Eleanor sat outside the clubhouse with a cigarette between her lips and a glass of vodka hanging loosely in her hands. It had been two days since Bobby's arrest and the Winston family's disappearance to the Wit-pro facility. Eleanor had an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach, it was like she was about to go on a drop on the world's highest roller coaster. She inhaled her cigarette and blew the smoke up tilting her head back. She thought about her conversation between Reese and Gemma the day before.
"Are you shitting me?" Eleanor heard a voice bellow out into the room. She squinted her eyes in order to see past the sunlight and her blinding hangover and saw Gemma staring with hand on hip.
Eleanor's eyes widened as she kicked Reese in the leg to try and wake her she stirred, but no dice. Gemma made her way over to the two rubbing her lips together like she does when she's angry as she bent over and slapped Reese's cheek.
"Jesus Christ, what!" Reese yelled as she looked at Gemma.
"If you're gonna have a party then maybe you should consider inviting the house owner, Reese." Gemma said. As she picked up an empty bourbon bottle and tossed it back down.
"Oh come on Gem, we needed a nightcap after that spectacle of an arrest." Reese defended.
Eleanor reached over the couch and grabbed her cigarettes, when Reese and Gemma got into a battle of wits it was always best to sit back and enjoy the show -no need to get caught in the crossfire.
"This little nightcap is about two days old sweetheart. I forgave the first bottle because I got that, but it's been two days. You need to move your skinny asses and buy your own damn alcohol."
"First of all, thank you for calling me skinny, and second what happened to your 'door's always open to family' policy Gem?" Reese shot back crossing her arms.
"You kicked that policy in the ass once you drank my favorite 21-year-old Bourbon." Gemma stood up and walked towards the kitchen.
"Bitches." She said shaking her head at them and leaving.
"You really grab the bull by the horns don't you?" Eleanor joked.
"You're lucky I do, especially since you're the one who chose the bourbon last night, bitch." Reese said underneath her breath as she threw a pillow at her friend.
"Hey, you jumped in before I could defend us, and don't you worry, I would've had a thing or two to say to her." Eleanor said jokingly.
"One or two things like what 'Sorry' and 'Can youbend over?' while you pucker up and kiss her ass." Reese reached up and snatched the remains of the cigarette from Eleanor as she grabbed clothes from her bag to go change.
"If I was going to kiss anyone's ass it would be that bitch." Eleanor said seriously as she walked towards the kitchen and saw Gemma laying down the last of three plates.
"And soon it will be my ass" Reese said while settling back on the couch with her cigarette in her hand.
"You need help with anything Gemma?" Eleanor offered as she leaned over the island.
"Nah, I got it –wouldn't want you helping yourself to the Jefferson Presidential Select I got." She teased as she sat a coffee cup on the table for her.
Eleanor chuckled, "Yeah, sorry about that Gem. I kind of just blindly reached in there and whatever I pulled is what we drank."
Gemma nodded, "I get it, believe me. You owe me. You girls getting into trouble today?"
"I think LuAnn's getting out of of the clink tomorrow so Reese has to go pick her up. I'm just not sure when. So we will be keeping our noses clean" Eleanor said holding her coffee cup in her hands.
"Oh shit, right. Good, Reese needs to mend fences with her mother -it'll do both of 'em good." Gemma lit a cigarette and brought a plate of eggs and pancakes to the table and sat down near the head of the table.
"I agree. Just don't tell her I said that. As far as Reese is concerned-"
"As far as Reese is concerned what, Eleanor?" Reese said walking into the kitchen and going straight to the coffee.
Eleanor sent a glare towards Gemma who merely shrugged taking a drag of her cigarette.
"Your mom can wait and you'll get her when you get her." Eleanor saved gracefully.
Reese put a little more force than necessary when putting the coffee pot back on the burner, "watch it." Gemma warned.
"I gotta go pick her up, Yay! I'm so fucking excited for that car ride with mommy dearest." she groaned as she sat at the table.
"Don't whine, you need this time." Gemma said seriously.
"Speaking of time, when do you think Opie's gonna come back?" Eleanor said throwing the subject out there.
"Nice Subject change El. Thanks" Reese said while laying her head on the dining room table.
