Being a Son
Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue.
Chapter 2: Talking Takes Forever, Killing is More Fun
When Tig next woke the sun was up and shining into the room. He scrubbed his hand over his face and looked to his right. Edie was curled up on the far edge of the bed- no doubt a reaction from two years of abuse. He watched her breathe for a moment, still unbelieving that she was back with him where she belonged. He reached over and pulled her close to him, curling around her and resting his head on top of hers. He knew he shouldn't have fallen asleep- he was supposed to be on concussion watch after all. But she seemed to be fine. A knock at the door forced him out of his own little world.
Tig groaned has he stood up from the bed and winced as his joints popped while he walked across the floor. He opened it to find Gemma looking impatient. "Took ya long enough. How is she?" she asked, motioning her head toward Edie.
"How would you be?"
"Here are some things to make her feel more like herself," Gemma handed Tig an old Macy's bag, "Doc wants to see her at the hospital when she's dressed."
Tig nodded, "I'll get her ready and meet you over there." He moved to close the door when Gemma slammed her hand against it, effectively blocking him.
"She's too sick to hang on the back of your bike, Tig. She needs to ride with me."
"I'm riding whatever she's riding."
"Then you better be prepared to ride bitch, big guy. Cuz I'll be damned if I'm gonna get that little girl back and have her fall off the back of your bike."
Tig looked back at Edie before moving out into the hall with Gemma and shutting the door quietly. "You think for one second that now that I've got her back, I'd let anything take her from me again?" he whispered angrily. "You're not the only person who lost something that night Gemma. She was my world and I woke up two days later and she was gone. So don't think for one second that I'd ever let her go again. I'm not losing her this time- not to the Mayans, and not to you. I don't care if you're Clay's old lady, no one is coming between me and Edie again. You clear?"
Gemma just looked at him in that way she usually did, sizing him up. "That's the most you've ever said at one time, Tigger."
"Don't get used to it."
"Just go take care of your girl, Tig. I'll meet you both downstairs. And don't think for one second that I'm letting you drive." Tig stared after her for a minute, still angry. He wanted to calm down before waking Edie.
When he did finally manage to get his emotions under control, he slipped into the room with the Macy's bag which he set near the bathroom. "Edie?" He sat on the bed and gently shook her shoulder, "Edie, baby, you gotta wake up."
"Mmm, Tig?"
"Yeah, baby, it's me. You gotta get up. Gemma's taking you to see the Doc," Tig stood up and brought over the bag, "She dropped some stuff off for you. Shampoo, soap, clothes. You wake up and I'm gonna go warm up the shower for you."
Twenty minutes later, Edie stepped out of the bathroom clean and dressed. The bruising even more apparent now that she was clean. He smiled at her from the bed then stood up, grabbing his jacket, "You ready babe?" She nodded and made to go to the door. Tig slipped his jacket around her shoulders. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled, making his heart melt a little more.
Downstairs Gemma was about to burst. She was tapping her nails, banging a beer bottle on the bar, doing everything possible to make sure everyone knew she was pissed about waiting. When she saw Tig and Edie she jumped off the stool and made a beeline for the young woman.
"Edie, baby. It's so good to have you back." Gemma hugged Edie tightly, releasing her at the small 'ow' when she squeezed too hard on a fractured rib.
The ride over to the hospital was quiet. Tig sat with Edie in the back seat. Neither felt like talking and Gemma didn't want to push it.
Tig stuck close to Edie when they got to the hospital and checked in to see Tara. Edie vaguely recognized her from years before. She remembered that Jax, her childhood crush, had been devastated when Tara left. Why was she back?
"Hi Edie, I'm Tara. I you might not remember me. I used to date Jax," Tara said, holding out her hand for Edie to shake. Just like the rest of the club, Edie didn't shake hands- she just stared at the doctor.
"I remember you. You're my doctor?" Edie was a little gruff.
Gemma put her hand on Edie's arm, "She's the only doctor that will keep her trap shut."
Tara cleared her throat, "Umm, I scheduled you for a CAT scan and an x-ray. You seem to have slept okay but there's still the possibility of a concussion, and I want to take a look at your ribs. I think a couple of them are broken. I also want to do a pap smear and some blood work. With," she hesitated, looking down at the chart in her hand, then looking back up after gathering her resolve, "with rape, there is always the possibility of STDs. We just want to err on the side of caution."
