Charming's Charmless

Slick sweat coated Helen's skin as she lay on a bed covered in sheets that prickled her skin. Bright lights bore down over face and the sound of tools clacking on tin trays invaded her ears.
“It's going to be okay.”
Looking to her side Tara stood in mint green scrubs, her hands held up as a nurse began slipping on her surgical grade gloves.
“What's going on?” A stab of pain jolted through her stomach and Helen cried out in pain.
Medical staff bustled around her. Panic seized her chest. Helen felt her heart pick up pace. It thudded hard and fas against her ribcage.
“Someone tell me what's going on!”
“Doctor, are you ready?”
Tara nodded at the question proceeding to grab a viciously sharp scalpel from her tray. The blade glinted in the artificial light.
Malicious terror filled Helen as she watched her sister learn down close to her stomach. Scalpel raised high above her head.
With eyes widening and realisation dawning over her Helen began to scream out in protest.
“No! Tara no!”
The sudden cries of her sister made Tara's brow furrow as she took a step back. “Helen?”
Helen's whole body began to shudder. Her lungs deflated refusing to take in any more air. She coughed and sputtered.
“Helen?”
Darkness dotted itself before her eyes and her head suddenly felt so light and airy.
“Helen!”
Something heavy took hold of her arm and began tugging hard and fast.
“Helen wake up!”
Coolness washed over her skin as her eyes snapped open. Body jolting up and scattering the sheet that had been resting over her.
She looked to the digital alarm clock.
1:30am.
“Jesus Christ.” Helen's hands went to her face as they raked through her hair.
Juice sat up I bed looking at her through the dark with a look of questioning plaguing is face.
Shifting from the bed Helen flicked on the lamp beside her bed.
“What...?” Juice wasn't sure what to ask.
Helen snaked a hand behind her and patted Juice's arm. “It's fine.”
He screwed up his face and raised a brow. “That didn't sound fine to me.”
Reaching over past the lamp Helen dragged back an orange bottle of pills and popped the cap.
“And what are they?” He moved from his side of the bed and swung his legs over the edge of Helen's side.
“They help me sleep.” Willingly she handed the pill bottle to Juice who read over the label.
“Shit Helen.” Draping an arm around her shoulders Juice pulled Helen into his embrace.
“I guess we need to have that talk, huh?”

Dawn pulled itself from midnight slumber bathing the little town in cool winter light. Residents over woke to sounds of birds chirping and automated sprinklers beginning their daily watering over perfectly green lawns.
“I could feel everything even as Tara insisted it was just in my head.” Helen sat across the kitchen table from Juice with her arms folded. “The blood tricking down my sides. Hands invading my body. I was aware of everything happening to me even as they pulled her from me. I felt that.” She stopped with a sudden gasp. “I still feel that every time I think about it.”
Juice sat slumped in his chair. Tears prickled his eyes and a hand sat over his mouth. How could he have not been there? If the Club had just covered it's tracks better.
“Gemma was there with me. She held my hand the whole time. Halfsack was in the waiting room.”
Juice tilted his head back. Even Sack had been there for her.
“When Halfsack told me what had happened...” he trailed off as silent tears slicked his cheeks.
“I know. He told me.”
Juice shook his head while anger welled in his belly. “How does this happen? To us?!” Slamming his fist down hard over the table Juice's skin flushed red.
“Juice!” Helen snapped from her chair and grabbed his arm before it could make contact with the table again. “That's not going to help anything.”
He looked up at her, the rage in his eyes scaring her.
“What else am I suppose to do?! I couldn't be there for you. For our child!”
Helen quickly pulled his arms around her waist. Juice buried his face into her shirt and let out a frustrated growl.
“I know baby.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and began to gently rock them from side to side. “We can get through this.”
“How?”
Shaking her head she shrugged as hot tears dampened her shirt. “We just will.”

