Chibs enjoyed the peace of waking up with Aoife in his arms. She was turning him into an early riser. In Chibs' book, sleep was good, but making love to Aoife in the morning beat it hands down. He'd been learning to compensate by taking quick naps in the afternoon, something he had time for now that he was showing up at the garage at the crack of dawn.
The morning of Abel's surgery, he said goodbye to Aoife at the door of the shop. "I'll pick you up after you close this afternoon and take you to the hospital. That way when we come back, I'll have a reason to bring Jackie-boy with me and try to get him to see his wee one."
Chibs found Juice gobbling down a bowl of Fruity Pebbles in the kitchen. "I don't know how you eat that sugary shit, Juicey-boy." Chibs put down the bag of fresh-baked muffins on the counter. Pulling out one of the coffee cake muffins and a butter knife, he sliced the muffin on a paper towel and put a pat of Kerry Gold butter on each half. He had forgotten the taste of real Irish butter until Aoife started slipping it in with his muffins when he left her in the morning. Biting into his little piece of breakfast heaven, he thanked his lucky stars again for his lass. She tried to take care of him. He'd spent his life as a protector, and having someone take care of him was a strange reversal of fortune.
"Need the sugar to stay awake. No time for sleep." Juice responded between gulps. Ah, Chibs realized, that explained why his young friend was up before 6:30 – he'd never gone to bed. Juice held up a scrap of paper between his fingers triumphantly. "But I got it."
"Got what?" Chibs asked, keeping his voice low even as he plucked the paper from Juice's fingers.
"You're looking for a silver 2005 Chevy Impala. That's the license plate number. But I've got one better for you." Juice paused for dramatic effect.
"Don't make me wait, Juicey."
"I know where it is. Municipal lot about two blocks away from the coffee shop behind the library. And it's on our tow list for violating parking ordinances."
"I could kiss you right now, Juicey-boy," Chibs declared. "The prospect and I are going to head out with the truck."
Chibs leaned over and looked in the windows of the Impala. Sure enough, there was a scattering of papers on the front seat and a cell phone plugged into the lighter. "Prospect!" he bellowed.
"Yeah, Chibs?" Half-Sack was next to him in a heartbeat.
"You got your gloves on?" He watched the prospect hurriedly put them on. Chibs unlocked the car door and handed the prospect the black duffel bag. "Anything personal in the car, you stick it in this bag. Be quick about it. I'm going to check the trunk." Chibs stayed on alert. He wanted their job done and the rental car towed before the municipal lot started to fill up. The only thing in the trunk was a small brown leather suitcase. They hooked up the rental car and placed the suitcase and duffel on the bench seat between them. They rode in silence. Chibs desperately wanted to tear into the duffel bag and had to settle for gripping the wheel extra tight to channel his frustration. Before they turned into Teller-Morrow, he finally spoke to the prospect. "Take the bags to my dorm room and put them in the closet when we get back. If anyone asks you what you're doing-"
"I'll tell them running an errand for you. But no one will see me." Sack interrupted.
"You're learning," Chibs said simply.
Chibs walked Aoife to the hospital entrance and then through a series of winding corridors until they reached a small waiting area. Gemma was sitting in a small uncomfortable chair, tapping her right high heel impatiently. Luann was pacing back and forth. Gemma looked up and smiled tiredly. "Hey, Chibs. Hey, baby girl." Chibs opened his arms and Gemma hugged him.
"How's the wee one?" Chibs whispered.
"Just went into pre-op. They need to make sure all of his vitals are ok to start. Doc said it could be hours until it's all done." Gemma clutched him harder, and Chibs rubbed his hand on her back soothingly. He released Gem and put his arm around Aoife.
"I told Aoife what was going on," he explained.
Aoife broke in at that point. "I wanted to come be with you for this. I thought you could use the support."
