A/N 9/17/2018: Long chapter. I didn't do so well this episode to incorporate the scenes of the show, and I should do better with that as it progresses, but my main goal is to put Bella in an environment where everyone already has a well established relationship. I'm also trying not to rush Chibs and Bella's romance. Trying to let it develop, which is hard considering the Sons have no problems bedding who they want. I don't want that for Bella yet, though she and Chibs will be going heels to Jesus sooner than may be appropriate for a relationship such as theirs. Anywho, I hope y'all enjoy. ~Angel
The first week Bella and Charlie had been in Charming was a whirlwind for the young woman. Her dad had already brought in what he made in one paycheck off of one small protection run, and then they had only been in town for three days. Bella had started spending most, if not all of the time she wasn't at home, at the garage with Gemma, learning the ropes in the office there. It wasn't all that hard, though she asked Gemma if she could rearrange the filing system a bit. Gemma gave her blessing and now she was elbow deep in the filing cabinets, trying to alphabetize and date all of the files. Gemma had thought she was Hatter mad but told her to knock herself out.
What had everyone on edge today though was the fact that a place the Sons had owned had been blown sky high by a rival MC known as the Mayans. Bella didn't pry, she honestly didn't, but in the relative privacy of their own clubhouse, the boys weren't all that worried with secrecy, and she knew that the place was storing guns. Didn't take a genius to figure from there that the boys were running guns. Jax, Clay, Bobby, Tig, and Charlie, all rode up to the place once day broke. They were still up there, gathering what information they could.
Bella herself was working once again through the files, and had been at it all day when her stomach gave a loud reminder that she was hungry. Funnily enough, it was just at that point that she heard a knock on the office door. It was Chibs with a small to go bag from the local Chinese place.
"Yer da told us you tend to let lost in your work. When I saw you still working away an hour ago, figured I'd bring yeh, somethin'," he said kindly. Bella sighed in relief. She had had no idea what she wanted to eat, now she didn't have to think about it.
"Thank you, so much, Chibs!" she exclaims, taking the bag and digging out a container of lo mien and a set of chop sticks.
"Hey now! Some of that is for me as well," he said with a chuckle. "You didn't think I had gotten all of this food for you, did ya?" Bella couldn't answer with a mouth full of noodles, she just moaned as her hunger was satiated.
Chibs shifted uncomfortably, as he pulled a container of orange chicken his way. "Lass, it might be better if you saved sounds like that for the bedroom," he said, trying to make light of the tenseness he was feeling. Bella stopped mid chew and looked up at Chibs, her head tilted to one side.
"Oops," she said innocently after swallowing her mouthful. Chibs wanted to whimper at what she was doing to him. And the little vixen didn't even know what she was doing to him. Instead, he swallowed hard and focused on his food.
After a while, he was able to find his tongue again, and looked at the work all around her. "You've been at this all day, lass. Don't you do anything for fun?" he asked. Bella looked up from the work she went back to as she ate.
"Of course. I just know how to work hard, too. Something my mother never got the hang of," she said. "Why are you bored? We can go do something."
"What did you have in mind?" smiled Chibs.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
Half an hour later they were pulling into a small, hole in the wall book store just outside of Lodi. Climbing off the back of his bike after another long ride for the man, she handed her helmet back to him.
"I found this place a few days ago. It's absolutely amazing! The whole atmosphere of the place just screams old world library," she said excitedly as she began pulling him into the book store. Chibs couldn't help but be in awe at the warm dark wood shelves and soft lighting.
"It's become my little spot. This is what I do for fun. I read. When I lived with Renee and I couldn't take all of her shit anymore, whatever book I was reading at the time became my escape."
"What's your favorite?" Chibs asked in a quiet voice, not wanting to break the intimate atmosphere of the store. Bella smiled at him.
"Asking me that is like asking you which of your bikes you prefer," she told the Scotsman.
They spent a fair amount of time in the store, with Bella going through and placing one or two books into her arms as she went. Chibs had a couple of books of his own, but largely just followed her around, asking her about the books she had chosen. The peaceful time was broken however, when Chib's cell gave a piercing ring. He looked at Bella apologetically, at which she just shook her head in understanding, when he answered it.
"Aye," he said simply in greeting. Bella heard the familiar deep voice of Clay on the other end. "I'll be there."
