daughter of anarchy - pg-13 - chloe/jax - part six [b]
Title: Daughter of Anarchy
Category: Smallville/Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Drama/Romance
Ship: Jax Teller/Chloe Sullivan
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Overall Rating: Explicit/NC-17
Word Count: 8,713
Warning(s): Strong Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Violence, Attempted Sexual Assault
Summary: [Prequel] Chloe Sullivan-Winston, bastard child of Piney, grew up under the feet of SAMCRO's biggest and baddest. She walked the line of good and bad, alongside her half-brother Opie and his best friend Jax. Calling some of the meanest bikers 'uncle,' she grew up avoiding her mentally ill mother while she learned how to shoot guns, fix bikes, and shark pool. The first eighteen years of her life, Chloe called Charming, California her home, the club house her safe haven, and SAMCRO her family.
[return.]
February 7, 1994
Chloe was exhausted. After a long day of school and fighting with her editor over a column she was writing, she wanted nothing more than to pass out on the nearest soft surface. Unfortunately, she'd promised to meet Lois for a slice of pizza since they hadn't been seeing each as much with her and Opie attached at the hip. Lois, being Lois, was late.
Chloe slumped down in a chair and rested her forehead on her arms where they crossed on the tabletop. She was fully ready to just take a nap and hope that Lois woke her when she got there when she heard the approaching sound of sneakers and the noise of someone clearing their throat. Assuming it was the guy there to take her order, she said, "I'll have a pitcher of Coke. Unless you have coffee; in that case, just tip by head back and pour it down my throat…"
A low chuckled answered her. "I'm pretty sure that's against restaurant policy."
She shrugged. "Live a little."
Gathering her strength, she lifted her head and turned to see who it was she was encouraging to battle her exhaustion for her. He was half-smiling at her, a stained white apron around his waist and a pad and pen in his hands. He was wearing one of those terrible little paper hats that read Joey's Pizza on the side, but he didn't seem the least bit embarrassed. She vaguely recognized him, but couldn't remember a name. She assumed he was a year or two older than her.
"Hale, you got the order or what? We don't have all day!" a gruff voice shouted, a bell ringing for attention shortly after.
The boy in front of her rolled his eyes. "It's coming!" he called back.
Hale. Her brows hiked a little in recognition. Jacob Hale was a wealthy judge that presided over the county; he was a no-nonsense ball buster that didn't have any love for SAMCRO whatsoever, if his habit of putting them behind bars with little leniency said anything. He had two sons and since Jacob Hale Jr. had already left for college, that meant she was looking at David Hale.
"Not to rush you, but if I don't get an order back there soon, he's going to start banging things around. He's not the most patient guy around…"
She nodded. "Yeah, no it's fine. Uh, I'm waiting on a friend, but we always get the same thing anyway. Large, double cheese, double pepperoni, and I wasn't kidding about the pitcher of Coke. She could drink her weight in soda."
His mouth curled up on one side and he nodded as he scribbled it down. "Okay. Coming right up." Tucking his pen behind his ear, he walked off toward the kitchen and Chloe found her eyes following after him.
He was handsome in that All-American boy kind of way; tanned with short-cropped brown hair, wide shoulders and a lean waist. She tried to remember the sports games she'd covered for the paper and if he happened to play in any of them, but sports were never something she followed all that closely. Still, she thought she might've watched more games if she had a face like that looking back at her.
Shaking her head, she turned back around and rested her elbows on the table, her chin in her hand as she watched people walk down the street, passing her by. Ten minutes passed with no Lois and no familiar, rumbling engine; she was starting to think she'd been stood up.
"Did you need to call anybody?"
She turned her head to see Hale looking at her curiously, his brows raised. "We have a phone you could use… See if your friend got caught up."
She laughed under her breath. "Yeah, she's not the type to be hanging out at home. If she got in trouble, she'd just climb out the window." She shrugged. "Thanks, though."
He nodded and started cleaning off the other tables, wiping them down and putting menus and napkins back in order. She found herself watching him move, the way his back flexed as he stretched or his arms tightened, stretching the sleeves on his white t-shirt. He didn't dress like the guys she hung around with. Jax and Opie were more casual jeans and loose shirts. David tucked his shirts into his beige khakis. It should have been a turn-off, really, but for some reason she liked that he didn't follow the current grunge trend.
