Hi guys! I wanted to take a minute to thank you all for your kind reviews of the last chapter, especially. It was a tough one to write and I am glad to hear I didn't screw it up royally! Your reviews and messages meant the world to me, so thanks very much and keep them coming!
For those of you who mentioned that you might be interested in reading Fiona and Lila's stories, I am working on finishing them up and will let you know when I post them.
With all of THAT said, please enjoy the chapter and leave a review if you can! Thanks!
When Chibs woke up the next morning, it was barely after seven, and he really would have rather stayed asleep. He had always been an early riser, and for him, seven generally was sleeping in, but after the stress of the past few days, he really thought he could use another eight hours or so. His wife was curled against him in the warm bed, and she smelled amazing, and the way she was positioned, he could almost see down her shirt. All of these were very intriguing reasons to stay a little while longer, but he pushed them aside, gently kissed his wife before climbing out of bed, leaving her sound asleep. He really needed a cup of coffee.
The Clubhouse was completely silent as he left his room and made his way through the hall to the main bar. He would be a liar if he said that he didn't like it this way. He loved a good party as much as the next brother, but when it was quiet like this, it gave him a chance to really think. There was so much going on right now with the Club, some clear thinking was definitely needed. He really missed Bobby, who would have been the only other person even possibly awake at this hour. The whole place was undoubtedly still asleep. Kozik hadn't slept in days, at least not voluntarily. Opie would probably sleep until noon if he was allowed, and he was betting that he wouldn't be seeing anybody for at least another hour or two. This was why he was instantly alarmed when he heard a noise from the kitchen, followed by some muffled cursing.
After figuring he was the only one awake, he was incredibly surprised to find his daughter in the kitchen area, clad in slippers and pajamas, furiously mixing some sort of green gunk in a bowl. He had no idea what it was, but some of it was smeared across her cheek, and he had to bite back a smile. She looked like an adorable mess, but the intensity that she was whipping the batter told him that this probably was not the moment to point out that fact to her.
"Good morning, Darlin," he announced himself. She greeted him with a genuine grin, and he was very suddenly glad that he had gotten out of bed. "What're you doing up so early?"
"Making pancakes," she shrugged as if it was obvious, turning her attention back toward the bowl as she continued to stir.
"Ah," he replied in surprise, glancing at the lumpy green batter. Pancakes hadn't even occurred to him. He couldn't stop himself from asking. "I have to ask, why is it green?"
"Kale," she responded, as if it was a dumb question.
"Kale?" he repeated, trying to cover up the grimace that undoubtedly appeared on his face. "Does that normally go in pancakes?"
She looked up from the batter and fixed him with a fierce stare so reminiscent of her mother that Chibs swallowed, hard.
"It's good for you," she insisted. "And I put banana in the pancakes, too. So you won't even taste the kale."
He looked again at the green batter and instantly doubted that fact, but he kept it to himself. Truthfully, his daughter was awake cooking breakfast for him, and he would eat anything she put in front of him without question or complaint.
"Sounds great," he tried to sound honest. "I am going to make coffee. Want some?"
She wrinkled her nose at him. "I think I will just put the kettle on."
"I've got it," he told her, grabbing the ancient kettle that Gemma had purchased when he first arrived from Ireland and was reluctant to give up his addiction to tea. He quickly filled it and placed it on the burner, before turning back to his daughter. She was busy ladling the horrible green mess onto the hot griddle. He remembered making pancakes with her before, back at their old house in Ireland, when she would beg him to lift her up to sit on the counter so she could see. Now, here she was, almost as tall as him, putting healthy shit into his pancakes and lecturing him about it. It seemed that time had taken his baby and turned her into an almost adult, and he hadn't been there to see it happen. He would never, ever speak it aloud, but he was suddenly the smallest bit glad for the fire that had taken his wife and daughter's flat in Belfast, because it meant that they were staying with him. He wouldn't be missing any more of his daughter's life.
"Why are you staring at me?" she broke his thoughts with a small smile and a raised eyebrow.
"Because you're pretty," he informed her as he threw an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "What can I do to help?"
She rolled her eyes at his comment, but she was blushing and happy. She handed him the spatula. "Want to flip them? I'm not great at it."
"It's an art form," he explained, taking the utensil. "Let me educate you."
