A/N: Thanks for everyone who read the first chapter!
Chapter 2
The men of SAMCRO sat around the Redwood table as Clay discussed a new deal with the mafia family on the East Coast.
"We run the hardware as far as Santa Fe. Our brothers there will take it to the mafia's outpost in Chicago. But before we do that, their boss wants to have a little meet and greet in the Big Apple to work out the details" Clay spoke from the head of the table. "Alright, lets vote it." All the brothers voted the gun deal.
"Alright brothers. I'll need Jax, Chibs, Happy and Tig with me on this trip to New York. Everyone else, stay behind and watch the garage." He lifted the gavel but was interrupted.
"I need to go with you guys" Juice said from the end of the table. All heads turned his way.
"Yea why's that Juice?" Jax asked.
"I have some…. Family business to handle there. If it's alright with everyone else, I need to handle some things after the deal is sorted out."
"Something to do with your crazy ass sister?" Tig asked; Chibs elbowed him in the side. Juice nodded, keeping his eyes on the table.
"Of course brother, whatever you need to do ,we're behind you 100 percent. We'll take the van and a cage" Clay banged the gavel, dismissing everyone from the table.
5 Days Later
Christian tossed and turned before kicking the sheets off her body. Ever since she had returned from seeing JC in Charming, she kept having flashbacks to her childhood, most of them not so pleasant.
Eight year old Christian sat on her brothers bed, fiddling with the toy Harley he had recently purchased. JC hated it when she snuck in his room but she was fascinated by all of his car and motorcycle magazines and models. She heard his heavy footsteps down the hall and hurriedly hid in his closet. JC stormed into the room before snatching his duffel bag from under his bed. Once she realized he was packing, Christian slowly exited the closet.
"JC?" she said timidly. "Where are you going?" she asked. He sighed and continued to pack.
"Gotta go away for a while kid. Can't stay here anymore." He said, zipping up the bag before he began packing up his laptop. She took a seat on the bed and stared at him as he finished packing.
"Can I go?" she asked sadly.
"No kid, you gotta stay here with grandma Letty" he replied. He grabbed his bags and headed down the small hallway of their grandmothers apartment. Leticia sat at her kitchen table, her small frame looking worse for wear.
"Are you leaving because of me?" Christian asked following him into the hall. He stopped at the door and put his bags down before turning to her.
"Christ kid. I just have to go okay? You're too young to understand." He snapped, running a hand over his head. She stomped her feet and crossed her arms.
"I'm not stupid!" she pouted, her little face red with anger.
"Look, I know you're not stupid okay? I have to do this Chrissy. I will check up on you okay?" he sighed in defeat. He pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tight before kissing her on the top of her head. He pulled off the small rosary chain he wore underneath his t-shirt and slipped it over her neck. Without another word, he nodded at his grandmother before opening the door. He was stopped by little Christian wrapping her arms around his torso.
"JC…. I'm sorry. I won't steal your magazines anymore, I promise" she said, tears flowing down her face.
"Christian, its not you" he said, fighting back tears himself. He wrapped her in his arms one last time before pulling away and descending down the stairs of the apartment. She attempted to run after him but her grandmother pulled her back into the apartment.
"I promise I'll be good, please don't leave me!" she screamed at his back as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Chrissy please…." He pleaded, his voice choked with emotions. He looked back at the two most important women in his life before walking out of the apartment building into the brisk New York air.
"Please don't leave me… Please…." She cried into her grandmother's shoulder. She finally drifted off to sleep, the image of her brother walking out on them on her mind.
She hated him for leaving. After the death of their parents, she depended on him. Her grandmother was a great help for the both of them; but the bond the two siblings had was something she could never touch. But as much as she resented him for leaving when she needed him the most, a part of her was happy to see him. She was so worried about him; and from the looks of his 'crew', she had a good reason. Her thoughts were interrupted by a noise in the apartment.
She jumped up from her small twin bed when she heard a rustling at the door. She reached under her bed and pulled out her grandmother's double barrel shotgun before quietly slipping down the hall of the small Bronx apartment. She saw figures in black hoodies coming through the door.
"You motherfuckers have 3 seconds to get the fuck out of here before I blow a hole in your skulls." She said loudly while aiming the shotgun.
