Molly pulled her hair back into a loose topknot hoping that the hairdo would keep her hair out of her face at work. She put her makeup on lightly as she stared in the large cracked mirror above Chibs' dresser. The mirror really was quite pathetic looking. Juice had dropped it the day he'd helped Chibs move into the apartment and as a result the mirror was now cracked vertically right down the middle.
Chibs knew that he should just break down and replace the mirror, but he'd never gotten quite around to it. This could be said about most of Chibs' furniture. Yes he did have a few nice pieces, like his leather sectional couch, his flatscreen television, and his heavy intricately carved bed. His dresser, his coffee table, and the little bedside tables in his bedroom were a different story though.
Chibs was far too stubborn to replace the wrecked bits of his furniture. He always seemed to remind himself that he had grown up with far less. His often at times difficult childhood had left him with the need to hold on to his money.
His family had struggled so when he was a boy. He refused to ever be that impoverished again.
It wasn't that he was cheap; he was just the type hold on to his savings. In a way he saw it as saving up for a rainy day. He liked knowing that there was always money to fall back on in hard times. It was a great comfort having the reassurance that he would never have to go without as he had often been forced to do as a child.
It had been almost a week and a half since Brian Parker had left Charming, but Molly still hadn't worked up the nerve to return to her rental home. The little rental home that she had once thought of as a safe haven just didn't feel secure to her any longer.
She feared that her ex husband knew exactly where she and Mason lived. She was frightened that he might return to Charming. One of her biggest fears was that he may show up on her doorstep some day looking to bring his family back to New Orleans.
She was just thankful that Chibs seemed more than willing to allow Mason and her to stay here with him.
He had been so accommodating making sure that they felt comfortable in his tiny apartment. Chibs had been more than willing to do whatever it took to make sure that Mason felt safe and entertained in his temporary home.
To be honest he enjoyed having his old lady and the little boy he adored so much under his roof even though the little apartment was quite crowded.
He felt more confident knowing that they were here safe and sound under his watchful eyes. His family was somewhere he could protect them.
He knew of course that they all had to go out into the real world and out of the security his home provided. He almost wished he could keep them indoors where no harm could come upon them. Chibs knew that he couldn't keep them inside forever though. He had to stop himself from being an overprotective nut.
It was time for them both to get back to reality and reality was unfortunately sometimes hazardous.
Molly wasn't quite ready to go back to work at Saint Thomas. Part of her knew that she would enjoy the distraction that her work often provided her, but the other part of her was still paranoid considering all that had happened lately.
She knew that she had to ignore this paranoia though. Molly knew that she had taken far too much time off from work lately. Which wasn't a smart move given the fact that she didn't have the world's best job security at the moment.
Ever since Gemma had shown up that day at the hospital to have a heart to heart with
Molly about Chibs, the supervisor in her department had begun to treat Molly with disrespect. And soon her coworkers had followed in suit.
The people she worked with assumed that Molly was nothing more than some biker groupie. They thought she was dumb white trash with an outlaw boyfriend.
It pissed Molly off when she really allowed herself to focus on it all.
She knew that she couldn't let other people's misguided opinions about her take a toll on her life though. Molly and her boy were happy with Chibs and that was all that mattered.
It would just take time, she told herself. One day people's judgment wouldn't hurt so much.
She knew that she had to grow a pair and learn to stand up to those who treated her badly. She was proud to be Chibs' old lady and she shouldn't allow anyone to shame her.
This was her life and sometimes life wasn't perfect. Charming and by Chibs' side were where Mason and she belonged.
Molly put on a pair of faux pearl stud earrings as she glanced at Chibs' distorted reflection standing behind her in the mirror. "Are you sure you can manage getting Mason to school?"
Chibs chuckled amused by her ability to jump right into mom mode. "I've taken him ta school before ya know lass."
"I know...sorry I'm being neurotic." Molly replied embarrassed by her previous statement. She knew that it sounded like she had zero faith in the man.
She knew that Chibs had taken Mason to school all on his own just the day before and the boy had zero problems making it to his classroom.
Mason had just been so overly dependent lately. The first two days he'd gone to school he'd insisted that both his mother and Chibs take him to school together in the bug and that the couple walk the boy to his classroom.
