I own nothing you recognize. All original characters and storylines are my own.

Stand in the Rain

She never slows down
She doesn't know why but
she knows that when
She's all alone feels
Like it's all coming down
She won't turn around
The shadows are long
And she fears if she cries
That first tear
The tears will not stop
Raining down
...

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it's all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won't drown

...

And one day what's lost can be found
You stand in the rain
She won't make a sound
Alone in this fight with herself
And the fears whispering
If she stands, she'll fall down
She wants to be found
The only way out is through
everything she's running from
Wants to give up and lie down
...

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it's all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won't drown
And one day what's lost can be found
You stand in the rain - Superchick

...

Belfast

He grunted as he moved on top of her. Milla kept her eyes shut and repeated the pledge of allegiance in her head as he continued to move. She felt sick and violated and even more like the whore he accused her of being, but if letting him fuck her meant she could go home without him taking her son away she'd suffer this. She'd already proven that she'd suffer anything for her little boy. As soon as she felt him go rigid she sighed inwardly. It was over, he'd roll over and she'd be free. True to form as soon as he'd finished up he rolled over and loud snores filled the bedroom. With a sigh that ended in a shiver she crawled out of the bed and on unsteady legs walked to the bathroom.

Once she was in the shower she turned the jet to the hottest temp and just stood there, hoping the spray would wash away the feeling of filth that clung to her skin where he'd touched her. With shaking hands she picked up her bottle of bodywash and dumped a huge portion onto her sponge knowing that it wouldn't be enough, there'd never be enough. She laughed as she thought about it. She was being melodramatic and fatalistic, this wasn't her. She wasn't some victim being exploited and hurt, she was a Morrow and they didn't do that shit. With new resolve she scrubbed herself as clean as she could and flushed all remnants of him from inside of her before she shut off the water and stepped gingerly out of the shower.

After she had dried herself off she quietly went into the room and pulled on some pajama pants and a t-shirt before she went into her son's room and pulled her sleeping bag and pillow from the closet. Like she did almost every night for the last month she spread the bag on the floor and fluffed up her pillow before she climbed in. With one last glance at her son in his bed she closed her eyes, when she opened them again she'd be one day closer to going home. One day closer to being happy again.

…

Charming

Gemma puffed on her cigarette as she stood outside the doors at St. Thomas. When it rained it fucking poured and right now the Club was in the middle of a goddamn monsoon. First the warehouse blew up and got Hale's attention, then the junkie whore tried to kill her grandbaby in the womb and war with the Mayans was on the horizon. Shit this wasn't a monsoon, this was the fucking deluge. As she pursed her lips around her cigarette a thought came to her. It hadn't all gone to shit. She had her baby back and her eldest grandson was perfectly healthy and would be back in their lives soon enough. With a slight upturn to the corners of her mouth she sat down on a bench and took out her phone. It was only about five pm in Belfast, she knew she'd catch Milla. As soon as she dialed she held the phone to her ear.

"Hello." Gemma hated the unsure tone that crept into Milla's voice whenever they talked. She was like an abused puppy that flinched every time you tried to pet it. She was going to have to break her of it once she was home.

"Hey baby. How's Little Clay?" Gemma asked, eager to hear about the grandson that escaped the family flaw.

"He's good, really excited to go on a plane." Gemma could hear the smile in her voice and a little of the tension in her chest loosened. "How's everything there?"

Gemma did a quick run through of what was happening in her mind and came to a conclusion about just what she could tell her daughter. It wasn't a lot but it was something she needed to know.

"You have a nephew. His name is Abel and he was born yesterday." There was a bit of a catch as Gemma soldiered on, "He's got the flaw."

Milla's breath caught in her throat. As wonderful as the news was she understood far too well what the implications were. She also knew that he was a preemie so that just added to the laundry list of things that could be wrong with him.

"How is he?" Milla silently thanked the god she didn't believe in for the healthy little boy who was sitting in his booster seat, eating his cookie.

"It doesn't look good baby, but I'm not givin up. That little boy needs all the love and support he can get." She finished off her cigarette and Milla nodded to herself.

"He has mine. Give him and Jax my love Ma, I have to clean Little Clay up, we're going to dinner at Fi's tonight and I have to get us both ready. I'll call when I get back. We love you." Milla hated hanging up but she really did have to get ready. Gemma understood and since she'd gotten the information she wanted she could let her go.

"Love you too, give Little Clay a kiss from me and call whenever you can. It's never too late." Gemma crushed her spent butt under her boot and hung up. Neither of them liked goodbyes and Gemma liked them even less right now.

…

Belfast

Milla stood in the office during her break and stared at the tickets in her hand. Two tickets to Oakland, round trip. It wasn't quite the one way she wanted but they might as well have been golden tickets with as much reverence as she treated them. She glanced over at the clock and cursed before she put them in the false bottom of the desk drawer where Trinny said she could stash the. She didn't want Keegan to find them and have them involved in an "accident". After she secured the drawer she went into the store and found Trinny flirting shamelessly with Cormac. Milla watched them for a second and felt guilty. Cormac would be a good man for a girl like Trinny, he was solid, reliable and steadfast with enough of a backbone to keep her in line. If Milla wasn't so selfish she'd play matchmaker, but she needed him too much. She needed him to exorcise her own demons.

