A/N - Followers know it's usually Ray Donovan night tonight but I couldn't get Chibs out of my head so... Here you go! Enjoy!
Tara hated constantly being beholden to Gemma. Sometimes it was handy having a built-in go-to babysitter but when she was your mother-in-law, it shifted things a little bit.
There was no way Tara intended to leave Grandma's without her boys. It had been a last-minute drop-off but she had assured Gemma she wouldn't be long. Swinging by, she reapplied her nude lipstick and readied herself. Gemma was a battle axe and there was no doubt in Tara's mind that Jax had already called her.
She tapped the knocker loudly and waited with her arms crossed on the doorstep. Gemma opened it with one foot wedging the door just enough to have control over the conversation.
"Threaten my son and come looking for my grandkids? Are you crazy?"
Tara's heavy scowl showed the strength of her mood, she wasn't interested in a war with Gemma. "I'm here to take the boys home."
"They're not going anywhere with you, sweetheart," Gemma smirked, leaning on the wall, her foot still firmly in place. "I know your type. Slip away, demand child support while you shack up with some white-collar."
"Like Jax could pay regular child support." There was a snarl playing on Tara's lips. "You can't keep me from my boys, Gemma."
Gemma pursed her lips and moved her leg to let Tara in, the last thing she needed was the neighbours asking questions. Tara shoulder-barged through the tiny gap and started towards the bedroom.
"I'm looking after them until their father can get here."
Tara snorted. "What, once he's cleaned up his little slut?" She shook her head. "I'm taking them now."
Gemma laughed and crossed her arms. She saw Tara halt as she saw both of her sons, fast asleep, cuddled together on Gemma's bed. "Is that what this is about?" she asked softly. "Don't you understand? Old ladies don't ask those questions."
Tara narrowed her eyes. "This one does. Jax and I have an agreement."
"And there'll always be business that overrides that, sweetheart," Gemma said. "The best kind of old lady understands that."
Tara rolled her eyes, Gemma spoke with such pride. It made her feel sick to think what Gemma had let Clay get away with in their marriage. "You keep telling yourself that," she muttered. She glanced back at the boys, they looked so peaceful she barely wanted to disturb them.
In a rare moment of kindness, Gemma put her hand on Tara's shoulder. "Why don't you leave them here tonight? They're zoned out. Take a night off, get your head straight. Don't throw away a good thing because of some skanky crow eater. Just, you know, give her a good punch in the face next time you see her and be satisfied with that."
Tara wasn't sure but Abel murmured contently in his sleep and put his arm around Thomas. She sighed as she looked at them.
"Jax doesn't take them anywhere," she said, a slight warning tone in her voice. Gemma nodded.
"I promise," she assured her. "You taking my grandkids doesn't help anybody. Come by in the morning and you can take them to day care."
Tara pressed her lips together tightly and nodded. Gemma pushed a rough kiss on her cheek.
"We're family, Tara. Suck it up, we'll work it all out when everybody's calmed down."
"Here, come on in."
She was shaking and Chibs couldn't tell if it was shock or the come down. He stroked her hair back from her face, she looked like she was going to be sick.
"Drink."
It wasn't so much a question as a command, she needed to have something. He poured out two large measures of whisky and watched her knock hers back quickly. She pushed it back towards him for a refill and he obliged instantly.
"Good job I've got the truck, I guess," he said, nodding at her shivers. "Don't think you'd have been able to hold on." He swallowed, he didn't want to point out her thighs were probably so sore she'd have had no balance to grip the bike between her legs. "What do you need, love?"
"Can I shower?"
It seemed like such a simple request, he nodded instantly. She already knew her way around but she waited for him to take her. Chibs walked her to the bathroom and looked around for a moment.
"Why don't I run you a bath? Would you like that?"
She nodded and leaned against the vanity. She hated the sight of herself in the mirror, the dry blood on her lip and the dark patch beneath her eye. Chibs watched as she touched it beneath her fingers and winced.
"You, uh, knock your head on something?" His eyes connected with her reflection and she stammered an awkward 'yes' in response. Chibs raised an eyebrow as he yanked his sleeve up and put his hand in the water to mix up some remnants of bubble bath Juice had once given him as a joke gift.
Content with what he had prepared, he helped her undress. "Slowly now," he said as he eased her clothing off and tossed it in the sink to rinse out. He felt her trepidation as he knelt on his knees to drop her skirt and panties. She seemed so childlike in that moment, so innocent and perfect. His eyes roamed over her legs, wincing as he saw the rough marks of Tig's flies chaffed and ripped into her thighs.
"Here." He helped her in and assisted her in sitting down. She kept her back to him, shielding her body defensively as he poured some water over her hair. Their playful flirtation seemed to be a million miles from where they were now.
"Thank you," she muttered as he used a soft flannel against her back. Chibs knew it had to hurt, it was as bad as the graze on his own leg from coming off the bike and that was sore as all hell.
"You didn't want to, did you?" He didn't stare at her, trying to ease her fear. "The bruise on your face, he hit you." She closed her eyes, trying to blink her tears back. "Did you say no?"
"Please," she pleaded, her hands gripping him suddenly. "You can't tell anyone. They'll blame me, it'll be my fault."
Chibs hated to hear her say it. He dreaded the idea of someone convincing Kerrianne of the same bullshit. His mind was torn, Sons protected each other but this, it wasn't right.
"You should tell your father," he said solemnly, knowing all too well he would want the same from his own daughter. Nina shook her head, she couldn't.
"I need his help, he'll say I brought on myself." She sobbed, her shortness of breath made Chibs draw her wet body to him just to be able to hold her.
"What happened is not on you," he assured her, kissing her head. Nina tried to object but he ignored her. "Nero is a good man, he'll understand and he'll take care of it like he should." She refused adamantly and Chibs sighed, maybe it was for the best, he couldn't exactly turn on his own brother. "I won't say a word, if you don't want me to."
"Thank you." She barely mouthed the words and Chibs nuzzled her cheek gently, trying to be supportive. He was sure he could smell Tig on her, that mix of cigarettes and leather and gas. He tried to shake it off, tried to keep his own words in his mind. This wasn't on her, but she just felt... spoiled now. As she turned to express her affection in a little nervous kiss, he shied away and sat back, out of her reach.
"I, uh, should give you some privacy," he murmured. "Finish up, shirt's just on the bed when you're ready, I'll find you some shorts or some shite while your stuff's in the soak."
He needed to busy himself, if he thought about he would just feel angry. How he would be able to look Tig in those cold blue eyes, he didn't know but he didn't want to dwell on it. He slipped out of the bathroom and leaned against the wall for a moment to regain some sort of composure. It wasn't her fault, he knew that, but why did he suddenly have such an aversion to being close to her?