Ali laughed as Moose and Bear tried to get her attention by tugging at the hem of her shirt and her pant leg as she attempted to get to the garage to do some laundry.

She shifted the hamper against her hip so she could hold it with one hand while she gently swatted the puppies away the other.

"No!" She told them firmly and they released her. "Sit!"

The dogs gave her a curious look like they didn't quite understand what she was trying to say.

"Sit!" Ali tried again, but they just stood there with their tongues hanging out and their tails wagging.

"Forget it." Ali muttered to herself and decided to try a command she knew they understood. "Go get Rat. Go on. Go get Rat."

The puppies barked excitedly and bounded off to the living room where Ratboy was watching TV. She heard the prospect yelp in surprise and figured Moose and Bear had decided to convince their new friend they were really lap dogs. She chuckled and carried on her way into the garage.

Chibs had left a few days again and she missed him terribly. She had barely been sleeping at all without him. She missed the way he made love to her every night before she fell asleep in his arms. She missed the feel his goatee scratching lightly against her neck and sweet stolen kisses in the dark. She missed him.

Other than the lack of his physical presence in their bed, Ali was kept awake worrying about his safety. He called to check in as often as he could, but in between those calls, Ali lived in a constant state of fear she would never hear his voice again. She knew she was being irrational, but there was still that risk that came with the MC life and it scared her to death.

She pushed those thoughts aside and tried to focus on the task at hand: Laundry. But as she set the hamper down on top of the dryer, her eyes wandered to the box sitting in the corner of the garage. As if I don't have enough to worry about, she thought, as she surveyed its worn edges and age-old scuffs.

It was just sitting there, as it had since the day she demanded Papa remove it from her bedroom. It was just an inanimate object. It in of itself was nothing to be afraid of, but its mere existence under her roof made Ali's fingers twitch uneasily. Part of her contemplated the merits of cracking it open and facing the demons trapped inside. Another part just wanted to burn the damn thing and forget it ever existed. She was forced to concede the latter option was impossible.

She had told Papa never again. He wasn't pleased with her decision, but he understood. He couldn't blame her for wanting to walk away. It was too great a burden for a child to bear, but that's just what she had been when it all began. Just a child and she had been asked to walk through the fires of hell for the European Assassins. It was a miracle she had emerged from the flames with her sanity more or less intact.

But that box stood as a constant reminded or her sins and her lost childhood. Ali had no intention of looking back now. Not when she had so much to look forward to. She had an amazing man and would, hopefully, feel the quickening of a child in her womb soon. Then she would have everything she ever wanted. Her past had no place in her new life.

No, she reminded herself. Never again.

A few days later Ali returned to the hospital for her follow up appointment. After a battery of tests, an internal ultrasound and an additional pelvic exam for good measure, Ali had been called into Dr. Michael's office to receive devastating news.

Ali ignored the tears steadily dribbling down her face as she stared blankly at Dr. Michaels sitting across the desk.

"Give me a number." Ali pleaded.

"Less than five percent chance, but I'm afraid that's being generous." The doctor offered pursing her lips thoughtfully.

Ali wiped her eyes furiously, trying to get her emotions under control, but the tears just kept coming.

"Are there any other options? Fertility treatments...in vitro?" Ali asked desperately.

"I'm sorry, Miss Brooks, but the damage was too severe. Have you considered adoption?" Dr. Michaels suggested like it was the most obvious answer.

Ali laughed bitterly, "I'm not considered a prime candidate due to my known association with motorcycle enthusiasts."

The doctor gave her an apologetic look, "I suppose not. If you'd like I can recommend a counselor? Talking to someone might help given everything you've gone through."

"Thanks for the offer, Doc, but I'll pass." Ali huffed as she stood and made her way to the door.

Ratboy was waiting for her when she emerged. He took notice of her slumped shoulders and puffy red eyes. He knew better than to ask questions, but the grief was rolling off her in waves. It was impossible to ignore.

"Bad news?" He asked gently.

Ali nodded with a sniffle, "Can you take me back to TM, George?"

"Sure, Miss Ali," He offered her a reassuring smile.

Ratboy slipped a friendly arm around Ali's shoulders and guided her out of the hospital. He led her to the TM tow truck parked in the parking lot and opened the passenger door for her. He watched helplessly as she wearily climbed into her seat. She laid her head against the cool glass of her window as he climbed into the driver's seat and turned the ignition. Ali was thankful for the silence as they drove back to TM.

