A/N:
Sorry for the long wait for Chapter 12! Just have a lot of my plate at the moment. Hope I haven't lost any of you guys!
strodec23: Thank you, what about the chapter did you enjoy?
I own nothing but my O/C, SOA belongs to FX & Kurt Sutter.
Eyes Wide Open
Chapter 12
"Every Breath you take"
Faith groaned against her pillow as her phone all but screamed on the night table beside her. Slightly opening her sleepy eyes, she glanced at the time on digital alarm clock behind her phone, which read 8:30 am, a full half hour before she actually had to wake up.
"Who the hell is calling me so early!" She let out a frustrated sleepy cry.
The phone kept ringing, and with an aspirated sigh her hand flung out from the comforter over to the night stand and to pick up the blaring phone.
"Hello?" She mumbled into the phone barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Hey Faith." Steve's voice came over the phone.
"Steve?" Faith eyes suddenly shot open, sitting up quickly, wondering why Steve was calling so early in the morning. "Is everything okay?" She asked with concern.
"Yeah everything's okay," He reassured her. "I'm sorry I called you so early in the morning, I didn't mean to scare you like that."
"It's fine." Faith sighed with relief, sitting up in the bed. "I was just about to wake up anyways."
"Yeah right." Steve laughed shaking his head, "Me and you both know that's a lie."
"Alright I was planning to sleep until at least 10 happy?" She admitted with a scowl.
"You know I'm just kidding." Steve answered with a smile.
"Yeah yeah, what's going on then?" Faith asked on a yawn, making her way to into the hallway towards the bathroom.
"Can you do me a favour?"
"Yeah of course," She answered without hesitation. "What is? Did you need something."?
"It's actually not something I need or a favour for me." Steve admitted on a sigh.
Confusion set over Faiths face as her eyebrows scrunched together. "What do you mean?"
"It's actually a favor for the junior high school, to the person who's organizing the fundraiser." Steve stated, beating around the bush on purpose.
"Junior high fundraiser?" She wondered out loud into the phone, suddenly it clicked knowing all too well who Steve was talking about. "Wait you mean a favor for Gemma?!"
"Yeahh...I'm sorry for unloading this all on you at the last minute but Hunter was suppose to take my place but I forgot he has this session that's going to take him from all afternoon to do." Steve explained, knowing that Faith only had a few that morning. "I know you probably don't want to deal with Gemma, but it's for a good cause."
Faith let out a long winded sigh, looking up at herself in the bathroom mirror. Steve was right; she didn't want to deal with Gemma. After running into her the other day, the last thing she wanted to do was spend the entire afternoon through evening with the women.
"Since when did you start helping out with the fundraiser?" Faith asked with curiosity.
"Gemma roped me and Hunter into it a couple years ago, kids love temporary tattoos especially when they're more realistic."
"Of course she did, its Gemma." Faith mumbled. "You know how much of control freak she is."
"Oh I know." Steve acknowledged with a snort, "She came in here a couple of days ago. Said it was to see how I was doing but I know she just wanted to know who was going to take my place since I obviously can't make it to the fundraiser."
"Uh huh of course she did." Faith rolled her eyes in annoyance.
Steve just laughed and shook his head he could just hear Faith rolling her eyes on the other end.
"But really Faith." He said on another sigh, "I know how it's like dealing with Gemma, but it really is for a good cause, for all those art and after school programs; forget about Gemma for a minute and think of those kids."
Faith groaned as Steve mentioned the kid's again. She use to be one of those kids. If it wasn't for Art and those digital art classes she didn't know how she would of survived junior high or high school for that matter. The fundraiser meant that more kids like her would have a chance to get exposed to a different world. Escape from the actual reality that they were dealt with in this crazy thing called life.
"Okay fine...I'll do it." Faith caved in, knowing she would regret this tomorrow morning.
"Really?!" Steve asked surprised how easily she agreed, thinking he'd have to do some more convincing.
"Yeah..." She sighed, raising her eyebrow at the mirror. "You owe me big time."
"Yeah, I do. Thanks for doing this Faith! Hunter can show you where all the things you need are."
"Yeah thanks Steve." Faith said as she grabbed her tooth brush on the counter. "There still discharging you tomorrow right?"
"Yup!" Steve declared happily. "I'm a free man tomorrow! Still picking me up?"
"You betcha!" Faith let out a laugh at how enthusiastic Steve was about leaving the place. Hell she would too.
"Well I'll let you go." Steve said as a cart rolled into his room. "The damn lab tech's back again to draw some more blood."
"Be nice, they're just doing their job." Faith smirked, knowing how Steve hated having his blood drawn. "I'll see you tomorrow Steve."
"See you Faith."
Faith let out an aspirated sigh as she ended the call. She looked at herself in the mirror, mentally preparing herself for spending the day with Gemma.
"God save us from the queen."
"Breathe, breathe in the air
Don't be afraid to care
Leave but don't leave me
Look around and choose your own ground"
The windows of the black mustang were rolled down letting the slightly cool summer morning breeze in along with Pink Floyd's Time guitar riffs flowing out through the speakers.
