the way he looked when he was concentrating on something, but any thought of him snapped from her when someone had cleared their throat, forcing everyone's attention, including Juice's, to the culprit, Trager.
"Stop undressing him with your eyes 'Lyss, sheesh!" He exposed with a chuckle, nodding up at Alyssa while slapping Juice on the shoulder. A sharp inhale caused saliva to hit the wrong pipe, causing Alyssa to cough, giving her the perfect opportunity to force her quickly burning cheeks to face down towards the floor, "…..I-I…I! I wasn't u-undressing Juice, Tig!" she spat, turning to the doors instantly after, not wanting to face a single person in that room, "Someone take me home!" She whined, feeling her cheeks burn so hot to the point of stinging her eyes.
Once out of the chapel and into the hall, the room boomed with laughs and with that Alyssa forced her legs to continue down the hall and to the front door, she never took teasing very well.
"Alyssa, wait!" Tig yelled behind her after she had found herself by the bikes, "I was kidding!" He apologized with a huff, catching his breath as he reached the glaring woman, "You'd never eye fuck that retard, we all know that!" He spilled with a laugh,
"God, you're just horrible." She sighed, shaking her head, watching as Juice and Bobby followed, reaching the two in no time, "I just want to go home." She sighed out again, keeping her eyes on anything but Juice.
"okay, alright, enough games. We'll follow Tig to your house, we have to go somewhere near by anyways." Bobby spoke, glaring at the confused Trager, "What? Why me?" He protested, causing Alyssa to gasp,
"Oh, what? Have an issue with little ol' me?" she joked, "Really, I'm having the issue here, I don't want to ride bitch with anyone, especially with you." This being said granted Alyssa a nudge to the rib and laughs from the three sons.
The wind that flew through her long dark locks calmed her body and soul, a bike ride always bringing her back to the best times of her life, "It's just another left and we'll be there." She spoke, Tig nodding in response, her attention going back to her head and the road, Charming was a perfect temperature this time around and was never more beautiful, just more closed signs, a lot more, her eye's scanned the town harder, seeing many places of her childhood close and empty, it made the beautiful down lonely.
"Thank you guys, really." Alyssa mewled, being so close to bed was getting her rather excited and she really just wanted to get inside, but she also loved the guys more than enough to give proper farewells. Hugging Trager after slipping off his bike, patting his shoulder once before moving to Bobby, "Bring those titties over here!" bombed the older man, beckoning arms opened wide,
"I'm still jail-bait to you old man, keep it in your pants!" She joked, wiggling into his arms while they both laughed, Alyssa poked at Bobby's beer belly for another goodbye, stepping away and looking over at Juice.
She really didn't know him that well but she felt it would be rather rude to not say goodbye, especially after he had saved her, that deserved a hug, right?
"Umm... I'm just going to hug you now, okay?" Alyssa blurted after a slight awkward silence, arms wrapping around his neck, pulling herself into him, once settled and arms gently wrapped around her in return, she finally letting go of the breath she didn't know she had held. It felt so warm, right really, but that only scared her, after a few moments she pulled away,
"Okay, bye." Was all she could muster before turning around and walking as quickly as her legs would take her, waving away the bikes as they roared. "God! There really is no place like home." She yelled, slipping carefully out of her clothes and walked into the kitchen to fetch a glass of water to take with the pills. Covers and a clingy cat was her only source of warmth, slipping very comfortably into a medicated sleep, thinking of everything and nothing before it was just silence.