Tig stayed glued to Edie the entire time. He put up a fuss when they told him he had to leave for the CAT scan and x-ray but Gemma just told him to shut up and he stepped back, grumbling, grudgingly allowing Edie to go through the tests alone. He stayed planted to the floor near her head, holding her hand as Tara performed a more thorough pelvic exam than the one done the prior night.
"Well, you have a slight concussion and two broken ribs. We won't have the results of your blood tests and smear for another three days. All I can really do right now is give you some pain killers and tell you to take it easy for a while. If the tests show anything else in a few days, I'll prescribe an antibiotic," Tara said coming into the exam room where they were all waiting. Tig was standing near the exam table across from the door, refusing to sit.
Edie nodded and stood, "Thanks." Tara quickly logged into the computer and sent the prescription to the local drugstore. "You should be able to pick it up in about an hour."
Gemma stood to follow Edie and Tig out of the exam room and looked to Tara, "Thanks, Doc."
Thankfully the drugstore was practically deserted. Gemma stayed in the car, wanting to call Luanne to let her know their lunch date was still on. Edie wandered the aisles, throwing in things she thought she would need. Razor and shaving cream, more bandages, hair conditioner. She even thought to grab some makeup. When she aimed for that display, Tig finally spoke up, "Baby, you don't have to worry about any of this. You're perfect to me, just as you are."
She just gave him a small smile over her shoulder and said, "I know, Tig. I just want to get back to normal. Help me pick out the foundation, I think I'm a lot more pale than before." He still felt guilty that she wanted to be attractive for him. Tig thought that she must be feeling like without these things, she wasn't good enough for him. Edie had been honest though. She really did just want to get back to normal and forget the two years that she was away from Tig- as if she was in a coma for two years and had just woken up. What he thought she was feeling was all in his head. She trusted him completely and did not worry about her appearance for him. She was back now- she wanted all the whores that hung around the clubhouse to know that he was hers. It was her way of inking him.
"Edith Walker. Edith Walker, your prescription is ready."
They made their way to the pharmacy counter. The pharmacist looked at her with bruises on her face and then at Tig with his tattoos and drew her own conclusions. She leaned toward Edie, "Are you okay, sweetie?"
Edie just looked at her and then it hit her, the woman thought Tig had done this to her. Edie gave her a tight lipped smile, "Yes, I just want my prescription."
The woman flashed her eyes up at Tig then back to Edie, "Are you sure?"
Edie was at her breaking point with annoying people. "Yes, I'm sure. He didn't do this to me, it was some other asshole, now just give me the damn meds!" she snapped at the old busybody. The woman was startled and held out a paper bag to Edie. She grabbed it and threw it into her basket, stalking past Tig toward the check out. Tig just smiled at the pharmacist and followed his girl.
Gemma hung up with Luanne as they were getting into the car. "You guys want to pick up some lunch before you head back to the clubhouse?" Tig just looked over at Edie, prepared to do whatever she wanted to do.
Edie just shook her head, "No, I just want to go home." Both Gemma and Tig shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
Gemma looked into the rear view mirror, "Baby, we sold the house and boxed up your stuff." It was unspoken that she no longer had a home, at least not in the technical sense.
Edie looked up at Tig meaningfully, "I just want to go home." Tig didn't show it outwardly, but the realization was in his eyes. She meant his home, the house he kept on the side for nights he couldn't deal with the club. Now their home.
Tig turned to the front, "Just drop us off at my place, Gem."
Gemma's brakes screeched as she pulled into Tig's driveway. She would have to get one of the guys to check them out. Tig unlocked the front door and let Edie in when Gemma called out the window, "I'll call you later, baby girl!" Edie nodded and waved, disappearing inside. "Tig!" Gemma waved him over to the car, "You take good care of that girl in there."
"Gemma, I know you're a mom and can't help but worry about her, but this is the last time I'm gonna tell you- mind your own shit and I'll take care of my girl." Tig didn't wait for her reply, he just stalked into the house and slammed the door.
"Asshole."
