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Previously on And the Angel Rode: We learned about how Ellie and Tig meet, and that Charming was the first place Ellie settled down many years graduating college. Ellie woke up and she and Tig spent some time talking before she was sedated again.
Chapter Four
God, it was good to see Ellie's eye's open again. Tig thought, looking down at the sweet girl in his arms. His thumb gently stroked Ellie's cheek continuously as he reached for the remote to the TV in her hospital room. For hours he sat mindlessly watching the TV and playing with Ellie's hair, caressing her cheek or tinkering with her necklace.
He had given her the pendant, two angle's wings crossed, when he had finally admitted to himself that Ellie meant more to him then just a good fuck he just couldn't get out of his system. And looking back, he realized what a stubborn ass he had been, it had taken him forever to get over his damn pride.
The necklace was their version of the crow tat. For years he had seen men show their affecting by inking their women, and even though Ellie wasn't a part of club life, he needed a way to mark her as his, even if was only to the two of them.
It was during the middle of a NCIS rerun that someone knocked on the door and Chibs opened the door and came in.
"Sure," Tig teased, "come on in. There was no chance we were having at it, or anything."
"Well your own damn fault if you were. Hospitals aren't exactly known for their privacy." He smirked; it wasn't like they all hadn't walked in on Tig in various stages of undress and fuckin' before. "How's the lass doing? Woken up yet?" He asked gazing at the girl curled up into Tig's side.
"Yah, for bout ten minutes, a few hours ago." Tig confirmed, lightly tightening his arm around Ellie.
"She's really got ya wrapped 'round her lil' finger, don't she?" Chibs teased.
Tig knew he was going to have to deal with this for a while. He was going to be the butt of jokes, the hard-hitting and dangerous Sergeant-at-Arms with a hidden life and pregnant girlfriend on the side. Chibs was going to be just the tip of the iceberg.
That didn't stop him from glaring at the Scot in front of him. "Just cuz I've got a girl doesn't mean it'll stop me from beating your ass."
Chibs couldn't help it, he burst out laughing, his boisterous laughter filling the area, and earning him an angry stare from the nurse at the desk and some humps and disgruntled muttering from a few people visiting other patients. Chibs could never understand why people thought they had to talk in whispers to someone who was sick, like one loud noise and they would croak.
These people were sick, a little loud music, some good liquor and a round of laughter was going to cheer them up a hell of a lot more then damn flowers, that were just going to die in front of them anyways, and people tiptoeing around them were.
He turned his attention back to the couple in front of him. "So, yer gonna be a father 'gain, are ya?" Chibs had never meet Maria, Fawn or Dawn, but he had heard many stories about them. Hilarious stories about two little toddlers with Tig's curly hair and ice blue eyes tottering around the clubhouse and getting into trouble in ways only Trager offspring could, along with the horrible way in which they had disappeared.
Chibs knew what it was like not to be with you kid. Everyday he thought about missing out on Kerrianne's life. But he knew her life and family was in Ireland and there was no way he was forcing her uproot her life for him, so he lived with phone calls and occasional cards with pictures tucked in with them.
Tig sucked in a big breath and let it out slowly. "Yah, guess so. We never thought 'bout havin' kids, ya know? Neither of had the greatest parents. Take that back, Ellie's mom was good, the best if ya ask her, but she died young. Left her with her asshole of a father who didn't give a fly fuck 'bout his daughter. Fuck, Chibs, I don't want to end up like that, I don't want Ellie ta have ta do this all by herself, but I have no damn clue how to be a father. Shit, mine shipped me off to the Corps the minute I graduated. I already lost two kids cuz I had no idea how to be a dad, I can't lose another one."
Chibs let Tig get it out, he wasn't one to talk 'bout his problems, and when he did it was best to just listen. "Brother, ya just got ta love 'em. I don' know much 'bout Ellie here, but if she's put up with yer crazy ass for two years already I don' think she's going anywhere. You be there for her and the kid and she'll take care of the rest."
