The Heart of a Broken Soul

Of Secrets and Troubles

A/N: Gosh. I'm happy for all the reviews. Averys1, Dahlia Rose-Marie, CupKatyCakes, liiddee, medousaki, and Venetiangrl92 (you're my constant, and you're awesome). And thank you for the feedback on my smutty smut. You all deserve cookies. :)

This chapter is a step down from the last. And if you don't notice, I had SOOOOO much fun with the Gemma parts. So. Much. Fun. :D Gemma is a love/hate character for me. So much love/hate. Also, you may come across a certain part where you're like 'okay, that's a bit random'. If you do then know that yes, yes it was randomly shoved in. It was not planned at all.

Gemma knew things. Oh yes, she knew. She knew things she was supposed to know, things she wasn't. She knew things she wished she didn't know and things she wasn't sure she knew. Gemma knew everything about everyone. In the tangled web of secrets and knowledge that was everything about everyone, Gemma was the spider who felt its every vibration. She was the fly on the wall. She was the child you would spill out your deepest, darkest secrets to because, well because it's a child. And if, by chance, there was ever a thing that Gemma didn't know, well...

She would find out.

Gabby's birthday dinner had been a fun occasion. Gemma really thought so. She'd arrived with Bobby, before Lucy and Chibs, but after everyone else. She'd arrived with a new piece of jewellery. A necklace with a silver cross.

Naturally, everyone had noticed it. It had been Tig who'd asked. "That looks like an expensive present," he said. "From a secret admirer?"

Gabby blinked, momentarily confused.

"The necklace."

Everyone stared, waiting for the answer.

Gemma supposed she was the only on to notice it. The way a fair shade of pink slowly crept into her cheeks. The way she'd touched the cross as though it was the most precious thing in the world. The hesitation in her voice as she said, "it was Lucy."

The boys accepted it. How could they not? Even her Jax was as inattentive to subtleties as a blind man.

But there's nothing Gemma doesn't see; nothing she doesn't notice.

When Lucy arrived, so did the first secret. Gemma greeted her in kind. Lucy waved at Gabby. Gabby waved back. Lucy whistled. "That's a nice necklace," she said to Gemma. "Who bought it?"

Gemma didn't even hesitate. "It is nice, isn't it? I knew it would look beautiful on her."

Lucy nodded her appreciation. "Expensive?"

"Ask no questions, baby," Gemma had told her as she went to take her seat. A secret necklace, from a secret person? Something Gemma didn't know? She would certainly have to find out.

The first secret arrived with Lucy. The first suspicion arrived with the Scotsman.

Chibs arrived late, as he usually did. He smiled to the group, but his eyes were on Gabby, which wasn't unusual on one's birthday. But he didn't have a present, and he didn't wish her a happy birthday. Almost as though he'd already seen her, already wished her a happy birthday and given her a present. His necklace hung loosely, swinging from side to side as he pulled in his chair. It was a cross.

Gemma glanced from Gabby to Chibs. Chibs looked normal, but he was fairly good at hiding his emotions, anyway. Gabby, on the other hand, had twitchy eyes, and a recurring blush that appeared whenever her eyes strayed upon the Scotsman. Gemma shook her head. No. No, it wasn't possible.

Gabby was seventeen. Chibs was twenty-seven. It was ridiculous just thinking about it. But Gemma couldn't help the thought. It was plausible. It could certainly happen. No. Gemma laughed to herself. Gabby was still a child. What stupid things was she thinking?

They weren't happening. Gabby and Chibs weren't happening. As Gemma's eyes kept flicking between the two, the more convinced she was.

Yes.

They were happening. It was a grasp at straws, an idea so ludicrous to Gemma that she couldn't keep the thought from jumping to her mind.

And she was going to find out all about it.

Because there is nothing Gemma doesn't know.

"What about this one?" Gemma suggested.

Gabby glanced at the shirt, almost reluctantly. "It's alright, I guess," she replied.

Gemma put it back. They were clothes shopping, as they did for Gabby's birthday every year, because God only knows Gemma was the only source of clothes that Gabby had. "Clay wanted me to buy you something nice, but it looks like I've been beaten to it."

"Yeah. Luce's got a good eye." Gabby browsed through the shirts.

Gemma crossed her arms, shifting her weight to one leg as she watched the girl. "She does. She was curious, though, to know who bought it for you. Seemed to be under the impression that it wasn't her."

Gabby froze. Gemma could practically hear the girl's nervous swallow as she released the shirt she'd been looking at, and it fell back into place with its peers.

"Who gave it to you?" Gemma asked.

"Just a friend," Gabby told her. She refused to meet the older woman's gaze.

Gemma wasn't convinced. "Well, 'just a friend' doesn't spend that much money on a seventeenth birthday. Does 'just a friend' have a name?" She watched Gabby carefully for any sudden change in movement, a nervous tick to give away a lie.

Gabby thought fast. "Jessica," she said, scratching her neck.

