Tig woke up to Amber leaving his room, "oi, where are you going?"
"Coffee," she slipped out the door and headed to the bar.
Before she knew what was happening she had a line of people wanting her to make coffee for them. She wanted to get back to Tig, to give him some coffee and get him up so she could get to the hospital and see Chibs as fast as she could. At the same time she felt the need to feed these people's coffee addiction and cure their hangovers.
"What the fuck woman, I thought you were getting me coffee," Tig came behind the bar and wrapped his arms around her waist as she worked away at the coffee maker.
"Actually I got up to get me some coffee but ended up making one for everybody else," with him still attached she turned and handed Piney a mug.
Half Sack, Juice, Piney and Opie as well as a number of hang arounds had their eyes fixed on Tig. They were in shock. For some of them this was the most affection they had ever seen Tig give to anyone, or anything except his bike.
"Aw Tigger, did you come out for some cuddles," Happy took a seat at the bar and laughed.
"Ah fuck all of ya," he said, "baby bring my coffee down to the room would you," he slapped her arse and headed back to his room.
"Amber, what the fuck," Juice looked at her like she had two head. "You know he's never going to ink you or make anything official, right?"
"Yeah," she leaned on the bar, "he said that last night."
"And you know that all that just then was a show? He wanted us to see he had a claim on you so we stay away."
"I don't care, I don't want any of you any way," she poked her tongue out at Juice before she picked up the coffees and headed back to Tig.
"Okay, I'm going to be busy today, club stuff, so just hang around here until I get back. If there's any update on Chibs let me know."
Amber got off his bike and handed him his helmet. "Okay."
She stood there and he sat on his bike, when you're committed to someone but they have no commitment to you, do you kiss them good bye?
As if he read her mind he pulled her in for a kiss, "now get the fuck inside."
Only in Charming a couple of weeks and already she had had multiply trips to the hospital. Guess I have to be thankful I'm visiting.
She spent hours by Chibs' side. She told him everything about her, from the time she stubbed her toe running away from a duck to the hamster she had when she was 15. He showed no signs that he could hear her. If it wasn't for the heart monitor she would have thought he was dead.
Tara came in a few times to check on him and they made small talk, each time Tara seemed like she wanted to say something important but each time she hesitated. Finally Amber asked.
"I don't really know what's going on with the club," Tara said, "but I know no one is safe right now while they're seen as being a part of the club. I know I don't know you and shouldn't butt in but... get out of Charming. Whatever you have with Tig, or Chibs or Juice, whoever it is you're hanging around for just forget them and go."
Amber didn't know what to say, she just stared at the doctor blankly.
"Just think about it," she said before leaving the room and almost walking into Gemma.
"Don't listen to Tara, she can be uptight sometimes, but she's learning. Just scared is all,' Gemma looked around for a chair and when she saw Amber was sitting on the only one in the room she clicked her fingers to tell her to give it up, which of course Amber did.
"Are you saying I don't need to worry about my safety?" she asked
"No, you probably should be but that's life, Amber, is it? If you can't feel safe around these boys then I don't see how you will feel safe around anyone else. Do you feel safe in Charming?"
Amber hesitated, "I feel safe with people I trust... I trust Chibs and Juice, so yes I feel safe."
Gemma stood, "the only people you can trust in this town are the ones with the reaper but they won't trust you unless you earn it."
Gemma was right in her face now, "and if they don't trust you, you're not safe." She headed to the door, "I'm taking Tara home, if there's any change let us know."
"Well, she's a barrel full of laughs isn't she," Amber said to Chibs.
At some point she fell asleep and was woken up by the nurse. "Miss, visiting hours are over I'm sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"Oh, just a little longer please," she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I've already let you stay here longer than I should have, and it's almost 10."
Amber left the room and tried to ring Tig. No answer. She sent a few texts. No reply.
She sat outside the entrance of the hospital and waited.
"Amber?" she looked up to see deputy chief Hale walking towards her. "What are you doing out here?"
"Oh, hi. Just waiting for Tig to pick me up, I was here to see Chibs," she moved over a bit on the bench to give him room to sit.
"Decided to stay in Charming then?" He asked
"Yeah, seemed like the best thing to do at the time," she shrugged "didn't know it would get so ... intense here."
"I did warn you," it wasn't a patronising 'I told you so' it was a sympathetic 'I wish you had listened to me'.
"I've got this far in life by following my own intuition about things, may as well stick to it."
"I've seen your record Amber, your life has been one disaster after another. You are as innocent as they come yet you surround yourself with the guilty."
As Tig rode in Amber stood, "my life deputy chief, I'll do with it what I please, keep your nose out of it," she turned and headed towards Tig.
Tig's jaw tensed at the sight of Amber and Hale talking. He jumped off his bike and headed towards them, she looked pissed off.
"Have they told you who set the car bomb up?" Tig heard him ask.
Amber froze.
"Yea, car bomb, not faulty wiring or whatever bullshit story you were fed," she had known all along it was a car bomb but she waited to see if he was going to tell her who did it.
"League of American Nationalist," he said and Amber felt like she had been hit in the gut.
"What the fuck are you doing Hale?" Tig stood by Amber who was now facing Hale again.
"That's right Amber, white hate in disguise. It's a small world Amber; you can't run from your past, it comes back round and smacks you in the face eventually."
As Hale drove away Amber swayed a little, "take me home Tig."
"Not till you tell me what the fuck all that was about. What did I tell you about other guys? Get on the fuckin' bike."
As soon as she walked in the door Amber exploded. "I can't talk to other guys? I can't sit waiting for you and have a chat with someone?"
"No, not when it's a fucking cop filling your head with bullshit. Why was he telling you about the car bomb?"
Juice came into the kitchen to see what was going on.
"Stay at the club house tonight, Juice." Tig didn't take his eyes off Amber, but sensed his hesitation. "Go."
"I'll be fine Juice, I'll give you a call later," her tone was not as harsh as Tig's but it was still strong enough for Juice to get the message.
The door was not even shut behind him before Tig started up again.
"Hale hates SAMCRO, if he can turn just one person against us he would see that as a success, if he could turn someone who he thinks we care about then that would just make his fucking day."
"It started as him just warning me, like he does every time he sees me," she sat down, "but then he started throwing my past in my face, he had looked at my record or something so he knew ...fuck!" she stood again and started raiding the kitchen.
"Knew what?" Tig had somehow lost control of the situation; instead of laying down the law like he had planned he was following her around asking questions.
Amber found some Jack Daniels and took a deep swig and then another.
"It's a long and complex story Tig," she sighed and took another swig. She set the bottle down and went down the hall to the bathroom.
When she came back she half expected him to be gone. Instead he had pulled out her bed and was lying on it waiting for her, bottle of Jack in hand.