Aubree froze, staring at the sight before her. Filip, lying in a hospital bed, a woman seated beside him, squeezing his hand. "Your husband will be fine," the doctor said, the words ringing hollowly in Aubree's ears.

Clenching her jaw, she turned and began walking, eager to put as much distance between her and what she'd seen as possible. She inhaled sharply, willing herself to stay calm. Do not cry here. You can cry at home. Or in the car. Not here. Not where people will see. She stopped dead in her tracks, realization dawning on her. You don't have a home, you stupid cunt. You moved in with him.

"Aubree," a familiar voice called out.

"Yes, Juice," she replied, her voice void of emotion.

"Where are you going, they're gonna let us see him-"

"I have to go, Juice," she interrupted, pulling away from him and continuing down the hall.

"Aubree, wait," he called out, following her.

"Juice let go of me!" she snapped, pulling her arm away from his grasp. Tears pooled in her eyes, threatening to drop at any moment.

"What's the matter, what happened?"

Tears beginning to flow, she shook her head, turning her back to him and continuing down the hallway, towards the stairs.

"Guess she found out about Fiona," Gemma observed, startling Juice.

"Fi's here?" Juice asked, perplexed.

Gemma nodded grimly. "Yeah. The bitch has been posted up at his bedside since they moved him out of recovery."

"Shit," Juice swore, shaking his head.

"You better go check on her, sweetheart. I'll deal with this bitch," Gemma noted, nodding toward the stairwell.

"Right, right," Juice agreed, nodding.


Juice found Aubree in the parking lot of Cara Cara, sitting atop the hood of her car, smoking. Chain-smoking, it appeared, if the numerous cigarette butts littering the ground were any indication.

"What?" she snapped, shooting him a filthy look.

"Are you okay?"

"Why the fuck are you even here, Juice?" she sighed, shaking her head. "Filip's in the hospital, you should be there with him, with the rest of your brothers."

"It's not what it looks like."

"Oh, so he's not married?" she snorted, rolling her eyes.

"I thought you knew. They've been separated for years, now."

"I'm so fucking stupid," she muttered, flicking ash from the cigarette in her hand.

"He didn't tell you?" Juice asked, taking a seat beside her.

"Nope," she confirmed, scowling. "Never came up. Anything else I should know?"

Juice winced.

"What?" she asked, eyeing him warily. "Tell me."

"They have a daughter."

"Jesus fucking Christ," she muttered, tossing her cigarette.

"He loves you, you know."

She scoffed, busying herself with lighting another cigarette.

"No, really. He's been talking about making it official, divorcing Fi-"

"You don't need to say shit like that to try and make me feel better, Juice. I don't know what I expected. I'm a fucking porn star who's been fucking a biker. Jesus, I'm a sorry cliche," she muttered, shaking her head.

Juice put a hand on her shoulder, in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. "Aub, come on. Don't be like this."

"What the fuck was I thinking? Why'd I move in with him? I knew it was too soon. He has a wife, Juice. A family. A family he couldn't be bothered to tell me about. I'm so fucking stupid."

"He hasn't seen Fi in years, Aub. Not since he left Ireland."

"Oh, so he abandoned his wife and child to come here and hasn't been back, since?" she asked, shaking her head in disgust. "It just gets better and better."

"Aub."

She ignored him, staring blankly ahead as she smoked cigarette after cigarette. After a while, she fumbled with her purse, procuring a fifth of Jack. Silently, she offered him the bottle, holding it out. Juice accepted, taking a swig. "Thanks."

Aubree nodded, taking a swig as well, before passing the bottle back. They continued that for some time, until the bottle was empty. "Why are you here, Juice?" she asked, her voice softer this time.

"I wasn't about the leave you alone, right now."

She sighed, shaking her head. "How is he?"

"Stable. He'll be out of commission for a while, but the doctors said he'll be fine."

"Good," she retorted, nodding sharply.

"What exactly happened? All I got was the phone call from Jax saying there'd been an explosion. Didn't get much of a chance to ask follow up questions once I got to the hospital…" she trailed off, eyes darkening in anger.

