I own nothing you recognize. All original characters and storylines are my own.
The Truth Will Out
We pulled into the clubhouse to see the majority of the Redwood Original standing outside. What surprised me least was that Gemma was standing next to Clay. The look of disapproval on her face hurt more than just about anything else. We were directed to a parking spot near the clubhouse and I stayed seated for a few seconds after we parked trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. I was coming up with a blank when the doors suddenly unlocked and mine opened. I didn't even have to look; I'd know my man's cologne anywhere.
"Hey baby." I gave him a smile and was met with a hard stare before he held out his hand and I knew enough to take it. Juice helped me out of the car, supporting my weight. I looked over and saw Sam leaning against the side of the car. Juice took the bulk of my weight and walked with me into the clubhouse. I looked back and saw Sam following behind; he was flanked by Happy and Tig as we were taken into the clubhouse. Once inside we were led through to what had to be the chapel and I looked at Juice, women weren't allowed in the chapel. I knew the rules.
"You and Sam are here to be questioned baby; you aren't going to church so it's ok for you to be in the chapel." I nodded and saw that the look on Juice's face was a mask, he was worried, as worried as I was about how the truth would be received. Once Sam and I were in the chapel I saw Clay and who had to be the Folsom Pres at the head of the table flanked by Gemma. I didn't even have to ask why Gemma was there, she was Queen and it was her job to offer assistance and support in times of crisis. Suddenly Juice dumped me in a chair and I yelped, the knee was hurting but Juice was putting on a show, he couldn't look like he just accepted everything I was an Old Lady and I had lied to them. At the yelp Gemma made a nearly imperceptible move toward me and stopped she couldn't be weak and we both knew that.
"What the hell Ari?" Clay asked and I took a deep breath. I scanned the room, the crowd wasn't big just Clay, Gemma, Juice, Tig, Happy, Jax and a couple members of SAMFOL including the Pres. This was a group we could manage. I hoped Cas or Sephariel were up for a summoning because I knew these people, I knew they needed immediate answers and something tangible to come to terms with what I was about to tell them. I hoped I wouldn't have to summon them but I wasn't going to take chances as I held my Star in my hand. Faith was good when summoning the angelic.
"Before we get started I'd like to introduce you all to my companion. This is Sam Winchester, alias Samuel Elias Borstein. My formerly deceased husband." That admission caused Gemma to gasp and all the seated SAMCRO men to sit up straight and those standing to stand up straighter. Juice stayed at my side, a blank mask. Clay noticed and looked at him.
"You knew her husband was alive?" Clay sounded dumbstruck.
"Found out at the same time she did. It doesn't matter; she's my Old Lady and having my baby. I think I've won that round. Besides, to the rest of the world he's a dead man." I smiled, the show was off, he was back to being Juice.
"What the fuck are you doing with him?" Jax asked as he passed distrustful eyes to Sam who was sitting quietly, observing everything.
"And what the fuck are you doing messing with my daughter's body?" I looked at the Folsom President. He was obviously grieving and distraught but he was putting up a solid front, being strong for his club and his family.
"We're here to hunt the thing that did this, the thing that killed your daughter and those women. It's what we do and who we are." I said it quietly and firmly, putting the truth in every word.
"What do you mean by hunt Ari?" Clay's voice was calm and I knew that my next words had to be spoken carefully. I didn't get a chance to say them when Sam spoke up in his seat across the table from me. He was so quiet I'd almost forgotten that he was there.
"The things that go bump in the night, they're real. Vampires, werewolves, angels and demons we share the world with them and people like Ari and myself do what we can to save people. Right now we're here to make sure that the four dead remain four. The creature that did this has its attention on Ari so we may be able to lure it away from any more victims." I felt Juice tense next to me and slid my eyes to my left to see that Happy had made a pretty bold move to stand at my side away from the other Sons.
"This is bullshit! They know something!" The Folsom Pres shouted and tried to stand but Clay put his hand on the guy's shoulder.
"We do know something." I said as I kept my eyes downcast. "We know what did this but tracking it and destroying it is going to be tricky."
