Thanks to my beta EmeraldJewelSarkle
Disclaimer: I do not have the rights to SOA and make no profit off my writing. Anything you don't recognize from the show I have created.
Content Warning: This fanfiction is rated M. Please respect that warning and do not read this if you do not want to read M rated material.
2022
Age 30
Gabby woke up to the buzzing of her phone. She had set her alarm to vibrate so she could wake up early and get breakfast going for the men without the hassle of the kids. She ever so slowly eased her way out of bed and gathered a change of clothes before retreating to the bathroom.
She was more than relieved that Casper and Happy had come to sleep in the dorm last night. Knowing that they were both home, and in one piece, calmed her nerves. Though not enough for her stomach to stop doing somersaults. This lockdown was going to kill her. She missed the days of being a child, when her only job in the clubhouse was to sit in the corner and not get in the way.
She brushed her teeth and threw her hair in a ponytail once she was dressed and re-emerged. She turned on the baby monitor and tucked the receiver in her pocket. As she crept to the door Happy grabbed her calf. Gabby stifled a scream and glared down at him instead.
Happy smirked back and beckoned her down to the floor. "Morning." He whispered when she knelt by his side.
"Morning dad." Gabby smiled.
"We're gonna be out all day. Leaving early." He informed her.
"Figured as much." She gave his arm a squeeze and got back up. Happy was asleep again before she left the room.
Gabby closed the door to the kitchen once she got inside as to not disturb the others and started the coffee. By the time the first batch of scrambled eggs and toast were done she could hear men moving around in the bar and opened the kitchen door for them as an invitation. Patches filtered in to the kitchen one or two at a time for coffee and a plate of food. Most of them mumbled a good morning or thanks, or gave her a kiss on the cheek or forehead depending on who it was.
The hang arounds knew better than to eat before the patches had. The sweet butts fell into the usual routine, running both coffee pots behind the bar, coming in for plates full of food and coming back to pile up dirty dishes.
"Kids are still asleep." Happy informed her when he came in for his own plate. "Casper's changing, got a line going for the showers."
Gabby nodded her head. The fact that her father felt he had to explain her husband's absence meant he either had sensed the tension between them, or had already spoken to Casper about it.
Becky came in a few minutes after Happy left. "Hey, you should have woke me, I would have helped."
"I'm good." Gabby shrugged. She didn't mind cooking for the large horde of men alone, she was used to it. And it meant she had a valid excuse not to do the cleanup.
"I put Suzie in your room so Tom Tom could shower and change."
Gabby bit her lip and simply nodded her head. She assumed that meant Casper was done, but he had yet to come to the kitchen.
"All the guys eat yet?" Carol popped her head into the kitchen to ask.
"Most. Serve whoever's hungry." Gabby threw over her shoulder. Becky sensed that Gabby wasn't in the best of moods this morning and silently took over toast duty as Gabby cracked more eggs.
The two women heard Mathew start to cry on the baby monitor. "Take over?" Gabby asked, handing Becky the fork she was using to beat the eggs.
"Of course." Becky took over immediately as Gabby rushed out of the kitchen.
Gabby caught a glimpse of Casper eating a plate one of the sweet butts must have served him. He saw her as well, but didn't acknowledge her. By the time Gabby got half way up the stairs the crying had stopped and she could hear somebody shushing her son.
She stopped in the doorway in surprise. Shark was in a towel, sopping wet, rocking and shushing Mathew. He saw her and smiled.
"My fault. I woke him, sorry." He whispered as he continued to sway back and forth with Mathew pressed up against his bare chest. Mathew had quit crying but wasn't falling back asleep.
"Mommy." Kristen called from the bed. She and Suzie were both awake and neither looked happy about it.
Gabby sat down on the edge of the bed; she was really hoping to get the girls to sleep for a few more hours. "I'm sorry girls, go back to sleep, it's early. I'll take Mathew out of here." Gabby tucked both girls back in under their sheet and stood up to take Mathew from Shark.
