Scars Or Tattoo's?

Chapter 10

Phoebe awoke, she stretched and reached over for Chibs. He was not there. Thinking about it for a second, she always awakens first and has his coffee ready. She gets out of bed and goes to the kitchen. There is no coffee in the pot. She checks the bath, he is not there. She wonders if he got a call and had to go.

As she walks into the living room she sees her book out on the deck, laying open. She walks out there, it is open to the last page. She reaches down to touch it as she looks out to see his bike gone. Tears fall in heavy streams down her face. Her truth has lost him.

~~~~~~~~~

Chibs was at the club house when everyone was waking or coming into work. No one approached him as they had noticed he was drinking whiskey at 7 am and looked pretty hammered. They would wait for Jax to deal with this.

Chibs was staring into space, one glass after another.

Jax had arrived on his bike and was informed of his first morning duty. Chibs. Angered that Chibs was toasted at this hour and they left it up to him to deal with.

He goes into the club house with Opie, Happy, Bobby and Juice behind him.

"Chibs, whats up man"? He is ignored as Chibs takes another big drink.

"Chibs"! Jax raised his voice to him and Happy looks over to Bobby.

"I wish I could tell you Jax, I wish I could tell you"! Taking another drink.

"Woman or Club" Jax asked, figuring it had to be one or the other and he could go from that starting point.

"Woman"! Taking another drink.

Well, ok, starting point and easier to deal with, so he thought. "Chibs, your going to bed now, you need sleep then we can work this out" He pointed to Opie to help get him to his room. It was a maneuver but they did and tossed him on the bed. Happy pulled off his boots and Bobby covered him. Chibs mumbled, "I love her Jax". Jax patted him on the shoulder and they left the room.

"What the hell, who is he seeing"? Juice added walking out and they each shrubbed their shoulders heading out to the garage to start their day.

Chibs woke up hours later, his head hurting as if it had been put into a vice. Then his thoughts came back to him. He got up, peed and got a glass of water from the bathroom. Sat back on the bed and pulled out his phone. He thought to call her, but what to say?

He then dialed another number.

~~~~~~~~~

Phoebe had missed lunch. She needed to take Charlie out for a walk, but couldn't get off the sofa. She had curled up there and cried since she notice Chibs had read her book and left. She had lost the one thing in life that she always desired. And now she was thinking it was time to get her and Charlies bags and run again. It seems it's always what she does best now. Run. The pain will go away, eventually.

Then the doorbell rang. She did manage to get up and answer it. It was a young man with three dozen roses in three seperate vases.

She took them, tipped him and went into the kitchen with them.

She opened the first card. 'Phoebe, I love you'.

The second card. 'I will never leave you'

The third card. 'You are mine and always will be'

Then noticing another card she opened it. 'You will not run again'

She grabbed onto the edge of the counter and cried even more tears. He read her book and couldn't be here to see her, he had to go away and think. He was angry! And not at her! He did not allow her to see this.

Then another knock at the door. She went to answer it. He wore the same kutte as Chibs, dark curly hair, barely shaven. She just looked at him, then noticing he was looking at Charlie and he seemed a bit worried.

Looking back at this man, "Is Chibs ok, is he hurt"? Worried, why would one of his club members come to her door?

"No he's not ok, yes he appears to be hurt, what the hell did you do to him"? Still eyeing Charlie.

"What happened"? She asked in a rush.

"He's in bed now, after he downed a bottle of whiskey and won't talk to anyone" "Is that thing safe to be around"?

"Mo Chara Charlie" and Charlie laid down. "Dear God, I didn't think he would go for the bottle"

"What did you do to him" demanding an answer.

"I can't tell you. Where is he"?

'He's at the club house, Jax put him to bed". Then looking over and seeing the roses, "Did he send them"?

"Yes"

"Damn, never seen Chibs get drunk over a woman or send flowers, who the hell are you"?

"I can't tell you that either" she didn't know what to say to this man. Chibs read her book, left, got drunk, put to bed, sent flowers and now his friend is at her door. This man can't know any of it.

"Well can you tell me if your horse eats people"? Looking back to Charlie again.

"If I tell him to, then yes" at least she could answer that one.

"Well, Chibs has no missing body parts that we noticed so I guess it's not all bad then".

They both laughed lightly.

"So what are you going to do" he asked her.

"He will return here tonight and time will tell, that's all I can say".

"Then I'll go back and not say anything, is that what you want"?

"It is"

And he turned and walked away but always watching Charlie as he did. She closed the door.

She had some thinking to do. How to proceed with this.

It was about 6 pm, she got a text from Chibs, few and far between they were, but he did send one: My love, I'll see you soon.

She replied: I love you.

Chibs went out of the club house and sat on the picnic table with the others. Lit a cigarette.

Juice spoke first, "Chibs, what the hell happened"?

Chibs just looked down, "Can't say"

Then Bobby, "Chibs, a woman's never made you drink yourself stupid before"

Chibs looked up to Bobby, "But love can" and then he got up, tossed his cigarette and got on his bike and rode away.

The men just stood there staring at him as he rode off. Oh damn!