The IRA Counsel agreed to give Jimmy safe passage out of Ireland for the safe return of Jax's son. Chibs was forced to bite his tongue when Father Ashby took Abel's place as Jimmy's insurance knowing full-well Jimmy would kill him. Chibs watched as the man he hated more than anything got away again, but knew his time would come and soon. All that mattered now was his girls were safe and Abel was back with his father.

Chibs ran a hand through his hair as he sat in Maureen's apartment living room with Fiona. The past few weeks had been hell, but he'd been thankful for the time he got to spend with his girls. The previous night, they'd returned to the MC with Abel, exhausted, but relieved. Chibs had taken Fiona's hand and pulled her into an empty dorm room.

They'd made love, fumbling like teenagers, awkward and unsure of themselves after being apart for so long. It wasn't world shattering like it had been years ago, but it was… nice. As they lay together in the afterglow, Chibs felt happy, but he wasn't entirely content. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

Chibs had frowned as Fiona pulled away from him and climbed out of bed searching for her clothes. He had hoped she would want to sleep in his arms like she used to do. When she noticed his questioning look she gave him a tight-lipped smile.

"I'm going to go check on Kerrianne." She explained.

"Aye? Coming back?" He asked hopefully.

Fiona sighed making her way back to the small bed. She knelt on the edge to press a soft kiss to his cheek. She dressed and left without a word, never answering his question.

Now as he watched her examining the cup and saucer she held in her lap, seemingly avoiding his eye, he felt an uncomfortable tension building between them. He was struck by the thought that this wasn't how things were meant to be. They used to be able to talk to each other and laugh together about anything, no matter how trivial. It used to come effortlessly. This just felt strained.

"Fi, I need to ask you something." Chibs broke the silence.

Fiona gave her husband a curious look, "What is it, Filip?"

"What will you do if I kill, Jimmy?"

Fiona frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I mean do you want to get back together? Maybe move to Charming with Kerrianne? Try to pick up where we left off before?" Chibs explained, not really sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"You sweet boy, I'm not leaving Ireland. There's still too much to be done for the cause."

"What about Kerrianne? It's not safe here for her and I want a chance to get to know my daughter." Chibs pleaded.

"This is her home, Filip. She's a teenager… she's not going to want to leave all her friends behind. She stays with me. I can keep her safe." Fiona insisted.

"Do you expect me to stay here then?" Chibs asked.

"I don't expect you to do anything, Filip." Fiona sighed.

"Do you want me here, Fiona?" Chibs questioned softly, searching his wife's eyes for the answer.

Fiona met his gaze, understanding he was searching for something to give him hope that the love they'd once shared wasn't just ashes in the wind. She knew he was really asking 'Do you want me?' She could see remnants of the love he had for her, but the passion had waned over the years. All that remained was fondness and that wasn't enough to sustain a relationship like theirs.

"No. You belong with SAMCRO in Charming." She answered frankly.

Chibs let out a shaky breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest. It hurt to think this was the end, but at least the feeling was mutual. If he couldn't have his wife at least he'd have closure.

"I guess we should be getting a divorce then."

Fiona looked at him like she'd just been slapped, "No."

"What?" Chibs looked at his wife in confusion.

"I may not an alter girl, Filip, but I'm still Catholic. There will be no divorce." She declared adamantly.

"What if you want to remarry?"

"I won't."

"What about me? What if I want to get married again?" Chibs asked in irritation.

"Are you thinking about getting married, Filip?" Fiona raised an accusing eyebrow.

Chibs was silent.

"This is about that girl… the mechanic, isn't it?"

Chibs gritted his teeth, "Maybe it is."

Anger flashed in Fiona's eyes, "If you want to screw around with her, by all means, you have my blessing, but I'm not giving you a divorce."

"I left her behind to try and make this work." He gestured between the two of them. "I figured I owed you that much, but if you don't want to be with me, I'm going to do whatever it takes to get her back. If she wants to tie the knot some day, I want to be able give her that. I don't want to fight with you on this, Fi."

"Then don't. I'm not risking eternal damnation so you can marry your little whore!" Fiona spat.

Chibs stared at his wife like she'd grown another head. What had happened to her? He'd never seen her like this or heard her voice filled with so much venom.