"Good morning little man. Uncle Shark got you all wet, didn't he?" Gabby whispered to her son, mindful of the girls, and turned to the pile of bags in the corner to change his wet pajamas and diaper.
Shark grabbed his own duffle and went back into the bathroom to dry off and get dressed. He re-emerged just as Gabby finished and hoisted Mathew onto her hip.
"Sorry." Shark said again. He followed her out to the hallway and stopped her. "You okay Gabby?" He asked seriously while stroking Mathews head.
Gabby just stared at him a moment. He knew she wasn't okay, he also knew not to ask her to talk about it. So apparently at least HE was able to follow direction.
"Why aren't you mad at me?" Gabby finally asked.
Shark looked genuinely hurt. "Why would I be mad at you?"
Gabby could only raise her eyebrows at him. In the past three days she'd stabbed him with a fork, screamed at him, and physically shoved him out of her house.
Shark sighed and took Mathew from her. "We got a good system going Gabby. I'm an annoying, snooping, asshole and you not so subtly let me know when I've gone too far. I know I go too far a lot. But it's always out of love and concern. I know I've been pushing a lot lately and I know you're sick of it. But I also know that you and Casper aren't okay right now, and that honestly scares the shit out of me."
Gabby sighed and looked at her son lazily resting his head on Shark's shoulder, always the cuddlier first thing in the morning. "I don't know what's wrong with Casper. I don't know how much of it is us and how much of it is the club shit. And I can't ask him what's wrong or expect him to talk to me without sounding like a total hypocrite. He's never shut me out like this. I don't know if I finally pushed him too far or if he's giving me a taste of my own medicine or if all of this has nothing to do with me."
Shark chuckled and gave her a half hug with his free arm. "For a girl who hates to talk you sure can spew out a lot of words in a short time."
Gabby rolled her eyes. She was entirely aware of her habit of spitting everything out at once.
"Casper loves you. Things are heavy with the club, and getting worse, for the first time in a long time. A lot's happened in a short period of time. And it didn't help that Casper came into this all twisted up already over you." Shark spoke frankly.
Gabby only nodded her head.
"I'll talk to him, okay?" Shark ducked his head down to look Gabby in the eye and saw them glisten with unshed tears. Crying wasn't like Gabby. Not that she never cried, but certainly not over a little talk in the hallway.
"Hey." He wrapped his free arm around her shoulders and started walking them down the hall to the stairs. "Just image how big of a favor he's gonna owe you when all of this is said and done.
Casper watched Gabby and Shark come down the stairs together, Shark with Mathew. Casper stared intensely as Gabby left the two at a table and came back with breakfast for both. They had a light hearted battle over Mathew before Gabby finally shrugged her shoulders and left Shark to feed Mathew while managing to shovel his own breakfast in his mouth as well.
"You're looking pretty intense." Vin leaned on Casper's table with his coffee. "You got some place for us to start today?"
"Yeah, we got no more leads, but I divided things up and made a list of past snitches."
"Good." Vin patted his shoulder and stood back up. "You know you could go over there and get your son if you wanted. Sure he'd love to see you."
"Busy here." Casper mumbled and turned back to his ipad.
"Right, obviously. My bad." Vin mumbled sarcastically and rolled his eyes as he walked away.
Once Vin was gone Casper returned his attention to Shark and Mathew. Shark was eating the leftover cheerios Mathew had lost interest in. Mathew was concentrated on drinking his bottle, which no one was allowed to help him with any longer.
Casper saw Gabby come out of the kitchen again. He was debating getting up and talking to her when Vin suddenly arrived at her side, whispering to her. Casper tensed up as she whispered back to him and he led her over to the table with Shark. Happy joined them seconds later with a plate full of food and put it down in front of Gabby, déjà vu of last night.
Casper watched the four adults talk and fawn over the baby. Mathew in turn, had traveled from Shark's lap to Vin's, and was now making the trip over Happy to Gabby when he saw she had food.
Casper wouldn't dare begrudge Happy for sitting with his daughter, and he really couldn't tell the other men they weren't allowed to openly make small talk with his wife. It was just that she seemed so at ease with them, and the second she got near him she seemed on edge.
