Things weren't sitting well with McGee. He may not approve of how Clay was running the Mother Charter, and of course, had a small grudge against John for having his girl back in the late 80's, which then extended to his Old Lady, but through and through he was loyal to SAMBEL. Jimmy had assured him that it was necessary for the Cause and in SAMBEL's best interest if, he played along. Took Clay and the rest of the Charming Boys out of the running. But it didn't sit right to set up a fellow founding member like that. One of only a handful of the Original Nine left.
So McGee was going to do what he did best. What all outlaws did best. Protect their own and to hell with everyone else. His problem then became O'Neill. The lad was riding the fence, just like Maureen was. One foot in the Cause's camp and the other with the Sons. Maureen will just have to understand if she gets her knickers in a twist.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
"You and me are going to be having words when I see you, brother," Clay bit out, before snapping his phone shut. He had called McGee to tell them they had landed all right, and got a shock. His own patch brothers and one of the Nine conspired against his own. In any other circumstance, this would have led to a table vote to have him excommunicated, but this was McGee. A founder. And he had come clean on his own.
"We have a problem," he said to the room at large. Everyone stopped sorting their things and looked up to him. "McGee just gave me the heads up. There's a 'roadblock' set up for us at about the halfway point. O'Neill turned. He's workin' with Jimmy."
"What?!"
"You've got to be shitting me," everyone shouted.
"So, what do we do, boss?" Jax asked.
"Liam? Ideas? This is your turf," Clay asked the Irishman. He and a handful of his men had met them once they landed, providing an escort to the SAMBEL clubhouse.
"These boys will be off duty. They're free reign. Especially if they're on the take for the Cause. Any job they do, they'll want to keep away from official channels. But they won't know that Jimmy is Persona Non Grata with the Kings. They're too low on the food chain for that. Best bet is to ambush them. Rough them up and scare them enough, they'll leave you be," he said.
"This halfway point, anything we can use to a tactical advantage?" Jasper asked, getting into his element.
"This is Ireland, boy. Half of the country is wide open and the other half is covered in trees. Flip of the coin where we end up." Jasper nodded.
"We'll be ready."
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
A contingent of the Sons rode ahead. A mix of SAMCRO and SAMBEL, so no suspicions would be raised by their would be captors. But they were just the decoy. The majority of the club, both charters, took a longer rout and doubled back. Taking positions in the surrounding woods. They got lucky on that front. More cover and easier to hide.
The girls were following in a truck, trailing the 'bait' contingent. Just as warned, they were stopped.
"What the hell is that?" Gemma asked, nodding to the roadblock. "Look like English Kissagrams."
"Police Services, Northern Ireland," Luther provided. "Here we go."
Up at the head of the column, Jax looked to Liam. "What do we do here?" he asked.
"Random stop," Liam answered, getting off his bike. "Just keep it light. Smile and show them your passport."
"Identification," the PSNI Lieutenant said loudly so everyone could hear.
"Hey, we're just showing our American brothers the beautiful Irish countryside, Officer," Liam said amiably.
"Identification. You. You. You, you. You," he said, pointing to Clay, Jax, Bobby, Happy, and Opie in turn. Everyone climbed off their bikes and handed over their passports.
The PSNI made a show of calling in their names, but they didn't take near long enough, if they wanted it to be convincing, to get any information back on the Sons they were checking. The one with the cell hung up and the officers started to bring their guns up. It was then Jasper and his impromptu band of militiamen jumped out of their spots in the woods and corralled the officers, with the help of those on bikes.
"You loyalists," Liam said with a mocking tone and a shake of his head. "You just believe that because the open warfare is over, that the fighting is just done. Idiots. You drove the Cause underground, that's all you've done. And because of this, we've learned to fight with what we have in our own back yards. Land we know better than anything. Get their wallets, pull their ID's."
"Charlie, Charlie, Charlie," Clay said, pulling the ID of the Lieutenant he had a hold of. "We now know your name. And me and all my boys know where you live."
"I'd hate for anything to happen to your pretty little family because their da was on the take," Jax said, waving the ID he had in his hand in the face of the officer he was holding. A picture of a young woman and two little kids just behind it.
"We can ruin your career. And we can definitely ruin your life. And the Sons of Anarchy would be the least of your worries, Charles. You took money and orders from the wrong man. Jimmy O'Phelan is no longer protected by the Cause," Liam said. "Do we understand each other?"
Charles nodded quickly. "Aye."
They let the officers go, and watched as they tucked tail and ran as if their very lives depended on it. Which it did, but it was fun enough to watch them go without adding to the chaos.
"No offense, Liam, but those boys don't have the stomach for law enforcement in Ireland if they take off so easy," Jasper said, shaking his head.
"Like I said," Liam replied. "They'd want to keep any Cause related business off the books. Dragging in foreign outlaws is the opposite to that effect."
o0o o0o o0o
David woke in a haze of pain and a feeling that he was breathing water, not air. He looked around and saw that he was in a high tech hospital room, most likely in the ICU, and his brother and the doctor that had been hanging around with the Sons were with him.