Molly was worried that this needy behavior would continue on. It was heartbreaking to see this happen to her baby. Just when it seemed that her son was really finding his place here Brian had come along and thrown a wrench into everything.
Molly wanted nothing more than for her son to have a chance at a happy childhood. She had really felt that they were both finding their place in Charming.
She took a deep breath reminding herself that Mason and she had found their place. They belonged here in Charming with Chibs and no one was going to take that away from them.
"Nah no need to apologize a thaisce yer jus bein a good ma." Chibs replied as he came up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist.
She smiled leaning back into his embrace as he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. She spoke up still feeling the need to apologize for her earlier statement. "You're perfectly capable of taking Mason to school. I know I sounded a little harsh just a minute ago. I'm just worried about him. This separation anxiety he's developed is really starting to worry me."
"He's goin to be okay lass. We just have to keep on reassurin him that it's all goin to be okay. He jus needs to know that we won't let a thing happen to him. Besides It's normal fer him to have some anxieties considerin what's happened." Chibs reminded her though to tell the truth he wasn't completely sure that it really would all be okay.
Brian's words still played over and over again in his head just like a broken record They're Mine.
Chibs took a deep breath reminding himself that Molly and Mason didn't belong to Brian Parker. His old lady and his boy were no ones property.
He knew that Molly being his old lady did mean that she belonged to him in a sense of the word. But Chibs saw it more as Molly and he being connected to each other. The sense of possession that they felt for one another was far different from the sense of possession Brian had felt for Molly.
Chibs could never feel the sense of ownership Brian had felt when it came to Molly.
Molly did belong to Chibs, but he didn't want to keep her prisoner. He simply wanted to protect her and be the man she loved.
Chibs wanted his old lady to be an independent woman. He didn't want to shove her into a box refusing to let her breathe and be her own person.
He wanted Molly to be the woman he knew she could be. The woman who didn't take any shit from anyone. The type of woman who loved her man and her little boy. That was what he wanted from Molly.
Chibs knew that Molly being his old lady was a clear sign to anyone and everyone that Molly was his girl. It was a sign that no one messed with her without having to deal with him.
Chibs knew that in a way Molly, Mason, and he belonged to each other. They were a family.
Molly and Mason resided in Chibs' heart and he wouldn't allow anyone to take them away from him especially not a bastard like Brian Parker.
Chibs nuzzled the side of Molly's neck as he spoke lowering his voice completely changing the subject. "I think ya should quit yer job and become my personal sex slave."
"I don't think my boss would be too thrilled if I announced that I was quitting just so I could have sex with you twenty four seven." Molly responded giggling as Chibs nibbled on her pulse point.
"Well I'm sure we'd have to have breaks Molly...I am gettin older." Chibs pointed out only half joking.
He was in fact getting older. He seemed to notice signs of this each day. He noticed more and more silver in his otherwise dark hair. He realized that he couldn't eat crappy food with a ton of booze like he used to without his stomach paying the price. His back ached after long runs and his knees creaked on occasion when the weather was bad.
These facts did disturb him. No one liked knowing that they were getting old. He feared that one day he would be just like Piney had been; stuck to an oxygen tank, withheld his beloved cigarettes, and forced to ride his bike with the support of a trike.
Not to mention he was a little insecure that Molly wouldn't want an old man. Yes he knew that she would age right along with him, but still she would always be almost twenty one years younger than him.
He often had to remind himself that Molly seemed to be completely at ease with their age difference. A few gray hairs and wrinkles weren't going to make her split.
She loved him. It was still surreal realizing that a girl like her wanted someone like him.
Chibs knew that he and his old lady were an odd pair. Most people wouldn't have expected a newly single mom to fall for an outlaw biker and vise versa.
He was thankful that she was his. It was something that he hadn't experienced in so long; having someone who he loved so dearly.
He had never once in a million years thought that he would fall for someone so easily. After all those years of pining for Fiona and then having his heart broken the idea of loving again had seemed impossible.
But here he was now so madly in love with Molly. He loved her and her boy so dearly.
