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If you're new here, hi! Thank you for showing interest in my story! This is a Sons of Anarchy fanfic with a Tig Trager x OFC pairing that I have tireless spent revamping into a standalone MC romance that can be readable with no prior knowledge of the show. The version posted here is an old, unedited version. If you wish to proceed here, you absolutely can! However, this is book #1 in the series, and book #2 will be a continuation of the revamped version. 

The revamped version can be downloaded for free (compatible with all ereaders) from Smashwords

And for my previous ARAC lovers... Can you guys believe it? I really did it... The fully revamped version of ARAC... A standalone MC romance adaptation, now a Sons of Anarchy retelling.

If you're interested in the downloading a free copy of the new and improved ARAC (compatible with all e-readers), you can do so directly from Smashwords, or you can find the link on my website, or Instagram.

Whether you've read the old version or the new one, it would mean the world to me if you would consider leaving it a review on Goodreads or StoryGraph!

Thank you all for your endless support, I wouldn't have been able to do it without you all believing that I could.

Most of my updates regarding ARAC have migrated to my website in the form of monthly newsletters, but what I can say is that now that the first ebook is FINALLY done, I can dive back into book #2... 

So keep those eyes to the sky, Ravens!

Chapter Text

Be sure to follow https://aravenamongcrows. (ask & submissions are open), and https://www.instagram.com/m.s.alexis (tracking #aravenamongcrows), for exclusive photos, updates, and more! Playlists are available on both Apple Music, and Spotify!

♕

Sydney Harding rolled into the Teller-Morrow Auto Repair lot just after lunch on a sunny Thursday at the end of May. She turned down 'California Dreamin' from where it played over the radio, the engine of her Dodge Challenger growling low as she scoped out the homebase for SAMCRO. 

She had arrived in Charming a few days prior and was set to meet with the Northern Cali charter's President: Clay Morrow - a founding member. After years of pining, she was finally sent to the little old town of Charming by her Godfather, Les Packer - President of the San Bernardino charter. Her own father had been the former Vice President of SAMDINO, renouncing his title to raise her when her mother had overdosed sixteen years ago. He had always told her that she would be the secret weapon of the S.O.A. after he was done with her, and that he was right.

SAMDINO had never been mixed up in enough to need the knowledge and skill set that Sydney possessed, so Packer sent her off to live her dream after the dust from her dad's recent death had settled. Her dream? To become the first female patch in S.O.A. history - not exactly the dream of most young women, but it had been hers for as long as she could remember.

Sydney parked her car and before she could even reach the door handle, she was approached by a young little thing; shy, strawberry blonde, about her age - undoubtedly a prospect. "Hi there, can I uh, can I help you-" Her hearing faded as a mechanic working in the garage on the other side of the lot caught her eye, and by the looks of it? She'd definitely caught his. He was tall, probably in his forties with dark, wild curls atop his head and testosterone that oozed from every cell in his body. He was rugged and mean looking with his strong jaw and muscly forearms - the type of man that many people wouldn't want to be caught alone in the woods with, but that the ladies would undoubtedly love. As he got closer she was taken aback by his electric blue eyes - undoubtedly the most beautiful pair of eyes that she'd ever laid hers on.

She attempted to turn her attention back to the prospect as she got out of the car, removing her mirrored aviators as he rambled about getting her in for an oil change when the dark haired man finally approached. He wore dark coloured jeans and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up underneath his uniform where the stitching on the lapel of the grey garment read 'Tig'. Weird name, she thought - undoubtedly a moniker - but it suited him somehow, as did the silver chain around his neck.   

Sydney's attraction to older men wasn't exactly a new thing - growing up around bikers, the boys her age always seemed too immature, pretty, or weak. She tried to keep her composure under his hard stare, pretending to be deeply engaged in what the prospect was saying - nodding and squinting as he stuttered nervously.

"Sack, beat it." The man said gruffly, gesturing to the garage with a thumb - sending the prospect taking off without a second thought. His voice was like whiskey: smoky, smooth, and sending shivers down her spine. "Hi there, darlin'. What can I do ya for?" He struggled to keep his eyes from falling to the impressive cleavage that was protruding from the tight grey tanktop that she was wearing, and the eye-catching old fashioned queen’s crown that she had tattooed on the top of her left breast was definitely not helping. 

Sydney could tell that he was taking her in by the way he seemed to stare blankly into her eyes like a lost puppy. She was used to men ogling at her, but what she wasn't used to, was the urge to ogle back.

"You could do me for a few things." She smirked suggestively, nodding approvingly as she gave him a sly once-over, chewing on the arm of her sunglasses and swaying her body slightly. "Your President around?" She asked nonchalantly, glancing at the row of Harleys lined up in the middle of the lot between the clubhouse and the garage.

"You got an appointment?" He challenged with squinted eyes, cocking his head slightly. 

Sydney knew immediately that he had to be of higher ranking in the club - either left or right hand by the way that his eye twitched when she mentioned his President. "Sure do." She replied cockily as she started to turn away from him with a playful smile, sliding her gold necklace along its chain. "Darlin'." She looked back with a wink, cocking her eyebrows before starting her path to the clubhouse. 

Once the reason for gracing him with her presence came to light, Tig assumed that she must just be a sweetbutt looking to get in good with the local bikers and become a croweater, but something about her was different... She didn't look like the trashy crows that flocked to him - and she didn't seem to act like them either. He watched her hips sway back and forth while she walked across the lot - which she emphasized a little of course, knowing that he was watching - and the view from the back was just as good as the view from the front. He couldn't help but groan slightly as he admired her perfectly round ass in those tight black jeans, noting the juicy pair of thighs that he wouldn't mind sitting his face tightly between. He continued skimming down her long legs, the red soles of her black stilettos catching his eye as they clacked against the pavement. Tig Trager was no Wolf of Wall Street - that was for sure - but he had seen a fair share of cheap hooker heels in his day to know that these were not the shoes of some penny whore looking to suck dick for a club that likely wouldn't give her a second thought.

He jogged across the lot before she could reach the door to the clubhouse, slipping past her. "I'll let him know you're here." He said, blocking the door slightly as he leant against it, a bent arm propped against the frame. "What's your name, beautiful?" He tipped his chin towards her, noticing her eyes now as well; big, bright, and green. Not a normal green though, a forest green - the kind of green that looked yellow in the sun, and black in the shade. They weren't a shocking blue like his, but they still somehow managed to be the most striking pair he'd ever come across.

Sydney was a bit surprised by the out of character way that she reacted to him - flinching when he blocked her path, tensing as he spoke to her. She was never this jumpy when meeting new people, but she quickly shook the thought out of her head - chalking it up to the excitement over the new endeavour. "Sydney." She drawled, holding eye contact as she brushed past him, flooding his nostrils with her sweet perfume. "So, do you wipe his ass too?" She asked, turning around to face him as she crossed the threshold, her lips curling into a devious smile with one arm of her aviators in the corner of her mouth as his eyes widened before a man sitting at the bar spit out his beer in laughter. 

Tig stood frozen as she looked directly into his eyes, placing one hand on her hip and raising her eyebrows as she waited for an answer. All he could do was nod his head in defeat, grimacing with his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he sauntered off to inform his President that his secret visitor had arrived.

Sydney’s smile widened once he was out of sight, taking the opportunity to quickly scan the clubhouse so that she could get a lay of the land. To the left of the open room-turned-bar there was a pool table, a large stereo, a few couches, and a dart board. To the right was the actual bar itself where two men wearing kuttes were sitting - extending along the entire length of the wall until it reached the hallway where she assumed the dorm rooms and amenities were located. In front of the bar were some tables of various heights surrounding a stripper pole, and straight ahead were the double doors of the chapel next to the infamous wall of framed mugshots, just like the one in the clubhouse back home - only it hadn’t been nearly as extensive as the one before her.

"Aye, Lass." One of the men called over to her - the one who had laughed at her joke. "That was great. He's usually the one throwing the jabs, nice to see him take some." He chortled in a thick Scottish accent, winking as she chuckled along with him. "So... Sydney, what're you doin' here at our fine clubhouse?"

"A girl can't come to a bar for a drink?" Sydney challenged playfully with a slight squint and tilt of her head as she examined the deep scars in his clean-shaven face. He was about to say something else when the double doors at the back of the room opened with a loud creak, revealing a man standing behind them; tall, broad, white hair, and a worn ‘President’ flash on the front of his kutte - this was Clay Morrow.

"Sydney." He called huskily with a nod of his head before disappearing into the chapel. 

Sydney shot them a devilish smile as scowls creeped across their faces, turning and walking towards the open doors which she closed behind her - sending Tig emerging from the hallway where he joined the two men, taking the open seat beside them at the bar that happened to be closest to the chapel.

"What d'ya think she's talkin to Clay about?" Bobby asked as he rubbed his scraggly beard.

"Probably just some gash lookin' for a favor she can do for the club." Chibs responded with a snort as Bobby raised his overgrown eyebrows and looked back towards the closed doors.

"Nah, brother... That's no crow." Tig stated distantly as he took a swig of his beer - his eyes glued to the chapel doors, and mind glued on her.

♕

Clay pulled out a chair for Sydney at the oblong shaped table that had the infamous reaper carved into it. "Sit down." He ordered as he took his own seat at the head of the table. 

Tig's voice may have sent shivers down Sydney's spine, but Clay's voice sent a chill right through her veins. It was gravelly, and much deeper than any man's voice that she'd ever heard before - it was the kind that carried, the kind that bellowed, the kind that you wouldn't want to be threatened by. She knew that he had invited her to sit at the table as a test - prospects weren't even allowed at the table before they got a full patch - so she remained standing. She knew and respected the reaper. 

Clay smirked as she stayed firmly planted in her stilettos, lighting a cigar. "I hear you can be of service to me." He looked up at her expectantly.

"I guess if that's what you heard, then it must be true." She snarked. Like most mean, old men with scarily deep voices, Clay was short and to the point - if you didn't have anything to offer him, then you were a waste of his precious time.

"I guess so." He chuckled to himself. He hadn't expected her sass, but he supposed that he hadn’t exactly known what to expect from the unprecedented situation at all. He wasn’t stupid - he knew not to underestimate Sydney if she had Packer's stamp of approval. But he couldn't help himself from wondering what exactly it was that she had to offer that made the San Bernardino President so insistent that she was the missing piece that the mother charter needed. Other than the way that she carried herself - walking fearlessly with confidence - she could easily be any other croweater that walked in and out of here after swallowing a few loads; young, bleach blonde, big tits. Regardless, as proven by his own curiosity, he knew that the element of surprise was on his side - and that was just what he was after.

Luckily for Sydney, Packer had done most of the talking with Clay already, so she didn't have to explain that she was no pushover, and she was most definitely no sweetbutt.

"This place will become your home, these people will become your family." He explained with a pause as he inhaled regrettably. "I'm sorry about your old man." He sighed sympathetically. "James... He was a good guy." He nodded as he fondly recounted the many times that he and her father had crossed paths before his untimely death.

"Thank you." Sydney nodded stiffly as she clenched her jaw. 

"You can work here at the bar, and help my wife out in the office. When I need you, you're expected to be here - just like my guys."

"Yes, sir." She nodded, noting that since she'd spoken, he couldn't look at her - giving her a rush of empowerment that she so desperately needed after having her nerves so unexpectedly rattled.

"Packer said you got a place off Main Street. Won't be needing a dorm?" 

Sydney nodded, smiling as she thought about the perfect house that she'd scored just up the street from what had become her new favorite coffee shop.

"Good.” Clay nodded. “You can start your work here tomorrow morning - 10:00A.M."

"Sounds good." Sydney said flatly, like her other responses before she turned towards the doors. She was excited, but she had learned over the years to keep her composure around men that she didn't know; being taught that sex sells, but business prevails.

"Oh, and uh-" She turned back around to see the President finally looking at her for the first time since she'd opened her mouth. "Give my guys hell, will ya?" His eyebrows raised, revealing a pair of blue eyes in the deep hollows of his face as a playful grin came to his lips.

"Oh you have no idea..." She cocked her brows, smirking devilishly over her shoulder as she opened the doors to the chapel, the smell of cigarettes and whiskey flooding her nostrils. She inhaled the comforting scent deeply as she scanned her new stomping grounds -  spotting Tig staring at her from the bar where he was accompanied by the same two men from earlier. They turned away quickly - trying to look occupied with a conversation, but she knew exactly what conversation they were having. She glanced down as she chuckled to herself before walking towards the exit, side-eyeing them as she slowed her pace.

"Gentlemen." She nodded, smiling smugly as she continued to the exit. 

Chibs and Bobby scowled as Tig’s eyes stayed locked on her the entire time, stalking over to the door and peering out the blinds the second that it had closed behind her. Hate to see her go... He chuckled to himself.

Something about the curly-haired man lingered with Sydney as she got into her car and shook her head, trying to straighten herself out. She started the engine and rolled down the window as her cheeks flushed, knowing that the heat that she was feeling had nothing to do with the temperature in the vehicle. She took a deep breath and slid her sunglasses back on, flipping her long curls over her shoulder before putting her car in reverse - the sound of the rumbling engine serving to calm her nerves as she drove to her new home.

Over the short drive, Sydney thought about all of the new faces that she would soon be seeing every day. She hadn't been introduced to many members outside of the San Bernardino charter - per her dad's request - and until this moment, she had never fully realized why. But as she drove through the new town, she found herself seeing the big picture of what he'd had in store throughout her entire life.

♕

Sydney pulled onto the compound the next morning at 9:48 A.M.. Just as she was putting her car into park, a woman pulled into the spot next to her in a freshly-polished, black Cadillac XLR. She knew immediately that this was Clay’s wife: Gemma Teller-Morrow. The woman was infamous among the charters; the old lady that every sweetbutt aspired to be - a tough bitch, a major MILF, and a woman that you would not want to cross.

Now that Sydney found herself in her regal presence, she could say with certainty that her reputation definitely did not precede her. Gemma was the sexiest middle-aged woman that she had ever seen with her blonde-peppered dark hair, high cheekbones, and perfectly toned body dressed in expensive black leather.

Gemma quickly recognized the young girl in the old car that Clay had told her about the day before - as if she hadn't watched her entire encounter with Tig through the office blinds. "You must be Sydney." She stated as she approached her open window, leaning down to introduce herself with a cigarette in her hand. 

"How'd you guess?" The bubbly blonde replied in a playful tone.

"Chibs told me about that rack of yours." Gemma pursed her lips as she looked down at the cleavage busting out of the black, criss-cross scoop-neck shirt that Sydney was wearing. "Hard to miss." She raised her eyebrows as she met her eyes again. 

A bashful smile tugged at Sydney's lips as Gemma smirked and shook her hand. She had a feeling that they were going to get along just fine.

♕

Sydney spent the morning learning about the work that she would be doing around the office, which seemed easy enough - as she was good with paperwork, and better with numbers. Gemma had taken the liberty of pointing out a few of the guys to her as they passed through the office for a proper introduction: Half-Sack was the prospect she'd met the day before - whose preferred nickname was Kip - the Scottish man was named Chibs, and Bobby was the older man - an Elvis impersonator who Sydney had actually seen performing around California as a kid.

"What about that guy with the curly hair… Tig?" She questioned as casually as possible.

“That’s Clay’s right hand - Sergeant-at-Arms.” Gemma shot the new girl a knowing glance.

Sydney smirked, mentally patting herself on the back for knowing that he had to have been of high ranking in the club - patting even harder for the snide comment she'd made to him. 

"He already tryin' to make a move on you?" Gemma asked with narrowing eyes.

"I have a feeling he makes a move on anything with a pulse." Sydney scoffed, looking down at the order slips on her desk.

"And without". Gemma retorted. But she could tell by the smirk on the intuitive girl's face, that she didn't have to warn her about Tig - she knew exactly what she was getting into.

♕

5:00 P.M. came and Sydney took her place behind the bar with Gemma, ready for her introduction to the rest of the crew. The two both knew that she could handle herself, but they had warmed up to each other quickly, and Sydney definitely didn't mind having the moral support of The Queen.

The roaring sound of Harleys filled their ears as the guys arrived for church - a sound that made Sydney feel even more at home in the new town. "Nothing gets my panties wetter than that noise." She gawked, making Gemma laugh. Members started to pour in, most of them coming up eagerly to introduce themselves to the mysterious new blonde behind the bar. 

"I figured I'd be seeing you here again, Lass." Chibs smirked. 

Sydney decided to make an even more memorable impression on the foreigner than her first one, leaning forward onto the bartop and pushing her tits up under the weight. "You thought right, Scotty." She tipped him a wink as her cleavage doubled, watching his eyes widen and drop immediately down to her chest. She smirked, looking past the stunned Scotsman and waving to Bobby as he walked past the bar and into the chapel. 

"Hello there, sweetheart." He smiled politely, still weary about the entourage surrounding what he was sure was just more eye-candy to decorate the clubhouse with.

Clay entered the bar, making his way over to Sydney and Gemma where he kissed his wife on the cheek before pouring himself a glass of Scotch. "How's it goin here so far?" He asked the women, looking primarily at Sydney - he knew that Gemma would give him a full rundown later.

"Good, I –" She cut her sentence short as a scary looking man walked in; bald, covered literally head to toe in tattoos, and a harshly set jaw. He didn't bother making eye contact with whatever croweater was manning the bar today as he took a seat among his Northern California brothers that always welcomed him with open arms during his visits. 

"You think you're just gonna fucking walk in here without giving me the greeting that I deserve?" Sydney snarked. 

The man's head snapped up with a look of murder in his eyes, worry immediately washing over the room as the new girl challenged the most lethal man that they knew. But as soon as he made eye contact with the bitch who dared to speak to him that way, his expression softened. 

"You think you're fuckin' special?" His raspy voice carried over the smirk that tugged at his lips as a twinkle found its way into his eye, and a grin found its way onto her face as everyone looked between the two of them in a tense anticipation. 

He dropped the facade, returning her grin before running around the bar where he picked her up into a hug and spun her around. "What the hell are you doing here, Princess?"

Happy Lowman had originally been patched into the Tacoma charter, but quickly went Nomad when his mom had become ill - bringing him to San Bernardino where he spent a large amount of time in SAMDINO while Sydney was growing up. He'd been a huge part of molding her into who she was, kind of like a big brother... A big brother that she liked to flirt with, just to get under that tightly stretched skin of his.

The Nomad had moved on from San Bernardino a couple years ago when his mom's health had begun to improve, and though he visited frequently, it had been months since Sydney had seen him - aside from her dad's celebration of life, of course. When Packer gave her the go ahead to transfer, her first thought was to tell Happy, but Packer had insisted that she wait to see if it was a good fit - and now she knew why.

A few of the guys eventually caught on as they watched the odd pair embrace in relief. Clay had known all about their relationship - thanks to Packer - but he had decided to keep their presence a secret from one another, knowing that he would need some back-up from the Nomad once her transfer was brought to the table...

"He finally let me go." Sydney smirked. Happy had known how badly she'd wanted to live up to her full potential and fight for a seat at the table, and he had also known that her home wasn't the place for that. She'd been pushing for a send off for years, and she finally got it. 

"I'm sorry about your old man... Miss him everyday." Happy whispered as he kissed her on the cheek, glad that they were together again after the trauma that she had just gone through for a second time in her life.

Sydney nodded as she hugged him tight, clinging to the only piece of home that she had worried about missing. As close as they were, Happy wasn't a man of many words - given he spoke to her more than almost anyone else - she rarely knew the details of where he was going or who he was with, as it was strictly 'need to know'. After years of harassing him with questions and trying to get him to communicate like a normal person to no avail, she'd grown to just accept that he would always resurface. 

"Trying to slip away without telling me again?" Sydney asked with amusement from the doorway of Happy's dorm in the SAMDINO clubhouse, watching him hurriedly pack his shoulder bag for the ride. He only grunted in response, causing her to roll her eyes. "You know if you would just tell me where you were going, I would stop bugging you about it." She stated simply. 

"You don't need to know, little girl." He returned to packing his bag. Happy had known of her dream to patch for years - but he'd known of her father's plan for her, longer. He knew that she would dig if she had all the intel, and it was too early for that.

Sydney scoffed, crossing the room to the small rolling chair and sitting down. "Always the same damn answer. I don't get it, Hap - you trust me with more than you trust anyone else with, but I don't get to know where you're going?" Her casual tone gradually got more and more sassy, the frustration poking through.

"It ain't about that." His back was still to her.

Sydney knew it was no use getting worked up over his lack of explanation and attention to the matter - if Happy had his mind made up, there was no changing it. "You got a secret girlfriend you're hiding from me?" She raised a brow playfully.

Happy smirked over his shoulder in response to her absurd question before turning back to the dwindling pile of ill fitting garments. "Don't think you're getting a break from training." He shook his head. "Tank's gonna keep you goin' while I'm gone." 

"You say it like I want a break." She said with a cocky smirk, earning another discerning look from the Tacoma Killer. They both knew that he worked her too hard, but he could never get her to admit it. "Ride safe." She smiled, standing to take her leave. "See ya soon, Happy Feet." She called over her shoulder.

"I should be the one tellin you that." He called after the reckless teenager, an evil smile of pure satisfaction spreading across her face as she bounded out of his room and down the hall.

"Thanks, Hap. I'm so glad you're here, it's nice to see a friendly face." Sydney cupped his cheek gratefully, noting that it was the first sound of true sincerity in her voice since she'd arrived in Charming - no business or cryptic bullshit. She was truly thankful to have her biggest cheerleader right where she needed him the most.

Clay spit out his liquor when Sydney unironically referred to the stoic man as a 'friendly face', making Bobby, Jax, and Chibs all laugh while Juice, Tig, Half-Sack, and Gemma all stood motionless with their jaws hanging wide open. The Tacoma Killer was ruthless, relentless, and fearless - they knew immediately that if he would crack a smile for her, they were in for one hell of a ride.

♕ 

Chapter Text

Be sure to follow https://aravenamongcrows. (ask & submissions are open), and https://www.instagram.com/m.s.alexis (tracking #aravenamongcrows), for exclusive photos, updates, and more! Playlists are available on both Apple Music, and Spotify!

♕

"Wanna be my first?" Tig was pulled from his daydream by Sydney's suggestive tone and dirty smirk. His face only went from one level of dazed to the next when he realized that he had completely zoned out while staring at her, and was now hearing what sounded like a proposition - quickly realizing that she meant first customer as he sat at the bar that she was manning, although he could've sworn that there was some double entendre in her tone…

"Savin' yourself for me, doll? I'm honoured." He placed a hand on his heart. 

"Wouldn't have it any other way." She cooed.

He chuckled, his mind slipping back under before she pulled him right back out - clearing her throat as she stared at him with expectant eyes, gesturing to the wide array of bottles on the shelves behind her. "Oh, uh..." He realized that she was still waiting for an order, squinting as he tried to pass his bewilderment off as indecisiveness. "Just a beer, darlin'." 

"Wow... You really wanted to make me showcase my bartending skills, huh?" She drawled sarcastically. 

Tig began to chuckle again before he realized that he was supposed to be in church, quickly collecting his beer and shuffling into the chapel where he was greeted by an uproar of laughter. 

"I've never seen Tigger that stunned before..." Gemma disclosed to Sydney as soon as the chapel doors shut.

"Oh yeah?" She had a smug smile. She knew that to hold the Sergeant-at-Arms patch, Tig had to be just as cold as Happy - which boosted her ego even higher to know that she'd been able to make him nervous.

"I've seen that man bag hundreds of women over the years, rarely have I ever seen him actually pay any mind to one." She narrowed her eyes at the young girl. 

It was true, Gemma had watched Tig charm his way into the pants of almost every woman who walked through the clubhouse doors, but the way that he looked at Sydney was different. The Matriarch had a hard time believing that it was love at first sight, this was Tig after all, but she knew that he was intrigued by the new girl at the very least, which is more than she could say about his level of interest in any other gash.

♕

"Gonna make this quick.” Clay signalled the start of church as he lit his cigar. “We got two things on our table: our warehouse, and that sweet little San Bernardino tart." Tig stiffened at the mention of Sydney, inhaling sharply and shaking the thoughts out of his head - the action eliciting knowing smiles of amusement from both Bobby and Chibs. 

"What the hell are you thinking here?" Jax demanded an explanation.

"We are thinkin' outside of the box." Clay snarled. Jax's reaction was nothing less than expected from a member of the Sons of Anarchy - especially the Vice President of the mother chapter - however, tensions rising between the two had them constantly down each other's throats. The guys had started picking up on it, but they only assumed that it was some kind of power struggle between the President and his stepson.

"Didn't think to bring it to the table first?" Jax scoffed, raising his brows smugly.

"If we don't expect it, no one else will." Happy piped up, his raspy voice carrying from his seat across the table.

"You vouch for her, brother?" Chibs questioned - both shocked and confused. Happy was one of the most feared members in the entire MC - he wouldn't put his reputation on the line for just anyone. 

He tipped his strong chin in a nod. "Got no idea what you're in for." He warned with a smirk.

"She's Packer's goddaughter. James was her old man. She ain't a piece of pussy for us to pass around. We don't respect her the way that we respect each other? We’re gonna be dealin' with more than the Tacoma Killer." Clay gave Happy a pointed look. 

A wave of sighs and small gasps washed over the table as brows wrinkled and foreheads creased. Everyone in the club knew who James was, although their knowledge was not nearly as strong when it came to his daughter. However, if Sydney could handle SAMDINO and Happy - holding the respect of multiple high-ranking club members by the balls - then she had to have something or another to contribute. 

"Know her well. She's familia. Wouldn't back this shit if I wasn't sure." Happy explained his rarely earned approval. 

"Alright then." Jax backed down, realizing along with everybody else that this was no charity to SAMDINO, this was strategy. 

"Besides, if she don't work out? We got somethin' nice to look at around here." Clay said with a grin, earning some light cheering from the testosterone-packed room.

"No shit... Is she that one everyone talks about you shackin' up with?" Juice exclaimed as he recounted the multiple visiting members who had spoken of Happy getting cozy with a young blonde in San Bernardino. 

"The one Donut talked about…” Tig nodded thoughtfully. “Blonde, big tits, legs for miles... That's her, boys." He nodded out the window, his tone faltering as he tried to hide his disappointment when he found out that his new fixation was already claimed by his heavily tattooed brother.

"It ain't like that." Happy snarled with an angry look in his smoky eyes that was threatening enough for everyone to accept that what he was saying was the truth - or at least not to question him about it.

"Okay.... What about the warehouse? What do we know?" Juice moved to the next topic, trying his best to avoid conflict with his fellow bald brother.

"Nothing yet." Clay started. "My guess is the Mayans... Not takin' too kindly to our partnership with Laroy - steal his order, cut off the ability to get another." He surmised.

"If we lose the Niner business because of the Mayans, we buy ourselves a huge black proble-." 

"That ain't gonna happen." Clay cut off the negativity of his Vice President, slamming his hands down on the table. "These mexi-assholes come into our territory." He pointed aggressively. "They steal from us. They shit on our livelihood. I don't care who we gotta grease, or kill. I want those goddamn guns back." He sneered through gritted teeth before taking a breath. "We got Tigger goin' up to meet with Trammel to find out more." Tig nodded.

"Alright" Jax retreated, appeasing Clay's outburst.

"Treasury, how we lookin' with a rebuild hangin' over our heads?"

"Rebuild is a long way away, brother." Bobby's words made Clay wince. "But all bills are paid, bar is stocked, and run fund is covered for the next two months. Tig is the only man who owes me dues."