It wasn't just the guitar or the first two and half minutes of the song's instrumental bit that struck a chord with her, but also the lyrics that were so related to what she was going through the last few days, hell the last few years. After Freddy's death she had felt like she couldn't breathe in this town. The pity in people eyes when they saw her it made her angry. The way some people simply had put in their own words that he got "put out of his misery." She acted like she didn't care what they had to say about her father, but inside she was suffocating, so when the acceptance letter came from Oregon, it was like an escape from it all. Faith had felt guilty about leaving, but taking her father's journal and his first tattoo machine along with her meant that she didn't leave the memory of him behind. Then through his journal she had choose her own path, just like he did when he opened the shop.
"For long you live and high you fly
And smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry
And all you touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be."
Pulling into her usual parking spot in front of the shop, Faith put the car in park; closing her eyes and let the rest of the song flow through her.
"Run, rabbit, run
Dig that hole, forget the sun,
And when at last the work is done
Don't sit down, it's time to dig another one"
Leaving California and the choices she made in LA behind, she had headed to Rhode Island for amazing opportunity. Faith was shocked that was she was even able to get into the school. But it didn't all stop there, she was lucky that she had managed to find Hart Tattoo and finish up her apprenticeship , even eventually working full time in the shop.
"For long you live and high you fly
But only if you ride the tide
And balanced on the biggest wave
You race toward an early grave."
Faith opened her eyes as the song finished, absentmindedly reaching over for her bag before she finally looked up and noticed that someone was standing in front of the shop window, peering in with their hands pressed up against the glass.
Slowly, getting out of the car, Faith watched from afar as the man stood took a step back, fully examining the front of the store.
She had never seen this guy before and looking him over; peppered coloured hair, buttoned up dark grey dress shirt and what look like ironed jeans. He certainly looked like he wasn't the type of guy who was into tattoos. Approaching him slowly, she put her hand against her bag just in case the gun inside was needed.
"Excuse me, can I help you?" Faith asked with a raised eye, closing her car door as she looked him over studying him before she slowly approached him; her hand over her bag just in case.
The man in question turned around, not at surprised to see her as she was him. He slowly looked her over. His slit-like eyes were a clouded iced blue grey. As those same eyes of his roamed over her body, Faith felt an ice cold chill run down her spine. Her gut was getting a bad vibe from this guy. She didn't know what it was but something about him was truly off.
"Nope just looking." The man replied flashing her an eerily creepy grin as he looked from the shop window then back to her. "You know I never really got the fascination with tattoos...especially when there linked to someone or someplace."
"I can see that." Faith acknowledged with a nod to what he was currently wearing. "You don't look like the kind of person who would be."
The man let out a laugh along with a shake of his head. "Your right I'm not." Without saying another word the man turned around and started walking towards the opposite direction.
Faith stood confused as the man continued walked away. Her brows furrowed together. Who the hell was this guy? Something deep inside was telling her he wasn't just here "Just looking." If he wasn't interested in getting a tattoo then what was he doing standing outside the shop like that? Like he was looking for something? And what had he meant by fascination with tattoos that were linked to someone or someplace?
Before he disappeared around the corner, he turned around and gave her another smile and a wave.
Faith's body froze as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Something was definitely off about this guy, she didn't know what it was but she hoped this was the last time she encountered him
.
Faith slammed the door to the black mustang with her hip, her hands occupied with a semi heavy cardboard box. She let out a deep heavy sigh starring out of her aviators from the large parking lot onto the brick building in front of her that read Kennedy Jr High School
The last time she set foot in that building was her junior high school graduation. The brick building held a lot of memories. Memories that she wasn't interested in walking down memory lane and reliving. Those years were years she wouldn't mind forgetting. The only thing that made school even bearable was the reason why she was back with the box in front of her.
"Over here sweet heart."
Faith looked up from her daze following the voice toward Gemma Teller Morrow, the person she was supposed to be looking for before getting swept up in the moment. She walked towards the queen of SAMCRO and the organizer of the fair of a fundraiser that she was guilt tripped into.
It wasn't because she didn't want to help out and give back to help raise funds for the arts the one thing that drove her to go to school; it was the fact that she would have to spend the rest of the day with Gemma and her minions of crow eaters.
"Gemma." Faith greeted with a nod, as she approached the tent that the older women was setting up with various types of food and drinks. Front and center was Gemma's chilli, which was quite famous in Charming.
"Glad you could make it and fill in for Steve." Gemma acknowledged with a half smile, returning the head nod.
Steve was the real reason she was here. It was something she had to keep repeating to herself the whole drive over here and even right now. She still couldn't believe that Steve had been doing this for the last few years. Never in a million years would faith think that Steve would be doing temporary tattoos for little kids.
"Yeah well it's for the kid's right" Faith forced a smile. She motioned to the box in front of her. "So where should I set this all up?"
"Over there." Gemma nodded to the booth behind her, set up with a banner that read "Tattoo booth by Freddy's Tattoos" that happened to be right beside the face painting station.
Gemma watched as Faith's eyes fell on the other station. "By the way I need you to do the face painting as well." She folded her arms across her chest. "The girl that was supposed to be doing it ended up coming down with food poising from some shithole in Lodi."
