It's close enough to Friday right? I have absolutely LOVED my emails going off telling me that I have reviews and favorites and follows, honestly it is the best feeling! I hope everyone had a great holiday season and that everyone has a fantastic and safe new year! I may get another chapter out tomorrow depending on if I can crack the chapter I'm currently working on. Anyway! Enjoy this one!
Please note this fic is rated M for everything you see in SOA and that I own neither SOA or Twilight. I own only my story line.

"You look like you enjoyed your party last night," Jax grinned at Bella who was wearing some sunglasses and was clinging to a bottle of water.

"Urgh," she groaned in his general direction, frowning at the blonde as he laughed. It had been her nineteenth birthday the day before and she thoùght she would have gotten off with it passing by uneventfully. She didn't factor in the force that was Gemma and Georgia when they got together. She had been invited to what she had assumed was another family dinner at Gemma's. Instead she found all the guys, Quinn, Georgia and surprisingly Koz waiting on her with presents, cake and alcohol. She had never drunk before. She was fairly sure she was never drinking again.

"How's it feel to be nineteen?" Jax asked her, unphased by her grunting apparently.

"Why, can't you remember, old timer?" Bella asked grumpily.

"Oh, someone's bitchy when they're hungover," Jax laughed.

"Someone's too chipper in the morning," Bella shot back, her head was pounding and she felt sick. She sat herself down on a chest of tools, happy to not move until it was very necessary. She thought she'd done well to turn up at all, moving was a feat that was beyond the call of duty right then.

"You want a coffee?" Jax apparently was ready to take pity on her.

"I love you," Bella said weakly.

"I'm a married man, Bells," he laughed again as he made his way into the office.

She sat on the chest of tools deciding that parties really weren't her thing and regretting every choice she had ever made when a car pulled into the forecourt. Bella for once ignored it. Jax could deal with customers today, she did not have it in her to smile and be polite.

A few minutes passed before Jax came back into the garage, a coffee in her mug and a smile she didn't trust on his face. "That guy with the Mazda is back, wants to thank you for the work, he's waiting."

"Huh?" Bella frowned. She had worked on it for the past two weeks, she was pretty sure that he was actually breaking things off in the end to bring it in. She didn't care, she did the work, got paid and he was a tipper. He was an attractive man in his mid twenties she would guess, he had a cute goatee and sparkling blue eyes. She struggled to remember his name in her condition though.

"He wants to talk to you, go on," Jax shooed her with his hand, a wide smirk still covering his face.

"What's his name?" Bella asked as she stood up, stopping as she wasn't sure if she'd be sick or not.

"Matt," Jax said, looking like he was trying not to laugh.

With a nod, her hands now around her coffee she walked over to Matt who was leant against the car, a smile on his face as she walked over to him.

"Hey," he said as she got closer.

"Hi, Jax said you wanted to see me?" Bella said before taking a sip of her coffee. It was just the way she liked it. Jax was a good guy, even if he sometimes acted like the older sibling Bella was glad she had never had.

"Er yeah. I was wondering if I could take you out to thank you for all the work you've done on my car," Matt said, smiling still.

"You paid me to do it. That's thanks enough," Bella said, her brain slower than usual.

"Okay, well how about I just take you out then? Say Friday? I can pick you up here at seven?"

"Yeah, sure," Bella said before she could catch herself. She had just agreed to a date. Did she want a date? Did she want to date Matt? She wasn't sure, it was too late now though.

She flinched at the sounds of bikes arriving and Gemma's car. The sound did not help her pounding head at all.

"Really? That's great, okay, well I'll meet you here at seven on Friday, I'll look forward to it," Matt said looking actually happy about the prospect of taking her out. She decided that one date couldn't hurt. She might even figure out if she actually liked him. And she hadn't had a date in… almost two years, and wasn't that just sad. Actually, was that one spur of the moment meal with Edward even counted as a date?

"See you Friday," Bella smiled as best she could before making her way slowly back to the garage.

"Well? What did he say?" Jax teased her as she sat back on the tools. Bobby and Chibs were in the garage too and Gemma was standing with raised eyebrows watching what was happening.

"I have a date on Friday," Bella murmured while waiting for it. It didn't take long.

"Wooo!" The guys cheered together and Bella just frowned at them.