"I'm a little short, catch you next week." Tig winked.

"Guess those little Thai boys are gettin' expensive, huh?" Happy teased before laughter erupted.

"Yeah, they are.” Tig cocked his head. “How 'bout I slit your eyes and have you suck my dick." He shot back with a sinister grin as Happy motioned for him to bring it on, both of them laughing along with everyone else. Clay smiled, letting himself share a laugh with his crew before concluding the session with a smack of the gavel.

♕

The chapel doors flew open as Jax made his way over to the bar where the two women still stood. "So, you must be Sydney." He greeted the new girl with a boyish grin, lifting her hand as he nodded formally. 

"And you must be the SAMCRO Prince that I've heard so much about." She responded with a flirty smile. Gemma had told her all about her first born, but she hadn't yet been properly introduced to her VP.

Jax looked down as he blushed, looking back up to meet her playful eyes with a bashful smile. "Ah, I don't know much about being a prince." He winked. 

Another smooth talker with an even smoother voice. "I can see why they call you VP." She cocked her brows and gave him a once over. Jackson Teller was definitely Vice President for a reason - with a smile like that, the man could get anything that he wanted on this earth. He was the type of man that took a different approach than most traditional bikers; effectively dampening the panties of the ladies by being sweet and charming, not rough and gruff - not her style, but tempting, nonetheless.

Gemma stiffened as she watched the tense encounter between her only living son, and Charming's newest tart, whom she was still weary about...

Jax noticed his mother's discomfort and immediately steered the conversation in a more serious direction. "Clay filled us in on what you're doin' here… I'm sorry about your old man, I know how that is. You'll be taken care of here." He nodded sympathetically. 

"Thank you." Sydney replied with a genuine smile. She appreciated the warm welcome, however she couldn't help but wonder just how much Clay had actually told them about her if Jax seemed to think that she needed taking care of...

Jax retreated to the pool table and Sydney began serving drinks to bar patrons who had started to trickle in for the night. Tig gave her a quick glance as he stalked out of the bar, and luckily for her - he'd been in too much of a hurry to catch her blushing. She assumed he was heading out on club business - which she hadn't been filled in on yet, but little did they know, she had begun watching their every move to try and get herself ahead of the game. If she was getting into bed with SAMCRO, she was going balls deep. 

From what she had gathered so far, their warehouse had been torched - likely by a rival gang. She assumed the warehouse was used as a housing facility for whatever illegal goods they sold - which she already knew to be guns. San Bernardino had always been split about guns; some wanted them, most didn't - so the vote never passed, much to her dismay. Using a warehouse outside of local jurisdiction was a clear indicator that Charming PD was not on Clay's payroll - not all of them, at least - meaning that the PD in the next county over probably was.

She couldn't help but feel grateful for the explosion - whatever the reason was - because it was what finally got her the nod from Packer to head north and live up to her full potential. With her dad gone, San Bernardino was nothing but a prison for her - and a weakness in the mother chapter provided her the perfect opportunity to slip through the cracks and prove herself worthy.

As the party got going, Sydney's usual routine of breaking the hearts of overly-confident men began in the new town as she turned away hangarounds looking to get in on some of SAMCRO's scraps. So far everyone had been warming up to her quickly, but she didn’t miss the way that people - croweaters, hangarounds, and Sons - had been eyeing her from time to time, trying to figure out what made her special enough to be recruited to the mother chapter. 

She felt an arm against her back and a hand on her shoulder, squeezing protectively - not surprised when she looked over to see Happy glaring at his brothers. "Easy, Happy Meal." She pressed a hand against his chest. That was a glare that she recognized all too well. "I'm just a shiny new toy. Let the little boys play."

Happy didn't let up on his stare or his grip as he grunted at the sound of one of the many awful nicknames that she’d given him. "You ain't a damn toy, girl."

"Maybe not to you." She teased.

"You let me know if there's trouble." He stated firmly. 

Sydney scoffed as he stormed away, grabbing a croweater by the arm and dragging her to the dorm room that he was occupying. She chuckled to herself at the familiar squabble that always ended the same way. The two of them knew full well that anything he could do to the men causing her problems, she could probably do in half the time. 

♕

Tig returned to the clubhouse a few hours later, stomping straight into the chapel so that he could report his urgent findings to his President. 

"What'd Trammel have for us?" Clay sighed.

"Arson - couple sets of cowboy boots at the scene." He replied regretfully...

"Mayans." Clay sneered.

"Gotta be, brother. It’s like you said - they ain't happy that were sellin' to black." Tig shook his head as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking out the window and into the bar to see Sydney talking with a couple of croweaters. "So, she really gonna be able to help us out?" He prodded for more information.

Clay narrowed his eyes, knowing exactly what the infamous womanizer was thinking. "We start thinkin' about retaliation." He scoffed, exiting the chapel. He needed his Sergeant to stay focused. 

Tig walked right over to the bar, rounding it as his anger over the Mayans faded into the background as the distraction took over. He didn’t stop until he was standing right next to Sydney, his arm brushing hers as he feigned ignorance, scanning the clubhouse on the relatively tame Friday night. 

"What? No kisses for your man?" He held out his hands expectantly when she looked up at him with a raised brow.

"My man?" She asked playfully with a discerning expression. 

"You don't believe in love at first sight?" He mused.

"Not until now." She flirted back, giving him a dramatic once over with her lip between her teeth - feeling her soul beginning to ignite as their egos fed off of one another.

"Boyfriend wouldn't like you talkin' to me that way." He shook his head in mock-disapproval, turning his gaze back to the dwindling party. 

"Wouldn't like the way I'm lookin' at you either." She scoffed, her eyes trailing him as she nodded lazily, her tongue rolling underneath her top lip. She couldn't help but hand it to the man for his cleverness. 

The gesture alone was enough to get Tig’s blood pumping in all the right places, but the sight of the silver ring in her tongue had his breathing becoming erratic. He noticed that she actually had a multitude of piercings now that he was standing close enough to see them; her ears were full of shiny rings and studs, and she had a silver hoop in her nose - it got him wondering what other piercings she might be hiding under those clothes... 

"Lucky for us, the boyfriend thing ain't for me." She turned away, walking towards the fridge.

"Oh yeah? Girlfriend thing then." He surmised with a shit-eating grin. 

Sydney chuckled to herself with her back turned to him. Typical. "When I'm in the mood." She purred as she turned back, swaying her body tauntingly. 

Tig smirked before walking around to his proper side of the bar. He was surprised by her reaction - he knew by now that she had a smart mouth, but he hadn't expected her to play so heavily into his flirting. "So, Princess and the Tacoma Killer, huh?" He asked as he studied his fingernails.

"Now wouldn't that be a fairy tale." She mused.

Even though her answer was not nearly as telling as he hoped it would be, he didn’t press it any further. If her and Hap both wanted to insist that there was nothing between them, then he didn’t have to feel guilty for hitting on her. "Who all do you know if you're from San Bern?" He changed the subject.

"Apart from DINO?" She took a second to think. "Mostly Nomads… Quinn and Hopper, Donut from Tacoma."

Tig chuckled. "Quinn's a good guy - could scare the shit outta me." 

"Nah, Quinn isn't nearly as scary as he looks." Sydney giggled. "He's a big softy, just like Hap."

Tig couldn't contain the laugh that rumbled in his chest. "Sweetheart... Have you met Hap?" He scoffed.

"Don't believe me?" She challenged.

Tig raised an eyebrow in response. "You know he's been known to pull guns on people just for tryin' to chat with him, right? Me included.” 

Sydney chuckled, unable to help but find it wildly ironic that the famously stoic Tacoma Killer - the man who didn't care about anything - was so easily bothered by something as little as some harmless conversation.

"Hey, I never said he didn't have a temper." She laughed. "But you'd be surprised by just how patient he can be, and I don't mean being nice to the whores for a quick hummer. I mean actually being sweet."

"Hap bein' patient and sweet..." He spoke with a scoff. "I'd pay to see that." 

"If you would pay to see him be patient and sweet, I'd like to find out what you would do to see him be comforting." She smirked as a devious glimmer appeared in her eye.

Tig barked out a laugh. "Okay now I know you're lyin'."

"What's the truth gonna cost ya?" She raised a brow suggestively.

"Oh, baby... I'd give you anything you wanted." He growled as his eyes travelled down her body.

"Hmm..." She drummed the bartop with her long nails, an evil smirk plastered on her face while she contemplated just how much she could milk him for. "I need a tour guide." She announced after some thought, using the opportunity to secure some more time with the curly-haired charmer.

"Huh?" Tig had gotten lost in her eyes as she considered the stakes.

"Around Charming!" She kept her tone light and playful.

“You're on." Tig grinned. The situation provided him with a double jackpot if she won, and this girl didn’t look like the type who lost. 

"Has he looked this way since you got here?" She asked with her eyes trained on Happy who had emerged from the hallway and was now standing near a table by the stripper pole. She wasn't in his direct field of view, but she knew that she was always under his watchful eye.

"Nah." Tig answered quickly.

Sydney snorted. "Confident answer for someone who hasn’t once taken their eyes off of my tits in the last ten minutes. You didn't even notice ginger snap over there tryin' to get your attention."

Tig's eyes widened as they shot up from her cleavage, looking around in confusion before finally landing on the red-haired croweater who was sulking in Juice's lap, turning back to meet Sydney's knowing smirk before she slinked away from the bar and over to Happy.

Sydney's demeanour changed drastically in the short walk across the room - dropping both her head and shoulders, shuffling on the soles of her stilettos and wrapping her arms around herself. Once she finally reached Happy, she said nothing as she tucked herself into his side. 

Happy flinched, lifting his arm and jumping back. His brow creased and concern washed over his face once he realized what was going on, softening the mean mug that he presented to the world. 

Sydney bit her tongue, looking down at her feet as she held back a laugh when he recoiled so harshly, apparently not expecting to be touched so gently. 

"What's wrong?" He spoke with a trace of panic as he checked her over before quickly pulling her into his arms as if to shield her vulnerability as he pulled her over to the bar where the crowd was sparse. "What's going on?" He asked again as worry laced his usually demanding tone.

Another surprising thing that Happy was, was intuitive - the man was easily irritated by emotional outbursts, but he knew which ones required his attention and which ones he could brush off, and he could tell that something this out of character was not to be brushed off. 

"I don't know, I just-" Sydney looked to the floor, fiddling with the rings on her fingers. 

"Who was it." His tone was all business now as he grew angry - not with her, but with the thought of someone, somehow, making her this uncomfortable. He knew that she could hold her own just as well as he could defend her, but maybe she'd been intimidated by all of the new faces - too blinded by her desire for a spot somewhere that mattered, to stand up to them.

"No one. Hap, I'm just-" Her voice started to shake uncontrollably as she squeezed her eyes shut while her shoulders vibrated. 

Happy’s rough hands cupped her dropping face, lifting it to meet his impossibly dark eyes. He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching, knowing how much more upset it would make her. Once he was content that the coast was clear - the only threat being a passed out Tig - he kissed her forehead and pulled her against his chest. 

"This ain't like you.” He shook his head as he grit his teeth. “Tell me what's wrong. I'll fix it." He spoke into her hair, running his rough hands up and down her arms as soothingly as a killer could. 

"I just need you to calm me down." She whimpered into his chest as her breathing labored. 

"I will." He nodded.

She nodded back, lifting her arms to wrap around his neck. "Thanks, Hap. I knew I wasn't wrong when I said that you were a softy." 

Happy scowled as her voice switched back to a normal tone, the sound of Tig bursting out laughing following close behind. He pulled away from her with a look of absolute shock on his face - which had been the cherry on top - finally shaking loose the laugh that Sydney had been stifling the whole time. 

"The fuck?" He scowled with his lip turned up. 

Sydney sauntered over to where the equally guilty Sergeant was seated, leaning over the bartop. "I like this one, Hap." She kept her eyes trained on Tig's as she spoke with a flirty smile.

"Oh yeah, dollface?” Tig grinned. “I could show you a few other things you’ll like.” He winked, sending Happy storming off angrily.

Sydney shook her head slowly with her bottom lip between her teeth. Yes, she could definitely have some fun with this one.

"Now, Princess, that was some top grade shit. You got Hap wrapped right around that pretty little finger, don't ya?" 

“Mhmm.” She nodded as the victorious smirk graced her lips. “You gonna pay up, or are you gonna make me put out a bounty?”

“I may look like a criminal, but I’m an honest man.” He held his hands out with mock-sincerity before leaning in closer and dipping his mouth down towards her ear. "Besides, I woulda done it for free." 

Sydney felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Something about the way he spoke... "Don't worry, I got a couple things in mind that you can give me for free." She replied in a tone cocky enough to rival his, watching his jaw go slack as he processed her words, tipping him a wink before she went to serve the hangarounds that had been waiting on drinks.

♕

By the time that her shift was coming to an end for the night, Sydney noticed that Tig was still seated at the bar, and was showing no signs of leaving to join the rest of his brothers in the 'all you could eat' buffet of women spread before them as the party wrapped up and the bar shut down. 

"How you likin' it here so far?" He asked once her attention belonged to him again.

"Beer, pussy." She shrugged as she wiped down the bartop. "What more could a girl ask for?" She mused, letting it show in the playfulness of her voice that she genuinely did love this life.

"Yeah, you can say that again." He chuckled, reaching into the pocket of his kutte and fishing out a pack of smokes. "He's in love with you." He blurted matter-of-factly as he lit up, deciding to test the matter again after the display he'd witnessed. Never in a million years did he imagine he would see Happy looking at anything the way he looked at the little blonde from San Bernardino - except maybe blood.

"You always so observant?" Sydney asked with squinted eyes and a hint of finality in her tone. She had dealt with people's uncertainty over her relationship with Happy her whole life. She never bothered setting people straight - it left the door open for interpretation, and that was a door that she loved to leave wide open. The two of them knew what they were, and that was all that mattered to her.

"Hear you're gonna help us out... That's new." He retreated, sensing that the stoic Nomad was not the only one who didn't open up much about his personal affairs. 

"You heard right-" She peered her head to the left so that she could read the 'Sgt. At Arms' patch on his kutte - as if she didn't already know his name and rank. "Sergeant." She said in a sultry voice, her eyes glinting slightly while raising an eyebrow and cocking her head. She could practically see him hardening at the sound of her voice as he stared at her. "So, you get any good intel?" She changed the subject - taking him from stunned, to petrified. 

"Clay tell ya what we been dealin' with?" He squinted as he studied her expression.

"No." She replied with a cocky tone and devilish smile, resting her arms onto the bartop and leaning in closer - looking right into his eyes and watching him squirm under her penetrating gaze.

Tig softened as he looked at her, really taking in all of her features now that he wasn't as overwhelmed. She had smooth skin, high cheekbones, a cute little ski-slope nose, and pouty lips that were begging to be put to good use. Her teeth were perfectly straight in an even more perfect smile that could knock any grown man flat on his ass.

Sydney chuckled at his gawking as he stared at her in a state of awe. "I don't bite..." Her lips curled up. "Much." She finished, cocking her head as a flash of excitement overtook his face.

"I do." He managed to get the words out in a low growl with a lazy expression on his face, those baby blue eyes piercing right through her - the wash of excitement hitting her face now. 

Sydney licked her lips before clamping her teeth over the bottom one. The man emanated sex from every cell in his body. She could smell the grease, leather, and tobacco all mixing with his cologne in a deliciously intoxicating scent that drew her in like a magnet - having to stop herself from leaning all the way into his neck and sinking her teeth into that delicious looking vein. 

Tig looked down from her gaze to her lips as he brought the cigarette to his mouth. "You stayin' for a bit?" He asked in a hushed tone, matching her leaning slightly, his face now only about a foot from hers as they sat hunched over the bar that separated them. 

Sydney seized the opportunity to snap herself out of the trance that he had begun to sweep her under. "No." She replied, grabbing the cigarette from his mouth and placing it into her own, taking a drag and blowing the smoke over his face. "But you can walk me to my car." She smirked as she turned around to grab her purse. 

Tig tried to hide the smile forming across his face, looking away once she turned back to him. "Right this way, darlin'." He motioned for the door.

Sydney took another drag as she walked around the bar to where he was waiting, placing the cigarette back into his mouth before heading for the door.

Tig blinked a few times as the faint taste of her sweet lips grazed his tongue - quickly snapping out of it where he jumped up and ran after her, beating her to the door where he pushed it open. "After you, beautiful." The awestruck look might have faded from his face, but it was still very much present in his voice.

Sydney looked up into his eyes and smiled mischievously, her gaze following him over her shoulder as she walked out the door. 

Juice and Bobby watched the entire encounter from where they stood at the pool table. "You ever seen him act like that?" Juice asked.

"Never." The Elvis impersonator widened his eyes as he shook his head.

Tig wrapped his arm around Sydney's shoulders when they got outside, not moving it as they walked across the lot to her car. She felt her nerves jolting under his touch, luckily her body wasn't responding quite as fiercely - but it was still enough to form a smirk on his face when he could feel her tensing up.

"So, what's the deal with you, dollface?" He unwrapped his arm from her as they approached her car.

"What d'ya mean?" She feigned innocence, but the pout in her voice was more authentic than she had expected after his arm left her - looking at the ground while she twirled her gold necklace in her fingers. 

Tig brought his hand up to rest against the metal frame beside her, boxing her in. "With the club." He clarified. "You don't look like the type to be caught up in this shit." 

She brought her hand up, running her fingers up his stomach to his chest, lifting her chin at the same pace before looking right into his eyes. "You don't like the way that I look, Tiggy?" She gave a subtle pout and lightly batted her eyelashes.

Tig flinched a little when she said his name for the first time. "Oh no, darlin'." His voice was full of exaggerated care as he shook his head and grasped her hand sincerely. "That ain't the case at all." His tone quickly became husky as he bit his lip and looked her up and down, humming in approval as he felt his body being drawn closer to hers under the tension in the air that could be cut with the knife strapped around his thigh.

"Well good, cause you're gonna be seein' a lot of me." She smirked, breaking the contact with a playful smile as she got into her car. 

"I hope so." She heard his muttering as she shut her door.

"Thanks for making sure I got to my car safe. I’ll see you tomorrow for that tour… Sergeant." She winked as she reversed out of her parking spot, leaving Tig standing speechless yet again. 

Tig didn't know what had come over him. He hadn't chased pussy since he fell in love well over twenty years ago - he hadn't even truly loved the mother of his children. He was usually great with women - as his reputation stood - but he couldn't read her... She was different - not falling to his feet like he was used to. He had no idea who she was, but he felt a massive need to find out.

"Gonna nip that before it starts?" Gemma asked, not taking her eyes off of Tig from where she and Clay stood by the window in the TM office. 

"Nah... Not yet." He shook his head as he watched his Sergeant walk back to the clubhouse in a haze that should've struck fear into his heart the same way that it did his wife, but her son had already done enough of that...

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

"You ever fucked a Son?" Tig finally worked up the courage to ask Sydney from where he sat at the bar as she worked her first Saturday night shift after the day that they had spent together, touring the small town on his bike. 

Sydney fought the urge to roll her eyes at the question that she'd heard far too many times…

Sydney emerged from Happy's dorm in the SAMDINO clubhouse the morning after her birthday party and boy was she feeling it. After an hour and a half of puking her guts out, she decided that it was finally time to make an attempt at the greasy meal that Happy's mom had prepared for her for this exact moment. 

Her feet hit the bottom of the stairs where she was met with the raised brow of her father who was sitting at the bar reading the paper, feigning oblivion to the mounds of people passed out around the room as a result of her birthday bash. All she could do was groan, which eventually turned to a humourless chuckle when his exaggerated, all-knowing expression didn't fall. 

"Had a good night, did we?" He recited in an awful British accent. 

Sydney realized that she was still a little drunk when she laughed much harder than intended, but she let her old man think that it was because he was funny. "As if anyone here would've let me have it any other way." She took a seat in the barstool next to him and buried her head into her arms on the bartop. 

"Only turn twenty-one, once." He jostled her shoulder.

She slowly raised her head, as not to get dizzy. "Thank god for that." She scoffed. Partying was a way of life when it came to being an associate of the Sons of Anarchy, but last night had been a whole new level...

"You sleep in Hap's room?" James asked casually, to which his daughter responded with a nod that took as little effort as possible. 

The only way that anyone had been able to convince Sydney to go to bed was if her pillow would be her favorite set of abs - which Happy had been less than pleased about as her drunken neediness cut his gash-hunt short. Sydney had slept in the same bed as Happy ever since he had started babysitting her when she was young, and it was something that she never outgrew.  Over the years he had become accustomed to her taking up space in his bed, and somewhere along the way her cuddly nature stopped annoying him - but his ability to adapt did not go as far as being able to enjoy being cock-blocked. But he sucked it up, it was her birthday after all..

"You sure there's nothin' goin' on there? No playing 'hide the sausage'?" He asked cautiously, throwing humour into the situation in typical James fashion. He trusted the Tacoma Killer with his life, and he trusted the judgment of his daughter even more. He knew that Happy would never step out of line, and if something ever did happen, he knew that it would be Sydney's decision - which never bothered him.

"Dad." Sydney groaned again, not being able to help the chuckle that rumbled from her aching chest.

"What makes you think that I ain't a daisy fresh girl, Sergeant?" She pouted as she feigned offense.

Tig looked at her with amusement in his eyes as he raised his brows. "I can tell what type of girl you are from a mile away, Princess." He scoffed.

"Oh yeah?" She cocked an eyebrow, an amused smile now pulling at her lips.

"Yeah... I can." His voice dropped an octave as he leaned in closer to her. "You're one of those girls who likes it rough, dirty, and a little degrading."

Sydney could feel the bubbling arousal in her chest spreading throughout her body with the way that the words came out of his mouth in a low growl. "Mmmm." She nodded in approval, leaning closer and tilting her head to the side. "Maybe I am... You gonna degrade me to find out?" With how close she was to his mouth she could practically taste him, but it was a taste that she wanted to savor. 

"You need a man big enough to handle a woman like you." He nodded.

"And I suppose that's you, huh?" She tipped him a nod, getting even closer to his mouth before pulling away with an evil smirk. "So, who's askin'?" She scanned the room full of SAMCRO members and associates.

"An interested party." He smirked, looking down at the whiskey in his glass.

"I'm afraid that doesn't narrow it down much, sweetheart."

"Nah, guess not." He chuckled. "So, have ya?" He prodded with a mischievous grin.

"Well, pussy ain't really my scene... So I guess that means that I've fucked a few sons in my day." She mused.

"Smart ass with a tight ass." Tig's grin widened. "C'mon, you know what I mean..." He urged with a nod. 

"You take me for a pass around, Sergeant?" She challenged him with a tilt of her head.

Tig’s face fell once he realized what his curiosity might've implied. "Nah, sweetheart..." His brow creased as he shook his head, looking genuinely concerned. "I hope not." He added, eliciting a knowing smirk from her before she turned around to get back to work.

♕

"Long ride from Charming to Oakland..." Laroy crooned wearily as he sat next to the Outlaw President on a park bench overlooking the San Leandro Bay. "How come Easy Rider's meetin' me face to face?"

Clay sighed. "Assembly warehouse burned down..." He looked straight ahead as he delivered what he was sure was going to be some devastating news... For him. "All the guns, including your M4s - gone. Stolen, or blown to shit."

"We need that hardware." Laroy narrowed his darkening eyes at the old man who refused to meet them after he had assured him that consistency of supply wouldn't be an issue.

"The shipment is gonna be a little late." Clay fought the urge to roll his eyes as he played referee for the damage that the Mayans had caused.

"That can't happen." Laroy shook his head. "Got a shipment of my own comin' in -very important cargo.

"I've been doing business with the One-Niners for a long time." Clay swung his head in the gang leader's direction. "I always respected our arrangement - never sold one gun to the Mexicans. Now I need you to show me a little respect, and give me a few more days for delivery." He sneered.

"Don't give a shit about history or respect." Laroy shook his head. "This is about business, old man."

"And I'm tellin' you, brotha, that givin' me some more time? Really smart business." Clay shot him a phony grin filled with malice.

♕

Sydney’s first weekend working at the clubhouse was coming to a close as she paced behind the bar that she had fully cleaned, stocked, and reorganized on the slow Sunday night. She could practically feel herself falling asleep with the low energy in the room as the only bar patrons - Bobby, Chibs, and Juice - discussed how they would soon be heading home for the evening. But her excitement was reignited when a certain Sergeant entered the room at the perfect time...

“Tiggy!” She squealed, running and jumping into the tall man's arms.

To say that Tig was taken aback as she wrapped her legs around him, would be an understatement - but the absolute last thing that he was doing was complaining. "Hey, Princess." He grinned.

"Please tell me you're gonna hangout with me. I'm so fucking bored." She tossed a glance towards the worn out members who were hunched over the bar, still recovering after the previous night that they'd all had - but not her.

"Hell yeah." Tig nodded, glad to see that he wasn't the only one who couldn't be kept down by something as trivial as a hangover. "I'll keep you entertained, dollface." He winked, staring at her as he enjoyed the placement of his hands that were cupping her ass over her black leggings as he held her against him, the thin material leaving just enough room for their imaginations to wander.

"I knew I could count on you, Sergeant." Sydney smirked as neither of them made any effort to move from the position. In fact, she squeezed her legs a little tighter around him to help reinforce the idea that she wasn't in any hurry to be put down.

 Jax waltzed into the room with a blonde girl on his arm as he bade her goodbye, cutting the tension as Sydney and Tig finally untangled themselves from the embrace. 

"She's been here a few times now, Jackie. New favorite?" Chibs teased.

"Nah, we aren't serious... Just.. You know." He replied through his blush as the guys began harassing him the second that she was out the door.

"Lucky son of a bitch.” Tig sighed. “I bet she rides you like a cowboy." 

Jax glared at Tig who was lazily leaning against the bartop, silently scolding the Sergeant's brash comments in front of the lady as he shifted his gaze to Sydney. 

"No need to be shy, VP. How does she take it? I bet Tiggy's right. She looks like a top to me." Sydney interjected with a look of sinister excitement on her face. 

Tig's evil smile quickly matched that of the little blonde who was quickly becoming his sidekick. They'd each had a history of being shit-disturbers, but as they joined forces to elevate the reactions it earned them, he found himself surprised that she was just as raunchy as he was.

Sydney nudged Tig’s arm, effectively signalling for him to wrap it around her shoulders. "You know what... I bet you popped her cherry.” She surmised with a squint. “And you know the great thing about virgins... You take 'em around the block? It keeps 'em coming back to make up for lost time." She mused, grinning as the guy's faces creased and contorted over her horribly misogynistic words. 

"Oh yeah, man." Tig agreed. "She shaved? Or she do some fancy landing strip shit?" 

"Nah, that one’s too shy.” Sydney shook her head. “She's either full bush, or bareback." 

"Think she's a spitter?" Tig turned his attention to her as they broke off into their own theatrical conversation.

"Hmm... She might swallow. The shy ones surprise you sometimes - too nervous to say no. Bet she'd even let him backdoor her if he asked real nice." 

"What is wrong with you two?" Juice spoke for everyone as the two pin-balled back and forth with matching glints finding their way into their eyes as they fed off of each other.

"Doesn't this shit bother you?" Jax grimaced, dumbfounded by the vulgar words that came out of the young woman's mouth.

"Doesn't what bother me?" She asked sweetly as Tig's arm fell from her shoulders, to her waist - his fingers grazing the exposed skin between the top of her leggings, and the red Coca-Cola tanktop that she'd knotted in the front.