He felt the anger rise in his chest, "Don't you dare talk about Ali like that."

He stormed away, afraid of what he might do if Fiona continued to badmouth Ali. He didn't understand what had happened to Fiona, but the woman he was walking away from wasn't the beautiful, kindhearted woman he had married. He didn't know her at all. He felt the need to put as much distance between them as possible. He thanked god they were leaving Ireland in the morning.

Chibs stepped out of the small apartment, intent on heading to find the boys at the MC, but he stopped when he saw his Kerrianne sat at the base of the stairs. Her head was bobbing a little, so Chibs knew she probably was listening to her iPod. His face softened instantly. If there was anything he was going to miss about Ireland, it was his baby girl.

Kerrianne jolted out of her little world as he sat down next to him. She looked up at him with a little apprehension, but offered him a shy smile. She pulled out one of her ear buds and nervously tucked a strand of curly hair behind her ear.

"Hey, Da."

Chibs smiled, his chest puffing with a bit of pride when she called him that.

"Hey, baby."

Kerrianne gave him a bit of a look, "You alright?"

"Aye. Just had a wee tiff with your Ma." He explained.

"Oh," Kerrianne looked down at the iPod in her hands.

Chibs watched his daughter for a moment before asking, "You're happy here, right Luv?"

"Yeah…I mean I don't have much to compare it to, but its home, you know." Kerrianne nodded.

Chibs nodded understanding. Fiona was right; Kerrianne belonged here, even if he'd be happier to have her in Charming where he could protect her.

"Would if be alright with you if I came to visit you… I mean when this is all over?" Chibs asked curiously.

"I'd like that." Kerrianne smiled.

"Maybe you could even visit me in Charming. It's not Hollywood, but it's a sight sunnier than all this drizzly shite." Chibs smirked.

"Da! Thought you were supposed to be setting a better example for me." Kerrianne teasingly admonished.

"What can I say, I'm an old dog stuck in his foul-mouthed ways. Just don't go repeating what I say to your Ma." Chibs shrugged with a smile.

"So, are you and Ma gonna try to get back together…now Jimmy's gone?" Kerrianne asked softly.

"I thought there might have been a chance of that, but we're just too different now, Luv. We aren't the same people we used to be. I'll always love your Ma, but we aren't meant to be together anymore." Chibs explained.

Kerrianne frowned.

"Does that bother you, Kerrianne?" Chibs asked in concern.

"I don't know, Da. I mean it would have been nice, but I think I understand. I mean its not like things would really change."

Chibs nodded, glad his daughter seemed to be taking the news so well.

After a moment of contemplation Kerrianne turned to him, "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Before you came back, were you seeing someone?" She asked.

Chibs sighed unsure how to approach the subject with his teenage daughter.

"You don't need to tell me if you don't want to…" Kerrianne followed up.

"No its alright. There was someone, but it's a bit of a mess now."

"What's her name?" Kerrianne asked with an inquisitive smile.

"Ali." Chibs smiled as her smiling face came to the forefront of his mind.

God he missed her. Her smile... her laugh... just the way she threaded her fingers through his hair and stroked his scarred cheek drove him insane. He wanted her... he realized needed her.

"What happened?" Kerrianne probed further.

Chibs' frowned. That was a very loaded question. He chose his words wisely as he explained the situation to his little girl.

"We were getting close, not rushing anything, just enjoying getting to know one another when the van explosion sent me to the hospital. Your Ma came to visit and Ali walked away when she found out I had a wife. Ali's a strong believer in marriage and I hurt her by not being honest from the start. We were kinda thrown back together by other shit and even though I don't think she has fully forgiven me, I know she still cares about me. This trip has just made me realize how much she means to me too." Chibs elaborated.

"You love her, Da?" Kerrianne asked.

"Aye, I think I do." Chibs confirmed.

"Then you have to get her back." Kerrianne smiled.

"I'm going to try." Chibs agreed with newfound conviction knowing his daughter supported him.

The flight home had been long and uncomfortable. Chibs was glad when they finally pulled into the TM lot. He was happy to be home. Tig and Piney welcomed the crew back with smiles and open arms, but Chibs noticed instantly his girl wasn't there.