He just prayed that he could protect them when it came time to fight. He had to do whatever it took to keep his family safe from Brian Parker.
Molly had found it very easy to bury herself in her work once she'd walked into the lab.
She knew that her work truly did disturb some people. To be honest she'd always found this fact a little amusing.
She wasn't sure what it was that got under people's skin; the blood or the needles?
Blood had never really bothered Molly neither had needles. She guessed that she was some sort of freak or at least that was the way people reacted when she mentioned that she had no fears of blood or needles. The only phobia she really did have was a pretty common one; arachnophobia: the fear of spiders.
She wasn't sure what it was that creeped her out about spiders. Maybe it was the multiple hairy legs, or the abundance of eyes, or the fear of being bitten. She just flat out hated spiders. It didn't matter how small or how big or how venomous or harmless. She hated the horrid things.
When she was a little girl her older brother used to torment her with spiders. He'd find some little garden spider and scoop it up before fooling her saying that he had candy or some other sort of treat, and right as she held her hand out he dropped the spider in. It never failed to make her screech.
Molly could remember taking Mason to the zoo a few years earlier and as they'd walked into a enclosure featuring all sorts of creepy crawlies she'd almost knocked over a few people try to push Mason's stroller far away from the snakes and spiders.
Molly could understand the fear of needles. After all needles were perfectly capable of puncturing the skin and causing pain.
She didn't quite understand the fear of blood though. After all blood was an essential part of the body of the body of every being on the planet.
Blood kept you alive. It circulated around the body and delivered oxygen and vital cells and nutrients to the body. Blood was the body's defense from infections and harmful pathogens.
How could anyone fear something so vital to human life?
Molly guessed that she was just a bit too much of a science nerd to really comprehend such a fear.
Molly took great pride in her work even if it wasn't her dream job. Her job as a phlebotomist was an important one.
She enjoyed what she did even if it wasn't a job for the squeamish.
The pride she felt for her work was the reason she hadn't expected to be cornered by her supervisor the second Molly had returned from her lunch break.
Molly stared up at Lillian Carmichael not helping but to feel like she was underneath a microscope.
The older much taller woman looked down at Molly disapproval clear on her face. "Mr. Stevens would like to have a word with you Molly."
Molly felt her stomach drop at the words. Mr. Stevens was the man who worked in human resources at Saint Thomas.
He was the same man whom had called Molly and told her that she'd gotten the job here at Saint Thomas.
Molly shrunk away from Lillian not missing the smug look on the woman's face.
Molly hated the fact that Lillian had begun to clearly despise her. The woman had been so welcoming when Molly had first come to work in the lab.
It wasn't as though Molly had expected to become friends with the woman. She had just liked knowing that she had her supervisor's respect.
Now it seemed that her supervisor had it in for her. Molly had the feeling the Lillian had been trying to get Molly to just quit her job. She'd really tasked Molly with jobs no one else wanted and had pushed her around.
Lillian wasn't a very pleasant woman. Lillian was quite arrogant and very impatient. She was tall and far to thin. Her nose was as thin as the rest of her body making Molly suspect that she'd had work done. Lillian always wore her graying hair back into a tight bun which made the facelift she'd had done seem far more severe.
Molly bit her tongue as Lillian spoke up again. "Don't bother stopping by the lab before you head to his office. He wants to see you at once. Don't dawdle."
Molly felt her knees begin to shake as she made it to the elevator and pressed the down button. She leaned back against the railing in the tiny elevator doing her best to keep her composure.
She wouldn't break down. She knew that she couldn't give anyone the satisfaction.
Molly's hands shook just as much as her knees as she reached up knocking on Mr. Steven's office door.
She entered his office taking a seat on the wooden chair across from his desk as she was called in.
She couldn't help but to feel as though she was a child once again being called into the principal's office.
This had happened often when she was a girl given the behavior problems she'd had after her father's death.
Mr. Stevens reminded Molly of the principal she'd had when she was in elementary school.
He was a large man with thinning brown hair that he tried to comb over and create an illusion of having a full head of hair.
His face was round making his squared metal framed glasses seem tiny.
He didn't even look up as Molly took her seat choosing to stare down at a manila folder instead of her.
