The clock said it was 3.42am but it felt much earlier. The noise had died down an hour or so ago giving the room a deathly silence. She hadn't always had a problem sleeping and it was only since her father left that she would wake up several times throughout the night. The alcohol had made her dehydrated but she dint trust the water from the leaking tap. The room looked smaller in the dark and she could hear the rain pouring down outside. Funny how she had moved countries to be in the sun yet it still rained. Walking into the bathroom it was clear this was the nicest room she had been in since the trip to America had begun. And was something she didn't want to get used to. The bathroom was bare, except from the obvious essentials. The bath was a welcoming sight and something she wanted badly but without any soap and shampoo there was little point in making one now. The mirror was a nice size and very clear. 'Nooooo' thought Faith pulling at the top of her hair. Her natural blonde hair had started coming through already and was starting to get visible. People who didn't know Faith thought her hair was naturally black, it suited her and no one questioned it. But to her family she was still the little blonde girl whose skin she so badly wanted to change.

She wouldn't be able to drag it out much longer and was pretty sure everyone had either left or gone to rooms for the night. She would have to leave eventually for some water at least. Walking back through the corridor she couldn't help but think about her mother being Faith's own age and what it must have been like. Maybe that's why she had no worries of bringing Faith up in a lifestyle which may seem unfit from an outsider's prospective. Her mother had always been around bikes, and had even owned her own so had been cautious of the lifestyle Faith and Elliot veered towards. They were taught to always respect the road and the vehicle you were behind the wheel of, go too fast or make a mistake and that could be it. The lesson must have gone straight past Elliot as by that time he was already driving recklessly.

The lights in the hallway were off but the light from the bar managed to reach. The bar was completely empty apart from one person sat in a stool staring at the back wall where the liquors and a large mirror stood. He didn't say anything but shifted his weight on the stool so he could turn himself away from the entrance where Faith stood. That suited them both fine as it allowed her to get a drink without feeling watched and allowed him to be as angry as he wanted at her for waking him earlier. Scanning the room it was clear Lilly wasn't left passed out here, sadly as Faith selfishly could use the company, however that meant she was somewhere else, hopefully tucked up asleep.

"Faith" she felt her voice shrink as she spoke her own name breaking the silence in hope of discovering Lilly's whereabouts. She hadn't meant it, but found herself feeling like a child by the way she had interrupted whatever the man was thinking about. The effect she had hoped for died straight away as he raised his eyes but said nothing. She had expected him to look away again; instead he sat staring at her.

Leaning against the bar opposite the tattooed man she could make out each one of his pieces, where they joined around his arms and wrapped around his head. Snakes. The thought made her chuckle for unknown reasons. She tried again to engage him in conversation, wanting to be blunt and demand he tell her where her friend is, but decided that wasn't the best approach when then man she was asking looked deadly.

"Can't sleep? Guess that's partly my fault" he was clearly angrier than she had thought. His veins in his head looked ready to burst and his jaw was clenched shut. Perfect. That meant she was going to either have to leave to sit alone in the room or carry on annoying him. Not really a choice, she would rather be alone than speak to someone who didn't want to be spoken to. She knew how it felt to be on the receiving end of someone talking at you. Spinning on her heels she exited the bar when stopped at the entrance to the hallway by his cracked murmur.
"That's Opie's shirt".

I have no idea who Opie is but the Man has said it with such venom my eyes are starting to sting as I fight back tears. I'm frozen in my place; I just wait until I hear him rise from his seat. Hopefully to retreat back to his room. I think I'm waiting for him to elaborate or to explain to me who Opie is, but in all honesty I'm just waiting for him to apologise. Instead he reaches over the bar for a bottle and glass from under the counter. My heart stops as he passes by, thinking he's going to speak more in his raspy whisper of a voice so bow my head ready for the blow, but nothing. He just walks by. I tug at the shirts hem as I wait to make sure I have left him enough time to reach his room. I'm not even sure if I'm upset or just angry that he didn't reply, and the only time he did was so hostile. Well fuck him then. The man with snakes on his head speaks like a snake. And probably acts like one to.