"Where is she, Tig?" He asked his brother as everyone headed towards the clubhouse.

"Ali?"

"No the fucking queen of England… yes Ali."

"She's on a pickup for me."

"Why didn't you send one of the prospects?"

"It was a repo gig that required a certain… skill set."

"You sent her on a repo alone?" Chibs asked, not liking the idea of her being anywhere without one of the boys, let alone a repo… owners could gets violent when they had their shit taken.

"She's not alone."

Chibs did a quick headcount of the boys, but was hard-pressed to find anyone missing.

"Who'd you send with her?"

"Umm about that…" Tig started to say, but was interrupted by the honking of an unhitched semi truck pulling into the yard.

The returning Sons were surprised to see such a big truck in their yard. Tig just smirked as the big rig came to a halt in the middle of the yard and Ali, wearing her signature pigtails, poked her head out of the driver side window.

"Hey Boys! Welcome back! Where do you want this thing, Tiggy?" She called out with a bright smile on her face.

All the boys burst into laughter at seeing their tiny Princess playing rig jockey. It just didn't make sense. Even Chibs found himself chuckling. She was certainly full of surprises.

"Park it against the back wall, Ali. We'll get to it later." Tig instructed.

With a nod, she pulled her head back into the cab and shifted the beast of a machine into gear. She proceeded to maneuver the semi into place like an old pro.

"You sent Ali to repo a big rig?" Chibs cocked an eyebrow at his dark-haired friend.

"Hey, she was the only one who knew how to drive one of those damn things." Tig held up his hands defensively, "And she took Vince with her, so she was perfectly safe."

Chibs scowled, "Who the fuck is Vince?"

"Umm…" Tig didn't quite know how to answer that.

Chibs snapped his head up as he heard someone laughing over by the semi. A tall, stocky man had climbed down from the passenger seat and moved round to the driver side of the truck where Ali was struggling to climb down from the cab. She was just too short to reach the foot rungs and the asshole was laughing at her.

"Its not funny, Vince! Help me get down, now!" She whined.

"Alright, babe. Hang on." Vince snickered.

Babe? Chibs frowned, watching as Vince reached up and grabbed Ali by the hips to ease her down to the ground. His hands were far to close to cupping her ass for Chibs' liking. Ali turned in the guy's arms feigning annoyance. Vince just smirked, tightened his arms around her waist and leaned down to place a kiss on Ali's pouting lips. Chibs watched him pull back and tuck a strand of hair behind Ali's ear almost lovingly. Ali was blushing so prettily it made Chibs' heart constrict in his chest.

"What the hell had happened while I was in Belfast?" Chibs asked Tig.

"Her ex was released from prison." Tig paused when Chibs swore under his breath. "Costa lost track of him, so he sent Ali a bodyguard… didn't think we had the manpower to protect his Princess. She was hurting after you left and she sort of has a past with Vince… Shit just kinda happened." Tig tried to explain. "What about you and Fiona?"

"We're over, brother, but Fi won't give me a fucking divorce. Perfect time for her to develop Catholic morals."

"Shit, sorry man." He looked back to Ali, "I guess you were expecting her to still be waiting for you?"

Chibs shook his head, "She told me I was making the right choice to do right by Fi, but she warned me she wouldn't be waiting around… I still kinda hoped she would."

"Well hopefully she'll come to her senses and kick Blondie to the curb."

"Don't like the guy?" Chibs inquired.

"He's a bit of an ass and pretty boys make me nervous." Tig admitted.

"Do they now? Make you a little tingly inside, Tiggy?" Chibs mocked.

"Shut the fuck up, they're coming this way." Tig chastised.

Chibs looked up at Ali and Vince walking towards them holding hands. She met his eye and dropped Vince's hand in an instant to rush toward Chibs and throw her arms around his neck.

"I'm glad you're home." She whispered against his neck.

Chibs closed his eyes and sighed as he inhaled her lavender and vanilla scent, one hand coming up to cradle the back of her head and the other arm wrapping around her waist to pull her even closer to him.

"I've missed you, Luv." He whispered back.