"Car bomb. Not sure who's responsible, yet."

Aubree nodded grimly. "He's lucky to be alive."

Juice nodded. "He realized what it was… got out of the car before it went off."

"You should go see him. I'm sure he's asking for you," he told her, placing a hand over hers.

"Why would he? He's got his wife there, holding his hand," she muttered bitterly.


"Fiona, a word?" Gemma asked, arms folded against her chest.

"What is it?" Fiona retorted, showing no inclination of leaving where she was seated.

"He doesn't need to hear this shit," she replied coolly, nodding towards Chibs.

"Anything you need to say, you can say right here," Fiona retorted, her tone icy.

"What the hell are you doing here, anyway?" Gemma questioned, frowning.

"Jimmy's here on business," she replied, shrugging. "He's my husband, Gemma. I want to make sure he's okay."

"He's not your husband, anymore, you Irish bitch."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the cute little redhead who was peeking in through the doorway, would it?" Fiona asked, smirking.

Gemma stared her down, eyes narrow slits.

"That Filip's new toy? She's very pretty, I'll give her that," Fiona continued, shrugging. "He always did have good taste…. he didn't tell her about me, I presume?"

"Yeah," Gemma affirmed.

Fiona rolled her eyes. "Some old lady she'd make. I was half expecting her to storm in and start swinging."

"She's not us," Gemma countered, lips curled into a frown. "Maybe that's why he likes her so much."

Fiona sighed. "Filip likes a strong woman."

"You know, Fi, I've always been curious," Gemma growled, eyes flashing with hatred, "how long had you been screwing around behind his back with Jimmy before that happened?" she asked, nodding in Chibs' direction.

"Watch yourself, Gemma," Fiona said lowly, tongue clacking in disgust.

"Now isn't the time to play queen bitch, Fiona. He's got an old lady, she should be the one here with him."

"I'm sure Filip will be more than happy to find his wife by his side when he wakes," Fiona retorted, smugly.

"You just can't let him go, can you, Fi? Shacking up with the man who did that to him just wasn't enough for you, was it? Had to really twist the knife in deeper by stringing him along, keeping that goddamn ring on your finger," Gemma scoffed, scowling.

"At least I didn't have my husband killed, Gem," Fiona said coldly, shooting her a furious glare.

"You should do him a favor… go back to your side of the ocean, you bitch," Gemma replied, returning Fiona's cold stare. "Funny coincidence, isn't it? You just happening to be in the country when this happens to him? What, did you finally decide to have Jimmy finish the job?"

Fiona rose to her feet, lips curled into a snarl. "Le's get somethin' right here, Gemma," she began, jabbing a finger accusingly at Gemma's chest. "I got a phone call from the hospital, sayin' me Filip, me husban', was in a horrible accident. I begged Jimmy to let me come, ta make sure he's alrigh'. Doesn' matter wha' happened, everythin' wit' Jimmy… I love Filip, always will."

"Yeah, nothing says I love you like having your sidepiece give your husband a Glasgow Smile, eh, Fi?" Gemma quipped, smirking.

"Get out," Fiona said lowly, reaching for the gun holstered on her hip. "Ye shouldnae be here, anyway. Family only."

"This club is more family to him than you've been in fourteen years, you Irish bitch."

"And yet I'm still listed as his wife in his emergency contacts," Fiona smirked, holding her left hand up. "Guess tha' tells ye enough abou' where Filip's heart is."

Gemma glared at her. "You'll see when he wakes up. I promise. You're old news, sweetheart. But hey, I'll let him break the news to you."


Jax and Juice entered Chibs' hospital room, expressions carefully neutral as they watched the scene unfold before them; Fiona at Chibs' side, fingers laced with his, the two exchanging words in their Gaelic tongue. Juice looked away as the two shared a kiss.

Jax cleared his throat, getting the pair's attention.

"Fiona," he said, nodding coldly in her direction.

"Jackson," she replied just as coldly, placing a reassuring hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Think we can have a moment?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"I think I'll stay where I am," she retorted, hardened eyes staring him down.