"All these assholes see women as, is pussy."

"Because they are?" She stated obviously, feeling Tig’s grip tighten. He couldn't believe the nasty comments that were coming from someone like her.

"What?" Jax sneered in confusion.

"Does anybody force the sweetbutts to fuck you, Jackson?" She asked slowly, as if she were speaking to a child - her hair bobbing around on the top of her head in a messy bun only emphasizing her sass. "Exactly." She responded when he stood stoically without an answer to her question. "They wanna be pussy, they're gonna be seen as pussy. You think they don't know what they're signin' up for? Think again, sweetheart. And if they do decide that they got a problem with it, then that's all it is: their problem." 

Jax scratched his head as he listened to the seriously twisted logic that he only wished he could find a flaw in, finally taking the opportunity to make his way back to his dorm where he unlocked the door and made a beeline for the desk, pulling the drawer open and sifting through the pile of newspaper where he had hidden it.

He sighed as the worn parchment caught on the callouses of his over-worked hands, feeling the same unnerving sense of peace since he'd found it at the bottom of a box in the family storage unit where it had been waiting for him all these years. He lit a cigarette as he sat himself on the end of the bed, studying the manuscript that had inhabited every crevasse of his conscience.

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF SAM CROW.

HOW THE SONS OF ANARCHY LOST THEIR WAY.

BY JOHN THOMAS TELLER.

For my sons.

Thomas, who is already at peace.

And Jackson, may he never know this life of chaos.

He hadn't understood what the ominous dedication had meant when he'd first sat down with the only advice that he'd ever been given by his father from beyond the grave, but the more that he sat at the table next to Clay - the more that he thought about the son of his own that was soon to enter his world, the better he got at reading between the lines.

♕

Sydney moved around the bar, stacking glasses and wiping countertops. It had been a week to the day since she'd first set foot in the clubhouse, managing to get a few more days of work around the compound under her belt in that time, which she'd used to better get to know everyone. She was pleased with her quick success in navigating her new stomping grounds - everybody had quickly taken to the newcomer, especially the guys. She looked like the typical prissy little gash - girly and done up - but she was anything but, and they were quickly learning it as they came to love her sexy demeanour coupled with her ability to put them in their place.

Somebody in particular that Sydney found herself quickly taking to though, was Tig. She felt herself slipping under the spell of the undercover gentleman - the man who had given up almost all of his free time to her rather than partying at the clubhouse or bagging crows - something that she'd quickly learned he was notorious for. He'd taken her for rides on his bike, for meals around town, and for coffee on her lunch break or after working at the office. He'd revealed himself as the dream man that she didn't even know she had: adventurous, witty, attractive, and lived the club life.

"So, you get to come to one of our little shindigs." Tig tipped Sydney a nod across the bar where she began stocking the fridge with the shipment of beer that he'd brought inside for her - an action that, like many others since she had arrived in town, had earned the usually lazy and whiny Sergeant more than a few raised eyebrows. His out of character actions as he treated Sydney like a lady were constantly recieving scowls from the guys, from Gemma, and even from Clay. He was a typical Son, anything with a pussy was just that - pussy. The only woman that they had seen Tig respect in years had been Gemma - and nobody disrespected Gemma.

It wasn't that anyone blamed Tig for his interest in her - they didn't blame him at all. But what did confuse them - and maybe made them a little jealous - was her interest in him; the way that they were constantly flirting, or finding an excuse to be near each other.

"The Queen herself has graced me with an invitation." She joked in a British accent, beaming with pride after managing to earn herself the coveted affection of The Matriarch and score an invite to one of her infamous family dinners in such a short amount of time. "Play your cards right, Tiggy, and I'll even let you ride with me." She teased.

"That right?” He scoffed. “Tell ya what, Princess. How about we skip the part where I gotta ride in a cage, and you just save me a seat, huh?" 

"I'll make sure my man gets the best seat in the house.” She leaned in seductively, whispering into his ear. “Right between Clay and Jax." She pulled away with a playful grin. 

"Oh, so now I'm your man!" Tig feigned offense.

"You were always my man." She rolled her eyes with a smirk, turning her back to him until she heard him finally walk away, turning back to watch him walk out the door - mentally checking out as he got further and further away. 

"Syd? You listening?" 

She snapped out of her trance. "Huh?" She shook her head and refocused her eyes, seeing Half-Sack waving a hand in front of her face. 

"Wow..." He drawled. "You got it bad." He had an annoying smirk on his face, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She knew that she could trust the shy prospect.

"Mhmm." She nodded as she licked her lips.

♕

"So, what does one wear to dinner with The Queen." Sydney mused as she leant over the island in her kitchen, staring up at Tig as he unscrewed the cap on his beer.

"I could think of lots of things that I'd like to see you in, baby." He smirked. He'd ended up at Sydney's house after convincing her that Clay and Gemma's house was 'hard to find', and that it would be in her best interest to let him lead her there. 

"I'm serious." She whined, her brows quickly furrowing in confusion when he wordlessly made a beeline up the stairs - understanding what it was that he was doing as she followed him into her bedroom where he stalked straight into her walk-in closet. 

Sydney couldn't help but smirk as she laid down on her bed - impressed by his initiative as she kicked her heels back and forth while he rifled through her countless items of clothing. "Nah." She stopped him when his attention moved to the rack that held her dresses. "Too try-hard." She explained as he turned to her with a raised brow, but it was evident by the look on his face that he didn't understand - respecting her wishes and moving on to the next rack, nonetheless. 

"Try these on for me." He emerged from the closet a few minutes later, dropping three separate outfits on the bed in front of her. 

The subtle authority in his voice had excitement bubbling behind Sydney’s belly button and dipping down to her core. She pressed her thighs together as she shot him a discerning glance, knowing exactly what he was doing. 

Tig just grinned and looked at her expectantly - watching her knowing smirk turn dirty as she scooped up the clothes and padded towards the bathroom. 

Sydney was even more impressed with the rough and tough biker once she saw that his outfit choices weren't actually horrible - shaking her head with a chuckle as she noted that all of the shirts were very low cut. The first outfit that she tried on was a muted green bodysuit that she hadn't even taken the tags off of since she'd bought it online months ago, and once she saw how flattering it was, she loved it. It exposed a majority of the skin above her waist with the thin straps and low neckline that was definitely not meant to be worn with a bra - which paired perfectly with the simple black jeans that he'd chosen to accompany it. She pursed her lips in a nod as she stood in front of the mirror in the full ensemble - this was undoubtedly an outfit she would have chosen herself. Was it dinner appropriate? Definitely not. Open back and hard nipples may have been Sydney's idea of family dinner, but she knew that it probably wasn't Gemma's - and she didn't want to give The Queen any reason to regret inviting her. 

Tig's eyes widened as soon as the bathroom door swung open and she stepped out in the clothing that he'd chosen. "That one." He stated abruptly, rapidly nodding his head in approval.

"You would've said that about whatever one I tried on first." She giggled, rolling her eyes as she walked over to the full length mirror that was positioned next to the closet. "You really want the fashion show to be over so soon?" She asked with an innocent tilt of her head as she studied her reflection, turning her body back and forth slowly - giving him a proper show. 

Tig’s eyes grew heavy with lust as she stood there, posing for him. His breath caught in his throat as he eyed what he could've sworn were nipple rings poking through the thin fabric of the shirt, leotard, bathing suit thing that he'd picked out. The leggy blonde was the biggest temptation that he had ever experienced... 

"Not that one." He gave a curt nod. 

Sydney snickered and set back off to the bathroom. She already knew which one she was going to wear, but she wasn't going to let his efforts go unrewarded - so she made sure it would be the last one that she tried on. 

"Okay..." She drawled suspiciously as she dramatically swung the door open, crossing her arms and stalking towards him in a multicoloured striped tanktop, and medium-washed denim skirt.. "Either you have an old lady that you aren't tellin' me about, or you're a crossdresser. Which one is it?" 

Tig’s worried expression softened once he realized that her anger was just facetious, grinning and looking down as he shook his head. "Just got good taste, doll." He shrugged. 

Sydney pursed her lips and raised a brow, her doubtful gaze lingering on him before she made her way over to the mirror. 

"You know..." Tig got up off of the bed, walking towards her and propping an arm against the doorframe of the closet. "We could just skip dinner, do somethin' more fun..." 

"Hmm, like what, Tiggy?" She asked with curious eyes, slowly moving towards him where he pushed off of the doorframe and allowed her to press her back against it before resuming his position with his arm now above her head, leaning closer and closer. 

"Could think of a thing or two." He said in a low tone - almost a whisper. 

Sydney tilted her head up and to the side, her back arching off the wood while his hooded eyes remained fixed on her lips. “We're gonna be late." She rasped, slowly slipping away and heading back to change into the last outfit - smirking as she left Tig stunned.

The last outfit was a ruched white top with a sweetheart neckline and bell sleeves that hung around her biceps, paired with distressed dark-washed jeans in a capri style that shaped her body perfectly. The shirt sat just above the waistband of the jeans, exposing her diamond belly ring among the sliver of her tanned abdomen. She pinned her long curls out of her face on one side to finish off the perfect look that was sweet and casual with just enough sex appeal. 

"I'm wearing this one." She announced with a grin as she bounded out of the bathroom towards her closet to grab her strappy nude mules.

Tig was shocked that she seemed to actually approve of his choices. He'd gone in completely blind, just picking out what he wanted to see her in without choosing straight up lingerie. But his mind drifted off as the thought of her walking out of the bathroom in something black and lacey got his blood pumping all over again... 

The two finally headed off to Gemma's where Tig held his ground on taking his bike, Sydney following close behind in her car. She pulled into the driveway behind Gemma's XLR, getting out and strolling towards Tig who had parked beside the other Harleys. 

"Was pretty easy to find, if you ask me." She looked at him expectantly as he unbuckled his helmet.

"Some of the crows have had trouble before. Just tryin' to lend a helping hand, Princess."

"Mm." She nodded, clearly unconvinced. "You do seem like quite the giver..." She purred as she stroked his jaw, giving him a dirty smirk over her shoulder as she headed towards the door. 

Tig entered the familiar warmth of Gemma and Clay's home close behind her, smiling bashfully when he caught the knowing stare that Gemma was giving him across the room.

Gemma ushered Sydney straight into the kitchen where she was introduced to the other women: Bobby’s old lady, Precious, and Otto Delaney’s old lady, Luann, who ran Cara Cara - the porn studio that housed the beauty salon that Sydney would be attending. Unsurprisingly, Gemma put them all straight to work, but what was surprising was that the much younger woman of the group seemed to know exactly what she was doing. 

"You cook?" Gemma scowled.

"Sure do.” Sydney nodded as she adjusted the oven temperature. “My daddy was never one for making a meal, so I learned how to cook before I learned how to ride without training wheels. Poor DINO boys are probably starving without me." She chuckled as Gemma nodded with a smile.

Tig watched Sydney from where he sat on the couch as she settled comfortably into what looked like her natural element. He found himself a little in awe, feeling as if this had to be too good to be true. He had seen Gemma burn through the women that his brothers brought around - none of them meeting The Queen's standards - but he could've seen the rarely earned approval from a mile away.

The Sergeant was the kind of man who had always marched to the beat of his own drum, but Clay and Gemma were the only family that he had - apart from his brothers - their approval meant something to him; the approval that Sydney had so easily earned without even seeking it. He wasn't a religious man by any means, but he found himself believing that there must be a God - a God with very twisted morals to have sent down the light haired angel that inhabited his conscience.

As dinner cooked, Gemma watched attentively as Sydney played co-hostess - a position that The Matriarch was happy to share - making sure that the guys had fresh beers, and the snack table stayed fully stocked.

"You tryin to get me drunk, pussycat?" Tig teased as Sydney placed another drink in his hand before he had time to discard his empty one.

"Well how else am I supposed to get you to come home with me?" She rolled her eyes playfully, smirking as Tig threw his head back and laughed.

"That why he ain't been at Cara Cara lately?" Luann asked quietly as she nodded towards Sydney and Tig from where she and Gemma had been watching the encounter in the kitchen - getting her answer when Gemma simply smirked in response. "Wow... Never thought I'd see him with an old lady again." The blonde woman scoffed in disbelief.

"Yeah, well... She ain't his old lady yet. He’s gotta man up and ask her." 

"She really that into him?" Luann asked skeptically. "She's young, beautiful..." 

Gemma knew what The Porn Queen was getting at in thinking that Sydney could do better, and much better than Tig, at that. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" She nodded as Sydney walked back towards them. 

"So, you his old lady?" Luann asked Sydney after briefly breaking the ice by gushing over how much money she could make in front of a camera.

"Not yet." Sydney smirked.

Once dinner was ready, Gemma directed everybody into their seats whilst Sydney was put on drink duty. She returned to the table with an armful of beer bottles, placing them in front of their respective owners as she realized that the only empty seat left at the table was next to Tig - the smirk on Gemma's face telling her that this was her doing. She blushed a little and rolled her eyes before taking her seat, knowing that her and Tig likely would've raced to sit together, anyways.

Sydney and Tig took turns brushing their thighs, knees, feet, and hands against each other while everyone ate - talking and laughing as they enjoyed the delicious home cooked meal. After the main course was complete, everyone had broken off into their own side conversations, sipping their drinks as they waited for dessert to be served. 

Juice sat beside Sydney, showing her his favorite memes on his brand new iPhone when she suddney felt a shiver run through her body. She glanced down while Juice was preoccupied by his beer, only moving her eyes to see Tig's ring adorned hand resting on her knee while his head was turned as he whined to Bobby about some football game that the team he'd bet on had lost - insisting that it must be rigged. She didn't dare look at him, she just smiled as privately as possible while he did the same - but Gemma didn't miss the giddy looks on either of their faces.

Sydney felt a warmth replacing the exciting chill, spreading through her as she sat at the dinner table, looking around at the smiling faces that filled the room. This felt like family, this felt like home. 

♕

Jax sat with his bike rumbling below him as he breathed in the fresh pine of the forrest on the crisp, early morning. He'd gotten up at the crack of dawn to make the trip outside of town, and he hoped that it would be worth it...

He nodded when Opie finally noticed him, giving a nod to his boss as he made his way over with his hardhat under his large arm.

"So... Everybody's talking about the warehouse..." Opie glanced over his broad shoulder at his coworkers who were watching the encounter closely.

"Mayans hit us." Jax nodded. "Stole all our hardware... We need you, man."

"For what?" Opie scowled.

"Numbers." Jax shrugged. "There's gonna be retaliation soon."

"No way, man." Opie laughed humourlessly.

"We're gonna need to get in and out fast - you're the only guy who can pull off shit like that."

"Look, you think I wanna be here chippin' wood for shit pay?" He scoffed. "I made a promise to Donna... I'm earning straight." He nodded with as much conviction as he could.

"Come on, Opie." Jax shook his head, dismounting his machine. "We all earn straight. I spend forty hours a week with a goddamn power tool in my hand just like the rest of these chumps." He nodded to the men behind them.

"When you're on Clay's payroll, everything in your hand is a power tool." The taller man shook his head.

"You saying no to the club?" Jax raised a brow, feeling a slight falter in his expression as he pressed his best friend.

Opie sighed, crossing his arms over his plaid-covered chest. "Everything turned to shit since I got out..." He shook his head. "I'm in debt up to my eyeballs, my kids hardly know me... I even mention the club to Donna and she busts out crying..." He made his way over to his truck where he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, offering them to Jax.

"Look, man... If you need money-"

"I don't want to borrow." Opie shut him down. "I want to earn."

Jax was glad to hear that, because he didn't have any money to lend, and he knew the only way that Opie could earn...

♕

Sydney sat at her desk in the office on the sunny Monday morning, smiling when Tig came to grab some keys - yawning as he stretched his arms dramatically above his head before flopping down onto the couch. 

"Tired?" She teased him after witnessing the attention-begging display. 

"Don't be mean, baby. He groaned and held up a hand, feigning offense. “I was up until 4:00 A.M.." 

Sydney felt the tiniest twitch in her nerves when he called her baby. "How come? Fun night?" She asked suggestively. 

"Oh, I wish, Angel... But you were busy." He grinned before dropping the facade. "Nah, I slept in too late yesterday - couldn't sleep last night."

"Gonna nap after work and do it all over again?" 

"You know it." He nodded, the both of them laughing. 

"You shoulda called me! I'm always awake." 

"You were awake until 4:00 A.M…. When you had to work today?" He deadpanned, obviously not believing her. 

"Well so were you.” She scoffed. “5:30 A.M. actually. I slept until 1:00 P.M. yesterday and then napped when I got home after bar shift." She explained.

"How come?" He scowled.

"Always been that way." She shrugged, which made Tig smile. He had always been that way too.

♕

Tig turned his attention away from the war movie that he was watching, to the phone ringing on his nightstand; scowling as he wondered who on earth would be calling his personal at such a late hour - hoping that one of his daughters wasn't in trouble again.

But his heart skipped a beat when he saw that it was Sydney calling - chuckling when the little crown showed up beside her name from when she’d programmed her number into his phone. But as quickly as his heart had sped up, it slowed right back down as worry overtook him - realizing that she could be calling because something was wrong. She had never called him before, but then again, it hadn’t been that long since he had and given her his number. But his racing mind finally stopped when it landed on the conversation that they’d had in the office earlier in the day...

"Doll?" He answered cautiously, just in case.

"Oh good! You are up." 

Tig swore that he could hear her smile through the phone. "Who says you didn't wake me?" He grinned just as audibly. 

"I care about the result, Tigger - not the process. Now is there anywhere around this godforsaken town that a girl can get some ice cream at such a fine hour?" She asked playfully. "It seems that your tour didn’t include one... I'm gonna have to leave a bad review."

"Sweetheart, it's almost 1:00 A.M...." He shook his head incredulously.

"And?" She retorted. 

Tig laughed, he should've known that his protest would mean nothing to a true night owl. "What're you in the mood for? McDonalds off of the highway is open twenty-four hours, grocery store across town is too." 

"Hmmm... I'll go to the store. Thanks, Tiggy." 

"You think I'm lettin' ya go alone? Nah, I want ice cream now."

Sydney giggled. Mission accomplished. "Am I comin' to you, or are you comin' to me?"

"Baby, you're gonna be comin' for me, the rest of your life."

Sydney knew that he was just joking, but man did it turn her on. "Don't tempt me with a good time, Sergeant." She purred seductively, hearing his breath catch in his throat. 

"Be ready for me in ten." He choked out.

"I’m always ready for you." She couldn't fight her grin as she spoke, which only intensified as she heard a slight groan before he hung up the phone. 

Less than ten minutes later, Sydney's nerves picked up at the sound of Tig's Harley pulling up in front of her house. She ran out, dressed in a dark pink oversized hoodie that ended up covering her tiny black shorts and looking like a dress. 

She found herself feeling bashful when Tig’s eyes roamed over her - which was rather out of character for her. Something about the way that he was looking at her with a bare face and a messy bun made her feel shy. He wasn't ogling at her when she was done up as usual, he was admiring her in her natural state - and he still thought she was blazing hot. 

The pair strolled into the grocery store minutes later without a care for the ungodly hour, passing a beer display with a cooler full of tiny ice cubes, which Sydney grabbed a handful of. Tig looked at her and scowled, to which she just shrugged and popped one into her mouth - biting down and crushing the ice between her teeth. He rolled his eyes and smiled, grabbing his own handful and walking off. 

Sydney’s lips curled up into an evil smile. But little did she know, her plan was the same reason that Tig had picked up his own handful of ice... 

Once Tig stopped in front of the tall freezer of ice cream, Sydney quickly reached up - pulling the back of his shirt out and dropping her fistful of ice down his back. But she was confused when he seemed to advance towards her at the exact time, to do the exact same thing. She squealed as the cold ice made contact with her skin, melting instantly and trickling down her back. 

Tig didn't even register the cold sensation at first - he just scowled, knowing that she wouldn't have had time to do the same thing to him without having planned it first. The melting ice finally made its way to a spot that made him twitch, pulling him from his confusion as he tugged at his shirt to try to get it out while she did the same - howling as the cold trails made their way down her back, the two of them laughing uncontrollably at each other. 

Sydney's loose garment made it much easier to get all of her ice out, but Tig was struggling with his tighter shirt under his heavy kutte. "Let me help you." She laughed, barely getting the words out.

"No fuckin' way." He put his hand up in the air to stop her from coming any closer as he jumped back. 

"I don't have anymore!" She held out her empty hands for proof. 

Tig nodded his chin towards the pocket on her sweater skeptically, which she dramatically shook out - showing him that she was out of ammo. He shivered again, nodding quickly. 

Sydney chuckled, taking a step towards him, sliding on the puddle of water on the ground, squealing before he caught her - both of them in hysterics again all over again. She finally caught her balance and helped him with his shirt, feeling fire under her fingertips when she touched his skin. 

"Done fuckin' around?" He raised a brow.

"I’m never done fucking around with you, Sergeant." She cooed.

"That's my girl." He replied huskily with an approving nod before grabbing himself a pint of Rocky Road. Sydney felt her senses tingle at his words, smiling at the flavor choice that seemed so very 'Tig like'. "Which one do you want?" He nodded to the rows of different flavored pints.

"Hmmm... Half Baked, or Cookie Dough?" She asked his opinion as she weighed her options.

"The fuck's Half Baked?" He contorted his face.

"Chocolate and vanilla ice cream with cookie dough and brownie." She stated obviously.

"You're sayin' you would get somethin' other than that?" He asked in disbelief.

"It’s too much chocolate sometimes..." She explained, chuckling bashfully as he gave her a typical 'confused man' look. "Cookie dough." She decided.

Tig nodded, reaching for the pint of Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough.

Sydney winced, clutching his arm and guiding it back into the freezer, pressing an imaginary button on his wrist as if she was using a remote control. He immediately bought into her game, releasing the ice cream and twisting his hand like it was robotic, letting her guide it toward the pint of Haagen Dazs Cookie Dough Dynamo instead. She looked up at him expectantly when he wouldn't grab it, but he nodded towards her thumb hovering over the imaginary button. She giggled and pressed it, smiling as he wrapped his large hand around her desired flavor.  

Tig felt the immediate smile on his face when he heard her giggle, he couldn't help himself if he tried....

"What was wrong with the other one?" He asked on the way to the checkout counter, brows furrowed in deep confusion.

"The chocolate chips are bigger in this one." She shrugged, blushing when he gave her a playful, discerning look - realizing how delusional her reasoning must've sounded to someone like him. 

Tig reluctantly let Sydney pay for the ice cream upon her insistence that it was compensation for bringing her to the store, his mind too occupied to argue as his chest buzzed with the excitement of having her wrapped around him on the back of his bike.

They pulled into her driveway a few minutes later where Sydney got off, realizing that Tig wasn’t behind her. "You coming in?" She looked at him curiously. 

"You ain't workin' in the mornin'?" He asked, a little surprised since it was so late on a Monday night.

"Oh, I am - but I'll be up for a while. You can keep me company." She said nonchalantly. "Unless... You got somethin' better to do?" 

The sarcasm in her voice wasn't lost on Tig. He smiled and nodded, cutting the engine and following her inside where he sat down on the couch while she put on her favorite superhero movie. 

The more time that they spent together, the more Tig had started to discover the more human parts of her; the parts behind the sweet talking and cryptic words, the parts that only people she really cared about got to see. He'd began to notice things that only someone who paid very close attention to her would notice - like the fact that she was always spinning around or doing cartwheels, how she fiddled with her necklace, and how she was always chewing bubblegum or sucking on a lollipop to satisfy her massive sweet tooth. She loved everything about nature, which he had easily picked up on by the artwork in her house and the way that she would stare at the pink clouds as the sun set when he took her around on his bike. She would only eat ice cream after it was melted and drinkable, and she loved to contort herself into weird positions on the couch while they watched movies together;which was how he'd begrudgingly learned of her undying love for Marvel - of course he'd said that DC was better, just to get under her skin.

But Sydney had learned a lot about him, too - not all directly in conversation, as his walls were much thicker than hers, but enough that she could piece together the rest. He was an ex-marine who sometimes struggled with what his duties in the club had cost him. He was no merciful saint - he enjoyed the violence - but from time to time his demons would catch up with him and his conscience would eat him alive, often plaguing him with nightmares. He was the most dynamic person that Sydney had ever met - there was finally someone that challenged her dominance, someone who was not only turned on by her boldness, but fed off of it, instead of being intimidated by it. He was rough, dangerous, and insane, but he was also sweet, compassionate, and sincere - a living, breathing paradox. Just like she was.

The pull was like nothing she had ever experienced before. Every word that came out of his mouth was music to her ears; smooth, as if he was drawing her in closer. Her demons danced perfectly with his, their jagged edges fit flush together. She had been warned heavily about his tendencies - the good, the bad, and the ugly - most of them including him being a sleazy scumbag with wild kinks. But besides eye-fucking her constantly, he had been a perfect gentleman - opening doors for her, making sure she got home safe, not being too forceful with his advances. The warnings only amused her, because they came from people who had no idea about her own. 

♕

Tig looked up in horror as Sydney smacked the side of the large knife against his hands, stopping them as they were gripping a mustard bottle en route to her burger. "Na-ah, if you ever want me to feed you again, you will put that nasty shit down and get it away from my food." She slowly lifted the knife, releasing his hands.

He backed away with his hands up and eyes wide. "Hefty price to pay, darlin'. I don't think I could live without your cooking now." He shook his head, thoroughly enjoying the routine that they were quickly falling into.

Sydney forced herself to keep her smile at bay. She had cooked for Tig a few times now, and at first she had thought that he was just being polite - as well as the fact that he was an eternal bachelor who relied on Gemma and restaurants around town to keep him fed - but now that he'd started having regular meals at her house, she knew that there was more to it. It was something that she had never experienced before, but she liked it - especially with Happy coming and going so sporadically. 

She adjusted the knife in her grip so that she was holding it like a gun. "Now lower the weapon, outlaw... And nobody gets hurt." She ordered in a Sheriff's voice - both of them laughing and lowering their respective 'weapons' before getting back to work. 

Tig grabbed the jar of pickles after putting some on his burger, but before he knew it - it was being ripped out of his hands and put back into the fridge wordlessly, both of them snickering at her actions. 

"Why do you even have this shit if you hate it?”

"You're eating it, aren't you?" She raised a brow, making him chuckle. "You know, Tiggy..." She leaned over the kitchen island. "It would be a lot easier for the both of us if you would just sit down with your beer while I do the cooking, like a good old man."

"Careful, doll. One day when you're my old lady, you're gonna regret ever suggestin' that." He smirked.

"I think I could live with just about anythin' if it meant that I got to call myself Mrs.Trager" She mused in a southern accent, chuckling as she grabbed the plates off of the counter.

As the two settled in at the dining table, Sydney couldn't help the smile that began to form as she watched him eat, looking so content and at peace. "You don't get a lot of home cooked meals, do you?" She blurted out as she watched him scarf down his food.

"That obvious, huh?" He smiled bashfully, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"I'm sure you could have lots of girls cooking for you if you just asked." She sipped her drink with a brow raised in amusement as his cheeks pinkened the tiniest bit.

Tig forced a smile. The amount of faith that she had in him gave his heart a sad twinge. He didn't understand what it was that she saw in him - it was clearly something that neither him, or anybody else did. 

"It's a good thing you have me now.” She tried to lighten the mood when her comment had more of an impact than she’d expected. “I would hate to see what you fending for yourself would look like." She chuckled. 