As they pulled up, the lot was empty. The guys, Chibs included, were still out on their protection run, but they were due to return that evening. The sun was already starting to dip behind the hills, giving a slight chill to the air.

Ali slid from her seat without a word and headed straight for the clubhouse. Inside, Piney was sitting alone at the bar, a half empty bottle of tequila and a shot glass resting on the bar in front of him. Ali wasted no time snatching the bottle away from the old Son as she headed towards the back stairs.

"Hey!" Piney slurred grumpily.

"Trust me, Piney, I need it more than you right now!" Ali tossed back over her shoulder.

Ali found her way to the ladder that led up to the roof. Carefully tucking her stolen bottle of tequila under her arm, she climbed the metal rungs upwards.

Ali let out a shuddering breath as she sunk down into Jax's preferred thinking spot. She brought the bottle to her lips, gulping back a few mouthfuls of the silver liquid. She sighed blissfully as the alcohol seared its way down her throat, numbing her heartache a little and giving her vision a pleasant fuzzy halo. She watched the sun set in all of its fiery pink and orange glory, tears pooling in her shining sapphire eyes.

Chibs and the boys returned to the clubhouse after the sun had long since gone to bed. He was surprised to get off his bike and spot Ratboy sitting at the outdoor table smoking a cigarette and picking at the label of his beer bottle. Chibs frowned knowing Ratboy was supposed to be watching Ali.

"Whatcha doing here, Rat? Where's Ali?" He asked, concern leaking into his thick accent.

Ratboy thumbed up to the roof, "She got some bad news at the hospital... Stole Piney's tequila and climbed up there. Left her alone cause I figured she just needed some space."

Chibs nodded and clapped the twitchy prospect on the shoulder, "Thanks for looking out for my Old Lady."

Ratboy gave him a small smirk, "I get to follow a pretty girl around all day… doesn't exactly seem like work."

"Watch it, boyo. I'd hate to have to kill ya." Chibs warned teasingly.

Ratboy shrugged, "Ali might be worth dying for." His face fell a little, "I hate to see her upset like this."

Chibs sighed, "Who was she at the hospital to see?"

"A gynecologist, I think." Ratboy scratched the side of his head.

Chibs ran a hand over his face, realizing he'd forgotten about her follow up appointment, "Shit… no wonder she's so upset."

He pushed past the prospect and jogged into the clubhouse. He ignored Piney's slurred whine about how Chibs should tell his woman to get her own damn booze and took the back stairs two at a time. He was puffing a bit by the time he got to the second floor landing. He made a mental note to cut back on the smokes as he climbed the ladder to the roof.

Chibs found Ali leaning back against some ducting, knees pulled up to her chest as she looked up at the stars. Her hair was down, loose curls dancing in the gentle breeze. He bit back a groan as he realized she was wearing a flowing little floral mini skirt that showed off her gorgeous legs. She rarely wore skirts. Of course she'd paired it with a plain black tank top and her favorite red chucks… Ali wasn't really one to wear heels.

"Mo gradh?" He questioned softly.

He carefully approached his Old Lady. Piney's mostly empty bottle of tequila was dangling from her fingertips and she didn't seem to notice he was even there. Chibs realized he had never seen her trashed before. He wasn't sure what type of drunk to expect.

"Filip?"

"Aye, Luv. What are you doing up here?"

"I needed to breathe."

"So tequila and heights help you do that now?" Chibs smirked.

When she didn't say anything, Chibs closed the distance between them. His smirk disappeared and his heart twisted painfully when he saw the intense sadness in her beautiful eyes and the ruminants of tears still wetting her cheeks.

He took the bottle from her and put it to the side. With gentle hands he moved her to sit up, surprised by how docile and malleable she was being. He slid behind her and pulled her back against his strong chest with a protective arm wrapped around her middle. He drew comforting circles on her bare knee and nuzzled the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He didn't push her knowing she would tell him what was wrong when she was ready.

Ali melted into him wit an anguished sigh. She trailed her fingertips along the arm wrapped around her waist.

"He was right." Ali started.

"Who?" Chibs coaxed gently.

