Hi guys! Hope that everybody has had a good holiday! It is kind of a miracle that this chapter is up. I have been traveling and visiting with family, and I wasn't entirely sure that it would get posted. That being said, here it is! Enjoy and please REVIEW!
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It was barely light outside when Opie woke up. He laid awake, with his eyes closed, for a moment and tried to figure out what was different. His right hand moved to the side, and found the warm, sleeping form of Lila. That would be the beginning of what was different. On an ordinary weekday morning, he would wake up to the sounds of Lila corralling the children, and his kids arguing over who got to be in the bathroom first. Usually, he would stay in bed until he heard them all but ready to leave, and then he would get up and hug his kids and tell them to have a good day.
This morning, Lila was in bed next to him and the rest of the house was silent. After the welcome dinner for Fiona and Kerrianne last night, which had surprisingly gone off without a hitch, they had sent the kids with Mary. Since their grandmother was responsible for getting the kids ready for school, and Lila had no plans until later, she was taking an hour or so to sleep in. Maybe it was different, but Opie thought it was nice to wake up next to a warm body every once in awhile. He considered it and decided that this morning was a good sort of different.
"You awake, sleepy head?" Lila asked from next to him, her hand running through his hair.
"Seems that way," he said, through a monstrous yawn. "It's your morning off, away from the kids. Why are you awake?"
"Even though the kids aren't here, it still feels like I should be awake," Lila groaned as she stretched out, and then moved closer, laying her head against his shoulder. "I figure that feeling will go away after they all are in college."
"You hope," he joked. "No work this morning?"
Usually, the kids stayed with Mary when Lila had to work early, or had to say late. Since she was here, he figured that neither of those things were true.
"Nope," she grinned. He couldn't see her smile, but he could hear it. "I have plans with the ladies of SAMCRO today, remember?"
Tara had found out that she was having a baby boy, and of course everybody was thrilled. Gemma had glowed at the thought of having a second grandson. It had been everything that they could do to keep her for going shopping the minute that she had found out. Instead, she had settled for arranging a shopping trip for all the ladies today. Opie couldn't even begin to imagine what sort of hell that would be, and was glad that he would be going to the prison today. He had been surprised to find out that Lila was really excited about the trip.
"That sound…fun," he told her, not even trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
"Shut up!" Lila laughed. "I am kind of excited about it."
"Yeah?" he asked, surprised. "Why?"
"I don't know, it's kind of hard to explain," she said. "I guess it's just kind of nice that they invited me. It is really starting to feel like they like me and know that I am here to stay, you know?"
"Yeah," he agreed, glad that she seemed happy.
"At first, I was just the porn star hanging around you, and it seemed like they hated me, but now, that has changed. It's almost like they respect this. Make it more real," she explained. "They know I am here to stay."
He nodded. "I'm glad to see you smile."
That comment made her do more than smile. It made her grin absurdly.
"We are home alone and I don't have anywhere to be for a couple of hours," she told him, sliding her hand down his chest and still lower. "Want to know what else would make me smile?"
Across town, Chibs woke up quite suddenly. Something was different in his morning, as well. First of all, the sun shining brightly through his window told him that it was much later than he usually woke up. He felt well rested, which was becoming more and more rare for him, so that was different as well. The other side of his bed was rumpled and messy, yet sadly empty. He seemed to clearly remember going to bed with his wife last night, as well as several exciting hours in bed with her, but as he opened his eyes wider and took a proper look around his room, Fiona was nowhere to be found.
A noise from the kitchen had him sitting up. Maybe she had gotten hungry and gone in search of some food. He was well acquainted with her cooking skills, so this caused him a bit of worry. Though he was relieved that his wife was apparently in the kitchen, Chibs couldn't help but be a little bit disappointed. Waking up next to his wife was one of his very favorite things in the world and he kicked himself for missing his chance this morning. The thought that he would have several more opportunities during this trip made him smile as he climbed out of bed and pulled a hoodie on.