"Who did this? Where is the bastard?" I looked at the Pres and felt pity.
"It's not a who, it's a what. The women were killed by a creature known as an aswang. It's a Philippine vampire that feeds on the blood and fetuses of pregnant women and it feeds its familiar or tiktik the hearts and livers of the victims. Sam and I examined the bodies. I apologize for any disrespect sir I promise I just observed the wounds to see that they matched. The wounds were nearly identical and the lack of trauma to the umbilical cords proved that it was the work of this creature. If you'll let Sam and I finish our investigation we'll find this creature and take care of everything." At the admission most of the room started laughing with the exceptions of myself, Sam and the Pres. I didn't see Happy but my guess was he had the same look that Juice did the, "I know it's true" look.
"You expect us to believe that?" Clay gave me an incredulous smile and I shook my head.
"No, in fact this is the response I expected. We just told you the impossible was true and that monsters are real and hunting people you love. That's the plot to a horror film, not your life. Regardless of what you believe it is what it is." I leaned back and settled my hands over my stomach. I could sit there all day.
"What killed my baby; you know how to kill it?" The Pres, Pedro asked and I wasn't surprised. You usually got one of two responses from the grieving family, either they accepted you without question or they blocked every overture you made.
"Pedro, you can't seriously believe this?" Clay was at a loss when Pedro looked clearly at him, his eyes hard and sure.
"What killed my Maria wasn't human, you could just feel it. When we found her body the air in the room was heavy. It felt wrong and everything those two are saying makes sense. Now we just have to find it and kill it." He stared hard at Clay before he looked at me. "You have SAMFOL for everything you need."
"This is bullshit. What those two need are straightjackets and padded cells. I shoulda known she was insane, she hooked up with Juice." He pointed vaguely in the direction of Juice and I, and I felt my heart break. Just like that I'd lost my ground. I was just a crazy bitch now.
"She's not crazy, this shit is real." I looked up abruptly and everyone else did the same as Happy spoke up.
"Hap, come on. This is crazy." Tig spoke up from his position next to Gemma.
"Not crazy at all. My Mom was a hunter I grew up with this shit. Believe what you want but it ain't crazy." Happy moved closer to me and Juice did the same. I looked at the guys and they seemed torn. Here was their chief enforcer, their go-to gunman, a man they respected enough and trusted enough with duties too intense for anyone else and he believed in monsters.
"This is nuts, completely nuts." Clay looked at s loss.
"Yeah it's nuts but it's all true. We aren't alone in this world." I looked at Sam and he continued for me.
"Ari and I have been doing this since we were kids, we don't expect you to accept it all at once. In fact, many of you will have monsters breathing in your face and will still deny they exist but it doesn't matter. We want to destroy this thing before it gets to Ari or anyone else. We don't need you to believe we just need you out of the way." Clay was staring steadily and I saw the look of indecision in Gemma's eyes. She may not have believed in everything but she didn't think I was crazy.
"What do you need?" Pedro asked as he gripped the table with white knuckled hands.
"We need to find this thing. Go around town, question people. Sam and I know what to look for, we just need cooperation." I looked into the grieving father's eyes and saw the truth in them. He believed, believed that nothing human could have gotten to his little girl and he wanted blood.
"You have my men, anything you need." He gave us a curt nod and the deal was done.
"Jesus." Clay looked around exasperated and everyone else gave considering looks. They didn't believe but some of them would in time.
"I need to find the nearest organic market or health food store. I need ginger, fresh and dried and this is going to sound weird, even after all this, I need a sex shop. Phalluses and phallic symbols help to dissuade aswangs, they're usually the product of rape or incest so men aren't exactly good with them. I also need silver pins, the longer and sharper the better. Between Sam and me we have everything else." Pedro nodded and rose while Clay stayed seated.
"I still have a few questions for them, mind if we stay behind?" Clay asked knowing Pedro really couldn't say no.
"No problem, I'll have some of my men see what we can get. Ginger and long pins right?" No mention of phalluses but that was ok, I bet that I could get some croweaters to help me with that task.