"I've known that kid since he was born, he loves this club. He wouldn't rat. I don't care what clay or any of 'em think." Gemma said taking a sip of her coffee.
"Opie would be pissed if I ever tattled tale on them. He would never say anything about the club" Reese said while rubbing her eyes.
"I literally was just talking to him the day that shit went down. I mean, he admitted he was struggling being all in, but he never had any doubt or malice towards the club. We were talking about what we could do to make Donna feel more at home in the club so he wouldn't have her on his shoulder makin' him choke. He may be a little lost, but he's not a rat." Eleanor admitted to the women.
She knew that Opie's secrets would be safe with these women, after all, the women of this club did one thing really well and that was keeping a god damn secret.
Gemma sighed, "It just doesn't sound like him."
Reese sat up and slammed her fist on the table. "God why is this still an issue. Everyone just needs to trust Opie for once!" Reese got up and left.
Eleanor looked at Gemma with pursed lips. She knew there was a lot of SAMCRO history she wasn't aware of but she had got the vibe that everyone loved and trusted Opie. It made her wonder if something happened that would have them leaving his loyalty in question.
"You must be getting a kick outta this." Gemma said in a low voice.
Eleanor looked at her confused, "I don't understand what you mean?"
Gemma lit a cigarette and took a long inhale, "You leave your club with your own problems just to come to the mother charter and find out we're the most fucked up of them all."
"It never has a dull moment, that's for sure. Luckily I'm not one for being bored." Eleanor laughed.
"You know, this friendship you have with Reese, I think it's good for the both of you. Reese… hasn't had the best luck with the club. Otto was her world and he's been locked up most of her life, she doesn't get along too well with her mom. Doesn't have many girlfriends… I think you can both get something out of each other."
"This sounds like you're trying to set us up, Gemma. I don't really swing that way. Maybe when I'm drunk." Eleanor joked.
"No, you dumbass. I mean you guys can you know –empathize with each other and shit."
Eleanor just laughed and shook her head, "Yeah, I know what you mean."
Eleanor heard the shower running and walked into the bathroom deciding to share a bathroom with the showering Reese. She had no problem with intruding on someone's space she just met. It was one of her many charms.
"Are you going to start working at the garage today, or what?" Eleanor asked sitting on the toilet. She could vaguely recall this being a topic of conversation the pair had the night they met.
"I think dealing with Luann's shit qualifies for a day off.. Even if its suppose to be your first day of work…. right?" Reese said while pulling back the shower curtain to see Eleanor peeing on the toilet."
"Yeah, I'm just going to show up with my tools and shit. With everything going on I think they forgot I was supposed to start." Eleanor said as she reached for the toilet paper.
"Oh I thought you already started working there, so that means I have time. I guess Lowell knows how to take care of the place."
"Lowell…? I don't think I've met anyone with that name. I know there's Dog and someone… Blah? Maybe." Eleanor said turning her attention to her.
"Shit really?" Reese replied looking at Eleanor with a confused stare.
"I think I've heard the name before but I'm not sure to be honest." Eleanor chuckled.
"Well if you haven't already started yet, then you are going to meet Lowell today. He's kinda awkward. Was more fun when he was doing drugs. But his kid is so adorable. If I ever wanted one, it would be Toby," Reese supplied.
"Well I love kids. But, boring people and I don't mix. I guess I shouldn't offer him drugs to be more fun?" Eleanor joked.
"Yeah don't offer him anything, but if you ever offer something to anyone…" Reese said while poking her head out of the shower and looking at Eleanor who gave her a blank face.
Reese just looked at her in confusion. "Fuck" Reese yelled while scrubbing the shampoo out of her eyes.
Eleanor couldn't tell if that was Reese dropping a hint that she would be interested in buying or if she was simply teasing. It wouldn't be outlandish to think Reese would be down to buy –but at the same time, Eleanor wasn't comfortable enough to even share the fact that she did drug recreationally. Peeing in front of a bitch was one thing, doing a line of coke and singing kumbyah was something she didn't see happening in the near future. And certainly not with a girl of Reese's standing.
"Hm. Well don't want to be late for work. See ya lata' " She called as she pranced out of Gemma's.