Ten minutes later, Chibs and Kerianne were sitting at the small table with steaming mugs and a stack of greenish-grey pancakes. Chibs was very careful to avoid his daughter's eye as he carefully cut a small bite of pancake and attempted to eat it without gagging. It was a struggle, but he managed.
"These are really good, aren't they Da?" Kerrianne exclaimed as she swallowed her bite.
"Oh yeah, of course," he nodded in what he hoped was a convincing way.
"Liar," she accused him, setting her fork down and sipping her tea, probably to get the taste of the pancakes out of her mouth. "They are terrible. I don't know who it was that wrote that recipe, but the should probably be shot."
"Oh thank God! I was worried that you didn't know what 'good' actually tasted like." he breathed, instantly relieved. "Do we still have to eat them?"
"Yes," she asserted, disappearing for a moment and returning with maple syrup. "They were damned hard to make, and besides, syrup makes everything better."
They enjoyed their breakfast, thankfully rescued by syrup, and some idle conversation. It had been a while since he had had the opportunity to just sit and talk to his daughter. For the past few days, ever since the shit with the Russians had gone nuclear, he had been so busy with the Club and making sure everybody was physically safe, that he hadn't had the chance to check in with Kerrianne and see how she was doing mentally.
"So Darlin," he started, setting his fork down and thanking God he had an excuse to stop eating. "As...delicious...as this breakfast is, I doubt it is the real reason you were awake at the crack of dawn. You have trouble sleeping?"
"A bit," she admitted quietly. "I've just got a lot on my mind, I guess."
"Aye, you do," Chibs agreed, abandoning his coffee cup and squeezing his daughter's hand instead. "Things are changing pretty fast for you, I suppose."
She nodded in agreement and let out a heavy breath. "I love you Da, but we were only supposed to be here visiting, and then our flat burned down and we are staying in California, but California is just as crazy as Ireland! We are locked up here because some crazy assholes are kidnapping people and stabbing people. It's just...insane."
"I'm so sorry, Kerri-" he started, but she quickly cut him off.
"It's okay Da," she assured him. "It's not your fault. And really, I don't mind staying here so much. At least I get to be around you, you know? It's just a little overwhelming, all at once. Is it always so…"
"Fucking crazy?" he finished for her. He wanted to tell her that it wasn't, that it just so happened that she was visiting at a particularly crazy time, but he had never been a good liar. "Sometimes it is. I won't tell you that this is a sweet, carefree life. You're smart enough to know better than that. The hard times are really, really hard. But they don't come around all that often, and then rest of the time, things are usually pretty great. It won't always be easy, but it won't always be this hard, either. And at least we can be together here. For what it's worth, I am glad that you and your Ma are with me, always."
"I'm glad for that too," Kerrianne concurred. "How long do you think we will have to stay at the Clubhouse? I want to go home. I miss my tiny room."
Hearing his daughter refer to his house as "home" made Chibs stupid happy. "Soon, I think. Some of the IRA are coming for a visit to help us with our current trouble," he explained, careful to not give her too much information. "I am waiting to hear when exactly they will be here; it will be safer when that business is taken care of. We are heading out to the prison later this morning for a visit. Once we make sure that the boys inside are secure, and finish this deal with the Irish, then we can go home."
Kerrianne let out a low whistle and fixed him with a serious look. "The IRA is coming here? Things must be bad."
"They really aren't lovely," Chibs insisted. "We have it handled. I promise."
Kerrianne seemed to accept that. She was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Da? Can I go with you today? To the prison?"
To say that the question shocked him would be an understatement. "Why?" he asked.
"I want to visit Juice," she explained, weary of how he would likely respond. "I feel like after easily accessing and using his computer system, some bragging is definitely in order."
Chibs fought internally with himself. His newfound fatherly instincts told him to keep his daughter as far away from his brothers as possible. Another part of him realized, though, that since she would be living here, which they had both just agreed was a good thing, his brothers being part of her life was inevitable. Finally, he sighed. "I suppose you can come, as long as your Ma is okay with it. It will be nice for the little moron to have a visitor, for once."
"Be nice, Da!" she scolded him. "And finish your pancakes. They're-"
"I know," he picked up his fork. "Good for me."
"The Irish are coming?" Bobby asked, eyebrows raised, while Clay cursed under his breath. "I guess things are just as serious out there as they are in here."
"Aye, it is. I should have more details soon, but they are definitely coming," Chibs agreed, while Opie nodded. "They are helping us come to an agreement with our new friends and get things settled."