"David?" Jacob asked. "David, can you hear me? Do you know who I am? Say something," Jacob asked urgently. The doctor put a hand on his arm.
"What did I say about overwhelming him?" the doctor asked his brother in a soft but stern voice. "Give him a moment to gather his bearings."
"What happened to me? Jake, is everyone all right? All I remember are gunshots and pain. Too much pain," David croaked urgently through a dry throat before he began coughing du to the lack of moisture.
Carlisle produced a small paper cup which contained fresh cool water. "Everyone is fine," he said gently, as he helped the ailing man drink his water.
"You were the most serious injured, and given how well you are responding, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you remember most everything but the car that hit you and the events following."
David nodded before the doctor continued. "One of the Calaveras shot up the prospect's wake. There were a few minor scrapes and bullet grazes. I commend you for trying to do your job and stopping the bad guy, but next time, may I suggest that if it looks as though a 4500 pound vehicle is going to run you over, might I suggest you jump out of the way before it gets the chance?"
David offered a weak but sincere smile at the attempt at humor to lighten the mood. "I'll be sure to do that next time, then."
"The man who ran you over, his name was Pozo Fuentes. He was due to face charges for his felony crime, when wouldn't you know it, he seems to have suffered from a sudden case of asphyxiation," Carlisle said offhand.
"Someone killed him?" the younger Hale asked in surprise.
"The official cause of death was a cardiac arrest brought on by an unhealthy diet," Carlisle said with a mischievous smile.
David decided to let the Sons have this one. 1. He was laid up in a hospital bed feeling like death's personal whoopsie-barbie. 2. One less scumbag in the world. They saved him the stress of having to open an investigation and hunt the bastard down. 3. Everyone needs a leg up from time to time to get justice. Who said anything about not allowing help to come from an unofficial outlaw group. Besides, David was now wondering if the world was as truly as black and white as he was used to seeing it.
"Tough break. Remind me to stay away from greasy foods in the near future," Hale s aid. Then he turned to his brother. "How's the campaign going?" he asked. He knew that his brother had an eye on the Mayoral seat. His only problem with that is he is still, somehow, attached to L.O.A.N. He never thought his brother would throw in with those thugs just because he didn't like SAMCRO.
"I've decided to put off running for mayor," Jacob said to David's shock. Jacob chuckled. "Well, someone is going to have to make sure that you get back on your feet. Also, it's always been more of a symbol than an actual position. The spot is tainted. No one would take me seriously if I became mayor. Just think I got too big for my britches if I started enforcing the office. Let someone else handle that headache."
It was at this point David was wondering what kind of twilight zone world he had woken up in.
o0o o0o o0o
The rumble of motorcycles heralded their arrival. A lot of motorcycles. Izzy was sure that SAMBEL hadn't seen such a gathering for many years. Possible since the last time Jax's own father was in Ireland. In any case, she was excited to see Angela and Donna again. The three of them had grown really close during her pregnancy, and had truly missed them since she had been taken. Everyone in SAMBEL started cheering as the first bike made it onto the lot, and she couldn't help but laugh at the cacophony. The sound getting lost in the noise.
Callum squirmed and fussed at the sound, so Izzy held one of his ears gently to her chest, while the other she pressed to his other to muffle the sound. Angela and Donna were out of the van like a shot and made their way straight to her.
"Izzy!" Donna said as she weaved her way through the crowd that was greeting each other. She was now sporting a 5 month baby bump, and unless she was mistaken, Angela, too, had a small bump nestled at her hips.
"Donna! Angie!" she said with a beaming smile as they finally got to her. She held out Callum so they could see him properly. "Girls, meet your godson."
Angela gasped in awe as Donna just smiled at the beautiful child.
"Poor little guy looks just like Chibs," Donna joked.
"Well, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing," the man himself said as he finished his greetings. He still hadn't moved more than four feet from her side since he got to Ireland, and though it was sometimes annoying, Izzy neither minded, nor was unhappy with the arrangement. Just gave her more time with her old man. "After all, I managed to get this beautiful woman to say yes. He shouldn't have a problem," he grinned cheekily.
"Can't argue with that," Angela said to him as she looked up at Izzy. "He's gorgeous, Isa. And so are you. Seriously, these pregnancy hormones are amazing!"
"Speaking of-" Izzy said, raising an eyebrow at her childhood friend. "Something to tell me, Ange?"
"Yeah, got my own on the way. And just before we left, Layla told Jasper she's having one too," Angela told her. Izzy smiled and gave Angela a hug.
"Congratulations," she whispered into her friend's ear.
"Izzy?" came Jasper's voice behind her. She turned to see the Texan uncharacteristically nervous about something. "Can I talk to you for a second? Chibs can come along, but this- well, I figured it was best to get it out of the way instead of letting it stew."
Izzy looked at Chibs who nodded. "I trust him. Once I had you in my sights again, I understood the decision he made about saving Abel. I'm not mad at the lad."