"So, does your friend do this often?" he suddenly wondered, drawing her eyes up to his face.
"Abandon me to eat large pizzas on my own?" She shrugged. "She's forgetful… and perpetually late for everything."
"Have you tried telling her to meet you at an earlier time so she'd get there closer to the right one?"
"Yes and, I don't know how, but she was even later than usual that time." She threw her hands up. "Honestly, the better idea is to go and get her, but she's probably with my brother and I don't really want to know what they're doing."
"Ahh…" He nodded, playing it cool though she noticed a faint flush on his neck. "So, you have a brother?"
She half-smiled. "I do. He's a year older." She motioned her finger toward him. "You do too, right?"
"Yeah, uh, Jake's a few years older. He left for college last year."
She nodded. "That's cool… Anywhere exciting?"
"Los Angeles, he's actually going to UCLA."
"Wow!" Her brows hiked, impressed. "Not bad."
"Yeah, he's doing well. He wants to get into business."
"Not going the lawyer route, like your dad?"
He shook his head. "No, Jake never wanted to ride the bench."
Chloe eyed him thoughtfully. "What about you? What happens after your big career in pizza? Are you going to be the next DA or what?"
He half-grinned at her. "I don't think I'm lawyer or judge material… But, I'd like to work in law enforcement." He shrugged. "Who knows, maybe one day I'll be Charming's Chief of Police."
She was struck very suddenly with the fact that she was talking with a boy whose future would be the complete opposite of everyone she knew. If he did what he said he wanted to do, he would one day be arresting the men she called family. Hell, he might even end up arresting her brother. Loyalty said that it was a bad idea to flirt with the future enemy of her club, but teenage hormones said that the future wasn't now, and she would deal with it when it happened.
"I imagine you'd look better in a badge than that apron."
He looked down at himself and grinned crookedly. "Here's hoping."
She smiled up at him and, for a moment, couldn't help but get caught up in how blue his eyes were.
The bell above the door rung then, announcing a new customer, and their attention was drawn to where Lois was hurrying inside, letting out a huff. She threw her hands up. "I know, I'm late, I'm sorry. Something came up and I forgot I was meeting you here and it was just a whole thing, y'know?" She plopped down in the chair across from her. "Did you order?"
A smaller, tinnier ring sounded then, letting them know their pizza was ready. David turned and walked back toward the kitchen to get it for them and Chloe let her eyes follow him over Lois' shoulder. Thankfully, her friend didn't seem to notice or care as she went on about something that happened after school and how her sister Lucy was driving her crazy. Chloe tore her eyes off him when he returned, trying not to look as obvious as she felt. This was the first guy she'd ever actually, well, liked. Sure, she'd noticed how hot a few of her classmates were, but there was something about David that was different. Then again, he didn't know who she was, and given his desire to uphold the law, she imagined he'd go running for the hills long before he'd ever give her a chance.
Stamping out the interest before it could fully develop, she turned her attention to Lois and decided to forget whatever moment she might have had with the handsome, youngest Hale.
Of course, when she took her receipt after paying for her and Lois' late lunch and found the message he scrawled on the back, she bit her lip to hide her smile and reconsidered.
'I liked talking to you. I hope we can do it again sometimes. -David'
Yeah, she kind of hoped so, too.
Apparently she hadn't stamped out her interest completely.
March 28, 1994
"Entertain me…" Lois whined, leaning back against the bank of lockers next to Chloe's. "Your dumb brother is working on a bike or whatever with Jax… Something about a Harley Panhead, blah blah blah…" She waved a dismissive hand.
Chloe rolled her eyes. "They're reconstructing JT's bike, it was a 1949 Harley Panhead FL Hydra Glide, just FYI."
"Well, for your information, you might as well have been speaking a foreign language, because I didn't catch any of that."
She snorted. "It doesn't matter. All you need to know is that it was Jax's dad's, and it matters to him, which is why Opie is there."
"Fine," she sighed. "That still doesn't give me something to do all afternoon…"
"And I'd like to help you out with that, but I'm filling in for Gemma at the auto shop. They've got some filing for me to do and it's boring, but it pays well."
Her brows hiked. "Two hands are better than one," she suggested, grinning hopefully.