Eleanor easily got into the swing of things at the garage. It wasn't hard to fall into step with the men that already worked there joking with them as if she'd been raised there. Sadly, her station was next to Tig's per his request, which for some God forsaken reason Gemma acknowledged. While she was working she had to wear the hideous Teller-Marrow shirts but was told she could spruce it up however she wanted. She had always found with a little leg here some tits there and a perfected come-hither look she would be rolling in the clients. She was happy to find that men were just as stupid here as they were back home.
The club had been laying pretty low as far as Eleanor could tell, the members not really showing up for "work" instead trying to solve the issue of Bobby and Opie. It was Gemma who had kicked up the dirt so to speak when she came peeling into the lot.
Eleanor had been taking a smoke break mostly to get away from her creepy client's stare. He had insisted on watching her work as he pointed out the quite frankly non-existent problem with his carburetor.
"Whoa mama, where's the fire?" Eleanor called as she walked with a skip in her step to the older woman.
Gemma gave her a look.
"What, it's a valid question, the way you sped in here like that. So I think either something really good or really evil is going through that pretty head of yours." Eleanor said.
"An interesting turn of events seem to have dropped itself into my lap. But don't you worry about it." Gemma said with a smirk.
"Ay yo, sweetcheeks, I don't think this uh –engine's gonna inspect itself." The man called with a whistle.
"Better get going there, sweetcheeks. Your public awaits." Gemma said as she playfully patted Eleanor's face.
Eleanor sucked her teeth before plastering a smile on her face and noticed Dog and he's ass crack, "You're right. Dog! Can you come over and take a look at this with me."
Eleanor almost giggled, that's right skeeze. If you want to stare at my ass you'll be getting free tickets to the Dog show too.
On Eleanor's third day at the Garage things seemed to be going as they usually did. It was midday and she was working on a simple oil change when Gemma pulled her aside to tell her that Jax was going to bring Opie back to the clubhouse.
"No shit. Is he going to be okay to come here?" Eleanor asked wiping her hands with a rag.
"He should be fine, he's got nothin' to hide." Gemma said in a low voice.
Eleanor was about to respond when she heard the loud bass and the screech of tires pulling into the compound. Both her and Gemma looked over their shoulder to see a frazzled Reese pull up in front of the bay.
"Shit." Gemma said in a low voice.
"What's going on? Fast and the Furious didn't cast you as one of their road girls?" Eleanor asked as she smirked at her friend.
"Fuck you." Reese said while slamming her Camaro door.
"Helping Luann out is the best community service you can have darling" Gemma said while holding her chin up high to her god daughter. "Glad to know that you are getting over your shit?"
"Ha porn daughter made up with the porn queen? Never thought I would see the day!" Eleanor joked around with Reese. She knew she would never give apologize to her mom unless she felt really shitty about herself.
"Taking care of Luann is like chasing after a walking two-year-old without a diaper. So many vaginas and assholes have been seen today!" She approached the two and started going through Gemma's purse.
"Fuck that studio." Reese looked at Eleanor with her glasses down and pulled out Gemma's Saratoga cigarettes.
"Brat." Gemma said as she swatted Reese, but was too late. Reese pulled a cigarette into her mouth.
"Well what do you expect from the porn village?" Eleanor replied as she dug into her shorts pocket and fished out her lighter and lit Reese's cigarette.
Gemma turned to Reese with a serious face, "Jax is bringing Opie 'round the club today. They should be here anytime now."
"Is Bobby coming back too?" Reese questioned the Queen.
"Pretty sure babe." Gemma lied to Reese.
Eleanor glanced Gemma with an eyebrow raised, No wonder Reese decided to abandon ship.. She's getting lied to left and right.
"Good. I need to see something normal, at least once today." Reese said while throwing her hands over her eyes before she took a drag of her cigarette.
The three women looked to the entrance of the gate to see Opie's worn brown Ranger pull into the lot with Jax's bike not far behind. Gemma, Eleanor, and Reese watched in silence as both men entered the clubhouse without even a glance to their surroundings.
Eleanor and Gemma shared a knowing look their suspicions of the situation only solidifying.