Gemma eyes never left Faith as she looked her over. It had been a couple days since her encounter with the younger Knowles and she still didn't know what to make of her return. From their original conversation her story checked out. From what she managed to get out of Steve before visiting Abel one night was that both sisters were still not talking to each other. But that wasn't all she learned that night, she also happened to come across Faith visiting Abel with Jax. She refused to let her son be the referee between the two estranged sisters while they screamed at each other. No Jackson had bigger shit on his plate to deal with and with the way his mind had been wondering lately, it was the last thing she needed him being distracted with. If Gemma could have helped it, Faith wouldn't be here helping out today. But with Steve in the hospital and Hunter apparently to busy in the shop; she had no other option.
Gemma cocked her head back at Faith, raising her eye at the girl. "From what I remember that's right up your alley. Think you can handle both?" She challenged with a smirk.
"Of course I can." Faith accepted, propping the box against her hip, her free hand against the other side of her hips. "Didn't bring any of those supplies with me though."
"You don't have to worry about that." Gemma acknowledged with a smug smile, turning around to grab the box that was behind her; mimicking the way Faith was holding hers. "Go it right here for ya."
Faith couldn't help but laugh and shake her head at Gemma's Antics. She was about to open her mouth and reply with her own clever comeback but was interrupted from someone shouting.
"Hey Kid!"
Both Faith and Gemma turned around to see Jax walking towards them.
"What are you doing here?" He asked with raised eyebrow looking from Gemma to Faith, wondering what the two we're doing together especially with the conversation he had with his mother days ago.
"Filling in for Steve." Faith shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.
"Really?" Jax looked over at Gemma, who in turn rolled her eyes, knowing what her son was thinking.
"You know how the kids love that booth." Gemma answered with a shrug and a knowing glance.
Jax gave his mom the "Is that really all?" look before turning towards Faith. "Need any help?"
"Nah," Faith shook her head as she held up the box and gave it a shake. "I think I can handle it."
"Actually, you can put this box on that table over there." Gemma nodded behind him as she thrusted the box into his hands. "Now if you'll excuse me I should get back to making sure everything's ready, people will be arriving soon."
"Yeah okay...I was just on my way to handle some club business after seeing Abel; I thought I'd stop by and see how everything's going." Jax smirked as he looked around, crow eaters hurrying around to finish up the last minute things that needed to be done.
"Club business?" Gemma asked, her forehead wrinkling in a mix of confusion and anger. "The fundraisers about to start soon. Clay knows I need Bobby here for the kids...he better not be late Jackson!" She warned with her wagging her finger at him.
"We won't be late Ma." Jax laughed as he leaned over and give his mother a kiss on the cheek. "It's just a quick little pick up that's all."
"Like I haven't heard that before." Gemma snorted as she crossed her arms across her chest, watching Faith over Jax's shoulder who had left the mother and son alone to begin setting up. "Just make sure he gets here in time okay?!"
"Yeah, Yeah." Jax smirked as he walked away from his mom and towards the table she had directed him too. He put the box down onto the plastic table, taking a peek in; he saw paints and brushes inside.
"This all the face painting shit for the kids?" Jax asked as he looked over to the table right next to him where Faith had started setting up all the temporary air brush guns and regular temporary tattoos for the kids whose parents weren't comfortable with the airbrush.
"Yeah...Apparently the chick who was suppose to be doing them didn't show so I'm on double duty." Faith flashed him a forced smile showing off her pearly whites.
"Aw come on it's not all bad...this shit's a walk in the park for ya." Jax flashed a genuine smile as he nudged her with his elbow.
"It is." Faith admitted smugly holding up the airbrush machine in her hand. "Just not looking forward to being swarmed by kids."
"You came to the wrong place then kid." Jax laughed ruffling her hair, earning a scowl from her. "I'm sure though Opie's kid's won't give you shit."
"Opie's kids?" Faith repeated out loud with a smile as the tall giant of SAMCRO was brought up. Once upon a time Faith had a huge crush Opie, especially since whenever Jax and her hung out Opie tagged along a few times as well. But as she got older she got over it, and when she meet Donna, Faith was happy for Opie. Everyone could see how happy Donna made Opie and pretty soon the two were married and not long after had baby Ellie on the way with Kenny fallowing a couple of years later. "OH Yeah... Ellie and Kenny right? Wow those two must be so big now."
"Yeah." Jax's smile saddened a bit. "Time does go fast doesn't it? Even Op can't believe 5 years went by so fast."
Faiths forehead gathered together in confusion as she picked up the last bit of Jax's sentence. "5 years?" She repeated "What are you talking about?"
Jax let out a sigh as Faith asked him that question. He forgot he hadn't told Faith what happened a few months after she left. With his hand going through his hair, he turned to look at her. "Op was in Chino for the last 5 years...he just got out a few weeks ago on parole."
"What?!" Faith voiced out loud in shock, dropping the air brush machine gently onto the table, startled by the noise it made before looking back up at him still not understanding what had happened. "How...I mean I left 5 years ago and he..."
"It happened a couple of months after you left." Jax interrupted quietly, he could see all the questions that running through her head displayed on her face. "Some shit with club went south...and Op ended up having to serve time."
