Sorry I'm a few days over my goal of posting weekly, but I spent the last few days getting over a stomach bug. I blame it on letting my nephew sleep over. Kids are petri dishes!
I got back to most of you who left reviews for me. A special thank you to all the reviewers I can't message back as well. And to answer a question from one of those reviews, Gabby's story will end when she is in her 50's. I always wanted to carry her through to were Gemma was, let them slide down the same path and see where they end up. So you will see Casper's release, and the kids go through their teenage years and beyond!
Disclaimer: I do not have the rights to SOA and make no profit from 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.
I no longer have a beta, so all mistakes are my own.
2022
Age 30
Shark woke up, scrunching his face. There was way too much light in his room for so early in the morning. No, not his room. He looked down, Gabby's hair tickling his neck, her head on his chest. He had coaxed her into bed last night and she had clung to him. He wouldn't have left her alone anyway. He stoked her arm with his thumb and thought about his best friend.
Casper and Gabby had been so happy about the baby. The month before Casper had gotten arrested, they had seemed like the perfect happy go lucky couple. Hugging, kissing, little flirty looks across the room. Everything had been back to the way it was before Chris was killed. Better than before. A new baby!
No more. He wondered if Gabby had been able to talk to Casper. Probably not. She would have had to get a hold of Sieben to tell Casper to get a hold of her. His best friend was so broken already over missing his family. Losing this baby would kill him.
Gabby's phone vibrated on her nightstand and she rolled over automatically and shut it off. She laid there a minute before she opened her eyes. Shark wondered if she thought he was Casper, sleeping with her husband on any given morning, about to get up and start the day with their kids.
He saw the moment she realized he wasn't Casper. She stiffened, just slightly. She smoothed her shirt down making sure it hadn't bunched up in the night and swiped a hand over her face before turning to look at him.
"Morning." He offered.
"Hey." She responded.
"You aren't going to work are you, Gabs?"
"I have to. I have 3 new kids coming in to see their dad." She sat up facing away from him on the edge of the bed. "Thanks for staying last night."
"Gabby, you don't need to thank me." She walked around the bed towards the bathroom and he stood up quickly to grab her hand. "Shouldn't you be on bed rest or something?"
Gabby smiled just slightly. "No, I'm…uncomfortable, but I'm okay. I gotta go in. And I gotta get myself ready before the kids get up."
"I can get the kids ready. You relax. I'll get some coffee started." She nodded her head and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Shark looked around the room. She had yet to put any of Casper's things away. His nightstand still had his charging station and his iPad, his dresser had loose coins in a dish Kristen had made him in art class. There was no sign he'd been gone for over a month.
Shark started coffee and took out the makings for pancakes. He wasn't sure what the kids ate normally on weekday mornings, but pancakes were always a hit on Saturdays. He listened to the activity upstairs, slowly getting louder and louder as the kids got more and more awake.
Gabby must have told Kristen Shark had spent the night because she came charging in the kitchen calling his name, Matthew not far behind her.
"Are you making pancakes?!" Kristen got super excited.
"Yes ma'am. You do like pancakes still, don't you?"
"I LOVE pancakes. Today is superhero day at daycare. I have cat woman and Matthew has Hulk."
"Hulk Smash!" Matthew added, having a pretend fight with the floor.
Gabby came down a moment later. Dressed, hair slicked back, ever the professional. He much preferred her hair loose and wild.
"Do the kids need lunches packed?" He asked, serving up the tiny stacks of pancakes and carrying them to the table.
"No, thanks, lunch is provided. You didn't have to cook." She headed towards the coffee pot and poured herself a tall to go mug.
"But I made you pancakes." He smiled and held out a plate for her, already covered in butter and syrup.
She gave in and smiled back, taking the plate and setting it on the high counter to cut a bite. She had just gotten her appetite back, or maybe the baby had gotten more demanding, in the last 2 weeks. Gabby reminded herself she wasn't eating for 2 anymore.
"Plates in the sink please." Gabby reminded the kids as they wondered away from the table after cleaning their plates. In Matthews case using his fingers to get every drop of syrup in his mouth.
"Can I talk to you, real quick?" Gabby asked Shark in a low voice. He nodded his head as he rinsed the sticky dishes and loaded them in the dishwasher.