"I have a suspicion," Gemma told her. "Think I might know who it is."

"Why, because I just told you? That's not a suspicion, Gemma."

Gemma studied the girl evenly. She had to admit, Gabby could hold her own when she wanted to. If Gemma didn't have her suspicions – which were usually right – she may have actually believed her. "You wanna hear them?"

Gabby pouted her lips in mock thought, then shook her head. "No, because they'd be wrong. Sorry Gemma, but 'just a friend' bought me a necklace."

"Okay, I believe you." They both knew this was a lie. "Why did you tell the boys it was Lucy? Come to think of it, I don't recall seeing 'just a friend'."

"Luce and Jess aren't really on good terms," Gabby said with a shrug.

"Can't get along for one day?"

"No, not really."

"I bet 'just a friend' is feeling pretty downcast. Spent all that money, and they weren't even invited."

"She was fine with it. We're going out for dinner tonight, actually. What about this one?" Gabby held up a light blue shirt. It had a wide neck, an off-the-shoulder shirt.

Gemma smiled. "Of course, baby." She took the shirt from Gabby, checking the price tag. "See if you can find something else," she said.

That was the end of the conversation as Gabby continued browsing, and Gemma watched her, a small smile playing on her lips. There was nothing she couldn't know.

When Gabby arrived home, she placed her new clothes with the rest of her gifts. True to their predictable selves, Gabby had received what she knew she would; money from Bobby (locked away in a jar for another year), and a whole loaf of banana bread (no burnt bits, and it was edible); money and a doll from Jax and Opie – the doll sat on a shelf with the rest of her collection, out in the dining room for the occasions when Tig would visit; the clothes from Gemma and Clay; and Tig had attempted to redeem himself by buying her a tarantula. He'd dropped it off at Bobby's directly, because no way no how was the poor arachnid stepping one hairy foot in Gemma's house.

She'd named the thing Archibald, as it merrily prowled around in its 10 gallon tank. She briefly wondered why on earth Tig had gotten her one – she hated spiders – but realised it was probably his payback for all the dolls. So Gabby had smiled, thanked him, and invited him round to visit, possibly to have a tea party with her dolls.

Lucy had given her a stack of Shakespeare, and Piney had lived up to the hype, presenting her with an antique wood and metal phone. It was completely useless apart from to look at, and Piney insisted it simply saved him from having to put it in his Will, but Gabby found it fascinating none-the-less. She placed it on her desk, next to the typewriter, as she pulled the dial around to rest on numbers, then let it spin back to its original position.

Birthdays were a big event for the club and its families. As the birthday person got older it became less about presents and more about 'let's all get drunk, wake up and remember nothing', but they were still celebrated. Gabby was glad she was too young to drink, as she found it difficult to keep up with all the birthdays.

"There you are!"

Gabby glanced up to see Lucy standing in the doorway. "I let myself in, because the door was unlocked, and I was worried you might have been eaten by your new buddy," Lucy explained, wandering over the Archibald. The tarantula paid her no heed as she tapped at the glass. "Can I take him out?"

"No!"

"Can I poke him?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

Lucy spun around. "So... what happened?" she waggled her eyebrows.

Gabby shrugged, because there was no way she was going to tell Lucy the truth. "Nothing."

It was a shame Lucy wasn't stupid. "Of course not. Did you guys..?"

"No. No, we didn't." It was apparent that Lucy wasn't going anywhere without the bulk of the information. "Almost."

Lucy's eyes lit up as she leapt onto the bed. "Tell me. Tell me all of it!"

Gabby told her, from start to finish, everything that had happened. "...and then he just... stopped, and said we couldn't do it."

"Oh." Lucy's face fell. "So, what does that mean?"

"It means he doesn't want to be registered as a sex offender," Gabby said.

"I guess he's got a good point, there."

"You 'guess'? I think it's a pretty good point." Gabby went about putting her new books in the bookshelf. "And anyway; it's only a year."

"Yeah. You've only gotta wait another three hundred and sixty-four days. But who's counting?"

Gabby turned her head. "I am."

Lucy just laughed. "Enjoy that countdown." She stood up, wandering back over to Archibald. "I was talking to Jess today; her and Jeremy are back together." Lucy spat the name Jeremy, as though it was a foul taste in her mouth.

"Are you serious?" Gabby asked. "After what he did to her?" She rubbed her head. The cut was little more than a scab now, but it would leave a small scar. Not as bad as Filip's, she thought. At least his had some sort of physical benefit. She smiled. Baby cheeks.

Lucy didn't notice. "That's what I thought. She's an idiot. But anyway; apparently Jeremy got in deep with drugs, like, buying and selling. Jess was saying he ripped the guys he was buying off, not giving them their cut of the profits."

Gabby sat. Drugs? She always knew Jeremy was a prick, but she never imagined he'd have anything to do with drugs. What did he need the extra money for? He was well-off, could probably get a pretty decent job with a click of his fingers. But, more to the point; samcro didn't have anything to do with drugs, and she knew Clay tried his hardest to keep them out of Charming. Obviously, it was all information that she wasn't supposed to know. She wondered if she should tell him.