"Tony…" Chibs tensed hearing Ali say the psycho's name. "…He said I'd never have a baby. He stole my dream… cut it out of me with a fucking kitchen knife." Ali whimpered.

"What did the doctor say, sweetheart?" Chibs asked for clarification.

Ali took a deep breath; "He severed one of my fallopian tubes, making one ovary completely useless. The other was so severely damaged, it's a miracle I'm producing enough estrogen to keep me from going into early menopause. And there's uterine scarring that would make in-vitro virtually impossible. The doctor gave me less than a five percent chance of ever getting pregnant."

Chibs tightened his arms around his Old Lady at the first hint of a sob. He swallowed back his own disappointment. He had let himself get exited about the possibility of being a father again. His heart swelled with joy at the very thought of Ali's belly rounded with his child. He wanted it just as much as she did, but apparently fate had other plans… and fate was a mother-fucking bitch.

"What am I going to do, Filip?" Ali cried.

"Shhh…We'll get through this. I promise. We'll just have to make new dreams… together." He tried to sooth her.

He pressed a lingering kiss to her shoulder. Ali shifted in his arms so she could see his face. She could see the traces of sadness in his eyes, but there was also hope shining in the chocolate depths. She knew he was right. They would get through this. They still had each other.

Chibs brushed a few stray tears from her cheeks with a warm calloused thumb. Ali gave him a weak smile, reaching up to run her fingertips along one of his scarred cheeks. He closed his eyes and leaned into her gentle touch. He snatched her wrist and brought her fingertips to his lips. The little brunette lifted her self up to brush her soft lips against his. It was sweet and chaste, but full of promises.

Ali pulled back, smiling softly as she saw how much the innocent little kiss had affected her Old Man.

"I love you, Filip. I don't think I could survive this if I didn't have you." She confessed.

Chibs ran a hand through her wild curls, "I'm not going anywhere, Mo gradh. I love you…"

Ali cut him off and brought her lips crashing back down onto his, taking Chibs a bit by surprise. It didn't take him long to recover from his shock as he angled her head slightly so he could deepen the kiss. Her tongue danced along his teasingly and he felt his jeans tighten. She was as intoxicating as the tequila that lingered on her breath.

He groaned as she pulled away, eyebrows rising as she moved to straddle his hips. He let out a sharp hiss of pleasure as she ground herself against his hardening member. He didn't have time to ask questions as her lips found his again with just as much intensity as before. She tangled her fingers in his slicked-back hair as his goatee pleasantly scratched the skin around her lips.

Ali used her free hand to slide down his chest and pull his tucked in shirt free from his jeans. She was overcome with the need to feel the heated flesh of his stomach under her fingertips. She knew that a simple touch wouldn't be enough satisfy her. She needed him to make her feel whole again.

"I want you, Filip… Now!" She demanded against his hungry lips.

Chibs chuckled, "Here?"

"Please… I need to feel you inside me." She begged, breaking the kiss to look him in the eyes.

"Are you really asking me to fuck you on a rooftop, Luv?" Chibs asked skeptically.

Ali bit her lower lip and nodded. The Scot still couldn't believe she was serious. He was quick to blame it on the tequila.

"You're drunk, Ali. You don't mean it." Chibs shook his head in disbelief.

Ali sat back in his lap, fully aware of the large bulge straining against his denim.

"I'm not drunk." She pouted, rocking her core against him painfully slow. "Don't you want me, Filip?"

Chibs' eyes flashed with a primal lust. He firmly grasped her hips and pulled her down hard against his rock hard member.

"Does that feel like I don't want you, Lass?" He growled dangerously making Ali shiver in anticipation.

Feeling he'd made his point, Chibs slid one hand up her side, innocently brushing his thumb along the outside of her breast. He continued upward to cup her cheek in his large warm palm. They lost themselves in each other's eyes; the reflections of love, lust, understanding and trust.

"I will never not want you, Ali. I'm more than willing to take you here in sight of god and all creating and make you scream my name loud enough to make all the boys downstairs jealous if that's what you want…" Chibs told her without reservation.

Ali bit back a moan, warm moisture rushing to her core as she realized that was exactly what she wanted him to do.

"But this exhibitionist shit… it's not like you." Chibs concluded.

"Okay, the tequila might be doing a little bit of the talking," Ali admitted, "But it doesn't change what I want." To prove her point, Ali gripped the bottom hem of her top and pulled it up and over her head, tossing it to the side. "Please, Filip. I need this… I need you."

