Gemma and Angela were out on a food run. Seems like everyone had something that they couldn't live without at the clubhouse during the lockdown, and they were the ones that were tasked with getting what they needed. Angela looked over at Gemma, who as looking out of the window looking more relaxed than she had seen her in a long time.
"You look better. More at peace," Angela said, voicing her thoughts.
Gemma turned her attention to Angela, and, remembering her background asked, "You believe in God?"
Angela hmm'd in thought for a moment. "I suppose. Not to the extent my parents do. With a near zealous need. After I was disowned, God and I came to an agreement. Same one Bella and her dad have, to some extent. He gives me my space, I give him his, and occasionally, if our paths cross, it's all the better. You?"
"I believe we've all got a job to do," Gemma said, leaning towards her a bit.
"Fate."
"Service," Gemma corrected. "Our lot. For you and me both, it's family. Despite the shitty circumstances of our youths, we made our own families. I get it now. God wants me to be a fierce mother. Wants you to be a fierce mother. That's our path."
Gemma turned to look once more out the window as Angela focused on driving, and thinking about what Gemma said. And the woman wasn't wrong.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
Fiona was waiting outside of the house Stahl had busted Eddie in a few days previous, pacing as she waited for Stahl to answer her call.
"Fiona," came her answer.
"Fed. Jimmy is sending the guns back to the original hide out. The house you busted Edmond at," Fiona tells her.
"Now why would he do that?" Stahl asked.
"Don't expect me to tell you the mind of the man who has been keeping me and my daughter prisoner for over a decade. This is your window. He's bringing the guns, and using his AB contacts to run them for him. Tomorrow, here, at 1:15. He wants me to stay here to ensure they get here whole and accounted for."
There was silence on the line for a moment as Stahl thought over her options before she replied. "We'll be there," and hung up.
Fiona breathed out a sigh of relief. Tomorrow and she and Kerrianne would be free. Tomorrow, this nightmare ended.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
It was time. Gemma, Angela, Bella, Donna, and Lyla were all saying goodbye to their men before they rode out to take care of the last of their AB problem. Jasper holding Lyla as close as possible, almost like he could meld them together. Bella was bemused at how close they seemed to be getting and liked to tease Jasper about the honeymoon phase. Gemma gave Clay a sweet goodbye kiss, telling him to come back. Donna was hugging Opie hard as his arms encircled all three and a half members of his family. Chibs' head was pressed against Bella's his hand against her swollen tummy, and Jax was whispering in Angela's ear.
"I gotta go," he said finally, as he kissed her one last time and followed a passing Clay. It was then the boys left en-mass. Mounting their bikes and riding off.
They watched the line of bikes pull out of the gate as it was opened, and Gemma put her arm around Angela. "Come here. Come here," she said to Bella, pulling her into her other side as she kissed both of their cheeks. Donna had a hold of Angela's hand and Lyla had a hold of Bella's.
"It's gonna be okay," Gemma said. "It'll be all right. Let's get 'em all inside. Come on, kids." Gemma released the girls and corralled Ellie, Kenny, and Piper into the clubhouse. Then she saw Chucky moping a bit to the side. "Hey, Stumpy, come with us." Chuck perked up, and followed the others into the clubhouse, now happy that he seemed to be viewed as an ally at least.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
It was dark by the time everyone had made it to the off road of Oswald's timberland. The bikes were parked in a line. Their back up was hiding in the trees. Now they were just waiting for Ule and his ilk to show. Jasper hung back, pacing slowly and obviously deep in thought. Jax was twisting this way and that to loosen himself up. Everyone had their little rituals. Finally, they could see headlights.
"Hey," Clay said, tilting his head in the direction of the oncoming lights.
"All right, boys. Here they come," Jax said, as they watched four cars pull up. Only it was more than ten that got out and they all had weapons. AKs to be more specific.
Jasper stood tall and proud in the front now, standing on one side of Clay with Jax on the other side. "What happened to 10 on 10, no weapons?" Clay asked.
"Guess you couldn't handle a fair fight, huh?" Jax asked.
"Fair is for losers," Ule said. "I'd rather win." Jax smiled and sighed.
"Yeah, me too." Jasper smirked and put his fingers to his mouth and gave a short sharp whistle. From out of the trees, flanking both sides of the Sons, came Lin's crew to the left, and the One-Niners to the right.