Tig listen to his Brother, he wasn't one to ask for advice, but he didn't want to fuck up again and was willing to push aside his pride for a moment, for Ellie and the baby's sake, as much as his own. Before he could voice his thanks for the advice Ellie stirred in his arms.
She had been stirred awake by voices and the vibrations from her pillow, Alex's chest. She yawned and stretched her arms out in front of her without thinking.
"Ouch," she yelped, as her stretch pulled on her broken ribs.
She felt Alex shift next to her, "You ok, Angel?" he asked, worried.
"Yah, fine. Just have to remember not to stretch, that's all." She replied. "What time is it, Alex?" She buried her head into the crook of Alex's neck again, she hadn't opened her eyes yet and Chibs presence in the room had gone unnoticed.
"Bout five. You've only been asleep for a few hours."
"That's good, I need to call the shop, make sure Brett has everything under control." She murmured, still half asleep.
Both Tig and Chibs laughed at this. That caught Ellie's attention and she opened her eyes to see who else was in the room.
"Only you could be holed up in a hospital and be worried about that damn shop of yours." Tig chuckled.
Ellie ignored his comments. "I'm sorry," she was talking to Chibs. "I didn't know Tig had a visitor. Weren't you going to introduce us, Tig? I thought I had taught you some manners." She had changed to calling him the name she knew he went by with the club when she realized they had company. He had told her once that she was the only one, besides the occasional very pissed off Gemma, who ever called him Alex anymore.
This made Chibs burst out laughing again. "Darlin', ya'll never be able to teach that boy manners. Gemma's been working on him for years and hasn't got anywhere. Old dog, new tricks an' all that. I'm Chibs." He walked forward and held out his hand.
"Ellie," she said taking his hand, "but I'm sure you already knew that." He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.
Just like with Tig the first time they had meet, her blush seemed to amuse him. Maybe it's just a biker thing. She thought.
"Sure did Darlin', you've been the talk of the town lately. The woman who captured Tig Trager's heart. Didn't think he had a heart till Saturday."
Tig raised himself onto his side and aimed a kick over Ellie at Chibs' groin. But Chibs' years as a boxer paid off and he easily jumped out of Tig's reach, chuckling hardily.
Ellie turned her head towards the man next to her and slapped his chest softly. "Behave," she admonished.
At this Chibs couldn't contain his laughter anymore. He burst out laughing, doubled over and had to brace himself on the back of a chair for support. "Oh, just gets better by the minute. I can't wait till Jax sees this, yer gonna pay for all those years you've been teasin' 'im 'bout being whipped by Tara."
Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear, "What about me having Jax whipped?" Tara walked in. "Hey Chibs." She turned and saw that Ellie was awake. "It's good to finally see you awake, Ellie. Tig's been driving all the nurses and doctor's around her crazy worrying about you."
Tig growled at her from his place on the bed. What was it? Pick on Trager day?
Ellie felt this and grinned, "Well are you going to introduce us or are we gonna have to do this ourselves again?" She teased.
Even Ellie took their side. "Ellie, this is Tara. Tara, Ellie. She and the jackass over there," he scoffed, looking over at Chibs who seemed to have finally gotten ahold of himself, "patched you up at the clubhouse before we brought you over here."
"I think I remember." Ellie furrowed her brow, trying to remember anything about what happened at the SAMCRO club house. She couldn't remember much.
"That's ok," Tara said. "It's normal for trauma patients to have amnesia of the events that happen just prior to the shock, or in your case, just afterwards. Tig, out." She shooed the Sergeant-at-Arms out of the hospital bed so she could examine Ellie properly.
He grumbled, but gave Ellie a quick kiss before gently swinging himself off the bed and putting his riding boots back on.
"I'm gonna call the guys, tell 'em Ellie's 'wake. They gotta see this." Chibs laughed, walking out of the room.
"He's just asking for a beat down." Tig grumbled, watching Chibs' retreating back.
As Tara examined Ellie, prodding and poking at Ellie's ribs, pealing back her bandages to check for infections, the two girls talked.
"So how did you end up as the clubs doctor?" Ellie asked.
