So, this chapter will look like a filler chapter, but it's actually rather important for a future arc of this story. Well, a few arcs, actually! All of the SOA characters belong to Kurt Sutter, I just changed their names to French names. All of the original characters belong to me. Leave a reply, it would be much appreciated!
Good to know: Porte D'aix is a monument in Marseilles that looks like a smaller Arc de Triomphe (that's in Paris).
"Push! Push it, come on! Push it!"
"I can't! It's too heavy!"
"JUST PUSH IT!"
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Her eyes snapped open as she was at the end of her scream, Rain was sitting down near her, jolted awake by her screaming, he had his pistol in his hand, ready to shoot anyone posing a threat to them. But there was no one but them and Rain's dog in Rain's rooftop condominium, even the fishes in the tank were sleeping. Immediately, he put the gun down and pulled her close, rubbing her hair. This was the sixth nightmare he knew that she had in the last three weeks.
"You wanna tell me about this one?" Randy asks, no. No fucking way. She never even told her diary about this one. All Everett wants is to be held. Rain quickly falls back to sleep, herself can't. She's sick of having nightmares. But she'll be damned if she gets back on all these pills she was on when she first entered adulthood. The only ones she missed anyways were the ones that sent her into deep, dream-less sleep. She would probably still take these if they didn't leave her so foggy all day long. It was ok when she was trying to live the accountant lifestyle, but now, no. No way, she was wide awake to the whole world.
However, if she tried just laying near Rain right now, and watch him sleep, she would just wake him up. So instead she crawled out of the large California King bed, put some underwear on and headed to the kitchen area, it was four in the morning, she made herself a coffee, that she drank watching the sunrise for a little while, until her phone rang, it was Joker.
-Yeah?
"Not waking you up, was I?"
-No. Just... Watching the sunrise. Nice isn't it?
"You sound quiet. Was'wrong with you?"
-Nothing. You just caught me early and undressed enough.
"Interesting. Where you at?"
-That, I'm not telling you. You'd be the last I would tell.
"You just said you were naked, you fucking tease!"
-I said undressed, not naked.
"Still enough for the wank bank."
-Tuh... Lefort, ew!
He laughed on the other end, as she felt Rain's lips against her neck, he jacked her cup of coffee and brushed her hair away from her neck before getting towards the kitchen, without a word about her flirtatious ways, firstly because then Philippe Lefort would know about them, secondly because he didn't really care, she was flirtatious by nature.
"I'm just teasing, kid. But seriously, how about you put some pants on, and I'll pick you up downstairs. In five minutes."
-I'm across town at a girlfriend's place.
"Porte d'Aix? That good for you?"
-Be there in twenty, what is it about?
"I just need a backup rider, Law said not to ride alone, it's way too early, and I trust you."
And that felt awesome, to have some people's vote of confidence, just like that, because they trusted her father when Happy said that she was good for it. That she wasn't just an hormonal female that would fuck up the delicate balance of a motorcycle club charter with her drama. So she hung up, geared up in the airy bedroom before going back for her coffee, Rain was making himself a light breakfast, he would probably put in a workout before opening up the gym.
-I'm heading out.
-Last I heard he was planning a long, out of country trip. Bring gas money and a passport.
-Doing what?
-Secret. He wouldn't tell. He'll trust you cause you aren't in the club yet, you don't exactly report to Law.
-Ok. Well...
She licked her lips, held on to the words that wanted to come naturally, Rain smiled, leaned down to peck at her lips, he whispered to be safe out there. Yeah, no I love you's there, either. It had only been two months. In the garage, her motorcycle, she loved the roars of it as she started it and pulled out, heading towards the rendez-vous point. Joker was already waiting, smoking a rolled cigarette with his helmet on the tank, she pulled beside him, took it and had a puff before giving it back with a few coughs.
-What in the hell is that? Arsenic in rolling paper?
-I knew you'd like it. Phone, please.