Ule's men began cocking their weapons and aiming them at the Sons new friends as they fell in line, but the Niner's and Lin's crew weren't having it. They aimed their guns right back.
"Put your weapons down," Clay ordered. Ule, seeing that he was out numbered and most definitely out gunned, decided to play it smart for once.
"Put 'em down," he tells his men.
"Now you see, I'm usually one about honor, and upholding your word. But you pulled me from the arms of my woman this evenin'. Made her worry. Made the women of a lot of these men worry. And I don't take well to people who threaten those I hold in high regard. So, without further ado-" here Jasper snapped his fingers, and the Niners and Lin's crew opened fired. The Sons, not wanting to miss out on the bloodbath, pulled their weapons and joined. It was a bloody mess of hamburgered men that greeted their eyes when they were done firing.
Clay walked up to Ule, and pulled out his phone, taking a picture of what was left of his face.
"What are you doing? You know you get caught with that, it'll be evidence," Jasper said seriously.
"Chucky gave his statement about the Cara Cara fire. Just wanted to see if we had the right man or if we should still be hunting for him." He stood up straight and turned to the Sons. "Alright boys. Clean up time."
The Sons took hold of one of the bodies and drug them to the back, where Tig was waiting with a bobcat, courtesy of Oswald. Clay met Lin's crew and the Niners in the bloody clearing to tie off this end nicely.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
Jax was visiting Otto in Stockton. After a night of cleaning up the AB mess, he just wanted to get back to Angela, but Clay wanted him to pass on through Otto to the AB heads what Zobelle was up to. Make sure their protection was solid should they end up in the joint again.
"How you getting by?" Jax asked. Otto reached up and pulled the bandage from his eye, showing a black hole under his drooping lid.
"10% vision. It's, uh, lightened the work detail." They both chuckle ruefully. "Resigned to, uh, books on tape."
"It's time for retribution, bro," Jax said. Otto's attention and poor vision turned to Jax. "Got some intel the Aryan shot-callers are gonna wanna know."
"Okay," Otto said seriously, turning an ear towards the young Son to make sure he got everything.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
Fiona was waiting not so patiently for Jimmy to show. She was so close to freedom she could nearly taste it. All she wanted was to get home and be with her daughter, but first she had to get through this. She nearly jumped when she heard the garage open and Jimmy come in through the connecting door. Followed by two Mexican boys carrying a crate.
"Hello, lovey," he said, standing aside so the help could put the crate down in the living room.
"Where's your friend? You said that he would be picking up the guns," Fiona said in a huff.
"Change of plans. Seems he got on the wrong end of SAMCRO last night. Haven't heard from him since."
"So what are we going to do with a crateful of AKs then, Jimmy? We can't keep toting them around, like we have been."
"You're right," he said with a smile. "That's why you are going to stay here, keep an eye on my interest-"
"What?! No!" She screeched, interrupting him. Jimmy snapped and rushed her, pinning to the far wall by her throat.
"You will do as I say, woman, or I may just find myself in the market for a new partner sooner rather than later," he growled at her. Fiona couldn't have that. She could put herself in danger, but never Kerrianne. She hit the panic button on a pen in her pocket that Stahl had given her earlier that morning. It took all of 20 seconds from the time she hit the button to the time the feds were kicking in the door. Jimmy, Fiona, and the two Mexican men on the floor by their noses.
"Open it," Stahl ordered two of the agents with her, gesturing to the crate they had brought in. Crowbars were produced and the crate opened. Only, instead of guns, it was filled with produce. Apples, oranges, bananas, a bunch of exotics and enough to feed an army. "What is this?" she demanded of Jimmy on the floor.
"Figured on staying in town a while. Needed some food stores to hold us over. Jose's family here runs the best produce store in three counties," Jimmy said nonchalantly.
"Where are the guns?" Stahl shouted at him.
"Guns? You think I had guns in that crate?" he laughed. "Who do you think I am? John Wayne? Listen, Lady. Can we get up. We aren't doing anything illegal here." Stahl nodded to the agents in the room with them and they let Jimmy and Fiona up.
"We have audio to you admitting to running guns," Stahl said, referring to the wire Fiona wore.
"Do you? I don't recall saying anything about guns. Not a word of it crossed my lips. I was only telling Fiona she was going to look after my interests. I have a lot of stock in the American market, you know. And with the way you American's spend and earn money, I need someone here to make sure I can sell when I need to."
