March 30, 2016
Happy Lowman walked into the clubhouse, fishing his phones out of his pocket to toss them into the collection box that was sitting on the pool table. He made his way to his seat before being stopped by Jax Teller. Happy gave him a look and Jax just shook his head slowly. Happy looked back to see the room fill with the members before the doors closed and he sighed heavily, watching as Jax stopped everyone from sitting down at the Redwood.
"I'm making changes to the table and the chain. I discussed it with Ope and we agree, it's time for change. We're getting in deeper with the Diosa world and I'd like to keep it that way. The goal is to completely cut ties with the Irish, there's too much deep shit there that I will discuss you once the rest of this is settled today." Jax sat down in his chair at the head of the table before Opie joined him to his left. "Hap, my right side. Tig beside him. Chibs on Ope's left. Juice, beside Chibs. Kozik, beside Juice. Case, beside Tig. Quinn, beside him."
"Not too different, but what's going on with the Irish?" Tig inquired as he sat down where he was directed. "I like this set up, it's nice."
Jax sighed heavily as he stood up and moved to the closed doors to open them. "Rat, go get her please." He watched the prospect run off before returning with his younger sister in tow, holding her youngest daughter. "Thank you for doing this."
"Always, my dear brother." Jacey nodded with a slight smile before she slipped around the man and into the chapel. "Boys, how are we?" She adjusted her daughter as she started to squirm, taking Quinn's hat from him before she reached for Opie.
Jax chuckled as he guided Jacey to sit down in his seat before he took Ashtyn from Jacey. "This is how you can find out the deep history that we have with the IRA. Jacey has every bit of entail."
"Indeed I do and boy is it a mess. Get ready boys, we have a long day ahead of us." Jacey sighed as she sat back in the chair. "In 1982, I was born. Not in California. If Chibs and Tig remember it correctly, they were fresh in kuttes and randomly I showed up, fresh out of a womb." She rolled her eyes. "Not Gemma's womb though. I was born to an Irish born-Russian loving woman by the name of Kyla Doherty. Soon to be O'Shay. However while playing in St. Petersburg, Russia a few years prior, she met a rising Russian king, Aleksandr Ivanov. You guys might just know him. She was engaged to be his bride, got pregnant and fled. It was a power play to get Russian guns for the Irish, she got back to Belfast and Galen did not want to raise the unborn baby she was carrying so they quickly got a new idea, give the baby to the American fool who was in town visiting the Belfast charter. She slept with him, leading him to believe this child is his and after she gives birth, she tells him she doesn't want the baby so John Teller takes the baby and returns home to his family." Jacey shrugged. "Gemma cannot stand the child because she is the product of JT being a lying cheater that lies and cheats, duh boys. But Gemma raises her, gets knocked up two more times for good measure. Thomas dies in 1990 and Ty Teller was sent off. Any of this making sense? Nope? Not to me either. But here I am, Half Russian, half Irish and apparently not a fucking Teller at all."
Tig just stared at the blonde for a moment before he shook his head. "How the hell did this shit even happen? That's wild."
"Last year when Brianna was kidnapped, it was by Kyla. Galen told her to come stateside and just watch the club. She saw one very interesting Son who lives all the way in Oakland unlike the rest of you. She followed him to Oakland and that is where she spotted me. Me with my distinctive eyes and matching blonde hair, my striking features that matched her Russian lover." Jacey shrugged her shoulders. "She saw that I did know Aleksandr, I was with a Son which is apparently a disgusting sin to the Irish. She saw Brianna too. She changed her plan, kidnapped Brianna and tortured her to get Aleksandr's attention." She started to smile. "She did not expect to get mine but she met her match last summer."
Chibs sat up further, shaking his head. "You? Our girl?" He stretched his arm toward the blonde. "I always knew you were tough as nails."
"There is more that we kept from you all." Jacey nodded her head as she looked back at Jax briefly before she looked at Ashtyn who was leaning against Opie's chest, staring back at her. "It was my decision to keep it from you guys to protect Jax. We found out the truth about John and his death; yes, he was going to ride off into a semi but he had a plan. The plan didn't go through for him because Clay tampered with his bike, he had Gemma's help. However Gemma doubled up on pissing me off due to her bullshit. Kol was born thirteen weeks early, he fought for his life and that was all thanks to her. She was to blame for it. The immense stress she put on me kicked off labor for me. It was me who killed them." She sighed as she looked to Happy and took the hand he extended to her. "We chose to keep it from you guys because we didn't want you to be involved in whatever shenanigans could come with their deaths."