The Scottish Son didn't need any more convincing. His hand gently gripped the back of her neck and pulled her head down to meet his, lips molding and sliding together before his tongue swept back into her mouth.

His hands slipped around her back to unclasp her pale pink bra, pulling is down her arms and away from her body. Never breaking the kiss, his rough hands massaged the soft flesh of her breasts, tweaking and rolling her hardened nipples between his dexterous fingertips.

Chibs' lips broke away from Ali's as he trailed kisses along her cheek and jaw to that sweet spot on her neck. He heard her breathy sigh as he latched on, nipping lightly at her sensitive skin.

He pulled a hand off her breast to slide up her thigh and under her short little skirt. The apex of her thighs was radiating heat and he groaned when he felt her wetness through the flimsy fabric of her thong. He pushed the material aside and ran his fingers over her slick pussy lips before plunging two fingers into her warm wet core.

Ali gasped, "Oh Filip!"

"You like that, don't you, Lass?" He crooned against her ear and moved his fingers inside her, circling her clit with his thumb.

"Yes! Oh god, yes!" She moaned, her head tilting back.

"You're so wet, Ali. Does it turn you on knowing anyone could see us?"

Ali was delirious with need, "I don't care…Ahh…I just need you."

He kissed her softly, "I know, Luv. I'm going to take good care of you."

Ali frantically clawed at his shirt, craving more skin on skin contact. She managed to undo his kutte and his button-up underneath. She fanned her fingers out over his tattooed chest, grounding herself as the heat from his skin sank into her palms.

Chibs pulled his hand away from her pussy, smirking as she whimpered at the loss of contact. He reached between them to undo his fly and released his hardened cock from the confines of his jeans. He rubbed himself against her warm, wet pussy and eased himself into her.

Ali cried out as he gripped her hips and brought her fully down on his dick. He bucked his hips up to meet hers as she rode him hard, letting her set an almost brutal pace. He had her screaming wildly before he even touched her clit to drive her over the edge.

"Filiiip!" Ali shouted as her orgasm hit with the force of a tidal wave.

As her inner walls tightened around him, Chibs pulled her trembling body against his and slammed himself into her until he came inside her with a feral roar.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her until they had both regained their breath. He felt her shiver and he kissed the top of her head.

"Let's go home, Mo gradh."

A few weeks later the shop was closed for the weekend, but a few of the guys were milling around the clubhouse. Chibs was trying to have a quiet drink while Ali was in the ring working out with Juice outside. Ever since her stitches had been taken out, and she had been told she couldn't get pregnant, Ali had vowed to get back into boxing shape, just in case Tony showed up again. Chibs didn't know how much good it would do her against her drug and steroid fueled ex, but it seemed to make her feel better, so he didn't argue. He'd do anything to put the smile back on her face.

The young Puerto Rican Son had been looking to improve his boxing skills and seized the opportunity to learn from her years of training. Unfortunately, Chibs had become a bit of a distraction, blatantly ogling her while she worked through her series of stretches and continuously telling Juice to take it easy on her while they were trading sparring blows. Ali had gotten so fed up with trying to tell her Old Man to behave that she had sent him inside with a kiss and a promise she would be careful.

"Hey there."

Chibs looked at the pretty blonde standing next to him at the bar. He seemed to remember her being one of the Cara Cara girls, worked some girl on girl shit with Opie's Lyla, but fuck if he could remember her name.

"Hi." He replied with a gruff politeness as he turned back to his drink.

"I'm Ima, your Chibs right?"

"Yeah."

"I love your accent. Are you British? I love a British accent."

"Scottish." He corrected her with an unimpressed glower.

There was an awkward silence between them. She clearly wanted something but Chibs couldn't bring himself to care enough to ask. He hoped if he stared at the bottom of his pint glass long enough she might take the hint and go away. He wasn't that lucky.

"So Lyla ditched me to take Opie upstairs."

"Yeah, so?"

Ima wrapped her hand around his bicep, pressing her tits against him and licking her lips seductively, "I thought you might want to take me up stairs too."

"Not interested, lass."

The porn star huffed, releasing his arm and crossing her own under her enhanced breasts, pushing them up slightly, "I find that hard to believe. Any man would jump at a chance to get a taste of my grade a pussy. You should consider yourself lucky I'm even talking to your scarred ass."