"Lilly!" Faith had been known for being a little bit crazy back home; it had been a good way to keep people away. She wasn't crazy,crazy. Just did stupid shit sometimes without warning. You could look at it one of two ways, hilarious or dangerous. As she paced the hallway banging on doors screaming her friends name she thought about all the times it had been the other way round. Lilly had so often come looking for Faith on the nights she would take off. She would usually end up somewhere dodgy with people she didn't know. But trust Lilly to come and get her. But this time it was going to be her begging to leave, making her friend wake up and leave the place they had found themselves in.
"Jesus fucking Christ?" Tig opened his door a bit too wide. The girl inside barely even looked up. "That better not be her Tig-"
"you think I'm stupid doll face? She's in Juice's room, go fucking wake him up." Tig looked rough as hell, his curly hair sticking out in every direction. He may be a lot of things but thank god he wasn't that stupid. He slammed the door on her face and Faith could hear him padding on the wooden floor back to bed and back to whoever that girl was.

Knocking on Juices door louder than really needed, she didn't much expect an answer but almost jumped when she received just that. Juice stood, fully clothed at the doorway, wide awake. "Hey" he leaned against the door frame so Faith could see in. Lilly was on the bed with a blanket thrown over her. With a pile of other blankets in the chair opposite. "She passed out, want me to wake her?"

"Is she ok?"

"She's fine, she was a little sick but put her to bed about 2 hours ago"

Juice could tell that wasn't what she was asking.

"Jeeez Faith, nothing happened."

Instead of his dazzling smile calming her, it only aggravated her more. Her inability to stay mad at him. It had been one night and already she was getting sick of these men and how laid back they were. Letting 2 strangers into their place of, well whatever this place was, allowing them free drinks, a place to sleep. Back home she would have been more than happy to stay here, in fact had found herself in this situation many times before. The hospitality of people can be classed as either evil or kind and she hadn't sussed out the people here enough to know what side they fell on to.

"You ok?" Juice looked down at the girl, rubbing the sides of her forehead with her forefingers.
"Yeah, just tell her to come find me when she wakes up."
"you sure?"

Faith scowled at Juice before turning once again on her heels. This time heading for the exit as she pulled on her boots. Lilly will be out for a few more hours and she wanted to see the area she had ended up in.

The streets were dark and almost empty; a few bars were just closing for the night with crowds of people leaving. She hadn't noticed since arriving, but the stars definitely shone brighter here than they ever did back home. She recognised some of the men leaving the bars as some of the men that were in the crowd earlier. How are they still going? She thought before quickly reminding herself that she was still awake, although not partying as hard as the men. Not partying at all actually.

Heading back to the garage/clubhouse just as the sun was rising Faith realised this was the most she relaxed she had been since arriving. She had spent one day here yet classed the 45 minute walk she had just undergone as a walk home. As much as she felt uneasy around and didn't trust the criminals who called this place home, she and Lilly would be safe here as they will ever be elsewhere. And as much as she would be in shit for her actions this morning, she really wanted to stay, even if it was only for a week or so.

The clubhouse was in almost complete darkness, someone had been awake and turned all but one of the bar lights off. Perfect. She had just reached her door when she heard Chibs call her name. Damn. So close yet so far. She turned and returned the smile he was wearing as he walked up the hallway to where she stood.

"Come tuh' kitchen for a sec?" Faith just nodded, her head and eyelids were getting heavy but she had so many questions and guessed this would be the best time to talk before everyone else woke.

Chibs had just settled into his chosen chair with a coffee and a cigarette
"you went to jail?" asked Faith, narrowing her eyes and folding her arms across her stomach.

He chuckled for a few seconds and inhaled on his cigarette before answering

"Aye, we all have. There's nothin' I wouldn't do for ma brothers. Jail is a part of that."

"How do you know Steve?"

"He Came here for a while, when you and yerh brother were babies. He's a part of SAMCRO but taken a backseat to be there for you and ya ma since ya brother got messed up."

"Is there anything I should know? Are me and Lilly in danger if we stay for a while?"
"no." the staring contest between them was making Faith's already burning eyes feel like they were being scratched out of her skull.
"Who's the snake man?" Chibs stared at Faith as if she had spoken a different language until he began to chuckle under his breathe.

"That's Happy." Faith almost spat out the swig of Chibs's coffee she had taken. Happy! Is that a fucking joke? The man was anything but. She was still thinking over the name when Chibs excused himself to get some sleep back at his house. It was only then she had forgotten the man's shirt she was wearing and her wanting to ask about Opie. She was too tired to run after Chibs and decided it could wait till later on when they had both had some sleep.