Charlotte sat up on the exam table wiping off the excess gel used for her most recent ultrasound. She was alone this time but was used to it, the weekly monitoring of the baby's heart condition wasn't always feasible for Jax or Tara to attend.
"Charlotte everything looks great." Her OB said smiling. "Your 2 centimeters dilated."
"I still have 5 weeks left until my due date?"
"You can sit at 2 centimeters for weeks, I'd like to keep her in there for another 3 weeks at least. Come and see me if you experience any contractions or extreme back aches. But for now I'll see you next week and we will see where we are. And stay off your feet when you can."
"I know I'm still on light duty and 8 hour shifts only. Trust me I work with a bunch of nurses yelling at me all day to sit down." Charlotte said getting down off the exam table adjusting her scrubs and waddling to the door.
Charlotte finished her charts putting them away and headed to help clear bays for any incoming patients enjoying the mid morning lull. As she rounded the corner she saw Clay, Jax, and the rest of the club sitting in the waiting area on a bench Abel happily cooing at Clay. "There's my little guy." Charlotte said approaching smiling at Abel, she outstretched her hands taking him in her arms from Clay. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Gemma was in a car accident she's with Tara."
"Oh no, I'll go check on her." Charlotte handed Abel back to Clay.
"Thanks sweetheart." Clay said focusing his attention back on Abel.
Charlotte headed in the direction of the private trauma rooms in search for Tara when she saw her come out of a room closing the door behind her. "Charlotte, I need some help?"
"Clay just told me how can I help?"
Tara lowered her voice walking next to Charlotte back in the direction of the men. "I need you to get me a rape kit."
Charlotte confused "But Clay said you were with Gemma, she was in a accident."
"Charlotte I need you to not say anything to anyone and then meet me back here."
Charlotte left Tara taking the back way around avoiding any of the club. Grabbing the kit from the supply room and raced back to the trauma room Tara had come out of. When she saw Gemma laying in the exam table Tara standing next to her tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh Gemma, I'm so sorry."
"I'm fine sweetheart." Gemma breathed out. "Let's just get this over with."
Charlotte opened the boxed kit up putting the wrapped sterile supplies on the tray next to Tara. Charlotte took the enclosed padded envelope and went to the counter top in the room grabbing her pen from her pocket.
"Mark it as Jane Doe." Tara said before Charlotte started writing.
"Gemma you have to report this." Charlotte protested.
"No I don't Charlotte and you're not going to say anything either. Clay and the club can't know. They did this to get to the club if the club finds out they win. You and Tara will keep your mouths shut."
"I will, I promise Gemma."
Charlotte completed the envelope marking it with Jane Doe and then put the samples that Tara had collected into it sealing it closed. She scribbled the date and her name. Handing Gemma a piece of paper with just a number on it. "This is yours if you decide to report it you can give this ID number to the police and they'll be able to attach your name to it. Nothing else here indicates who this was collected from no one can tie it back to you unless you decide to."
"That's it, the police won't ask any questions?" Gemma asked.
"No, they'll collect it from us place it into storage and it will sit there until the statute of limitations runs out." Charlotte answered.
Gemma grabbed Charlotte's hand in hers "Thank you, I know this is a big secret to keep and the weight of it."
Charlotte sighed patting the top of Gemma's hand "I'll keep your secret I would never betray that trust."
"I know baby."
Charlotte released Gemma's hand turning to Tara. "I'm going to go drop this off and get back on shift before anyone notices I've been gone."
Tara nodded to her as she left the room closing the door quietly behind her she took the back way around again avoiding the club. She grabbed the log sheet from the cold storage put the collection kit on the counter next to her and began filling out the log for evidence.
"Hey Charlotte."
"Hey Louise." Charlotte greeted the next shift lead nurse.
Louise glanced down at the collection kit "Poor woman doesn't even want to give her name. We have way to many of those."
"Yes we do." Charlotte said depositing the envelope into the evidence collection bin for pick up later.
Tara closed the glass door to the ICU room quietly behind her seeing Charlotte waiting outside the door "How is he?" Charlotte asked.
"Still critical but moving towards stable." Tara said walking the hallway with Charlotte going into an empty room so they could talk privately.
"Gemma has to tell the club about the attack Tara, Chibs could've died."
"I've tried to talk to her or told her she should at least talk to someone but she refuses."
"Then we have to say something Tara, it could be Jax next laying in the ICU. I hate the secrets I've never kept anything from Jax before."
"Charlotte if we say something it's not just betraying Gemma, you could lose your license for breaking patient confidentiality. I could lose mine to if I do."
Charlotte groaned out in frustration. "What about Wayne doesn't he have some sort of duty to report this?"
"He'd never betray Gemma you know that. He's already tried to talk to her too. There isn't anything we can do. It will all work itself out Charlotte." Tara said trying to put on her reassuring professional doctor voice. "It's your day off why don't you just go home and try and get some rest."
"I'm going to go sit with Chibs for a while I can't sleep at home, keep waking up at every noise."
"Then come stay at Jax's."
"And how do we explain that to Jax without telling him why?"
"We'll just tell him you don't want to be alone incase you go into labor early. He's a guy he won't ask questions." Tara said putting her arm around Charlotte going to the rooms door. "You have to rest it's not good for the baby"
Charlotte nodded in agreement to Tara as the two parted ways Charlotte going into Chibs's room taking a seat next to the unconscious man's bed. Charlotte took his hand in between hers lowering her head and closing her eyes. "Fillip I don't know what to do anymore." She sobbed out tears starting to fall. "I'm so sorry you got hurt. I'm so scared waiting for the other shoe to drop. I should have made Gemma tell or just told myself and dealt with the consequences then we wouldn't be here." She remained in that pose rambling all her worries until her tears had dried up. Her eyes fluttered open and she lifted her head when she felt his hand move in hers and heard a groan come from his lips. When she looked up she saw his eyes open.