Gabby grabbed his arm and pulled him closer so she could whisper. "I thought this would go without saying, but I know you…and…no one knows I was pregnant. They don't need to know I'm not anymore."
Shark sighed and kissed her forehead. "Whatever you want Gabs."
Shark had seemed distracted all day at work. He had been late showing up, coming in with his hair wet. Tom Tom wondered what was going on with him. He obviously hadn't spent last night at his own house. And as far as he knew he hadn't spent it in the dorms either. He was sitting on a picnic table across from the food truck when Tom Tom joined him.
"We still on for this weekend?"
"This weekend?" Shark asked distracted.
"Moving Becky in, taking her furniture down to the flea market. Vin said to use the van. But that'll take more than one trip. We're gonna put Suzie's bed and dresser in the third bedroom. It's empty now, and it's just for incase, you know?"
Shark nodded his head. That wasn't like him. Normal Shark would have made some quip about the spare room being the nursery soon enough.
"Shark man, you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just the heat, you know? It's getting to me." Shark took a drink from his soda for show.
"Yeah, it's gonna hit over 100 degrees by 4."
"Good thing I'm driving the dump truck this afternoon and you're sticking to the trenches. I get A/C."
Tom Tom rolled his eyes, but he was happy his brother was willing to tease him.
"Vin heard from Frankie; Lance got a tire dropped on his foot by one of the hang arounds. He's hopping around making a big deal out of it."
"It probably hurt." Shark's mood fell again as he balled up his trash and tossed it in the bin nearby.
"He had boots on." Tom Tom shrugged. The story had been meant to make Shark laugh.
Gabby snapped the freshly laundered bed sheet before she started tucking it into the bed. She was very glad she had chosen unpacking clothes and bed making instead of scrubbing down the bathroom and organizing the linen closet.
She was happy for her friend. She was in a stable, healthy relationship. Suzie was gonna have a backyard to play in and go to Kristen's school in the fall. And she got to start basically from scratch decorating a house. She had picked out the towels and curtains with Tom Tom, and the dishes and silverware she had convinced him he needed over paper and plastic. She was even dumping her old third- and fourth-hand furniture for Tom Tom's new stuff. All she really had to unpack were clothes, toys, some mementoes, and her cookware.
Tom Tom had even taken Suzie out special to pick out paint colors for her room and a new dresser. Tom Tom was getting so good with Suzie. It was nice to see. Suzie needed a dad in her life. She sighed wistfully. Her kids needed a dad in their life. Their own dad. And their grandpa.
Casper had been begging her to bring the kids to see him in prison. He had been heartbroken when she told him about losing the baby over the phone. Heartbroken there wouldn't be a third, and heartbroken he couldn't be there for his wife. All she wanted to do was curl up in his arms, and she wouldn't even get to do that when she saw him. Between plexiglass was as far as they could go.
She smoothed down Suzie's brand new comforter, white with a rainbow made of butterflies, adorable, and started cramming a pillow into the matching sham. Casper had said he would tell Happy. Happy had lost phone privileges for the next 3 months, and had never gotten in person visitation due to an incident with a guard during the strip search check in process at the prison. She didn't know how he had taken it.
Gabby shook herself out of the dark place she had led herself and put the empty laundry basket in Suzie's closet for a hamper. She started unpacking clothes and filling dresser drawers.
"The bathroom is sparkling and the linen closet is pristine." Becky announced at the doorway, happy as could be.
Gabby smiled and laughed appropriately, not wanting to rain on her friends' parade.
"I checked on the kids and they are happy as can be in the backyard. I'm so glad Tom Tom grabbed Lance for kid duty."
"Yeah, Lance is pretty good with the kids, isn't he?"
"When he was staying at the apartment after lockdown, he and Suzie had a lot of fun. I think that's what really pushed Tom Tom into loosening up with her. I think he was jealous of them."
Gabby 'hmmmd' and tossed the empty box in the corner, setting the next one on the bed to pull out the hanging clothes. "You feel like lunch soon?" She asked glancing at her watch, it was after 1.
"Sure, I filled the fridge last night after work. Turkey sandwiches sound good? With fruit and chips?"