"How much has Tig told you about the club?" Tara and Jax's story was so long and crazy it would take a novel to explain it to someone who didn't understand the club.
"A little, mostly silly stories and stuff. Little 'bout all guys, and Gemma of course." She grinned, the stories with Gemma were always the best, she really want to meet the woman who had a whole club of big burly bad-ass bikers under her thumb and at her every beck and call.
"Well, I grew up around the club; Jax was my high school sweetheart. I left for eleven years to go to college and came back a few years ago. Now I'm Jax's Old Lady, again. That's the very shortened version of everything." Tara explained.
"And Jax is…the Vice President, right?" Ellie confirmed.
"Yep. And Gemma's son and Clay's step-son. I will warn you, Gemma is very protective of her boys, all of them." She nodded at Tig, who was sulking, but listening to the girl's conversation from the corner, so Ellie knew that Gemma's sons were not all biological. "She won't be the most welcoming, but she'll warm up to you once she's decided you're good enough for Tigger and that your strong enough you to survive in this world." She warned.
"I take it you know from experience?" Ellie questioned.
Tig chuckled, but Tara ignored him. "Oh yes, we were on good terms when Jax and I were in high school, she was like a second mother to me after mine died when I was nine, but that didn't stop her from hating my guts when I left."
"What happened, I mean how… does she like you now?"
"Yah, I think she's forgiven me for everything. It just took time, I proved to her that I was good for Jax and I could handle the club and everything that comes with it, which was something I couldn't do before. Carrying her grandbaby didn't hurt either." Everyone in the room laughed.
Returning to the conversation they had been having Ellie asked, "So, do you regret leaving?"
"No, I don't. It's what we both needed. I knew that if I stayed I would end up resenting the club, resenting myself, and resenting Jax. I needed to do more with my life then be forever known as 'Jax Teller's Old Lady.' And I think it was good for Jax, too. These boys don't know what they've got till it's gone after all."
"Jesus, did I miss the damn announcement? Is it pick on Trager day or some shit?" Tig groaned.
"Oh, Tig. You know we love you." Tara teased.
Tig flipped her off just as Chibs walked back into the room. "Now, now is that any way to act toward the Doc, in a hospital non the less, Tigger." The only response he got was a middle finger for himself, too.
"Were going to have to keep these two separate, they are turning into quite the pair. Gonna cause me and Jax a fair share of shit, in my opinion." Tig complained. Both women glared over at him, but he just smirked back, unapologetic.
"Well, the guys are on their way over. They want to meet this here crazy woman. Ya think ya can stay awake long enough for that darlin'?" Chibs drawled.
"Yah, I think I can manage that." Ellie smiled, she was both nervous and excited about meeting Tig's family. She may have been Alex's family, but the club was Tig's, and she hoped that would make them her family too one day. Somehow she was going to have to mesh her Alex with the Tig the rest of the world saw.
Tig was thinking along the same lines. Now that the club knew about Ellie she was going to be part of club life, as Clay said, whether he liked it or not. That meant he was going to have to merge Tig and Alex. Find a way to be the severe and dangerous Sergeant-at-Arms that the club needed to operate, but also the gentle and attentive boyfriend that Ellie needed, and some day soon he was going to have to add doting father to that list.
Tara interrupted both of their musings. "Well, everything seems to be healing correctly. We're going to keep you on the antibiotics, as well as the pain medication. But if everything goes properly, you should be able to be out of here in three or four days. I think I am going to order another MRI though, to check on your concussion and make sure you don't have any more internal bleeding, and another ultra sound to check on the baby. But that can wait until after the guys have left. I won't deny them the chance to meet you."
For the first time she allowed apprehension to show on her face. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. She thought.
"They are going to love you, Angel. You have nothing to worry 'bout." Tig squeezed her hand.
"Definitely." Tara nodded. "They may look and act like a bunch of thugs, but inside they all have huge hearts."
Chibs chuckled and Tig raised an eyebrow at the Doc.
"Well, maybe not Happy. He still unnerves me." She shuttered.
