"So … how's this? Does Mommy look hot?" Valerie asked, eyebrows raised, peering down at Mickey in his car seat.

They'd pulled into a truck stop to freshen up. One thing Valerie had learned; truck stops really did have cleaner bathrooms compared to simple gas stations. And the roomiest stalls. She'd been able to close the toilet seat, set Mickey's car seat on it, and changed from shorts and a tank top to a turquoise sundress with plenty of room to move. Now she was at the sink, Mickey still seated next to her on the counter, chewing on a teething toy and just blinking at her. She's splashed water on her face, put her hair back in a headband, even put on lip gloss, touched up her deodorant and body spray.

Overkill, maybe. But this road trip was ending at Teller-Morrow in Charming, and she wasn't leaving anything to chance.

They were twenty minutes outside the little town she'd run from. Her stomach was turning, her nerves had her jumpy and anxious, and she felt totally guilty about keeping Mickey restrained in his car seat during this pit stop. But he hadn't messed himself, she'd changed him an hour before, and if she let him out he'd be all over, most likely digging his teething ring out of the toilet and shoving it back in his mouth. Yeah, that had happened once.

He was a hellion, all over the place, and almost impossible to get under wraps once he was loose. So he'd stayed belted and hadn't complained. He just watched her, chewing away. There was so much drool she'd put his bib back on after changing him into fancy meeting-new-people clothes when they'd hit the road that morning.

She carried him back to her vehicle, securing him in the backseat. Then she settled behind the wheel, gave him a smile over her shoulder, which he returned, and put the Escape in gear. Yes, her fifteen-month-old son smiled back at his mom when she smiled at him. It was just the two of them after all; he was a hell of a team mate.

She listened to Audra Mae and the Almighty Sound the rest of the way to Charming. Driving across town limits she felt her pulse increase. When she hit the main drag her stomach dropped. As she turned onto the street that housed the Teller-Morrow garage she thought she was going to hyperventilate.

Mickey helped, though. He blabbered along with the music, which was cute since she was singing along, too. He was used to this now. She was, hopefully, raising a man who would be okay with his significant other singing along with the radio. It was an important detail.

The compound's chain link fence came into view and she drove past the gate, opting to take one more lap around the block.

Plenty of things scared her, just to clarify. But this … she was terrified of.

On the second pass she turned into the lot, parking in the customer stalls. She sat behind the wheel, killed the engine, and concentrated on her breathing. She tried not to look around at her surroundings. So much time had passed. Everything looked the same, but with the changes in her life everything felt very different.

She was acutely aware that one very key component piece to this scenery was missing. Tig. Mickey's father.

That was what made it all seem strange. He wasn't going to greet her, face breaking into a wild grin, his eyes flashing with heat. He couldn't grab her and kiss her without giving a shit who was looking.

She squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn't here to remember Tig, as difficult as that was. She was here to present herself to a man who was here, ready and open to loving her and all her messy attachments. A man who Mickey was already nuts about, too.

She checked her hair in the mirror again then climbed out. She circled the vehicle, opened the rear passenger door and unclipped Mickey from his seat. He was smiling, babbling "Momma" to her, grinning like a loon and giving her so much strength.

Christ she loved this little monkey and his crazy smile, laugh and eyes.

She attached him to her hip, grabbing her purse off the floorboards in front of his car seat, slinging it over her opposite shoulder.

"Momma."

"I know, baby."

"Momma."

"What is it, Mickey?"

"Momma."

"You're adorable, baby. I wish you knew more than one word."

"Momma."

She kissed his head as she slammed the door, hiking him up a bit then looking around. No one saw her yet, which was fine with her. She headed for the office, hoping her former assistant was still working there.

Before she got much closer to the stairs the door swung open. She saw Teresa, blonde and vibrant, stalking down the stairs in a killer blush-coloured pencil skirt, kitten heels and a gauzy white summer blouse. "Happy!" she was shrieking.

The Son she was shouting for was in a bay, working on a vehicle. "What?" he bellowed back.

"What the hell does this even say?"

Valerie stopped, morbidly curious as to how this played out.

"Christ Blondie, how long you worked here?"

"How long have you been writing?" she volleyed back. "We could avoid this if you'd just take your time and print legibly."

Valerie winced. If there was one Son she'd always be cautious around, it was Happy Lowman.

"I ain't got time, Blondie. You do what you do and I'll fix cars, okay?"