"Does Jimmy know you're here?" he asked, shaking his head. "Who am I kidding, of course he does. That explains the Irish goons out in the waiting room."

"Give me a minute with them, lass," Chibs told Fiona, squeezing her hand.

She nodded, glaring coldly at Juice and Jax as she left the room, slamming the door behind her.

"How you feeling, brother?" Jax asked.

He shrugged. "Like I jus' got blown up, lad. Doc says I'll live, though."

"So…. Fiona's here," Jax started, beginning to pace the room.

"Aye."

"How the hell did she find out about this?" Jax pressed, looking at him expectantly.

"I dunno. Ye know word travels fast, the circles we run in. Ne'r got around to taking her off as my emergency contact, either," he retorted, shrugging.

"Where's Aubree?" Chibs asked, realization dawning on him. "Fi caught me off guard, wasn' expecting to find her here when I woke."

He watched as Juice and Jax exchanged looks.

"She found out about Fi?" he asked, sighing.

The two men nodded in affirmation.

"How pissed off is she?" Chibs asked, eyeing Juice warily.

"She's not that pissed," he replied, sighing.

Chibs turned to Jax, who shook his head. "She's pissed, man. Really pissed. You should have told her about Fiona."

"Aye. I should have."

"Where is she?" he asked.

"Cara Cara. Ope's got Lyla looking after her," Jax replied, sighing heavily.

"I tried getting her to come up here," Juice started, sighing as well. "She doesn't want to see you right now."

"Shite," he muttered, rubbing his face brusquely. "How'd she find out?"

"Mom said she saw Fi holding your hand in here, that's all I know," Jax offered.

"She heard the doctor call you Fiona's husband. She was pretty upset about it," Juice added.

"Juicy here didn't make things any better, telling her about Kerrianne," Jax noted, rolling his eyes in Juice's direction.

Chibs nodded, shaking his head. "I meant to tell her," he said lowly, shrugging. "Didnae want to scare 'er off. Bad enough I'm old as shite. Married, too? With a kid? Why'd she want to be wit' someone like me, anyway?"

"Because she loves you, you Scottish prick. You must be as dumb as you are old if you can't see that," Jax retorted brusquely.

Chibs nodded. "Aye."

"You're gonna have to make things right with her, brother. She was trying to force Juicy here to pack up all her shit so she could split, go back to LA."

"I didn't, obviously," Juice elaborated.

"What the fuck are you doing, anyway, man? Cozying up with Fiona? Didn't you learn the first time how well that worked out for you?" Jax asked, scowling.

"She's my wife, Jackie Boy. I was with 'er since I was eighteen. She's the mother of my child. I'm always gonnae love 'er," he replied, shrugging.

"You should have told her about Fi, man. That's all I'm gonna say."

"She won' come see me?" he asked quietly.

"Give her some time, bro. She'll calm down. I'm gonna check in on her a little later, try and get her to at least go home, get a decent night's sleep in her own bed," Juice told him, clapping himlightly on the shoulder.

"Look after her for me, will ye, lad?" he asked.

"Of course."

"Ye wanna ask Fi to come back in here?"

Juice eyed him curiously. "You sure that's a good idea, Chibs?"

He nodded. "Me and her need to exchange words. I'm gonna ask her to sign th' papers, already."

Juice and Jax shot him confused looks. "Papers?"

"I had the lawyer write up divorce papers a couple o' weeks ago. May as well have 'er sign 'em while she's in the states."

"Might wanna wait a few days before throwing that bombshell on her, Chibs. Fiona's got a temper."

"Think I don't know tha', lad?" he retorted, rolling his eyes. "Ye got my phone, Juicy?" he asked, looking expectantly at the younger man.

"Yeah," he agreed, tossing Chibs his burner phone.

"Don't be surprised if she doesn't take your calls, bro. She's pretty angry," Jax told him, shrugging. "Give her some time."


"So," Fiona started, pulling at a loose thread on her sweater sleeve, "tha' redhead's yer new playthin' is she, Filip?"

"Don' call 'er tha', Fi," Chibs retorted, frowning.