They must have been holding each other longer what was considered 'normal' for friends because Vince cleared his throat in annoyance and destroyed the moment. Ali pulled away, but Chibs was reluctant to let her go. He kept a hand on her lower back as she turned to introduce the European Assassin.

"Um...Vince, this is Chibs."

Chibs noticed curiously as Vince's eyes widen in recognition of his name. He wondered if his girl had been talking about him while he'd been gone.

"Chibs this is Vince... from back home. He's…" Ali tried to explain.

"…Her boyfriend." Vince finished for her grabbing Ali's hand possessively and tugging her away from the scarred Scotsman's touch.

Chibs glared as he appraised the young man in front of him. Vince was tall, young and handsome. He looked like the type of guy Ali should be with. Chibs instantly hated him for that.

"Pleasure." Chibs drawled sarcastically, not bothering to hide his distain for the younger man.

Ali gave him a curious look, "Everything alright, Chibs?"

"No, Luv, its not. Could we talk?"

"Babe…" Vince interrupted causing Chibs to stiffen in irritation at the younger man's choice of nickname, "The concert..." He reminded her condescendingly.

Ali sighed and offered Chibs an apologetic look, "Sorry, Chibs. I've gotta go. Why don't you come over next Saturday? I'll make dinner and we can talk then. Say around five?"

"Fine, Luv." Chibs huffed.

Ali offered him a small smile as Vince dragged her away to his bike. Chibs ground his teeth as he watched the asshole help her climb onto his bike. As they drove out of the TM lot all Chibs could think was that should have been him she clung to.

He'd royally fucked up. He just hoped he hadn't lost Ali for good.

"No, Vince. I'm not going back. This is my home now." Ali argued as she parked her black open top jeep wrangler at the edge of the military cemetery.

"But what about us? Our friends and family?"

"I have all the friends and family I need right here."

"The Sons are not your family, Ali."

"That right. All of my family is dead."

"Ali, come on... Thats not fair."

"If you want whatever this is between us to continue you are just going to have to accept that I'm part of SAMCRO and I am not leaving Charming."

Ali hopped out of the jeep and grabbed a bouquet of white roses from the back seat. She stomped off towards Kip's gave. Even amidst row upon row of identical military tombstones, Ali found her brother with ease, the way engraved in her memory from her bi-weekly visits since the day they had laid him to rest with one of the biggest gatherings of bikers coming to paid their respects to the fallen prospect. The thought of so many people honoring Kip still brought tears to her eyes.

Every other Sunday, at ten in the morning, she would sit in front of his grave marker and talk to him like he was still there. She hoped he would have the answers she needed, but if even if he did, he was keeping them to himself. It was more of a therapeutic exercise than anything and it helped her feel like he was still with her somehow.

This morning, Ali was surprised to find a single red rose leaning against her baby brother's final resting place. There was a card tied to the long stem, dangling and twisting invitingly in the gentle breeze. Ali dropped to her knees, gently placing her own floral offering to the side, as she reached for the mysterious card. Her hands trembled as she turned it over, the color draining from her face as she read the blood-colored script:

Don't cry, Princess. You'll be joining your brother soon enough.

–T.

Ali dropped the card like she'd been burnt. Vince caught up to her and noticed something was off.

"Ali?"

She looked up at him with intense terror reflecting in her eyes.

"Ali, what is it?" Vince asked concerned.

"He's here," She whispered.

"Who, babe?"

"Tony…he's in Charming. He knows where I am."

That night, Vince waited until Ali was asleep before slipping out onto the back deck to call Costa.

"Boss?"

"Yeah?"

"Tony's in Charming," Vince said bluntly.

"Have you seen him?" Costa asked curiously.

"No but he left a threatening note on Ali's brother's grave." Vince explained.

"Shit," Costa growled, "We have to get her out of there."

"She's not listening to me. She doesn't want to leave this shit hole." Vince lamented.

"Have you given her the ring?" Cost inquired

Vince sighed, "It seems too soon. I don't think she'll buy it if I try."

"I don't pay you to think. We're running out of time. Give her the damn thing and bring her home." Costa snapped.

"We might have another problem, Sir." Vince continued.

"What kind of problem?" Costa asked in dangerously low tone.

