Chapter 7

sorry something happened when I uploaded this the first time. So here's to hoping it works now :/

Okay we're doing a time jump here. And probably will be a little in the future too (not as big as this one, more like going over morning whilst it's the night now if that makes sense) But it will be worth it I promise/hope :P

Chapter 7

6 months later

The isles in Charming's main supermarket hadn't changed. That didn't surprise her though. Not much ever changed in this town really. Which is what made it surprising that it was still a place that managed to grab hold and shake her, until everything she thought she knew fell out. Although she probably couldn't grant Charming with that power. More like a certain Scot... A certain Scot she knew she was bound to see sooner or later. She tried to shake the feeling off her shoulders. She didn't exactly choose to move back here. But she'd finished with gang task force in New York and as usual got sent where she could do the most work. Which ironically was also the place where she'd have the tightest reason not to want to do that work. She didn't want to be responsible for anything else that happened to the men that deserved none of her pity and leniency and protection but managed to claim all of it. Not that she'd heard from him. She'd received every letter back, with the envelope still and stuck as the day she licked it. She pretended it didn't hurt, pretended she didn't feel an aching throughout her body every time she collected them from the rusty mailbox that lined her tiny apartments lobby wall. Like it didn't ache within her, like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. And she wanted to scream and tear at a universe that created the term 'broken heart' because if it was only her heart that was broken, why did it hurt everywhere? Why did it feel like someone had torn out her stomach and replaced the hole with lead. Too heavy to move with and left her with an inability to breathe at times. Not that it affected her work, she worked brilliantly whilst over there. If anything she was at her best, and yet mostly because she threw herself so far into it that everything else around stayed black. She did pride herself on her work, yet it didn't give her the satisfaction it should have. Because the obsession she gave it only came from the fact that she worshipped that side of herself, a side she hadn't necessarily needed to have him. She horded it because it was such a different pride than the one he had brokered in her. A side that when the door had closed behind them, she tried to leave outside, in the same fashion he tried to leave the reaper. A habit she first assumed came from deference from the both. But maybe was more of a miserable denial neither of them had wanted to name.

If she could just grab the food she needed and another bandage to wrap her arm with until it stopped lightly weeping. She could get back to her new apartment and fall back inside the rabbit hole there. Because there was something undignified about trying to pretend you're not teary eyed in a supermarket at 2pm over the brand of wine he used to buy you.

'Well I have seen a ghost. Althea Jarry, you are a sight for sore eyes'

She subtly managed to wipe the corner her of her right eye before turning her attention to the southern voice she couldn't mistake.

'Ms Van Damm, hi'

'Oh please call me Venus honey, you have arrested me before and I know we both have a weakness for men with tattoos wearing leather'

She tried to laugh at the latter comment. But found the sound wouldn't quite move up her throat. Although when she looked she realised Venus had said it without any malicious intent, it was just a fact to her.

'Well if I remember correctly I let you go without charge?'

Arrests like Venus' made her hate her job at times. She wasn't hurting any one and she was doing it out of her own free will. She shouldn't be punished for it in her mind, and targeting willing escorts just made it harder for the women who weren't doing it willingly to get help.

'And I did appreciate it. So tell me what are you doing back in town. The Charming grapevine told me you were living in the Big Apple?'

'I was, I was doing some gang taskforce work and well now I've been sent back to Stockton. Just getting settled now though, I've still got to have half my stuff sent over, guess I wasn't above the big city shopping after all. Maybe I knew I'd get sent somewhere that didn't have anything as good as New York does'

She noticed Venus' smile turn into an innocent smirk.

'Not, that that there's nothing here I mean, look at you. You're beautiful'

She looked back down at the pasta sauces she was still standing in front of, a blush rising up over her cheeks and her mistake, but Venus just laughed lightly.

'I know sugar, you're a beautiful woman, you deserve beautiful things. New York is an incredible place, I'm not surprised you found things you loved there...although sometimes it turns out we love things we've left behind...'