"How about we go to the clubhouse for a drink?" Gemma suggested as she looked at Reese's back. Seeing the tension in her god daughter's shoulders confirmed to her that she knew something was going down. She needed to find a way to defuse the situation that could be happening, and fast.
Gemma looked to Eleanor for support. Eleanor, who connected with Reese so easily and couldn't stand the lies that were being told to the young woman. They'd both been raised in the life after all, but she saw that Gemma created and managed how Reese saw it.
"Yeah." Eleanor said with a late response. She took large steps to meet Reese and grabbed her arm in a friendly manner.
"I could probably push my work off onto one of the guys. I think a drink or 5 sounds great, what do you think Reese?" Eleanor asked rhetorically while smiling at the brunette.
Reese pulled her arm out of Eleanor's hold with some annoyance. She took a long drag of her cigarette and threw the butt. "Yeah, it seems like another night to forget what you thought relationships stood for." She said while smiling at Eleanor. Reese stalked off to the clubhouse before the other two could walk with her.
"Shit" Gemma said while walking up to Eleanor as they watched Reese walk away.
"You need to tell her what's going on Gemma. Keeping her in the dark will only make her pull away from you and the Club." Eleanor said as she watched Reese's retreating figure.
"If you won't, I might accidently on purpose say something she needs to hear. Like the truth." Eleanor said while looking at the matriarch.
She hadn't been there for a long time, what -two weeks at most, but she felt a kindred spirit with Reese. She knew what it was like to feel the heavy burden of doubt on your club and how it could drive someone away -especially someone as much of a flight risk as Reese. She'd run away before, what was to stop her from running again?
"You better think real carefully about the words you choose there, El." Gemma warned.
"She just has the right to know about her family. Someone needs to be honest with her." Eleanor shot back.
"And what? You're her goddamn savor all of the sudden?" Gemma sized up Eleanor.
"No, I am acting like someone who might take an interest in doing right by what seems to be like the first time in her adult life." Eleanor said as she saw Tig step outside the clubhouse and head for Opie's truck.
"I don't have time to worry about Reese's little temper tantrum, I have other -bigger goddamn fish to fry." Gemma said.
"What's that supposed to mean, shouldn't Reese's well being be at the top of your priority list, she is your god-daughter after all. She knows something's up."
The two women paused their argument as Tig stalked passed, the man catching Gemma's eye and totally ignoring Eleanor.
That couldn't be good. Eleanor thought to herself.
"It means, that I have some business to attend to." Gemma said shortly and turned away, sashaying to her car.
"Whatever you say, Queen Crow. Leave the diffusing of the bomb to the new girl." Eleanor mumbled.
Shaking her head at the situation, Eleanor stalked off into the clubhouse where she found Reese behind the bar with a bottle of whisky and the church doors closing.
Shaking her head at the situation, Eleanor stalked off into the clubhouse. When Eleanor walked in, she saw Reese with a bottle attached to her lips behind the bar.
"Seems legit." She muttered to herself while striding up to the bar to make her presences known.
Eleanor looked towards the doors of the Chapel almost forlornly as a pitcher of beer with a cellphone caught her eye. She couldn't dwell on it though, as the dark cloud that was Reese's mood seemed to need her immediate attention.
"You okay?" Eleanor asked as she plopped onto a bar stool.
Reese pulled the bottle away from her lips and handed it over to Eleanor.
Eleanor took a look at the bottle and slid it back over to Reese, "Talk," she insisted and pointed to a bottle of Bud light for Reese to grab her.
Reese tossed her the cold one and pulled another gulp from the Hennessey bottle. "There is never a surprise when it comes to 'this' club... and I know I keep bitching about this but I keep remembering why I left this god forsaken town in the first place" Reese said while picking at the wrapper of the bottle.
Eleanor tilted her bottle towards Reese in recognition and took a swig, "I hear that. What happened with Luann?" She asked and then took a swig.
Eleanor kept her lips on the bottle as she looked at Reese. She so badly wanted to talk to her about what was most likely being said behind those closed doors. She wanted with her whole heart to believe that the loveable Ent she was beginning to see as family didn't rat on the club, and that somehow Stahl, being the bitch she was just threw her weight around getting him to go in. If Bobby wasn't here, then that meant they had a solid witness to the crime. Stahl could've brought Opie in to scare everyone.