"Hey you two, are the shelves stocked Trinny?" Milla asked and Cormac looked at her guiltily. He didn't like that she'd caught him flirting, he wanted to prove to her that he was nothing like the men she was used to or the man she was tied to.

"Aye, we even got a new shipment of Jameson, I smuggled a few bottles before I hefted it over to the clubhouse." Trinity gave her a conspiratorial smile before Milla went to the front to check out the shelves by the window, if those were bare they'd never get the casual shoppers.

She finished checking out the shelves before the sound of screeching car tires got her attention and she turned her head in time to see the first bullets sail through the glass. The world froze as Trinity dropped to the ground and Cormac threw himself over her body. He wasn't fast enough as she felt a force hit her arm before it went numb. Soon the bullets faded but were soon replaced by a flaming bottle that sailed through and landed in the display Milla was so worried about. In the space of another heartbeat the tires squealed and Cormac got off of her but Milla stayed on the ground, her ears ringing and her arm stinging. She barely registered when Trinny came over and knelt by her.

"Cormac! She's been hit!" After that it was a flurry of activity as they brought her upstairs and Cormac laid her on the table. He mumbled something about it only being a graze but his face was stern and stony in a way she'd never seen him before. That was what it took to shake her from her shock.

"I'll be ok, are you two alright?" She asked and Trinny cried before she kissed her forehead. When Milla went numb it always scared Trinity, she was used to fire and passion, so having this zombie-like state take over her best friend was terrifying.

"We'll be fine. How are ya?" Trinity asked as she took Milla's hand and Milla smiled at her, she really did love her crazy Irish friend.

"My arm's a little sore but I'm not in the bad place. Did you put out the fire?" She asked and Cormac chuckled as he finished taping her arm. He could breathe now that she was ok but it was killing him not to take her in his arms and hold her until he was sure she was going to be fine. He'd sold his soul for her, it wouldn't do for a sneak attack to take her away from him.

"Yes, love. The fire's out and I shut down tha shop fer the day. I'm goin ta go call James 'an Jimmy. They need ta know what happened." He got up and squeezed her hand before he left and she sat up on the table and looked at Trinny.

"We're in another shitstorm, aren't we?" Trinity sighed and folded her older friend in her arms.

"When aren't we?" She held Milla close and pressed her head on top of her friend's. "When aren't we?"

…

Later that night Milla sat in Jimmy and Fiona's living room as Kerianne brought her tea and biscuits. Seeing Milla so shaken up scared her so she did whatever she could to make her adopted sister comfortable. Milla seemed to be doing fine, but occasionally a sound would cause her hand to shake or her head to dart. Kerri understood it. No matter how many times you've been shot at you can never get used to it.

"Thanks sweetheart." Milla said and Kerri smiled as she sat down, sensing that that's what Milla really needed.

"I love ya." She said and Milla smiled before she set down her tea and pulled Kerri into a hug. She needed the contact and Kerri was more than happy to give it. After the hug they sat silently until Jimmy walked into the living room followed by Father Ashby and Mr. O'Flagherty. Fiona brought up the rear and closed the door.

"Kerri, why don' ya go an' check on Clay. He's not used ta the guest bedroom." Fiona requested and Kerri nodded before she hugged Milla again and dashed out of the room.

"How are you Millicent? Is the arm doing alright?" Father Ashby asked and Milla took a deep breath, there was something so quietly intimidation about the Father and it had nothing to do with the cloth around his neck.

"I'm fine, I'll just be shaky for a couple of days. Things will be better once I'm back in Charming." She nodded to herself but didn't miss the look shared between the men and Fi.

"We're sorry Millicent but we can't allow anyone under our protection to leave at the moment. Not until we discover the reason for this increase in attacks. I'm sorry for the disappointment my dear. You have my word that we'll reimburse you and provide you with an escort once things are settled." Father Ashby said calmly and Milla felt like yelling, like screaming and crying but she was raised better than that she simply took a deep breath and looked at Jimmy who looked at her like she was about to do a neat trick.

"May I stay with you for a couple of days Jimmy? I'd feel better knowing my son and I are in a safe place." She asked him, knowing her place and Fiona's. Fiona had given her assurances that she could stay but Milla understood that she needed Jimmy's ok. Needed his word that they'd be safe there.

"O' course Milla. Wouldn't have it any other way." Milla nodded and rose, knowing that her part in the meeting was done.

"Gentlmen, Fiona, have a good evening. I'll go check on my son and Kerri." They rose and Jimmy kissed her cheek before she got away and went to the guest room. As she walked she swallowed her tears and her screams. They wouldn't change a thing, she'd still be stuck here, she wouldn't be home... With that thought she allowed herself a quick punch to the wall. She'd been so close! She was almost home!

With one more punch to the wall and a deep shaky breath she continued to the room where Kerri was sitting reading to a sleeping Clay. One look at them and Milla felt calm. Going home was important to her but not as important as the little boy with the dark curls. As long as he was safe she could wait, she had Father Ashby's word. If you couldn't trust a priest who could you trust? She gave a quick giggle-snort at the thought and Kerri looked up. Kerri's smile and a quick laugh were just what she needed to relieve the tension of the day and she felt a million times better as she closed the door behind her and sat on the floor by Kerri and the bed.

Author's Note: So sorry for the delay. The semester's almost over and the work load is insane. I hope you like this, I know things are going slow but it will be worth it. I promise! Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing, it means so much and motivates me.