"Have I died?" He asked in a raspy voice.
She smiled at him shaking her head "No."
"Well ya look like an Angel to me."
Charlotte laughed seeing a smile cross his lips. "How do you feel?" She asked.
"Like I got blown up." He chuckled then winced in pain.
"Oh I'm sorry let me get the doctor, get you something for the pain." She released his hand going to the door.
"You are an Angel little love."
She turned and responded "I'll make sure they give you the good stuff then."
"Aye." He said in a whisper before closing his eyes again.
Jax walked into the spare room at his house. Charlotte had just settled into the futon they kept here. "You good in here?"
"Yeah, thanks for letting me stay."
"You're welcome here anytime probably not as comfortable as your bed at home. If you want we could throw that old thing out get a real bed for you. We could bring the crib over from your house you could stay here after the baby comes. It'd be nice having you here, both of you."
"It'd be crowded, maybe a bassinet, I could stay a few weeks with the baby."
"Whatever you need." He sighed out taking a seat in the chair across from the bed.
Charlotte rolled to her side so she could look at him and propped herself up with pillows to be comfortable. "You want to tell me what's behind your furrowed brow?"
He shook his head "You don't need the stress."
"I'm fine Jax, so out with it."
"Shit, where should I start."
She gave him a raised brow "That bad huh?"
She stayed quiet as he spilled everything from who really killed Donna to his rift with Clay. Him trying to stop the retaliation against Zobelle to Clay blaming him for Luanne's death.
"Jesus," she muttered. "First you are not responsible for Luanne. And there was always going to be a time when you'd butt heads with Clay. Him on the way out you on the way in. He sees his time is getting shorter and he's stubborn resists change. I don't even know what to say about Donna, Clay was wrong and he is responsible for that choice. And you have every right to call him on that. The club voted on retaliation that's not just on you or Clay."
"I'm going to have to do time for the gun charges can't see away around that. Lawyers trying to do what they can but it could be a long time Charlotte. Feds sniffing around again could cause more charges. I need to put some space between me and Clay for now. If we continue the way we are it's going to be bloody and drag the club down."
"How does that work, how do you get that space."
"Talked to Hap he's talking to Quinn about me patching out of Redwood going nomad for a while. Not sure how that's going to work can't leave the state with gun charges but I've got plenty of other charters to bounce around from in Cali. I'd be on the road more."
"I don't know Jax is it smart for you to be on the road with the Zobelle thing still looming?"
"I don't know what else to do right now Charlotte I can't see a way out of this. Not going to solve anything tonight though, it'll take a lifetime to dig out of this mess, you get some sleep okay."
Charlotte laid awake most the night rolling out of bed when her alarm went off. She quickly changed clothes and headed to the kitchen where Tara was standing next to the brewing coffee pot holding Abel. Charlotte walked past them running her hand over Abel's baby hair to grab a mug.
"You get some sleep last night?" Tara asked.
Charlotte yawned "Not really, Jax gone already?"
"Yeah left before dawn."
"He told me last night about shit between him and Clay. He say anything to you?"
"Yeah talked about going nomad. It might be a good thing."
"I don't know what I'm more worried about the gun charges or him leaving Samcro."
Tara grabbed the pot of coffee pouring her cup and moving out of the way so Charlotte could get hers. "I hear you. Charlotte I'm here no matter what happens if Jax does time for the guns, you're not alone in this. You and me we do this together."
"Thank you Tara I know you're here and I appreciate it.
Charlotte stayed at Jax's house for the next couple of nights until she decided it was time for her to go back home after catching up on some much needed sleep. When she walked in she dropped her overnight bag on the floor next to the door she kept her keys in her hand she had one more errand to run before she'd feel better after she'd spoken her peace.
She walked through the open office door of TM shutting it behind her, Gemma glancing up from the stack of papers in front of her. "Gemma, I can't take this anymore. All the lying, everything that's happened since that night. You have got to come clean you have to tell Clay or Jax about the rape." Although she spoke in a hushed tone Gemma stood going to close the door to the garage closing the blinds too.
"And what, everything's my fault?"
"God no Gemma, but some of this could have been prevented. Maybe Chibs wouldn't have been hurt, and there wouldn't have been time for Zobelle to make a plan to trap the guys into the gun charges. Clay and Jax would've known what they were dealing at the start and wiped them all off the face of the earth, no bodies left to identify."
"So, them having murder charges would be better." Gemma said shouting standing over Charlotte.
"Like they've never done it before, you may think I just sit around here and not pay attention to anything, turn a blind eye to the violence, I've seen for years I know all the dirty little secrets. And I've never had to keep one from Jax I tell him everything every thought that pops into my head and it's killing me Gem to keep this from him and it's killing the club. Jax is talking about going nomad."
"I know Tara told me, what is it you want me to do Charlotte?" Gemma asked in frustration.
"I want you to fix it Gemma." Charlotte pleaded. "I need you, Tara needs you. I'm going to have my baby girl in a few weeks, and I can't do this without you. I need you to be that strong fierce woman that I know is still there. The one that won't take shit from anyone, that won't let anything get in her way of protecting her family." Charlotte cried out standing up throwing her hands in the air tears welling up in her eyes. "Please Gemma please just fix this for me."
"Oh baby." Gemma said changing into her motherly tone and wrapping the crying Charlotte in her arms. "Everything's going to be okay, everything's going to be perfect when your baby girl gets here."