"Jesus Chris its me!" Juice said as he flipped the light switch in the living room. She lowered the shotgun after an intense moment before walking to Juice and smacking him up the head.
"You trying to give me a heart attack?! You should've told me exactly when you were coming." She scolded him.
"Yea well I didn't think you'd go all Lara Croft on me" he said as he pulled her into an embrace. Despite their previous encounter in Charming, they had spoken on the phone a few days ago and it had been less tense. They attempted to discuss the underlying tension in their relationship but it ended in a screaming match. Juice reached out to her again and they had begun the rough task of repairing their bond. Juice told Chris that he'd come to New York until their grandmother passed away and she was grateful that she didn't have to be there by herself.
"Juice is rude, sorry. I'm Christian. Call me Chris." She said, extending a hand to Jax.
"Sorry sis, that's Clay and Jax, my prez and VP." He said pointing to an older man with wiry grey hair and a younger blonde man with amazing blue eyes. "You've met Tig, and that's Chibs over there" he continued, pointing to the asshole who had slapped her ass and an older man with scars on his face. She had recognized his accent while she was at TM, it sounded like he was Scottish. "And that there is Happy" he said pointing to a tan bald man with tattoos covering every part of his body; he was intimidating but gave Christian a small tight smile that didn't quite reach his dark eyes.
"Nice to meet all of you. Oh and sorry Tig" she said, smiling at the asshole. He was still giving her creepy looks but seemed more respectful now that he knew she was related to Juice.
"Ehh don't worry about it sweetheart" he said with a wink.
"Well I didn't plan on going to the hospital for a few hours, I had a late shift last night. Yall are more than welcome to anything in the fridge." She said walking towards her room. The men settled in the living room while Juice joined her in her room.
"Listen I know you said you don't want any apologies but… I'm sorry."
"JC, you don't have to-" she interrupted him.
"No I do. I need you to understand that you've been on my mind every day for the past ten years. Every time I've gone on a run, not knowing if I'm gonna make it back to Charming or not… I always thought of you. And not in the sense that I was worried about you. Because I know you're a strong girl ya know" he said, taking a seat on her bed. She sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Well you're all grown up now so I guess a strong woman. But I'm sorry for being selfish. I shouldn't have left you… I'm saying all this to say that I love you. I haven't been the best brother in the past but I'm gonna be there whenever you need me from now on."
"Thanks JC. And since we are being honest… I think its my sisterly duty to tell you that your haircut is absolutely ridiculous. Seriously, is it permanent?" she said, mirroring the goofy smile plastered on his face. They settled onto her small bed and drifted off to sleep.
A Few Hours Later
The men of SAMCRO and Christian exited the elevator on the 8th floor of Queens Hospital.
"Juicy Boy, we're gonna wait here for you two. Let us know if you need anything brother." Chibs said, giving Christian a small smile. She liked the old man, he gave her good vibes. Christian and Juice headed into room 812, Juice stopping in his tracks when he saw his grandmother in the hospital bed. Her petite frame seemed even smaller against the white sheets in the huge white bed.
"Hey abuelita. Juan Carlos came to see you" Christian spoke to her grandmother quietly. They had taken her off life support a few days ago and although she put up a fight for a few days, the doctors said she would only last a few more hours.
"Come here nieto. Give us a minute Chrissy" Christian squeezed Juice's hand as she walked by before closing the room door to give them some privacy. She returned to the lobby and took a seat next to Jax, nervously twirling a strand of her long curly hair. Jax looked down at her, offering a sympathetic smile.
"What you got planned after this darlin'?" he asked, studying her with inquisitive eyes.
What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well from what Juice was saying, you were only staying here for your grandmother right?" Jax replied.
"Oh. Yea you're right" she replied.
"I didn't mean to pry, I just wondered if you were staying. Seems like you hate New York is all." He was right. Besides living in a tiny apartment, dealing with congestion and traffic every day, and working two jobs to make ends meet, New York held a lot of bad memories for her.
"Oh no you're fine, I just honestly haven't thought of what I'm gonna do. I don't really have a plan…" she explained.
"Well you're family sweetheart. You're always welcome in Charming. It'd do Juice some good to have you around I think." Clay said while massaging his hands.