"What sort of agreement?" Clay questioned, infuriated that he was shut up in prison and unable to handle his business as Club president. "And does it protect us inside?"
As Opie and Kozik struggled to covertly explain the details of their agreement with the Russians, less any guards were listening in, Chibs glanced over at the table in the corner where his daughter and his Juice were having what looked to be an enthusiastic conversation. Kerrianne was grinning animatedly and gesturing with her hands, while Juice looked completely flabbergasted by whatever story she was telling. He hated to admit it, but Kerrianne looked happy, and he had to hand it to Juice, because that wasn't an easy thing to accomplish.
"That has to make you absolutely filled with joy," Bobby joked with him while Clay seethed. "Your little daughter, all cozy with our Puerto RIcan moron."
"Shut up," Chibs grumbled, not wanting to even think about what they were implying.
"Are you thinking a Spring wedding?" Bobby continued to give him shit.
"I'm thinking that I will take my underage daughter home in a few minutes, and Juicey Boy will be stuck in a cell for the foreseeable future...with Tig," Chibs continued to glare.
"Good point," Happy cut in. "He may not even like girls by the time we get out of here."
"Let's hope not, for your sake," Bobby added with a chuckle.
"When our visitors get here," Clay interrupted their teasing. "I want to be in the know. Whatever deals you make will affect all of us."
None of them could understand how Clay being "in the know" would affect a goddamned thing, because the Irish would do whatever they wanted to do, but none of them were about to say a thing. Clay wanted to feel like he was still in control, and that was something they could each understand. They all nodded in agreement.
"Your girl okay, Koz?" Bobby asked, surprised that Clay hadn't shown any concern for the kidnapped girl.
"Yeah, she's back at the Clubhouse now. Thanks for asking," Kozik answered. They all took note of how he didn't even bother to correct Bobby's when he referred to Tess as 'his girl'.
"That's good news," Bobby insisted. "Glad to hear it. She must be something else."
Kozik didn't answer, so Opie did. "We like her."
Kozik continued, eager to change the subject. "Gemma and Tara are in with Jax. The prison will finally let him have visitors."
"He should be back with us within the next few days," Happy reported. "It'll be easier to stay safe, once we are all in the same place."
"You should have any more problems with the Russians," Chibs told them. "That was part of our agreement."
"It's been quiet in here," Bobby informed them. "On all fronts."
"Good," Opie said. "It should stay that way."
The bell indicating the end of visiting hours rang out. As Bobby stood and began hugging his brothers, he muttered, "I sure hope you're right about that."
Kozik, Opie, Chibs, and Kerrianne made their way across the parking lot, to where the three bikes sat in the shade, waiting for their riders. Gemma and Tara were already waiting by the car.
"How is Jax?" were the first words out of Opie's mouth when they approached.
Tara offered them a tight smile. It had been difficult to be there and see Jax laid up in a hospital bed, and even more difficult to leave him there. "He's alright. Seems to be doing much better."
"My boy is tough," Gemma agreed. "He sends you all his love."
They were all relieved to hear it, and just as Chibs was about to tell them so, his phone rang. He took note of the long distance number, and immediately handed Kerrianne his helmet. He needed to take this call.
He walked a short distance away before answering the phone.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Filip, it's me," Mr. McCormick replied. "Are you doing well?"
"I am," Chibs told him. "And you?"
"I would be better if I didn't have a ten hour journey in front of me," McCormick responded honestly enough.
"I take it your are headed our way, then?" Chibs surmised.
"We are, my boy," came the answer. "We will be in California by the time you wake tomorrow."
"Do you need transport?" he offered. "Anything at all?"
"No, we have everything arranged," McCormick insisted. "We need to be very discreet while we are there, as I am sure you understand."
"Of course," Chibs muttered. "How many of your are coming?"
"Just three of us. We want to come meet with you and your men sometime tomorrow to work out a few more details. There's no need to worry Filip. Everything will be fine," McCormick told him.
"Aye. Call when you land, and we will work it out, yeah? Gemma will probably insist you stay for dinner," Chibs reported.
"We'd be charmed," McCormick chuckled. "I will call when we land and look forward to seeing you, Filip."
"You too," Chibs agreed. "Safe flight."
With that he hung up and rejoined the others.
"What's up?" Opie questioned. "Everything okay?"
"Aye," Chibs nodded. "Let's get back to the Clubhouse. The Irish are coming."