Chibs hung up his phone and looked back at Bella. "We need to go, lass. Clay has called us to the table."
"That's all right, Chibs. I need to get back to work anyway. I just wanted to share this place with you," she tells him, taking their books to the front of the store.
"Why is that, lass?" he asked. Bella tilted her head and looked at him.
"Because I believe we all need a quiet place to escape to. I didn't know if you had one, so I figured I'd share mine for now." Chibs lightly took her hand, running a thumb over her knuckles.
"Thank yeh, Izzy," he tells her, his accent thickening. Bella gave his hand a light squeeze before she paid for their books.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
They were back at the garage in no time, and before she went back out to the office, Bella thought she would stop by the bar inside and grab a soda. The boys didn't mind if she grabbed a beer during a party. Teen alcohol consumption is easier to explain away then. But during the day to day, they preffered if she stuck with soda. Bella found it hard to work on paperwork tipsy anyway. Chibs, too, went to the bar, hankering for a glass of his favorite Glenfiddich. Bella poured him one, handing it to him with a smile, as he gave his own warm smile in return.
Clay and Tig walked in just as Half-Sac was explaining the origins of his nickname. Poor kid couldn't get a break. Clay came around the bar, and grabbed two beers, handing one to Tig and opening his own.
"Find Jax," he ordered Chibs. Chibs pushed off of the bar he had been leaning on.
"Jax!" he yelled into the back towards the dorms.
Bella smiled at Tig and Clay. "Guess that's my cue to go back to work. Don't get too worked up Clay. I just found my honorary Uncle, I would prefer not to lose him so soon."
Clay nodded. "You're a good girl, Izzy." Bella gave him a hug before going back out to the garage.
She hadn't been out there long, maybe half an hour, before Gemma came tearing into the parking lot, waling on her horn to get anyone's attention. Bella ran out to her, just as she was getting out.
"I tried calling you," the older woman said to Jax as he came out quickly with the others.
"What is it?" Jax asked worriedly.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
Bella walked with Jax through the hospital hallways, holding his hand tightly in support. Not so much for him, but for her. She had come to think of the man as an older brother, and to see him in such a panic was sending her into one.
"I found these matches next to a bunch of her empty thumb bags. Hairy Dog," Gemma said, showing Jax and Clay a book of matches.
"Shit!" exclaimed Charlie.
"It's gotta be the Nords dealing out of the Dog again," Clay said.
"Darby got out of Chino two weeks ago," Bobby informs Clay.
"Yeah, well, call that Nazi prick. Set a meeting," Clay orders as they approach Wendy's hospital room.
"What the hell happened," Jax asked a brunette in green scrubs as she exited the room.
"When was the last time you saw her?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Couple of weeks," Jax tells the woman.
"Her hands and feet were full of tracks. Toxicology reports aren't back yet, but it's most likely crank," she tells them. Jax swallows hard and looks at Wendy. He seems to notice something and turns back to the doctor.
"The baby?" he asks.
"We had to do an emergency C-section. He's 10 weeks premature," the doctor says.
"Holy shit," Jax exclaims.
"Come on, let's sit down and I'll walk you through it," the doctor offered. Bella didn't like how familiar this doctor was to Jax. There was something off in her eyes. Bella couldn't pin point it yet, but she had learned to read people in Forks.
"Just tell me," Jax demanded.
"He's got a congenital heart defect..." she sighs. "And gastroschisis- a tear in his abdomen. The gastro and the early birth are from the drugs. But the C.H.D. is probably-" she trails off.
"The family flaw," Gemma put in.
"Yes, it's genetic. Either one would be serious, but not life-threatening. However, the two of them together-" again the doctor trails off. Jax looked to be holding back tears, and his grip on Bella's hand tightened. "Dr. Namid gives him a 20% chance, and...I'm afraid that's being optimistic."
"Oh, my god," Gemma breathed. Bella growled under her breath at the doctor.
"She never wanted to talk to me. I didn't know." Jax was about to go into a full panic mode.
"Her O.B. said she missed her last three appointments. No one knew," the doctor said. "Dr. Namid wants to fix his belly first. Then, if he stabilizes, he'll go in and try to repair the heart. I'm sorry, Jax. I can take you to see him now."
"Tara," Jax says loudly, gaining the doctors attention. Bella growled noticeably louder this time, as Jax let go of her hand. Bella move towards Gemma.