"Whole lotta beer and frozen pizza.” Tig chuckled. “Lived with a buddy one time - a brother actually, in Tacoma now... Stupid fucker." He grumbled. "Don't think I ate anything that wasn't from a box or a restaurant that whole time." He chuckled again. 

Sydney giggled at the obvious vendetta that he had against the other man."Sounds like a dream." She joked with a smile. 

The voices of insecurity began flooding Tig’s mind as he processed her words... Wondering if she'd been trying to tell him that he was overstaying his welcome - that he was pushing things too far considering they were technically nothing more than friends. 

"Hey, darlin' - I can go back to beer and frozen pizza if I'm too much for you to handle." He gave a wolfish grin, trying to keep the mood light.

Sydney shook her head a little too quickly - an action that didn't go unnoticed by him. "I like having you to cook for." She said in a small voice, looking down at her plate as she momentarily dropped her usually cryptic flirting. 

Tig smiled warmly. Another thing that hadn't gone unnoticed by him was the fact that she said she liked having him to cook for, and not someone to cook for. He stretched his legs out under the table, brushing his foot against hers.

Sydney’s foot instinctively rubbed back against his, her eyes falling closed before she realized what she was doing - snapping them open where she was glad to see that he finished eating at that moment, giving her an escape route as she stood up to grab his plate. "Besides." She started, smirking as she spoke. "I didn't learn how to use a grill for it to go unappreciated by a man." She winked. 

Tig snickered. "I'll appreciate you any day, baby." He growled, reigniting the familiar light-heartedness in their encounters.

Sydney took the empty plates to the kitchen and began rinsing them when Tig came up behind her, smoothly slipping a clean plate from her hand where he began drying it. 

"Tiggy, you don't have to-" 

"You don't gotta do everything, Princess.” He cut her off. “You deserve to be taken care of too." His voice was soft and full of sincerity, but she'd had more vulnerability than she could take for one night. 

"A man wouldn't know how to take care of me if he tried.” She scoffed. “Trust me, I've been down that road - ripped the e-brake and turned right back around." She half-lied, knowing full well that if there was anybody who could take care of her, it was Tig. 

Sydney had never felt the need for a boyfriend. She'd lived in a cesspool of male attention her entire life, creating the illusion that there was nothing that she was missing out on - but there was just something about Tig that, for once, made her want to find out; made her want to be taken care of. Even Happy didn't make her feel quite like that. She'd always listened to Happy and allowed him to see her in a truer form of herself, the same way that she had done with her dad - but only when it suited her best. 

She watched as Tig mulled over her words as he stood silently, drying the plates. "I'm good at taking care of people, not being taken care of. Like Gemma." He met her eyes when she began speaking again, taking her aback by the way that he looked at her so attentively. Sydney wasn’t used to having someone put so much weight to the words that came out of her mouth. Attention had been part of her daily life since she was a preteen, but the attention that Tig gave her was all new to her, because it was attention to her, not attention to her body, or her flirty facade.

"Women like us aren't good at being told what our every move will be." She shook her head.

Tig listened to every word from Sydney’s lips as she stared deep into his eyes. He realized then how much he liked the sound of her voice - even when she was telling him things that he didn’t want to hear. He was so used to tuning out the high-pitched whine of the croweaters that he'd forgotten what it was like to actually enjoy talking to a woman. She could talk for hours and he would never get tired of listening. 

"Gemma makes it work, you know... Bein' an old lady." He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth, but they didn't stop. There was something so different about Sydney. Women usually looked at him with one of two things; lust, or fear - but Sydney looked at him like he was human. He found himself constantly in a trance, like he was trying to figure out if he was dreaming or not after she'd given him a taste of a domestic life, showing him that it was attainable even in the life they lived - something that he never thought was possible. Maybe settling down was in the cards for him, if it was with the right person...

Sydney flinched a little as it became her turn to process his words, wondering if he'd really meant what she'd thought he meant... 

Tig saw her flinch, knowing all too well how she was feeling, because he was feeling the same - vulnerable, confused, and uncomfortable with the fact that it wasn't a feeling he was immediately rejecting. 

"You don't talk to people like you talk to me." He stated plainly, leaning on the island with his hand propping up his chin. He was sure that the idea in his mind, was already in hers - but he didn't see the harm in planting the seed, just in case. 

"No." Sydney confirmed with a soft smile.

"Why not?" 

"Not many people understand me... The same way they don't understand you." 

♕

"Hey, man. I'm, uh - gonna take a smoke break." Tig said distantly while as patted the hood of the Ford that he and Happy were working on as he watched Sydney pack up the office for the night. 

The Tacoma Killer grunted in annoyance when the Sergeant dumped the work onto him, and poorly hid his true intentions - shaking his head with a scowl as he turned his attention back to what he had been unsuccessfully trying to get finished all day. 

Sydney walked across the lot with a huge smile on her face as Tig's hand rested on her lower back while they laughed about the bitchy suburban woman who had tried to demand a free brake job earlier in the day. Once they reached her car, he opened the door for her before she chucked her purse onto the passenger seat. 

"Are you coming for dinner when you're done?" She asked softly, clutching onto the open door with that innocent twinkle in her eye. 

Tig squinted in the sun as he rubbed the back of his neck, a pained look creeping its way across his face. "I don’t think so… Got alotta work left on this damn truck, it’s gonna be a late one."

"I could wait for you... Unless some of that in a box food is calling your name." She teased. 

"Awe, doll... You'd do that for old Tigger?" He grinned.

"Old Tigger is the only one I'd do it for." She rolled her eyes and smiled playfully.

Tig smirked, pulling her into a long hug. "You're too good to me, pussycat." He kissed her on the cheek before pulling away to let her get in the car. "I'll call ya when I'm on my way." 

Sydney closed her eyes, sighing as her body clung to his - nodding and getting into the car where he closed the door for her before making his way back to the garage to a brooding Happy.

Tig figured that it was best to just avoid Happy's piercing black eyes as he watched him re-enter the garage after an encounter that he had undoubtedly watched every second of - having seen some of the warnings that a few of his younger brothers had gotten for merely trying to ask questions about Sydney. 

"She don't let anyone do that shit." Happy rasped. "Except me." He added with a smirk. He wasn't thrilled about Sydney's choice of company, but he knew it had to be something special for her to allow Tig in - or strategy.

"Huh?" Tig questioned, hoping the quiet man would elaborate if he played dumb. 

"Touch her like that." He clarified.

"Never?" Tig found that very hard to believe. A girl like Sydney? So touchy and flirty? 

"Not like that." Happy confirmed, turning back to his work.

♕

"Have you seen Tig?" Sydney heard from behind her while she stocked the bar after a busy Thursday night, turning to see Cheryl standing with her arms crossed. 

It had been exactly two weeks since Sydney had first set foot in the clubhouse. She'd managed to befriend a decent amount of the crows, finding that most of them weren't that bad - given they were either terrified, or admired her, so they kissed her ass - but Cheryl was dumber, and more stuck up than the rest. She was older, so not only did she have to work twice as hard to compete with the hotter, younger pussy, but she was also set in her ways - a fatal flaw, in Sydney's eyes. Comfortability always clouded judgment. 

Sydney blew a bubble with her gum. "Club shit." The pink candy popped obnoxiously. "Be back later." She deadpanned.

Cheryl just looked her up and down and huffed away. Sydney chuckled, shaking her head. She had noticed the dirty looks that she had received from the older woman since she'd started taking up the Sergeant's time, but it only amused her. 

About an hour later, almost like routine, Tig greeted Sydney first as he arrived back at the clubhouse. "If it isn't my favorite girl in the whole wide world." He snaked an arm around her waist and planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek. 

Sydney started to smile, but refused to melt in his arms as she usually did. She spun around dramatically as he slid past her to grab a beer, shooting him a brow-raised look. "What?" He laughed nervously.

"Cheryl's lookin' for ya again." She taunted.

"Who?" He scrunched up his face. "Oh... Her." He sounded irritated when he realized that it was the same crow who had asked Sydney for his whereabouts multiple times this week. He rolled his eyes and began walking back out from behind the bar when Sydney's leg shot up and blocked him, feeling his dick twitch as his denim covered crotch collided with her bare leg. 

"Not so fast, Sergeant." She leaned back and examined her manicure, blowing another bubble. "Seems your little whores think that I'm your captor."

"Oh, you are, baby." He growled playfully, eating her up with his eyes before chuckling at her dramatic display. 

Sydney’s lips curled into a smile. "Better get back to her. The next crow that asks me where you are is getting a key to your dorm." She teased, but he just stood stoically. 

"Tell 'em that they can take a damn hike."

"Since when did you start turning down pussy? I hear you were their most popular customer..." She mused. 

"Think they all got scared off when they started smellin' coconut and flowers on me." He winced.

She couldn't help but smirk. "Cheryl didn't seem scared." She countered.

Tig stood still for a moment, contemplating his options before he quickly grasped her calf and lifted it up so that he could make his escape, but he didn’t at all expect her leg to bend into the flexible position so effortlessly, the shock interfering with his sneak attack. His eyes widened as he looked directly at her crotch where her legs were spread in front of him, barely covered by a pair of denim shorts - trying to find the strength to avert his gaze, but he couldn’t.

Sydney smiled deviously and bit her lip, curling her leg downwards to rest her calf on his shoulder - his hand snaking around it to rest on her shin before he finally looked back up to her. 

"Interested in better things these days, doll." He gulped, patting her leg before lowering it, trailing his fingers across her skin before walking away. 

Sydney’s cheeks immediately felt the heat as she let go of the breath she had unintentionally been holding, feeling the goosebumps covering her entire body as they continued to dangle themselves in front of each other - neither of them wanting to give into the pressure just yet. They'd become far too engrossed in their game of seeing who would crack first, forming some kind of odd bond - an unspoken understanding that they were together, without being together. 

The struggle of fighting the lust that they felt for one another was nothing short of mutual, but they loved making each other squirm. Tig found himself in awe of her time and time again, shocked that a woman could keep up perfectly with his unusual ways. He lived for the surge of adrenaline that would hit him when he would make a crude remark, just for her to laugh or retaliate with something equally inappropriate.

There were no questions between the two as to their intentions with each other, they both knew clear as day how they felt, but neither of them were great with words - and they loved the chase. 

Of course nobody had believed Sydney when she'd insisted that nothing had happened between the two of them - especially knowing Tig. But their confusion only made her enjoy the experience that much more. She loved proving people wrong - being the opposite of what they expected. However, the feelings were building fast, and the sexual tension was building faster - both were soon to boil over, it was just a matter of time before one of them would give in...

Tig, on the other hand, was terrified. He had never gone this long with a girl without sleeping with her - he'd barely even gone this long with a girl if he had slept with her. But there was something so different about Sydney, something that made him, for the first time, scared to make a move. He still found it hard to believe that she was actually even interested in him. He was a confident man - but his confidence level didn't quite reach the depths of seeing himself in a committed relationship with the much younger, smoking hot woman of his dreams. 

His behaviour over the past few weeks had shocked his brothers, he knew that it had shocked Sydney, but most of all, it had shocked himself. He wasn't a man who thought about his words or actions, but she made him hyperaware of his every move. She was warm and inviting, but cold and deviant at the same time. Drawing him in, and then pushing him away - leaving him needing more. He had never settled down because it seemed that all women were the same. He didn't know that it was possible for a woman to be twisted and bent in all of the same places as he was. He didn't just need someone that could hold him down and turn his attention away from the demons, he needed someone who could also take on a few demons of their own, someone who could clean his bloody wounds after a fight just as easily as they could come home covered in blood with him, and he may have found just that…

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

It was a beautiful Saturday in the middle of June, and a SAMCRO wedding was in the midst; Bobby and his old lady Precious were finally tying the knot - officially. The entire morning had been filled with chaos as all of the bridesmaids frantically ran around Gemma's house trying to get ready in time. 

Once Sydney had finally finished off her own makeup after helping some of the other girls, she slipped into her bridesmaid dress. The dress was much more tasteful than she had expected; floor length with a sweetheart neckline and a stoned waistband, all in a beautiful shade of dark purple that made her green eyes pop like nobody's business. Precious had asked her to be a bridesmaid almost directly after the two had met for the first time at Gemma's dinner, which she'd agreed to without a second thought - knowing that establishing her place among the new charter was of utmost importance, and a huge party was the perfect place to do it.

She briefly wondered what it was that had actually made them want to get legally married - seeing that they had been together for quite some time now, already had kids, and fought constantly. But she knew that though anyone else would've found everything about this wedding to be completely bizarre - this was the life, and today was just another day in it.

She sat herself down on the end of the bed with Jessica - who had become her favorite croweater - giggling to each other as they watched Gemma play 'mother of the bride' to Precious. Besides the fact that the two women were the same age, what made the scene before them even more amusing was the fact that the bride easily looked about ten years older than she actually was - thanks to the outdated hair-do, frail frame, and a past filled with drug use.

The two snickering girls looked up when they heard a wolf-whistle from the doorway, laughing even harder when they saw that it had come from Clay - watching Gemma roll her eyes and shake her head.

"Alright, everyone ready?" He asked, getting a chorus of affirmations from the giddy women who began filing out the door.

Sydney began her descent down the hallway after the rest of the bridal party, but she felt a strong hand holding her back by her elbow. She looked up with a crease in her forehead to see Clay standing over her, feeling panic fill her as all of the reasons that the President could be isolating her started to flood her mind...

"You're walkin' down with Tig." He explained.

Sydney breathed a sigh of relief when it was revealed that the cornering had nothing to do with her immediate future in SAMCRO. "Your doing, or his?" She scoffed.

"Let's just say that I'm helpin' him out with what he's for some reason decided he's too chicken shit to do himself." He grinned.

"Being a chicken shit the usual for him?" She raised a brow, having a feeling that she already knew the answer...

"Never." He shook his head with a knowing smile.

Sydney hid her giddy smile from the intimidating man as he loosened his grip and led her down the hallway, out the door, and to the fully packed van where the rest of the women were waiting. Seeing that this was an MC wedding, there would be no limo or tuxedos - the bridal party was driven by Gemma, and the groom and his groomsmen would roll in on their Harleys.

After the twenty minute drive out of town to the remote Wahewa Reserve where Sydney learned that SAMCRO celebrations were held - the van came to a halt, and the door slid open to reveal the groomsmen waiting to escort their respective bridesmaids. Sydney couldn't help herself from the double take that she did when she saw Tig waiting for her outside of the van, somehow looking even sexier than usual in a crisp white button-up underneath the worn leather of his kutte, the sleeves rolled up to expose the toned forearms that she loved so much. 

"Damn, pussycat..." He grinned as his bright blue eyes took her in, holding out his hand to her.

"You know, Sergeant." She took his hand shakily, letting him help her to the ground. "If you wanted me to be your date, all you had to do was ask. I'm in need of some arm candy, so the ambush was hardly necessary." She teased studiously to cover up the nerves as her stomach continued to flip and her legs felt no more stable on the ground then they had in the van.

Tig chuckled and shook his head, trying to think of something clever to say in response, but all he could do was smile - dropping his hand once she was steady.

"You don't clean up too bad yourself." She flirted, refinding her confidence once she realized that he was just as nervous as she was. 

Cleaning up nice was a massive understatement. Sydney always thought he looked like perfection in his roughness, but seeing him in a light coloured shirt that popped against his tanned skin, with his hair freshly cut, and a healthy dose of cologne was doing something to her on a whole new level as the temptation to sink her teeth into the vein on his neck tripled.

"Look more like your bodyguard." Tig snorted, looking down bashfully before his attention was jolted back in her direction when she reached up to fix his shirt collar over his kutte.

"Haven't you heard, Tiggy? Hired muscle's hot." She cocked her brows and smiled smugly. "That's why you wear this, right?" Her tone changed - dropping much lower as she brushed her fingers along the 'Sgt. At Arms' flash on his chest, feeling his muscles tensing under her fingers even through the thick layers that he was wearing. She trailed her hand down his chest as she dropped it, making to pull away before he caught it.

"Nah, really, doll... You look..." He lifted his hand and twirled her around, giving him a full view. "Wow." He said in awe as he blinked dramatically.

Sydney was the one looking down now as her cheeks flushed. "Think the groomsmen will like it?" She teased as she swayed with her bottom lip between her teeth.

"The groomsmen do like it." He winked. "But hey, if they don't appreciate it... You come back to me and I'll make you feel as good as you look." He raked over her with that animalistic stare.

Sydney felt her heart leap as she heard the familiar growl in his voice. "Don't be making promises that you can't keep now, Sergeant." She taunted.

Tig retorted with a deeply discerning look, giving her a chance to retract her call on his bluff, because that's exactly what it was - a bluff.

"You really think that you can handle me, Tiggy?" She challenged in a low tone.

"Nah, darlin'. The real question is: can you-" He took a step towards her. "Handle me?" Another step - bringing him dangerously close.

Before Sydney had time to think of a response in her flustered state, their heads whipped around to the sound of Gemma herding the wedding party in preparation to walk down the aisle.

As everybody got into their places, Sydney took some time to actually look around the acreage that had been decorated with strings of lights, a white aisle, white chairs, and a beautifully hand-carved altar. She was shocked at the magical scene before her, something that she never would've expected from a biker wedding.

Once everybody was where they were supposed to be before the ceremony could begin, Sydney found herself next to Tig at the beginning of the white train laid over the dirt, the close proximity not doing her self-control any favors as she inhaled his intoxicating scent with every breath. She felt herself beginning to tremble again - her body betraying her as her throat locked up and her chest became heavy. She did her best to contain herself and focus on her breathing as she wondered what the fuck this hold was that he had on her - trying not to cry, puke, explode, and throw herself at him, all at the same time.

"You alright, pussycat?" Tig grabbed her hand to try and still the trembling that he could feel as her arm vibrated against his.

She attempted to answer confidently, but all she could manage was a nod as the physical contact only heightened her nerves - her hand trembling in his just like her body had been doing.

"I'm fine, Tiggy." She assured him when he squeezed her hand and narrowed his gaze.

"Nervous?"

"Something like that." She chuckled humorlessly.

Tig knew that she was being cryptic - but much to her gratitude, he let it go. "So, who's cryin' tonight?" He threw his arm around her shoulders.

A devious half-smile formed on Sydney's face. "Aside from every woman?" She raised an eyebrow, making him snort. "Hmmm.... Jax, Chibs, Opie." She tapped her lower lip in serious contemplation.

"You sneaky little girl..." He growled, shaking his head - but she could see the pride in his eyes, raising her brow questioningly. "Kids and failed marriages." He explained.

Sydney pursed her lips and nodded slowly, impressed with how easily he'd picked up on her strategy.

"Not me?" He asked.

The question took Sydney aback a little. She supposed that Tig did have kids and a failed marriage, but she hadn't at all considered the ruthless Sergeant to be the 'cries at weddings' type, like some of the others.

Luckily, just as he asked the tough question, it was time for them to make their debut down the aisle - letting her off the hook as she smirked at him before snapping her head forward.

"Jax, Bobby, Ope, you." He whispered out of the side of his mouth, passing off the shit-eating grin as excitement for the happy couple.

"Why me?" She asked in offense, trying to keep a presentable smile on her face.

"Don't remember questions bein' part of the game, dollface." He smirked cockily, knowing that she couldn't react the way that she wanted in their current predicament.

Sydney could feel him working his way under her skin, realizing that he had purposely made sure that she wouldn't have time to retort about how questions were perfectly fine when it was him asking them. "If I lose?" She proposed as they approached the end of the aisle.

Tig didn't answer, he just smiled a huge, evil smile before taking off in the opposite direction as they approached the altar.

Sydney stood in her place at the end of the line of bridesmaids as the ceremony dragged on - the vows almost having put her to sleep. She did her best not to make eye contact with Tig as he stared at her, keeping her mind occupied by mentally ticking off the rosters as the tears started rolling. Jax and Opie were easy - but she got worried when she realized that Chibs was already too drunk to be coherent enough for emotions. She silently cursed Bobby as he got choked up towards the end of his vows, pushing her towards defeat and causing the instinctive glance that she took towards Tig who had a raised brow and cocky smile waiting for her. She rolled her eyes just enough for him to notice, smiling when she saw him trying to contain a laugh.

The alcohol really started flowing once the ceremony concluded - thank god - and Sydney was already feeling tipsy from the couple of glasses of champagne and multiple tequila shots that she'd downed during the toasts. It was looking like the night was going to end at a standstill as Chibs was already passed out, but that was when the father-daughter dance started...

Sydney's heart dropped as Precious and her elderly father swayed across the dance floor, feeling the pinch behind her eyes as she thought about her own father, the unexpected event reminding her that she would never get to do something like this with him - and that was exactly what Tig had anticipated. She needed to get somewhere out of his sight as the tears threatened to spill over, widening her eyes in an attempt to suck them back into her skull as she made her way to the bright blue portable toilets along the tree line. She let out the breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding once she approached, tilting her head towards the sky to try and keep the tears at bay as she focused instead on the orange clouds, a small smile coming to her face.

"Knew that'd get ya." Her body jolted as she was startled by Tig walking out from behind the toilets with a wide grin, the reflection of the sunset bouncing off of his eyes.

For fuck's sake... "You asshole." She laughed humourlessly. She had vastly underestimated how much calculation he'd put into this stunt.

"I love it when you talk shit to me, baby." He groaned smugly.

"You know, I did say besides every woman..." She attempted to plead her case, but he wasn't having it as he raised a brow skeptically. She pursed her lips as she shook her head. "What do I have to do." She sighed with a roll of her eyes.

Tig just smiled evilly once again before walking away, leaving her where she sighed and shook her head, pulling herself together as she headed back to her table.

Some time later, the bouquet toss was underway - so naturally, Sydney took the opportunity to make her way to the bar for some more tequila. She took two shots, turning to see who the unlucky victim would be when she felt someone pulling her back, whipping her head around to see Jax standing with a grin as wide as the Cheshire Cat.

"Somethin' funny?" She raised her eyebrows, looking at him expectantly.

Jax pursed his lips and shook his head. "Got him acting like a gentleman." He nodded amusedly towards Tig who was standing with Clay and Bobby - knowing that on any other day the Sergeant would've been going balls to the walls with the free alcohol and women. "Still can't believe it." He shook his head.

"I know how to take care of the crazy ones." She winked.

"Definitely not who I saw you goin' for..." He explained with the slightest trace of jealousy in his voice.

"And?" She pressed.

"Don't you just think he's a little... Weird?"

In Sydney's unusual mind, she didn't think that Tig was weird at all. She lived for his regular talk of murder, unconventional sex acts, and necrophilia. It was the nice stuff that he did that had actually surprised her. She looked down into one of her empty shot glasses, chuckling at how twisted her logic was. "You sayin' that you think I'm normal?" She looked back up into his blue eyes.

"Yeah, good point." He snorted. "You just be careful with him..."

"I'm a big girl, Jackson. You are the one that needs to be careful." A slight smirk played on her lips.

"So you are going for him then?" He smiled knowingly.

"Sure am." She winked, turning away from him and ordering more tequila shots, needing far more alcohol in her system if Jax was just a taste of what the conversation tonight would be like.

"The hell you doin' over here? Ain't you supposed to be on the floor catchin' those flowers." Tig smiled as he approached her at the bar.

"I didn't expect you to be ready to propose so soon." She teased, raising a shot to him before tipping it back. "Nah, I'm doing the exact same thing you are: staying far away from that shit." She answered truthfully as she slammed the empty glass on the bartop, sliding two shots over to Tig - keeping two for herself, but Tig shook his head, nudging the overflowing shots back to her.

"Tiggy! You aren't really telling me that I'm losing my drinking buddy tonight." She whined, surprised that her new partner in crime seemed to have no intention of wreaking havoc with her at the most opportune moment that they'd had yet - he'd always been down for a fun time when the other guys were tired, or home with their families.

"Told Clay I'm drivin'. Besides, we both know you can finish all of 'em yourself." He nodded with a sly grin.

Sydney shrugged her shoulders before downing the shots that she'd passed to him - he wasn't wrong. "You decide what I gotta do yet?" She remembered her defeat, deciding she would try to find out what her impending doom would be while she worked on her buzz.

"Patience, darlin'." He squinted as he leant back against the bar, scanning the party. "You want somethin' like this one day?" He tried to sound casual as he tipped his chin towards the scene before him, but she knew that his intentions went further than small talk.

"Marriage? Or a wedding?" She chortled.

"Both." He shrugged.

Sydney thought for a second - realizing that she hadn't ever really put much thought into it. She knew that she liked the idea of being a wife, and since she'd met Tig, those feelings had only intensified - but she had never really seen herself actually marrying someone.

"I think you already know the answer to that." She chose to stick to a cryptic answer.

And he did. Tig had gotten to know her better than anyone else in the small town had. He knew that despite her attention grabbing demeanour, she was private when something actually mattered to her - just like he was.

Sydney felt his hand on her back steering her somewhere, pulling her from whatever daydream she had given into as the effects of the alcohol began to take over. "Where are we goin'?" She giggled.

Tig's hand moved around to her waist, bringing her into him. "We're gonna dance." He whispered in her ear, grinning as she looked up at him in confusion.

"Is that my punishment?" She laughed.

"You kiddin'?" He scoffed in mock-offense, squinting with his hands held out expectantly. "This is a reward, baby."

"Since when does the Sergeant-at-Arms like to slow dance?" She teased, crinkling her face playfully as she ran her index finger along his jaw.

"Since now. Come on, before I change my mind." He nodded towards the dance floor.

"Yes, sir." She cooed playfully, tossing him a wink - unable to contain her cocky grin as he tensed up.

Tig inhaled deeply, licking his lips as he looked away - trying to collect himself as he led her to the dance floor where he placed his hands on her waist.

Sydney reached up and locked her hands behind his neck, thankful that the position held her upright as the tequila really began to hit. She snapped her eyes open after noticing that they had fallen closed, looking up at him dreamily. The even closer proximity than before allowed her to inhale an amount of his scent that she found to be even more intoxicating than the shots that she'd downed as they swayed to the gentle beat of a cheesy country song - surrounded by the other couples.

"This everything that you thought it would be?" She teased, noticing a few looks that they were getting from the guys.

"And more." He chuckled.

"Two-stepping around my kitchen ain't enough for ya?" She smiled at the thought of the silly dances that the two of them had so horribly choreographed while cooking dinner together over the past couple of weeks, tracing the dagger tattoo on his forearm as she waited for an answer.

"Nah. Not the same." He chuckled, pulling her in closer - her hand sliding up his arm and leaving a trail of goosebumps as she found her way back to his neck before laying her head against his chest, listening to her sigh contently as he rested his chin on the top of her head. 

That was the last thing that Sydney vividly remembered before things got blurry, finding herself on the dance floor grinding against Jax to the beat of some trashy hip-hop song. She vaguely remembered the two of them starting a line dance to another trashy hip-hop song, but that could've been hours ago and she would've had no idea. She was beyond hammered - hardly able to process what was happening as it was happening; it was like her brain was a lagging computer catching up a few seconds late.

Even in her impaired state, Sydney noted Jax being much friendlier than usual with the dirty dancing as she felt his hands on her. The two had danced multiple times, and he was a great partner - fun, flirty, and always down to put on a show - but until now, it had remained completely platonic. She chalked it up to the copious amounts of alcohol, feeling a little better when she realized that more of her normal dance crew were around them as well.