"Well when you put it that way… no fucking way, you fucking gash." Chibs snapped.

Ali and Juice walked through the door drenched in sweat and laughing their heads off.

"Seriously, Ali, the human body isn't meant to bend that way."

"You just need to practice, maybe try a bit of yoga."

Chibs pushed himself off his stool and made a show of kissing his Old Lady senseless. He scooped her up under her ass, coaxing her legs to wrap around her waist while he walked her back to the bar. He sat her on the bar top.

"Filip!" Ali gasped as he attacked the sweet spot on her neck.

Ima glared at them, noticing Ali's scars peaking out from under her racer-back tank top.

"Well isn't that cute, Frankenstein found his own scarred little freak show." Ima sneered at the couple.

Chibs tensed, ripping his lips away from Ali neck to level Ima with a dangerous look, "You can say all the shit you want about me, but my Old Lady is off limits."

Ima shot back a haughty look of her own, "I don't see any crow ink. That's how things work around here, right? So she's no better than a then one of the biker sluts who hang around here."

The few guys in the clubhouse went silent. Chibs was livid. He had never raised his hand to a woman, but the blonde was seriously close to making him throw his moral compass out the window. Ali's gentle hand on the side of his face stayed his fury as she turned his head to face her. She kissed his lips, running her thumb across one of his scarred cheeks lovingly.

"Let me up," She whispered against his lips.

Chibs gave her a questioning look. She just smiled softly with a little bit of determination shining in her beautiful blue eyes. Chibs pulled back and helped Ali hop down from the counter. Ali stepped around him and approached the blonde bitch.

Ali was considerably shorter than the porn star, but she held her head high, "Do we have a problem?"

Ima sized up the little brunette, "Why would anyone choose you when they could have someone like me?"

Ali's eyes narrowed, "Did you push up on my man?"

"Yeah, I did. What are you going to do about, bitch?" Ima spat poking a finger into Ali's chest.

In an instant, Ali grabbed Ima's wrist and wrenched in behind the porn star's back in a vicious hammerlock. She used her other hand to grab a fistful of blonde hair.

"Let go of me you psycho cunt!" Ima shrieked as she struggled to get away.

Ali yanking back on Imas hair until the her ear was level with Ali's mouth, "Let's get a few things straight. I'm not a biker slut, a croweater or a sweetbutt. I'm a fucking mechanic and I'm Chibs' Old Lady. I am his, just as he is mine and I sure as hell don't share. I suggest you leave now before I beat you bloody."

Ali released the blonde with a hard shove towards the door. Ima tripped over her heel and tumbled to the floor. She looked up in shock at Ali towering over her, scrambling backwards like a drunk crab as Ali advanced on her.

Chibs walked up behind Ali and wrapped his arms around her waist possessively, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. "I'd listen to my Old Lady, she's put bitches in the hospital for less."

Ima shifted her eyes to glare at Chibs then back to Ali.

"He's not fucking worth it." She hissed as he clambered to her feet and made a mad dash for the door, shoving past a snickering Juice on her way out.

The short brunette frowned and leaned back into Chibs, "She's wrong. You're more than worth it."

"She just a stupid gash, Luv."

"I know."

"But she did bring up a good point." Juice mentioned.

Chibs nodded, not happy that the bitch was right about one thing.

Ali turned in his arms to look up at her Old Man, "What point?"

"You don't have ink." Juice explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Chibs brushed her cheek with the knuckle of his forefinger, "I need to put my crow on you."

"Need to, or want to?" Ali asked softly.

"Both. You're mine Ali. I want everyone to know it, but I won't make you do anything you don't want to." He told her resting his forehead against hers.

Ali to consider his words before nodding, "I'll do it on one condition."

"What, beautiful?"

"Will you hold my hand? I hate needles." A slight embarrassed blush darkened her cheeks.

"Of course, Mo gradh." Chibs chuckled as he captured her lips in a soul-searing kiss.

A/N: Hello Dear Readers, This marks the last of the housekeeping chapters for a while. Next chapter will jump ahead to when the rest of the boys get out of Stockton. I hope you enjoyed the little rooftop romp and Ima's mini beat down.

Thanks for sticking with me. I've still got a long way to go.

MissAliVee