Author Note: So as you guys know I am without a laptop, but Im uploading the rest of these chapters through mobile. So I apologize for the many grammar, spelling errors that are littered through these. I don't know when I be able to go back to posting new things since I am a broke woman and can't afford a laptop. Just know when I am back I might do "Drowning" as it won the poll first and then post this rewrite.
"Are Aunt Lyla and Uncle Opie getting a divorce?" Isla asks from the kitchen table.
Cheyenne pauses stirring the pancake batter in the mixing bowl as she eyes her niece. Cheyenne knows its only been a couple days since Opie's incident with Ima, but she thinks it's a little too soon to be throwing the term divorce around. Yet, she knows deep down inside that is possibly where it's headed.
"Is that what Ellie told you?"
"Well Piper hasn't gone home with them in a couple days." Isla replies carefully as she engages Thomas with rolling a small Hot Wheels across the table. Abel is annoyed as his brother rolls it over the picture he is coloring on.
"Your Aunt and Uncle are going through a rough patch."
Isla scrunches her nose. "But they just got married."
"Sometimes these things just happen."
"When are you and Uncle Jax getting married?"
Cheyenne is taken back by that question. In reality, she feels guilty for not even thinking about setting a marriage date. Marriage has been the last thing on her mind as she looks down at the beautiful ring. She wonders when there would even be a time to plan a wedding let alone have one.
"Don't know yet. We wanted to wait a bit." She settles on.
"Wait on what? You already have Abel and Thomas."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" She asks her nice lightly.
"According to Disney, you're doing things backwards."
Cheyenne laughs, but it's cut short by someone knocking on the door. She almost forgot Rat Boy was there as he rushes to the door with a gun and checks the peephole.
"It's the Sheriff," he whispers.
Cheyenne shoos him away. "Take the gun, stay in the back room."
Taking a deep breath, she opens the door. She plasters a pleasant smile on her face.
"Sorry about the hour, Dr. Henderson," Roosevelt politely greets.
"No problem. Is there a problem?"
"We just got a call from the head of your HR department over at St. Thomas. She's convinced you did receive a death threat." Roosevelt informs her as he holds up the note in an evidence bag.
Cheyenne wonders how in the hell he even got that. Cheyenne opens the door to allow him in the house. "I'm in the middle of making breakfast." She explains as they head into the kitchen. "Isla, can you take the boys into the living room."
Isla nods her head as she grabs the boys.
"May I ask why you didn't report the threat yesterday?" Roosevelt asks.
"I didn't take it seriously. That's why I didn't report it." Chey lies.
"Then why did the MC post someone here to watch you? There's a bike outside. I'm assuming he's somewhere in the back - armed." Roosevelt points out.
"The answer to that question will require a warrant."
"Oh, you really got it down, don't you?"
Chey gives Roosevelt a stiff smile, "I appreciate your concern, Sheriff."
"Well, it's more than concern, it's my legal obligation. So I'm gonna post a unit outside, and I'll coordinate with St. Thomas' security. It's more than just your safety at stake." Roosevelt tells her seriously as his eyes roam over her shoulder to the kids. "But I'm sure you know that. Sorry to disturb you."
After getting in a heated exchange with Rat- Boy about him staying outside of the hospital while she was working, she knew she wasn't going to be working when she found Margaret outside her office with her signature smile on her face like she was going to be the bearer of good news.
"Good morning, Margaret, is there anything I can help you with?" Chey asks being polite.
"Chey I think you and I both know why I am here. I'm sorry I have to take this threat seriously for the safety of this building, and I encourage you take the help of Sheriff Roosevelt."
"Right…I understand," Chey says. "And how long am I off for?"
"Until the Sheriff tells me that you are no longer in danger."
Cheyenne nods her head. She turns to leave, but she stops and calls Margaret back. "Can I ask you for a favor?"
"Sure."
"Those hospitals…can you tell them I'm interested."
A wide smile blossoms on Margaret's face. "Of course."
. . .
Since Viktor's death, her mother has stayed in her home in Northern California. In fact, her mom has taken a radio silence. She knocks on the door to the house. It's a couple minutes before her mother answers the door seemingly shocked to see her.
"What's happened?"
"I need to talk to you." Cheyenne tells her.
Her mom's eyes move behind her to Rat Boy. "He stays outside."
Rat Boy goes to protest, but she silences him with a glare as she enters the house.
Entering the house, there are boxes everywhere. "You moving?"
Her mom leads her into a sitting room, "Viktor…in the case of his death…had another house for me to live in."
"And you were going to go without saying anything?"
"Would I even be missed? I haven't heard from you since the wedding…and at this point I'm starting to think it's the best thing for me to stay away."
"What about your grandchildren."
"They don't know me." Her mother tells her sadly. "They have Gemma anyways. But something must have happened for you to come up this way."
Cheyenne digs into her bag where she pulls out her copy of the letters. She hands the envelope over to her mother.
"What is this?"
"If something happens to me, you need to give these to Lip, Jax, or even Opie."
