Yes, I am alive. Yes, I have updated. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving gave way to one of the coldest Winter's on record in Charming. A thick, white blanket covered the small town all through December; Fresh snow and ice covered every available surface every single morning. Streets were deserted, cars that had skidded softly into lamp posts laid dormant and abandoned until it was safe to retrieve them. The Clubhouse proved a safe haven; it was a lot easier to beat the Winter blues when there was hot food and company on tap.

Christmas came and went in a flash of wrapping paper, children screaming, another momentous turkey dinner and crashing out on the sofa after eating too much sugary foods. The snow finally let up in early January, the sun came out and the huge snow piles melted away within days. Finally, the streets were full of cars and people and Charming breathed life again.

With the snow gone it didn't mean that the Garage was any warmer to work in. Working in fingerless gloves and three layers of clothing had left Chibs too much on the cool side all day. As soon a she got home he toed off his work boots and ran up the stairs for a hot shower. Charlotte had the heating up so high they could both wear t-shirts and be comfortable.

"I ordered pizza. Delivery within thirty minutes or that sucker's free," she ctold him as he headed back down the stairs, hair still slightly damp from his shower.

"What're we watchin'?" He picked up the huge remote that looked like it could control an aircraft, for their ridiculously large television.

"Anything funny," Charlotte flopped onto the sofa, and started chewing on a nail. "I think I broke the oven."

"Sounds better than my day, tuning up some snotty little brat's Escalade. Where do people in this town get that kind of money anyway?"

The doorbell rang and Chibs immediately forgot about the remote and the television screen as he went to the front door, more than ready for his pizza.

Three people in Sons of Anarchy Ireland cuts stared back at him., and all he could do was stare back.

"Sorry to just drop by on ya, Chibsy, but, well,"

At the sound of an Irish accent, Charlotte leant over the sofa to get a peek at the front door. She raised an eyebrow in curiosity as she could make out three SOA members at the door. The guy in the middle, a tall middle aged guy with thick jet black hair that had been gelled back, stood to the side and ushered someone forward.

"Hey, Da," she gave a small, sheepish smile.

"Kerrianne!" Chibs exclaimed and wrapped his arm around his daughter. Charlotte dropped the remote on the floor in surprise.

"You alright, love?" He continued holding her at arm's length and eyes soaking up the sight of his grown up daughter. He hadn't seen her since he'd gone over 6 years ago to find Abel.

"I'm fine, Da, I'm fine," she reassured him, pushing her hair out of her eyes. Even from way back in the living room, Charlotte could see the awkwardness. He was her Dad, but they hardly knew each other. Jimmy had been dead years, but Fiona didn't automatically think that gave them the right to fly out to California so Kerrianne could be with her Dad.

Chibs seemed to suddenly remember the guys at the door. "What's going on?" He asked. "You travelling alone?" he peered over her shoulders.

"Aye, there was an accident. Fiona didn't make it." the blonde on the far left spoke.

Kerrianne shuffled on her feet.

If Charlotte had picked up the remote control earlier, she would've dropped it again.

Kerrianne flew herself into her Dad's arms and started to cry. He looked to his brothers .

"Last night, car accident," the blonde on the left explained. "We're not treatin' it as suspicious but just in case, y'know?"

"We did the right thing, yeah?" The other blonde on the right asked.

"Yeah, thanks guys, really appreciate it. Think you can make it to the Clubhouse without gettin' into trouble?"

All three smirked and nodded, turning to leave in the unmarked black van.

Charlotte had been standing awkwardly near the living room entrance, and decided to make herself useful by closing the front door as Chibs bought Kerrianne in more into the house.

"I'm sorry, I didn't really want to come, but," Kerrianne paused and Charlotte could see the disappointed look on Chibs' face, "But I knew it'd be safe here."

"'Course, 'course you're always safe here," he kissed the top of her head.

The doorbell rang and Charlotte jumped before opening it and getting the pizza from the delivery guy.

"Hungry?"

Kerrianne had eaten most of the pizza, no doubt famished from the journey or comfort eating for the death of her mother. She was holding up well, relaying the events of the last 48 hours to her Dad, and then answering his never ending questions about what she had been doing for the past 6 years. Charlotte had retreated upstairs a short while ago, doing her chores slowly as to give some the duo downstairs some time alone.

Awkward did not describe the way that Charlotte felt. She'd never met Kerrianne before, and she was slightly put out that Chibs didn't introduce them properly, but then again it was an extreme situation that she found herself in over here. Just because Fiona had been a psychotic bitch, didn't mean Kerrianne was too.

He had no idea what Charlotte was doing upstairs, he could hear her move from one end of the house to the other, but he hoped she would hurry up. Kerrianne was his daughter, would always be his little girl, but she was almost 21 now - almost legal to drink - and he barely knew a thing about her. That's why he couldn't stop asking her questions, he wanted to know every detail of her life so he felt that little bit closer to her. He knew he was being annoying and she kept unsuccessfully trying to hide her yawns behind her hand.

Charlotte entered the kitchen and it was horribly silent.

"I, uh, I made a bed up for you, top of the stairs second right," she addressed the younger girl, "There's extra blankets and towels if you want to shower, bathroom's the third door along. I put out some pajama shorts and an old t-shirt. I wasn't sure how much you bought with you..."

And the mention of the word shower Kerrianne's eyes lit up and she slipped off the bar stool quietly. "I'm gonna take a shower." As she walked past Charlotte out the kitchen, she said a quiet thanks.