Jax scoffed as he shook his head. "She didn't do it, I did. Jacey, no."
"Jacey." Ashtyn grinned as she looked at Chibs and held a tiny, tan hand out to the man. "Bash." She pointed to herself, mocking his accent.
Jacey waved her brother off. "Hush. You did nothing. I came for Clay because he tried to hurt John, it was undeserved. I came for Gemma because she almost killed my son." She looked at Ashtyn and cleared her throat. "Ashtyn. You are Ashtyn, not Bash." She winked at the toddler. "You are also not a lick of Scottish, babe."
"Well, nothing comes from this. You both know that. We have no reaction to those deaths, it made us stronger. It made us better." Opie shook his head slowly. "How does she just feel like a thousand pounds on me but she literally weighs like five pounds?"
Jacey shrugged lazily. "She's falling asleep is the problem. The backlash will come from the Irish. I killed one of the king's wives."
"And we will protect you." Tig shook his head. "Nothing will happen to you or the kids. We will make sure of that." He tapped the table, getting Ashtyn's attention and earning a glare from her. "Oh, oh oh. Did I wake you up?"
Happy shook his head slowly. "And there, Tiggy. There is when you see the Happy Lowman in her. Isn't she perfect?" He started grinning. "Lay back down, you're good just ignore Uncle Tigger."
"Shh." Ashtyn kept her teal eyes on Tig as she started to kick off her shoes. "No tap."
Jacey caught a falling shoe with a knowing look to her daughter. "Shoes on, Ashtyn. No getting comfy yet, babe."
April 13, 2016
Happy Lowman was still a beginner when it came to his daughters. He couldn't ever grasp the sass or fiest with them and it drove him nuts just how well they kept up with his remarks. He eyed Camryn Lowman carefully, dark brown eyes to blue eyes. They had been back and forth all morning in the studio. Like normal, Happy made a comment about her technique and she didn't listen to him. Two peas, one pod. One in the same personality, except one of the two had an extra dose of a smart mouth that made her mother proud.
"If I use that pencil, it will throw the shade off." The blonde shook her head slowly as she rolled the pencil back to her father. "But this one won't. It's the brand, dad."
Happy shook his head. "It's not the brand, it's the artist. You're too argumentative." He tapped the table and nodded firmly. "Finish up then you need to get outside and play, enjoy the fresh air."
"If I take a break, I can't work." The blonde looked up at her dad, confusion of her beautiful face. "I am fine without playing anywhere."
Happy shook his head. "Nah, kid. It's good to play and enjoy time away from the art. Take a break, sometimes they're very helpful."
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.
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"She won't leave the studio." Jacey murmured as she walked into the master suite, her eyes on her husband as she sat down on the edge of the large bed. "It's her stubbornness, her determination. She won't stop until she's done."
Happy shook his head slowly. "Why won't she just take a break?"
"Because she is your daughter. Breaks are not a thing and she doesn't take them because she is too driven and focused on her work." Jacey shrugged her shoulders as she gestured to the double doors of their room. "Ashtyn is asleep, Kol is fighting it in bed and you know we need to consider putting a bed in the studio."
Happy shook his head slowly. "Not happening, she needs to understand the need to take a break sometimes. Ashtyn always sleeps, Kol always fights everything and well, we're raising Van Gogh. I got nothing right now, I don't guess we ever banked on her taking to art so hard. The boy hasn't, by this age Cam was already knee deep." He sighed heavily as he looked at the baby monitor on his nightstand. "And she is up. What time did she go down?"
"She sleeps when she wants, he is his father's son, and Camryn is driven." Jacey sighed, standing up and moving toward the door. "She's pissed because she discovered I put her in her crib. She went down at 9." She made her way out of the room and down the hall to the youngest Lowman's bedroom. "Lay down, enough of those tears. You are just fine, mama can't hold you forever."
"Hug please, mama." Ashtyn whimpered as she held her arms out to Jacey. "Mama."
Jacey shook her head slowly as she approached the crib. "No hugs, you tricky girl. Mama loves you, baby. I'm right here and I'm never far." She leaned down to kiss her daughter's head. "Lay down, get your blanket. You are fine, my girl."
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Two o'clock in the morning and the couple woke up to talking on the baby monitor. They heard their one year old babbling to herself which prompted the couple to sit up and grab the monitor to watch their daughter. Finding her sitting up in her crib, hugging the stuffed elephant she'd had since birth.
"She's up." Happy mumbled as he passed the monitor to his wife and laid back down. "She's making noise too."