"She's very pretty," Fi observed, a single eyebrow raised.

"Aye."

"How long ye been seein' this one, Filip?" she asked, arms folded against her chest.

"A little under a year, I s'pose," he replied, shrugging.

"Didnae think ta tell her abou' me?"

"It never came up."

Fiona snorted. "Yer a numpty, Lip. Shouldae told her."

"There's already been enough shite goin' on, wit' the club an' some other things, I didnae want to throw that on 'er as well," he retorted, shaking his head. "I shouldae told her, though. Yer right."

"Disappointed she ran off like dat. I'd expected a wee more fight in a lass ye'd fancy, Lip."

Fi laughed, grabbing her husband's hand. "Don't tell me after all dese years ye gone soft on me, Filip." She paused, considering. "Well, softer."

He sighed. "Ye hated tha' abou' me. S'pose you'd a preferred I'd been a good soldier, let the IRA kill me or die for the cause."

Fiona stared at him, disbelievingly. "Filip-"

"S'pose ye wouldae preferred Jimmy'd finished th' job, eh? At least then ye'd have a husband to be proud of, eh? Instead of this? Yer failure of a husban', sent away from 'is own country, leaving ye to raise my girl wit' tha' Irish prick-"

"Don't say that," Fiona hissed. "I loved ye Filip. Why'd ye tink I let ye go? He wouldae killed ye if ye'd stayed. I wasn' abou' to lose ye, let 'im kill me Kerrianne's Da."

"Fi, I don't want to talk about this wit' ye," he sighed.

"Gemma said she's yer ol' lady," Fi noted, attempting to change the subject.

Filip looked down. "Somethae like tha'. I haven' asked her to wear my crow, yet. Doubt she'll want to, now."

"Fi," he sighed, running his hands through his hair.

"Careful, you've got a head injury," she scolded, smacking his hand.

"I need ta tell ye somethin'," he retorted, staring up at the ceiling.

"Wha's that, Lip?"

"I want a divorce."

She stared at him, lips pursed tightly together. "An' why is dat, Filip? Why now? Fourteen years apar' and now all of a sudden, ye want a divorce? Why?"

"We shouldae done it a long time ago, Fi. We've been apart o'er a decade," he retorted.

"An' if I refuse? Yer me husband, Lip. You can't jus' decide ta leave me for some American tart tha' caught yer fancy-"

"Ye think I didn't know ye were screwin' around wit' Jimmy, Fi? Ye think I'm that daft?" he hissed, his words cold, dangerous.

"Lip-"

"I love ye, Fi. Always will. Yer th' mother of my Kerrianne, me first love. Bu' it's time ta move on, love."

Fi glared at him, shaking her head. "Ye love her?"

"Aye."

Fiona sighed. "I know I wasn' the best wife ta ye, Filip. But I do love ye. I'll think abou' it, alrigh'?"

He stared at her, pleadingly. "Fi… ye know as well as I do tha' this has been over for years now. We ain't kids playin' house in Belfast, anymore?"

Fi nodded in agreement, blinking away tears that had begun to form in her eyes. "Aye… yer righ', Lip. Doesn' change ta fact… give me some time, yeah?"

"Sure, sure… thank ye, lass."

"The girl… what's her name?" she asked, curious.

"Aubree. Aubree Burke," he replied, smiling slightly at the mention of her.

"She make ye happy?"

"Aye. She's a good girl. Smart. Stubborn as all hell."

"Ye should call her, Lip."

"Ye think I haven't tried? She's not answering the phone. Rings once and goes to voice-mail," he retorted.

"The lads will go round and speak tae her. She'll come around."

He shrugged. "Yeah, right. Ye want to let me rest for a while, Fi? My head is killin' me. Goddamn pain meds are wearing off," he muttered, looking wearier than she'd ever seen him.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, rising to her feet, gently stroking his cheek, wincing slightly, guiltily, at the feeling of his scar beneath her fingertips. "I'll talk to 'er, Lip. Get her to come see ye, alright?"

"Ye don' have ta do tha', Fi."

"Get some rest, Lip," she told him, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.