"Juan Carlos, I need you to make me a promise. Please take care of your sister." Leticia said, her voice surprisingly strong. Juice let the tears flow with no shame now, clutching his grandmother's hand is his.
"I'm so sorry Ma. I shouldn't have left you guys" he cried, resting his head on his grandmother's shoulder.
"Don't cry son. I know you had to do what you had to do. All that matters is the right now. Right now, I need you to promise me that you will look after your sister. She is a strong young woman but she is losing herself. Keep her light neito." Leticia said, pausing to cough.
"I promise abuelita. Don't worry about us, we will be fine" he replied looking into her soft brown eyes, the eyes that gave him so much comfort as a child. She placed a weak hand on his cheek as he cried onto her shoulder.
"Go get your sister Juan Carlos. I want both of you here with me." Juice left and returned with Chris as they crowded their grandmother's bed, each of them holding a hand. She kissed them both on the head. "I love you both so much. With every part of me. Be good to each other." She whispered before she slipped away.
It had been 4 days since their grandmother passed away. The men of SAMCRO had been helpful in packing up the apartment. At the funeral, Juice slipped away in the middle of the service; he couldn't bear to see his grandmother being lowered into the ground. Christian sat in the first row holding a single rose in her hand; tears falling slowly down her face. Chibs walked up to her and took Juice's empty seat. He placed a hand over hers and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"Want me to go up with ya lass?" he said. For some reason, the young girl reminded him a lot of his Kerriane. She nodded silently and together, they walked up to her grandmother's casket. Christian dropped down to one knee and placed the rose on top of the casket; she lowered her hand, closed her eyes, and said a small prayer while clutching her grandmother's rosary. Chibs silently stepped away as Juice returned, dropping to his knees as well and pulling Christian into a hug. Together, the siblings prayed.
Now she sat on the fire escape outside of her room, smoking a cigarette. Juice had caught her smoking one a few days ago and was livid, so now she hid on her fire escape every time she wanted a cigarette. It was annoying but Juice had grown restless being back in the apartment from their childhood and was on edge. She was avoiding him until they headed out in a few hours.
Truth be told, she was afraid. She wondered if going to Charming was the right choice; afraid that she would be smothering JC. After their grandmother had passed, they had another shouting match in their tiny kitchen. JC wanted her to come to Charming but she refused at first. Eventually Jax talked to her and convinced her that it would be good for the both of them and she argued. She was tired of fighting with him, But she was still anxious; she felt the tears threatening to escape her eyes yet again and became annoyed with herself. She had cried more in the past two weeks than in her entire life. The kitchen window to the fire escape opened and she gasped, and attempted to put her cigarette out in a hurry.
"Relax kid. He's still next door, banging the neighbor chick" said a raspy voice. The bald man with tattoos they called Happy joined her on the fire escape, offering her another cigarette. She hesitated; he was nice enough but he still intimidated her.
"Go on, I aint gonna snitch on ya" he urged, a smirk on his face. She took the cigarette and leaned in while he lit the cigarette. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, her legs dangling over the edge of the fire escape while he leaned against the brick building. Happy noticed Christian sneaking sideways glances at him and chuckled; she was cute as hell but she was a kid and the retards sister nonetheless.
"You alright kid?" he asked, his raspy voice making her shiver. She glanced at him before looking at her hands in her lap, his intense dark eyes making her squirm deliciously.
"Yea... Guess I'm just thinkin how fucked up all this is" she replied before taking a drag of her cigarette. Although he was a man of few words, he felt like he needed say something to comfort the young girl sitting next to him.
"My Ma's sick. Cancer. Shitty ass doctors don't know how much longer she'll last. Shit's messed up but you'll pull through kid." he replied, giving her a small nod. She gazed up at him with her big brown eyes; Happy had never been like Jax or Kozik who fell in love with every girl they saw. But the look she gave him did something to him. Their eyes locked for what felt life forever and at that moment, he knew this girl was… different.
The coldness behind her eyes was replaced by a soft, vulnerable look and she looked so lost. He knew he had to protect her. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. This was Juice's sister he thought; he couldn't think of her in that way. They were interrupted by Clay.
"Time to go" he said. Christian and Happy rose from their spots on the fire escape, both confused about the brief exchange they had just experienced.