He found her exactly where he suspected, in the kitchen, along with Kerrianne. Chibs stopped and leaned against the doorframe, watching them. Both women, his two beautiful girls, were crowded around the coffee maker on the counter. It was a relatively newer model, a gift from Gemma at his last birthday, but it wasn't anything special. They both seemed to be examining it quite seriously, poking and prodding at all its different components, as if it held secrets within its parts. He knew he should step in before they broke it, but he just held his tongue and kept watching.
"Well Ma, what do you suppose this part does?" Kerrianne asked, holding the basket that traditionally held coffee grounds.
"I don't know, dearie. Maybe that's where the tea goes," Fiona answered, her voice lacking its usual confidence.
"So what, we just shove tea bags in this thing?" Kerrianne looked doubtfully at the black plastic holder. "How many do you think we put in?"
"I would guess quite a few," Fiona wagered a bet. She waved a coffee filter under Kerrianne's nose. "But what is this thing for?"
"Maybe it is just a fancy doily to set under you tea cup?" Kerrianne guessed. Chibs couldn't resist any longer. He let out a barking laugh, finding the whole situation more than a little ridiculous.
"Do I really seem like the sort that puts fancy doilies under my tea cup?" he asked once his laughter calmed. They looked at him sheepishly. "What on Earth are you two doing to my coffee maker?"
"Coffee!" both women exclaimed together, finally understanding the purpose of the machine that they had assumed made tea. Fiona dropped the coffee filter and quickly made her way across the kitchen to kiss her husband. Chibs wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.
"Did we wake you?" she asked, running a hand over his messy bed head.
"No," he told her in a quiet whisper. "But you worried me this morning. Woke up and you weren't there. You shouldn't do that to me."
"Sorry, Love," she told him, leaning her forehead against his. "Wanted to let you sleep for a bit. Besides, the wee one was awake bright and early. I didn't want her causing any trouble."
Kerrianne stuck her tongue out at her Ma. "I wasn't the one trying to make tea in a coffee maker," she said. "Now move for a second, it's my turn to hug my Da."
Chibs grinned as he squeezed his daughter, before nodding towards the breakfast bar. "Why don't you two go sit, safely out of the way. I will handle making tea and breakfast."
"And then we are going to see Juice, right Da?" Kerrianne asked eagerly as she climbed up on the bar stool in her father's kitchen.
"We will," he affirmed, pulling the kettle from the cupboard and filling it. "Just as soon as we send your Ma off on her SAMCRO women's retreat. Are you sure you don't want to join them Kerrianne?"
"Not in a million years," Kerrianne laughed and Fiona rested her head in her hands and groaned.
"It won't be that bad, Love," Chibs tried to reassure her, though he knew how well she and Gemma got along.
"No, you are probably right," Fiona agree, lifting her head up and nodding firmly. "Tara and the other ladies seem very nice."
Chibs grinned, and nodded. "The doc is fantastic and has helped us out of more than one scrap. I don't know Lila well, but she is good with Opie and his kids, and he loves her. Tess is great; even Piney likes her."
"And even Gemma was really nice last night," Kerrianne added helpfully.
Fiona smiled at her daughter. "You both are right. It really won't be bad. I will probably have a lovely time, and looking at things for a wee baby is always fun."
Chibs didn't miss the wistful look on his wife's face as she talked about wee babies, but he tried not to dwell on it. If he and Fiona had it their way, they would have four or five wee ones running around, but they were well aware that things don't always go according to plan. He was happy to have his wife and their lone daughter with him now.
"Well, it sure beats prison," Chibs agreed. "Which reminds me; you need to dress warmly, Kerrianne. We're taking the bike out."
"Really?" she asked, excited. She had never really ridden on a motorcycle before, and she was thrilled. She had wild dreams of traveling at reckless speeds, her hair blowing in the wind.
Chibs hurried to quell the nervous look that appeared on Fiona's face. "Yes, really. But don't get too excited; we won't be breaking any speed records with such precious cargo. You need to wear long pants and a jacket, if you have one. And yes, a helmet is required."
"But Da, my hair," she began to argue, but was cut off with a mere look. "Fine. I am going to go get dressed while breakfast is cooking."