She turned to Angela. "Would you look after Callum? Give you some practice," she said teasingly.
"Ha, ha. Hand him over. You do remember I have two baby brothers I looked after," Angela said, taking baby Callum gently.
Izzy and Chibs only walked a short distance away from the two women, but to a spot secluded enough by the clubhouse to offer them some seEmmblance of privacy.
"Emmett called me just before we left Charming," Jasper told her without preamble. He never was one to sugar coat things. "He wanted me to tell you he was sorry, and to give you something to show that he was serious. I told him I would give you the option of taking it, but if you didn't want it, that he would have to live with the fact that you've moved on with life, and he just isn't in it."
Izzy froze with the first sentence, and Chibs looked at her in concern. When it looked like she wouldn't be forthcoming with any answers he looked to Jasper. The soldier and former Coven member sighed.
"There were three people involved with what happed to Bella before she left. Emmett and I were the ones to restrain her, while Ed-" he trailed off at the look in the Scot's eyes, and sighed again. "Our former VP, as you know, was Bled for his actions. I lost my spot as Sargent at Arms, and any chance of a voice in any vote. Emmett, lost his seat as well, and is no longer able to advance farther in the club. And Carlisle's Presidency is under a strict microscope."
Izzy still hadn't moved, though she closed her eyes as if she were thinking on her next words carefully. "He's not asking for forgiveness. Just the chance to say his piece."
"What did he want you to give me?" she asked in a voice of forced calm. But Chibs could hear the shaking sadness beneath it.
Jasper brought his hands from behind his back and presented her with a teddy bear with a leather biker's jacket, and a full rocker from the Coven's MC. It was then her composure cracked and a tear made itself known, trailing a wet trail down her cheek.
She remembered the day he had gotten that for her. He wanted to wow her with his skills at rigged fair games, and bet her that he could win any rigged game. She lost. He chose, of all things, trying to get a toy fish on a toy rod. A game made for kids around 4 or 5. She laughed at the ridiculousness of it. He won a gold fish. Then she chose the ring toss. Again he won, gaining the bear. She wanted the bear, but he said that it was cooler than a gold fish. That he might end up killing the poor thing anyway, so she could keep it. Izzy reached out a shaking hand to take the items. Her brow furrowed as she took the rocker.
"He's retired. Gained the official okay from the three heads to become an inactive member," he explained.
"But the MC was everything to Emmett. Other than Rose," she said quietly, hugging the bear to him.
"It isn't the same anymore, Izzy. Not since you. What we did, just us three, destroyed the charter. It's looking more and more likely that it will dissolve and the other members absorbed into other charters around the world. If I ever decide to leave, which I don't with Layla around, and my penance to you still ongoing, I would try to see if Peter and Charlotte had forgiven me enough to take me back as their president."
She took a moment to gather her thoughts. Emmett was the hardest. Jasper, though she had considered him a brother, was still a bit stand offish. Edward, she had loved with her whole heart at one point. A love that turned into hate over time. But Emmett had been her big brother. The brother she had always wanted but never had before. She swallowed past the lump in her throat before answering.
"I gave Carlisle a chance. And after a talking to, you. It would be hypocritical of me not to give him one."
Chibs shook his head. "Not hypocritical, lass. Take some time. You've just birthed Callum and are currently going through the stress of planning a wedding and getting over being kidnapped. You don't have to give him an answer right at this moment."
Jasper nodded. "I agree. Don't give me an answer until you are ready."
She looked hard at Jasper before nodding. "I'll think about it. Thank you, Jasper," she said softly. He nodded.
"I'll leave y'all to it then," he said as he left. "And congratulations on Callum."
Chibs took Izzy into his arms. "You'll be all right, mo ghràdh. Two days. Just two days, and we'll be through this wedding business, and on our own for two weeks. Just us and wee Callum. Being a family as we should."
Izzy, who had felt numb since Emmett's name first passed Jasper's lips, smiled at the little scene he had described. "Sounds like heaven," she murmured into his Kutte.
"Aye. Heaven on earth."
She pulled back far enough to take his moth in a loving kiss before they both turned and rejoined the others just as Callum was beginning to fuss.
"Someone's hungry," she said, handing the teddy and the rocker to Chibs so she could take their son. Angela was shocked to see them, but said nothing. She would get the facts from Bella later. Just as she picked him up, she raised her head to see Gemma, Clay, Jax, Maureen, and Trinity greet each other. It was then she notice something. Trinity and Jax had the exact same eyes. She hesitated at the revelation.
"Well, shit," she said.
"What is it, lass?" Chibs asked. He followed her line of sight to the group.
Izzy shook her head. "Nothing. At least, it's nothing until I talk with Gem and Jax. Otherwise, it's an unwelcome and unwanted suspicion."
Chibs nodded. "All right. Why don't we get you girls inside, so you can feed the boy. If he's anything like his da, he's got a one track mind."
All three women laughed at his joke, and he was glad to see a genuine smile back on his old lady's face. It had never left in the first place.