She smiled lightly back and tried to ignore exactly what the woman was very obviously hinting at.

'Yeah, I did like it, it moves at lightening speed but sometimes. That's what you need I guess. Something totally different to where you were before'

Venus eyed her with a consideration she'd never seen from her before. Like she was appraising her before speaking.

'You know he went over there once'

'Who?... Chibs? When?'

'About a month after you left. He doesn't know that I know but, Alexander let it slip once'

'Chibs was in New York?'

'He told Tig he'd never seen anything like it. He knew straight away he'd need more than an apology to win you back. He needed to conquer the world. He's been trying ever since'

'That's why he kept sending my letters back...'

'It's funny how things don't work out'

'It's funny how they do'

She gave Venus her first truly honest smile, her eyes floating towards the large diamond ring on her left hand. Venus lifted her hand, eyes towards it also.

'Well yes, sometimes they do I guess, and like a lotus flower, sometimes the most beautiful things grow through the darkest parts of the earth. I do have to run Althea, it was good to see you though. I'm glad you're around again'

She smiled sadly as she watched her walk away, finally turning and tossing the first jar she touched into her basket. Now she just needed bandages. Not even a full 24 hours in Charming and she was already injured, she couldn't even bring herself to laugh at the irony.

X

It was the sound that settled in her ears too familiarly for comfort, that alerted her to their presence. Then she admitted that no matter where she went she'd probably always recognise the sound of a Harley. She let the rumble dance behind her ears as she loaded her bags into her car. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't hoping none of them noticed her as they parked within metres of her car. Of course she wouldn't get that lucky and she felt his eyes on her before she turned to confirm it.

'No no no I didn't say we didn't want to help Ly, all I said was if you'd gone earlier we could have gone with V too!'

Tig's teasing voice was barely white noise as she looked into the eyes of the Scot in front of her. He made no attempt to speak so she filled the silence that was becoming oppressive as the men around them realised what had caused their President to stop.

'See you're still not obeying legal parking restrictions, some things never change'

'That's your opener Jarry? No ''hi honey, how's the family? You're looking good''

'You expect me to tell you you look good?'

His laugh held no humour and didn't come close to reaching his eyes and she spoke again, mostly just to cover the beating that seemed to be getting louder within her chest, she wasn't convinced they couldn't hear.

'Well I just stopped in to stock my kitchen and pick up bandages because I managed to stab myself scraping paint off my apartment windows so I could open them again'

She'd word vomited the story of her afternoon before she could stop herself, waving her arm around, the old bandage already soaked in parts so the world could see the red seeping out of her. Surely that anecdote would distract from anything else that could potentially come out of her mouth without by passing her brain.

'Jesus fucking Christ Ally be careful!'

'Ally... Its very nice to hear you say that...it's a weird feeling...'

'Well I've gotta go. Good to see you. Get some rest and re bandage that arm or whatever'

He turned and began the walk away.

'Well I'll get some rest but I'm back at work, based in Stockton so you know, busy'

'That's great. I'll catch you later'

His long legs granted him quick strides towards the market entrance.

Tig stepped forward and helped pick up the last of her shopping, placing it next to the other bags in the boot of her car.

'It is good to see yah AJ. Knowing us, I'm sure we'll see yah again soon'

He smiled and winked, lighting his blue eyes up at his use of her initials.

'I ran into Venus inside. She's sporting a new piece of jewellery I see?'

'Gotta make an honest man out of myself eventually yeah?'

'Somehow I think even Venus could never make an honest man out of you'

'Wow. I'm on your side here and you're taking stabs? You really are a hit first questions later type of gal hey? I'm starting to understand the attraction'

'Well we all have our crosses to bear'

'Very true. I gotta help Chibsy, don't be stranger though yeah, I mean that. Except when you're on duty'

'Good Bye Trager'

She let out a sigh she hadn't felt building until then. Welcome to Charming she thought.