Both parents watched her leave, before Fiona let out a sigh. "You'll be careful, won't you?" she asked her husband.
"Always," he assured her, cracking a smile. "Wish you were coming, you know. You're finally here, and we're already spending time apart."
She slid off the stool and stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. "There's nobody at that prison that I am desperate to see. I will have a much better time shopping and getting to know Tara and Tess and Lila."
"I really appreciate it, you know," he told her quite earnestly. "You don't have to spend your time here making friends with these women, but the fact that you are makes me happy."
"And there's not much I wouldn't do to make you happy," she told him with a smile. "If you are going to live in Charming, I figure that we will be spending at least a bit of time here as well. I want to get to know everybody."
Those words coming from her mouth made him ridiculously happy, so he just wrapped his arms around her and pulled his wife in close. "I love you, Fi," he said.
"And I love you," she replied.
A couple of hours later, Fiona was kissing her husband goodbye and climbing into the back of Gemma's SUV as Filip and Kerrianne prepared to head to the prison. The women all found it necessary to make sweet noises as she climbed in and waved at her family, though it was all done in good humor, so Fiona managed to not be offended.
"Soooooo," Gemma drawled out as she drove off, a smirk on her face. "How are you doing this morning?"
"Yeah, how are you feeling?" Lila piped up. "Satisfied?"
"Fulfilled?" Tess suggested. Tara just rolled her eyes.
"All of the above," Fiona replied, managing to keep her blush at bay. "Thanks for asking. You're all so sweet…and nosey."
They all couldn't help but giggle at that assessment. They all knew that Fiona was right. Tess bit her tongue to stop the giggles. She wiped at her eyes and said, "Well, that's good news. Glad that you had a good night. Maybe now Chibs will be a little bit less grouchy."
"Has he really been that bad?" Fiona asked, looking at the rest of the women.
"Yes," Gemma assured her. "The past week or so have been rough for anybody within a one mile radius of him. Keep a man away from sex for a few weeks and he is sure to be a miserable pain in the ass to everybody."
"Well, you guys should be nice and safe," Fiona assured them, with a satisfied smile. "After last night, he should be A LOT less grumpy."
They giggled again, but this time it was Lila who spoke up, "We may need to keep you around for a while. As stressed out as he and Opie have been, you sure as hell would come in handy, but you might have your work cut out for you."
"What has been going on?" Fiona asked, curious about the situation. She knew only what Filip told her, but was eager to hear what these women thought.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Tara was quick to assure her. "With the rest of the guys inside, their workload has just increased about tenfold."
"Yeah," Gemma told her. "They have the business of the Club to handle on their own. Plus everything at Teller Morrow. They not only lost the entirety of the Club, including all the officers, but they lost six of the better mechanics. Chibs and Opie and Kozik and even Piney are kind of burning the candle at both ends these days."
"Opie is pretty much always exhausted," Lila told them. "Even when he isn't at the garage or off on Club business, you can tell he is thinking about it."
Fiona felt instantly guilty that she had been upset by Filip doing Club business when he came to Belfast. "Filip told me that things were busy, but I didn't know it had gotten so bad."
"Don't you worry," Gemma spoke up. "It has been worse. I am just glad you are here, all of you, to take care of them. They need the extra support at home."
Tess really hoped that Gemma wasn't relying on her to support any of the guys at home. She should know better than that. Tess smiled and said, "Yeah, you guys take care of them after hours, I've got them at the garage. I think they will all be fine."
"Sure, Honey," Gemma smirked again. "That's what I meant."
The conversation dropped for just a moment, but Tara and Lila were biting their tongues to keep from laughing. Tara's barely concealed giggles turned into a groan when they pulled up outside their first location, Little Boy Blue Boutique.
"Seriously Gemma?" she asked in dismay. "You want me to register for shit here? All the stuff in here is expensive."
"Yes," Gemma told her seriously. "All those rich doctors at the hospital need to buy you something, and it might as well be something good, from here. We are going to hit up all of these expensive baby boutiques, so you'd better be ready."