"Ah, ickle Bella has a date, they grow up so fast," Jax said wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Shut up," Bella said weakly, finishing her coffee with a shake of her head.

"Baby girl come into the office with me. Ignore these jackasses," Gemma said softly and Bella dutifully followed. Gemma wasn't as likely to make her want to puke. And there was coffee in the office.

Bella topped her coffee up and sat down on the free chair, she didn't remove her sunglasses though.

"So you got a date?" Gemma started and Bella nodded rather than spoke. "About damn time, I was starting to think you were into girls. You on protection?"

"What? No! It's just one date!" Bella said, panicking a little. Surely he didn't think she would sleep with him after one date.

"Oh sweetie, you should still be safe, just in case," Gemma smirked, apparently finding the conversation amusing.

"I… er… I've never… I'm not going to on a first date," Bella felt herself turn bright red as she stuttered over her words, her head facing the floor, she didn't see the man in the doorway watching the conversation with raised eyebrows.

"You're a virgin?" Gemma sounded surprised. "Jesus. You're not born again or anything are you? Waiting on marriage?"

"No, but I've only had one serious relationship and he wasn't interested in… that," Bella felt really uncomfortable talking about this.

"Then he was gay," Gemma said firmly. "You wait, your date will definitely want to hit that. Speaking of, what are you going to wear?"

"Don't know. I'll probably go to the stores in Lodi after work before Friday," Bella shrugged, she had her white sundress and a denim skirt, she didn't think either of them were quite right for a date though.

"You do that baby girl," Gemma said. "Alright, are you ready for a day with the jackals? They're not going to let this go, you know that right?"

"I can cope," Bella insisted, they might tease her but they'd stop short before she actually threw something at them.

"Go on then sweetheart," Gemma dismissed Bella.

Bella walked into the garage to find the guys all laughing at something.

"Like a virgin! Oh! Touched for the very first time!" They all started singing together.

"I fucking hate you all," Bella growled feeling herself flush to the tip of her head. She should have known one of them would listen to the damn conversation.

"Oh! She just swore!" Jax gasped.

"A date and cussing on the same day. So proud," Bobby teased her with a wink.

It was a long day.

*
The teasing didn't let up all week and by Thursday Bella was begging with Gemma for the afternoon off so she could go shopping for something for her date. Gemma agreed happily. Bella hadn't had one day off since she started working at the garage and Bella was scowling every time one of the guys came anywhere within her general vicinity now.

So Bella got in her truck and rode to Lodi, glad to finally have some time alone without someone ripping into her. The drive was nice, she had the music on loud, the windows open and the warm breeze blowing in her face. This was just what she needed after the misery that was Forks. Sunshine and warmth.

Lodi wasn't much bigger than Charming, but it did have more clothing stores so Bella was hopeful she would find something to wear.

Three stores and one coffee later Bella was feeling good. She had brought a couple of dresses just in case date one led to date two. She had also brought some new underwear. Although she was firm in not having sex with Matt, especially not on a first date, she wanted to feel good, and she hoped they would help.

She was debating getting her hair trimmed when a commotion caught her attention. A huge black SUV was screeching down the road. A woman was screaming, her large belly protruding out in front of her and hindering her from getting to the street where a young boy was frozen.

Bella dropped her bags and ran for the boy, yanking him out of the way of the SUV who's windows rolled down. She caught the flash of something familiar before she threw the boy to the floor and dived on top of him. Her shoulder stung painfully as gunshots echoed around them. It felt like hours but could only have been moments later that the SUV was driving away.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked the boy in a shaky voice as she heard the roar of bikes. She wondered what the Sons were doing in Lodi briefly as she checked the boy over.

"Yes," he said quietly, tears streaming down his face.

The mother was hysterical as she ran across the road to them. Her hand on her stomach as the other darted out to the boy.

"Hector!" The woman half screamed checking him over carefully. She said something rapidly in Spanish that Bella didn't understand.

A group of men came running over in kuttes just like the Sons, these proclaimed them as Mayans though and Bella realised she might be in some trouble.

The man at the front of the group, who had a thick black mustache and hard eyes spoke to the woman and boy in urgent Spanish. Bella tried to look as unthreatening as possible as she carried on sitting on the floor. She wondered if she should call someone.

"You saved Hector?" The man said to her in a heavily accented voice.