Gemma stood by the trailer sitting in the garage lot watching as a new car rolled on in for repairs. It was just past lunch and Opie had gone in for his break leaving Helen to keep on working with a car that had them both stumped. Gemma remembered the weeks Helen had buried herself in learning the trade to help keep everything afloat while the boy were in jail.
Halfsack was due in the garage after his Prospect duties around the Club House which were stacking up against him.
“Excuse me.” An accent not local to Gemma caught her attention.
“What can I do for you?” She stepped down to the classic muscle car sitting on idle. Gemma looked in and was met by a pair of bright blue eyes and a pearly white smile.
“I was wondering if you had any time today to have a look at my car?” The young man sitting in the drivers side had his arm sitting on the outside edge of the door. A chequered shirt wit it's cuffs rolled up the elbow sat over a white wife beater.
Gemma purser her lips and looked back up at Helen who was body under a car and hummed.
“I'll just go check for you. I'll be right back.”
“Thanks love.”
She smiled before making her way to the garage.
Eighties rock played from a little CD player on one of the benches as Helen worked with spanner in hand.
“Hey.” Gemma nudged Helen's ankle with her heeled boot.
“What's up, Gem?” Helen was starting to sound like one of the boys when she was out there.
“Some fella wants to know if we have time for his car today?”
Helen rose a brow and slid out from under the car's body. “What's wrong with it?”
Gemma shrugged. “Guess nothing too bad since he's driving it.”
Moving from her slide board Helen picked herself up and wiped her hands over the sides of her grey tank top. Looking down at the car humming near the trailer she nodded towards it. “That it?”
“Well there is no other car there.” Gemma poked a smile at Helen as they made their way back down to the muscle car.
“So what's wrong with it?” Helen leaned down to eye level with the man still sitting in the driver's side.
“Think the brakes are shot.” He looked back at her, sweeping his eyes over her appearance.
Gemma watched the fella as his eye lingered down Helen's top a bit too long and tapped Helen on the shoulder.
“Well Halfsack should be down soon, so I guess he can look at it. I really don't have the time today.”
“Okay that sounds great. I'll give you my number-”
Helen put up a hand. “Numbers, details and payments go to Gemma. I just pull apart cars.”
He smiled. “Right. I'm Alex by the way.” Alex stuck his hand out.
“Helen.” She took his hand in a shake. “It should be an easy enough fix provided we have the parts.”
“Well that's just dandy.” Gemma shot Alex a quick look that burned on impact. “You get off for break baby and I'll get this.”

“Jesus Christ!” Halfsack yelped as his hand hit the hot brake pad.
“What?” Helen popped her head up from the engine bay she had been working in.
“What the hell did this guy do to this car? Things been braking on metal to metal.” Halfsack had snatched his hand back and was shaking out the burn.
Opie looked over from a bench he was tinkering at. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, look at this shit.”
The roar of a bike engine entered the garage gate as Helen made her way over to the car to have a look.
“Hrm. That's going to take more than today to fix.” Opie ran his hand over the damage. “Get Gemma to call the guy and let him know.”
“I'll let her know.” Helen wiped her hands over her shirt again as she looked out to Juice dismounting his bike with a package in his arms.
The boys followed her line of sight and nodded.
Walking down from the garage Helen fell in step next to Juice.
“What's up?” Juice glanced to his side, sick filling his stomach.
“Nothing.” Helen shook her head. “Just wondering if you'd be home tonight?”
“What for?”
Raising her brow Helen faltered at Juice's sudden bristling manner. “I was going to cook us dinner...but if you aren't...”
Turning Juice looked down at his woman. “Probably not so don't go to the trouble.”
“Right.” Helen rolled her eyes and kicked the ground with her boots. “I won't.”
Watching her shoulders shrug Juice sighed. Of all people Helen didn't deserve to be treated with the mood he had found himself settling into since that morning.
“Tomorrow night?”
Helen's hands went to her back pockets and she nodded. “If you're free.”
Taking a step forward Juice cupped a hand under her chin and placed a soft kiss over her lips. “I will be.”

Sweet notes of Rum rolled over Helen's tongue as she sank further in to the steaming hot bath water that burned her skin bright red. The hotter the better. Bubbles surrounded the water and music with tales of sorrow swamped the otherwise empty house.
As she lay in the tub Helen's nose barely peeked out from the water. Her phone vibrated in the bedroom where she had left it. Tonight she wasn't going to be answering any calls or text messages.
Slowly she let her head slip under. Water forced itself up her nose and ached in her head. Helen's eyes stared up at the bathroom ceiling wide open to the sounds of blood rushing around her head. Just as her body felt panic she surfaced again, wiping a hand through her hair and taking a deep gulp of air.
Sorrow's hands made their way through her chest and wrapped their bony fingers around her heart. They squeezed and held on tight. Tears prickled at her eyes and while sorrow had her heart, anger and grief had her mind.
Stomping her foot against the end of the tub Helen groaned and gritted her teeth against the tears ready to spill down her face.
This wasn't fair! Helen had told herself this everyday but it still didn't make anything feel any better.
Running her hands over her face she heard a rumble up the driveway.
Helen turned her head to the side as keys jangled in the front door.
“Helen?” Juice called from the lounge as he closed the door behind him.
He could hear her steps as she padded into the lounge room with a towel clinging to her wet body. “You said you wouldn't be home tonight.”
“I...I changed my mind.” He watched as Helen's brows furrowed and her hand went to her head.
“Yeah. Okay.” She shook off the drunken stupor that was slowly sinking in and looked him in the eye.
“I tried calling you phone.”
“It's in the bedroom.”
Juice nodded. Why was this so awkward?
“This is stupid and just insane.” Juice rubbed his hands over his still unshaven head and bit his bottom lip.
Taking several long strides he covered the distance between them in seconds and in no time had his arms around Helen's waist and was pulling her into a deep kiss.
A sigh came from Helen as she moved her arms around his neck letting her towel drop to the floor.
“I missed you so fucking much.” Juice's lips spoke against her neck as his hands moved down to her legs and heaved her against the wall.
Helen replied with a lustful smile. “I missed you too.”
A growl vibrated from Juice's throat while his body pressed against hers.
“Good.”