She chewed her lip uncertainly. "Uh, I don't know, Lo…"
"Oh, come on! I swear, I'll be on my best behavior."
Chloe raised a skeptical eyebrow, but shrugged. "Fine, but you stay in the office with me. No wandering!"
Lois beamed at her, looking proud that she'd won. "You got it, boss."
She wasn't sure what she was getting herself into, but she imagined it wasn't anything good.
Chloe and Lois walked straight from school to Teller-Morrow auto. Neither of the girls felt like stopping at their respective homes, so they brought along their school bags, one of whom's was much lighter than the other's since she rarely did her homework.
As they stepped through the open gates of the auto shop, Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. The welcome noise of tools and cars being worked on greeted her and the familiarity was soothing. They crossed the large cement landscape toward the open-door leading into the office; a curious Lois looked around at everyone and everything.
Chloe stepped inside to find Clay sitting at the desk, reading over a few papers. She rapped her knuckles on the door to get his attention and smiled. "Hey. Don't tell me you're spending your afternoon in here filing. I don't doubt your skills, but last I checked, Gemma had a pretty specific routine set up."
He chuckled low under his breath. "You got that right. Be a lot easier if she just alphabetized this shit, but she's a special breed of woman, that one."
"No arguments here." She waved a thumb behind her. "Hey, I hope it's not a problem, but I brought my friend Lois along. She's not much of a worker, so she'll probably take up space on the couch, if that's okay."
"Hey, this couch potato has ears," Lois snarked behind her.
Clay half-grinned. "Is that Opie's girl?"
"I prefer he be called Lois' guy, but same difference," Lois answered.
Chloe stepped out of the way for Lois to step forward and Clay stood from the desk, reaching out a hand for her to shake.
He nodded and turned back to Chloe. "Yeah, she can stay. We've got a stack of bills that already came in today, still need to be logged and filed."
"Okay, great."
"I'll leave you two ladies to your work." He made his way to the door and Chloe ducked over to take her seat at the desk. Pausing just short of entering the garage, he said, "Hey, we're breakin' out the barbecue tonight. Make sure you stick around."
"We'll be here," Chloe assured him.
Lois saluted agreeably before taking a seat on the couch.
Clay closed the door behind him, mid-way through shouting at Bobby about the Sedan he was working on.
"So, he's the one who took over for Jax's dad, right? As president?" Lois wondered.
Going through a stack of bills, Chloe absently nodded. "Yeah, Clay was one of the original nine. He earned his stripes and, since he was VP when JT died, it just made sense. He's a good guy."
"Yeah, but have you ever wondered if it was like a mob thing… You know, take out the boss so you can replace him kind of thing…"
She frowned. "No, are you kidding?" Rolling her eyes, she turned to Lois and shook her head. "This isn't the mob and it's not like something you'd see on TV, Lo… They're brothers, family; loyalty comes first."
"Loyalty should come first…" She shrugged, drawing her legs up onto the couch and resting her head back, readying herself for a nap. "But sometimes power rears its ugly head and you don't care if it's your brother or your enemy… All you know is they're standing between you and the throne."
Chloe simply sighed to herself. She'd grown up in this life, so she could vouch for anyone of the Sons, but it wouldn't change anyone's opinion. She wasn't even sure if Lois really thought that; sometimes she just liked playing devil's advocate and spinning tails. Honestly, she sometimes thought Lois would make a good writer, even a journalist, but she was too quick to jump to conclusions and not eager enough to chase down the full truth.
Burying the whole thing, Chloe turned back to her paperwork and just let her best friend nap away the afternoon while she worked. She put the bills away and then went through the filing and, by the time she was finished, it was just about six. The shop had closed up a half hour ago and she'd heard the tell-tale noise of motorcycles returning, lining up as they usually did. Familiar voices could be heard as they set up the barbecues and started getting ready.
Finally, closing the drawer on the filing cabinet loud enough to wake her friend, she grinned at the groggy girl slowly sitting up on the couch.
"Rise and shine, princess," she greeted.
Yawning, Lois stretched her arms above her head and popped her back, rolling her head to get a kink out of her neck. "Wha' time's it?"
"Just about dinner time, c'mon." She walked toward the door and nodded her head for Lois to follow. "I'm going to introduce you to the guys."
