A/N - Gemma lays down the law and Chibs' dinner has an unexpected consequence... Enjoy! Please please shout out your opinions, I love them and they are so helpful to me in creating the ride that we're all on...

Gemma closed the door on Chibs and waved the bag of lettuce at one of the girls in the kitchen. She hurried over to collect it and slipped away again quickly as Gemma added, "One less plate out." She looked exasperatedly at Jax, the whole point of dinner was to get Chibs there and he had begged her to give him a free pass to go and attend to something personal. Begrudgingly, Gemma let him go.

"He's not coming?"

She shook her head. "Something he has to do," she said. "If it sounds like bullshit and it smells like bullshit..."

Tig could see she was growing annoyed. As the others moved to sit down, he slipped into the kitchen with her. With one look, the rest of the girls scarpered and left the two of them alone. Gemma pursed her lips a second before she poured herself a large glass of wine and swigged it.

"He's a mess, Gem," Tig tried to soothe her, stroking her shoulder tenderly. Their relationship has always been difficult to explain but at least he knew how to manage her. Gemma laughed at that, eyeing him carefully.

"No thanks to you." She stared at him for a long moment while Tig tried to find the right look to hold in his eyes. The emotions flickered through him as he tried to find some control over them.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Gemma lowered her voice to an aggressive whisper. "If you hadn't fucked his old lady, he wouldn't be a whiny petulant mess." She gave him a poke. "Yeah, I know all about that."

Tig felt his heart skip a beat, shit. Shit shit shit. He rubbed his hand over his head and looked back through at the others at the table. Nobody seemed interested except Clay, who kept an eye from a distance.

"Where'd you hear that?" he muttered. Gemma rolled her eyes.

"Little birdie told me. You going to deny it?" He didn't answer. "A baby? Do they even know?" she added, pointing through. Tig shook his head quickly and tugged on Gemma's wrist, pulling her further out of view.

"You can't mess around with this shit, Gem, they can't know. Chibs can't know." Tig didn't do panic, but he was sure beginning to feel something similar. "I was taking care of her."

"Real good," Gemma chuckled as she picked up a meat fork and started to turn over the steaks on the pan. "Clearly." He growled, his voice inadvertently getting louder.

"You don't know shit about it."

He was leaning in close to her now, if Gemma hadn't been so used to him she would have been scared. His breath was hot on her skin and Gemma felt herself squaring up to him, refusing to be intimidated in her own home.

"You better back up."

"Or what?" Tig inadvertently played with the hunting knife on his belt as he stared in her eyes. "What are you going to do to me, huh?" He could see her fingers readjusting around the fork as she steadied it in her palm. The sound of Clay clearing his throat made them both part and look up to see him leaning on the counter.

"Everything okay?"

Gemma caught her breath and rested a hand on Tig's chest, pushing him away. "Just peachy," she said coldly. "Thanks. I can serve in a few minutes, tell them to wash up."

Clay stared at Tig, unsure he was comfortable with him being so unspeakably close to his old lady, but nodded at Gemma's instruction. Those two were old enough and ugly enough to deal with their own shit. He dipped back to the table and Tig gave Gemma a scowl.

"He doesn't know and it'd kill him, Gem. It's bad enough he thinks some guy knocked up his girl but if he knew it was me?" He swallowed and shook his head. "You gotta keep this between us."

"I don't have to do anything for you," Gemma murmured. "I'm telling you out of courtesy, you're not as discreet as you think you are, Tigger." She smiled a little. "I just want my club in one piece."

"And I just want a chance to do things right," Tig said, looking at her. "You got the chance to be a good Mom, an amazing Grandma. I've got another chance here, Gem."

"Me too," Gemma smiled. She have him a kiss on the cheek. "And I know what you want here, Tig, but you know it won't work out the way you want it to."

Tig sighed and pouted, nodding slightly. "I know," he said. "Just... let me have just one chance."

Nina rolled off Chibs, panting as she tried to catch her breath. Their bodies were slick with sweat and saliva, wet and exhausted from their impromptu liaison. Chibs groaned as he dragged her body up against his own, plying her with kisses as his leg wrapped over hers, holding her to him possessively.

"That... that wasn't meant to happen." Nina looked over at him from the pillow and he smiled, nuzzling her tenderly.

"Aye, maybe not," Chibs chuckled. "But I don't mind."

Nina closed her eyes as she turned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Me neither." Chibs kissed her forehead, his hands running over her bare skin. Dinner had been wonderful, truly wonderful, the two of them had spent the whole time catching up, giggling nervously and trying to feel each other out. When they had had a little rough play fight over the washing up, it had escalated quickly into one kiss after another.

Neither wanted to spoil the post-coital bliss they were both feeling. Even with her swollen stomach pressing against him, she felt perfect in his arms, right where she was meant to be. Chibs nibbled along her collarbone, hoping she wouldn't speak.

"What happens now?"

Nina blinked up at him and Chibs sighed, he simply didn't know. He rubbed his hand through his long hair. Eventually, he just shook his head.

"What do you want to happen?"

She closed her eyes and cuddled up to him. "Can we just stay here? Like this?"

"Forever?" Chibs smiled, he wished it was that easy. "If only we could." She nodded as she glanced up at him.

"Can we just take it a day at a time?" she ventured nervously. "I know it's not ideal, I just... I was waiting for something, I didn't know what, but I think I know how this is going to go." She ran her fingertips over the tattoo on his chest. "Can we go slow?"

Chibs nodded as his fingers grazed over her. "Aye," he whispered. "Slow's fine by me, love."