"The SAMCRO boys are back from Ireland."

"So?" Costa sounded unimpressed.

"It would appear she has feeling for one of them." Vince tried to elaborate.

"Who is she fucking? You or this other guy?" Cost asked condescendingly.

"Umm… Me, sir." Vince stuttered.

"Then he isn't a problem. Bring my girl home with a goddamned ring on her finger before the end of the week, or Tony won't be the only one I'll be hunting."

Vince swallowed hard, "Understood, sir."

"Call me when it's done." Costa instructed.

The line went dead and Vince hung up on his end, running a shaky hand over his braided hair. Only an idiot would cross Costa but, after seeing Ali's reaction to Chibs, he wasn't sure he could pull this off. He had to act fast before the scarred biker got in the way. Ali was his now and he couldn't let her go… his life depended on her saying one little word… 'yes.'

Chibs was overcome with a profound sense of relief and satisfaction as he watched Jimmy O.'s body crumple to the ground wearing the same smile he'd given Chibs many years before. Chibs watched the Irishman bleed out on the dusty gravel of the desolate highway shoulder. At last he had justice for him and his girls.

He looked over at the pale-coloured sedan in time to see Opie blow Stahl's brains out. The gash finally got what was coming to her for causing Donna's death. Grabbing Stahl's file and using Jimmy's blood to mark the back window of the sedan to indicate the IRA, the Sons cleared out of the crime scene and signaled the prospects to let the other boys, already in custody and on their way to jail in a paddy wagon, know the job had been done.

It was over for now.

As he rode back to town, Chibs let his mind drift to the only person he wanted to see right now… Ali. They were finally going to be able to talk tonight. Ever since he'd returned from Ireland, he'd been so caught up in finding Jimmy and dealing with Stahl, he'd barely seen her.

He hated that he'd been more or less forced to accept her relationship with Vince. There was just something about the guy that rubbed Chibs the wrong way, more than just the fact that Vince was fucking his girl. At least he'd protected Ali. For that alone Chibs was thankful, but he was home now and he was more than capable of taking care of his girl.

Chibs wasn't stupid enough to believe Ali would take him back right away, but he was in it for the long haul. He was willing to give her all the time she needed, but Vince had to go. Chibs didn't know if he could control his urge to eviscerate the blonde biker if he had to see him putting his hands on Ali on a reoccurring basis.

Chibs checked his watch and decided to head to the clubhouse for a shower and a change of clothes before he headed over to Ali's house. Wouldn't do him any favors to show up covered in blood, sweat and dirt. He needed to give her the best of him if he had any chance of getting her back and he was not about to disappoint.

He hoped she'd understand about Fiona's refusal to give him a divorce. He knew how much marriage meant to her, but he wasn't sure he could fight Fiona over a piece of paper. He didn't want to think about the damage that kind of dispute might have on his daughter. But if Ali could accept him and love him without the promise of a ring in her future, he'd lay his heart at her feet and do everything in his power to make her happy. She deserved nothing less.

It was almost four when Chibs cruised into Ali's quiet neighborhood. He knew he was early, but he hoped she wouldn't mind. He was desperate to see her, but he found himself halting his bike a block away from Ali's home. Ali was washing her bike in the driveway, wearing those little shorts that drove him crazy. The smile tugging on his lips quickly disappeared at Vince emerged from the garage, calling Ali's attention away from her bike.

Chibs watched in horror as the blonde man took Ali's hand in his with a thoughtful look on his face. He dropped to one knee in front of Ali and produced a small black box from his pocket. He opened it revealing something that glinted in the sunlight and held it out to the shocked little brunette. The fucker was proposing to her… he was giving her the one thing Chibs couldn't.

Chibs felt like his heart had been ripped from him chest, leaving behind a bloody gaping hole. He didn't have the strength to stick around to witness her answer. He turned his bike around and sped away from the quaint little street as fast as he could, thinking he'd lost Ali before he'd been given the chance to fight for her.

A/N: What do you think my darlings? Will Chibs just let the woman of his dreams walk away? Will Ali say yes or see through Vince's bullshit. Stay tuned. Next chapter to be posted later this week. Read and review... pretty please.

Much love.

MissAliVee