The blood seems to drain from her mother's face. She almost looks like she wants to throw the packet away from her. "You can't come in here and say something like that and not give me an explanation."
"Mom –"
"No. I don't an answer." Cheryl snaps.
"There about John."
"His manuscript?"
Cheyenne looks confused. "You know about that?"
Cheryl nods her head. "He gave your dad a copy. I was going to give it to Lip, but after all the relapses and when I finally got cleaned for the final time, I burned the freaking thing as some sort of symbolism of moving on."
"Oh."
"How do you know about it?"
"Jax found a copy in storage, but those aren't it."
"Then what is it?"
"John wrote letters…there love letters –"
"To Maureen Ashby." Cheryl finishes as she stands up.
"Okay, you need to give me some answers."
Cheryl sighs. "It's pretty simple. Why do you think your father was killed? John wasn't only telling Maureen how he wanted out of guns and the steps he was making to end it."
"You knew and didn't say anything?"
"I was a junkie delusional with grief. Who would believe me? They killed your father and I was afraid for you and Lip. I take it you're not going to tell me what prompted you to come to me?"
"The less you know the better."
. . .
Jax, Lip, and Opie sit at one of the metal tables outside and observe the somber mood that has taken over the clubhouse. It was clear to everybody this Cartel deal was unraveling the club. And now Bobby has put the challenged up for a new President.
The future of SAMCRO watches as one of the First 9 zooms onto the lot with his trike.
"Piney wasn't gonna proxy this vote." Jax comments as he clutches his coffee mug.
"Wanted a front row seat." Opie tells them.
"You talk to him yet?" Jax asks as he knows Opie's act with Ima had left Piney frosty with his son and in Lyla's camp.
"No." Opie answers. "So what happens if Bobby takes this vote?"
Jax sits up in his seat. He tries to think when was the last time him, Lip, and Opie were all even together. Jax feels as if this Cartel deal is pulling them all apart. "Short term, not much he can do. Pulls us away from Galindo. Risk is too big."
Long term, maybe Bobby's a better choice." Lip supplies to the conversation. Opie nods his head in agreement.
Jax doesn't even have to ask which way Lip is going. "You thinking of going that way?"
"Not sure." Opie answers truthfully. "You're staying in Clay's camp?" It's unsaid about what happened yesterday with Cheyenne should sway Jax to the other end of the spectrum.
Jax sighs and feels a bit guilty. "Look, I know it's dirty, bro. But he's getting us whole. Eventually, we're less desperate, make smarter choices."
"That is such bullshit, Jax." Lip adds. "This deal shouldn't even have happened."
Jax nods his head. "I know, but we got to see this shit through."
"Hey, I voted nay on this initially."
"You want a medal?" Jax snaps.
"What I want is the fucking truth from you. I want to know what is really making you cling to this fucking deal because after how my sis reacted yesterday I would think you would be singing a different tune."
"What goes on between me and Chey is none of your fucking business," Jax growls. He thinks it's way too early to be dealing with this shit.
"That's where you're fucking wrong. Chey is my sister and whatever she does is my business especially when threats get delivered to her door."
Jax goes to snap back, but he is distracted by his phone ringing. He gets up from the table to answer it.
"You shouldn't goad him." Opie says softly. "Why are you even egging him like this?"
"He isn't telling us everything. I can feel it in my gut. He was different in Stockton – a good different. I'm talking about the Jax that wanted to go legit. Like I thought we would get out and bam Jax would be focused and change all this shit. But something happened for Jax to be okay about dealing drugs. I don't recognize him."
. . .
Heading back to Charming, Cheyenne makes a stop at the clubhouse and she notices the new decorations that adorn the compound in the form of bullet holes, crime scene tape, and police officers. She shouldn't be surprised.
She parks her car as she spots Gemma sitting at one of the tables outside. "Hey. What are you doing here?"
Cheyenne sits down across from Gemma. "Apparently, my presence at the hospital is a threat."
"Ah, shit."
The blonde doctor folds her arms across her chest. She doesn't bother asking what happened on the lot. She thinks it's better for her to not know. "Why do I believe him when he says it'll get better?" She asks Gemma.
"Cause he means it." Gemma replies softly. "No one saw this coming, baby. I hate this shit, too."
"I'm trying, Gem, I really am." Cheyenne says. "But this…"
"I know you are. So does Jax. We pull through, and we stick it out. That's what family does. Come on." Gemma assures.
. . .
Cheyenne is in the middle of reading on why they need to save Charming's Garden from many of the posters decorating the lot when her cell phone rings. It's an unfamiliar number. "Hello?"
"Cheyenne!"
"Fawn, what happened to your phone!"
"Sorry, my boyfriend and I are in Chicago. I lost it and decided to say fuck it. Less distractions, but my mom got ahold of me and said Dawn was there?"
Cheyenne walks over to a park bench. "Yeah, apparently you developed an eating order. Stress from leaving Charming and all that."