Molly was tempted to clear her throat and capture the man's attention but she couldn't help but to fear that doing that was a very bad idea.
After an uncomfortable few minutes that seemed to stretch out far too long for Molly, Mr. Stevens finally looked up his icy gray eyes locking on Molly. "Ms...Dupuis now is it? I thought your name was Garrett."
"I'm in the process of going back to my maiden name which is Dupuis." Molly explained knowing that this wasn't quite the truth but she didn't want to explain the long story of how she'd only taken the last name Garrett as a way to hide from Brian.
She had recently gone to city hall and filled out the paperwork to change both Mason's and her last name to Dupuis.
It had cost far more than she'd really wanted to pay and she was sure that she would have to call her mother to get a loan if any more unplanned expenses came up.
She knew though that it was money well spent. She refused to keep Brian's last name. She refused to allow Mason to keep that bastards last name.
The last name Parker would never haunt her son nor her again.
Mr. Stevens cleared his throat making sound as though he was gurgling marbles before he finally spoke again. "Now I understand that you've been taking quite a few sick days lately."
"I've been having some personal troubles...but that's all settled now. I won't be missing any more days." Molly replied her stomach churning so hard it was almost painful.
She felt even more like she was being scolding by her childhood principal as Mr. Stevens gave her a look of clear condemnation before staring back down at the folder on his desk.
"You can't just miss work each time you have a little personal hiccup at home Ms. Dupuis." Mr. Stevens stated his voice thick with distaste.
Molly kept her mouth shut even though she wanted to defend her actions. She knew just what Mr. Stevens must have been thinking of her.
The man must think that she was some sort of slacker who was using personal problems as an excuse to play hooky from work.
Either he thought that or he thought the same thing she knew a few other people believed about her; that she was just a biker slut with no common sense of responsibility, just pure white trash.
She closed her eyes trying hard not to allow her eyes to water, though they were threatening to do just that.
Mr. Stevens glanced up at her once again his face showing zero sympathy. "That type of behavior just isn't appropriate Ms. Dupuis. And I understand that you've had a few...visitors since you've started working for us here at Saint Thomas. A few unsavory characters?"
Molly frowned knowing just what he was talking about; Gemma. Not to mention Chibs had brought Mason up one day when the boy was still staying at the garage while she was working. Chibs had brought the boy up during her lunch break and they'd eaten together down in the cafeteria.
Molly knew that people had been just as judgmental about Chibs as they'd been about Gemma.
Molly clinched her fists trying her hardest not to lash out at Mr. Stevens. She wanted to defend her loved ones so badly.
She wanted nothing more than to tell Mr. Stevens where he could shove it. She felt the need to tell the smug prick that her family and her friends were amazing. They were everything to her. They were so much better than the people who judged them. The outside world had been so unkind to her, but these people had accepted both her and her baby with open arms. They were family.
"Any visitors I've had have only come when I have breaks. It hasn't effected my workload." Molly stated doing her best to defend herself. She paused for a moment trying to find the right words to fix this all.
"My family has no bearing on my professional life." Molly pointed out wanting to say so much more.
"I'm afraid we can't have those...types individuals associated with us here at Saint Thomas. Your absence from work is another deterrent. It seems that your personal life is clouding your professional life."
"It isn't though...I just went through a difficult divorce but that's settled now. I won't have any thing stopping me from devoting myself fully to my work" Molly insisted doing all she could to get back into the good graces of Mr. Stevens even if he wasn't the nicest man.
"It's far too late for that. You've missed so many days of work. Your work really has piled up while you've been away and it's not fair to force your coworkers to pick up your slack. I had such high hopes for you Ms. Dupuis. I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go..."
Molly interrupted the man not believing what she was hearing. She was being fired?
"Please Mr. Stevens...this job is so important to me. I love working here. I promise I won't take any more personal days. I can be the type of employee I know I should be. I won't let my personal affairs interfere with my work here." Molly promised her chest beginning to tighten as she struggled not to cry.
She wasn't going to cry. She refused to be some sort of damsel in distress. She was a grown woman. Don't ever give anyone the satisfaction of seeing you break down, Molly reminded herself.
Mr. Stevens shook his head his face still remaining devoid of sympathy. "I'm afraid that I've been left with no choice. You just aren't right for Saint Thomas. We will be perfectly happy to give you a positive reference if you need one."
Molly only managed to nod her head feeling so defeated at the moment. "I...I understand."
She spoke once again as she stood up. "My family is far from unsavory...you don't know me or them. They're good people. You have no right to judge any of them."
And with that she turned to leave her knees still feeling so unstable.
She went into auto pilot leaving the office and making her way down the hallway. She didn't allow herself to fall apart until she entered the womens restrooms and found herself in the security and privacy of the handicapped bathroom stall.
She let out a shaky gasp the full reality of just what had happened hitting her. She closed her eyes the tears finally falling as she became fully aware of her circumstances.
The job that she'd held such pride in was no longer hers. She had been fired.
There was no other hospital in Charming; Saint Thomas was it.
What in the hell was she supposed to do now?
Chibs didn't expect his old lady's little blue bug to pull into the parking lot of TM Auto.
He stared up from the engine bay of the truck he was currently rewiring as Molly emerged from the drivers side door of her bug.
Chibs frowned as he realized just how pale Molly looked. His stomach felt as though it had dropped down into his pelvis as he took in her distressed appearance. He pulled away from the truck and wiped his oily hands on his gray workshirt.
He made his way over to Molly as she leaned back against the drivers door her eyes shut as she struggled to find a way to explain what had just happened to her.
She found herself speechless and Chibs reached out and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong lass? Is it Mason?"
Molly shook her head trying hard not to crumble again as she turned and embraced Chibs burying her head against his chest.
Chibs held her against him unsure of what to say to properly comfort her especially when he had no idea what had happened.
He was just relieved to know that whatever it was it didn't involve Mason. Still though he couldn't help but to panic a little.
His next thought was that Brian Parker had done something horrible to upset Molly. He knew that if this was the case then he wouldn't be able to hold back.
It was Chibs' place to protect his sweet thaisce. He wouldn't stand for Brian hurting her once again.
He spoke up ready to take action against the bastard. "Did Brian do somethin a thaisce? Did he upset ya somehow?"
"No. It's nothing like that...I just...We need to talk." Molly blurted out having the feeling that this would be easier if she sat down and had a chance to catch her breath and sort out her thoughts.
Chibs nodded his head his stomach aching at the words We Need to Talk. He knew that those words never meant anything good.
Chibs took Molly's hand in his leading her towards the clubhouse. The couple made their way through the sparsely occupied main area heading back to the dorms.
Chibs lead Molly into his dorm the room just as spotless as he'd left it after that night Molly and Mason had slept in the room.
Molly took a seat on the foot of the bed allowing Chibs to sit beside her. He hesitantly took her hand in his fearing the worse.
Molly stared down at her lap as she spoke the words spilling right out of her mouth. "I lost my job...I was fired."
"Why?" Chibs asked completely shocked by her statement. This had been the last thing he'd been expecting.
He knew that she loved her job and she was so good at it. He had spotted her working from his place in the waiting room one day when he'd brought Mason up to eat lunch with her.
She had looked so serene working, which he knew was odd considering the nature of her work. She had been so professional though. He was amazed with how calm she'd been as she'd stuck a needle into the vein of the woman she was taking blood from. The woman hadn't even flinched.
He'd known then just how amazing Molly was at her job.
It was painful to realize that she'd something she was so proud of.
"They didn't like the fact that I took off so many days even though I told them why...and they didn't like...the company I keep." Molly explained not missing the look of guilt on Chibs' face.
Molly shook her head her eyes beginning to water again. "I don't know what I'm going to do...Saint Thomas is the only hospital in Charming. Human resources said they'd be willing to give me a referral but I don't know...what will it say about me? I mean they think the worst of me apparently."
Chibs gave her hand a squeeze fearing what this statement meant. Was she leaving Charming? Was she leaving him?
Yes there was a chance that they could attempt a long distance relationship, but he knew well enough to know that long distance relationships were hard to maintain.
"This is my fault lass...People judgin ya because of me...because of samcro." Chibs remarked knowing that it was the truth.