It was with that thought that he noticed something else going on. Mathew had finally reached his mother's lap and was being fed the scrambled eggs she had yet to touch; because his wife was busy nibbling on toast. That was not his wife. His wife liked to eat. Gabby always cleaned her plate. A hold over, he was sure, from spending so much of her childhood hungry. She ate healthy sure, but she always said the healthier the food the more of it you were allowed to eat.
Enough was enough, Casper needed to talk to his wife. He got up from the table and took a few long strides across the room.
"Gabs?" Casper said when he reached the table. He squeezed her shoulder when she looked up at him. He was suddenly painfully aware that Happy, Vin, and Shark were all staring intently at him. Good to know all of his brothers took his wife's side in every fight.
"Let me take him so you can eat." He lost his nerve and said the first thing he could think of.
"Sure." Gabby gave him a pained smile. She lifted Mathew up and Casper took him.
He nuzzled his son's head a moment and gave him a kiss. "How about letting mom eat buddy." He whispered. He started carrying his son back to where he had been working. It didn't even dawn on him to stay at the table with his wife till he had sat back down. Oh well, no going back now without looking like an idiot. He scrolled through his ipad instead, keeping it at a distance Mathew couldn't reach.
"May I?" Casper looked up at the sound of Lenard.
"Umm, yeah Pres, 'course." Casper started to push a chair out with his foot but Lenard instead leaned down and took the baby.
"Hey Mathew, what are you doing up so early? Huh? Trying to be a handful for your mom?" Lenard walked off talking to the boy as Casper just stared. He'd finally gotten used to Happy completely changing personalities when he got his hands on one of the kids, but Casper was still thrown when some of his other brothers did it.
Lenard spent a couple minutes with Mathew before giving him to Gabby. He whispered something to her and took a step back before letting out a shrill whistle, silencing the entire room.
"Church. Lance, Tony, you're in. Rest of you, stay busy. No leaving the lot. We got machinery out there needs serviced. No excuses, you got nothing but time."
The hang arounds didn't dare groan or mumble at Lenard's orders. They all worked for one of SOA's businesses. The patches and prospects all headed into church as the other men set aside their coffees to go find some work to do in the yard.
Lenard remained standing as the rest of the men quickly took their seats. "I want this quick. What do we have?"
"Talked to Jax last night. He's meeting up with Alvarez today. Should have some info by this afternoon. He wasn't too keen on being used as a middle man." Tig started first.
"Thank Jax for the help. And you can remind him he and Alvarez are the only thing keeping us at peace with the Mayans. That truce is not well loved; I'm not asking personal favors of them." Lenard brushed off the comment quickly. "Casper?"
"I divided the city into five sections. Listed our contacts in each if we have any. Recommend concentrating on the areas he was operating in before we stepped in, and the areas we don't have control over."
"I agree. Harry I want you and Lance to stay here. Promised the girls escorts to work and back, and someone needs to keep the peace here." Lenard looked around the table. "Do I need to split the rest of you boys into pairs or are you capable of doing it yourselves?"
"Be my special buddy?" Shark immediately asked Casper.
Casper laughed and nodded.
Tom Tom scowled at Casper and Shark. "Tony." He called out.
Frankie raised his hand. "I'll make sure Juicey boy doesn't get lost."
Lenard looked at his SAA. "Guess I ain't shaking you loose; am I?"
"I got your back." Happy assured him.
"Rather you stay locked up safe Pres." Vin spoke up. "But seeing as I know that won't happen, I'm staying with you too."
Bull scoffed at Vin. "Afraid I might upstage you?" He asked.
"Oh no. I want you." Tig crossed his arms. "You're mine boy."
Lenard smiled. "Alright get your assignments from Casper. And god damn it I want mine on paper." Lenard warned. "Move out, stay in touch, don't get killed. Be back here by seven." He finished up and slammed the gavel down.
