A Stranger in Familiar Land

Chapter 13

AHHHHHHH over 1k reads! Y'all are the best (but you could comment more - just saying :P )

-

Ella was aware of the heat surrounding her before she was aware of where she was. She'd never woken up so warm, with the heat seeping into her bones and making her content. She could have stayed wrapped in whatever was around her forever if she was being honest.

Her mind sank into the warmth as she tried to remember the events of the previous day.

She'd gotten home from work to find she'd been... She'd been what? It had been bad because then she was in the garage and then her hands were cold, wrapped around the handles of her dad's bike, and...

Oh!

She'd been kicked out.

She'd been trying to make it to the motel across town, but...

But she'd fallen asleep!

She'd passed out from the cold, and now she was warm.

So where the fuck was she?

Ella sat up suddenly, snapping her eyes open, and regretted it instantly. The room was too bright, the lights giving her an instant headache, and the sudden movement made her chest burn.

After a few seconds, the headache subsided and Ella looked around the room with ease. She'd been lying in a bed in the SOA clubhouse, she'd spent enough nights in the rooms to know, wearing what appeared to be a SAMCRO t-shirt. Her leggings from last night were still on her legs. Directly above the bed she was in was an American flag taped to the wall.

Ella looked around the room again and saw Juice lying on a couch in the corner. She figured the club must have found her after she fell asleep on the side of the road, but why hadn't they taken her to the hospital? Why take her back to the clubhouse? Why help her at all? It wasn't like she was important to them or anything, she was just a waitress they partied with on occasion.

Ella coughed, partly because her throat was dry and the water glass on the table was empty, and partly to wake up Juice.

Juice snapped his eyes open, "Ella! You're awake!" He cried, turning his head and rolling his body, forgetting that he was on a couch. He fell to the ground in a heap of limbs. Ella moved to get to him, but her limbs felt heavy and they ached when they moved.

Juice snapped his head up before she could get off the bed, smiling, "How are you feeling?" He pulled himself off the floor and rushed to her side, "Do you need anything?"

Ella pointed to the empty water glass on the table and Juice smiled, "Yeah, water, I'll grab you some." He took the water glass and almost ran into the bathroom. Despite the fact that Ella's body hurt, she smiled at Juice's antics. He was like an energizer bunny and she adored him.

"Alright Jacky-Boy, I'm gonna get Juicy up and check on Ella," Chib's Scottish lilt came from outside the door and before Ella could lie back down, it was opening. When Chibs saw her sitting up on the bed, he smiled, "Welcome back lass," Before leaning out the doorway and yelling down the hall, "She's awake fella's!"

Juice came out of the bathroom and stopped in his tracks as there was a thundering of feet and yelling coming from the main part of the clubhouse. Ella clutched her head, the activity activating her headache again. She didn't even know what they were saying, it was just white noise and pain. Ella closed her eyes and curled in on herself.

"Everyone back up!" Jax's voice rang out through the noise and the activity around Ella stopped. She opened her eyes to see the guys in the doorway, Jax and Chibs, standing in front of them like a barrier, and Juice standing next to the bed.

"Here," Juice held out the water to Ella and she took it, gulping it down.

Jax took Juice's position next to her, "You okay darling?"

Ella nodded. She still had questions but she also figured the guys didn't mean her any harm. If anything they'd saved her.

"What happened?" Her throat was still rough but her voice came out fine, "How long have I been out?"

"We picked you up last night," Jax explained, "Unser found you passed out on the side of the road. We went to your apartment after bringing you back here, why didn't you call us after you were evicted?" Right, that. 

"You didn't need to know," Ella shrugged, "I didn't need help."

"Yes, you did lass," Chibs said from the doorway, "You gave Jax and Tig a right scare last night, with your lips all blue the way they were. Gave the rest of us a scare too, we thought you fucking died. It's the middle of winter for christ's sake."

Ella wanted to take the conversation in a different direction.

"Thank you," Ella looked away from Chibs, back to Jax, "For this," She motioned to the room, "You didn't have to."

"Yeah, we did," Jax smiled slightly, "You're one of ours now, a friend of the club. We help out our friends." His smile dropped, "Where were you going anyway?"

"To the motel across town," Ella shifted in the sheet painfully, her limbs still weak, "Figured I'd rent a room there for a couple of days while I gave in my keys and found a new apartment." She shrugged.

"You could have called us," Jax repeated for emphasis.

Ella shrugged again, "It's not a big deal."

"Lass, you nearly died," Chibs shut the door and came over to the bed, "That's a big deal."

"I would have been taken to the hospital," Ella curled in on herself, not liking the anger radiating off the two men, no matter where it was intended, "It's not a big deal," She repeated.

Jax swallowed painfully and Ella got the feeling it was a big deal to them.

"Guys! I made breakfast, is she okay to come out and eat?" Bobby knocked on the door, making Ella jump and the two guys back away from the bed.

"Can you stand darling?" Jax asked as Chibs went to open the door.

Ella nodded, "Yeah, but I don't think I'm dressed for breakfast." She was still wearing the SAMCRO shirt, which was probably Jax's or Opie's now that she was thinking about it, and she didn't know where her own clothes were. She didn't see her shirt or jacket anywhere.

"No one cares here," Jax helped her out of the bed, catching her when her legs wobbled. He steadied her, and she took a couple of steps forward, "Come on, Bobby's an amazing cook."

-

We're almost done with the setup part of the story, pretty soon we're gonna get into the SOA season 2 storyline. Hang in there! It can only get better :D

Updates might be a little slow from here until the end of May, I've got final exams coming up and I want to focus on studying. I've got lots of chapters written and in the process of being edited, but I'll release them slower so that it doesn't feel so much like a break, okay?

ALSO PLEASE COMMENT! I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK!