Pixie, First Daughter of Anarchy: Book 2

M 'athair

WARNING: Mention of premature babies, Irish Mother & Baby homes, death, bereavement, OCD intrusive thoughts, PTSD-style flashbacks.

Chibs felt the familiar pull of heartache in his chest as he looked at Fiona Larkin stood next to the door in his hospital room. He could never not look at her and see the love of his life, her gorgeous angular face, their past. She was looking back at him now, bronze-brown eyes wide, framed by full lashes, her lips parted in a shocked expression, full lower lip trembling ever so slightly as her caramel complexion paled.

"Fi?" Chibs questioned, his voice almost a whisper as he felt his throat tighten, she was the last person he expected to see in his room and it brought back a rush of painfully beautiful memories, though he shoved them down in favour of trying to grasp the present situation. Fiona hadn't taken her eyes off of Pixie, both of them frozen to the spot on either side of Chibs' hospital bed.

"Ho-how do you know my name?" Pixie stammered out, voice wavering as Chibs turned his head to look at her, the way Pixie's hands were trembling, a fear reaction. "You...you just said 'Maighread'." She forced out, her hazel eyes just as wide as Fiona's, her chest rising and falling in short bursts. Chibs' eyebrows shot up at Pixie's words, he hadn't heard Fiona speak, he'd been asleep until Pixie had woken him by dropping the boxes to the floor. Bandit came to Pixie's side, his smart brown eyes locked on Fiona, gauging the threat level, and protecting Pixie with his body, pushing up against her left leg just enough to make contact but not enough to tip her.

"Wha'?" Chibs gasped, turning back to Fiona, feeling an overwhelming sense of disorientation over what was unfolding before him, trying to grasp the situation, and wishing his brain wasn't so sluggish with all the medication and the brain injury.

When Fiona stayed silent, Pixie's face turned desperate, hazel eyes shining with emotions, confusion, and panic in every aspect of her demeanour. "How do you know me?!" Pixie barked out, voice like a whiplash, shattering the tense silence in the room and causing Fiona to jump ever so slightly.

Fiona pressed her lips together and swallowed hard, shifting her weight so she could stand up straight, fiddling with the tan coat she had folded over her right arm. "Not in front o' Filip. Please, cailín, let's talk. I'll explain an' ye can tell me wha' yer doin' all tha way out here too." She begged, her eyes turning pleading and horrified as recognition solidified in her eyes as she took in Pixie.

"Oh, aye in front o' Filip." Chibs objected, confusion turning to defence as his protective instincts kicked in over how both Pixie and Fiona seemed to terrify each other. He reached out and grasped Pixie's left hand, pulling her close to his side against the bed. Bandit pressed his nose against Pixie's right hand, nuzzling her fingers and moving until she had her hand on his head. "Wha' tha dickens is goin' on, Fiona?!" Chibs growled, adjusting himself so he could look her full in the face on. Pixie broke Fiona's gaze to look down at Chibs, clearly anguished. She knew that Fiona was Chibs' ex-wife, but Pixie had never met her in her life, she barely even knew anything about the woman, and Pixie had only just begun to be vocal about her real name, so to hear it come from the lips of Fiona, perfect pronunciation and all, was petrifying.

Fiona's eyes changed to surprise seeing how Chibs had reached for Pixie in such a caring and safe-guarding manner, staring down at their hands, seeing how Pixie's small fingers gripped Chibs', seeking comfort and showing a clear bond. This seemed to unsettle her even more as she hugged her arms across her chest in a self-soothing manner, biting her bottom lip in a show of nerves, clearly wishing that she wasn't in this position, glancing at Chibs with intense regret and sorrow. "I'm so, so sorry Filip." Fiona whispered, black eyebrows coming together as her forehead creased in anxiety. She refocused back on Pixie's face, taking in the wounds there and feeling a sense of worry for the girl. "Maighread...Meggie, I'm yer mother." Fiona confessed in a low, soft voice. Her eyes closing as pain and regret seemed to wash over her, shoulders hunching slightly before she opened her eyes and straightened her stance once more.