Tig watched from the bar as the VP's hands were getting more and more bold around Sydney's hips, pulling her ass against him. The Sergeant was trying his best to put a harness on his jealousy, knowing that nobody would make a move on her since he had claimed her - but seeing another man with his hands on her in the way that he yearned for his to be, was giving his self-control a run for its money.

"Wonder what the fuck her deal is." Jax nodded towards Sydney where she was leaning over the bartop, doing a crossword puzzle from the newspaper while twirling a lollipop between her lips.

"What do you mean?" Juice questioned as he grabbed the pool stick from him and began lining up his shot.

Jax's lips curled up as he glanced at Tig who was standing across the pool table. "Just wonder when she'll drop the act and make the rounds." The VP was into her - hell, everyone was - but he saw the unmistakable crazy way that they looked at each other, so his antics were purely to rile up his Sergeant.

"Don't count on it, brother." Tig shot him down. "That one's mine."

"You are not calling dibs on the twenty year-old San Bernardino hottie." Jax scoffed with a convincing wince, taking his turn where he missed his shot completely.

"You're fuckin' blind if you can't see the way that the Lass looks at him, brother." Chibs defended.

"No way. There's no goddamn way that she is into him." Jax winced again, amping up the dramatics.

"I think she actually is, man... I don't get it. Have you seen how they look at each other? It's like their eyes go black and they can't stop smiling." The Intelligence Officer recounted his detailed observations as he sunk his final ball.

Tig grinned proudly. He had lost countless girls to Jax before, and he knew that Sydney got on with him and the younger guys, but he also knew full well that they couldn't hold her proper attention - they were just toys to her, she chewed them up and spit them out.

"He's at her house all the time." Chibs added.

"So?" Jax questioned as he missed another shot.

"You ever been to her house?" Tig challenged with a cocky smirk.

"I ain't even been to her new house." Happy added bitterly from where he'd been standing silently in the corner of the room.

"She gave him a key." Juice divulged, knowing that it would be the nail in the coffin - sinking the eight ball to end their game.

Tig smirked, glancing over to Sydney to make sure that she wouldn't see him showing off the key that she'd given him to her house - personalized with a cartoon Tigger keycap. Looking at it made his heart flutter - as it did the countless times that he'd looked at it since she'd given it to him - fighting the bashful smile forming on his face.

Jax furrowed his brows as he examined the key. "I don't get it, neither." Chibs shook his head. "But that one's built for a bloody savage."

"She is a savage." Happy rasped as they moved to sit at a table nearby.

"Aye." Chibs nodded. "Her and Tigger were tryin' to get Jackie and his gash to fuck in front of 'em last week." Tig laughed at the memory of he and Sydney wagering whatever they could to get Jax and his whore to bare it all.

"Dude, she's even worse than he is!" Juice exclaimed quietly, glancing over to make sure that she hadn't heard them, but she was still mindlessly scribbling away at her crossword. "The other day when we were tryin' to help Clay with an anniversary gift for Gem, he brought up those homemade dildos that he gave as Christmas presents that one year." The guys all groaned in memory of the true Tig-style gift. "First she was on her ass laughing, and then she said that she wanted one because he won't fuck her!" The men around the table all widened their eyes in shock as Tig nodded proudly.

"Wait... You won't fuck her?" Jax asked with a judgmental scowl.

"It's complicated." Tig sneered.

"Oh don't tell me that little miss Biker Barbie is the one to get you thinking with your head and not your dick." Jax scoffed. "Dude, if you won't - I gladly will. Can't leave Princess lonely now."

"She ain't interested." He told the blonde man firmly, getting a challenging stare in response. "You know what, fine. You go over there - try and get her attention." Tig snarled.

Jax pursed his lips and nodded, accepting the challenge as he waltzed over to where Sydney was behind the bar. "Hey, Princess." He greeted as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Sydney looked him up and down, pulling the lollipop out of her mouth. "Hi, Jackson." She said expectantly with a heavy dose of sarcasm as the guys suppressed their laughter from the table.

"How ya doin'?"

"Good." She replied, unamused before twirling out of his grip and leaning back on the bartop, returning to her crossword puzzle. "You need somethin'?" She asked, not looking up.

"Uh, can I just get another beer?"

"Sure can." She pointed her stiletto-clad foot behind her in the direction of the fridge.

Jax bit his lip as a blush came to his cheeks during his unsuccessful display, bending down where he retrieved his own beer that he didn't even want, making his way back to the table.

"Told ya, brother." Tig grinned.

"Don't mean shit." He shrugged, refusing to give up. "She brushes everyone off like that."

"You really ain't seen him with her, have ya Jackie? Tigger, show 'em how it's done." Chibs nodded.

Tig smirked, pushing off of the table and walking over to her. "Hey, doll." He whispered into her ear while he held her waist, moving behind her towards the fridge that Jax had just come from.

"Hi, Tiggy." Sydney smiled as she turned around in his arms, pulling him into a hug.

Tig smirked at Jax over her shoulder, giving him the finger. Cold as ice, but she melts in the right hands.

"You ever gonna let me do my job?" She teased as he pulled away to grab a beer from the fridge, pushing herself up to sit on the counter.

"Eh, maybe one day." He chuckled.

Despite the purposeful teasing, Sydney loved that he would never make her get his drinks while she was on bar shift - especially after seeing the way that he demanded them from the croweaters.

"Saw ya talkin' to Jax..." He nodded slowly.

Sydney shot him a discerning, raised-brow look that she had quickly picked up from Gemma as she held onto the sucker stick between her lips - snorting when he didn't let up on the blank expression. "You worried someone's gonna steal me from ya, Sergeant?" She saw a nervous smile threatening to crack on his face as he remained casual and took a sip of beer. "Don't worry." She lowered her voice, leaning in closer. "Blondes ain't really my type." She winked.

"They're mine." He responded with a smirk, getting one from her in return. "How is bar shift tonight, anyways?

Sydney shrugged and looked down as she extended her legs over to the counter across from her, blocking him in - frowning while avoiding his eyes.

Tig immediately set his beer down, grabbing her waist and making her look at him. "What's wrong, Princess?" He pulled the sucker out of her mouth.

"I don't know." She shrugged again. "Just a bad day..." She said quietly as she dropped one leg down, allowing him to get between them as he pulled her into a hug, his entire body surrounding hers.

"Oh, sweetheart... Anything I can do?"

"You can take this back to Jax, and shut down that little conversation that you boys are havin'." She rasped into his ear with a smirk, feeling him freeze before shifting slightly as he glanced over to the guys all watching the embrace. He pulled his body away, but they kept their hands on each other as he gave her an intrigued scowl once he saw the deviant look on her face.

Sydney shifted her eyes in the direction of the guys before leaning up, pulling him down, and kissing him on the cheek before winking at him - watching his face light up in a grin before he slowly slid the candy back between her lips.

Tig became very aware of his position between her legs as he wondered how the fuck she'd known what they were talking about, and if her actions were solely to prove her point - however his concern over her knowledge shifted to the back of his mind once he realized that her foot had instinctively hooked behind his knee, keeping their bodies close, and their lips closer. He sorted out his bewildered expression quickly before mustering up the courage to pull away, and return to the table.

The unconvinced look remained on Jax's face as Tig sat back down - which Sydney caught, fuelling her decision to push further. She bit down on the sucker, crushing the remaining candy between her teeth before she walked over with fresh beers for Chibs, Happy, and Juice - placing them in front of the sneaky men.

"So, what are you boys gossiping about?" She mused, watching their faces go white as she stopped at Tig's chair and placed her palms on the table with a brow raised.

"Club shit-"

 "Shit for the wedding-" Jax and Juice replied at the same time, but with different answers.

Sydney snorted at their horribly failed attempts to throw her off. "Don't be gangin' up on me, boys. I might like it too much." She smirked. Without warning, she sat down on Tig's lap - leaning forward with her elbows on the table. She couldn't see his face, but based on Jax's - she was sure that he was looking as stunned as he felt beneath her.

And she was right. Tig went pale as his eyes widened, completely taken aback before he gained his composure and smirked at Jax as everyone sat in silence.

"Well, go on." She said impatiently, gesturing for them to return to their conversation. "No need to stop your chit-chattin' just cause I'm here." She leaned back, forcing Tig's arm around her where his hand landed on her thigh, visible to Jax. She trailed her foot down the inside of his calf, pushing her thigh against his hand slightly so that it would slide down between her legs...

Tig tightened his grip when he felt what was happening, stopping himself from going too far - but he didn't miss the feeling of her foot pressing into his calf just a little harder when he increased the pressure.

"Ugh, I'd rather be dealing with them." She scoffed when they stayed silent, getting up to return to the bar where two hangarounds had appeared. She ran her hand over Tig's shoulder as she made her way back to the bar, turning around to see him smirking at the guys.

 "Told ya. Mine." Tig stated matter-of-factly with a smug grin, the VP putting his hands up in surrender.

After a few minutes of sitting in a haze while everyone got back to talking around him, Tig looked to Sydney who was back to leaning over the bartop, chuckling when she tossed him a wink.

"You hit that yet?" Tig was pulled from the exciting memory as he heard the groom slurring next to him.

"What?" He shook his head, regaining consciousness to see Bobby widening his eyes and nodding in Sydney's direction. "Nah." He shook his head, refusing to look in the direction of her and Jax.

Bobby's eyebrows raised higher. "Looks like tonight might be your chance." His face turned red as he laughed. "Go get your girl, brother." He patted him on the shoulder.

The observation of Sydney with another man, coming from a brother was all that Tig had needed to make him take action - stalking over to her on the dance floor.

Even in Sydney's drunken state, she noticed Tig approaching her from across the property - and apparently so did Jax, who quickly backed off. It didn't matter though, because she ran right out of his arms and into the ones that she belonged in.

"Tiggy!" She exclaimed as she jumped up onto him and kissed him on the cheek while he stood motionless, revelling in the moment before remembering why he was there - shaking his head and pulling her to the ground.

"Don't you be actin' cute."

Sydney frowned. She had learned from a young age that not many things actually upset her, but she had a sad face that no man could say no to - using Happy as her guinea pig over the years to help her perfect her watery eyes and irresistible pout.

"You're done. Come on." Tig gestured towards the lot, softening his demeanour a little when he saw how sad she looked, watching her pout before beginning to stumble towards his bike when he didn't let up.

"You have no goddamn idea what I would do to you if you were mine." He mumbled along the way, barely enough that she could hear as she stopped in front of his bike.

Then make me yours.

"What?" Tig asked, surprised.

Sydney looked to the sky when, even drunk off her ass, embarrassment flooded her as she realized that she had spoken out loud.

In that moment, Tig had absolutely no idea if she had actually said anything, or if it was just his hopeful mind playing tricks on him - urging him to make the move that invaded his thoughts day and night.

"The hell you think you're takin' her?" Sydney and Tig both snapped out of their thoughts, whipping their heads towards the direction of Happy's unmistakably raspy voice.

The sudden movement made Sydney dizzy as she stumbled back, Tig grabbing her arm to keep her upright. "Just takin' her home, man. Clay's orders." Tig defended calmly, he wasn't trying to properly anger the Tacoma Killer - especially when there was no ring for a friendly fight to hash things out.

"Yeah, Clay's orders." Sydney mocked, stepping out of Tig's grip where she wagged her finger in Happy's face.

Happy looked down to where Sydney's arm was now red from where Tig's hand had been. He took a few steps towards the Sergeant. "If I find out..." He started.

"It won't." Tig stopped him before he could finish.

"Don't worry, Happy Meal." Sydney stumbled between the two, pressing her hands and forearms against Happy's chest, leaning all of her weight on the muscular man who was built like a brick wall - completely unfazed. "He won't fuck me even when I'm sober." She slurred, flailing her arms about.

Tig was taken aback by the brashness of her statement. He knew that it was just a result of her drunken stupor, but he made a mental note to set her straight when she was of sound mind. He also figured that protesting her claims in front of the already sussed out Tacoma Killer would not be a wise choice, so he just nodded and looked to the ground.

"Calm down." Happy huffed in frustration, stilling her arms. He hated when she was dramatic.

Sydney relaxed, but began to pout - trying her hardest to make tears come to her eyes. Happy and her dad were the only people that she ever allowed to witness her real emotions, and even then - Happy had only seen her cry a handful of times over the nineteen years that he had known her. He knew that those wet doe eyes were all a part of her ruse - the ruse that he couldn't help but fall for, every time.

"Needy bitch." He smirked, wrapping his arms around her where she sighed into his chest. He was unable to callous over his soft spot for the little blonde girl who, even on the verge of a blackout, knew exactly how to get under his skin.

Even after seeing him comfort her before, Tig still expected Happy to shove her off in her alcohol-fuelled outburst - something he thought the Tacoma Killer would surely draw frustration from, leaving him continuing to wonder if there was something there between them...

"You better be right." Happy grumbled to Tig before huffing away. The bald man was less than pleased with Sydney's choice, but he wasn't one to stand in her way - what she wanted to consent to was her decision. He was however, one to step in if he thought that she was in a position to be taken advantage of - which he did not put past his curly-haired brother in the slightest.

Sydney wobbled while staring at the stars before Tig grabbed her waist to stop her swaying, letting go after he was satisfied that she was stable. But she whined as soon as his hands left her, pulling them back to her waist.

"You're not gonna fall." He assured her.

"I know..." She said quietly.

Tig scowled, deciding to test the waters of his growing suspicion as he tightened his grip. She moaned as her eyes rolled back slightly, stumbling back before his hands tightened around her even harder.

"We gotta get you home." He looked away, lifting her dress and twirling it around - hooking it into her bracelet. Sydney was seeing stars as she stared at him while he tended to her, but she didn't know if it was from the alcohol... He lifted her onto his bike before sitting in front of her where she was already feeling dizzy as she leaned against him, her eyes immediately falling closed.

"Hands." She lifted her head and looked around, not able to process what he meant until he reached around and grabbed her hands, fastening them around his waist with the chain that he wore around his hip - knowing that she wouldn't be holding on safely.

"Not even gonna make me buy you dinner first? You're a cheap date, Sergeant." She giggle-slurred before passing out against his rumbling back as he laughed at her joke.

Sydney awoke as the bike came to a gentle stop in her driveway, feeling Tig unhooking the chain around her wrists and letting her hands free before helping her up. 

"Shit." She cursed as she began patting herself down.

"What?" Tig scowled.

"My keys are..." She attempted to recall with fluttering eyes. "At Gemma's." She finally recounted with a hiccup.

Tig didn't contemplate his next move nearly as long as he should have before he lifted her back onto the bike and re-hooked her hands around his waist. He figured that the safest bet would be taking her to the clubhouse - knowing she was in no condition to be riding any longer than necessary, especially with no helmet. 

Sydney didn't sleep this time, she just hung her head as her eyes drooped to the point where they were almost closed. Once they arrived at the clubhouse, she was barely conscious - stumbling hard as she followed him across the lot.

"Come here, babygirl." Tig told her gently as she scuffed her shoes against the pavement, stopping her as he lifted her into his arms where he felt a chill run through his veins as the warmth of her body surrounded him, and her sweet scent invaded his airway.

Sydney could feel herself swooning as his strong arms tightened around her and he spoke in her ear with a soothing voice full of care, wishing that she could press replay over and over again.

Tig decided on the short walk across the lot, that his gentlemanliness only went so far - going against his better judgment and taking her back to his room instead of Happy's. It was a risk, but it came with a high reward - showing his tattooed brother that he wasn't scared to take her from him in case things weren't as platonic as the two of them liked to say.

Sydney dozed off again on their way back to his room, waking up as he placed her onto the mattress gently. "Tiggy." She mumbled as her eyes fluttered open.

"Shh." He hushed before he started lifting himself upright, but she held him there - staring into his eyes as she pulled him closer to her lips.

Tig felt his heart stop when he realized what she was doing, hesitating as he made the gut-wrenching decision to kiss her on the cheek instead. "You're drunk, Kitten." He explained softly, grabbing her forearms to release the grip that she had around his neck. 

Sydney hardly knew what was going on, but the burn from the scorching heat of desire that she had between her legs was becoming unbearable. The room was spinning, and she was convinced that her eyes were doing circles - but she knew clear as day that she wanted him.

Tig sighed when he saw the disappointment on her face, leaning down and pulling her into a hug. "Trust me, doll - you have no idea how hard it is to say no to you..." He pressed his lips against her neck below her ear as he spoke, sending chills up her spine as her hand clutched the back of his neck, making him twitch as she released an involuntary moan.

"You don't want me, Tiggy?" She asked quietly, the sadness in her voice tugging at his heartstrings.

"Sweetheart, I want you more than anything..." He sighed, lifting up to meet her eyes where he cupped her cheek. "But not like this." 

Sydney felt her sadness being trumped by his admission as he pulled her up to sit, scooting behind her as he began unpinning her hair from the fancy twirls and braids that had been woven into her curls.

Even in her drunken state, Sydney was overcome with emotion from the softness of his movements, closing her eyes as he ran his fingers through her hair gently once it was all released from the bedazzled confines.

"Better?" He asked just above a whisper.

The feeling of his breath on her neck had her hand automatically going behind her and snaking up the side of his neck, holding him against her. She nodded before he pulled her closer to him and kissed her on the top of the head, standing soon after where he pulled her up with him by her hands. He threw the covers back with one hand while he held her upright by an arm wrapped around her waist, turning her around slowly to unzip her dress. "Stay there, and do not get any ideas." He ordered firmly.

Sydney giggled as stood as still as possible - which wasn't still at all as she teetered in place until he was back to help steady her, handing her a big t-shirt.

"Put this on, lay down. You're not sleepin' in that." He turned around, rushing into the bathroom and closing the door behind him - refusing to deal with the temptation of looking at her as she undressed, because he knew that it would've pushed him over the edge.

When Tig came back, he saw that she had passed out on top of the duvet. He chuckled to himself at first, but he was quickly silenced as his eyes trailed up her bare legs to where his shirt barely covered the lacy black thong that she was wearing.

"God dammit..." He grumbled, pulling his eyes away and inhaling deeply - walking over and sliding his arms underneath her gently. 

Sydney was almost completely asleep, but her arms and legs still managed to instinctively wrap themselves around him as soon as she felt his touch. 

Tig groaned when he felt her clinging to him yet again, his hands with a mind of their own as they gripped onto the bare skin of her ass as he lifted her from the bed.

"Take advantage of me, Sergeant." She whispered, her lips almost making contact with his.

"I-I'm not touching you anywhere else." He shook his head as he forced the words out.

"It feels like you are..." She chuckled lightly as she felt him hardening through his sweatpants where his body was pressed against hers, grinding on him the best she could.

"Enough." He slapped her ass playfully.

Sydney hiccuped from the surprise of his action, the loud clap of his hand against her exposed skin filling the room. "Spank me, daddy." She giggled as he placed her down in bed.

Tig held his breath as he lowered her down to the mattress, trying to tell himself - and his dick - that she was only joking around. But his attempts faltered when once again, she wouldn't let go of him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to tune it out, but the feeling of his touch-starved body against her nearly exposed crotch, and the death grip that she had on the back of his neck was enough for him to give in once again - swallowing hard as he lifted her back up, and settled down onto the bed with her on top of him.

Sydney couldn't really comprehend what was happening, but she felt a warm satisfaction wash over her once she realized that his body was pressed against hers. Even in her state of heavy intoxication, she found herself surprised that the so dangerously reputed Sergeant-at-Arms could have such a gentle and considerate nature to him. She knew that he had far more emotion than he cared to let on, and the more that she thought about it, the more she was shocked at just how different he was around her - still trying to wrap her head around it, even though deep down, she knew that it was the exact same reason that she was so different around him.

She unhooked her legs and loosened her grip on his neck so that he could get comfortable as she slid down to his side, keeping one leg draped over him while she laid across his chest, arms still around his shoulders as she inhaled the comforting scent that quickly put her to sleep.

Tig's breathing was shallow and fast - trying not to gasp for air as she nuzzled into him. He tried to close his eyes - to pretend that she was just some whore who had passed out before he could kick her to the curb, but he couldn't. He would never hold a crow the way that he was holding her. A crow would never make him feel anything close to what he felt right now.

For the first time in decades, he felt needed - needed for something more than pulling the trigger or scaring someone off. He twirled his fingers in her hair, gently trailing them along her back - sure not to wake her as she slept so soundly on his chest. This moment was all too pure for Tig Trager to ruin so soon.

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

As time passed, Tig's eyes glossed over with sinfully sweet thoughts of Sydney as she slept soundly across his chest - not daring to let himself fall asleep and miss a single second of it. But as his body finally began to relax under her touch, he was quickly reminded of his trying predicament when she murmured lightly in her sleep and adjusted her leg - which pushed against his still hard cock.

Every single voice that echoed in his head began to wrestle with one another - not wanting to bear the thought of cutting this moment short, wondering what would happen when she woke up, hoping that she would remember wanting him in bed with her... But through the mental tug of war, he quickly realized that hope was too thin of a veil to rely on with a risk as high as her thinking that he had taken advantage of her. 

He squeezed his eyes shut as he begrudgingly prepared himself to break one of the most peaceful moments that he'd experienced in years, knowing that it wasn't worth the possibility of losing whatever it was that they had - also knowing that he wouldn't physically be able to handle another one of her moans.

He placed his hands on her arms, squeezing lightly to alert her senses before he slid them down his chest. He grimaced as he held his breath at the inadvertent shiver that he'd caused himself - gently pushing her bare thigh off of him, but that only caused another... Her skin was so smooth, sending shocks of electricity through him as he forced himself to twist his body out from under her. 

Once he was in the clear, he got to his feet and rounded the bed to the side that she was sleeping on where he tucked her under the covers properly - kissing her on the forehead before quickly pulling away when she moved under his gentle touch, eventually slumping over onto her side. He breathed a sigh of relief that was interrupted by a nervous chuckle tickling the back of his throat - quickly grabbing a pillow from his now empty side of the bed and curling up on the floor next to her so that he could rid his guilty conscience of the fear of being caught. 

Sydney had gained enough consciousness to know that Tig had moved to the floor, feeling a deep pit forming in her stomach - and it wasn't from the alcohol. She laid in the dark, listening to his labored breathing as she cursed herself for drinking too much while his words played over and over in her mind- all of the thoughts of what tonight could've been flooding in and washing away any trace of intoxication. She had never been denied like this before - Happy aside. She wanted him more than anything that she had ever wanted in her entire life, maybe even more than she wanted to be a Son...

"Are you mad at me, Tiggy?" She breathed out in a small voice.

Tig felt a pang in his heart when he heard the sadness in her sweet lilt. "Never, babygirl." He told her sincerely as he reached up to grab her delicate hand from where it was dangling off of the bed - pulling it down gently to his lips.

♕

Tig awoke the next morning to realize that he was still holding Sydney's hand - neither of them having let go during the night. He felt his heart skip a beat, smiling as he gave it a small squeeze before getting up as quietly as possible where he gathered some clothes and ducked into the bathroom to get ready for the day before slipping out to the kitchen to get her some Advil and water - knowing that she would be needing it. As he carefully closed the door quietly behind him, he turned around to see that he was cornered by Gemma and her all-knowing stare.

"She left her keys at your house. I slept on the floor." He explained with his hands in the air.

Gemma nodded slowly as she looked over the sleazy man for any telltale signs that he was lying - eventually tossing him Sydney's keys when she came up with nothing.

"Hey man, church." Jax nodded to Tig as he exited his dorm, clapping the Sergeant's shoulder.

Tig re-entered the room quietly - setting the two extra-strength Advil tablets and giant glass of water down on the nightstand, and placing her keys on top of her dress that he had folded and placed on the armchair which finally caused her to wake from her deep sleep.

Sydney snapped her eyes shut the second that they opened - clutching her forehead with a groan as the pounding in her head started instantly.

"Mornin', sunshine. Headache?" He laughed.

"Mhmm." She whined dramatically.

Tig sat down on the edge of the bed, handing her the pills and water as soon as she sat up. "Feel okay?" He asked wearily as she looked around his room slowly, taking in her surroundings.

"Waking up to that face? How could I not be?" She grinned, watching the genuine happiness light up his face before he could cover it with a casual chuckle.

Tig was relieved that she didn't seem to be upset by waking up in his bed - whether she remembered getting there, or not - but relief suddenly became the last thing on his mind as his eyes fell to her chest where he could make out the same indentations of piercings on her hard nipples that had intrigued him before...

Sydney scowled slightly, looking down at the thin white shirt that she'd been dressed in to see that though her mind hadn't quite caught up - the short interaction already had her body pulsing for him. "You didn't have to leave the bed you know." She told him with a raised brow as everything from the night before started to come back to her. 

"Trust me, darlin'... I did." He scoffed.

"Are you sure that you didn't take advantage of me, Sergeant?" She mused playfully.

Tig was a bit surprised at first, but quickly realized that he shouldn't have expected anything else from her. "Let's get this straight, pussycat - if I fucked you, you would know." He recovered, turning the tables in a way that surprised her, as well.

Sydney could see the satisfaction on his face when his words made her twitch. She let a smile of amusement go - raising her brow in challenge as she turned her attention to swallowing the much-needed painkillers. "Nah, don't worry. I don't forget shit the morning after... A blessing and a curse." She snickered.

"So, you remember... Everything?" Tig's entire body immediately stiffened. He was relieved to hear that everything she had said, she'd meant - but that also meant that she had meant everything that she'd said...

"Uh-huh." She nodded. "Other than a fuzzy twenty minutes between dances, I remember everything. Every shot, every conversation..." She mused slowly, nodding her head knowingly as she watched him ponder what exactly that meant for him, when their thoughts were interrupted by Juice swinging open the door.

"Hey man we got chu-" He looked up to see that the Sergeant was not alone. "Oh... Hh... Hey Syd-. Hey Sydney." He stuttered at the highly anticipated, but very unexpected sight.

"You don't fuckin' knock, man?" Tig scolded.

"Uh sorry, I didn't realize...."

"Morning, Juicey Fruit." Sydney greeted in a sickly sweet voice. "Tiggy'll be there in a minute. Now would you mind closing the door? I need to get dressed." She winked, watching his face go pale.

Tig sat wide-eyed, mouth agape, and brows furrowed as he watched the devilish smile spread across her face. "You know he's gonna go tell everyone, right?" He asked incredulously.

"I know." She cocked her eyebrows.

Tig chuckled humourlessly, shaking his head as he looked down to his boots before sucking in a deep breath as he worked up the courage to look back up at her. "Why you gotta be such a goddamn cocktease, huh?"

Sydney snorted in response - a cocky smile pulling at the corner of her mouth before she slowly rose to her knees, leaning closer to where he looked terrified as she began trailing her index finger up his inner thigh.

Tig flinched under her tantalizing touch - hardening instantly as his mind tried to make sense of what he had provoked; what he had even been trying to provoke. 

"Why does your cock gotta be so goddamn fun to tease?" She retorted, those seductive green eyes flicking down to his crotch, then back up to his eyes before ripping her hand away. "You don't want your cock teased? You should've taken me last night when I asked." Her tone was low, bitter, and laced with challenge.

That did it for him. Before Sydney knew it, she was on her back with her wrists pinned above her head, and his face inches from hers. "I've about had it with you running that pretty little mouth." He growled. "I have every intention of fucking you, Princess. So you might wanna think about droppin' the attitude, before it gets you into somethin' that you can't handle." He warned.

Sydney's face was radiant with both shock, and excitement - unable to hide the bright red blush across her cheeks as she felt her entire body burst into flames below him. "How about you let me be the judge of what I can and can't handle." She arched her back up off of the bed.

