Warning: There is a mention of rape in the latter half of this chapter...or a discussion about rape. I'd like to think it's important to establish the tone of certain things, but figured a warning was needed anyway.


As far as first impressions went, Nero Padilla hadn't been given very much to go on about about Fiona Larkin. The previous evening she had been ushered into one of the rooms he'd had Lyla clear at Gemma's instruction and he'd only glimpsed the back of a curly haired woman's head as she tried to coerce her husband to join her. It had been obvious that Chibs had been drunk, and as a result all too willing to go along with her, which had been something that almost made Nero chuckle. However, the next morning Nero got his first chance to interact with her as she walked out of the room looking fresh and awake, clad in blue jeans and a button shirt decorated with a cheerful floral pattern.

"Where's Chibs?" Nero asked, surprised to see the Irish woman up so early with no indication of her husband anywhere to be seen.

Normally Fiona refused to be completely direct with someone she'd just met, but everything Filip had told her about this man indicated that he was a friend and not a foe. Still, knowing that he was involved with Gemma made her wary of how candid she should be with him.

Nero seemed to take something from her extended silence and immediately put up his hands in an attempt at trying to show he meant no harm. "Hey, just asking...I mean I'm sure you're not joined at the hip, but he's usually hanging around pretty early, and he looked rough last night."

Deciding that Nero was being genuine, Fiona sighed "Didn't bother to wake him. He probably hasn't gotten much sleep since Jimmy O'Phelan returned. He deserves to be allowed to rest."

Nero nodded, "What about your girl? What's her name, Sherry? When will she be up?"

Fiona chuckled at Nero's misnaming "Kerrianne shouldn't be up before ten."

Realizing he hadn't yet offered her anything to drink or eat, Nero paused "Can I get you anything? Coffee or tea? There's bagels in the kitchen. I could even have one of the girls do a fast food run if you'd prefer that." he realized he was almost being an over gracious host now, but he didn't want her to be uncomfortable as it was unlikely that she'd be able to safely leave the brothel very often.

"I'll just have a cup of coffee." when Nero got up to retrieve the cup for her she added "I can get it myself."

"The pot's in the other room," even after Nero had pointed her in the right direction he got up to follow her, curious to continue the conversation. "Mind if I ask why you're in Charming?"

Fiona froze, and turned around to face Nero shocked at the question. It had seemed like their conversation had started off well, but now she wondered if he was just looking for something to take back to Gemma. The look on his face when she turned showed he seemed to still be genuinely curious, and even if he wasn't, she had no horrible alterior motives that he could take back to Gemma. "Chibs needs a compass to guide him."

"No offense, but he's a grown man. I don't know much about your relationship, but is he really in need of a babysitter?" Nero asked a bit surprised.

Fiona decided to elaborate "My Filip has always felt the need to be a protector. He's so used to putting others needs before his own and playing the hero that he forgets to watch for his own safety. It's what makes him so loyal to the club, but it's a tragic flaw. I'm here to remind him that he has good reason to keep from getting killed in the process of going after Jimmy O'Phelan."

"Jimmy O'Phelan really gets to him, huh?" Nero asked.

Fiona bristled noticeably "You don't know half of our past with Jimmy O."

Nero set down his own coffee on the counter, "So why don't you tell me. I'd like to think I'm a good listener."

xxx

Chibs was all too used to waking up in bed alone, but this morning it felt all wrong. He remembered little bits and pieces from the previous night, and he knew that his wife and daughter had appeared in Charming, but seeing the empty bed made him wonder if the alcohol had made him hallucinate everything. However, the pillow next to him was tousled and compressed and it smelled like Fiona's perfume. This was at least proof that he hadn't hallucinated everything. Still, there was nothing to be desired about waking up alone and hungover in his underwear, laying in the bed of a brothel.

There was a soft knock at the door to the room and Chibs groaned. "This room is occupied."

Opening the door, Lyla peered around the frame holding a tray with a cup of coffee and a bottle of Excedrin on it"Fiona wanted me to make sure you took something for your hangover." Without waiting for him to respond she crossed the room and set the tray on the bedside table. "Juice is going to come by in about an hour with a fresh change of clothes. Let me know if you need anything else."

It wasn't until Lyla was halfway across the room that Chibs thought of what he wanted "Get Fiona"

The blonde nodded, "I'll tell her you want to talk."

It couldn't have been more than five minutes after Lyla left that the door opened again and Fiona entered closing the door behind her. "I thought you might want to sleep in" she offered.

Chibs nodded "What are you doing in Charming Fi? It's not safe here for you."

Fiona snorted "It's not safe anywhere lovely."

"I don't want my girls in harms way." Chibs persisted "What do you think is going to happen when Jimmy finds out about the article? You and Kerri don't need to be involved in this. Jimmy should be part of your past. This is on my hands Fi, not yours."

By the way her nostrils flared, Chibs could immediately tell he'd unleashed some sort of storm, but he was hardly prepared for the angry torrent "On your hands?! When I found out Jimmy had tricked me and banished you I stayed with him...not because I wanted to be with him, but because I thought the only way to keep him from sending someone to murder you was to keep him satisfied...later, when our daughter reached puberty I let Jimmy pass me around to his friends like a carton of cigarettes so that Kerrianne would never know what it felt like to have a man force himself upon her. You like to think that everything is about what Jimmy's done to you and to the club, but I had to live with him for years. This is as much my fight as it is yours Filip!"

By the time she was finished speaking, Fiona's entire body was shaking as the anger dissipated seemingly into the air around her. Chibs didn't know what to say in response to her torrent. He'd known that it would have been foolish to assume that she hadn't slept with Jimmy O'Phelan, but somewhere in the back of his mind he'd convinced himself that she'd been a willing participant and it had been no different than the women he'd picked up over the years. Another part of of him was impressed by the sheer strength and willpower of the woman standing before him. He'd always known that Fiona was the stronger one in their relationship, but somehow he realized he'd still managed to underestimate everything about her.

Steeling himself he said the first thing that came to his mind, "I love you Fi, so fucking much."