Faith closed her mouth as soon as Jax mentioned the club. The two had an unspoken rule when it came to the SAMCRO. Jax had never fully ever involved her into whatever went on with the club on things like this, only giving vague details. She had never asked, it wasn't her place and if Jax didn't want to tell her she honestly didn't mind or cared. She knew the club was involved in illegal activates but it didn't bug her since things were quite in Charming because of the son's. Thefts, murders, and drug dealings were really low for town of almost fifteen thousand people.
"How'd Donna take it?" She asked, knowing it must have been hard for Donna raising Ellie and Kenny for 5 years all by herself especially with the kids so close in age like that.
"Not good." Jax answered with another sigh as his hand rubbed the back of his neck. Donna blamed the club for what happened to her family, for her kids not having their father in their lives for 5 crucial years. He knew that because of Donna having doubts about the club was the reason Opie wasn't fully committing to the club. He didn't know how to approach Donna about the situation without sounding like an asshole but being half in and half out was dangerous for his best friend.
Jax suddenly dropped his hand from his neck and turned to look back at Faith. "Hey you think can like talk to her? I think she's feeling suffocated because of the club and needs to talk to someone that's not involved with SAMCRO you know?"
"You mean being suffocated from Gemma?" Faith asked with a raised eye and slight smirk.
Jax bit his lip before letting out an amused smile and a nod of his head. "My mom means well...but you know how sometimes...she can be..."
"Overbearing? Intrusive ..." She began listing off with her fingers.
"Too much...Jesus Christ Faith." Jax finished his sentence with a slight smile. "I know my mom can sometimes be a bit much...but she means well. Family means everything to her."
"Mmm hmm." Faith said with a smile and raised eye; deciding to bite her tongue and not say anything else. Especially not here, not now.
Jax laughed and shook his head at Faith's response. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he reached in to quickly grab it.
"Shit." He cursed as he realized he was late. Clay was going to bite his head off. "I gotta go Faith."
"I've heard that before." Faith mumbled as she went back to grabbing the last few items in the box.
"What was that?" Jax's turned back; ears peaked up with curiosity written all over his face.
"Nothing." Faith smirked, looking up to see Jax raising his eye at her. "What? I said nothing..."
Jax just shook his head. "Yeah...sure kid...well I'll see you later on; I should get going." He said as he ruffled her hair again.
"Seriously Jax!" Faith shouted in annoyance. "My Hairs already frizzy enough from the heat!"
"Well that's California for you!" Jax shouted back in laughter as he walked away. "Later Kid, and play nice!"
Faith face meet her palm as he called her a kid again and so louldy. She gave him the middle finger, which only made him howl even louder with laughter before turning around and heading towards the parking lot.
"Jerk." She scowled, shaking her head before getting back to setting up. As she turned back to the table she caught a glimpse of Gemma watching her like a hawk.
"Great..." She let out with a sigh. "Steve really owes me big time."
"Alright sweetie, there you go." Faith declared as she lifted the airbrush machine away from the 100th arm she had worked on today, finishing up the airbrushed sea shell...one of the only few that weren't a butterfly, it always had to be a damn butterfly.
"Oh my gosh!" The girl turned her arm, eyes shining as she looked at down at the colorful seashell sprawled across her skin. "It looks like a real tattoo!"
The girl turned to her mother, showing it off. "Look mommy it looks like yours!"
The girl's mother shook her head and laughed, glancing at her own arm. "Except this one's real baby."
"Well, then I'll get a real one when I'm 16." The girl declared with a big huge grin. "Just like I heard you tell Tammy's mom you did."
Her mother looked at her in shock before turning to Faith. "That makes my argument of no a lot harder."
"I don't know what to tell you." Faith said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I used the same argument against my dad."
The mother took a deep sigh as her daughter got up thanking Faith before going off to join her friends. "At least I have 5 years to come up with a good excuse." She looked over at her arm again. "I would be a huge hypocrite if I said no wouldn't I?"
"Not really." Faith answered with a shake of her head. "She know why you got it?"
"Sort of." The mother smiled as she stared at the sea shell, reminiscing the memory that had lead to it. "It was because of a vacation to Florida with my 2 best friends...It was the first time I had even been out California..." She felt the nostalgia running through her. "It was the best week of my life at the time...and I wanted to always have it with me."
"Did you get it from Freddy's?" Faith asked with a raised eye, Steve and her dad would never had done a tattoo without parental permission.
"Nah." The mother shook her head. "I use to live in Bakersfield...moved to Charming when I meet my husband."
"Oh...I see." Fait let out a silent sigh of relief. Not that she doubted Steve and her father for minute.
"Yeah. Thanks for the advice" The woman smiled at her, grabbing a business card from the table. "My husband and mines 10th anniversary coming up and I wanted to get a revolving something around that...So you'll defiantly be seeing me again."
"Yeah? Great! See you then." Faith responded with a nod, watching the mother run and catch up with her daughter and her friends.
She let out a deep sigh, shaking out her hand as it cramped up from all the face painting and airbrushing she had been doing in the last couple hours straight when people started trickling in for the fundraiser.
Lifting her head up; Faith stared out into the school lawn filled with families and kids running around. For the last couples hours she was so engrossed in her work that her mind didn't drift to the unwanted memories that were attached to this place. That was the blessing about being busy, it made time go faster and make you forget your surroundings.