Fawn snorts. "I think it would have been more believable if I got addicted to drugs."
"How you've been?"
"Good. Real good. What about you? Jax's back, right? I bet the boys are loving that."
"It's been crazy honestly." She tells her friend. "The boys are good – great. Loving that their dad is home. But…uh… Jax proposed."
"You don't sound too enthused."
"I'm just pissed at him at the moment."
"Well that is different."
"What?"
"It took three years for the honeymoon to fade."
"Fawn…"
"Sorry, but it's true. You know what…I'll come down and we can talk. I bought some stuff for Isla."
"I miss you, Fawn."
"I miss you too."
. . .
Cheyenne almost feels bad for calling the Central Gardens a shitty overgrown park. It is a beautiful garden and it would be sad to see it bulldozed for some franchise that Charming wouldn't really need. Cheyenne, of course, would love to see some growth in Charming. It's only natural yet people who move to Charming come here because it's small and everything is local and family owned businesses.
"So Chey did you breast feed Abel?"
Chey pauses midway in taking a sip of her drink at Tig's question not sure if she should answer it or not, so she doesn't, "Tiggy use your imagination."
"Chey I think that's worse," Chucky says from his seat next to her.
"I'm mean Chey, I'm not hitting on you – well maybe –but I seen a lot of pregnant women. Seen what it has done to a woman's body. You bounce back from childbirth in daisy dukes…" Tig says getting lost in his head, and Chey doesn't know if that was even a good thing.
"Well I think that was a compliment so… thank you?" Cheyenne replies tentatively.
"Oh, Cheyenne I seen you made." Rita Roosevelt greets making her round of greeting guests reaching Chey's table.
"Yes, everything is set up beautifully. It seems like a great turn out."
"Thank you and I also want to thank you again for you becoming for your donation and joining the committee."
"Oh…yeah…no problem," Chey says hoping to cover her shock of joining a committee she didn't know about.
"Well I hope you enjoy the rest of the fundraiser."
"You didn't even know you joined did you?" Tig observes.
"No…I didn't." Chey says causing all the guys to laugh. She knows Gemma must have done it.
. . .
Cheyenne waves goodbye to her brother as he takes Isla home. It's 1 in the morning. She turns to find Jax standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
"Rat said you went to see your mom."
She nods her head as she leans against the wall opposite of him. After spending the whole afternoon without Jax doing God's know what, Cheyenne realized she had to make a decision. He had already said he was going to leave so really this would be her just making the move first. He could follow.
After hearing Clay's speech, she knows it could only get worse. Jax's timeline of a year to decide could get extended. After all, reading those letters John had wrote to Maureen, and seeing how Jax was his father's son, she knows know matter how much they wanted to look out for their family the need to change the club was greater. It was a loyalty she could admire. However, Cheyenne realizes she is afraid that one day she might have to ask Jax to choose and she fears for his answer. She knows in the back of her mind that the changes he believes he would make won't happen with the snap of his fingers and it would take time. It was just more time means more violence and more blood. Like he told her in the kitchen nearly two years ago.
She thinks she might hate herself for loving Jax so much. They just have gotten engaged again and they should be basking in that and slowly start to begin working on those details. Instead, they were here, her life being threatened and her fiancée not only gun runs, but now was mauling coke.
"It's just a matter of time before it hurts our kids," Cheyenne tells him. She doesn't stop the tears that spill from her eyes. Doesn't brother to even try to hide them. She hates that they are even having this conversation.
"I'd never let that happen."
She believes him when he says that, but he has no control over that. She sometimes thought that he doesn't see how Abel looks at them and soon Thomas would begin to pick up things. There wasn't a way to shield their boys when the danger approached and invaded their home and there are shootings at Teller-Morrow.
She doesn't want to think about the fact her children could've been at the clubhouse when it was shot up. She would never forgive herself for putting them in that danger. "I have to get them out of here."
"I know." Jax accepts. He doesn't fight her as literally they had to act like an infantry due to the Cartel's rival. "I thought I knew what we were getting into. We're in over our head."
"I might just go to my mom's for a few days. But there are a couple hospitals interested in me; I might go check them out." Cheyenne reveals to him.
Jax gives her a genuine smile. With everything, she could say Jax was always supported of her career. "You should go… take Neeta, bring the kids with you. Hell, take Isla too. Just stay there until things calm down here. Then we'll figure it all out."
Cheyenne gives him a wobbly smile. "What about your mom?"
"Tell her the truth. You're protecting our family."
Chey wiped the tears escaping her eyes. She knows she should feel some relief, but it still pained her knowing she was leaving Jax behind – the man who was truly his father's son. She just didn't want him to get crushed under the weight of the club as his father did.
Jax moves to stand across from her. He wipes her tears away with his thumb. "Don't cry."
"I'm just scared for you, Jax," Chey tells him as she looks up at him.
Jax gives her a sad smile while his fingers find purchase in her blonde hair. He presses a burning kiss to her lips, "Come on let's go to bed."