"Yeah, that's fine." Gabby answered distractedly as she examined a shirt of Kristen's Suzie had inherited. She would bring over the select things she had held back over the years for the possible future children. And she should find someone to give Matthew's old things too as well. By the time Casper got out of prison she would be beyond her baby making days. No more babies. It seemed so final.
"Gabby?" Becky stepped in the room and laid a hand on her friends' shoulder. "You okay, you seem a million miles away."
"Just reminiscing about when the kids were little." Gabby held out the shirt she was clinging to for Becky to glance at. "They only get older Becky, enjoy the little years."
2 ½ months later
Gabby and the kids came into the house in a crash of noise. They had stopped at the Halloween store after work and picked out costumes. Kristen would be a fairy, and Matthew a scare a crow. Kristen was wearing her wings and 'flying' through the house. Gabby dumped her things on the bottom of the stairs and made her way to the kitchen.
She opened the fridge to pull out dinner makings and the chilly ghost that responded to the light going on in the fridge screeched at her, wishing her a scary Halloween. Damn Shark for buying that stupid thing. And damn Kristen for loving it so damn much.
Gabby took a deep breath. She didn't mean it. She was tired and grumpy and a woman she had spent 2 months at the clinic working on parenting skills with was back in rehab, her kids in foster care. So damn her too.
Things had gotten slightly crazier since she had gone back to work full time. She was still getting Casper's share of the club income, but his money from the garage had stopped coming in with his absence. When she and Casper had first set out their budget, they made sure they could pay all the bills on Gabby's income alone, in case something like this was ever to happen. But that was just bare bones. Before the grocery bill of 2 kids, the baby sitter to help the single mom, before college savings plans and family insurance premiums. Before 7 years of inflation and 7 years of minimal if any raises from the cash strapped clinic.
She was too proud to ask the club for more money. She hadn't told Shark she had gone back to work full time. It had only been a few weeks and he only made it to her place after his own shift ended at 5, and usually after club business after that. She knew when he found out she was in for a lecture.
She added Vin to the list of people who would give her a talking to as well. Shark was sure to tell him she needed more help. She didn't want to admit to Casper she was struggling, and she hadn't yet gotten to talk to her father, except the short messages he sent through Casper. She was spending her waiting time trying to figure out how to ask her father is she could take just a share of his club income too. Damn her pride.
She heard more than one motorcycle pull into her driveway as she chopped up vegetables to add to the pasta. When she had Casper's 40K coming in she used to buy prechopped veggies, along with oven ready pizzas and pre-sliced and breaded eggplant parmesan from the market. She added a few more cups of water to the pot yet to boil on the stove so she could add extra noodles for the guys.
The kids' screams at the front door indicated both Shark and Tig had arrived. Tig must have just gotten back in town. He had been called back to Charming on some business or other a few weeks ago.
"Mommy, mommy, mommy, look, look!" Kristen dragged Tig into the kitchen by his hand and climbed on a chair to point to his brand-new FRESNO patch on his cut.
Gabby smiled. "You could have told me." She wiped her hands off and gave him a hug.
"Nothing was for sure until both clubs voted. Hammer is in too. Kind of a 2 for 1 deal for the club."
"Well you should invite him over. If I had known I would have made something fancier and made it a celebration." Gabby went back to the fridge and cringed as the ghost inside screamed at her. Shark laughed.
"Tell you what, you give him a call and I'll at least start making some meatballs to go with this pasta."
"No lentils?" Kristen asked.
"No lentils." Shark gave Kristen a high five and picked her up off the chair.
Tom Tom met Shark in the parking lot at the ass crack of dawn the next morning. All the men had been called in early for church. It didn't bode well.
They were last walking in the door and everyone headed to church at their arrival. Tom Tom shut the door behind him and took a seat.
"There was an incident at Mondota last night. A fight broke out. Our boys were in the thick of it." Vin started. He ran a hand along the smooth wood of the table. He sat now in the president's chair, and it was up to him to give his men the news.
"Lenard was killed." He began. He paused for the curses and murmurs. "Happy and Casper went after his killer. Happy got him. He's being charged with first degree murder. They both lost their plea deals."