"I don't like her," Bella tells the older woman. Gemma looks at Bella.
"You're a good girl, Izzy," she says. Bella chuckled.
"Clay said the exact same thing earlier."
"Well, you know what they say about great minds," Gemma smiled back.
"Jax?" Tara said, trying to gain his attention as he stormed away.
"Jackson?" Gemma repeated.
"Go with Tara," Jax ordered. "I got something to do." Clay turned to Chibs and Bobby as he watched Jax storm out the front doors.
"Watch his back," he orders and they rush to catch up with him. Tara leads Gemma and Bella into the NICU and they both gasp at the sight of the little life within the small protective bubble.
"He's so small," Bella breathed with tears in her eyes. Gemma placed a comforting arm around her.
"He's a Teller, Izzy. Teller's are hearty folk," she tells her.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
There was another club get together that night, though no one seemed to know what this one was rightly for. Everyone was drinking and having a grand old time getting groped by or groping a Crow Eater, or they were all out watching Happy and Tig beat the crap out of each other. Bella was sitting at her now seemingly normal spot at the picnic tables, nursing a beer and focusing on the condensation dewing up the outside of the glass.
"What has you so deep in thought, lass?" asked a now very familiar voice. Bella gave a small smile to the man.
"Just thinking. I want to cry every time I think about little Abel, and beat the shit out of Wendy for doing such a thing to her son. It's a mother's duty to protect their child, not hurt them," she said as tears formed in her eyes. Chibs brought her face up to look at him with a finger under her chin.
"You'd make an excellent mother, Izzy," he said with a warm look in his eye. Chibs was wondering to any god that would listen why he hadn't found Bella in his youth. She was gorgeous, and had a heart that put any saint to shame. Bella snorted.
"I'd need to find a decent interested party first, Chibs. All of the guys my ages are horny scumbags with the emotional range a toddler could outstrip, and most of the older men just want younger pussy," Bella said derisively.
"Trust me, lass. Were I 15 years younger, and not stained with so much blood, I would be begging you for the chance," Chibs said passionately, bringing his hand to cup her jaw. Bella smiled sadly, leaning into his hand.
"I would have given it to you, Chibs," she said. Then she did something completely reckless. She placed a small, very short, but very sweet kiss on his lips. He only just remembered to return the gesture before she pulled back and left him sitting there in shock.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
It was going on 10 at night when Bella made it to Jax's house. After she had left Chibs, she began panicking and text Gemma to see if she could talk to the older woman, seeing as she had already been more of a mother figure to Bella than Renee had ever been. Gemma had text back that she was at Jax's place, wanting to clean up as much as possible for when Abel was able to come home. Bella said that she would head over to help as much as she could.
They worked in companionable silence for a good hour before Gemma broke it.
"You said you needed to talk about something, sweetie. So talk," Gemma said. Bella sighed and slowed her pace of picking up the scattered garbage on the living room floor.
"I've done something incredibly reckless and stupid," Bella admitted.
"Which is?" Gemma prompted.
"I kissed Chibs," she tells Gemma miserably.
"Ah. I've seen this coming," Gemma said. Bella looked up at Gemma quickly, seeing the older woman smiling at her.
"Bu- Wha- I-, Oh, dear," Bella said as she sat down on the dirty couch heavily. Gemma laughed.
"Izzy, don't worry so much. I don't want to get into Chibs's business, because his business is his business and I try not to but into the lives of the club members without cause, but I will tell you this. Be sure you know how you feel before you do anything with the man. He is someone who loves fiercely, and takes betrayal just as hard. He has been left out in the cold before, and is still a bit on the line. You know about his wife?" Gemma asked. Bella's eyes got round, and she shook her head in the negative.
"Fiona is something like third gen. IRA. When the current head came to power, he decided he wanted her and their daughter, seeing as he can't have kids. He gave Chibs the beating of his life, his Glasgow Smile, and kicked him out of the country. Fiona did nothing to stop him. They haven't spoken in years, though he misses Kerrianne something fierce."
Bella wanted to cry for the misfortunes that had befallen the man, but knew he hated pity as much as she did. So she blinked rapidly to dispel the tears. Gemma saw this and smiled even wider.
"Good girl," she praised Bella. Bella gave a huge sigh.
