Skeletons

"Mooooooom, get up!"

Falyn woke up to her daughter whining as she jumped up and down on her bed. She rolled over, quickly reaching out her hand and grabbing Savannah's ankle and making her feet shoot out from under her. She landed flat on her back, giggling as she turned onto her side. "Morning, Mom."

"Mornin', kid. You're up awfully early."

"Am not. It's almost nine, you know."

"My God, I've slept all day," she replied sarcastically.

"I thought we could hang out. Since we kinda got interrupted the other day."

Falyn smiled apologetically at her daughter and sat up from her pillow, stretching her body. "What are we doing?"

"Movies on the sofa and ice cream sundaes, duh."

"Sounds perfect. Race you to the stairs!" she shouted, jumping up before Savannah could even process what she'd said. She quickly jumped up and ran after her mother, following just a step behind her all the way down the stairs. Falyn fell onto the sofa, grinning at her daughter. "Pathetic. I'm eighteen years older than you and I still beat you!"

"You cheated!" Savannah protested, sticking out her tongue.

Falyn laughed and grabbed her daughter around her waist, pulling her down on the sofa and wrapping her arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "Love you, kid."

"You haven't heard what we're watching yet!"

"I'm guessing Harry Potter again?"

"Nope, not this time!" She hopped up from the sofa and went over to the tv, picking up a movie case from the top of it and handing it over to her mother.

Falyn took it from her hand and looked down, a smile automatically making its way onto her face. Her old copy of While You Were Sleeping. "This movie is older than you are. You sure you wanna watch it?"

"It's your favorite, isn't it?"

"Sure is," she smiled. "Ever since it came out when I was a teenager."

"Then we're watching it." She picked up the remote control from the coffee table and hit play, letting the movie begin. Falyn slumped down on the sofa and Savannah laid down, putting her head in her lap so that Falyn could play with her long blonde hair.

The movie was almost halfway over when there was a heavy knock on the door. Savannah sat up from her lap so that she could get up and she went to the door, peeking through the peephole to see who was there. She'd momentarily forgotten about that conversation she was supposed to be having until she saw the head of messy blonde hair. She sighed, opening the door only slightly and Jax turned around to face her.

"Look, Jax, I haven't gotten a chance to tell her yet-"

"Fal, I told you I ain't gonna push you on that. That ain't why I'm here."

Falyn glanced back to the living room where Savannah was sitting indian style on the sofa, looking at her curiously. She turned back to Jax and nodded her head. "Alright. What's up then?"

"The kid's comin' home from the hospital today. Mom's puttin' together a little welcome home party for him at my house tonight. Thought you might like to come. Your old man too. And maybe she can meet her kid brother," he said, nodding toward the house.

Falyn smiled nervously. "I'll be there but I'll have to see how that conversation goes before I can tell you if she's coming though."

He nodded his head, running his hand over the hair on his chin. "Yeah. Alright. I'll see you tonight then."

Falyn watched him until he had sped off down the driveway on his motorcycle before she went back into the living room where Savannah was waiting. "Who was that?"

Falyn sighed, dropping onto the sofa and turning off the television, running her hands through her hair. "Your dad," she finally blurted out.

Savannah's eyes widened. "What?"

"Okay." Falyn took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Okay. You want to know about your dad. It's about time you did. So any questions you have that you want to ask me, I'll try to answer them honestly."

"Are you serious?" she asked skeptically.

"You should know."

"Okay. So what's his name? What's he do?" A million questions were flooding her brain but she attempted to hold most of them back, not wanting to overwhelm her mother.

"His name's Jax. He's, um, a.....mechanic."

Savannah furrowed her eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What?"

"You paused before you answered that."

Falyn bit down on her lip as she looked across he sofa into her daughter's blue eyes, that were just like her father's. "Okay. I said I'd be honest so here goes. He's in this motorcycle club, and they do a lot of shit that gets them in trouble with the cops."

"Illegal stuff," Savannah clarified.

"Yeah," she frowned. "But that Club has been around since I was a kid and I've learned that you don't ask questions. They don't tell anything that's not necessary to keep everyone else out of trouble."

"So my dad is a criminal."

"Technically, yes."

"Wow, Mom, you sure can pick 'em," she laughed.

"I was young and dumb, babe."

"But I thought Papa said you dated that cop before you left."

Here goes, Falyn thought, groaning to herself. "Davey. Yeah, he was my boyfriend from the time I was fifteen til the time I left Charming."

"Wait, now I'm confused. You cheated on the cop with the criminal?"

Falyn nodded slowly, a frown on her face. "More than you ever needed to know about your mother, huh?"

Savannah smiled, taking her mother's hand in hers. "I love you no matter what."

"Did you know you're the greatest kid that's ever existed?"

Their conversation was interrupted by yet another knock on the door. Savannah got up to answer it this time and soon she returned with Donna following her.

"Donna? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Just a bunch of Club bullshit."

"Should I go into the kitchen?" Savannah asked.

"No, it's okay, sweetie," Donna told her. She sank down into the chair by the window, running her hands through her hair.

"Where's the kids?" Falyn asked.

"Mary took 'em to Fun Town."

"Mary? As in Winston?"

"Yeah, I know. Weird, right? But they seem to like her."

"That can't be right," Falyn muttered, making Donna crack a smile. "So what's this Club shit?"

"The Feds. They're pushin' Ope real hard. Me too. They're settin' him up to be a goddamn rat. Took us all to Department of Justice in Stockton in the middle of the night to make it look like they were protectin' their witness."

"Jesus Christ. The Club knows that, right? They know the Feds are setting Opie up?"

Donna shrugged her shoulders hopelessly. "He went to the clubhouse to talk to Clay yesterday. Told 'em the truth. He said they believed him him."

"Yeah," she nodded reassuringly. "I'm sure they did. They know how important the Club is to him. I mean, he just did five years for it."

Donna sighed as she slowly stood up from the chair and Falyn did the same. "I hope you're right."

"Everything'll be alright, Donna," she assured her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders.

"Yeah," she agreed hesitantly. "Well, I gotta get going. I'll see you tonight at the party?"

"I'll be there," she affirmed.

When Donna had shut the front door behind her, Falyn turned back to Savannah, who was looking at her curiously. "Party?"

"Well, what we were talking about earlier-- your dad. He just had a baby. A little boy."

"I have a brother?"

"Yep," she smiled. "His name's Abel. And he's coming home from the hospital today so Gem-....your, um, grandma, is throwing him a welcome home party. That's why Jax was here. To invite us."

"Are we going?"

"Do you want to?"

She thought for a moment, but then she smiled. "I'd like to meet my brother."

Falyn nodded, a smile forming on her face as well. "Alright then. We'll go."