Tig glared at her for a few seconds as she pressed her tits against his chest, chuckling when she didn't let up - releasing his grip and beginning to sit up.

"You know..." Sydney began once the pressure on her wrists decreased, flipping them as he pulled his hands away - grabbing his wrists now. "I seem to remember giving you a key to my house - works on the front door just as good as mine does." She told him as she sat up, reversing the rolls as she pressed her weight against him slowly, forcing him onto his back.

Tig was frozen both physically and mentally as he realized that she was right - as soon as the thought of her in his bed had entered his mind, the thought that he had a key hadn't even crossed it.

Sydney half straddled him with a knee pressing against his thigh, smirking as he looked down at her bottomless lower half. "I'll let you think about how I should thank you for lookin' after me last night." She whispered into his ear, brushing her lips along his jaw as she stood up.

"You are gonna be the death of me, you know that?" He mused after a few seconds of regaining control over his brain, getting to his feet as well.

"Hell of a way to go." She winked.

"Gem's here - gonna take you to pick up your car whenever you're ready." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, your hair things are over there." He pointed to the pile of silver hair pins on his dresser.

Sydney chortled when he tried to change the subject, feeling a jolt in her heart as she remembered the feeling of him delicately letting her hair down. That was when an idea came to her... It was even ballsier than her other bouts this morning, but she didn't care - his self-control was starting to get under her skin. If he wasn't going to make the move, she was going to make sure that he suffered.

She turned away from him, making to grab her dress off of the chair before stretching her arms above her head - the hem of his shirt rising up and fully revealing her ass. She looked over her shoulder to see his eyes wide, dropping her arms back to her sides and furrowing her brows - appearing thoroughly confused by his reaction.

"Oh!" She feigned realization, pulling the shirt over her head and tossing it to him - leaving her top half completely bare. 

Tig felt the shirt hit him in the face and fall to the floor without a flinch as that smitten, lost puppy-dog look that had taken up permanent residence on his face ever since he laid his eyes on her, became even more exaggerated than usual.

She smirked at him before walking towards the bathroom, stopping in the doorway to look over her shoulder at him where he stood frozen in the middle of the room. "And you say that I'm the tease." She scoffed, closing the door where she waited for him to leave, unable to help herself from chuckling when it took him a good five minutes to snap himself out of the trance before making his way to the chapel. She quickly slipped back into her dress once he'd left, hoping to catch Gemma before church could let out. She knew that she'd brought the harassment on herself - but she at least wanted the hangover to subside first.

She staggered out of Tig's room, trying to compose herself on the short walk before she had to face the questions of The Queen, when suddenly she was yanked into a nearby room by her elbow.

"The hell you doin', girl?"

"What the fuck, Hap?" She wrenched her arm away. The San Bernardino girl was no foreigner to the wrath of Happy Lowman, but just because the sneak attack didn't startle her didn't mean that it didn't piss her off. She felt like shit, and the whole point of leaving after church had started was to avoid being questioned.

"You heard me. Since when do you fuck brothers?" Happy had been fairly certain that nothing had actually happened between her and Tig - but she had openly admitted to wanting to sleep with the Redwood Sergeant, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Since there was a brother that I wanted to fuck." The frustration in her tone turned playful once she saw his anger over the foreign subject. "Why? You jealous?" A cocky smirk played on her lips.

"He touch you?" He growled, seething once he realized that maybe something had happened, after all.

"When did you start thinkin' that I'm so easy to take advantage of, Killer?" She questioned with a tilt of her head.

"That ain't an answer." He shook his head as his coal coloured eyes bore into her.

"You would've heard if I fucked him." She rolled her eyes, turning to walk away.

"Sydney." His cold command drew her attention back to him. "They ain't like the pussies back home - they ain't known you since you were a baby. You gotta earn the way you get treated here, or they'll tear that ass up."

Sydney knew that his point was valid, and that he was just looking out for her best interest, but her motives being questioned was never something that she'd taken lightly, and she wasn't about to start now - especially while she was hungover.

"Happy... Are you entirely forgetting who you're talking to?" She stepped up to him. "I'm just having a little fun - anyone who wants to treat me less than what we both know I deserve, will learn not to. Especially since I have you here." She smiled smugly before taking back off down the hallway, happy to find Gemma at the bar as the chapel doors remained closed.

"Not now, Gem." She chuckled with a shake of her head once she was met with Gemma's infamous stare.

After the relatively low-key ride home which consisted of exactly what Sydney had expected: Gemma teasing her, her denying that anything happened, Gemma telling her that she was full of shit - she threw herself into a hot shower, needing some serious time to herself to process the night's events. She closed her eyes, letting herself melt under the soothing hot water which calmed her aching body, pounding head, and raging sex drive. She had to admit that she was kind of surprised that Tig had turned her down, but at the same time she was glad, because it confirmed what she had suspected all along; that he respected her, and he wanted her for more than just one night.

♕

"Hey, shithead!" Clay's booming voice knocked Tig out of his thoughts - along with the smack that was delivered to the side of his head.

"Yeah, man." He shook his head, trying to refocus as he sat at the table with his heavily hungover brothers as Clay explained that he had managed to buy them some more time with Laroy, his mind wandering back off as he recounted the events of the past sixteen hours.

"Doesn't have anything to do with everyone's favorite blonde in your bed right now, does it?" The President raised a brow at his weasel of a Sergeant.

Tig shot Juice a look, which made everyone laugh even though he didn't find a single thing about the disrespect towards Sydney, to be funny. But he couldn't help but notice the sour look on Jax's face - deciding that he would let himself take this victory. Plus, he couldn't deny that he loved the way that Clay referred to her as 'everyone's favorite blonde'. Everyone's favorite blonde in his bed. Everyone's favorite blonde wanted him. Everyone's favorite blonde had begged him to fuck her last night.

♕

Sydney walked out of the clubhouse and across the lot, soaking up every bit of Wednesday evening sun that hit her exposed skin in the blue sundress that she wore as she bounded towards the garage. Gemma had asked her to stay after her office shift to help set up the umbrellas on top of the picnic tables around the compound as they rolled into the summer season. Sydney had figured that it was just another one of her ploys to guarantee some face-time so that she could hound her about Tig - which she had experienced a lot of since the wedding - seeing that The Matriarch had a compound full of able-bodied men that could easily take care of the physical labour. But she didn't mind, she had some time to kill before Gemma would be back and she knew exactly what she was going to kill it with.

"Heard you boys needed some cheerin' up." She called to Tig and Chibs who had been working on a particularly stubborn car for the better part of the week - holding out two, ice-cold beers.

Tig turned away from the dirty engine, his brain short-circuiting when his eyes landed on Sydney as the sun beat down behind her, creating an angelic glow against her tanned skin and loose curls that bounced in time with her footsteps. He immediately turned back to the car, needing something to distract his racing mind and hardening dick.

"Now ain't this a nice surprise!" Chibs exclaimed as he pulled Sydney into a side hug and kissed her cheek.

Sydney hadn't seen Tig much since the wedding, and she could tell right away that he was trying to keep himself occupied - but she had other plans. She walked over to him, dragging her nails over his abdomen while his focus was attuned to the disassembled engine below him, smirking sadistically as he flinched. 

"You ignoring me, Tiggy?" She frowned. Things hadn't necessarily been awkward between them, but they were both a little weary of exactly how to move forward.

Tig couldn't hold back his smile when he heard the exaggerated pout in her voice, grabbing the towel that was slung over the raised hood of the car and wiping the grime off of his hands. "Of course not, doll." He smirked, pulling her into a hug - feeling her shiver when his hand touched her bare shoulder. "The bar offerin' delivery now?" He accepted the beer from her with a smirk.

"Waiting for Gem, thought I'd come make sure that the ol' Impala hadn't fucked you guys around too hard." She chuckled. 

"It couldn't fuck us old bastards even if it tried, Lass." Chibs gestured between himself and Tig with a raised brow.

"I know that I'd spend my whole day fucking you old bastards if I could." She gave the men a lazy once over, watching them stare at each other with widened eyes as they tried to figure out if she was being serious or not.

The thick tension in the air was cut by the screeching of chains along the pavement as Juice and Half-Sack pulled into the lot in the tow truck which carried a Corolla that had been improperly loaded as one wheel hung off of the bed.

"Fucking Christ!" Chibs yelled as he ran out of the garage towards the two younger men.

Tig and Sydney both laughed as they heard the Scotsman cursing like a sailor once he reached them. "You should go help them." She nodded towards the disaster just feet away from them.

"They can take care of it without me." Tig shrugged. He wasn't one to do more work than needed.

"You mean like I have to do?" She tilted her head, staring deep into his eyes. Tig froze, looking back at her like a deer in the headlights - knowing that the innocence in her voice was anything but.

"What's wrong, Sergeant?" She stepped up to him, pressing her body against his - her eyes flicking from his chest, to his lips. "You afraid that I'll show you the time of your life and your little whores won't be able to satisfy you anymore?" Her tone was low, seductive, and dangerous.

Tig couldn't form a coherent response, shocked yet again as she pulled away and looked him up and down disapprovingly. "That's what I thought." She scoffed before turning away.

He gripped her arm, roughly pulling her back to him where he backed her against the car - pressing against her hard enough that he could feel the pounding of her heart. "Not even close, dollface. We're past the point of them not being able to satisfy me." He felt her chest beginning to heave beneath his, cocking his head back and chuckling low as the heat behind her cheeks became as evident as the lust in her eyes. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her against him harshly where he pressed his lips against her temple. "Now let me get back to work." He spoke through gritted teeth.

Sydney was convinced that Gemma was doing God's work as she pulled into her parking spot at that exact moment, providing the escape that she so desperately needed - smiling devilishly at him before taking off.

♕

Half of the table umbrellas had been successfully installed, and Sydney had managed to evade Gemma's never-ending questions when suddenly the pole that they were working on, snapped.

"Shit..." Gemma cursed. "Would you mind checking up on the roof? I think we have some spares up there."

"Yeah, sure." Sydney nodded, walking off towards the ladder and beginning the journey up to the roof - taking caution as her white cork wedges weren't exactly climbing shoes.

"Hey, Tigger!" Gemma called him over after watching his eyes affix themselves to Sydney as she crossed the compound.

"What's up, Gem?" He jogged over.

Gemma just pursed her lips and nodded her head in Sydney's direction. "You're different since she got here - you care about her." She observed.

Tig didn't say anything. He had no idea how to answer the question - knowing that a million more would follow - but he definitely didn't deny it.

"You wanna tell me somethin'?" She raised a brow impatiently.

"Nothin' to tell." He shook his head with a shrug, remaining tight lipped about the feelings that he was still struggling to wrap his head around.

"Not what I hear around here." She scoffed.

"Haven't fucked her." Tig stiffened defensively, his face falling when he realized that by attempting to close one door, he'd inadvertently swung another one wide open.

As much as she liked to tease Sydney about her dishonesty, Gemma had figured as much. She was confident that Sydney would've told her if something actually had happened, but it was still shocking to hear coming from the mouth of the infamous Tig Trager.

"You two spend every day together, you're at her house all the time, you drink together, she sleeps in your bed. You gonna stand there and tell me you haven't fucked her?" She scoffed again, hoping to squeeze him for as much information as she could.

"She does the same shit with Hap, why should it be any different for me?" But there was a bite in his tone as he recounted the few times that Sydney had crashed in Happy's dorm - something that she was clearly comfortable doing...

It was Sydney's first night drinking in the SAMCRO clubhouse after her Saturday night bar shift, showing these men just what she was made of. She and Tig were absolutely sloshed after multiple drinking games - including one that they had made up on the spot called 'who can chug the most Jameson in one go' - still standing as most of the other guys had passed out or paired off with their croweaters for the night.

"No, no, no. There's no goddamn way that you can drink this much and not have super powers. You're like, a buck twenty, soaking wet." Tig slurred, shocked with how easily she had managed to keep up with him - a seasoned vet. He'd thought that swinging her around in circles to the popular Fleetwood Mac song surely would've rattled her stomach enough to slow her down, but she was showing no signs of stopping.

"You aint seen nothin', Tiger." She nodded in circles, making herself dizzy as she almost fell out of her chair - hysterically laughing with Tig as he steadied her.

"You are so gonna pass out before me." He mused with heavy eyes.

"I don't think so." She drew out, wagging her finger at him.

"Tell ya what." He sat back down. "Whoever can do more body shots off the other person wins." He grinned with that signature glint in his eye.

"You're on." She nodded with a dirty smirk. "Strip, Sergeant."

"Come, little girl." A voice came from behind them as Sydney felt herself being pulled out of her seat by her elbow before Tig could even properly locate the buttons on his shirt, quickly recognizing the grip of Happy before she even turned around.

"You gonna be sayin' that later." Sydney laughed at her own joke before letting out a dramatic sigh when he didn't let up on his grip or his stoic expression. "Why can't you ever ask nicely, Hap?" She whined, pulling her arm away.

The bald man just rolled his eyes. "We both know you ain't gonna do shit if I ask nice." He reached out for her elbow again

"Mmm, you know I like it rough." She cooed at him, earning a proper silent warning this time as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Come on, Hap. Why you gotta be such a party pooper?" Tig whined.

"You'll end up dead if she keeps going." Sydney smirked proudly. "Lets go." He nodded, growing impatient as Sydney made no effort to move from her spot.

"Don't you got crows to go take care of, Hap? Princess can stay in my room, I'll take care of her." Tig grinned.

"I don't take care of them." Happy growled and took off with Sydney in tow, practically yanking her out of her seat as she laughed at him .

But as quick as the smile had formed on Sydney's face, it faded as a pit hollowed out her stomach when she glanced back at Tig. She didn't understand why she suddenly felt guilty for going to bed with Happy the way that she had almost her whole life, especially when she knew that there wasn't even anything to feel guilty about.

Even on the verge of blacking out, Tig still felt a pang of jealousy in his chest as he watched her go to bed with another man, but that pang turned into confusion as he saw the look that she gave him - a look that was almost apologetic...

"I was thinking that you forgot about me, Tiggy." He glanced up to see a hand on his thigh, trailing his eyes up the bony arm to see Cheryl after a few seconds of trying to focus his eyes - his face falling into an instant grimace.

"Get off me." He shoved her hand away and stumbled to his room, passing out just in front of his door.

"Hap, slow down, my feet hurt." Sydney whined as Happy dragged her through the crowd of unconscious bodies and down the hallway.

"Wouldn't hurt if you didn't dance like a whore." He smirked as he unlocked his door.

"It's not my fault that these girls needed a lesson." She stumbled across the room, managing to yank off her five-inch stilettos without falling.

"VP didn't need a lesson."

Sydney smirked as she thought back to the shock that she'd elicited from everyone just hours earlier when she'd shoved Jax into a chair and showed him just how much he was missing out on. "Collateral damage... He didn't seem to mind." She shrugged.

"No guy would mind a lapdance." Happy argued weakly, knowing full well that there was not a single girl in Charming who could shake her ass the way that Sydney could.

"Don't even try, Hap. We both know you can't wait for your birthday lapdance." She giggled uncontrollably now.

"Enough." Happy growled, but a smirk played on his lips as he shoved a pair of pyjamas into her chest before spinning her around and nudging her towards the bathroom.

"Uh-uh." She pouted.

"Girl." He warned, initiating a staredown - he was tired, wanted to sleep, and he'd had enough of her antics for one night.

Sydney only lasted about ten seconds due to her drooping, heavy eyelids. "Fine." She relented but didn't move until Happy grunted in response, rolling her eyes as she made her way into the bathroom.

Happy was in bed by the time that she got out, laying on his back with the lamp on. She crawled into bed beside him, looking up at him with those glossy, innocent eyes before he got the hint - sighing and lifting his arm so she could cuddle into his side. She chuckled, peering up at him knowingly through her eyelashes.

"Go to sleep, little girl." He grumbled with his eyes closed, reaching over to turn off the lamp before she could see the ghost of a smirk across his lips.

Sydney chuckled as she caught the lines in his face softening before the room went dark, starting to nod her off quickly. "I missed you, Hap." She said quietly, drifting off as she felt his lips on top of her head.

"I missed you, Princess."

"Sweetheart... She don't look at Hap the way that she looks at you." Gemma noted the unexpected softness behind his eyes. "But somethin' tells me that you already know that..." She added with a smirk.

"I haven't fucked her." He confirmed, dropping his shoulders with a nod.

"Well, shit." She scoffed, widening her eyes knowingly. "You really care about her."

Gemma's simple words seemed to put everything into perspective for Tig. He had been wrestling nonstop with each and every feeling and impulse that he'd had towards Sydney, but the easy words of The Matriarch made him realize the simple fact; that he did care about her. He hadn't brought himself to sleep with her yet not because he didn't know if he wanted more, but because he wanted to be sure that she did - and that was something that he hadn't felt in decades.

After slipping and sliding on the metal rungs, Sydney finally reached the top of the ladder safely. She spun around slowly once she was on the roof, taking in the view of the small town that sat nestled in the rolling California hills, from the higher altitude.

"Nice up here, huh?" She whipped her head around to see Tig standing with his hands on his hips as he too admired the view - but not of the town - while those beautiful eyes squinted against the sun.

"Sure is." She said dreamily as she looked over him, snapping out of it and returning to the task at hand where she walked over to grab one of the poles that sat along the wall.

"I got it, darlin'." Tig leaned over her, grabbing the pole out of her hands as the stubble on his chin grazed her bare shoulder and sent shivers down her spine before heading back to the ladder.

Sydney made the conscious decision to slip her shoes off this time, starting down the ladder after him and following his glacial pace. She felt her brows crinkle as she curled her toes around the cold metal where she was forced to stay in place - even with a pole in one hand, it seemed that he was taking much longer than he should've been. She shut her eyes, inhaling sharply once she realized that she'd somehow let it slip past her - he had gone first so that he could look up her dress.

She peered down at him just before he could pull his eyes away in time. "Enjoying the view?" She called down to him, gritting her teeth in an attempt to stifle the grin that was threatening to spread across her face.

Tig chuckled, saying nothing before he felt the top of her foot under his chin, tilting his head back up. His crystal blue orbs went wide as she held him in place for a few seconds, giving him the eyeful of her lacy white thong that he'd been trying to steal - giggling before moving her foot to the top of his head and shoving him down the ladder.

"Keep givin' me tastes, I'm gonna keep wantin' more..." He shook his head with a shrug, peering back up at her.

"Guess I should skip panties next time then, huh?"

Tig grinned to himself as he felt the familiar warmth in his chest, finally making his way down the rest of the ladder. Once he reached the bottom, he immediately dropped the pole to the ground with a clang, grabbing her hips and spinning her around in his arms where he carried her to the nearest picnic table.

Sydney looked at him curiously as he set her down and grabbed her wedges from her. "Could be glass on the ground, doll." He told her simply as he crouched down and began unbuckling the strappy shoes.

She leaned back onto her forearms, lifting her leg for him slightly as the butterflies in her stomach swarmed under the anticipation of his hands on her. He slid the left one on first, carefully buckling it so that it was tight around her ankle - but not too tight. He was gentle, and his movements were slow as he eased her leg down and lifted the other, each graze of his calloused fingers sending a shock through her body.

Tig was doing all of this on purpose, of course - his own senses shorting out each time that he stroked her soft skin. But he felt his movements falter as he caught sight of the little happy face tattoo that sat on the top of her right foot - the little happy face tattoo that looked a lot like the ones that littered Happy's abs. He wondered what the significance was, knowing that it obviously had to have something to do with the stone-faced Nomad, but he wasn't quite sure what. Surely it couldn't mean the same thing that Happy's tattoos meant...

Sydney lifted her left foot when she realized what had caught his attention, slowly dragging it up his thigh, over his waist, and reaching his chest as she effectively drew his eyes back to hers.

Tig froze, looking up at her slowly as his grip tightened around her ankle once he saw that look in her eye as she bit her lip... His hand slid up her calf, over the back of her knee, and crept up her thigh as he got to his feet and leaned into her.

This was it. Sydney closed her eyes, inhaling his intoxicating scent as she waited for his lips to meet hers.

"Hey, come on!" Gemma yelled with an obnoxious clap of her hands, successfully halting the long awaited embrace.

Sydney's eyes cracked open as Tig slowly turned to face Gemma, then turned back to where he could feel her muscles tensing. He smirked, dragging his hand back down the way that it came as he pulled back, winking at her before grabbing the pole and walking back over to Gemma.

Sydney had known that he'd been holding back in their little chase, but now they'd entered new territory. With sexual frustration this high, she was realizing that accepting defeat was becoming a very real possibility.

Tig retired to his dorm after the close encounter. He shrugged out of his TM shirt, ordered some pizza, and sprawled out on his bed - turning on the TV where he flipped through the channels in an attempt to find something to take his mind off of his rock hard dick, but instead he found the opposite. His thumb stilled, hovering above the button on the remote as he landed on an XXX special - girl on girl. Not the worst thing in the damn world, he chuckled to himself - figuring that releasing some tension could be helpful if they were going to keep this up. Maybe after this, his urges wouldn't have him feeling like such a lightweight.

He usually hated masturbating - that was what the crows were around for - but he had condemned himself to it since Sydney had arrived in town. He unzipped his jeans, freeing his erection and giving it a few lazy strokes as he tried to pay attention to the naked girls on the TV, but once again, she took over every single one of his thoughts.

"Uh... Delivery for a 'Mr. Trager'?" Sydney heard a nervous voice behind her as she held the pole steady while Gemma stretched the fabric across the spokes, turning to see a young boy - couldn't be older than sixteen - trembling with a pizza in hand. She chuckled as an idea came to mind...

"Sack!" She yelled across the lot, her voice going shockingly loud, earning a brow-raise from Gemma.

Half-Sack ran over, immediately grabbing the pizza from the kid and beginning to jog towards the clubhouse to deliver the Sergeant his meal.

"Nah." Sydney stopped him. "Come help Gem." She nodded, watching Gemma's brow raise higher. She just smirked, grabbing the pizza before she curtsied mockingly to The Queen and waltzed towards the clubhouse.

Tig's fantasies were interrupted by a loud pounding at his door, listening to the slab of oak rattle on the hinges with no sign of stopping. "I'm coming, dammit!" He inhaled sharply as he muted the TV, zipping up his pants before yanking the door open to see who he had pissed off this time - surprise hitting his face when he was met with Sydney's innocent smile and theatrical presentation of his dinner.

"Oh, uh - thanks, doll." He chuckled nervously. "Didn't know it was you." He took the pizza from her outstretched hand and set it down on the TV stand next to the door.

"Gotta keep ya guessin', Tiggy." She teased, peeking inside his room. "Occupying ourselves, are we?" She raised a brow as she nodded behind him.

Tig had assumed that she'd been referring to the multiple bottles of whiskey that he had lining his dresser along the back wall, but he felt his entire body go rigid as the worst possible scenario played out in front of him once he realized that she was actually nodding to the mirror above the dresser, which was reflecting the TV that he hadn't thought to turn off. 

Sydney fought the laugh bubbling in her chest as she watched embarrassment inhabit itself in every ounce of his being. "Just so you know..." She smirked lazily as she began to turn around, not lowering her brow. "The Saffron Sisters are better." She tutted her tongue. "You should really get olives next time!" She called over her shoulder as she strutted down the hallway.

A few minutes later, the smell of the pizza finally managed to pull Tig out of his haze of shock and confusion - chuckling when he opened the box to see that she had taken a slice.

♕

After completing all of Gemma's physical demands, Sydney had decided that she would stick around the clubhouse for the evening. A few Tacoma guys were passing through, and had taken the opportunity to stop for a drink with their California brothers - making more of a party out of the usual Wednesday night. But Sydney knew that the visiting charter had nothing to do with her wanting to stay...

"Enjoy your dinner?" Tig joked in her ear as he came up behind her, placing his hands on her sides where she stood at the bar.

Sydney shivered, tilting her head back as she leaned into his touch where she allowed her eyes to fall closed, and a shaky moan to escape her lips slightly in an extra attempt to help finally push him over the edge

"Wasn't really filling enough." She smirked at her own innuendo. "Would've been better if I got dessert." She lazily licked her lips while he stood with his mouth still at her ear - winking as she grabbed her beer and squeezed his bicep, trailing her hand down his arm as she made her way to the dance floor.

Sydney danced casually with some crows and hangarounds to a few songs when she noticed Tig eyeing her up from the couch - as usual, but the unusual set of eyes on her were those of a Tacoma man standing at the bar. He was young, toned, and had sandy blonde hair - not at all her type. Her type was a certain tall, dark, and handsome Sergeant with piercing blue eyes, but she could definitely use this one to her advantage.

"Haven't seen you around before." She mused as she walked up to the mystery man, leaning against the bar.

Tig's heart sank from where he sat across the room as she chatted up Tacoma's newest member, twirling her necklace around her finger the way that she did she when talked to him. He clenched his jaw, knowing that he wouldn't be able to watch much longer before stepping in - he would be damned if he lost her to someone else, especially after he had gotten so close.

"New patch. Eric." Blondie took her hand and lifted it up to his lips.

"Sydney." She smiled sweetly as she felt Tig's eyes burning into her, turning her back to him as Eric ordered drinks for the two of them.

Sydney felt Eric's hand snake around her back as the croweater manning the bar placed the open bottles in front of them - which was when Tig finally stood up, but she didn't notice. "Have a good night, love." She winked to the sucker of a man before grabbing both beers and making her way to Tig who had quickly sat himself back down.

"For my favorite man..." She offered him one of Eric's beers where he sat on the couch next to a very drunk Chibs who was face down in a croweater. "Courtesy of my new least favorite man." She glanced over at the fuming visitor.

Tig immediately felt himself relax, his obnoxious laugh escaping his lips less confidently as he recovered from the close call - forcing the anxiety to leave his body, and pride to take its place.

"Aye, Princess!" Chibs hollered, raising his head out of the woman's legs.

"Don't let me interrupt your dinner, Chibby." She winked, patting him on the shoulder as she pushed him back down with a dirty smirk.

Tig watched her with a dangerous intrigue - only able to stop himself from slipping into his daydreams when he realized that she was standing above him expectantly. 

"Sorry, doll. Old man's takin' up the whole couch." He made a show of trying to move over for her to sit down.

"Ain't it rude not to offer your seat to a lady?" She asked with squinted eyes and a hand on her hip.

"Baby, you couldn't handle the seat I'd offer." He scoffed with a cocky smirk.

"You're letting me be the judge of what I can handle, Sergeant. Remember?" She mused. "Now, what seat you offerin'?" She asked with a dirty smile.

Tig hesitated, trying to decide how far he wanted to go with his answer, but figuring that he would play it safe as he patted his knee with a grin.

"Shame." She pursed her lips, bringing her hand up to gently caress his face. "This is the seat I was hoping for." She pushed his head back and dragged her fingers down his face playfully. "But this'll do... For now." She put her hand on his shoulder and snaked her arm around his neck as she sat down on his lap and swung her feet up to use Chibs' back as a footrest.

Tig grinned, resting his hand on her knee where he held onto his beer - pressing the ice-cold bottle against her skin to torment her, earning a glare as she feebly tried to hide her crinkling face. 

"Comfortable?" He smirked, but it quickly turned to a grimace once he realized that making her squirm in his lap was not going to do his aching dick any favors as she jolted when he placed the bottle in a new spot on her leg, grabbing her hip to still her agonizing movements.

"Comfortable?" She asked sweetly as her lips curled up, feeling him squeeze her hip even tighter before he regained his composure.

