*So, I should have said this earlier, but this is an AU story. It is my creation, it does not follow the storyline of the series. The only thing that belongs to Kurt Sutter are the characters and the storyline of Opie being killed in prison. The rest of it is my baby. Chibs is my favorite character so it will inevitably be going in that direction. I hope you enjoy!
Tania was tired and stressed out and she didn't know how she was going to get everything packed and ready to go in five days. She had taken the kids to school and now she was back at home packing to her heart's content. She hadn't stopped packing since she had gotten home at 9:30 am. Her new life was coming to an end really quickly and she was getting ready to start her new "new" life back in Charming where she knew she always belonged.
She had pulled a few boxes into the kitchen where she decided to start when her cell phone rang.
"Hello," she said in a tired tone.
"Tania," she heard Jax say on the other end. She broke into a big smile. She couldn't believe how happy she was to hear from her cousin.
"Hey Jax," Tania replied, "How the hell are ya!?"
"I'm doing good cuz," he replied, laughing quietly, "How are you doing?"
He knew. Damnit Gemma! Tania cursed in her mind. Gemma had promised she wouldn't tell a soul and the first thing she went and did was go tell her son. Tania actually should have known better, Gemma couldn't keep a secret to save her life.
"I told her not to tell anyone," Tania replied, turning serious.
"Tania, you told Gemma," Jax pointed out, "It's not like the first person you went and told was Chibs or Bobby."
He was right. If you wanted to keep a secret, the best people to tell were Chibs or Bobby. They were the most loyal of the club and they would die and take it to the grave before they told anyone.
"Tania, she only told me," Jax replied reassuringly, "Her and I won't tell anyone else. It's up to you now who you tell, but they will end up finding out anyways. You'll get sicker and they will notice."
"I know that Jax," she shot back, feeling bad about it instantly, "I will tell them but I just want to be me for a little while before things get worse."
"I understand Tania," he said quietly, "I'm so sorry this is happening to you. You are the last person in the world that deserves this. No one deserves it, but you have been through enough. This illness doesn't need to be added to the pile."
"I'm ok Jax," she replied, "I've learnt how to live without Opie. It wasn't easy by any means, but I've managed to figure it out. Now I have to learn how to live with this, it's just another thing that I have to figure out."
"You are amazing baby girl," he replied, "We will be here for you every step of the way. You are a strong woman and you will get through this. Opie always loved that about you. You were always strong with him, you could handle every part of the outlaw lifestyle and you never let it get to you. There was a reason why you were born into this family."
"Did he talk about me at all while you guys were in Stockton?" she asked, afraid of the response.
"He did," Jax replied, "Right before he was killed actually. We were sitting outside and he mentioned that you guys were struggling. He said that the first thing he wanted to do when he got out was take you away from everything and make things better for the two of you. He wanted to make things right between you two. He loved you so much Tania."
Tania rested her head against her arm on the kitchen table and let the tears fall. Her heart ached and she missed her husband so much.
"I wish he would've gotten that chance," Tania whispered.
"Me too," Jax replied, "Anyways Tania, I have to go now. Club business. But mom and Chibs should be there soon with the moving truck. They were going to fly, but they decided to rent the truck here and drive out there. They left at about 3:00 this morning."
"Ok thanks for letting me know," she replied, "I'll see you next week Jax."
"Yes you will sweetheart," Jax replied. She could hear his smile in his voice.
She said goodbye to her cousin and then looked down at her watch. It was 1:15 and Gemma and Chibs were going to be there soon. She got up off her butt and ran down the hall to her bathroom.
She was pulling her wet hair into a messy pony tail when the door bell rang. She quickly gave herself a once over in the mirror before she ran back down the hall to the front door. She pulled the door open and there they were. Her aunt and Chibs, one of her closest friends. She always thought of him as an older brother type or even kind of a father figure.
Tania burst into tears when Gemma walked through the door and pulled her into her arms. Tania held onto her and never wanted to let her go. Her mother, Gemma's sister, and her father were killed in a car accident back when she was 20, about three months before her wedding. Gemma was not only her aunt, but she was very much a mother to her as well. She felt awful for cutting herself off from them for over a year, especially when she needed them.
"It's ok baby," Gemma whispered in Tania's ear, "I'm here now. You are no longer alone."
"Oh my god Auntie Gem," Tania whimpered, "I can't believe I shut you out of my life. I have missed you so much. Gem, I'm so sorry."
"Hey, look at me," she said quietly, putting her hands on either side of Tania's face and looked into her eyes, "You were trying to move on and make a good life for you and the kids and from the looks of it, that's what you did. I couldn't be more proud of you. I understand why you did it. It doesn't mean I love you any less."
Gemma leaned in and kissed Tania on the cheek and then walked into the house, leaving her standing there in front of Chibs. She didn't know why, but all of a sudden she felt self conscious about how she looked and what she was wearing. He was the same, but at the same time, he was different. The duties of his job definitely aged him a little bit, but not in a bad way. His hair was a little greyer at the roots, but he made it look good.
"Hey love," he said quietly, breaking the silence, "I've missed you."
"Hi Chibs, I've missed you too," she replied, shyly, "It's so good to see you."
"You too sweetheart," he said, smiling at her.
Without thinking, Tania jumped into his arms. She had missed him so much as well. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist and held her. She rested her head against his chest and took in his scent. This was different, she thought to herself. She had never felt this way towards him before. She had never cared what she was wearing or what she looked like and she never really paid much attention to what he looked like. Now she was acting like a teenage girl with a crush. This was not how she was supposed to feel towards someone she thought of as a brother or even as a father. Shit, she thought.
"Come on in," Tania said, pulling away from him and unable to make eye contact.
He followed her inside and she led him to Hunter's room, which had been completely packed.
"My friend Michelle and her husband are picking up Hunter and Savannah from school and then they are coming over to help," Tania explained, "You and Jake can probably handle the more heavy things and the rest of us can pack and load up boxes."
"Sounds good to me," he replied as he took his kutte and his jacket off.
Tania reached out and took them from him. Their hands touched and their eyes locked for a moment. The way he was looking at her made her palms sweat. She didn't know what this was, or if it was anything, but if it was something, she was in trouble.