"Just tell me what this is. I'll help you with your printing skills later."

There was a stare-down in front of a Ford Mustang, then Happy cracked a grin. "Jesus Blondie, you're a ball buster." Then he pulled out a pencil to rewrite the form she had been waving at him.

Ummm … what?

Teresa waited, arms crossed, while he rewrote the offending information, then snapped it back from his grip. "Thank you," she said sarcastically.

"No no, babe. Thank you."

Teresa stalked away, head held high, starting towards the office which brought her around to face where Valerie stood, Mickey on her hip.

She stopped, her face lit up, and she shrieked, literally squealed "Val?" and ran at her.

Valerie stayed where she was, feeling her face break into a grin. When Teresa got to her she was wrapped in a tight hug, half-way because of Mickey. When she pulled back she was beaming, then she looked to Mickey.

"Oh. My. God." She gasped. "Valerie, he's … beautiful."

Val couldn't say her heart didn't swell with pride. She studied her son, who was jawing away on his teething ring but staring at Teresa, wide-eyed and fascinated.

"Teresa," she returned, hearing the emotion in her voice. "I missed you."

Teresa looked at her, face crumpling. "Val, I missed you sooo much!"

They hugged again, holding each other tight. Mickey eventually fussed, bringing them apart with a chuckle.

"Umm, Teresa," Valerie said, voice still thick with emotion. "This is Michael Alexander. Mickey, this is Teresa, a friend of your Momma's."

"Momma," Mickey echoed, making them both laugh.

"My God, Val," Teresa muttered, staring at him. "He is … gorgeous."

"I think so too," Val agreed, kissing his baby head.

"Hi Mickey," Teresa said, smiling.

Mickey smiled at her, then turned away and pressed his face against Val's shoulder. "Mickey!" Val exclaimed. "Are you playing shy right now?"

Her son had never played shy before. There wasn't a woman he met he hadn't made eyes at.

"Awww," Teresa cooed. "Are you flirting with me?"

"Better not be," came the confident declaration from the stairs.

Valerie smiled up at Juice while Teresa turned. The baby-faced Juan Carlos Ortiz jogged down the office stairs, approaching Val and dropping a kiss on her cheek. "Val," he greeted her warmly. "You look fantastic."

"Thanks Juice," she returned, kissing his cheek in return. Seeing him made her feel more confident; Juice liked her. Juice was cool with her being here. "And by the way you two, congratulations!"

"I am so glad you're coming to the wedding," Teresa gushed, eyes still on Mickey. "It means so much!"

"I have to admit, that invitation shocked me," she shared, making Teresa giggle.

"I know. I can't imagine how surprising it was."

"But I'm happy for you, honestly."

Teresa had tears in her eyes. "I am so happy."

Val nodded, smiling at her then Juice. "Good. You guys look really good together. I never would have guessed this in a millions years, but it's … fantastic."

Juice and Teresa smiled at each other, Juice winding an arm around the blonde's shoulders and she tucked into his side was familiarity. Val saw it, plain as day; they were ridiculously, deliriously in love. It actually hurt to be around.

"Can I hold him?" Juice asked suddenly, shocking Valerie.

"Sure," she said, heart softening as his tanned arms came out to take the bundle from her. Mickey let himself be handed over with a still face and wide eyes, staring at this new person who was giving him a trademark amazing smile.

"It's Mickey, right?" Juice asked, not looking away from her son.

"Yeah," Valerie confirmed, rubbing his little back. "Michael Alexander."

"Mickey!" Juice exclaimed. "It's good to meet 'ya, little guy. I'm a friend of your dad's."

The fascination with new male voices knew no bounds. Mickey was staring at him, making Juice laugh and probably frying Teresa's ovaries as she watched it, too.

"Okay," Teresa said, shaking her hands, getting rid of emotional jitters, apparently. Yep, definite baby aspirations right there. "This is awesome. I am so ridiculously excited that you're here. Do you want to come in?"

She was listening and smiling at Teresa's enthusiasm when she felt a shiver run up her back like she knew she was being watched. Heart clenching a little she turned towards the clubhouse and the world narrowed to a very fine point.

Chibs was standing outside the door smoking a cigarette. Valerie swallowed with difficulty, allowing her heart to get back to its normal rhythm.

She always intended to have feelings for the man, not the patch on his kutte. But that SAMCRO leather on Chibs Telford? Talk about making a good thing even better.