The two sat in silence, listening to the crow moan while Sydney rubbed her foot along Chibs' back. Tig smiled proudly once again as she handled what could've been a very awkward situation - knowing any other girl would've been beyond uncomfortable, but Sydney seemed to be enjoying it just as much as he was...

"Mmm, this is turning me on." She moaned, feeling his dick twitch under her leg and his grip tighten on her again, giggling sadistically before taking a swig of her beer.

"Tacoma cowboy keeps lookin' your way." He found a quick distraction, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.

"You a little jealous, Tiggy?" She cooed as she cupped his jaw tauntingly.

Tig scoffed, leaning into her ear. "Maybe." He growled.

Sydney smiled, holding her mischievous gaze on him. "I woulda thought that you'd be into the jealousy thing." She quizzed casually - her suspicion confirmed by the loaded glance that he gave her. "Don't worry, he's too innocent for me. I'd tear the poor kid apart." 

"Would you tear me apart?" She felt his fingers curl tighter around her hip.

"Mmm, Sergeant..." Her eyes were pinned to his lips before they flicked back up to meet his. "I'd love to tear you apart." She said low and seductive, turning on the bedroom eyes as she gave him a dirty smile.

There was only one thing that could make Tig pull his eyes away from her right now, and that was revenge - locking eyes with Eric who was looking straight at them. "You're gonna give him somethin' to look at." He told her as he patted her leg, not breaking eye contact with the younger man before pushing her up off of him.

Sydney's forehead creased as she searched his face for an explanation, but the shit-eating grin that she was met with was a telltale sign that her time had come to pay the piper for losing their game at Bobby's wedding. "What am I gonna do?" She sighed.

Tig glanced over at Juice who was seated in a chair by the pool table, getting a lap dance from a croweater.

"Him or you?" She asked with a smirk - she knew the answer, but she also knew the reaction that the question would produce.

Tig scoffed. "You think I'm gonna use my reward to get another dude a lap dance with my girl? Not a chance, darlin'. I've seen enough of that." His demeanour was playful, but the jealousy was laced through his tone.

She pursed her lips as she stifled a smirk, walking over to the bar where she stood directly beside Eric, asking the croweater to play a good beat. The brunette smirked when she recognized the look on Sydney's face, tossing her a wink after glancing at Tig on the couch.

Tig watched - a little more amused than he should've been - as Eric stared Sydney down before she looked up at him and winked, sauntering back over to the couch where she leant forward and placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing him back to give him a clear view of her cleavage.

"He lookin'?" She questioned in his ear. Tig nodded with his eyes glued to her chest - he didn't have a clue if the prick was looking or not.

Sydney smiled her devilish smile - one that he returned as she slowly ground her chest against his. She quickly realized that this wasn't just about Eric though - catching the smug smirk and fiery gaze that he threw Jax's way.

"You still hung up over that?" She asked in a mock-pout, ghosting her fingers across his jaw and turning his attention back to her.

Tig raised his eyebrows almost in challenge, but she didn't back down - keeping him under her demanding gaze before pushing off of him and doing a seductive spin, turning back to him and running her hands up his chest as she lifted one leg to straddle him. He quickly grabbed the other, pulling her into his lap and dropping his hands as soon as she was steady, but she was quick to bring them back up to rest atop her bare thighs - his touch sending a wave of electricity through her.

"I didn't let Jax touch me." She said breathily as she leaned into his neck, her lips against his skin - smirking when she felt him shudder beneath her.

"Thought you weren't supposed to touch the dancers." He protested weakly.

"I'll make an exception just for you, Sergeant." She whispered, looking down at him with her chest pressed against his. She was doing everything that she could to dissociate herself mentally from what was happening physically, because she could feel herself getting wet as she ground her hips against him...

Tig became completely entranced, taking her advice and letting his hands travel up her thighs, over her dress, and to her ass - not noticing the playful, knowing look that she gave him.

The longer that his hands stayed on her, the easier it became for Sydney to forget that this ordeal had been for a purpose as her face fell and her eyes slipped shut.

Tig looked up at her with a smirk when he saw that she was enjoying this just as much as he was, leaning into her neck and inhaling her sweet scent. "Can't let him think that I'm not enjoying it, doll." He whispered against her skin when he felt her tense up, his silky voice sending shivers up her spine.

"You sayin' that you aren't?" She mused, her voice coming out in a moan as she rolled her hips against him even harder.

Tig flinched as the pressure increased, his grip tightening on her. "Not at all." He choked out.

She ran her fingers through his curls, ripping his head back as she dangerously ghosted her lips up his neck and over his face before sliding off of his lap and turning around, sitting back down so that her back was to him. 

Tig's hands rested on her thighs as she looked Eric directly in the eye while grinding against him, stopping the second that the younger man stormed out of the bar. She spun around in his lap to retake her original seat, but Tig just stared at her - completely bewildered, and much harder than before.

Sydney smirked, winking at him before getting to her feet where she waltzed over to the dance floor, back to her group of crows. Even when she lost, she still won.

A few songs played and Sydney chuckled to herself as Tig stayed firmly planted on the couch with shock still plastered on his face. But her harmless chuckle turned to an evil laugh when she spotted Jax walking over...

"You here to dance with me, VP?" She asked sweetly with an innocent tilt of her head.

"Wouldn't be here for anything else, darlin'." He smirked.

Sydney grinned as Jax signalled for Half-Sack to play a different song as the two of them began putting on their show. Her arms were draped over his shoulders as his hands rested on her waist - which was much more controlled without the excess alcohol. She kept her back to Tig as they bumped and grinded, but she could feel his eyes on her.

"He's not lookin' too happy." Jax warned quietly in her ear - the close proximity making Tig look even more furious.

Sydney's lips curled up at his willingness to help her without even having to ask. It seemed that their little game of cat and mouse wasn't just torturing themselves - but those around them too. "Then I guess you've served your purpose." She grinned playfully.

Jax just smiled and shook his head. "Anytime, Princess." He trailed his hand down her side and pulled away.

Sydney winked before making her way back over to where Tig was making no effort to hide his stare. "Cheryl keep my spot warm for me while I was gone?" She teased as she retook her seat on his lap.

"Yeah. Same way that Jax did mine." His tone was venomous.

Sydney's lips twitched the tiniest bit, seeing his expression harden instantly - enough to scare her a little as she felt his hands on her much more possessively this time, leaning into her as he pressed her back up against the arm of the couch.

"I know what you're doin', Princess - and I don't like it." He sneered.

Sydney covered up her bit of fear with a smirk. "I think..." She looked down at her hands as she trailed her fingers up his chest, lifting her eyes slowly. "That you like it a little too much..." She stared at him, watching him search for an answer as he stared back. "Let's play another game, Sergeant." She cooed, breaking the tension.

"What one this time?" He asked in a dissociative tone - clearly still wrapped up in the moment.

Tonight's game would be that of perception - making bets on what would happen as they watched the encounters around them. The two played for over an hour, whispering and laughing to each other as they watched the scenes unfold. Sydney was impressed - even after his stunt at the wedding, Tig had proved to be much more intuitive than she'd thought as he correctly predicted reactions just as well as she did.

Tig sat with his arm around her waist, and his hand resting on her hip while his other hand that had been previously holding his beer was now empty, and had gotten significantly higher up her thigh. She still had her arm around his neck, but occasionally she would curl her hand around to touch his face, or twirl it in his curls while her other hand rested against his chest - a display that had scored more than a few scowls and wolf-whistles from the guys.

Sydney loved toying with a touch-starved Tig - feeling the way that he would tense, or hold her a little tighter when she moved - not minding the slight release that it gave her as well. 

"Enough of this game. I wanna play a different game." His voice dropped an octave, now a husky whisper in her ear.

"Mmm and what game is that?" She taunted.

"I want you to open up those tightly sealed, pretty lips of yours, and tell me a secret - I'll tell you one in return." He spoke very close to her mouth, his facial hair tickling her neck just below her jaw.

Sydney took a shaky breath before licking her lips seductively. "You sure that's all you want me to open my lips for?" Feeling him shift beneath her, she reached up and caressed his neck, leaning in and brushing her mouth against the sensitive skin as she spoke in his ear. "I'll open my lips for you, Sergeant." She breathed out.

Tig's eyes closed as she spoke, flying open as he felt her lean back into a more bearable position where she lazily twirled her index finger over his kutte. "But... You already know me better than most of the people here, Tiggy." 

"We both know that you're full of secrets, sweetheart." He scoffed.

"Well... I guess there is something that you don't know..." She mused, the intrigued look in his eye almost loosening her smirk prematurely. "You know those panties that I was wearing earlier?" She questioned with innocent eyes.

He flinched a little, the casual tone of her statement catching him off guard as he remembered the delicious sight of those dainty white panties under her dress, sitting snug between her juicy thighs like a damn school girl fantasy. "Yeah, I remember." He growled, inching his face closer to hers - his hand following as it traveled even higher up her thigh.

She unhooked her arm from around him, holding his face in both hands as she leant back slightly, bringing him even closer. "They're gone now." She whispered at his lips.

Tig tensed slightly before tightening his grip, sliding his hands down where he felt no pantyline under her dress. He felt his blood run cold. She had given him a lap dance without panties. She was sitting on his lap right now, without panties.

The pair didn't move, sitting frozen only inches away from one another as they stared at each other - trying to decide if now was finally the right time. 

"I'm gonna take off." Sydney cut the tension, breaking eye contact as she looked down at his lips.

Tig looked down as his chest filled with discouragement - not with her, but with himself. He wanted nothing more than for her to stay, he wanted nothing more than to ask her to stay...

"Yeah... Yeah okay, Princess." He nodded, collecting his composure before he hoisted her up in his arms and carried her out to her car, smiling as she laughed the entire way.

"You sure you're good to drive, pussycat?" He asked with a raised brow as he set her down gently, making sure that she was steady on her feet.

"If I say no, do I get to spend another night in your room?" She asked playfully.

"You're real lucky that I respect you..." He scolded cryptically, but not cryptically enough - she knew exactly what he was getting at.

"I don't know if lucky is the word that I would use..." She shot him a cocky half-smirk as she got in the car and started the engine.

Tig hesitated before leaning down. "So am I really your favorite guy?" He asked with squinted eyes and a big toothy grin.

"See ya later, Sergeant" She smiled knowingly as she reversed out of her parking spot.

♕

Staying out late normally didn't cause issues for Sydney, but the tossing and turning that had occurred after her already late night with Tig had taken a major toll. She was dead tired - flopping down onto the couch in the TM office in hopes that she could get some rest during her lunch break. She eventually nodded off, coming to as she heard someone enter the room from the garage before being hit by a wave of the scent that she knew all too well, hearing his footsteps become much lighter once he noticed that she was asleep.

"Don't get any ideas, Tiggy." She teased with a smirk. She kept her eyes closed, but she swore that she could hear him smiling.

"How'd you know it was me?" He sounded surprised, but that consistent hint of playfulness was still laced in his tone. She didn't answer, just chortled knowingly. "You know, it's a good thing it was me comin' in here, doll. Not everyone is as noble as I am." He placed his hands on his hips as he nodded thoughtfully.

She chuckled as she opened her eyes slowly. "Ah yes, Tig Trager - the model gentleman." She mused.

Tig crossed over to the couch, lifting her legs to rest on his lap as he sat down. "Didn't know the army was recruitin'." He commented with a grin as he stroked up the camouflage, jogger-style pants that she was wearing.

Sydney ignored the goosebumps that erupted under his graze, pursing her lips and biting the inside of her cheek as she smiled at his joke. "Figured I'd get to you first. Can't have anyone snatching up the vet-turned-Sergeant." She slid her gold necklace back and forth as she grinned and bit her tongue, pressing the sole of her combat boot to his wrist where his U.S. Marines tattoo sat.

"I'm all about the service, darlin'." He shrugged. "Who's the tired one now?" He nudged her with a smirk.

"Shut up." She giggled. "I was just resting my eyes."

"Yeah." He scoffed. "That's what Chibby says too before he ends up snorin' like a chainsaw."

"I was not snoring!" She laughed, watching his brow raise as he looked at her with narrowing eyes. "Ugh, okay fine. Help me up." She lazily lifted her arms out to him, sliding her legs off his lap as he pulled her up to sit, but she was taken by surprise when he kept pulling until she ended up in his lap - straddling his thigh where his arms fell around her waist. 

"You were supposed to be my motivation to get up, not stay." She whined, making no effort to get up as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"I'm tired too." Tig defended with his nose buried in her hair as he enjoyed a healthy dose of her coconut-lime scented shampoo before she made to pull away - inadvertently grinding her crotch along his thigh as a whimper escaped her lips.

They both froze, refusing to look at one another as they wondered if that had actually just happened. Sydney felt her breathing becoming shaky as his arms unwrapped from her waist and his hands tentatively trailed down her back.

"Tell me what more I gotta do today." He spoke distantly, hoping to distract her while his hands wandered over her hips and landed on her thighs, dragging down towards her knees slightly where he encouraged her to rock forward.

Sydney's body responded instantly - her eyes falling closed as the thought of what she was doing didn't even have time to reach her brain before she lifted her head and brought her hips towards his.

"Um. T-there's a shot tranny on a-a Honda." She all but whispered.

Once he was satisfied with her forward thrust, his grip released - his fingers curling slightly and urging her to push back. "What else, doll?" He whispered, brushing his nose against her collarbone before resting his cheek against her neck as his eyes closed.

"Uhm. There's-" She struggled breathlessly as she continued to lazily grind against him.

"Hmm?" He looked up at her. He could feel that she was clearly enjoying this as she sat hot against his leg - as if her gentle humming wasn't enough of an indicator.

Sydney moaned lightly rather than answering, feeling his hands tighten on her as he buried his face further into her neck. "Tiggy..." She whined as he continued to rock her against his leg.

"I know, babygirl..." He hushed her gently.

Sydney came back to earth when she heard a throat clear behind her, whipping her head around to see Dog - one of the mechanics - standing in the doorway with an eyebrow raised. "Honda's on the lift." He nodded to Tig who just gave him a curt nod and looked to the ground.

Sydney looked to his ring adorned fingers that were curled atop her thighs, smirking as she gave him a devious, fiery-eyed look before getting off his lap.

Dog hastily returned to the garage where Jax, Juice, and Half Sack were working. "Think I'm gonna have to take off before Tig has my ass..."

"Why?" Jax wrinkled his brows.

"Pretty sure I just cock-blocked him... The lucky son of a bitch." The large man scoffed with envy.

"What? In the office?" Jax was thoroughly confused before he managed to put it together that Sydney was working today. "Ah, shit..." A grin of amusement formed as he eyed the office door where a grumbling Tig emerged.

"C'mon, man." Tig sneered, throwing his hand up in frustration as he grit his teeth at the sight of the giggling men surrounding him before stomping over to his lift, rearranging the uncomfortable erection below his jeans as he did so.

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

Sydney's last office shift of the week had started bright and early on Friday morning as she sat back and waited for Gemma, watching out the window as the repo truck pulled onto the lot where Tig and Juice jumped out. She giggled as the two men began making their way to the office, watching Tig growl something to the younger man before he ripped a brown paper bag out of his hands. She quickly busied herself with paperwork as they approached the door, attempting to contain the giddy smile that was forming on her face, and the butterflies that were swarming behind her belly button.

"Mornin', beautiful." Tig greeted with a grin as he entered the office. "Brought you breakfast." He presented her with the paper bag that contained a cheese scone and a chocolate brownie from the coffee shop by her house while Juice set her favorite drink - an iced caramel latte - down onto her desk.

Sydney smiled bashfully at Tig, sucking her lip between her teeth before she found herself distracted by Juice standing next to him - completely oblivious as he nodded with a squinty-eyed smile. "Thanks, Juicey Fruit." She smiled. "Busy day?"    

"Ye-" But Tig ripped the repo sheet out of Juice's hands before he had time to answer.

"Repos are all done." He handed her the now crumpled list. "Figured we'd get 'em out of the way for ya." He winked.

"Well my, my... If I didn't know any better, I would think that you were tryin' to win me over, Mr. Trager." She teased in a southern accent as she leaned back in her chair, nodding back and forth with a cheeky grin on her face and her necklace between her fingers.

"Oh, baby - I am." He joked back in a growl.

A scowl came to Juice's face as he wondered if the odd pair was acting out purposefully to make him uncomfortable, or if they just genuinely had no regard for the fact that they had an audience - both being viable options. He shook his head, blinking a few times as he made the executive decision to head to the garage and begin getting ready for the day's work ahead.

Tig chuckled as he watched the younger man leave out of discomfort - just as he had hoped, rounding the desk to where she was looking up at him expectantly. "I like seein' my favorite girl happy." He shrugged as he dropped the facade.

"I better be your favorite girl." She nodded smugly as she watched him clam up.

"Only girl I spoil." He smiled as the redness formed across her cheeks as he spoke the words.

"Just showin' you what you're missin', Sergeant. It's a shame that you can't handle me full-time." She tried to keep up her playful expression as she too began to clam up.

"Careful with that ego, Princess - won't be able to fit you on the back of my bike." He chortled.

"Compound ain't big enough for both of our egos... And we both know that your bitch bar's got my name on it now." She winked.

"Yeah, yeah." He groaned. "What time you gettin' off?"

"6:00 P.M."

"Can I watch?" He flashed a dirty grin.

"Oh baby... You can do more than watch." She smirked, leaning back in her chair smugly.

Tig leaned down, placing a hand on one of the armrests. "Like yesterday?" His voice dropped an octave as he hovered over her.

Sydney felt her entire body tense around her quivering thighs. "Yeah... Just like yesterday." She rasped dreamily, twirling a strand of hair as her back arched up towards him.

Tig felt his eyes slowly beginning to fall closed as he inched closer and closer, practically able to taste her as she sat waiting for him - straightening up abruptly when he heard the clacking of Gemma's heels as she entered the office. "M-mornin, Gem." He cleared his throat.   

Gemma raised a brow slightly as she slid her sunglasses down her nose. "Uh-huh." She eyed them knowingly. "You're up early." She scoffed. Tig was always the last person on the job, and the first person to leave.

"Had a lot to do before I leave this afternoon..." He tried the poor excuse. "Club business." He added, looking down at Sydney whose forehead had creased.

"Better get to it then." Gemma raised her brow higher, looking between him, and the door to the garage.

"Yeah... Yeah, okay." He nodded, taking off out the door.

Sydney began blushing the second that he left, feeling her cheeks burning as Gemma looked at her with that smug smile. She rolled her eyes, biting her the insides of her cheeks as she tried to keep the bashful grin off of her face - eventually giving in and letting herself laugh with The Matriarch.

♕

Half-Sack arrived at the clubhouse for his shift in the garage, surprised to see that Tig and Juice were already working. He scowled as he double-checked his watch, sure that he had left early enough to get there on time - but he saw that it wasn't even his start time yet. He pulled on his uniform as he ran up, hoping that he wouldn't catch too much shit for being late - even if he technically wasn't.

"Let's get started on those repos." He panted as he approached, trying to look eager to work in hopes of avoiding some kind of cruel and unusual punishment.

"Already done." Tig stated.

Half-Sack scowled again. Something was going on... There was no way that he was this late - the garage had only been open for a few minutes. Had somebody turned back his watch again?

"Yeah, he insisted on getting them done early so we could stop and get donuts for the Princess." Juice mocked in a high-pitched voice with his hands in the air. "Never pegged you as one to get pussy-whipped." He chuckled as he jostled Tig's shoulders - enjoying every second of being able to aggravate his Sergeant

Half-Sack breathed a sigh of relief once he realized that he wasn't in trouble. "Does that mean that you finally got pussy from her." He joined Juice in the hassling - regretting it the second that Tig's eyes locked on him.

"What was that?" Tig squinted.

"N-nothin', man... Just, y'know... I thought you guys were like... Y'know." He stuttered.

"No, Kippy... I don't know." He took a few steps closer.

"Nah, it's uh... I uh- I don't know either." The prospect almost tripped over his feet as he stumbled backwards.

"That's what I thought." Tig nodded. "You ever even had your dick sucked?" He scoffed at the juvenile who had almost managed to insult him.

"Well... Uh-" He trailed off.

"Yeah, okay." He cut him off, grabbing him by the back of the neck and turning him towards the office window where they could see Sydney sitting at her desk, sipping on her coffee. "Now. You see that shit I got there? She's got everybody here pussy-whipped, and they're gettin' a whole lot less from her. You understand what I'm saying?" He reminded the two younger men, turning around with a snarl and walking off towards the first car of the day.

♕

Sydney had moved to Gemma's desk while the older woman was on lunch break so that she could get a better view as Tig swapped the tires on a lifted Tacoma, trying to keep her jaw from falling open as she watched his arms flex while he carried the heavy wheels across the garage. She had decided over the last few weeks that his arms and hands were just another thing about him that she found to be irresistible. Something about the chunky rings on his thick fingers just turned her on, she swore that she could feel the juices flowing from her pussy every time he touched her with those big, rough, manly hand-

"Sydney." Clay announced from the doorway, startling her out of her fantasies.

Sydney jumped, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "What's up, Pres?" She tried to remain as cool, calm, and collected as possible as she cursed herself for appearing vulnerable before her President - the one man that she needed to prove her strength to.

Clay smiled with an eyebrow raised, he knew exactly what she had been thinking about. "Church after work." He told her.

Sydney's eyes lit up, completely forgetting about her moment of embarrassment - she was being asked to her first table meeting. "You got it." She tried to say through her smile - one that he subtly returned before walking off.

Any other day, Sydney probably would've been harder on herself for letting her guard down in front of a superior - she knew how much of a risk Clay was taking with her, and she didn't want to lose her chance to prove herself, but he had been right; these people were quickly becoming her family. She knew that as a woman, she would be held to every act of emotion that she ever displayed, and the last thing that she wanted was for these guys to get the wrong idea in thinking that she was just some damaged gash that Packer had felt bad for. But she also knew that in order to earn her place in SAMCRO, they needed to know that she was human - that she was capable of brotherhood.

♕

"Good luck, baby." Gemma smiled from the desk as Sydney walked out of the office door and towards the clubhouse after the day shift had ended.

"Thanks, Gem!" Sydney called over her shoulder with a smile - grateful to have the support of The Matriarch on her side. Gemma was the only woman in S.O.A. history to ever make a name for herself among the charters. She could be stone cold - do what needed to be done, but she was also the most loving, nurturing woman that Sydney had ever met. She knew how to hold a man down, keep a home, and provide for a family - blood or not. She was everything that Sydney aspired to be.

The thundering of Sydney's heels was powerful as they pounded against the wooden floor of the bar while she walked to the chapel - more powerful than they had sounded the day before.

"Congrats, Syd." She heard Half-Sack mutter quietly from outside the chapel, stopping her strut where she pulled him into a hug that took him extremely off guard. 

"Thanks, Kip" She pulled away, smiling widely at him before linking her arm in his and pulling him into the chapel with her. The guys gave him such a hard time - hell, she did too - but he was a sweet kid with a pure heart that was full of loyalty.

When they entered the room, Sydney caught Happy's knowing smirk from where he stood by the door. She smirked back, standing still for a few seconds before she gave into the excitement - jumping into his arms where she giggled at the slight groan that came from him as he stumbled back. She had been waiting years for this moment, and Happy was the only living person who knew how much it truly meant to her.

She chose a seat towards the end of the table between Chibs and Happy, only realizing then that Tig was missing from the circle. She couldn't deny the pang of disappointment that she felt - she'd wanted him to see her in action at her first meeting. But her bitterness was pushed to the back burner as the guys continued to file in - each congratulating her with a pat on the back or a kiss on the cheek. She basked in the glory of their validation, taking in her surroundings before the light tap of the gavel refocused everyone's attention.

"Alright, that's enough. Let's get down to business." Clay lit a cigar. "First things first, I wanna welcome you to our table, Princess." He raised his cigar - the guys doing the same with their items of choice whilst one hand pounded the table as they cheered. "Your Godfather says that you'll be of good use to us, it's time you start proving that." Sydney nodded, thankful that the unexpected situation with Tig hadn't seemed to have jeopardized her position thus far. "Now, we gotta get you up to speed on what exactly we're dealin' with here."

"Running guns?" She responded in the sweetest, most innocent voice that she could muster up, Clay's attention shooting directly to her when the wave of surprise hit the table. "I'm observant." She began before he could protest. "Figured I would have to find out what my purpose is around here, somehow." Her tone and accompanying smirk were just the right amount of cocky. "Your operation's secure, I'll give you that; calls made on prepays, drops never consistent, police in multiple counties on your payroll - impressive. Deep ties with the IRA - I'm guessing we can thank you for that, Scotty." She winked at Chibs, who winked back. "But I'm assuming that your problems are coming from your newly nonexistent storage facility and stolen merchandise... I'm also assuming that said facility was torched by someone you won't sell to, or someone who wants the business for themselves: Mayans, Nords maybe." She shrugged. "Laroy seems happy on his end of your deal; supplying the guns to protect his turf against the Mayans - giving the Mexicans even more reason to target SAMCRO." She mused. "Now, with no place to store between deliveries, and the cops sniffing around after the explosion - you need new transport methods, new ways to fund the rebuild, more bodies, more... Distractions." She cocked a brow. "Which is why I'm here." She looked around the table, seeing that every single scruff-speckled jaw was slacked in shock. The only one that wasn't, was Happy's.

"Told you." He smirked at his bewildered brothers as his eyes sparkled with pride.

Sydney's gaze never strayed from Clay's as everybody glanced to the Tacoma native - refusing to even move her head as he shook his in disbelief.

As much as Jax was loving the verbal smack-down that Clay was getting from somebody other than himself - he wasn't going to drop his guard that easily. Not a single word of Sydney's patch-hungry sales pitch sat right with him. Women were supposed to obey the members of the MC, not challenge them with perky tits and a smug fucking smile. 

"You know we kill people for snooping around our organization like that, right?" He stared at her intensely.

Sydney snorted. "I said I was observant, not a snoop. You want a snoop? Keep talking to me like that and I'll rattle off all of your social security numbers, rap sheets, and give you an itemized list of exactly what you've got in that safe." She nodded towards the wall safe across the room. 

The Treasurer and Intelligence Officer exchanged a scowl - wondering how she could have possibly managed to obtain all of this intel in such a short amount of time, completely undetected. 

"I'd suggest you bump up your security." She deadpanned. "That is, if you don't want people snooping around your organization." She spat at Jax.

Clay glared at Juice. "Is there anything I wanted to say here that you don't already know?" He surmised with a gesture of his hands. "Princess?" He practically spat her quickly coined nickname.

Sydney could tell that below the displeased expression, he was impressed. But what she didn't know was that he was also slightly embarrassed, and hard as a rock. "Doubtful." Her eyes flickered. "Sir." She added quickly, her lips curling up in an attempt to stroke the ego that she'd just ripped to shreds.

"We'll discuss new transport methods, ways to earn for the rebuild, temporary storage arrangements, next week when Tacoma gets back to us." He tipped Happy a nod. "Anything comes up, you'll know."

Sydney nodded her understanding along with everyone else, getting up to leave with the group when Clay's voice boomed above the screeching chairs. "Sydney?" She looked at him with exaggerated wide eyes - hoping to appear as innocent as possible. "What the hell have you done to my Sergeant-at Arms?" He couldn't hide the grin that was spreading across his face as he asked the question that everybody wanted the answer to.

Sydney felt her stomach flutter and her cheeks flush as the guys stirred around her, various whistles filling the room while Chibs yelled something in Gaelick. "Just gettin' to know each other, boss." She responded with a suggestive half-smirk - quickly regaining her composure.