Jacey nodded her head, placing the monitor on her end table. "Go get her, she wants to cuddle and look at her - She is hugging her elephant."
"No. She has to learn to sleep by herself." Happy shook his head slowly. "You have to separate from her, Jacey. She's getting too old for the co-sleeping thing, let her fall back asleep."
The blonde shook her head as she placed the monitor back down on her nightstand. "I don't have to do anything, she is my daughter. I am supposed to be there for her."
"She's not in distress, Jacey." He turned his head to look at the blonde. "She is just awake and talking to a damn stuffed animal. She doesn't sleep, it's not worrisome behavior."
Jacey rolled her eyes. "You obviously have learned nothing about parenting in these ten years we have been doing it. A baby doesn't just not sleep, something is keeping her awake. She doesn't take naps, she doesn't sleep at night unless she knows she isn't alone. I have every right to be concerned and I have every right to do what I see fit for her." She looked at her husband. "Don't tell me how to be a mother, Happy. You haven't got the slightest clue what I go through as a mother."
April 15, 2016
Jacey Lowman always trusted her instincts and she knew she was right about her children, she had asked Igor to watch her eldest children for a little while as she took Ashtyn for a ride. At the very least, she needed to see if she could get the stubborn girl to take a nap the old fashioned way but it was proving to be just as she guessed. The baby girl sat in the backseat, chattering to her stuffed elephant.
She watched every so often through the rearview mirror and listened to the gibberish, every so often Ashtyn would start speaking english then drop it for the gibberish. But there wasn't any stopping her, she was telling a story. Jacey Lowman just didn't know what the story was about.
Jacey sighed heavily as she finally pulled into the driveway belonging to her parents' home and she cut the engine. "I need you to let your grandmother check you over ok? You can bring the big guy but you have to let her see what's going on." She murmured to her daughter as she got out of the SUV and opened the backdoor to free the tiny girl from her carseat and she set her on her feet to follow Ashtyn to the front door. "Knock."
"No use in knocking, we have the cameras." Aleksandr spoke gruffly as he slowly opened the door. "We'll take the tiny one, you can leave. That one will cuddle us, you won't."
"Hush," Sariya smiled. "Come in, get comfortable."
Jacey shook her head slowly. "The tiny one woke up two nights ago in the middle of the night to talk to the elephant and hasn't gone back to sleep. She dozes off but catches herself."
"Must be one hell of a story," Sariya picked up Ashtyn. "Do you wanna talk to me, my girl?"
Ashtyn shook her head slowly. "No, Ellie."
"I don't know what is going on but my gut is worried about it. This isn't normal, I know it isn't." Jacey sighed as she looked at her daughter. "She's perfectly fine, no tantrums, nothing to show she's tired but she will not sleep so I've just stayed up with her."
"Bad dream?" She rested her head against Ashtyn's. "Can you cuddle with me and your Ellie?"
Ashtyn shook her head slowly. "No."
"How about Papa?" Jacey inquired. "Cuddle with Papa. Let him hear your story too. I think she made up her own language, dad. I'm not sure, it's certainly not clicking in my head though."
"I would like to cuddle," Aleksandr nodded slowly. "I would also like to hear this language you have going, will you teach me some if I speak Russian to you? I know you love that."
Ashtyn nodded slowly. "You first, Papa."
He smiled before he started to speak to her in Russian. "One day you'll be as fluent in Russian as I am."
"No." Ashtyn shook her head as she started to speak to the elephant again, hugging it tightly to her chest.
Jacey pointed to the toddler. "There it is, what is that?"
"Let me see this elephant?" Sariya tapped on Ashtyn's arms. "I want to talk to her too, I want to feel safe and tell her all my stories." She looked at Jacey. "I would say she's on the spectrum but usually it would show up before now, then again autism is always different in girls. We'll get to the bottom of it though, won't we Dr. Lowman?" She kissed Ashtyn's head. "We always figure it out."
Jacey nodded her head slowly as she kept her icy gaze on her daughter before she started to mimic the language, earning her daughter's attention. "What did I say to you?"
"My Cami." Ashtyn shook her head before she looked at Aleksandr. "Papa, where is Kat? Hugs?"
Jacey furrowed her brow. "The twins. Twins generally create their own language, could she be trying to speak their twin language?" She snapped near Ashtyn. "What about Cami? No hugs yet, you have to talk to us baby."
"Cami, love." Ashtyn blew Jacey kisses and started to smile. "Twins? Mine?"
"Kat and the twins are asleep," Aleksandr nodded. "Do you wanna cuddle with me?"