Kennedy Junior high was the place were when the jokes that started in Elementary school had gone too far. Only a few feet away she remembered the first real physical fight she had gotten in, fists swinging and all. From there on out it had gone all downhill. She was always held at fault for shit she didn't start or do but if it somehow involved her it had to be Faith Maria Knowles fault.
The couple of friends she had would eventually move away or their parents would force them to eventually stop talking to her.
Suddenly her hand was itching, the cravings for the nicotine came rushing back again as the smell of the sweet Tobacco filled her nostrils. She looked over at the parking lot it was coming from. Her legs started to move towards it before stopped herself.
"No...You don't need it."She told herself, giving a rapid shake of her head, her hand quickly dug into her pocket for the nicotine gum she had picked up before she drove to the school.
Quickly popping the gum into her mouth, she turned around noticing a few kids that were sitting at the table beside her booths, dressed up as little Elvis's. Her eyebrow arched up in curiosity, as she started to walk back towards the booth.
"Excuse me?!" One of the little boys ran up to her as he saw her walking towards them.
"Yeah, did you want an air brush tattoo or face painting of something?" Faith nodded to the booths.
"No," The boy answered with a shake of his blonde head. "We were wondering when Elvis was going to show up!?"
"Elvis?" Faith asked in confusion, wondering what he was talking about.
"Shit! You are late Elvis!" A voice boomed behind them.
Faith turned around to see Bobby Munson dressed as Elvis hustling towards her booths and the kids that were dressed just like him.
"Why don't you go wait over there and join your friends." Faith ushered the boy to the table where his friends were waiting, turning around she let out a sigh before walking towards Gemma and Bobby.
"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get this, " Bobby gesturing towards his wig. "Into a helmet?!"
"Yeah...Well the kids are waiting." Gemma replied back with her arms crossed her chest and with as much sass Bobby was giving her.
"Hey Hey!" Faith interrupted, she nodded her head over the table behind. "Those kid's you're talking about can hear you two arguing."
"Well look who it is." Bobby declared with a wide spreading grin as he looked her over up and down. "Heard you made quite the ruckus being back in town. Had to see it with my own eyes to believe it..."
Faith let out surprised sequel as Bobby grabbed her into a bear hug. "Nice to see you too Bobby."
"Ill see you around alright?" Bobby let out, putting her down as he saw the look on Gemma's face over her shoulder.
"Gemma's already pissed off as enough as it." He whispered in her ear as he pulled away with a smirk playing across his face. "Also can't have the kids waiting any longer."
"Alright." Faith laughed she pulled away, only to be greeted with a stern look from Gemma. She saw Tig standing behind her who threw a smile and a little wave her way.
Making her smirk and wave back.
"Bless my soul." Bobby greeted the kids with his hands across his chest. "Look at all God's children. So tell me who want want's to look like Elvis?"
"Me, Me me!' All the kids shot up their hands jumping in their seats.
Faith watched and laughed at how entertained the kids were with Bobby impersonating Elvis. To her relief Luanne had called Gemma away to deal with some sort of emergency with the chili.
Tig stepped forward from where he was watching as Gemma hurried away. "You know having both you Knowles girls in town is driving her crazy right?" Tig smirked as he gestured with his arms. "Just look at you, you really do look like Freddy's kid."
"Thanks?!" Faith raised her eye with a laugh. "I thought it was your crazy curly hair I spotted hiding behind Gemma."
"I wasn't hiding sweetheart." Tig scowled narrowing his eyes behind his sunglasses. "Heard you're working at the Shop with Steve and Hunter?"
"Gossip spreads like fire in Charming doesn't it...you guys been gossiping like teenage girls again?' Faith cheekily shot back.
"Watch it kid." Tig laughed as he wagged his finger at her. He looked over the ink on her arms. "You any good with the ink like your Dad?" Tig teased.
"Iunno." Faith replied with a shake of her shoulders as she crossed her arms. "Why don't you come into the Shop and see."
Tig smiled, looking down at the reaper tattoo on his right arm. "If any of your work is as good as the reaper you dad did, then I will."
"Excuse me?" A small girl asked she tugged on Faiths arm.
"Sorry." Faith apologized as she looked down at the little girl. "Did you want to get your face painted?"
"Yes please." The girl nodded her head.
"Alight, why don't you take a seat?" Faith motioned over to Hollywood vanity type lighting Gemma had set up.
"Well, have fun with the rugrats." Tig cackled, looking at the crowd of kids that gathered around Bobby and Faith. "You owe me a session kid!"
"Yeah, yeah." Faith waved off, watching Tig walking away. Her eyebrows rose in surprise as she noticed he was limping. The conversation she had with Juice from the other night popped into her head and made her laugh out loud.
Tig turned around with a confused look on his face wondering what Faith had found amusing. Confused, he slowly turned back around and started walking away.
Faith tried her best to hold in the laughter until Tig had vanished into the crowd.
"What's so funny?" The little girl asked her with curiosity.
"Nothing." Faith shook her head, taking out a new paint brush for the girl. The smile on her face saying otherwise, and so reminiscent of a certain mohawked biker.
"Say what you want about Gemma but the woman knows how to make some good chili." Faith mumbled as she stuffed another spoon full of chili into her mouth. She finally was able to pull herself away from the booth for a bite to eat. She looked back over to the booth where Bobby was still entertaining the kid's with his Elvis act.
With the bowl of chili in her hand, she looked for a place to sit and eat. Faith started walking towards the empty picnic table, but stopped as she looked over and saw Donna sitting by herself.
"Hey Donna." Faith greeted with a wave, wondering if the women if remembered her.
"Faith!" Donna greeted with a surprised look. "What are you doing here? I didn't know you were back in town!"
"Yeah came back almost a week ago." Faith answered with a bob of her head.
"So what are you doing at a kid's fundraiser?"
"Just helping out." Faith nodded towards the booths in the distance.
"Filling in for Steve huh." Donna came to the conclusion. "I heard what happened, how's he doing?"
"He's doing good." Faith answered with a nod of her head. "Suppose to be released tomorrow."
"That's good to hear." Donna gave her smile. "So how was college life? Must have been nice to get out of Charming."
Faith didn't miss the tone of distaste in Donna's voice when she brought up Charming. "Actually I missed being home."
"Really?" Donna's eyebrows raised in doubt
"Yeah." Faith answered with a smile tugging the corners of her lips as the memories with her time in Rhode Island came to mind. "I'm glad I got the opportunity to go to a school like that but I missed the small town life. That and the California sun." She laughed shaking her head. "Man East coast winters are brutal!"
"I can only imagine." Donna sighed as she looked out in the distance watching Ellie and Kenny with their friends.
Faith watched as Donna's gaze fell upon her kids, the distance in her voice apparent. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah," Donna shrugged her shoulders, shaking off Faith's question and concern. "Everything's fine...why?"
"I heard what happened to Opie." Faith let out softly, watching Donna's face harden.
"You did." Donna gulped, diverting her eyes from Faith's glance as she pursued her lips. "Of course you did, did Jax tell you..."
"Yeah...I can't imagine what you've been going through the last few years..." Faith started.
"Yeah you can't." Donna cut her off, the anger rising in her voice. "Did Jax send you here to talk to me about the club?"
"No...Not about the club." Faith said with a shake of her head. "He thought you needed someone outside the club to talk to."
"Not about the club." Donna snorted, looking up at her kids again. "It's because of the club that Ellie's so distance to her dad."
Faith watched as the elder Winston laughed playing ring toss with her friends. "I can't say I know how that feels..."
"Yeah you can't" Donna interjected again, turning to look at Faith with a look of disbelieve. "I don't get it. First Tara comes back after leaving from what I hear was because of the club...and now you're back...Why? Why would you come back to all of this?!" Donna motioned with her hands at all the bikers that were walking around the fundraiser.
The anger that Donna felt was justified. The situation she was in was a lot different then what Tara was in 11 years ago. She had kids that she had to look after; kid's whose father was away in jail for 5 years.
"I came back because I always knew I would." Faith stated firmly. "Donna, I never left because of the club, the reason I left was because I couldn't deal with what was going on in my life while staying in Charming. But I left knowing I would someday come back."
"You only feel that way because you were born and raised here." Donna pointed out. "I came to Charming to be with Opie. I knew the club came with that and I was fine with it when it was the two of us... but..." Donna paused as her voice choked up a bit. "I was really fine with until it my husband spent the early years of my children's lives in jail."
Donna looked faith over and couldn't help but let out a hysteric laugh. "You won't understand it at all...you're not involved with someone in the club...you don't have innocent kid's who didn't understand why their father was in jail.
She looked up to see Ellie waving her over. Donna turned toward Faith. "I got to go. My daughter needs me."
Faith sat frozen in place on the bench, watching as Donna went to go join Ellie. The last sentence Donna had said ringing in her head.
"Well that went well." Faith mumbled to herself.
With the conversation she just had with Donna, Jax was right on about Donna blaming the club for what happened with Opie. Had she gone about the conversation in the wrong way? Could she been a lot less direct about it?
The questions ran through over and over in her head. That was until a familiar distinctive smell caught waft of her nose.
The same smell her nose had caught earlier. This time it wasn't coming from the parking lot.
With her nose leading the way and her feet following, she starting walking towards the tent where her booths were. The smell was defiantly coming from behind the tent. When she rounded the corner a smile broke out on her face as she watched 2 grown men hiding and smoking behind the tent.
"Didn't you two know you're not allowed to smoke on school property, now I know it's been a while, but come on guys, there are kids out there." Faith smirked with her arms across her chest.
"Holy shit." Opie blurted out along with the cigarette hanging from his mouth. A smug smile then flashed across his face "Was wondering when I'd run into you."
He got up and put his arm around her shoulders. "I mean look at you, not like you grew or anything." He jokingly nudged her. "But clearly your tattoos did."
"Haha you're so funny Opie." Faith rolled her eyes. "Not everybody's a giant like you." She nodded her head towards Jax. "Take Jax for instance."
"Hey!" Jax objected, throwing the cigarette from his mouth onto the floor. "I ain't short, it's just Op's just freakishly tall!"