Tara rolled her eyes, while the rest of the women gathered their purses as they piled out of the car, completely unaware of the bug resting above them, recording their location and conversation, and the men listening to it.
Kerrianne's eyes were still wide with joy as she sat at the little table, waiting for Juice to be brought out. The sheer excitement of being on the back of a motorcycle had just about done her in. It was nearly an hour's ride out to the prison, and she had loved every single second of it. Her Da didn't know it yet, but he would definitely be teaching her to ride a motorcycle as soon as possible.
Her Da was at the next little table, waiting for his own inmate, Happy, to come out. He smiled at her and she couldn't help but grin back. It really had been an excellent trip so far. Opie was here, to visit Jax, and Kozik was here, to visit another man named Tig. Kerrianne had only met Kozik last night, but he seemed nice enough. She had been warned about Tig, so while she was a little bit leery, but she didn't actually care too much. She was too excited about seeing Juice.
She sat up a little straighter as the prisoners were led in. Even though his hair was different, she picked him out immediately. Their eyes met across the room, and his face broke out in the widest grin Kerrianne had ever seen, and her stomach flip flopped. He made his way over to where she waited and hugged her, until the guard was calling out "Brief hugs only! Sit Ortiz!"
"Hi," was all she could think to say when they did sit. She followed it up with, "Look at your hair!"
He ran a hand over his black, fuzzy head of hair. "Yeah, they don't exactly do mohawks in prison, so I have to settle for this. How does it look?"
"Like your inner Latino is coming out," she replied with a grin.
"Nice," he smiled back at her. "So how was the flight?"
Their conversation continued, neither of them paying an ounce of attention to the fact that her father was glaring at them from the next table, while Happy smirked at him.
"You want me to shiv him in his sleep?" Hap asked, and Chibs knew that he was completely serious.
"I am pretty sure she would get mad at me if I arranged that," the Scotsman muttered.
"Don't worry, she will probably figure out that he is an idiot pretty soon," Happy tried to reassure his friend. "And even if she doesn't, I will castrate him so that your grandkids aren't morons with mohawks."
"Well, thanks for that image, brother," Chibs said dryly. "That's just what I needed."
Happy shrugged, "Sorry."
"How are things in here?" Chibs wondered. "Everybody holding up okay?"
"There is some talk of powers shifting, but we don't have any intel on it. Our protection is holding up," Happy informed him. "We're alright."
"Good, good," Chibs said, a load taken off his back. Things on the outside were going great, and things on the inside seemed smooth as well. It was almost too good to be true.
"Have you heard anything about my Mom lately?" Happy asked.
As Chibs began to fill the other man in, Jax and Opie were nearby, grinning like idiots.
"I really wanted it to be a girl," Opie said wistfully. "The idea of Jackson Teller with a daughter would be just too good."
"I only make boys," Jax insisted.
"So far," Opie corrected.
The group of men and the young lady on hand spent the next half hour laughing and joking and talking happily. There was a definitely sense of peace that had settled over them. When it came time to go, the departing crew hugged their friends goodbye and promised to visit soon. They left the prison and made plans to go get lunch. None of them was aware that this would be their last peaceful visit for quite some time.
Miles and miles away, in the basement of a house, four Russian men met.
"We have the reports," one man said. "The men are at the prison, visit Teller. The SAMCRO women are buying baby thing for the doctor, apparently unprotected. I think we should strike the women now, while they are out in the open. We might not have this chance again."
"We will be acting within the prison very soon," another man spoke up. "What do you think, Alexei?"
The third man looked pensive for a moment. "Is Tess with them?"
"Your little girlfriend is with the women," the first man said. "We will do our best to make sure she isn't harmed. It's not her we are after. Not yet, anyway."
Lex inhaled sharply before replying. "We should strike inside the prison first. That will send them all into hiding at their little Club house. I planted the bug in there. With them all inside hiding, we will be able to gather more information on how to hurt them. And if they are all in one place, they are easier to take out all at once."
The fourth man listened carefully to both arguments. "We will do it Lex's way. We will cripple them in the prison, and then cripple them on the outside. SAMCRO is done."