Standing, Lois finger-brushed her hair and joined her as she walked outside.
Across the lot, the barbecues were starting to smoke. A table was set up, piled with plates of raw hamburger patties, steaks, and ribs. A few bottles of barbecue sauce sat next to them, in varying stages of full or empty.
A large group of men all milled around, wearing denim and leather, their cuts proudly bearing the allegiance. She smiled as she set eyes on them and walked right into a conversation between Chibs, Bobby, and Happy. Her favorite Scotsman looked down at her with a grin, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"Heard you were fillin' in for Gemma." He reached up and pushed his sunglasses into his dark hair. "Heard you brought someone with ya, too."
Chloe turned to look over her shoulder. "Yeah…" She waved her friend forward. "Lois, meet Chibs, Bobby, and Happy." She motioned to each of them and then raised a curious brow at the last one. "When'd you ride in from Tacoma?"
He shrugged. "Got in yesterday. Had to talk shop with Clay and figured I'd head out tomorrow," he explained, his voice a deep rasp.
She nodded. "Well, it's good to see you. And your timing's good too; we've been pushing Clay to have a barbecue for weeks now."
"He likes to drag his feet for us. Make us work for it," Chibs said, reaching behind him to clap Clay on the shoulder.
"So Lois, what brings you by the shop? Can't imagine filing with Chloe was too exciting," Bobby mentioned, digging a cigarette out and lighting it between his lips.
"She wouldn't know, she spent most of it napping." Chloe hip-checked her. "She was just bored without Opie around to fill up her schedule."
Lois rolled her eyes. "Hey, it's not my fault the only interesting people I've met here are you and Opie."
"Never gonna live down interrogating you, am I?" Jax's voice called out as he walked up behind them, Opie at his side.
Lois turned to side-eye him. "Oh, and I'm your favorite person?"
He grinned. "You're all right, Lane."
She snorted, but turned her attention to Opie as he reached her, his hands settling on her hips.
"What're you doin' down here?" he wondered, brows furrowed.
"We need to work on your greetings," she snarked but wrapped her arms around his neck. "Chloe broke down and introduced me to the club. You wanna take over and show me around a little more?"
He nodded. "Sure."
As they walked off together, Jax took over her place at Chloe's side. "You're probably not going to see her 'til tomorrow."
Chloe shook her head. "I know Lois, she won't pass up a steak for anything."
He laughed under his breath.
"So how'd you get mixed up with a military brat anyway?" Bobby wondered.
"Did Piney or Jax fill you guys in?" She rolled her eyes. "You guys gossip like old ladies…"
"We're looking out for you," Jax argued.
"And how'd that pan out for you?"
He sighed. "Hey, she popped up out of nowhere and we still had the Mayans on our asses. It made sense to be suspicious."
She raised an eyebrow. "She's fifteen. If they're planning so far ahead that they're infiltrating high schools to plant teenagers, we have bigger issues."
Jax sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, gearing up for an argument about safety, she was sure.
"All right, you two, keep it tame," Chibs intervened, ruffling her hair. "C'mon, missy, I gotta make a beer run. You wanna tag along?"
She smiled up at him. "Sure."
Bobby dug out a set of keys from his pocket and tossed them over. Chibs caught them and turned them around, walking toward one of the vans parked against the fence. Chloe hopped into the passenger seat and buckled herself in. She fiddled with the radio until she found something she liked and brought her legs up to rest on the dashboard.
Chibs didn't bring up the situation until they were on the road. "So this Lois girl then… You two are good friends?"
"Besides Opie, she's my best friend," she agreed, nodding. "And yes, I know, Jax was suspicious and he raises a good point about not being too trusting, but I know Lois… And she's not working any angle here."
He looked over at her thoughtfully and nodded. "The Chloe seal of approval's a hard thing to come by…" he said. "What's she done to earn it?"
She chewed her lip a moment, considering the question. "Something happened… It was just a bad day and she didn't let it get to her… She supported me."
He hummed. "This have anything to do with your mum, then?"
She turned to him, slightly surprised.
He half-smiled. "When you were younger, I remember hearin' from the others that yer mum used to come in and drag you outta the club… Had a problem with Piney, didn't want you spendin' too much time around us criminals… But they don't say that anymore. Fact, they say they haven't seen Moira in some time."