Shark took a deep intake of breath and tried to process the information. Sieben had been pushing for manslaughter for both Happy and Casper. "Casper get charged in the prison killing?"
"No, Happy pushed him out of the cell before he…acted. But they were both seen going after the man, and they both had motive to revenge Lenard. Lenard wasn't the only target. 2 other white men went down, they were aryan. Lenard had hooked up with them before he got company for safety. Got lumped into the attack."
"They lost their plea deal, does that mean it's going to court?" Tom Tom asked.
"Sieben is still working that out. Prosecution wants first degree murder. Sieben's still going to be pushing for second degree. Difference is a chance of parole after 20…25 years or so." Vin answered.
"Jesus Christ." Shark whispered. "And these other charges on Happy?"
"Happy's not getting out. Sieben is just trying to keep him in the same facility as Casper right now."
The men nodded their heads in agreement. That would be the best course of action for the situation.
"Is Sieben gonna tell Gabby all this?" Tig asked.
"He's on the phone with her now." Vin nodded his head.
Tig looked at Shark pointedly. "I think I should take a couple hours, go swing by the clinic."
"I was going to suggest it. Sieben said he has some documents for Gabby as well. He's gonna be in her office this afternoon. Take the day, Shark. Tell her we're here if she needs us."
Gabby sat at her desk staring at the papers Sieben had given her to sign. He must have already been working on them before last night's events took place.
Happy was signing over his share of the construction business to her that he had gotten from Viv. She wanted to be grateful, the money would help tremendously. But it meant her father had resigned his fate before Lenard's death. He never planned on coming home.
Sieben had assured her that a 20-year sentence for Casper could mean 15 with good behavior. That wasn't gonna happen. Happy had done him a favor by not including him in the murder. But her father couldn't protect her husband from everything. He would have to fight, at some point, for his life. She just hoped she'd get to hold him again, someday, lay her head on his chest and listen to his heart beat. Maybe she would get to watch him make pancakes for his grandkids, instead of his own kids, one day.
Gabby signed the papers and handed them back to Sieben. "Is there anything else you can tell me? When can I see them?"
"Your father is in solitary. I don't know for how long, but it's gonna be a while before he gets phone privileges back. Casper got the usual for being in a fight. 90 days no contact."
Gabby nodded her head. She remembered her father getting 'the usual' several times during his stints in prison. "Thanks for coming here. It's hard for me to get away these days."
"No problem Mrs. Russo. I'll let you know as soon as I have more information."
Shark got up from the chair in the corner and held the office door open for the lawyer. He closed it behind him and sat down across from Gabby at her desk. "It's time to get out of here Gabs. Let's take the kids and do something fun."
Gabby sighed. "I have 2 more hours." She admitted.
"You're working full time? Since when?"
"Since a few weeks ago. Kristen gets dropped off here afterschool."
"You didn't tell me."
"No, I didn't."
"Because you knew I'd tell you not to. You're under a lot of stress Gabby. You've got 2 kids to take care of, and lawyers, and you're still at the clubhouse at least 2 nights a week taking care of things there. Did they ask you to? Did they need you full time or did you do it for the money?"
"To pay the bills, Shark."
"Well you don't have to anymore. Not with the stuff Happy signed over to you."
"That will help, but it's not quite what Casper was bringing home, and I drained my savings pretty low these last few months. Besides, I gave my word. I can't just switch back now."
Shark nodded his head. "You should have told me."
"Shark…..I have work to do. I have a kid coming in here in 20 minutes and I need to prepare. You've been here all day. Take a few hours for yourself. I won't tell Vin you skipped out early."
"Fine. I'll go. Let you get back to work. I'm gonna pick the kids up here tomorrow after work. Take them the whole weekend. Give you some alone time. Let you catch up." He stood up and tucked his chair in. "Take the weekend off from the clubhouse too, will ya? We've got 2 prospects to clean and cook. Go…take Becky and do something girly."
Gabby smirked. "Yes sir, one girly weekend coming right up." She mock saluted him as he walked out of her office.
Please leave reviews, criticisms, guesses, questions, comments and smiley faces in the box below!
Seeing a new review pop up means the world to me, and I like hearing what you want/what you're guessing for Gabby's future.