"Yeah, but the pins have to be silver, even silver plated will work. If you could find any hat pins it would be great. Also if you could get us fresh coconuts we may be able to create oil that will help detect the creature." He nodded once and was out the door followed by his men who were still looking at us like we were crazy. As soon as the door closed it was just me, Sam, Juice and Happy facing off against Clay, Gemma, Jax and Tig.
"I will admit I have seen some things in my day that haven't made sense but this is just insane." Clay sat forward and rested his arms on the table. "Juice, you've been quiet. What do you have to say about this?"
"It's all true Clay. I've helped her exorcise a few demons, seen hellhounds. Hell, what did we help with last week baby, wasn't that a werewolf?" I nodded; another hunter had discovered a werewolf hunting coeds at a campus in Indiana. Juice and I helped with the intel and background research.
"Shit, you too Happy?" I looked up and Happy just nodded.
"Say these things exist, what are you going to do?" Jax asked reasonably, I knew I could count on him.
"Well the sun's almost down, there's nothing we can do right now." I shrugged and Sam shook his head
"There is something we could do." Sam said as he gave me a meaningful look and I nodded. "Ari could be bait, draw it out. Bring it close to her to keep it away from anyone else. It's already marked her as its target so it won't t-"
He didn't get to finish before Juice had him. I didn't even notice Juice move from my side but he evidently had since he was across the table landing blow after blow to Sam's jaw. Sam didn't fight back and Clay signaled for Clay and Happy to drag Juice off of Sam. Juice tried to fight but gave up when he noticed who held him.
"No, she's an Old Lady which means that she belongs to us and there is no way in hell that we'll let you use her as bait." I sighed in exasperation. Damn men, they didn't even stop to consider that I'd want to do this.
"If there are enough people around who know the proc-" Clay put up a hand to stop me.
"You still an Old Lady Ari?" He asked me and I saw the familiar look in his eyes, he wasn't treating me like a mental case anymore, I was back to being his soldier.
"Yes Sir." I said quietly and he smiled his cocky smile.
"Then what I say goes. Even if I don't believe in this shit there is someone or something out there killing those women and they've already gotten one of ours. I'm not letting you put yourself in danger and your Old Man's not either." He flicked his eyes to Juice and I did the same. Tig had a hand on his shoulder but he was glaring at Sam whose nose was bleeding. Somehow he'd gotten a napkin and was stemming the blood flow.
"I don't want anyone else to die Clay, not if I can lure it away." I pleaded with him and looked to Gemma, hoping to see support in her eyes but she just shook her head. She didn't want me to act as bait either.
"We want you safe. You'll be here at the clubhouse. Juice will go with one of the Prospects and get your car and hubby there will be joining us. I don't trust 'im." Clay looked at Sam and I could see the honesty in his words, he didn't trust Sam as far as he could throw him.
"Ari?" Sam looked at me and I shrugged.
"He won't back down Sam, it would be like fighting Dean, he'll just strong arm you into doing things his way. Ex-military." As soon as I said it Sam nodded.
"Fine, do you have a place to stay since I'm guessing Ari's staying with him." He nodded toward Juice who finally stopped glaring and nodded back
"We'll find you someplace." Clay rose and went out followed by Tig and Happy. Juice came over and gave me a quick kiss before he followed them out Jax gave one last look before he went out and left Sam and I alone in the room with Gemma. She closed the door behind them and sat down.
"What's this? Why are you with him Ari?" She gave Sam her patented disapproving look before she looked at me and I took a deep breath.
"He came back into my life about a month ago. I hadn't even talked to him again until this afternoon. He needed help and I needed to get away so I jumped at the opportunity." She pressed her lips into a firm line and gave me her steady stare.
"Sure you didn't jump at another opportunity?" She asked and I turned to give a quick glare at Sam.
"No, I admit that I got in a fight with Juice this afternoon but we worked it out before I left and Casanova here put the moves on me but I shot him down. I love my man and Sam here knows that any more moves will lead to loss of favorite appendage." He nodded with a smile that showed his dimples and I had to chuckle. Gemma nodded before she turned to Sam.