"I don't know what I feel for the man, to be honest. He draws me out, and I adore spending time with him, but the last time I felt this for someone, I lost my best friends and eventually, my boyfriend. And I have the physical scar to prove it," Bella said sullenly.
"Izzy, look at me," Gemma said in her no nonsense tone, as she knelt in front of her. Bella looked up at Gemma.
"Life is full of pain. But it is also full of happiness. You can't have one without the other. You have suffered. But because of that, the good with taste all the sweeter. Do you understand. Get your shit sorted out. If you feel something for Chibs, go for it. You won't find a more loving man anywhere. If you aren't sure, spend time with him. Figure it out. But I don't expect you to know right this second. You've only known the man, maybe, two weeks. Some of what you are experiencing may just be teenage hormones," Gemma said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Nah, I've had enough experience to know teenage hormones. Hormones aren't so confused, they just want," Bella said with a smile. Gemma nodded.
"You're a good girl, Izzy, with a good head on your shoulders. I have no doubt you'll figure things out, one way or another," Gemma encouraged. Bella hugged Gemma firmly before they went back to work.
Around midnight Jax came in. He seemed surprised to see them both.
"It's almost midnight," he said to both of them. Gemma sighed, and continued to work.
"This place is a goddamn pigsty," she said.
"Cleaning was never her strong suite," Jax mused, taking off his gloves.
"What are you doing here?" Bella asked.
"It's my house," he said bemusedly.
"You know what she meant. I don't want you to see it this way," Gemma said.
"Mom, you don't have to do this," he said. "You definitely don't, Izzy."
"I just want to get it livable," Gemma said, emptying an ashtray. "Buy you some decent carpet. Cigarette burns everywhere."
"Mom-" he tried.
"Get you out of that dorm room, back home… with your son."
"Mom, for Christ's sakes, stop cleaning!" Jax yelled. "He's not gonna make it."
"Jax? What are you talking about? Did the hospital call?" Bella asked.
"He was born with half a stomach and a hole in his heart. He's gonna die," Jax stated. Bella growled, walked right up to Jax, and clocked him one.
"Don't do that! Don't give up on him. You are the only parent that boy has, you need to grow some balls and be a father, or he's dead already!" Bella yelled at him before stomping over to Gemma. "I'm sorry I struck him, but he's being an idiot." Bella said lowly to Gemma as she grabbed her jacket.
"No, sweetie. You just saved me the trouble," Gemma said warmly. Bella huffed.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow. I'm going home," she said as she left.
~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~
Bella waited with Gemma and Luann Delaney at the hospital during Abel's surgery the next day. Bella was on pins and needles the entire time, praying to whatever deity that would listen that the little guy would pull through alright. Finally, Tara, Bella growled again at the doctor, came out to speak with them.
"Abel's stomach surgery went well. But it's putting a strain on his system. Dr. Namid doesn't want to wait. Thinks we should do the heart surgery now," the doctor said. Bella grabbed Gemma's hand, needed the stronger woman's support.
"That's good right- that they're not waiting?" Luann asked.
"It's the best choice, yes," Tara said.
"Thanks," Gemma tells the doctor shortly before turning to leave.
"Can we talk?" Tara asked the woman quickly, gaining Gemma's attention. Gemma handed her bag to Luann and walked a bit aways to talk in private. Though Bella could tell Gemma was unimpressed with the conversation. Tara went to walk away angrily when Gemma lifted the bottom of her scrub top to reveal a crow tattoo. Bella had caught sight of it, and turned to Luann.
"Lu, what is that crow tattoo, Tara has?" Bella asked.
"Saw that did you? Every old lady of a Sam Crow member has one," she said, lifting the back of her shirt to show Bella hers.
"Tara is officially Jax's old lady?!" exclaimed Bella. Luann nodded.
"Yes and no. That tattoo makes her his old lady, but she left, breaking his heart. That's why Gemma doesn't like her so much. They've been apart so long though, that by all rights, she should have had that removed," Luann explained. Bella sighed.
"I don't like her either. Though it's not just because she broke Jax's heart. There's something off about her. Like she wants to be a social climber, but refuses to let her bad boy biker go in the process."
"You hit the nail on the head, baby girl," Gemma said, approaching them. "It's made worse that Jax still believes he's in love with her."
They waited for hours afterwards. Gemma left for a little while after the received the news Abel would be all right if he made it through the night, but came back.
"I'm going to stop in and check on Wendy real quick. Let her know the boy's doing ok," she tells Bella as she watches over Abel. Bella snorted.
"You should let her suffer the time it takes for a doctor to tell her," Bella said, disgusted at the junkie. Gemma smiled at her.
"You've got a bit of a vindictive streak in you, don't you? You'd make a wonderful mother, Izzy," she said patting her cheek.
"Again, I've heard that before. Chibs said so," Bella tells her.
"I repeat, great minds. You ok to stay for a bit. I can drive you home after I'm done with the crank whore." Bella nodded. She was on her way to the waiting room when she spotted Jax and Tara embracing in the hall. She didn't want to witness any of it, so she went to see Abel instead.
"Hey little man," Bella said to the tiny baby. "You pull through this, and we'll give you the biggest welcome home party Charming has ever seen." And then she sighed sadly.
"Oh baby boy, what are we going to do about your daddy? I'm not one to put a downer on love, but your doctor is a viper disguised as a garter snake. And her sights are set on your papa. I've seen her type before. I've fallen for her type before. And I barely got away with my life. I don't want that for Jax. You need him and he needs you," Bella said with tears streaming down her face. She felt a hand on her head and looked up to see Jax smile at her sadly. Bella launched herself into his arms. She could smell gasoline and smoke on him, he grunted some in pain, and when she pulled back, there was a bit of blood on her blouse from his kutte.
"Jax are you ok?! Are you hurt?" she asked in a rush, looking him over for injuries. Jax gave a breathy chuckle at her.
"Don't you laugh at me Jackson Teller. You answer me right now! Are you hurt?" Bella demanded.
"I'm fine Izzy. It's not my blood. I heard some of what you said to Abel," he said softly. Bella groaned and put her forehead against his chest.
"I'm sorry, Jax. It's not any of my business-" she started, but Jax grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back.
"No, Bella. I think I understand now. Your reaction to the blood and smell are a complete 180 degrees different than Tara," he said softly. Bella could see a tear escape him. "Do you think she ever loved me?" he asked in a whisper. Bella sighed.
"Jax, I have no doubt that at one time she may have loved you, truly. But Tara is one of those women who goes for the man with the most power in town. That happens to be you and the Sons in this town. However, it is clashing with her beliefs that Mr. Right should be a Ken Doll with a $200K salary a year and a house in the hamptons, not an outlaw who is likely to go to jail again. Those beliefs will always war within her, and if you chose to get back with her, it could put everyone in danger," Bella explained.
Jax hugged Bella to him once again, crying into her shoulder, and that only solidified Bella's hatred for Tara. That she could bring this strong, confident man to his knees because she didn't have the good sense to cut him loose properly. Bella pulled back once his sobs petered out and kissed his forehead.
"Go wash up, and then I'll leave you and your parents to be with Abel. It's time his family got to know him," Bella smiled. Jax smiled back at her and shook his head.
"You're family too, little sister. It's because of you I have a common sense meter now." Bella laughed.
"True, but I have also been here all day. I need a shower, some food, and I would like to spend some time with my own father," she said. She bid farewell to Jax and met Gemma out in the waiting room.
"I saw you and Jax in Abel's room. Something I should know about? Last night you were all confused over Chibs," Gemma said. Bella shook her head.
"I only see Jax as a brother, as he sees me as a sister. We were talking about Tara. I think he may be beginning to see her true colors," Bella tells her. Gemma looks at Bella in awe.
"Are you sure you have feelings for Chibs and not Jax. You're perfect, baby girl," Gemma tells her. Bella laughs.
"Only as a brother, Gemma. But thank you. I'm going to head home. It's been a long day. Do you think I can get a lift from one of the guys?" she asked. Gemma looks over at Clay.
"Who's here that can give Bella a lift?"
"Luann is still here. If she runs she just might catch her," Clay says. Gemma whips out her phone and sends the woman a text. She gets an answer a few moments later.
"Luann says she'd be happy to take you. She'll meet you out front."
"Thanks, Gemma. Clay," she said, nodding to the man as she left.
"Charlie did real good raising that one," Gemma said to Clay, who nodded.
"He did, baby. Let's go see our grand kid."