"It was nothing," Bella said just wanting to get out of there, she was sure she'd sprained her shoulder or something.

"That's not, nothing. You've been hit. Let us take care of that," the man said, gesturing to her shoulder. She looked down to see it bleeding. She hadn't sprained it, she'd been shot. Bella was amazed that she didn't feel worse. At least yet anyway. "You from around here?"

"Erm, no, I'm from Charming," Bella said honestly, she was pretty sure that this guy would find out if she lied anyway.

"Charming? Huh. Good job you were here today then hey. You want us to take care of that or want us to maybe call someone for you, we might have some similar friends, no?" The man said looking suspicious.

"Erm, I work at a garage, you might know some of the guys I work with," Bella admitted, her shoulder really stinging. She just wanted to go home.

"Hmm… I can ring your boss, Clay, get him to come take care of you. You can wait with us," she didn't think it was a suggestion.

Bella just nodded as she looked over to Hector and his mother who were hugging each other furiously, both still crying.
The man turned to another man and said something in Spanish again. Bella really wished she had taken the elective now.

"Esai will take you to your car and bring you back, he'll take good care of you," the man nodded to a younger man who looked very similar to the one who was obviously in charge.

*
The garage was having a slow day. It was one of those days where there was more sitting on your ass than actual work happening. Chibs didn't mind those days so much. He knew it bugged the shit out of Jax though, Jackie-boy had never been good at sitting still.

"Chibs, Jax, we gotta go," Clay said, coming into the garage with a deep frown on his face as he was putting a burner away in his back pocket. "Chibs grab any medical supplies you got."

"What's happened?" Jax asked as Chibs went to do as requested.

"Mayans have Bella, she's been shot," Clay said looking his age.

"What?" Jax cried, the boy had come to see the lass as a sister, that much was obvious.

"Why tha fuck did tha bastards shoot her? She ain't got shit ta do with shit," Chibs said with a frown. Lass was a sweetheart, real sweet. If Chibs had been twenty years younger… Her little crush on him was a-fucking-dorable and gave him an ego boost to boot. Something as young and pretty as she had a thing for him then there was probably hope for him yet.

"Wasn't the Mayans, looks like it was Black. She saved Alverez's Old Ladies kid, took a hit. They're taking care of her, but didn't want to touch her without us there," Clay informed them heading out of the garage and towards his bike.

Chibs grabbed all the medical shit he had and went to join the Prez and VP.

They rode as fast as they could over to Lodi, following Clay who took them to a bar that the Mayans used frequently. Chibs noted that no matter how grateful they may be Bella still hadn't been taken to their clubhouse out in Oakland. They didn't trust her or the Sons. He got that. He wouldn't trust those fuckers either.

One of the members of the Mayans was waiting for them with a mistrustful face and folded arms.

"Bella here?" Clay asked the guy, his voice hard and unfriendly.

"She's here, come on," the guy replied and headed into the bar. Exchanging glances they followed.

They were led through the dimly lit bar that was crowded with other members of the rival club. If shit went down they were fucked. Judging by their tense shoulders Jax and Clay had figured as much too.

They went through a backdoor and into a cozy enough room where Alvarez waited with his VP and Bella who was holding a bloody rag to her shoulder and looking mighty pale.

"Ye alright there lass?" Chibs asked as Clay and Jax faced off with their counterparts.

"Been better, been worse," Bella replied with an attempt at a smile. Chibs just chuckled, she was a tough little lass that was for sure. Quinn would be proud when he was told. Chibs also hoped he wasn't the one having to make that phone call. Quinn could be a scary bastard when he was properly pissed off.

"Let's take a look now shall we?" Chibs said, taking a seat next to Bella and pulling the rag away from her shoulder to take a look. It was bleeding steadily but wasn't pissing blood. Slug was still in too. This was gonna hurt the poor girl something awful. Still an infection and death would hurt more.

Chibs half listened in on the conversation happening the other side of the room. It sounded like Bella was doing something no one else had managed for years. Brokering peace between the two warring clubs.

"Said she works for you?" Alvarez was saying to Clay.

"Yeah, at the garage, legitimate. Kid don't know shit," Clay replied firmly.

"I got that when she didn't know what a sweetbutt was," Alvarez actually chuckled at that. "Thought she might be one."