"I don't know how or why you faked your death but you gutted that little girl and we won't let you do that again, we love her too much. When this thing is done you leave her alone or we'll make sure any more reports of your death won't be exaggerated. Like she said she has a man, she's going to have a family and she doesn't need you showing up and tearing everything apart. You hear me boy?" She asked as she stared at him.
"If Ari wants to help me, she'll help me. I doubt you can keep her from seeing me if she wants to. Listen, Ma'am the last thing I want to do is ruin Ari's life but she's one of the best hunters I've ever worked with. I'd rather have her at my back than your entire club. If I need her help I'll seek her out but I promise you that that's all I want. I did hit on her earlier but I won't do that again. She made it painfully clear that she doesn't want me and I'll respect that." He put up his hands in submission and she nodded.
"Ok, I'll accept that for now. You better go check out of whatever motel you were in for the night. You don't want Juice getting a hold of your stuff; he doesn't like you very much." Sam just nodded before he got up and went out of the chapel closing the door behind him. Gemma came up to me and leaned against the wall.
"How you feelin'?" She asked and I shrugged.
"Right now I'm scared, injured and worried. I feel like a hunter again." I stood and put all my weight on the good leg.
"Come on, let's take care of your leg. Happy's a dangerous bastard." I laughed and she helped me limp into the main room of the clubhouse where Half-Sack was waiting with an icepack and an Ace Bandage.
Later that night I was sitting at a table by the bar while Sam and Juice were playing "Dueling Laptops" trying to one up each other in research, I didn't know where this new competitive streak in Sam had come from but I didn't like it. I just flat out didn't like Sam right now and it made me sad. I'd loved him since I was sixteen and would always love him but now I couldn't even imagine being with him for longer than a few hours, or minutes depending on how big of an asshat he was..
"I'm telling you it says a stake made out of banana tree wood!" Juice said, excited and Sam and I both shook our heads.
"That's a regional thing baby. Stakes don't do shit unless they're silver tipped. Sam, get off the computer, I need your help with this." I was creating pouches filled with dried ginger and salt. They were multipurpose, the contents could be thrown on the aswang and simply having them was a deterrent. Sam shut his laptop and started filling the pouches with me. The amount of ginger and salt I got from the Folsom Sons was more than enough to outfit every pregnant woman in Sacramento County with one and I was grateful for their diligence.
"Hey Sugar, need a drink?" A croweater had sidled next to Sam and I raised my eyebrows as he openly checked her out. Juice's eyes were on me. He wanted to see how I'd react to it.
"Honey, he's helping me right now. If he wants you, he'll get you." She glared at me until I pointed to the crow on my neck then she walked off. Juice smiled and shut his laptop, keeping his attention on me. Sam's eyes never left the croweater who was suggestively sucking on a straw.
"Need me to do anything?" Juice asked and moved to the seat next to me.
"Help me so Sam can get laid. He'll be of no use to me until he gets some." Sam gave me a grin before he got up and went to the croweater who crooked her finger at a friend and the three of them went to the back while I rolled my eyes. "Some things never change. Wanna get laid later baby?"
He laughed and squeezed my thigh under the table before he helped me fill bags. Since the Folsom Sons knew there wasn't a serial killer on the loose the lockdown was over so we had some freedom and space to do our project. My fingers and eyes started to burn from the ginger and Juice had decided that I'd had enough so he was going to take me back and guard me while I slept for the first half of the night and Sam was going to take the second watch. Just as he had helped me up the door opened and Half-Sack entered and made a bee-line for Clay and Pedro. Clay glanced my way and nodded before Sack ran back outside and came back with my favorite person in the world, excepting the man standing with me.
"Dad!" I shouted grinning and he walked over to me, ignoring Clay and pulling me from Juice.
"I missed you darlin'." My grin never left my face as my Dad held me. Things didn't seem quite as bad anymore. With my Dad here I knew I'd be safe.