"I don't want to, mommy." Kristen whined. "What's the point of getting out of school if I still have to learn things?" Becky nearly choked trying to hold in a laugh and Gabby kicked her in the ankle.
"You don't want to fall behind this late in the school year sweetie. You won't have time to catch up. Then you'll fall behind next year when everybody knows this except you."
"But I already know more than they do." Gabby sighed. She knew her daughter was right. Kristen had the highest grades in her class, and although Gabby would like to have believed her daughter was simply brilliant she knew it wasn't the case. Gabby was simply one of the only mom's in Kristen's class that actually helped her child with her school work.
"As soon as you spell each of the words right we can be done."
"No math?" Kristen asked excited.
"No math." Gabby gave in. She had really only decided to review the spelling words after Kristen spent four straight hours on the ipad between breakfast and lunch. Four hours was more than a little excessive for anyone, especially a kid, on one of those things.
"Okay!" Kristen was suddenly fine and once again started swinging her legs.
Gabby picked up the spelling list off the table with a smirk at her daughter. She paused before asking the next word when she heard a commotion in the hall leading to the kitchen.
"Hold on sweetie, here, you can study." Gabby handed the sheet to her daughter and immediately got up and walked to the hallway.
Lance was standing there looking lost as Carol, Jennifer, Kaye, and Angie argued.
"What the fuck is going on?" Gabby demanded.
"Lance is letting Carol and Jen leave." Angie yelled.
Lance put both his hands in the air and stepped back. "Harry told me to ma'am, I swear."
"You're fine Lance. Go wait outside. Carol, Jennifer, you going to work?"
Carol nodded her head for the both of them.
"Then go. Call for a ride back." Gabby dismissed them and turned to Angie and Kaye. "Do either of you have a job to go to?" Gabby asked condescendingly.
Kaye shook her head and attempted to hide behind Angie. Angie stood firm and crossed her arms. "You can't fucking keep us here Gabby."
"I told you last night, this is for your own good. But truthfully, I don't give a fuck about your safety. You want to leave, leave. But the club won't be held responsible for anything that happens to you."
"Vivica's not here." Angie spat out.
"Vivica is in the office keeping herself busy. Just like I told you to do."
"So you expect us to just sit around. Wait for the guys to show up and what, cook? We aren't even allowed to party."
"Angie, if you don't want to be here get the fuck out. I don't give a shit. But if you leave, you don't come back. Not ever, you're out." Gabby stared the sweet butt down.
"You don't have that power. The men want me here."
"The men couldn't care less about you. Half of them don't know your name Angie. You show up for free booze and sure sex. You don't do chores. You don't show up when we have emergencies. You don't give a flying fuck about this family."
Angie stuttered for a moment before regaining her footing. "You aren't in charge here. Vivica is. Only she can make me leave."
Gabby narrowed her eyes. She didn't want to stoop to Angie's level, but Vivica didn't need to deal with a tantrum throwing whore.
"In case you hadn't noticed, Chris is dead. Vivica is a widow. I'm the only old lady Fresno has at the moment. So you can either get your ass upstairs and start scrubbing toilets, or get out."
Angie stomped her heeled foot and stormed through the clubhouse. "Kaye!" She screamed when she reached the door.
Gabby looked at the still silent girl. "She brought you into this clubhouse. You want to go with her, you go. But you don't come back either."
Kaye looked at the floor and wrung her hands. She'd only been coming around for a little over a week; she'd only been with one of the guys. She hadn't even been called in for the lockdown; Angie had picked her up to keep her company.
"KAYE!" Angie screamed at the top of her lungs, not caring that everyone in the clubhouse was staring at her.
"I'd like to stay." Kaye mumbled, wishing only to avoid her angry friend at the moment.
Gabby nodded as Angie gave up waiting and left, slamming the door.
"I'll umm, go clean." Kaye mumbled again and ran off.
Gabby leaned against the wall and pulled out her phone. She texted Vin what happened; defending in her head that it wasn't something to bother Lenard with directly. Instead of the fact that she'd rather admit to a closer friend that she was losing control of the girls.
Thanks for reading