He had wrecked his sweet old lady's reputation. She had all the right in the world to blame him for the loss of her job and for people's opinion of her.
He let out a deep breath unable to wait any longer. If she was going to leave then he had to know now. "I'd understand if ya...blamed me lass...if ya have to go somewhere else ta find a new job."
She frowned astonished by his statement. Leaving Charming hadn't even crossed her mind.
Yes Molly knew that she might have a chance at finding another job at some other hospital somewhere other than Charming, somewhere far away from Saint Thomas.
She couldn't bear the idea of leaving Charming though. Leaving Charming would mean leaving the man she loved. Chibs meant the world to her. He wasn't just hers he was Mason's as well.
She knew that she couldn't tear her baby away from the man who he saw as a father.
"I'm not leaving Charming and I don't blame you...I would rather be unemployed and have you than have my dream job and have never met you." Molly explained as she reached up placing a hand on Chibs' cheek.
Chibs let out a shaky breath relief washing over his body. He wasn't losing her to this. His old lady wasn't going anywhere.
He took her in his arms pulling her close to him as she spoke again. "I don't know what to do."
"Yer goin to find a job lass. I bet ya will find somethin far better. Saint Thomas doesn't know what they lost." Chibs stated doing his best to give her the reassurance she needed.
He did believe it was true. Molly was sure to be hired somewhere in Charming. There were doctors clinics in town after all. Surely she could get a phlebotomists job there.
Molly nodded her head hoping that he was right. She spoke up revealing something she had been thinking about since she'd left New Orleans. "I am interested in maybe doing something new...I want to help people like me...I mean women and other people who have been hurt...abused. Being a therapist or maybe social work...helping people feel secure again. Helping them find a way to start over."
"Ya'd be amazin at that lass." Chibs remarked pressing a kiss to her lips.
The statement impressed him and he knew that she would be just wonderful at what she was suggesting. He wasn't surprised to see that his old lady had such a huge heart.
"I could take classes over in Oakland...or online. I could get financial aid maybe." Molly stated excited to put this dream of hers into action.
She shook her head returning back to earth for a moment. "What do I do in the meantime though? I have rent to pay. I mean I know Mason and I aren't staying at our rental house lately... but I just can't lose my house."
"Move in with me." Chibs replied not even having to stop to think about what he was asking. Nothing would make him happier than to have Molly and their boy living with him officially.
"You don't have the room. Things are crowded as it is Filip...I mean your apartment is two bedrooms but you can't just give Kerrianne's room to Mason...that's not fair to her. And if I have no job or a job that doesn't pay as well as Saint Thomas how am I going to help with the rent?" Molly argued even though she couldn't help but to love the idea of living with him.
He ran his hand up and down her back as he spoke knowing that she had a point. "Then lets buy a place...a house."
Molly pulled away from him shocked by the statement. She hadn't expected this. "Can we even afford that...I mean that goes back to me not having a job right now. How would we get a mortgage loan...and could we even find a place? I mean we'll need at least three bedrooms."
"We can find a way sweet lass. In fact I have the perfect place in mind...It's a little rundown and pretty old, but we can fix it up. Let's just give it a try. Yer goin to find a job Molly. It might take a while but yer goin to find somethin. I don't want ya stressin bout it. Ya know I'm goin to take care of Mason and ya a thaisce. I love ya." Chibs reassured her doing his best not to break down and beg her to give this a chance.
He just loved the idea of finding a home for his family; a place where Molly and he could raise Mason, a place where Kerrianne could come visit, a real home.
The house he had in mind was so perfect. It was an old farmhouse not far from TM Auto. It was in a nice area close to Mason's school. The lot was big so there was plenty of space between the farmhouse and the neighbor's homes.
Yes it would take some work to fix it up, but it would be perfect for them.
Molly smiled her mood automatically brightening for a moment. What he was offering did sound so amazing.
She pressed her lips to his the kiss deepening quickly. She pulled away as she spoke. "Okay I love you too...let's give it a try."
They locked lips again Molly sinking into the kiss. Things would work out, she promised herself.
They would find a way to make it work.
Reviews? Constructive Criticism?