Chapter Two – Little Girl Blue
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Disclaimer: I do not own Sons of Anarchy or anything affiliated with the show. No infringement intended. No money is made from this.
Author Notes: There's no tweaks in this chapter. The major tweaks will start in later chapters. There's a lovely scene with Jimmy O and Chibs to look forward too.
Side Note: My Mum is back from the hospital, her surgery went really well and the cancer hasn't spread. She's just at home resting and recovering. Thanks to everyone who posted their good wishes and prayers.
Charlotte awoke with a slight start, blinking rapidly before carefully turning over to assess her current situation better. She had fallen asleep on the sofa; her head in Chibs' lap, one of her legs splayed over HalfSack's lap and the other trapped behind the back of his head, where he was currently using her calf as a pillow.
She began pulling her leg from behind his head but he wasn't letting up easily on it. As she started to wiggle her leg free he groaned and opened one eye, making another noise that signified he wasn't happy with being moved.
"Let me go Prospect or I'll throw up on you!" She whispered harshly to him. She had the all too well known feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was about to throw up.
HalfSack leant forward slightly and her leg was freed. She sprung up from the couch and moved fast across the floor on her bare feet, eager to miss all the vomit puddles and shattered bottles that littered the floor.
Charlotte knew she wouldn't reach the toilet in time so she headed past the two drunk ladies by the entrance and ran into the cleaning closet just by the bar, throwing up into the mop bucket just in time.
A guy in a white wife beater who was previously sleeping on the floor stirred awake.
"You look," he slurred, using all his energy to lift his head off the floor, "how I feel," he finished, letting his head land on the floor with a soft thud.
Wiping her mouth she dared to open her eyes and look at what she had produced. It was practically pure liquid tinged a wonderful shade of coral pink; she could probably distil it and sell it as alcohol again. She knew better then to mix her drinks.
Prospect's gonna have fun cleaning this shit up.
A phone started ringing nearby and after deducing it wasn't hers, Charlotte curled up on her side, laying right next to the mop bucket.
Just in case.
:*****:
"Gemma?"
Gemma snapped her head up towards the door, immediately regretting her movements as every muscle in her back twinged and the uncomfortable burn like feeling rushed in between her legs. Charlotte poked her head into the hospital room before entering, a comforting smile on her face. Closing the door behind her, she placed her bag on the bed next to Gemma, who had just finished getting dressed after tests from Tara.
"I bought you a coffee from Nikki's, thought it'd be better than the crap they serve here."
Charlotte handed Gemma the take out cup of coffee, to which Gemma gave a small smile and took a sip. The liquid was deliciously warm and the comforting. The homely aroma of coffee filled her senses.
"Look at you, Mama bear," Charlotte cooed softly, placing her hands on Gemma's face. Her hands were cool and against the humidity and stuffiness of the hospital room they offered comfort on her swollen face. They felt smooth, and small, not big and rough like... them.
"I'm fine," Gemma insisted, instinctively bringing a hand over Charlotte's. "Shouldn't you be at work, young lady?" She softly chided.
"It's my lunch break; I wanted to see you."
"I'm fine," Gemma repeated, "Get outta here before I get you fired."
She managed a small smile.
Charlotte nodded, thumb skimming over Gemma's swollen lips before she placed a soft kiss on them. Gemma relished in the softness of her lips; they were gentle, loving, and healing.
Before she left, Charlotte looked over her shoulder for the last time, and it made Gemma feel twice as guilty for not telling her the truth. They were closer than she and Tara were. Charlotte would tell Clay and Jax in a heartbeat and then go on a vigilante mission herself, with or without the Club's backup. She'd get herself injured or killed quicker than Gemma would be able to save her.
She'd never ask Charlotte to carry her burden like Tara.
:*****:
"What can I help you with today, Charlotte?" Doctor Green asked her as he finished writing up his notes on a previous patient. He looked at her over the rim of his gold framed glasses when she didn't speak immediately.
"I need - My wrist - The Percocet, I need some more."
She sat on the clinically white examination chair sideways with her legs crossed, wringing her hands together in her lap. The small room was stuffy and as Dr. Green continued to stare at her it felt like the walls were closing in on her.
"You've had a course of both the two point five and the five milligram Percocet," he confirmed, looking over her file and shaking his head. "Honestly, that's more than what you need for your type of injury. Just take Ibuprofen if you get any pain."
"But I'm not sleeping, I can't get comfortable," she tried to reason with him.
"There's a wide selection of sleeping pills at the local pharmacy, you don't need a prescription for those."
"Sleeping pills?" She queried, getting curious.
"Yes, they're very mild, almost all of them contain natural ingredients. Try those. You don't need anything else, Charlotte."
She tried to convince him otherwise, but failed to sway his professional opinion. The tone of his voice indicated he was getting agitated that she wouldn't accept his answer.
Opening the door a little way open, she peered down the hall making sure nobody she knew was occupying it.