"Maybe she's got their language down because she's so close to them that she's pretty much their triplet." Sariya nodded slowly. "Unless she developed some language with her Katarzyna. Who gave you that elephant my girl?"
Ashtyn shrugged. "Where is my Kat at? No cuddle, Pop."
"Kat is taking a nap babe. Snuggle your papa, he needs your—- oh. Kat gave it to her. Is she trying to get to Katarzyna? Is that the language?"
"She's upstairs actually," Aleksandr looked at Jacey. "Go and wake her up, then we will see. I wouldn't put it past Katarzyna to teach her some language we wouldn't be able to know. It could be Swedish mixed with her Russian."
Jacey nodded her head. "Try to record her doing it real quick. I'll be back." She made her way upstairs to the room her parents set up for Bri, knocking gently on the door before entering the room. "Brownie?"
"Jacey?" Bri walked out of the bathroom and smiled. "What are you doing here?"
The blonde shrugged lazily. "Trying to get to the bottom of my child no longer sleeping. She's been awake for two days speaking gibberish to a stuffed elephant. And now she's speaking a bit of English again, asking for you."
The brunette chuckled softly. "Remember when I gave her the stuffed elephant? Ellie, I said it came with a charger. It's like this walkie talkie thing, when she gives it a squeeze she can talk to me and I can talk back. I just assumed after the first time it broke or something. I've got the matching elephant." She shrugged. "You know that's my Brownie, don't look at us like we're crazy. I finally got one who is all about me. Let me have this moment in case I manage to fuck things up like I did with Camryn."
"So she's been trying to talk to you and you haven't been talking back because I don't charge the damn thing because I forgot it needs to be charged? So my child won't sleep until I decipher this shit and reunite you two?" The blonde rolled her eyes. "Oh jesus. Go downstairs and hold her or something, I'm so done with her little ass. Instead of just asking in a language I understand, she decided to make this some fucking FBI hunt."
"She's speaking Russian," Brianna moved out of the room. "It's just lazy Russian and mixed with Spanish." She glanced back at her sister. "Gimme my Brownie baby." She walked down the stairs and into the family room. "Ashtyn, my girl!"
Ashtyn squirmed in her grandmother's arms, reaching for the brunette before she started to whimper. "Kat. Help."
"I got you," She took Ashtyn from Sariya and kissed her head. "You came all the way here so we can cuddle huh?"
Ashtyn curled up in Brianna's arms, a tiny hand reaching up for Bri's necklace. "My Kat, my Kat."
"Ellie the Elephant is a stuffed animal with walkie talkie purposes. It needs to be charged for Bri to be able to hear Ashtyn and talk to her." Jacey murmured to her parents. "The baby wouldn't sleep because she was worried about the woman. She finally has her own baby, strictly devoted. Except this one will probably kill the next time something like this happens."
"I love you Ash," Bri smiled. "The Brownies are reunited. We're going to sleep well tonight. I've got so many stories to tell you Ash."
"You mean to tell me that you got walkie talkie stuffed elephants and gave one of them to Ashtyn but didn't think to go over and see if it was charged?" Aleksandr looked at Brianna. "Come on woman."
"I thought it just broke, had I known she hadn't been sleeping, I would've shown up in the middle of the night. Even though I'm banned for doing that because the alarm incident that woke up the house and had Happy and Jacey running through it like crazy people. Simply because they didn't tell me the alarm code." She looked at her dad. "Leave me alone, this is my baby, look at her. Curled up and comfortable."
"She just wanted her Kat," Sariya smiled. "She can finally sleep well and know that this one is physically okay."
Jacey shook her head slowly. "She's not banned, she was told the code that night. Now she's just scared to be yelled at again because she woke up that devil boy." She shrugged. "She literally could've spoken strictly spanish to her father or russian to me to ask for you. She's stubborn."
"You know I'm slightly dramatic," Bri smiled at her sister. "Maybe she can't really decipher the two because she's still learning and she had English in there." She kissed Ashtyn's cheeks. "I'm safe, you can go to sleep now, I'll still be here when you wake up."
Jacey moved Bri's free hand to Ashtyn's legs. "Move her over slightly, let her hear your heart and rub her legs. She needs to hear you." She turned to look at her mother. "Not a medical issue at all, that is a plus. Her father will be glad."
"She's slightly dramatic like her favorite aunt," Sariya hugged Jacey. "You can get some sleep now too mama. You probably need it."
AN: Hellloooooooo my lovely friends, here's a long overdue update for you guys. I hope you all enjoy it