Gemma's eyes got misty and she hugged Aoife before she regained her sarcastic shell. "It's going to be a long night with just us old ladies, if you think you can handle it." She tilted her head over at Luann, who was smiling at Aoife. Aoife nodded and Gemma squeezed her again, whispering a rare "thank you." When Gemma finally released Aoife, Chibs kissed his lass goodbye and she bid him to come back safely to her in Gaelic.
Aoife sat down next to Gemma while Luann resumed pacing. The three were silent, watching every person in scrubs that walked by. Then a dark haired woman in green scrubs emerged from the door Gemma had been watching and the Queen leaped to her feet. "How is he?" she demanded aggressively.
The doctor blinked. "All of his vitals are good. We'll be starting the surgery soon. I'm going to scrub in." Gemma continued to stand in the doctor's way. Aoife watched the interaction intently, the hostility between the two women a thick fog. "Look, Gemma, go get a bite to eat and a drink. This surgery is delicate and will take a long time." The standoff continued, Gemma and the dark-haired surgeon both had their arms crossed and were staring one another down.
"I am not leaving this corridor until my grandson is out of surgery." Gemma said tersely.
Aoife stood up and cleared her throat. Both women turned their burning eyes towards her. "I brought some things for us to eat while we wait, Gem. I figured you wouldn't want to step away."
Gemma looked like she might rip Aoife to shreds, but then she smiled and said, "Excellent. We both get our way, doc."
The doctor regarded Aoife coolly. "You know, if it was anyone else, I'd mention that hospital regulations prohibit food consumption outside designated areas, but I know I'd be wasting my breath. Another club old lady, I presume?" When Aoife didn't answer, the dark-haired doctor rolled her eyes and turned. "I need to get ready for this surgery." As she walked past Aoife, Aoife could see her ID badge that read "Tara Knowles."
Gemma glared as Tara walked away. Aoife heard both of them mutter, "bitch."
The sandwiches and drinks Aoife had brought provided a temporary distraction, but once they were finished, the three women fell silent again. Luann and Aoife sat on either side of Gemma, each holding one of her beringed, manicured hands, which were trembling. Luann finally spoke, her voice loud in the corridor. "He's a Teller, honey. You know Tellers don't die easy. He's your grandson; Jax's son. He's strong. Remember what a little hellraiser Jax was?"
"He was that," Gemma nodded, her face cracking a little into a smile.
"Even when I see him now, all grown, it's hard not to think of that little boy hanging from the clubhouse rafters. Do you remember the time he decided to help my Otto fix his bike?" Luann began to relate the story. Aoife sat back and listened to the two women talk, grateful that Luann had found a way to distract Gemma. They traded stories about Jax and Thomas, whom Aoife figured out must be Jax's brother.
Aoife finally got up to stretch her legs and use the restroom. When she returned, Gemma was gone. "Where is she? Is everything alright?"
Luann answered, "Doc came out and said that they're going to go ahead with the second surgery. Gemma's around the corner talking to her."
"That's good, aye?" Aoife asked.
"It means he's at least stable enough they want to continue." Luann shrugged. "I think it's good."
"Ok. I'm going to step into the stairwell and send Chibs a text message to update him."
Gemma was pacing back and forth, agitated, by the time that Aoife finished her message to Chibs and got confirmation that it had sent. Aoife raised her eyebrows at Luann, and Luann just shook her head. "Everything alright with the wee one?" Aoife asked Gemma.
"He's fine. She just – I don't know why that bitch ever came back to Charming. She just gets under my skin."
"The doctor?" Aoife confirmed. Gemma nodded fiercely.
"Sorry, I'm just on edge tonight," Gemma sat down on the uncomfortable chair and put her head between her knees. Gemma's breathing steadied, and she turned to Aoife. "I need a distraction. Just need to talk about…something. Anything. You and Chibs doing ok?"
"We're good," Aoife nodded as her face broke into a grin. "I'm still struggling a little with his absences, but I couldn't be happier when he's with me. He's a good man."
Gemma snorted, as if she found Aoife's words funny. "Spoken like a true old lady. No, Chibs is a good man in the ways that count." Gemma agreed, nodding.