:*****:
"This bitch doesn't say anything, what does that mean?" Weston asked Zobelle.
Zobelle pursed his lips briefly as he collected his thoughts. Placing a hand on the other man's shoulder he guided him further towards the front of his store.
"I'm keeping an eye on Miss. Davis-Morrow."
Zobelle looked out the shop's open door, and gestured across the street. "Heather's Boutique" was just across the road and a few buildings down from his own store. They could easily see Charlotte through the store window, serving a customer.
"You want me to-" Weston started.
"No, but soon," Zobelle interrupted speaking slowly, a plan forming in his mind.
"I thought you said to go for the Matriarch, why-"
"Miss. Davis-Morrow," Zobelle interrupted again, "is young, naive and fragile. She depends on her family and friends more than any of them. We isolate her, remove her from the ones she loves and she'll crumble like the rest of them."
Weston nodded silently.
:*****:
Despite having over 300 channels on her cable TV Charlotte couldn't find anything that could take her mind off the porn wrap party. Juice had mentioned it earlier to her, and in passing she mentioned it to Chibs. He then absently asked her if she was going but she declined as she hadn't been feeling too good that day.
Chibs, an ambassador of all things porn, had gone of course, without her, and now she couldn't stop thinking about what he was doing with all those topless porn actresses.
She sprung up off her sofa and grabbed her mobile off the coffee table, sending Tara a text message as she headed upstairs to her bedroom, telling her to be ready in 15 minutes.
10 minutes later Charlotte and Tara were heading towards Caracara.
"Jax said you weren't going, he said you weren't feeling too good."
Charlotte glanced at Tara out the corner of her eye.
"You don't trust him?" Tara asked, referring to Chibs.
"I trust him, I just want to mark my territory."
After a few moments silence, Tara spoke again.
"Have you ever - you ever hit a woman?"
"Of course. I shoved a girl's head under a full water butt once, too, till Bobby pulled me off her. That was fun. Bitch deserved it, though."
Charlotte didn't offer any more of an explanation than that so Tara didn't push it further.
After arriving at the studios the women exited the car and for the first time that night Charlotte took in Tara's appearance.
"We need to go shopping."
Tara stopped, noticing the look that the younger woman was giving her. She looked down at her attire.
"What's wrong with the way I dress?"
Charlotte raised an eyebrow and looked down at her own outfit, as did Tara; tight black jeans, gold high heels and a printed t-shirt that hung so low off one shoulder Charlotte's leopard print bra was visible. It looked trashy in Tara's eyes, but Charlotte was pulling it off well, something she knew she wouldn't be able to.
As Tara was about to reply her phone went off in her pocket.
"I gotta take this, I'll meet you inside," she said looking at the caller ID.
Charlotte didn't argue with the Doctor, the night air was cold and she didn't want to stand there like a piece of useless furniture.
After heading through two sets of doors and down a red carpet - someone had obviously tried to make the evening appear more classy than it actually was - she arrived in the main area of the studio where the party was being held. The room had low levels of lighting, a bar in a corner and a large television showing the finished production of "Meek Men". Glancing around Charlotte took in where everybody was, and spotted Chibs perching on the edge of a folded up table with a dark haired and a light haired woman hanging around him.
Just as she was about to walk up to him, Ima, a slim porn actress with strawberry blonde hair and a blue one shoulder dress, stepped in front of her.
"Sorry, sugar, this is an invitation only party," the woman sneered, "The men have more than they can handle for tonight."
"These," Charlotte replied, pointing to her in flight crow tattoos on her chest, "Are my fucking invitations."
"Hey," Jax greeted as he approached the two women.
"Sorry Jax, I told her it was an invitation only party," Ima pouted.
Jax looked at Ima and frowned in confusion. Then, he slung an arm around Charlotte's shoulders, and she couldn't help but notice the flash of jealously that passed Ima's face.
"No trouble, Ima, this is Charlie, my sister."
"Oh! Your sister!" Ima smiled and held out her hand. "I'm Ima, it's so nice to meet you," she gushed.
Charlotte took her hand and squeezed it tight.
"What's your last name? 'Stuck Up Bitch'?"
"Hey," Jax warned, "Play nice."
Charlotte rolled her eyes and ducked out of Jax's hold, heading towards Chibs. He'd seen Charlotte with Jax and had sent one of the women away, so that now he was only with one. One was much easier to talk his way out of then two.
"Charlie!" He said in fake surprise, "Didn't think you were comin' tonight, darlin',?"
"Yeah, I see that," she replied, giving the one remaining woman with dark hair a glare before walking away to get a drink.
"Who's that?" The dark haired woman asked with slight disgust.
"The Ol' Lady," Chibs replied with a sigh, watching as Charlotte took the empty seat in between Opie and the bar.
"Hey, what're you doin' here?" Opie asked as Charlotte sat next to him and ordered a drink from the bartender.