Chloe turned her gaze back out the window. "She's been different since Gabe died…"
"How different?" he wondered, his voice sounding heavy and concerned.
She didn't reply right away because she wasn't sure what to say. She trusted Chibs. She had from the moment she met him. He, like Bobby, was of the few prospects that she had connected with immediately and hoped would stick around. When Chibs had transferred over from SAMBEL to SAMCRO, she'd been ecstatic. As they rode on together with him waiting patiently for her to explain, she was reminded of JT and how she would often confide in him and seek guidance. She wondered if Chibs could be that person for her now.
"She's been having episodes since I was a kid, where she just kind of… I don't know, it's like she blacks out. She detaches. They used to only last a few minutes but now it can go on as long as an hour… She doesn't do anything. She just sits and stares at nothing." She shifted in her seat and dropped her gaze to her lap. "But when Gabe died, she went to a doctor, she said she couldn't sleep, so he prescribed something for her… Not just for the sleeping, but the blackouts. But it didn't last long before she started using more than the recommended dose and then, when that didn't work, she started drinking…"
"Chloe…" he sighed.
"I know. I know that what she's doing is wrong and unsafe and from an outsider's point of view, yes, it puts me in a really bad position. But…" She turned to look at him, her face full of pleading. "I hardly see her, honestly. I'm only at home to sleep and I usually go out my window to avoid seeing her even when I am home. I just, I can't leave her. She's sick and she's confused, but she's still my mom."
"If she's as far gone as you're sayin', she might not be yer mum anymore…"
She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I won't abandon her."
"An' what about you?" he wondered, his brogue thickening. "Wha' about what you need?"
"I have the club," she said, smiling brightly to reassure him. "I-I have Lois and Opie and Jax. When I need somewhere to be, I can always come to the club. When I need anything, I know you guys are there."
"It isn't right. She's suppose t' be yer mother. She's supposed t' take care of ya."
"Chibs, please… I know that it sounds complicated, but she's just going through a rough patch. She's just grieving over Gabe."
He dragged a hand down his face and frowned. "And wha' about yer da'? Does he know about this? Any o' this?"
Her lips pursed in a line. "No. I haven't told him."
"Opie?"
"Opie knew about the episodes. I told him when I was a kid. But he doesn't know how far they've gone…"
"An' just how far have they gone?"
She sighed, dropping her head back against the seat rest. "It's nothing I can't handle."
"You're a tough girl, ya can handle a lot…" He turned into a parking lot behind the liquor store and put the van into park. Turning to face her, he said gently, "The important thing is knowin' ya don' have to handle it on yer own."
Chloe smiled, tipping her head as she looked up at him. "I know." She reached for him and squeezed his hand. "And I appreciate how much you care. But I can do this… If things get out of control, I'll leave. I promise."
"All right." He nodded. "If you need anything…"
"I won't hesitate to ask."
He gave her a quick grin before he moved to get out of the van, closing the topic of conversation. She appreciated that about Chibs. He cared, he offered to do whatever necessary to help her, but he also recognized that she was her own person and she would make her own decisions. She knew part of the reason was because he was a father, even if he didn't get to see his daughter Kerrianne, who was currently being raised by Chibs' wife and Jimmy O'Phelan in Belfast. He was a father at his heart and he showed that kindness to Chloe where he couldn't for Kerrianne.
He had a point about her mother, and she knew it. Moira was getting out of control and living life the way she was wasn't exactly good for her. But she wouldn't leave her mom; even if most of Chloe's life involved her father and the club, Moira was still her mother. Maybe it was just the card she was dealt, an odd sense of balance. Her mother was mentally absent, but she had a score of men who stood tall as her family. She would just have to take what she could get.
[Next: Part Seven.]
author's note: i know, i know, i completely suck for taking so damn long to update. editing just takes so much focus so i always end up putting it off. i'll do my best to get the next chapter edited and up much quicker!
i hope you're all still reading and i'd love to know what you think! especially about david hale and the sweet chloe/jax moments! ;)
thanks so much to the previous reviewers: boltgirl426, moonstar_sfu, lionhearted_21, purple_moon123, williari, and bogusbabe. You're all amazing and I really aprpreciate the continuous support!
thanks,
- lee | fina