Aoife hesitated before she spoke. "What's an 'old lady?'" She felt her face redden. When Luann and Gemma didn't say anything for a minute, she rushed on nervously. "I heard some of the guys say it, and then the doc said it before, and now you just said it, Gem. So you two are called old ladies, and you're okay with that?"
Luann laughed at that. "Oh, honey, nobody calls us 'old' and gets away with it. 'Old lady' is slang for a biker's SO."
"S-O?" Aoife didn't make the connection.
"Significant other," Luann explained. "Wife, serious girlfriend, that sort of thing. It means you're part of the family."
Aoife felt like she was missing something. "I'm not sure I understand."
Gemma considered Aoife for a moment. "Has Chibs told you that Samcro is like a family?"
"He's said that Samcro is his family, aye."
"Well, that's what being an old lady is about. It's a biker's way of saying that this woman is my family, and so part of my Club's family. The Club takes care of its old ladies, and old ladies take care of the Club." Gemma could see Aoife was still trying to wrap her head around it. "Luann's husband Otto is in prison, but she's still part of the family. If she gets in trouble, it's Samcro's responsibility to help her out because she's Otto's old lady. In return, if the Club needs something Luann can help with, like giving someone a place to crash for a few days, Luann will do it."
Luann bobbed her head in agreement. "When Jax's dad died, everyone took care of Gemma because she was JT's old lady. They'd still be doing that even if she had never become Clay's old lady."
"How long ago did Jax's father die?" Aoife asked.
"1993," Gemma replied quickly.
"That's a long time," she said thoughtfully.
"Becoming an old lady is a big commitment, baby girl. For a lifetime. Look at this," Gemma pulled her top over so that the crow on her upper chest was fully visible. "Every old lady has a crow tattoo."
Aoife stared at the tattoo longer than she deemed appropriate, considering it was just above Gemma's cleavage. Her eyes finally dropped while her mind raced. She thought back to the night that Chibs had admired her tattoos and then kissed her shoulder. He had mumbled something about a crow in his thick Scotttish accent. "That's what he was talking about."
She had Luann and Gemma's full attention now. "Chibs said something to you about getting a crow tattoo?" Gemma leaned forward.
"No. He mumbled something about my shoulder being the perfect place for a crow, but then when I asked him about it, he brushed it off as if it wasn't important. I think I understand now. It was far too soon." Even as Aoife spoke logically, she felt irrational joy bubble up in her heart. It was far too soon for that kind of commitment, but knowing that Filip thought of her in that way felt wonderful. And as for moving too fast, she couldn't deny that the feelings he stirred in her could only be described as love.
Gemma took Aoife's hands in hers. "It probably is too soon. But you're in deep with Chibs already. You have to decide whether you can handle this. Because with the way he looks at you, I can tell that he wants you for his old lady. If you can't stay the course, you have to be the stronger person and walk away."
"She's right, baby." Luann echoed.
Aoife wasn't sure what to say. She felt like both women were expecting something from her, but she needed time to think. She was rescued by a nurse coming out of the operating room.
"Mrs. Teller-Morrow?" the nurse looked at all three women, uncertainly.
Gemma smoothed the wrinkles out of her tight pants and stood. "I'm Gemma Teller-Morrow. How's Abel?"
"They're just finishing up, but Dr. Knowles wanted me to tell you that there were no complications."
Aoife was surprised to hear a familar Scottish voice let out a whoop of delight. She turned to see Chibs standing in the corridor. He greeted Gemma and Luann each with kisses on the cheek and then squeezed Aoife against his side. As the nurse left, Chibs addressed Gemma, "Jax is on his way in. If none of you ladies mind, I'm going to take my pretty little lass home and get her to bed. She has to be up early tomorrow morning."
Luann hugged Aoife first, and then Gemma wrapped her arms around her. "Think about what I said. And thanks for being here with me tonight. You get what family means. I like that about you."