The Reaper's Angel

Chapter 9

Angel sat on the chair farthest from the hospital bed, attempting to keep her mind occupied with the book from school but her mind kept drifting toward the boy in the bed. It had been a hard few months for the Teller family. Thomas had fallen ill and the future looked grim for the young boy. Gemma had been doing what she could to keep everyone together and JT had disappeared to Ireland. Angel had taken over watching Bambi to alleviate some burdens from Gemma. It tore Angel apart to see the woman she considered her mother to be so worn down and always on the verge of tears. It killed Angel to be in the room and watch as her baby brother struggled for his life. She had heard the doctors tell the adults that there was a low chance for him surviving. She had heard Gemma cry and swear the the heavens, asking why they had cursed her and her children with such a defect and why they were punishing her by taking her baby.

Angel tried to understand everything she could. Jax had become distant from everybody, preferring only to hang out with Opie. Angel wanted to feel hurt but she understood that he was grieving. Bambi was taking it hard to. Thomas was her best friend, her "twin". No one really knew how to explain it to the young girl. Angel had just told her that Thomas was sick and they were working hard to make him all better.

Tossing her school book back into her bed, Angel made her way over to the hospital bed and sat beside the sleeping Thomas, grabbing his hand and giving it a small squeeze. "I love you Tommy. Please get better. I have so much more I need to teach you and Bambi. She needs you to get better Tommy. Jax and Ma need you too. They're losing it Tommy and I don't know how to make them all better," she stroked the hair back from his face and sighed. He had been sleeping more and more each day. Angel pressed her lips to his hand and choked back a sob, "Please Tommy...I don't want to lose you."

Gemma stood in the door and watched as Angel sobbed over Tommy. She clutched at her heart and took in a shaky breath. This was a hard time for everyone, she knew that. But it was hitting the kids harder than they originally thought. Gemma was thankful for Angel, who had seemed to grow so much over the past few months. As she struggled with Thomas being in the hospital, JT leaving to Ireland, and Jax acting out, it was Angel who stepped up to help her. The little girl took care of Bambi when Tig needed her to, she helped Gemma make food for everyone, even making her lunch when she couldn't get out of bed. Angel was at the hospital every day she could with Gemma. She had refused to let Gemma go alone; Jax had only gone once with her to see Thomas.

Gemma took careful steps into the room and sat beside Angel, rubbing her back slowly. "Hey baby," she cooed softly, "Come here baby girl, I know sweety. This must be so hard for you." Angel turned and wrapped her arms around Gemma's waist, burying her face and finally sobbing.

"Mommy...why is this happening to him? He's just a baby still! It's not fair!" Angel continued to sob. Gemma had no words for once. She stared up at the ceiling blinking back her own tears as her little girl clung to her. Gemma had always wanted a little girl but had been blessed with two boys. When Bobby brought Angel home to SAMCRO for the first time, Gemma fell in love and vowed to treat her as if she was her own. Then Bambi came along, despite the awful circumstances, and Gemma had the perfect family, two perfect boys and two perfect little girls. And now her little girl was hurting and she had no words to make it better. "I don't know Angel. It's not fair. I don't know what's going to happen but we will make Tommy feel nothing but love and comfort ok?" She lifted the girl's chin and wiped away the tears.

Angel nodded and gripped the back of Gemma's shirt tighter. Angel hated this, she just wanted to go home and watch as Tommy and Bambi played and colored on the floor. She just wanted Jax and Opie to pick her up and spin her around before chasing after her with their water guns. She just wanted all her brothers to be home and healthy.

--- Five Months Later ---

Angel stared at herself in the full length mirror. Angel had just turned 10 and she already had dark bags under her eyes. Today was the day and for the second time in her life, she was in all black. Pulling her back into a ponytail, Angel wrapped a bow in her hair before walking out to the living room. "Hey munchkin," Tig called out to her and beckoned her over. Angel stared up at her uncle, "Yes?"