She didn't want to, but she gave it anyways, he popped the back and pulled the chip out before giving it back, the chip ended up under his heel on the ground. Whatever he was about to have her do with him, he did not want Juicy to be able to track them if Law ordered so. It made her wary, because it could mean that they were about to do something the club would not approve of, and also because wherever they were going, she would have no means to reach her backup contingencies if she ran into trouble.
She still put her phone back in her breast pocket, as Philippe was smiling at her, fastening his helmet on his head.
-We all have secrets, love.
He pulls away from the curb and heads North, she follows; they ride for eight hours, until almost mid-afternoon, they only stopped for gas and a sandwich near Lyon again, and a quick refill near Metz, they had almost ran out of France, and Everett was still in the dark when it came to their destination. It's only when they stop to cross the Zoufftgen border into Luxembourg that Joker tells her, probably only because the customs agent will ask, that they are going to Dudelange. She'd never been in Luxembourg in the first place. At least she was well traveled, it's not like it would be the first stamp in her passport.
From there, it was a short distance, at least she hoped, because she really needed a bathroom. At a red light, Philippe leans towards her, a smile on his face.
-Your father is the only person from the club I ever trusted enough to bring here. The only one in twenty-five years I've been a son.
-Well, thanks for the trust?
He nods, amused, and picks a right on Rue du Parc, goes on that street for a while before pulling in front of 2113, a nice white house, KL Esthetics reads a sign on the lawn, there's a black compact parked in the driveway, Philippe kills the bike and removes his helmet, she follows suit, gets off her bike, when the front door opens and two kids come barreling out of the house screaming and laughing and calling out in German. Papa, papa! Philippe Lefort was expected back home by a wife and three kids. It doesn't even take Everett by surprise, she's always pegged Joker for a family guy that had missed his shot at a family life. Pegged wrong, he just liked his biker life and his personal life to be two extremely distinct lives.
Philippe called back in German, as he took off his kutte and folded it, put it in one of his saddle bags, the youngest of the two kids had to be about four, he picked her up, kissing those big round, red cheeks, before turning to Everett.
-Can you take off your kutte for the weekend?
-I sure can, man.
-Now... You stay quiet about this, I can stay quiet about things I know.
-You know nothing, man.
-Which is why Martin still comes around twice a year?
She blushed, she couldn't even start to deny anything, she fumbles a few onomatopoeia as she is pulling her kutte off her back, she was ready to deny an affair with Rain from the bat, but this allusion to Martin had taken her way short. It makes Philippe laugh, as he's picking up the two kids, the second is a boy that's about six, his wife is now in the doorway, holding a tiny baby, can't be older than a few months.
-Now, there are accommodations for you in the back, it looks like a tool shed, but I assure you, it's very comfortable. And there are plenty of sights to visit in Dudelange.
Meaning, let me have my weekend and don't bother me, I'll let you know when I'm ready to leave. He just wanted to spend some time with his family. The small guesthouse in the back as a tiny functional kitchen and a bed, a TV with cable and WIFI, there's a photo of Sailor, Everett, Flo and King near the TV, a pad with some of her father's drawings on it, he hasn't been here in at least two years, or at least hadn't drawn here in two years. There's a mini-fridge filled to the brim with fresh food, it was all bought today.
Joker's wife is gorgeous. Everett spends most of her day watching them through the window, playing in the pool, Joker is a happy man. She's a statuesque green-eyed blond that speaks with a German accent, and the guy is head over heels for her, won't even let her get up to fetch the baby her milk, he's catering to her on hands and feet, it's quite contrary to the lazy fuck that's a Son in Marseilles. It's a sight to see Joker smile so much. What she gathers over the four days through conversations she hears through the open window is that Kikka was a prostitute in Munich and whoever owned her, they refused for her to go anywhere. Joker loved her, so he took her, brought her to Luxembourg where they would most likely never find her, put her in this house, gave her his name, and eventually, she loved him back. So she gave him three kids.
Then, after fours days spent in the guest house, Joker is ready to head back, after the kids were put in bed, Everett has to wait a while, sitting on her bike, for Kikka to be done making out with Joker, there, she keeps on saying she wishes he would stay.