"You know me, Ope, always up for a porn party," she sarcastically replied, toasting her plastic cup with his and taking a long drink. Opie frowned, looking over his shoulder at Chibs who was sitting on a sofa with another woman, then looked back to Charlotte.
"Is something going on with you two?"
"No, why, has he said anything?"
"No it's just...Usually you two are all over each other."
Charlotte sighed, "I guess the honeymoon period's over, Ope," she replied, looking down into her cup as she swirled the contents.
"What?" He asked in disbelief. "He's with another woman, Charlie, go over there, say something to him - to her."
"The truth is Opie, I don't know what to say that won't lead us into another argument."
"Do you have any idea how stupid you sound right now?"
"What do you mean?"
"There's no point in spending your time mad at each. Enjoy each other before it's too late.
With the distant look in his eyes, Charlotte knew he was thinking about Donna.
Opie gave her the smallest glimmer of a smile.
"Just go over there."
Charlotte nodded, finishing off her drink and sat it on the edge of the bar, making a beeline to the sofa against the wall where Chibs was sitting with another woman.
As she got closer a man with a closely shaved head stepped in her way, twirling an unlit cigarette in between his fingers.
"Got a light?"
"Oh my god, Jonny, what are you doing here?" Charlotte asked her old school friend in utter surprise, not at all missing the look that Chibs was throwing her way.
"Did some photography work for Luanne on this shoot," he shrugged casually, gaining a light from a passing actress.
Charlotte and Jonny spent a few minutes catching up and by the time Jonny was pulled away by another colleague, Chibs had disappeared from his spot on the sofa. Doing a quick circuit of the room she couldn't find him, and with her not feeling any better she decided to call it a night.
At the exit door she met Jonny again where he insited on walking her back to her car.
"I'll give you a call tommorrow sometime, that ok?" Jonny asked, right before Chibs appeared out of nowhere and punched him on the nose, sending him sprawling on his back on the hood of Charlotte's car.
"What the hell are you doing?" Charlotte shouted as Chibs grabbed Jonny around the collar and slammed him on the hood again. Jonny howled in pain and clutched at his bleeding nose. Charlotte grabbed at Chibs' arm to get him off her old friend, and eventually Chibs pulled him up only to throw him down to the ground.
"The hell do you think you're doin' with my woman?" He growled, boot pushed down on the younger man's chest.
"Your what?" Jonny spluttered in a dazed and confused state of mind.
Charlotte positioned herself in front of Chibs and laid her hands on his shoulders, pushing to make him step back.
"I thought Sam Crow didn't do mindless violence!" She hissed.
Chibs rolled his shoulder with force and pushed her away from him, pointing a finger at her.
"Shut up!"
At his outburst she slapped his hand away from her and their angry eyes locked eyes for a few seconds. Hers were challenging him to respond and his were challenging to try that again.
He closed the small gap between them, standing toe to toe with her.
"You have any idea how fuckin' stupid this is makin' me look?"
Charlotte scoffed and pushed around him, walking over to Jonny who was leaning against her car hand covering his bloody nose.
"I'm fuckin' talkin' to you!" He snapped, grabbing her upper arm.
"You better check who you're talking to. I'm not one of those girls in there and don't you ever forget it!" She yelled, her free arm gesturing wildly to the Caracara studios housing Crow-Eaters and Porn Stars.
The door to the warehouse swung open and Bobby stepped out cautiously. He'd popped to the bathroom and heard raised voices trough the cracked open window in there. When he recognised the Scotish male accent versus the predominantly English female accent he headed outside immediately. He'd never seen any animosity from either of those two directed at each other before and if he was completely honest, it unnerved him a little.
From where Bobby was standing he could see a young guy with a bloody nose and the way he was half cowering, half hiding behind Charlotte told him that he was the reason something had kicked off.
"You're impossible!" Chibs blurted, running both hands through his longer hair then fisting it, pacing in a very small tight circle. He so badly wanted to punch something or someone - and that schmuck standing behind Charlotte looked like a good target to hit again, but she kept her stance, effectively blocking him from this friend of hers.
"Then just walk away from me."
As soon as the words left her mouth Charlotte wondered where they had come from. She didn't mean it - at all - but she was mad at him for always leaving her. Mad at herself for questioning their relationship. Mad at Jonny for stirring shit up again and getting blood on her car. Mad at Bobby for standing there like a spare guest at a wedding and just gawping at them.
Chibs' world went silent as he stood on the spot for several seconds wondering what the fuck had just happened there.
When he saw a tear roll down her cheek he reached out for her hand.
"You know I could never do that, love..." he whispered.
"I know," she replied, agreeing with him.
She pulled her hand away from his and wiped the tear away from her cheek.
"I'm going home."
And with that she got in her car and sped out the parking lot, leaving Jonny and his bloody nose to the merciless hands of Chibs.
"Fuck you lookin' at?" Chibs snarled.
Bobby jogged over and placed a hand on Chibs' shoulder, easing him back of the poor guy.
"You need to leave," Bobby told Jonny, "Like now, kid."