"Yo! Did you hear anything i said, El?" Reese said while slamming her hand down on the bar.
Eleanor put down her beer and laughed, "No, I was zoning out.. Thinking more like."
"I asked if you knew what the fuck was going on." Reese said in a hard voice.
Eleanor just looked at her which seem to only piss Reese off more.
"I'm not a fucking idiot. Bobby not being here means something big. They have him on murder, Eleanor. Fucking murder." Reese seethed her voice growing louder.
"Yeah, why don't you say it a little louder, maybe the boys will invite us in?" Eleanor shot back.
"Well at least they would listen to me compared to you." Reese yelled at her.
Eleanor took a calming breath; remember she's working through shit. It's no use to get angry.
"Look, I get that this is turning into a huge shit pile. All I know is what Opie told me. They went to go take care of some business and Op said he couldn't pull the trigger. Lucky for him Bobby was there...or unlucky as it were." Eleanor confided.
Reese turned around and stared at the woman while leaning into the bar. She looked at Eleanor and was shocked when she could see the truth in her eyes. A few minutes ago she had been tight lipped with Gemma watching -she wanted to know what changed.
"So why tell me now? Afraid of Gemma?" Reese asked.
"Everyone should be. I'm pretty sure she's a textbook sociopath. I just think it's not fair that I know more about what's going on than you do. This is your family. I know for damn sure if it was me -I'd be clawing people's faces off like I was hopped up on bath salts for answers." Eleanor chugged the rest of her beer setting it down hard on the bar.
"I don't claw at peoples faces for the answers. Saw my mom do that with my dad and knew it wouldn't work for me. Instead I just get the hell outta dodge. The flight risk I am, maybe they just feed me lie after lie. I don't think they know that telling me the truth, would help me stay."
"I don't blame you. I kind of regret staying so close to the club. Don't get me wrong –I'd go to jail for those guys, I have been for fucks sake. But at the same time, the thought of growing to be a woman outside the club has its good points." Eleanor said as she pointed to another beer that Reese didn't hesitate to grab.
The two women looked towards the Chapel as the sounds of the voices got louder.
With a quick glance to each other the women looked back to see the doors open with each member carrying a large grin.
"Let's get some tunes!" Juice boomed.
Reese and Eleanor looked at each other –basically playing a nonverbal game of 'rock, paper, scissor' to see who would tend the bar and who would be the music bitch.
"Damn." Eleanor said in a low voice as Reese smiled in victory. Eleanor made her way over to the music system and put 'Money Man' by Sasquatch –the hard rock beats floating through the clubhouse seemed to be like ringing a dinner bell as all the crow eaters swooped in.
"More like vultures.." Eleanor said to herself out loud.
Eleanor decided to hang back a bit and watched the guys interact with Reese. Piney stared at her like she hung the moon while Jax and Opie handled her like a little sister. The relationship most likely having been the result of Reese being raised with Gemma. Eleanor felt the porn studio was no place for a kid to be brought up –anyone without a brain could figure that out.
Opie caught her eye and she smiled in return. Grabbing a beer she watched as he walked over to her.
"Feeling like a wallflower? Your arm looks like wallpaper anyway." He joked as he handed her the beer.
"I was just giving everyone space. I don't want to intrude too much." She replied.
"So. You got anything to say?" Opie asked.
Eleanor simply shrugged, "Do you?"
Opie moved his upper and lower lip together, "I made a promise to Donna. I'm gonna protect our family. I've come and said my peace –I'm good now."
Eleanor nodded her head and pursed her lips. Did Opie think she knew more than she did? Why would he have to protect his family? Or say his peace like he was on trial? What was the missing piece that had the club so on edge -other than the obvious member charged with murder of a state official?
"Good to hear. So I take it Donna's is being forced to come around?" Eleanor asked.
"It's like what you said, I guess she just needed an outside force to get her to see that this… the club is good. We can all be happy. I think she understands now that I need her by my side." Opie said with a goofy smile.
Eleanor smacked his arm, "Well shit, that makes me happy. I really like Donna and I'd love if she hung around here more."
Opie and Eleanor turned their heads to a loud sound and saw Juice motorboating a busty redhead.