-Hey Phil. On peux rester plus longtemps.
"We could stay longer", she offered, knowing his wife did not understand or speak French. He wished so too, he replies, but they've been gone off radar for too long. Law will have their heads. She had offered, but with the hope he would say no, sort of. Because she wanted to go back and see Rain. She was tired of sitting inside, doodling on her dad's pad and eating because there was nothing else to do besides pull-ups on the support beam and leg curls. She could have went out like Joker had offered, and see the sights, but she did not want to come back to a full backyard and his kids questioning who she was.
The ride back, Joker looks absolutely rested and happy and overall any positive adjectives she could have thought of. He looked love-drunk. And somehow, the four-day weekend gave Everett a lot of insight about the guy she thought she knew pretty well. He wasn't going on coke-binges, when he disappeared for a few days. During their stop in Lyon for a bite and gas, he reveals the full story. Kikka was a prostitute for the Munich charter, and when Joker asked to have her to himself, they said no. So he had went against his brothers, he sworn Everett up and down to total secrecy.
First stop in Marseilles, the clubhouse. Law was there, and he was absolutely livid of the disappearing act, Joker was fined three thousand euros for this new offense, and for getting Stars involved.
-Where did he take you?
Philippe looked elsewhere, and it wasn't the prospect of having the full story with Martin disclosed that made her lie. It was the prospect of her pal losing everything. She had no doubt Kikka would be returned to Germany if her existence came back to light. Philippe had went against SOA by taking Kikka out of the hole she had fell into. And he still went against his German brothers by keeping her hidden in Dudelange.
-We went to Spain for the hookers.
-What's wrong with the hookers here?
-Half of them are related to Joker in some degree.
Joker was doing everything he possibly could to hide his laughter, she was as straight-faced as she could be, as Law was staring a hole into her, he was livid.
-It's so hard to pick up the fucking phone?
-I was neck deep in pussy, I didn't hear it ring.
Now, Philippe was just openly laughing, it made Law even madder, he looked like he could punch the both of them.
-You. Get the list from my wife, and get my money. You, next time I suspend you, I'm not even kidding you. Get the fuck out of my face, both of you.
Everett fled, and went to find Emma Tellier-Moreau, the tall brunette was in the office of the clubhouse's pawnshop business, crunching numbers and bringing the accounting up to date, for once she didn't have her total bitch face on as she was struggling with the program Everett had downloaded her the year before.
-Good you're finally here. It won't let me go back to last year.
-Different file, you need to open the last year. CTRL and O, My documents, last year, I make a new one for every tax year, I told you that last year and the year before.
-I hate the new program. What'you want, baby?
-Law sent me for the protection list.
Emma sighs, looks around for said list as Everett waits, and when Emma hands her the list in question, she does so with her 1960's mentality speech of how a motorcycle club is no place for a woman, and how she should not even try. It makes Everett smile, drop a "I'll keep that in mind" before turning around and leaving, she doesn't care at all to piss Emma off. Emma is a non-treat to Everett. No matter how much pull she has behind the scenes because of her marriage to Law Moreau. Lawrence is the only one with final say as to what goes on in the gang. If Everett does prove herself to him, she will become a Son. Even if Emma thinks a woman's place is in the office/kitchen/wherever a woman was supposed to be in 1960.
On her way out of the pawn shop, Joker was waiting on his bike, he'd probably ride with her for most of the day, if he had nothing better to do. He was smoking the first cigarette she had seen him smoke since the one he had finished at Porte d'Aix, he chuckled and pulled her into a hug when she passed him.
-Neck deep in pussy, I like you. You're as fun as your father.
-Thank you. I get that from my mom.
-Running protection, today?
-Yup.
-Got you a new chip for your phone. You want company?
-Sure.
As long as she could shake him off by nightfall, so she could go and get laid herself. In the meanwhile, money was to be extorted from hard-working, well meaning people.