When Tig cleared his head enough he looked around the living room and Edie was no where to be found. He checked all the front rooms before heading down the hall to the master. There she was beneath the heavy covers. He sighed and shut the bedroom door, enclosing them in their own little world. She wriggled a little when he climbed into the bed behind her. Tig pulled her close and breathed into her hair.
Tig cursed as he groped for the phone. It was dark outside now. He and Edie had fallen asleep and he was trying to find the damn phone before it woke her up.
"Yeah?"
"Where are you brother?" Clay.
"My house, with Edie. What's up?"
"We gotta talk about this new situation. You need to head over."
"I need a ride. I don't have my bike."
"I'll send prospect with the van."
"Thanks."
"See ya."
Tig hung up and rolled over. He shook Edie gently, "Time to get up, babe. I gotta go to the clubhouse and I don't want you to be alone."
Half-Sack pulled up in the TM van and Tig helped Edie in and sat in the back with her. The prospect looked into the rear view mirror as he was driving, "I don't think we've met. I'm Kip." Edie just waved and said, "Edie." Kip kept looking into the mirror and it was driving Tig nuts.
"Just focus on driving, Half-Sack."
Edie looked at Tig curiously, "Why do you call him half sack?"
"Cuz the guy's only got one nut." Edie tried not to laugh.
"I got it blown off in the service," Kip told her from the front, his eyes now glued to the road.
"I'm sorry," Edie said, still trying desperately not to giggle.
When they pulled up to the clubhouse and went in, Tig sent Edie to Gemma and dropped his cell phone into the cigar box. Kip was the last one in and he shut the door behind him.
"So we know it was the Mayans. How do we get the bastards that did this?" Clay started.
"We need to talk to Alvarez. He's gotta know which of his guys are capable of this shit," Chibs said.
"All those fuckers are capable. Why not just ghost them all?" Tig was already getting angry.
"We can't risk another war with the Mayans, especially now." Jax was always the voice of reason. Tig had always hated that.
He looked Jax in the eye, "Tell me you wouldn't do the same shit if it was Tara, man."
"I would, but I would rely on one of you to hold me back."
"Enough. We talk to Alvarez. What can we offer him?" Clay asked Bobby.
"We don't have much. With money in the rebuild and all the other shit that's happened lately. Maybe twenty K."
"Okay, we call him up, offer fifteen K for the assholes, he says nothing, we offer twenty. He still won't talk, we go in with force and flush 'em out. Agreed?" Everyone nodded in except Tig. "You gotta be on board Tig." Tig finally nodded. "Alright, meeting adjourned. We'll talk to Alvarez in the morning." They all filed out, Tig bringing up the rear. "Tig." Tig stopped and waited for Clay. The older man made his way around the redwood and put his hand on the younger's shoulder. "I know you wanna rip 'em apart, believe me, I do. But I need your head in this. After all the shit that's gone down, we can't afford you to go off all half cocked ready for blood."
"I know, brother." Tig didn't want to admit it, but Clay was right.
"We'll get 'em, I promise." Tig just nodded and went out to his girl.
Tig grabbed her hand and pulled her up gently, "Ready to go home?" Edie nodded. Gemma watched them walk out of the clubhouse, wanting to forbid him from having her on his bike, any bike really, but she was twenty and Tig was her old man. He had jurisdiction over Edie and as long as Edie was okay with it, Gemma didn't have the right to say shit. She had pushed it before and had been lucky to get the two warnings she did. Tig could have told Clay to get her in line and he would've laid into her something fierce.
Tig loved the way Edie held onto him. He had missed the way she gripped his waist and shoved her head into his back, protecting her face from the wind. He pulled into their driveway and cut the engine, and waited for her to get off. But apparently she didn't want to let go just yet. They sat there a few minutes listening to the ticking of the cooling engine. "Edie, let's go inside." He felt her nod against his back and get up.
Closed up safely in their bedroom again, both of them undressed down to bottom layers and crawled into the bed. He curled around her again with his face buried in the back of her neck.
"Tig?" Edie asked the darkness.
"Yeah, babe?"
"You love me?"
"Always baby. More than anything."
"Promise?"
"Forever." He felt her nod into the pillow and relax a little more against him. For all her seeming progress that day, she was still a long way from being okay.