"She said he's gotta pay back all the money he owes them by the end of the month, otherwise they threatened to kill him" Lucy finished. "Imagine that; no Jeremy. Do you think they'd actually kill him?"

Gabby scowled. "Drugs are pretty serious. You're not telling heaps of people, are you?"

Lucy scoffed at the accusation. "No! Of course not." She hesitated. "I may have mentioned something to Cole..."

"Luce!" Gabby exclaimed. She still hadn't met Cole, and while Lucy assured her he was a good person, Gabby was less than convinced.

"I won't say anything to anyone else," Lucy promised, shrugging. "But still; a world without Jeremy."

Gabby had to admit it did sound pretty enticing. She felt bad as soon as the thought crossed her mind, though she didn't know why. Did she now feel sorry for Jeremy, who had given her so much grief? Who was still giving her grief? Gabby shook her head. She rejected the sympathetic feelings that crept up on her. Jeremy deserved whatever had had coming.

The diner was busy. Very busy. Gabby found herself practically running from table to table, dishes swaying violently in her arms as she dodged chairs, tables and stray food, while trying to keep her balance.

Charlie wasn't, as Lucy assured her, a prick; he was a decent bloke and, it turned out, on rather friendly terms with the MC. He screamed at the cooks, swore violently at everything and nothing, and called Gabby things such as 'darling' or 'sweetheart' or, on less than better days 'oi, you!'

He was less polite to Jocelyn, but the young woman gave what she received, and Gabby was able to deduce that the two were good friends, even if Jocelyn referred to Charlie as a 'wrinkly old git', and Charlie referred to her as an 'evil hag'.

Lucy had been right about one thing, however; Gabby had gotten quite the shock the first evening when she walked past a table, only to receive a firm smack on the backside. She'd jumped a mile, almost dropping the plates as her heart raced. The man, an old fellow with barely any hair and a toothless grin, had winked at her and said, "You and me, sweetcheeks? Wadaya say?"

Not knowing what to say, while being acutely aware that this man was about twice as old as Filip, she'd hurried off, while the man and his friends burst into laughter. When she mentioned something to Charlie, he simply told her to 'give them what for and they'll leave you alone', as though he wasn't really bothered. She was fairly certain he'd gone out there, anyhow, and given the man what for himself.

Because Gabby didn't drive yet, Jocelyn would drop her off home after the evening shifts. She arrived home one night to find Bobby, Filip, Jax and Tig, the first three sitting around the table, the last hovering at the door, staring suspiciously at the dolls and ready to bolt. They all looked up as she entered.

"Uh... hi..."

They greeted her in turn.

"What are you all doing here?" she asked, because none of them looking like speaking.

Bobby cleared his throat. Filip scratched his face.

"Nothing," Jax told her.

"Yeah," Tig agreed, "we were just visiting, you know?"

Gabby raised an eyebrow.

"It's nothing to worry about," Bobby assured her.

"What did you do?" Gabby asked Jax, because she noticed a few drops of blood on his shirt.

"Ah, nothin' darlin'. Just got into fight, is all."

"Why don't you go on to bed," Bobby suggested.

Gabby knew better than to argue. "Yeah. Busy night, so I'm pretty tired." She said her goodnights, and dragged her feet to her bedroom. The moment she closed the door, she pressed her ear against it.

The men were speaking in hushed voices, and Gabby could barely hear anything. She could only catch snippets of what they said.

"...Clay think?"

"...More..."

"...Too dangerous... guns..."

"Jail... long time..."

"...'O..."

"...don't give a shite!"

Gabby strained to hear more. Filip was obviously distressed, and she wanted to know why. Their voices dropped however, and before long the conversation turned to cars and bikes, and they spoke loudly, carelessly, because what did it matter if Gabby knew about spark plugs?

Gabby heard the front door open and close. Footsteps approached her door, but before she could reach her bed it opened, and Tig poked his head in. He chuckled when he saw her, half-stride, hands frozen in midair as she reached for the doona.

He leaned against the doorframe. "How much did you hear?"

"Not much," Gabby admitted.

"Good. You don't need to be knowing this shit." Tig glanced over at Archibald's tank. "He still alive in there?"

Gabby scowled. "Yes."

Tig glanced at her, shrugged, and turned back to the tank. "I thought you liked spiders."

"As much as you like dolls."

"Oh. Your face has cleared. The cut, I mean."

"Yeah; I know."

Sighing, Tig pulled the desk chair towards himself and sat down, straddling it. "I'm not really the best at giving advice and shit. I think I speak for most of the boys when I say we all suck at it. But your old man, he was a good bloke. He was in the MC longer than I was. And your mom was a good woman."

"Do you have a point?" Gabby asked.

"I do." Tig pointed at her. "My point is that we're family, whether you like it or not. And families help each other out. If you ever need help, we're here."