"Alright now lovey, I'm gonna have ta get tha' bullet out. It's gonna hurt like fuck, so ye just go on and scream and shout if ye need ta," Chibs said setting up what little supplies he had. They were going to have to find a way of getting her some antibiotics as well. Would be a good time to befriend a doctor or nurse, Chibs figured.

"Any of yer lads got antibiotics? The wee lass is gonna need some," Chibs directed his attention to the Mayans for the first time.

"Go check," Alvarez informed his VP with a nod to the door.

"Ok now Bells, here we go," Chibs informed the young girl before he started trying to get the bullet out. He'd give her dues, she didn't scream, just made a pained moan and hissed between her teeth. She had stones. Some of his brothers had made more fuss for less when they'd been patched up for something or other.

"Almost done, ye hangin' in there?" Chibs said as the bullet started coming out. They were both coated in blood. Nasty shit this.

Chibs frowned when Bella didn't reply, a quick glance told him she was conscious, just. The trouble was she could go into shock.

"Jax, come and talk ta Bells yeh?" Chibs said, he needed to concentrate and she needed to stay awake.

"Sure thing man," Jax said, going to kneel next to Bella. "So you get anything for the big date Friday Bells?"

"Yeah, some… a dress…" Bella gasped out through clenched teeth but at least she was talking.

"A dress, does that mean the lucky guys gonna see those legs then?" Jax teased gently, taking her hand as he did. Jackie-boy was good. "You get new underwear as well? The guys would happily tell ya if ya look good in them before the date if ya want."

"Nice… try… not… happening. Bunch of… perves," Bella said without her usual bites.

"There we are, wee bastards out. Nah just got ta get ya patched up lass. This bit's gonna hurt too. Ye squeeze Jackie-boy's hand. Get him back for all tha shite he been givin' ya," Chibs said fishing for the sterilizing alcohol in his fasham of a doctor's bag.

Bella let out a small groan as he poured the shit in the open wound. Jax winced as she must have been doing what Chibs had suggested. He let out a chuckle. "Thas right lass, you tell 'im."

"Fuck, you've got a good grip," Jax smarted as Bella was slowly stiched up and the Mayan came back with a bottle of antibiotics.

She was out almost as soon as Chibs had finished. They just had to get her back to Charming but he was fairly sure she'd be fine.

Alvarez was talking about thanking her for her act of heroism that day with Clay as Chibs took her in her arms and went to take her to her truck that was out front. Lass barely weighed a thing, he wondered if she'd been eating right. Maybe they should all keep an eye on that. She was a good worker and T.M. didn't want to lose her. Plus Quinn would have all their hides if he thought they weren't taking care of the lass.

"You all right with her?" Jax asked, looking worried.

"Aye, she weighs fuck all," Chibs reassured his brother. "Get me bike on her truck though, I'll drive her back."

"Alright, don't be too long taking her back, you know Clay's gonna call Church when we get home," Jax advised as the two brothers walked side by side out of the bar, Chibs carrying Bella and Jax carrying her bags and shit. They avoided the looks they got by staring at the exit. Fuckers weren't to know they were worried.

Chibs got really pissed off driving her truck back to Charming, the thing barely went past sixty. What the hell was she doing with this piece of shit when she worked at a garage. She must have known by now that they'd get her a half decent car if she wanted. Though Chibs had seen that she rarely asked for help. The only times she ever did was if she would screw something up if she didn't. She never asked for help with anything that wasn't to do with work at all. Even six months after being in Charming. Chibs wondered if maybe they weren't doing enough to show that she was family too and that she could turn to them. Still, he thought that today should've helped with that shit. They wouldn't have done that shit for anyone who wasn't family. Not without a really good fucking reason.

When they reached Bella's modest house he rooted through her bag to find her keys. His ma would've smacked him round the back of the head but there was no other choice.

He unlocked her door into a clean and nice smelling house. Going back to the truck he lifted the girl again and got her laid out on her bed, he put some painkillers and the antibiotics on the nightstand and left a note that she had to ring one of the guys if she needed anything. Chibs thought it was likely Gemma would be checking in regardless. And he was sure that Quinn would be there within a day or two at least.

The last thing he did before heading out was check her cupboards and fridge without a hint of remorse. She had food in. Decent food and her freezer was full. That made him relax, at least she wasn't struggling and keeping that shit to herself.
He'd just shut the door behind himself when he got the call to Church.