"….Maybe not." Eleanor said as her and Opie shared a laugh.
Opie wandered back to his dad and the bar while Eleanor turned back to the stereo system. If she was going to be designated disc bitch, she was going to make sure it was a good one.
"You know Razzle, the way you're flicking over that scroll button is doing some serious damage to me." Tig breathed as he grabbed Eleanor's hips.
Eleanor felt a chill run up her spin, and she knew it certainly wasn't because she's cold. Rolling her hips ever so slightly to tease Tig she turned around to face him, "Well, when I'm alone in my big empty house, I need to find ways to amuse myself."
"You know it's not nice to tease, Razzle." Tig said in a husky voice.
Eleanor tilted her head in a cute way while taking a sip of her beer, "Hm, really? I wouldn't know. My daddy never taught me any better."
"Well, if you're lookin' I've been told I'm daddy material." Tig joked.
Eleanor pulled a face, and on that note I'd rather slid down a striper pole made of razor blades. "No. Just a terrible image that can't be unseen!"
"Reese!" Eleanor yelled,
Reese turned her attention away from the guys to Eleanor and saw Tig standing very very close, "What? Loud ass. I'm literally 5 feet away." she said while shrugging his shoulders.
"Tig wants me to call him Daddy!" she whined as she escaped towards her and the guys.
"What, don't act like it's never crossed your mind dollface." Tig winked as he raised his voice in a friendly manner and made his way over as well.
"Shouldn't you be trying to be daddy to the two girls you already got there, Tiggy? Hell Spawn Dawn and Chocolate lovin' Fawn?" Reese shot as Eleanor dramatically coward against her.
"Pervert." Reese said underneath her breath
"Hey! Don't you be bringing my beautiful babies into this Reese or I might just have to take you over my knee when I'm done with Razzle."
"Oh my god." Reese leaned into the wet bar while pushing Eleanor away and gagged herself.
"In fact, I'm starting to prefer this situation." Tig laughed.
"Dirty old man." Jax chuckled as he put a joint in his mouth.
"Dude, you literally watched Reese grow up. Something's wrong with you." Opie said staring at Tig.
Tig pulled a face and quickly recovered by shrugging, "What, were any of you planning to uh"
Tig wagged his finger from Eleanor to Reese who simply stared at him with pulled back mouths.
Eleanor's brown knitted in confusion by Tig's face.
"That's my girl you're talking about there Tigger." Piney spoke up taking a sip of tequila almost passed out on the bar.
"What, no one to vouch for me? I'm just a little lamb facing off with the town's wolf alone." Eleanor grumbled.
"Better share that sweet heart." Piney said while lighting the joint for Reese to smoke. Reese took a toke off of his roach and started coughing." What I don't have shit?" Reese lied and walked to Eleanor.
"Did you say you want someone to touch you? I'll do it!" Juice called over from his place with the Redhead.
Tig's face went dark. Even though he hadn't said anything to his brothers, he knew if anyone was going to have a chance at that -it'd be him. And he didn't give a fuck what anyone else said or did. He'd consider bashing their face in.
"Vouch juice. Vouch as in come to my defense against the big bad wolf." Eleanor said while looking in Tig's direction and sticking her tongue out.
"I'm sure Tig would like to cum in your direction, but I will touch you instead" Reese said while taking another toke of Piney's joint.
Eleanor smacked her in response, "Mean."
Eleanor plucked the joint from Reese's mouth, "We don't smoke pot." she said while shaking her head causing Reese to mirror the action.
"Yeah, not like my Mexican friends." Reese said while shaking her head.
"Not like your what?" Jax and Opie said while twisting another beer cap off.
"Yeah let's go Eleanor." Reese said while pushing her off the bar top
Eleanor pulled a face and took a swig of her beer, "Yeah… maybe not the Mexicans. Our friends from south of the border and I aren't really looking to chacha together anytime soon. Eleanor said using air quotes.
"And Oakland we go!" Reese said while pulling Eleanor around the bar.
Reese walked passed the pool table and pulled Opie's Ranger keys out of the boot box that was on the pool table. "You're driving bitch." Reese threw the keys at Eleanor while they walked out of the club house and took Opie's car.