"Yah, well, he hasn't tried to take yer head off yet, so my guess is he likes ya, darlin'" Chibs said.
"I take it he didn't get his name from his cheerful demeanor?" Ellie smiled.
"Nope," Tig popped the 'p'. "I'll tell ya that story another time."
"Well, I have some more patients I need to check on. I'll be back later. It was nice to meet you, Ellie. If you ever need to talk with someone who knows what it's like to come in as an outsider, you just have to ask." Tara smiled, moving towards the door.
"It was nice to meet you too, Tara. And I'm sure I'll have to take you up on that offer, probably multiple times." Ellie laughed, making light of the serious situation.
Tara smiled and waved as she left the room.
"Well, I'll leave ya two lovebirds alone for a few minutes. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Tigger."
"That's not saying much, Chibs!" Tig called as the Scotsman closed the door behind him.
Alex and Ellie just sat together for a few minutes. Alex had moved back next to her and was sitting on the edge of the bed. He could see the wheels spinning in her head, and after a minute of silence he had to ask. "Wha' cha thinkin' 'bout, Angel?"
"I know everybody's said not to worry, but what if they don't like me? What if they don't think I'm good enough for you?" Ellie voiced her fears aloud for the first time.
"Ellie, you're like a magnet, everybody likes ya. I'm sure more then a few of them are going to think I'm not good enough for you, not the other way around." Alex reassured, brushing a strand of hair out face and behind her ear. "Besides, I'll put a bullet 'tween the eyes of anyone who upsets ya. Brother or not."
"Don't joke about things like that, Alex," Ellie groaned, closing her eyes and letting her head loll back onto the pillows.
"I'm not." Alex said, completely serious.
"I know, that's what worries me."
Alex just smiled at her indignant tone. He would never apologize for protecting her.
"Come on, doll. Stop your worryin'. You're going to mess up your pretty little face. Then what would I do?" Alex teased. He leaned forward and began nudging her neck with his face.
She knew he was trying to distract her, but as she felt his wet kisses smothering her neck she couldn't seem to care. Slowly, teasingly, he worked his way down her neck licking, kissing and nipping his way towards her collar bone.
"Umm, Alex. Don't stop." She moaned.
That was the only consent he needed. He climbed onto the bed and hovered above Ellie, his lips never leaving her skin. He could the heart monitor speeding up, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
She loved the feeling of him above her, the weight of his body on hers. Even though he would never put his full weight on her, just his presence on top of her made her feel safe. She momentarily forgot they were in a hospital and that she was supposed to be resting.
She grated her hips up against Alex's hips and she felt his erection stir to life. He brought his lips up her ear. "You're a naughty little girl, aren't ya?" he whispered seductively.
The heart monitor kicked it up another notch. She always loved it when he talked dirty to her. "Hummm. And what if I am, what are you going to do about it, huh, big guy?" she goaded.
He took her lips with his possessively and thrust his tongue into her mouth. She moaned lustfully and the heated kiss continued. She tried again to create friction between her legs by grinding them against his groin, but his hips were pinning hers to the bed.
All of a sudden he pulled away and looked down at her. She pouted, but he just laughed. "Nope, that's all you're gettin' for today, little one. Naughty little ones need to be punished after all." He smirked down at her as she glared back up at him. "Besides, as much I want my brothers to see just who you belong to, I didn't think that's the first impression you wanted to give them."
When Alex brought up his brothers she heard it, the sound of a rowdy crowd walking down the halls of the usually quiet and orderly hospital.
"Ready to meet the family, Angel?" Alex asked, tilting the bed so that it was easier for her to sit upright, then settling in next to her again.
She grabbed his hand and squeezed. "As ready as I'll ever be."
AN: Well that was fun, I liked playing around with Chibs for a while, he's so fun to write.
One thing, I don't know when the military started requiring recruits to be high school graduates, so I erred on the side of caution and made Tig graduate before his father signed him up for the Marines.
As always, thanks for all the reviews and please review if you liked the chapter, or if you hated it. As always constructive criticism is the best, but anything but flames is loved.
Rose