Her body warmed as they made distant eye contact. He didn't move.

The next move is yours, love.

She shuddered. She didn't notice that Teresa and Juice had fallen silent. She didn't know anything other than the fact she was walking across pavement so hot you could cook on it, eyes on the man in the shade of an awning, smoking a cigarette and watching her approach.

This had been his ultimatum all along and he was literally making her play it out. She couldn't lie about liking it. She liked it plenty; it made her warm all over. Especially with the way he was looking at her.

She stopped two feet from him, the combination of leather and cigarette smoke in her nose making her heart triple-jump. There was no guarantee what his reaction was going to be, but she'd come this far.

"This is me," she stated simply after taking a big gulp of air. "Coming to you."

He'd been giving her hard-ass face the whole time. Something shifted when she said that, and his lips curled up just a bit. "Aye, I suppose it is."

She cut the distance in half again. "I missed you," she admitted, very softly.

"I missed you, too, Val," he returned with no hesitation.

She had to smile, feeling her heart swell four sizes bigger. She closed the distance completely, taking his face between her hands and pressing her lips to his, forcefully.

He hesitated at that, and she felt him shift one arm to throw away his cigarette before he wrapped his arms tight around her back, lifting her off her feet to kiss her in return.

Better than any homecoming she'd ever had. Her mouth remembered this warmly and eagerly, meeting the motion of his tongue in kind, head tilting to let him control it. It trailed off to the softest series of kisses, giving her a chance to catch her breath again as he set her back on her feet.

"That's how 'ya come to me," he whispered, warming other parts of her with that simple sentence and the sly grin touching his lips.

She was content to stare at him for a moment, then she had to chuckle. "Is everyone staring?"

He shrugged. "I haven't looked."

"Don't look yet," she asked.

"I won't," he answered, kissing her again, deep and hot enough to make her bring a foot up behind her. Yes, she popped her heel with this kiss.

The sound of her heart pounding in her ears was interrupted by a sudden, loud, and close-by wolf whistle. It startled her as she broke the kiss and felt herself blush as Chibs laughed low and male in his chest. "Ah, shite," he muttered.

She backed up just slightly, wiping her bottom lip, catching sight of Happy just to the side of them, arms crossed, grinning away.

"Hi Happy," she greeted him, aware that Chibs wasn't letting her go.

"'Bout fucking time," he muttered, approaching her. His smile was something Valerie always found very scary, but having it directed at her right then it felt absolutely welcoming. She returned the smile as Chibs finally let go of her waist, leaving her open to Happy hugging her.

She was startled, frozen for a moment. He slapped her back not too roughly, gave her an absent kiss on the cheek. "That's good to see, Doc," he told her, winking as he turned to Chibs, pounding his shoulder. "I knew it, you bastard. I knew it."

Valerie watched Chibs' face, the relief washing over him big enough for her to feel, too.

The club might actually be okay with this whole idea.

"Come on," she said, taking Chibs' hand. "Mickey wants to see you I'm sure. Happy, come meet my son."

Happy's face showed his reverence for Mickey. He took him from Juice's arms without hesitation, surprising Juice too, his dark eyes locked on Mickey's blue ones. "Holy shit," he said. "Look at those eyes."

The voice, again, was fascinating to Mickey. Happy's was deep and sounded like he ate gravel for breakfast. Mickey put a chubby hand to Happy's cheek, earning him a grin which Mickey returned.

Happy shot a completely shocking and tender look her way. "Man, this is a good-looking kid. You did real good."

"That's only half me," she informed him.

"Nah, a kid this good-looking? It's more you than Tig, trust me."

She had to laugh at that.

"Okay, I likely got him all dirty. Your turn, man," Happy held Mickey out to Chibs next.

"Absolutely," Chibs answered, reaching for him. "Let me see the bugger. He looks huge now."

If there was single moment in the last five minutes that would have had her doubting being there was a good idea, it would have been murdered right then. At the sound of Chibs' voice Mickey's head snapped around, saw the Scot reaching for him, and he held his arms out to Chibs as well.

She knew she was the only one that noticed the difference. She could hand her son to anyone and he would be docile as the transfer was made, falling still as someone new held him before deciding if he liked it or not. This time he reached out for it, which is something he usually did when being handed over to her.

