*I do not own anything you recognize*

Enjoy.

He doesn't know what she means by home but he figures she doesn't want to go to the clubhouse. They end up in the familiar apartment parking lot and when Chibs cuts the bike he waits for her to make the next move. He's got a lot things to explain and even more to apologize for; she's going to have let him know which way this is going. Leila seems more than content to remain on the back of the bike so Chibs pulls himself off and holds out a gloved hand. She doesn't move to take it and he stares down into her battered face.

The bruising around her temple is still dark but the black eye has started to fade into greens and yellows. The cut at her temple still has butterfly bandages on it and Chibs can just see the way it will scar, one day it will be a thin white curve like a crescent moon around her pretty eye. He wonders if she'll want him around by the time it's healed. She eventually crawls off the bike and they don't talk as he leads her towards the front door. It's still being held in place by sheer luck and it takes nothing to push it open. He leads her to the bedroom, it's the only place not still a mess from her fight with Smith.

"What now lass?" She's thrown herself down on the foot of the bed and he watches as she tugs at her new boots. He has no idea when she'd had time to go out and buy them but the leather is stiff and she's having trouble getting the right one off. He kneels down in front of her and gives it a tug, landing on his ass as it comes free.

"I have no idea." He chucks the boot over a shoulder and pulls her down onto the floor with him.

"I'll do anything Leila, anything yeh want." She's on her knees in front of him and she shrugs.

"I wanted to yell at you. I wanted to come in here and be so angry, I want to scream and fight. I want to hate you; you deserve to be hated. You had no right to do the things you did, no right." Her eyes are blazing and he feels a spark of hope, she wouldn't be mad if she didn't still care.

"Aye, lass you're right. I'm so sorry."

"No, NO!" She pulls herself up, a hand on her ribs and her voice rises. "You don't get to play all apologetic and sad. I want a fight and I'm going to fucking get one. You saved me nine months ago by being a hard ass and telling me what's right and now you don't get to sit back and take it away." She kicks out at his side as she speaks and he rolls moving out of the way before getting to his feet. This is a new Leila, this is the angry, indignant girl that's usually only reserved for Tig.

"That was a mistake girl." He can't believe she'd tried to hit him.

"You were a mistake. Explain it to me. Explain to me how you thought it was a good idea to fall in love with me while you're married to another woman. Explain the croweater, fucking explain what happened in the kitchen." She's yelling now and he wonders how they went from calm and controlled at the dock to this so quickly.

"Yeh started that shite in the kitchen." He rolls his shoulders and he's never been this frustrated with the damn girl.

"You started it. You lied, you pushed me away, you got your dick sucked. I didn't do shit." She pokes him in the chest and he grabs at her wrists.

"I was tryin to protect yeh the only way I knew how. I thought yeh'd run after the first talk. Didn't think yeh'd come back for more, yeh've obviously done a bit of growing up. I wanted yeh clear of the Irish blowback. Didn't know yeh had yer own shit brewing." He's out of line and he knows it but he's never had a great handle on his temper and she's really pushing her luck.

"I can't believe you, you're trying to blame the Smith shit on me and justify getting a BJ from some hooker in the same breath!" She throws her hands up in the air and turns away from him. His shoulder sag, she's more than right. He reaches out for her and she side steps him, her body tensing. "This is not something you can fix with sex Chibs. We do too much of that."

"I really was trying to protect yeh Leila. Yeh got no idea, I've lost one family to the fucking Irish already I couldn't lose another. Pushin yeh away was instinct; it made sense at the time. I wanted to protect yeh, I've always wanted to protect yeh." He reaches out again and this time she doesn't fight him off when his fingers find flesh. He pulls her back against his chest and presses his face into her neck. She smells familiar and he feels his pulse drop for the first time since she'd come barreling down the dock earlier that night.

"Is that what happened with the wife and kid then?"

"Aye, well, in a way. Jimmy O'Phelan took them from me, although I've come to terms with the fact that Fiona had to want to go. My baby girl though, he took her and left me with a scarred face to remember who's in the charge." Leila nods.

"What does that make me?" He's been trying to avoid this question in his own head for months.

"We can't get married but I want to keep yeh. I love yeh Leila. I really do. Yeh said I was yers. I want that." She sinks back into his chest and turns to face him.

"You can't keep doing this Chibs. You can't keep making maps about our future without me involved. You had that crow drawn up, you tried to push me away. I know where I want this to go and I don't need to telling me how to get there." Her face is serious. "There are only two ways women survive this life and I've done the not knowing anything route already. It hasn't worked out so well. If we're going to keep this up you have to talk to me." He presses his forehead into hers.

"Yeh've been keeping yer own secrets recently darlin. Yeh should have told me what was really going on with Smith. I know yeh can handle yer own problems but I want to be there." Her eyes cut away from his and he can tell she's annoyed.

"I know. I've never had anyone I can rely on, I think there's going to be a learning curve for both of us." Her hands come up to catch in his hair and he relaxes into her. "I love you too you know." Her words are barely a whisper but his heart explodes with them. "You can't go back to her though, if I stay and we give this a shot, you're mine. I know you have a responsibility to the kid but I won't share you. I know the rules of the club and I can deal with it but I can't have another woman in my home."

"Any chance of that died a long time ago luv. There's nothing to go back to." It's true, the Fiona he'd fallen love with was long gone and he'd left any lingering affection he might have for her in Ireland. Leila presses a chaste kiss to his lips and he tightens his arms around her even more. "What do yeh want to do now pet? Yeh feel like yeh yelled enough?" She nods and presses her face into his chest.

"Take me to the clubhouse. I can't sleep here." He can certainly understand that so he waits patiently while she shoves some clothes in a bag and then they leave. He's not stupid enough to think this is the end of the fighting but she admitted she loves him and for now that will do.

The celebrations are still in full swing at the Teller-Morrow lot and it's obvious someone alerted the families because there are kids everywhere, wives and old ladies struggling to keep them contained. Lockdown was officially over and SAMCRO had survived yet another threat, it was a night worth celebrating. Leila sticks close to his side as they wind through the crowd; she seems intent on getting to his dorm with as little conversation as possible. Chibs spots Tig on the far side of the room, leaning against a wall, a brunette bobbing between his thighs and the Scot rushes them past. They hit his dorm without too many mental scars and Chibs slides the lock, blocking out the noise of his brothers.

When he turns back around Leila's already starting to drop clothes, her shirt is gone and she's hopping on one foot, attempting to pull off the stiff boots again. He lunges forward to catch her just before she loses her balance and goes to his knees at her feet. With one steadying hand on her waist her helps her tug off the offending footwear before his fingers ghost at the snap on her jeans. He glances up at her face for permission and her hands come down on his shoulders. Pressing his face into the skin of her stomach he pulls the denim down her legs. He can just see the dark outlines of his hands, on each of her hips. A shot of arousal goes through him at the sight but he forces it down. It's not time to push his luck.

She moves away from him and he feels the usual nighttime rhythm of the last few months together settle into place. He hangs his kutte and pulls off his shirt, holding it out to his half naked girl. He'd thought it funny the first time she'd insisted on sleeping wrapped up in his too big clothes but it had become habit at this point. She crawls into the bed as soon as she's pulled the fabric over her head and Chibs sheds his jeans and boots before following her. He knows as soon as he's settled under the sheets next to her tonight's going to be a twenty questions night. It's clear from the way she settles her head against his chest, her fingers tracing the lines of his unfinished reaper tat on the opposite arm.

"What's her name?" His mind flips through the many hers his girl could ask about.

"Who's pet?" He doesn't want to answer wrong and stir things up again.

"Your daughter."

"Kerrianne." It's been so long since he's had reason to say it out loud it feels awkward on his tongue.

"That's beautiful. I saw her pictures, in the box from the closet. She's a lovely girl. You looked so happy with her." Leila rubs her face into his chest and he tangles his fingers in her curls. Her roots are growing out and he can just make out the natural honey brown color of her hair against the darker red of her latest dye job.

"Aye, she's a sweet girl. Miss her." There's no point in hiding this pain anymore.

"I'm sure you do. You should try and bring her over sometime. If you can." That's a shocking idea but he lets it settle in his mind all the same.

"Yeh'd be okay with that?" He has no idea how they'd ever pull it off but if they could he'd be over the moon.

"Of course," Leila's voice is muffled by his skin, she's talking directly into his shoulder. "She's a part of you. I can't ever give you that, I can't make you that happy again, I'm not going to keep you from your only child." Something clicks in his head and he pulls away only to find her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"Yeh know that's not important don't yeh lass. I know we've talked before but I guess I've never said it out loud, I don't mind that yeh can't have babies. I mean if it's something yeh want we can talk about options but I've never thought of it as a problem." The first of her tears slip out and she presses her face back into his chest.

"Kev— Smith I mean well he wanted me to have his baby. Or a baby, thought I was going to birth the second coming or some nonsense. I killed him before he found out he would have been disappointed but I guess its just after that and then finding that photo of you with your girl right after she was born. What man wants a woman who's missing the important parts?" Chibs lets this newest hurt sink in and pulls her tight, rolling them so she's in her favorite spot perched on his chest.

"Yeh said he didn't touch yeh."

"He didn't just tried. Told me his plans though." She's tracing his scars now and something about the bedtime ritual makes Chibs feel like they really are going to be okay.

"That's seriously fucked up lass. I hope yeh don't actually think yeh're missing any important parts. Yeh've got all the ones I enjoy." He grabs at her ass for emphasis and she presses a watery smile into his cheek.

"You're insatiable. I'm still mad at you."

"Aye, that's alright. Yeh stay mad and I'll stay horny. We'll be just like every other maladjusted couple in the states." That gets a laugh out of her and he digs his fingers into her hips.

"Tell me again." He loosens his grip a she squirms to slide off his chest and settle back into his side.

"Tell yeh what?"

"That you love me." He smiles.

"Yeh already know, so why would I go around repeating it all the time?" He can't see her face but he knows she'll be pouting.

"I like the way you say it. Your accent." Her fingers are running up and down his chest and he can just tell from the designs they're tracing she's planning more ink for him. She's already got two unfinished pieces spread over his body.

"I love yeh." He can feel her smile against his skin.

"Okay, I love you too."

"Go ta sleep yeh daft girl." He jumps when she flicks his nipple in retaliation for the insult but he feels her settle against him even more and it's only a few more minutes before her breathing evens out into rest.

Hopefully this settled some of the questions I got about Leila and Chibs getting back together so quickly. Reviews are always welcome.