"Thanks man." Opie playfully punched his best friend in the shoulder.
"Just telling like it is bro." Jax laughed holding up his hands in mock surrender.
Opie shook his head before turning his head towards Faith. "Working at your old man's shop huh? Didn't understand the whole nursing thing, no offence couldn't really see you as a nurse "
"Yeah I didn't know who I was kidding myself." Faith sighed with a shake of her head.
"From Oregon then to LA how the hell did you did you end up in Rhode Island of all places?"
"Yeah, you never really told me the details." Jax chimed in, his arms across his chest as a serious look over took his face.
Faith looked at Opie and then Jax; both had their arms across their chests looking at her with curiosity and determination.
"Sorry didn't know this was going to be an interrogation." Faith joked, but Opie and Jax didn't laugh one bit.
"Not an interrogation Faith." Jax answered, "Just wanted to know the details." He shrugged his shoulders. "You almost gave everybody that cared about you here a heart attack."
"I already told you Jax." She sighed, her hand going through her hair. How many times was Jax going to ask her this question? "When I was in LA one of my professors saw my work and said I had a chance to get into Rhode Island. Rhode Island Jax! I honestly thought I wouldn't get in but I did."
Faith was right, Jax had heard it before but there was a very small part of him wasn't sure that was all there was. When Faith had finally called him after moving to LA. She had told him that she had a plan figured out. In the fall she was going to transfer to an arts school in San Francisco, so she could move back home and just commute. The Rhode Island decision had come out of nowhere. Jax had always had a feeling that there was something Faith wasn't telling him, he just didn't know what it was.
"But who cares I'm finally home now aren't I?" Faith declared with laugh.
"That's true." Opie agreed with laugh and a bob of his head. But as he looked up, the smile on his face vanished.
Faith watched the smile on Opie's face disappear as he looked out in the distance; she turned around to look at what he was looking at. When she did all she saw was Kyle Hobart.
"Is that Kyle?" Faith asked with a hint of distain in her voice. Kyle was one of the sleaziest sons she had ever known. Not only was the guy a complete Moron but an asshole as well. When she had worked at scoops and sweets, Kyle had always brought his wife April in when she was pregnant with their second kid. He had acted like he was the best husband ever but everyone in town knew when he wasn't with April he always had a different croweater under his arms.
"Yup...that's him alright." Opie answered in a disgruntled voice.
Faith watched as a girl that looked a couple years younger than her approached Kyle and he put his arm around her. She never seen this girl in Charming before, and she didn't look like a crow eater. "Who's the chick with him? Never seen her around here before. Takes some balls to bring her to a son's family thing especially with his wife around."
"He ain't a son no more." Jax stated coldly, venom practically dripping from his words.
"And his wife was smart enough to leave that son of a bitch" Opie chimed in, not taking his eyes off Kyle and the chick he bought with him. He watched as Kyle struggled with his jacket and the girl helped him take it off.
"He still has that tat." Opie let out as he watched Kyle's jacket lifted and revealed the reaper tattoo that was still sprawled across his back.
"Yeah." Jax all but growled, throwing his cigarette on the ground in anger before stepping forward, only to be stopped by Opie, who held out his hand to stop.
"This is me." Opie answered with a knowing glance.
Faith watched as a look of understanding was exchanged between the two best friends before Opie walked away.
"What happened?" Faith asked Jax, standing beside him, both watching from the distance as Opie follow Kyle into the school gym.
"Shit that needs to be settled after 5 long years." Jax answered vaguely.
"5 years?" Faith repeated to herself, forehead scrunched together until the realization hit her. Was Opie going to jail the reason why Kyle wasn't a son anymore? Her eyes meet Jax and he had that same look. It was club business but Faith knew Kyle was somehow involved.
"Oh look air brush tattoos".
Faith turned her head back around to the booth where some kids had lined up.
"I should get back to it." Faith motioned with her head to the table behind her. "Or else Gemma's going to come back and give me an earful."
"Nah she's too busy with the chili." Jax said a smirk finally broke across from the serious face that he had on when he saw Kyle. He could hear his mother shouting from the tents behind them. "I'll see you around, kid, got to make sure that what's down in gym doesn't go to far."
Faith nodded her head before turning back towards the eagerly waiting kids and getting back to work.
After a few minutes Faith popped her head up from working on the last kids Tattoo to see in the distance Jax had emerged from the gym and was now talking to Donna. They looked like they were in a serious discussion before Jax finally looked her way his eyes meeting hers. Before she could understand what it meant, she bought her attention back on the air brush tattoo she was currently working on.
"There you go." Faith announced pulling the machine away from the kids arm.
"Cool! Thanks!" The group of kids chorused together before running off.
Faith couldn't help but smile at how polite the kids were. A lot of the other kids were total shit heads today.
"Think I can get one of those too?" Jax smirked sneaking up on Faith as she turned around.
"Sure. Would you like the pretty pink butterfly or the pretty purple flower?" She joked.
"Nah." Jax smirked. "Flowers aren't really aren't my style...but you know I did have some new ink in mind that I was thinking of getting."
Yeah?" Faith asked, wondering what Jax wanted to get. He had a huge reaper piece on his back and a memorial tattoo on his arm for his dad. "What did you have in mind?"