That officially jump-started a whole new mommy mode for her that she never, ever in her life had felt before. Even her ovaries shivered at that.

Chibs settled Mickey high against his chest, arm under his butt. Mickey was smiling at him, grabbing onto his mustache and talking away like he wanted to fill the man in on everything that had happened since they last "chatted."

Valerie studied Juice and Teresa, back under his arm at his side, hand on her chest, watching Chibs. Juice was smiling, Teresa was about to start crying. Neither of them looked surprised, either. This was all good.

Teresa caught her eye, offering a smile and a little head tilt towards Chibs. Oh my God, she mouthed, grin ridiculously bright and knowing.

Valerie just smiled and shook her head.

"Hap! That guy's coming for his Mustang in, like, twenty minutes!"

They all turned to the garage bays, and Jax stopped mid-stride when he saw her.

This was what they called make or break time. If he threw her off the property, that would be it. The club would not be okay with her being with Chibs, much less in Charming. Valerie held her breath as SAMCRO's golden son and president sauntered towards them.

"It'll be done, boss," Happy replied, hustling back to where he'd been working when Teresa was giving him shit. "As long as Blondie gets the invoice done."

"As long as Happy remembers what he learned in the second grade and writes halfway legible," Teresa shouted back, making Hap laugh.

None of this registered. She couldn't read Jax's face, and she felt Chibs edge just a bit closer, his free hand going to her back. The fact that he wasn't freaking should have mellowed her out, but it didn't.

"That kid looks comfortable with you," Jax mused, stopping in front of Mickey and Chibs.

"He is," Chibs replied easily. "He's a good shit."

Jax raised a hand and straightened out Mickey's shirt, making sure to give his belly a tickle, which instantly made her son laugh. And he had a great laugh: part old man, part baby. All jolly.

Jax's face broke into a grin. "Man. Those eyes." He turned his face to her. "Welcome back, Val," he said, tone gentle. She let her breath out, relief racing over her like a cold shower. He saw it, probably felt it, and broadened his grin as he approached her, wrapping her in a hug. "You're always welcome here, Val. Don't worry."

She squeezed him back. "I wasn't sure," she said, voice catching.

He backed off, smiling down at her and giving her hand a squeeze. "I may have been angry a few months ago. But none of it was because of anything you did. Someone had to bring that shit out to the light of day."

She smiled, sagging against Chibs in relief. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair. "See?" he said quietly. "Nothing to worry about."

She put her arm around his waist, the feeling as natural as could be.

Jax shook his head at them. "Fuck me, Val. Glutton for punishment, aren't you?"

She shrugged. "You set us up, remember?"

That made him laugh, loud, with a wide smile that hit his eyes. "I guess I did." He clapped his hands together. "This is perfect. Everyone's coming to my place for dinner tonight already, and so are you two." He pointed at Mickey. "You're bringing the beer." Then he pointed at Teresa. "Invoice. Mustang."

"I'm on it," the blonde woman said immediately, spinning out of Juice's grasp and pounding up the office stairs.

"Get to work," Jax instructed. "We're running a legitimate garage here."

Juice gave her another big hug now that her arms were free, and she found her eyes tearing up again as he said, "Missed having you around, Val," right to her ear. She rubbed his back.

"Thanks Juice. Missed you, too."

Then everyone was off to work, and she was left smiling up at Chibs. "Is he heavy?"

"Yes."

"Should I take him?"

"Nah. He's not too heavy. He's just solid." He wound his arm around her back, pulling her close, half-turned into his hip because of where Mickey was. "You feel better now?" he asked knowingly.

"I do."

"Good." He brought his face down to kiss her lightly. "You want to go somewhere and freshen up?"

She frowned. "I smell that bad?"

His smile was slow and private. "I'll rephrase that. You want to go somewhere alone for a while?"

Warmth spread through her chest immediately. "You're not working?"

"Off right now. Just got back from Seattle. Feeling a little road weary, and he looks like he might be, too."

Mickey was smiling but she knew in ten minutes he'd be ready for a nap after riding all this way on such a sunny day.

"He'll nap," she replied.

"I'll clarify this too; I'm not looking to nap."

She smiled, now very aware that she was blushing. "Okay."

"Let's go then." He was still grinning as he slid his shades on and led her back to her vehicle, hand at the small of her back.

This story has been moved to the Freak Circle Press blog: fan-fiction/c-d-breadnerfuzzypeaches1/