Stahl stood there, looking dumbfounded at being outwitted by Jimmy O. "You've got nothing on me. Whatever you coerced Fiona into thinking, it won't work. And you have no cause to hold us without a warrant."
Stahl sighed, knowing he was right. She didn't have anything solid on them and it would be a waste of time bringing them in, not to mention the paperwork.
"Let's go," she said. The agents looked between each other for a moment before they started filing out of the house.
"Wait! That's it? You're just leaving?" Fiona said in a panicked voice. Stahl turned back to her.
"He's right. We have nothing. You've provided us with nothing we can use, Fiona. So you will get nothing." Fiona stood there, watching her plans flush down the drain as all of the blood left her body. She paled, as the Feds left her alone with the most dangerous person on the planet to her at the moment.
"You've been rather naughty, lovey," Jimmy said, menacingly.
"Now, wait, Jimmy," she said in a shaky voice, holding out a hand as if it would stop his advance. "Think of Kerrianne. She's so young-"
"You should have thought about that before you tried to rat, Fiona."
"But what if I could provide you with an alternative!" she said hastily. "One that will give you a son and devastate Filip at the same time!"
Jimmy stopped, tilting his head to one side. "I'm listening."
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
Otto was in the prison library, listening to a book on tape. But he was in there for another reason. The AB dick that took his good eye was in there as well, on shelving duty. He was getting help from one of the Niner contacts he was tight with. He heard a book being put down beside him, as the tape continued to play. He then heard the sound of something heavy smacking hard into the meaty flesh of someone, and a groan before a body fell. Opening the book, he felt that there was a shiv inside. Standing up, the Niner led him to the downed man, who he knelt down to and felt for his head.
"The beating was from SAMCRO. This...is from me," he said lowly into the mans ear, before shoving the shiv into the man's neck, just under where his jaw hinged. The Aryan gave a sound of pain, and tried to buck Otto off his back, but the nearly blind man held on to him with a grip to rival a croc. And there Otto stayed, until the man stopped moving.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
The lockdown was over. The gates were open and everyone was going home, though a chosen few were going with escorts, just in case. Half-Sac was following Bella and Angela as they made their way to Chibs' place. They had just managed to get her and everything in the door and settled once again. Angela had Abel on her hip.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay here until Chibs comes home?" Angela asked.
"Yeah, I should be fine. The table meeting shouldn't last long," Bella replied, smiling.
"I don't know, Bells. I've just got this feeling that it's not over yet. I mean, Jimmy is still out there, and we know he has a hard on for Chibs."
"Would it make you feel better if I called him for another watch man, while Sac takes you home?" she asked, already pulling out her phone.
"It's the only way you'll get me out the door," Angela smiled. Bella chuckled and called Chibs. It rang three times before he answered.
"Aye, love. Got another craving," he teased.
"Har har. Listen, could you send another dad home to me?" she asked.
"Is everything okay?" he asked worriedly.
"Fine, it's just Angela is worried, and I can't get her to go ho- OH!" she exclaimed as she turned and saw none other than Jimmy O walking into the house, a gun aimed at them. He was promply followed by Fiona, who had a gun of her own.
"Well, well. Aren't we just a scene of domestic bliss," Jimmy said as he walked towards Bella.
"Izzy? Izzy?!" Chibs called into the phone as Jimmy took it from her hands and hung up.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
Chibs had gone pale as he called Bella's name into the phone. The moment it disconnected, he was standing.
"What is it?" Clay asked.
"Jimmy is at my place with Bella and Angela," he said as he ran out of the meeting room. Every Son and those of the Coven present followed him.
"We're with you brother," Jax said, moving.
"Not going to Bella without us," Jasper said.
"Stop talking and move!" Charlie ordered.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
"So, you're Filips new woman. I must say that he continues to have good taste in women," Jimmy said as he leered at her.
"Really? I think it's improved quite a bit," Bella snarked. Fiona backhanded her and Bella was forced to steady herself on the wall.
"I'd watch what you say whore. I haven't forgotten the show you were so kind to put on for me while he was in hospital," Fiona barked.
"And as we told you then, you could have hung up at any time. Personally, I think you secretly enjoyed it. Hearing the sound of a good fuck since you weren't getting any yourself."
Fiona went to slap her again, but Jimmy stopped her. "Now, now, Fiona. That's no way to treat anyone in Isabella's condition. Wouldn't want to damage your one chance at freedom."
"What do you want?" Bella asked.
"Why, you, of course, Isabella. You carry my son after all. Weapon, young prospect," Jimmy said to Half-Sac, who slowly pulled a gun from the small of his back and handed it to Jimmy, handle first. "You too, Sweethearts. Just because you're old lady's doesn't mean you don't have means to protect yourselves."
Angela and Bella both produced their untraceable guns and handed them over. "Last time I checked, I've only been sleeping with one man. This is Chibs' son," Bella said.
"Ah, but what's his is mine. You see, I've always taken what was Filip's. It's a sort of game between us," Jimmy said. Half-Sac went to move just to Bella's side when Jimmy's gun focused on him.
"Don't get brave, boyo," he said, gesturing his gun to the nearby couch in the living room. "Sit." Sac didn't move, so Jimmy raised his gun to his head and repeated the order. "Sit!"
The yelled demand startled Abel and the infant cried out in distress. Angela did her best to calm him, and managed it with a bit of rocking and cooing.
"Wee little Abel Teller. Strong set of lungs on him," Jimmy said. Angela hugged the baby tighter to her. "We're going to need a little more insurance to get out of here. Fiona, take the lad."
"What?" she asked, confused.
"Take the lad," he repeated slowly, making each word sound like a sentence. Fiona moved forward to take Abel, but Half-Sac rushed forward to subdue Jimmy, only to get shot in the chest for his troubles. Angela and Bella cry out for him, and Abel starts crying again at the loud noises. Bella went to kneel beside the now gasping and dying prospect, and Angela was doing her best to hold onto Abel in her distress, and failing. The baby screaming in pain as he was wrenched from Angela's arms.
Jimmy focused his gun on Angela. "Now, what to do with you?" he asked.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
The Sons burst into Chibs' home to find Half-Sac dead near the door and Angela tied to a chair in the living room, gagged, struggling, and crying.
"Angel!" Jax shouted as he went to her, taking her gag off.
"He took them!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face.
"What?" he said, looking to Abel's empty car seat.
"Go! I'll be fine! Go get them!" she shouted at them. Nearly everyone left, though Jane stayed behind, to untie her and get the story.
The Sons and Coven members jumped onto their bikes. Jasper producing a rather impressive M4A1 rifle with a laser aiming module from the back of the SUV Jane drove over. Not even caring that he'll be riding with a military issued rifle on his back through civilian streets (a BIG no-no by the way) he followed the Sons. They all rode like bats out of hell to catch up, knowing that the Irishman was heading to the docks where Opie had followed Stahl; Chibs, Jax, and Charlie out front.
They got there in time to see Jimmy struggling with Bella to get them onto a boat with Fiona behind them. Bella was putting up enough of a fight though to stall them. Jimmy saw the Sons at the entrance of the docks from his boat on the far side and knew he had to do something. So he took his pistol, and smashed the butt of it to Bella's head, knocking her out. He caught her as she slumped in unconsciousness, and took satisfaction in Chibs yelling at him in anger as he swept her up bridal style and carried her onto the boat.
Fiona wasn't so lucky. Jasper had stayed at the entrance to the dock, knowing he couldn't shoot them randomly as he ran. He focused on them in his sights, and took a chance. He fired at Fiona, hitting her in the shoulder, causing her to fall. She had just managed to hold on to Abel. She knew though that she wouldn't make it to the boat with him, and she would die if she stayed. So she left Abel on the dock and boarded the boat just as Jimmy was pulling out. And the Sons got there mere moments after.
Jax immediately picked his son up from the dock, hugging him close and checking him for injuries as Chibs stood where the wooden planks ended, looking on as his fiance was taken from him. Charlie put his hand on Chibs' shoulder in a show of comfort, but the man was too focused on the boat.
"He took her. He took Izzy!" He said through ragged breaths, looking around at his brothers and the Coven members. He then turned his attention back to the receding image of the boat and collapsed, Charlie's arms doing their best to support him and failing.
"ISABELLA!"
A/N 11/24/2018: And that's it for season 2, my loves. I hope it was worth it. I'm sorry it's taken so long to finish, but I've always loved a bit of anticipation in my stories. I know this cliffhanger is one hell of an anticipatory deal, but hey, what can I say? First episode of season 3 ought to be up before the end of the weekend, so keep your eyes peeled. Please leave a review! I love hearing from y'all!