"You'll see." Jax flashed a smug smile.
"Is Donna okay?" Faith asked with concern the last part of the conversation she had with her still in the back of her head.
Jax's face softened before he let out a sigh and a shake of his head. "Yeah I think she's better than before...thanks for talking to her."
"I think me taking to her made it worse." Faith mumbled disgustingly.
Jax's head shot up, rapidly shaking his head at what Faith had just said. "No it didn't...Donnas just has a lot of shit going on. She just got Op back, and the kids are having a hard time connecting with him. Blaming the club for all that."
The look faith was giving him was one of disbelieve.
"Seriously kid" Jax put his hand on her shoulder. "You didn't make it worse so get that out of your head." He looked over at the booth, noticing how vacant it looked now than before.
"You've been working your ass since you got here, why don't go walk around and have at least some fun."
"Fine." She let out a frustrated sigh, crossing her arms across her chest. "You going to join me?"
Jax looked up at the doors to the gym where Opie and Kyle had disappeared into while he was talking to Donna. He should go and make sure Op didn't beat the guy to death.
"Wish I could." Jax answered with an apologetic smile. "I got to take care of some shit before I take off. Something popped up with the club."
"Oh."Faith let out with disappointment frown.
"But I'll call you tomorrow and maybe we can hang out?" Jax offered with a smile.
"If you want to drop by the shop sure." Faith answered with a hopeful smirk. "Steve's getting released tomorrow so I'm at the hospital in the morning then at the shop all day."
"Well maybe you can drop by and see Abel in the morning." Jax proposed instead.
"I think I'll do that." Faith affirmed with a wide grin.
"It'll be good for Abel to see his aunt more." Jax smiled, starting to walk towards Bobby. "Later Kid!"
Faith scowled silently to herself as Jax called her a kid, earning a laugh from him before he walked away towards bobby.
She watched as Jax pulled bobby aside talking to him. Bobby nodded his head at whatever Jax was telling him, and addressed the kids before walking away together with Jax. Just as they did, both were stopped by Gemma.
"Uh oh." Faith thought to herself,. She had better just walk away before Gemma saw her and pulled her into whatever that was and somehow blame her for it.
Taking Jax's advice she started walking towards the food tents, which thankfully were far away from Gemma's chilli.
She walked around for 15 minutes, looking at which each food tent had to offer before the smell of barbeque hotdogs caught her nose.
With her nose leading the way, Faith took a step forward toward but as she looked up, her body froze in place, her feet refusing to move.
Her eyes narrowed, her teeth clenched together making her jaw tensed as she watched Tara walk into the fundraiser.
"I don't want to deal with her bullshit today." Faith thought to herself, the run in with Tara from the other day still fresh in her mind, along with the anger that she had felt. Shaking it off, she told herself, no she promised herself she wasn't going to let Tara get to her. She needed to focus on the shop and only the shop.
Faith was about to look away, until she noticed Tara stop and freeze in her tracks, just like she had. Her eyes fallowed the direction that Tara was looking at, specifically a person, and then moment Faith saw the familiar face, her stomach dropped.
It was the same creepy guy that she had caught peering in into the shop.
What her sister did next made her brow furrow together, as Tara quickly turned around like she had seen a ghost and went the total opposite direction.
What did that mean...did Tara know that guy? Anger started to steam inside her as the thought crossed her mind. Was he creeping around because he was tied to Tara? If Tara knew this guy then why the hell was he creeping around the shop?
As Faith observed from a far, her eyes caught the banner above him. The banner was for the Charming Police department. Wait he was barbequing for Charming PD...Was he a cop? What was a cop doing scoping out the shop? Was Steve in some kind of trouble? And why did Tara react the way she did when she saw him? 100 questions ran through her head as she tried to make sense of it all.
Even though the man was wearing sunglasses, Faith felt his eyes lands on hers. The guy smirked taking his glasses and waved over at her. The same chills that she felt in the morning came rushing down her spine as the wicked smirk spread across his face.
She quickly looked away, but as she did, Faith noticed a second pair of eyes on him as well, that belonged to the queen herself.
As if she noticed Faith staring as well, Gemma quickly looked away from the man in question and her eyes meet Faith's.
The older woman looked at her questionably, as if she had some kind of a clue about what that was.
Faith didn't. And that's where the anger had started to raise again. Even though she didn't give a shit about Tara...that anger now wanted to know if her estranged sister had some sort of connection to this creep. Because her gut told her deep inside that there was something up.
A determine look washed over her face, her jaw locked and flexed. She had to get to the bottom of this. She had to know what he was looking for when he was snooping around the shop in the morning. She had to know what Tara was hiding, if this guy was somehow the reason why she was backing home.
"You wanted to know what I've been up to these years big sis, " Faith stated through clenched teeth. "Well it's time we find out why Tara Grace is really doing back in Charming."
A/N:
Dun Dun Duuun! Seriously though, anyone else hear that song everytime you see Kohn?
What's Faith going to do now?
I know, not alot of Juice in this chapter but don't worry next chapter won't dissappoint ;)
Let me know what you guys think of this chapter! Check out my tumblr if you want to see posts related to the story :D
Again thank you all for the support!