"Gettin' to know the gash between your legs." Clay retorted jokingly, but she knew that he was testing her.

The room fell silent as the group of bikers wondered how the young woman would react to the crude comments - if she would stand her ground, or turn and run.

"Like Bobby's gotten to know the one between yours?" She fired back, eliciting whoops and hollers - unable to contain her smile as Juice shook her arm in excitement.

Clay's face went white as the balls on the mouthy little tart slapped him in the face. "You're alright, Princess." He laughed with the others.

Sydney smirked before leaving the chapel where she was the first one out the doors, which meant that everyone's eyes fell on her - and she wouldn't have had it any other way. She smiled proudly, standing tall as she strutted over to the bar where Half-Sack had ran to begin lining up shots for the inevitable Friday night party.

"How was it?" He asked as she approached, but before she could answer the large group behind her began hollering their drink orders at the prospect. She smiled and nodded to the younger man, letting him know that she was pleased with the session.

Not long later, as Sydney downed shots that were being bought for her left, right, and centre - she hadn't noticed that Tig had slipped back into the clubhouse, meeting Clay privately in the chapel to discuss what he had just found out...

"Darby." He stated matter-of-factly, so angry that his voice was calm.

"What!" Clay snarled.

"Trammel stopped a guy on a DUI - Unser's guy... Found a few rocks in the truck, it's definitely Darby's shit." He nodded regretfully.

"He's dealing in Charming?" He sneered.

"Probably up at the truck stops in Pope, but he knows it'll flow into Charming."

 "The deal ain't that it don't cross our lines..." He reminded Tig - knowing that standing off with the Nord leader over semantics when they were already being targeted by one threat, was not wise.

"I know. But Clay, man... He's only been outta the hole for three weeks - he's gotta be planning somethin' big if he's already pushing this shit."

"Only two things feel good in the joint... Jerking off, and thinking about the shit that you're gonna do when you get out. He went in for three years... Let's make sure the rest of his big boy plan ends up on his cum rag and not on his to do list."

"Alright." Tig nodded. "But I say that we press Darby sooner rather than later."

"We will." Clay nodded, but before he could bring it up - Tig heard cheering from the bar.

"What's all that about?" He nodded out the door.

"Your little Princess - first night in church." Tig's expression fell when he heard the unsettling explanation that meant he'd missed Sydney's first meeting. "Oh come on, Tiggy - she did great." Clay clapped him on the shoulder. "Either we do a shit job of covering our tracks, or that is one smart bitch. Got a hell of a mouth on her."

"Oh trust me, brother - I know." Tig smiled proudly.

"Something I should know there?" Clay raised his eyebrows.

"Nah... I mean we're friends. You know... We uh... We got things in common." The dark-haired man nodded far too thoughtfully.

"Uh-huh." Clay huffed, unconvinced. "Come on." He pushed Tig towards the doors to join the party.

♕

Chibs had ordered Sydney a double shot of 151 and just as she was making to grab it, she felt a rough hand on the back of her neck - the cold metal of the ring-clad fingers sending chills down her spine. The familiarly intoxicating smell of cologne and tobacco filled her nostrils as Tig reached down and grabbed her shot, downing it in one go.

"What're we drinkin' to tonight, doll?" He asked with a devious glint in his eye.

But before Sydney had a chance to react, Half-Sack had placed a new shot in her hand. She smiled, thanking him with her eyes, but apparently Chibs wasn't feeling as forgiving...

"Aye, you asshole!" The Scot yelled at him, waving his fist in the air.

Tig just smirked, turning away from the angry man where he leaned with his back pressed against the bar. "You need a chaser with that, Lass?" Chibs asked while frantically motioning for Half-Sack to hurry up and give the girl something to take the shot with.

Sydney grabbed the shot and spun around in her bar stool - now facing the party like Tig was - pouring the tall shooter down her throat where she refused to do as little as wince as the potent liquor scorched its way down. "I think I'm good." She winked, handing him the empty glass.

Tig tried his best not to look amused - and failed - while Sydney earned an awestruck stare from Chibs and Half Sack. "Tiggy." She whined, the buzz fuelling her dramatic display as she pushed her hand into his chest lightly, balling her fist in his shirt. "You missed my first time at church." She pouted, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes as she jutted out her lower lip.

Tig had fully intended on making a joke, but seeing her looking up at him, wide-eyed and innocent, made his pants tighten as his mind went to a completely different place. He reached to cup her face with one hand, resting the other on her thigh. "I know. I'm sorry, darlin'..." Sydney felt herself shiver slightly, but it was quickly followed by a warm sensation as his thumb stroked her denim-covered skin. "I'll be there for the rest of your firsts." He nodded as he rubbed his other thumb across her pout. Her lips were soft and supple, but full - lips that he couldn't help himself from imagining just how good they would look wrapped around his cock. He shook the thought away, refocusing his eyes just in time to see hers flashing a little greener. He had expected her to fire something back, or toy with him like she usually did - but this time he saw nothing but desire in her eyes as her lips tightened against his thumb.

"Promise?" She asked sweetly, the tip of her tongue grazing his calloused thumb before she tilted her head further into his hand and slipped her eyes closed as she nuzzled the rough palm that felt electric against her soft skin.

"Oh I promise, baby." His piercing blue eyes fell back down to her lips as he got closer, slowly lifting her chin.

"Dude, you should've seen her in there!" Juice bellowed, jogging towards the pair.

Sydney's head snapped in his direction, Tig still looking down at her as his hand held her face. "Oh, uh... Shit, was I interrupting?" Juice stammered.

"Of course not, Juicey Fruit!" Sydney covered up the trembling in her voice with as much excitement as she could muster after such a close call. "You here to dance with me?" 

"Hell yeah!" He agreed much more eagerly than he probably should've.

Sydney had learned how to wrap each one of the guys tightly around her finger - a trick she had mastered over the years. Hell, if she could do it to Happy Lowman? She could do it to anybody. She knew exactly how to talk to each of them, how to intrigue them, and how to get what she wanted from them. Juice was simple; he wasn't the sharpest scythe in the shed - he lacked maturity, and he was easy to please by the slightest bit of interest or good feedback. He was light and goofy on the surface, but she could see that deep down, he was someone very broken inside - a genuine man who unintentionally wore his heart on his sleeve, and there was no doubt in her mind that it would be his downfall.

What Juice was however, was a great dance partner. He knew all of the Spanish songs and dances that Sydney had learned growing up with Happy's family. She knew that he enjoyed dancing with her, and luckily for her - he knew that it was completely platonic, the lines were not blurred like they appeared to have been with Jax at the wedding. The two bumped, grinded, and laughed - singing to each other sillily through a few songs until they stumble-ran back over to the bar where Sydney really started to feel tipsy. Juice brought her into his arms to steady her - squeezing her tightly as they both laughed hysterically for no reason at all.

Tig was sitting and talking with Chibs, not exactly hiding his glare as he tried to listen to what the Scotsman was saying, but the moment that he saw Sydney in Juice's arms, his hearing completely faded. He snapped out of it, pulling the nearest croweater into his own arms as he turned his attention back to the mind-numbing conversation. 

Sydney chuckled when she saw that he was clearly trying to make her jealous, shaking her head and turning away. Two can play this game.

"Hey, little girl." Sydney heard the unmistakable raspy voice as a hand grazed the small of her back.

"Hey, Happy Feet." She smiled big as the tall man slid into the empty bar stool next to where she was standing.

"Impressive in there, as always." He smirked - it was just as much fun for him as it was for her to watch the guys squirm.

"I learn from the best." She winked.

"Saw you dancing with the Puerto Rican." He raised a brow.

Sydney raised a brow, quickly dropping the facade when his stare didn't let up. "Don't worry." She rolled her eyes. "As tempting as the homie hopping is around here..." She said with a smug look as she scanned the room full of beautiful men. "I'll leave it to the crows."

"You actually goin' for him?" At first, Happy had thought that Tig was purely strategy, but the more time that she spent with the Sergeant, the less likely that idea became. He knew that she would never put herself in a position where she would be expected to give something that she didn't want him to have, not even for a patch. Next, he thought that maybe she was using him as a decoy - going for somebody that no one expected her to go for was one of her signature ways to keep everyone guessing, but he could tell by the look on her face as her cheeks flushed that this was something more... "Never seen you like that." He let a sly grin slip.

Sydney pursed her lips. "Is that bad?" She asked sincerely.

"Really? He had to be the one you chose?"

"Are you really that surprised? Think about it Hap..." 

As much as Happy didn't think that Tig was good enough for her - not that he would ever think that anyone was good enough for her - the similarities between the two were uncanny. "I know you won't go soft on me." He shrugged.

Sydney knew that this was the closest type of approval that she would get from him. "You think he could be good to me?" She questioned candidly.

Happy's eyes narrowed and his expression hardened - if that was even possible, but she held her hand in the air to stop him before he could start. "Nah-ah. I don't wanna hear any of your protective bullshit. 'He doesn't do relationships, he's an asshole, he's a freak.' I get it. I've been hearing it all month, but you would say the exact same shit about me if it was him asking, and you know it. You've known since day one that I would end up with a Son - that I'll die before I settle down with some straight-laced, vanilla pretty boy. I care about your opinion, and we both know how hard that is to earn."

"Don't know." Happy grumbled. "Never seen him with anyone, never seemed interested..." The toothpick between his gritted teeth almost snapped. "Sound familiar?" Sydney chortled. "That goes somewhere? He will be good to you."

Sydney smiled, happy with both the answer and the reassuring threat. "Yeah, well, that's if he ever grows the fucking balls and does something about it." She grumbled.

Happy snickered. "He's playin' with you cause you're playin' with him. Ain't as fun bein' on the other end of it." He narrowed his eyes.

Sydney rolled her eyes. "You know that patience has never been a strong suit of mine."

"Needs a push from someone on the outside... You're both too stubborn to give it up."

"Yeah... You're right... He does..." Sydney grinned as an idea popped into her head. "Thanks, Hap." She cocked her brows.

Happy leaned in closer once he caught on - deciding that he would help her out if it meant temporarily angering the curly-haired man. "You're still mine." He whispered with a smirk before kissing her on the cheek. He rarely reciprocated her flirting - mainly because he knew that she was searching for a reaction, but also because he knew the reason that she dared to tease him so adamantly was to show him that she wasn't scared of him.

Sydney grinned wickedly, revelling in the long-awaited satisfaction. Even if she knew that his intention was solely to fuel Tig's jealousy, she welcomed the effort. "Always." She grabbed his face in her delicate hand, cupping his chin and bringing him towards her lips for a chaste kiss before she pulled away with a smile and a wink.

Happy gave her a smirk before he sauntered off, leaving her to meet Tig's angry eyes which she evilly stared into before he looked away as the crow on his arm fought for his undivided attention.

Sydney chortled to herself, turning to Half-Sack for another shot as she canvased the room for her next victim. "What's wrong, Kip?" She teased when the nervous prospect hesitated to give her the drink.

"Uh, Tig said I can't give you anymore alcohol... I-I have to cut you off." He stuttered.

That bastard... Sydney had to admit, she was a little impressed by his smart move. "Ugh! Come on, Kippy" She fluttered her eyelashes at him, raising her voice loud enough for Tig to hear.

The poor kid's eyes shifted between the two a few times, looking anxious as ever as he tried to decide whose bad side was worse to be on. "Fine."  Sydney dramatically rolled her eyes. "But just cause I love ya." She winked as Half-Sack's reddening face stretched into a crooked smile.

Sydney suddenly had a change of plan as she remembered the multiple whiskey bottles that she'd seen in Tig's room. She locked eyes with him, trying her best in her intoxicated state to look pissed off before quickly plastering on a mischievous grin, taking off across the bar and down the hall. He was a smart man, she hoped that after watching her get turned down the alcohol - per his request - he would think that she was going to steal his.

Sure enough, out of the corner of her eye, Sydney caught Tig pushing the skinny brunette off of him. She sped down the hallway before stopping at the bathroom door where she waited for him - making sure that he would just catch her seductive gaze as she disappeared behind the door, which was exactly what happened.

Tig stood confused at the end of the hall for a minute before he eventually caught on - briskly walking towards the bathroom as he prayed that he was reading her signals correctly...

Sydney quickly shuffled over to the sink to get in position, placing both hands on the edge of the yellowed porcelain. She looked at herself in the mirror as she leant against her palms - the  slight haze in her face from the alcohol only adding to the sexy, disheveled look that she'd been going for. She tore her eyes away from her own reflection once she was satisfied, glad to see that the door was in perfect view, and just as she had planned, it clicked open.

Tig slipped inside the one-person bathroom, stopping dead in his tracks once he saw the look on her face in the mirror...

Sydney's inebriated mind wandered as she gawked at him through the reflection. For some reason, tonight he looked better than he'd ever looked. Maybe it was the way that the top buttons of his shirt were undone, exposing his silver chain and a bit of chest hair - or maybe it was the way that he had rolled his sleeves up, showing off his muscular forearms and displaying the cuffs around his wrists. Her eyelids began to flutter as she started thinking about his hands again... She wanted to know what it felt like to have those ring-covered hands all over her...

"You didn't have to go through all this just to get my attention, darlin'." His words ripped her from her fantasy, the cocky smirk on his face telling her that he knew exactly what she'd been thinking.

Sydney pulled herself together, turning only her head around enough to flip her hair over her shoulder. "I always want your attention, Sergeant." She smirked. "But it looks more like you went through a lot just to get my attention." She raised her eyebrows, keeping her mouth slightly open with a challenging smile as she nodded towards the door.

He chuckled and looked down at his boots, knowing that he didn't have a comeback for that one - but he didn't care, it had confirmed his suspicions. He took a deep breath before reaching behind him and locking the door, taking another deep breath as he waited for her to stop him as he took a step towards her. But she didn't. She wanted this too. 

"You want me to go?" He asked, taking another step as he prayed that she wasn't just fucking with him - torturing him before stopping him at the last minute.

Sydney turned slowly as he approached her, pushing herself up onto the sink slowly as the gap between them started to get smaller, feeling the nervous excitement tightening in her stomach. "You wanna go?" She asked in a low voice, tilting her head as her eyelids became heavy with lust.

"No." He answered simply as he closed the gap between them completely - his hands smoothing up her thighs, pressing his chest against hers as he looked down at her.

Sydney's head was level with his neck as she greedily inhaled the scent that made her weak in the knees - fighting the urge to bite at the vein that tempted her so vigorously. Her heart was beating faster and faster, and she could feel his following suit beneath his thin shirt where she dragged her fingers up from his stomach, to his open buttons, lightly running them across his exposed chest as she turned her head enticingly - keeping the distance between their lips exactly the same before leaning back.

Tig leaned down as she guided him to follow with her hands pulling at the lapels of his shirt, gently brushing his nose against her cheek.

Sydney could feel every nerve in her body ready to explode. From his hands on her, to his scent filling her lungs, his eyes glued to hers, his lips centimetres away... She couldn't take it anymore, she could hardly breathe with the anticipation. "Do you even know what you do to me?" She asked just above a whisper, her lips almost grazing his as she spoke.

Tig had more than an idea or two by the way that she was quivering in his grip, but he would've done anything to hear it come from those sweet lips. "Tell me, Angel." His voice was husky, dark, and coated with lust.

Sydney felt the tremble of her over-sensitive nerves at her throat as she ignored the very real thought that she could go into cardiac arrest - leaning all the way into his neck where she took another deep breath and let her eyes fall shut. "Mmm." She hummed. "You make me need." She continued her slow purr, moving her lips up his neck as she spoke against his skin, grazing it with her teeth. "And I never need." She was at his jaw. "Anything." The corner of his mouth. "From anyone." She breathed out, her lips ghosting over his.

Tig's hooded eyes never left hers, but they didn't look hollow and unfocused as they usually did when she knew his mind had drifted off, or when he was trying to hold himself back - this time, he was looking right into her soul with a fiery want that would've had her on her knees in seconds. And she was looking at him with the exact same want - a want that only he could satisfy.

And that look was what Tig needed - the final push as his lips came crashing down onto hers where she felt every part of her body spark when they finally made the contact that she'd fantasized about, day and night. Everything around her melted away as she felt herself being transported to the heaven that only he could pull her out of the depths of hell for - yanking him as close as she possibly could.

Tig's hands roamed her body as they began to make out with fervor, moaning as she slipped him the honeyed tongue that had plagued his wildest fantasies. He pulled back and licked his lips slowly, his eyes eating up every inch of her as he moved his hands over her shoulders, her tits, her exposed waist, eventually landing on her hips - squeezing everywhere that he could while he had the chance that he worried he wouldn't have again.

Sydney bit her lip as the cold metal of his rings grazed her buzzing skin, just as she had imagined - the excitement only intensifying the already euphoric sensation of his hands on her. She smoothed her hands up his chest as he groped her sensitive body, gripping his shoulders tightly to let him know that she was ready for whatever ride he was about to take her on.

He slowly pushed her legs apart with his pelvis, arching his neck towards hers, his hot mouth landing on the sensitive skin before she felt his teeth nipping at it - sending shivers through her entire body as it pulsated with adrenaline. She was sure that she had completely burned off the alcohol by now, feeling nothing but this moment. He pulled his head back and smirked before returning to her lips, sliding his hands down her hips, to her ass - pressing his erection against her as he brought their bodies as close as possible before running his hands up under her shirt and over her bra.

Sydney ripped the offending garment over her head as soon as she felt where he was going with this - unable to wait any longer, she needed to be seen by him. She let it fall to the ground without a care as he got to work unclipping her bra where she felt a rush of exciting heat to her cheeks. This man was definitely an expert - no fiddling around, he knew right where to go, and what to do to set her off. He ripped her bra off of her faster than she had ripped her own shirt off of herself - his eyes burning a hole through her bare chest as her naturally perky tits sat before him, confirming his nagging suspicions as his eyes landed on the silver bars piercing the soft, puckered skin of her nipples. He grabbed her tits in both hands as he returned to ravishing her neck, biting and sucking at the skin - marking her in any way that he possibly could so that he would have something to help him believe that this had been more than just another daydream.

Her eyes rolled back in pleasure as she grabbed a fistful of his dark curls, matching his rough and needy movements as he set the tone, feeling him moving down her body where he took a nipple into his mouth and sucked gently, rolling it between his teeth while his hands snaked back down her sides to her hips as he gripped them tightly, rolling them against him. 

They both indulged in the sinful sight that left just enough to the imagination before Sydney gripped his hair tighter and pulled him to look up at her, silently begging him as her panties got wetter and wetter by the second. She needed to feel him inside of her, and she needed to feel him inside of her now.

Not breaking eye contact, Tig began to unbutton her jeans and pull them down - yanking them off of her legs and over her stilettos. He grabbed at her now bare thighs, reaching around to her ass where he brought her to her feet before him.

Sydney felt her hunger feeding off of his in the electrically charged air that surrounded their desperate bodies - slowly pushing him down before her as she shook with excitement.

Tig licked his lips, placing open-mouthed kisses all over her body on his way down - dragging his hands with him, but looking up at her the entire time. Her heart quickened as he got closer and closer to her core, gasping every time that his lips met her skin. He finally got to his destination with his hands just above the backs of her knees, but he brought them back up to caress her ass as he brought her closer - savouring the softness of her skin in his hands. He kissed her all around the lace of her panties as he remained completely mesmerized by her body, his hand slowly starting to pull the fabric to the side and out of the way as he moved his mouth over the soft pink material - relishing the anticipation.

Sydney gasped loudly as the corner of his mouth hit her clit, reaching behind her to steady herself against the counter as the sensitive bundle of nerves spasmed even as it was still half-concealed.

"Pretty. Little. Pussy." He mused, his words broken up by kisses as he moved her panties further and further out of the way with each brush of his lips until they were completely exposing her wetness to him. Staring in awe, he traced her folds with his fingertips slowly, agonizingly - making her whimper yet again. He got to his feet, trailing his fingers up the inside of her thigh as he did so - slowly caressing her mound as he watched her writhe beneath his hands.

With her bottom lip between her teeth, her head thrown back, and her eyes closed - Sydney's body felt like it was on an electric current, tingling and jolting at every touch. She felt him cupping her cheek - letting her face fall into his hand as she slowly opened her eyes.

Tig narrowed his eyes when he was met with a needy gaze that bore into him - a delicious combination of passion, want, submission, and fire. He stroked his thumb down her cheek and onto her lower lip where he dragged it out from between her teeth and rubbed it gently - his eyes widening in surprise when she wrapped her lips around it. He growled, moving his hand down further to rub her clit - his entire body shuddering as he stroked her impossibly silky skin while she moaned against his digit, sending a dick-tingling vibration through his body.

"That feel good?" He slid a finger into her slowly.

Sydney jolted at the intrusion, biting down on his thumb which he slid out of her mouth, immediately replacing the one that had been rubbing circles into her clit while his other hand stilled inside of her. He moved her up onto the sink and pushed her legs apart wider, sinking down to the ground with one hand around her waist, pulling her into his mouth while the other hand laid flat against her inner thigh - keeping her legs open to him. He teased her with the tip of his thumb before finally beginning to lick the throbbing swell of her clit - gently at first, and then rapidly, pressing his lips against her while he expertly twirled his tongue around all the right places. 

In a matter of seconds, heaven had become an understatement as Sydney battled the moans threatening to escape her lips, gripping harshly at his hair as she ground her hips against his tongue - she wanted more, she needed more. 

Tig got back to his feet, dragging his fingertips down from around her waist, to her slit - sliding two fingers into her this time as he gripped the back of her neck with the other hand. Her arms instinctively clung to his shoulders as her body jolted again, feeling her hips rocking slightly into his thrusts as she bit and sucked his neck while he held her close, beginning to expertly pump his fingers in a motion that hit her g-spot perfectly.

The feeling of stimulation on her g-spot from someone other than herself was a completely new feeling for Sydney. She had known for quite some time now that her needs were harder to satisfy; she needed the pain to counter the pleasure - a pain that everyday men didn't seem to know how to give her, and she had no interest in burning through them just to find one who could. But Tig was the first man in years that she didn't mind taking out for a test drive...

Sydney fought the urge to roll her eyes as the man between her legs moaned while he ate her out - the fact that he was nowhere near her clit apparently being something that he was completely oblivious to. She tried to hold out, hoping that he was just drunk and would soon find his way - but the sounds of his moans over her silence quickly became too much for her to bear the mere thought of enduring any longer. 

"Get out." She reached down and pushed his head away.

"W-what?" He asked in bewilderment.

"You heard me, get the fuck out of here." She said firmly as she slid into a red strapless romper, storming out of the room before the offended man had time to protest. If she was going to receive shitty sex, she at least wanted it to be from somebody worth it - not from the lanky, brown-haired man that she'd swiped off the floor in an attempt to rattle the competition.

She hastily made her way down the hall and to the stairwell leading to the bar, her furry leopard-print flip-flops slapping against her ankles as she descended. It was late - nearing 5:00 A.M. - so there were only a few people passed out around the bar on the relatively calm Thursday night.

Happy heard the door of the room next to his slamming, accompanied by the sound of his neighbour angrily stomping off to the main area of the clubhouse. But what he hadn't heard, was anything to tell him what would've caused the outburst. He pushed the brunette off of him, her teeth scraping along his dick as he did so. 

"What the fuck?" The newest sweetbutt exclaimed.

"Fuck off." He grunted, zipping up his fly and stalking out of his room to look for Sydney - apparently picking up a straggler as Yates followed him curiously.

Both men hastily descended the stairs, hitting the landing with a thud to see Sydney sitting on the bar top, kicking her legs back and forth while clutching a bottle of tequila. "What's with the fucking cavalry?" She scowled, noticing not only Happy and Yates, but their discarded bedmates following close behind.

The man Sydney had stupidly decided to take a chance on walked over to the bar, taking a seat without a care in the world for what had just happened.  "Yeah, I didn't just mean get the fuck out of my bed. Get the fuck out of here." She gestured to the room around them as she spoke slowly as if she was talking to a child, unable to believe the audacity of the man who clearly thought that the patched members would have no issue with his right to stay. 

The tall man was pissed with the little club whore who dared to order him around, and was ready to stupidly put up a fight - he knew how these men treated women, they wouldn't have a problem with him putting her back in her place.

"You fucking heard her." Yates nodded, cutting the man off before he could start. 

The hangaround shuffled away angrily - Happy's sweetbutt following after him. Sydney scoffed at the poor excuse of a man; too embarrassed to have been kicked out by a girl, and too much of a chicken-shit to fight with the men about it.

Happy raised a brow in question as he turned to Sydney, but he didn't get a response as she tipped the bottle back. "You took him to bed?" He asked with a scowl after a few seconds of putting the pieces together. A seventeen year-old girl taking a man to bed wasn't a concept that would confuse most people, but Happy knew how selective Sydney was about who would find themselves between her legs.

"Yup. Was quickly reminded why I don't do that." She took another swig.

"Didn't hear anything." Happy smirked.

"Yeah, why do you think I fucking kicked him out." She lifted her arm in frustration, giving Happy the opportunity to whisk the tequila out of her grasp - unable to help but laugh at the situation.

"What?" Sydney sneered in frustration.

"Funny how you run with men all day but you bring little boys around."

She smirked weakly. "If ya really think about it, Hap... It ain't funny at all." She said cryptically, knocking the tequila bottle out of his hand and catching it in her own.

Happy lunged for her arm, ripping the tequila from her grip once again. "Go to bed, little girl." He ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Sydney chose instead to bat her eyelashes and paint a flirty smile across her lips. "Why, you gonna finish me off?" She leaned back, pushing her chest out and lifting her leg to brush against his - grinning as she saw the familiar anger flash in his eyes as she pushed the buttons that she had all but worn out.

He pushed her knee down harshly, effectively freeing himself of her touch, pulling her off the bartop and spinning her around. "Go. Quit bein' a pain in my ass."

"One day you'll say yes to me, Hap." She wagged her finger and shook her head slowly over her shoulder, being sure to swing her hips a little extra as she walked away.

"I don't know how you say no, man..." Yates rubbed the back of his neck as he watched her strut up the stairs. "She's so fucking ho-" 

"Shut up." Happy cut off the starry-eyed VP, striding back to his room with the bottle of tequila in hand.

"Tiggy I'm gonna-" She moaned breathlessly as she rocked against his fingers, feeling the hot tingling in her core as her orgasm approached.

Tig could tell that she was close by the way that her muscles were starting to tighten around his fingers, and her legs trembled as her stiletto-clad foot sat deeply embedded into the wall next to the sink. He prodded the spongy skin inside of her even faster, sure to keep his movements gentle and purposeful. He moved his hand from her neck, to one of her breasts, caressing it gently - earning more gasps as he leaned into her neck. "Come for me, beautiful." He breathed into her ear.

With that, Sydney let go - an orgasm stronger than anything she'd ever experienced crashing through her body. Moaning loudly, she felt waves of ecstasy pass over her as she threw her head back - her eyes following suit as she went limp in his arms.

Tig let her ride out her high, the sounds of her loud breaths giving him his own. He slowly pulled his fingers from her, trailing them up her trembling inner thigh, and down the side to hook around her knee - easing her leg down from its hiked up position.

But before Tig could make his next move, she pushed him back with her fists balled in his shirt - feeling her sliding off of the sink and knowing immediately what she was doing. He helped pull her down, and without hesitation she dropped to her knees before him, tugging his pants down - not bothering with the zipper.

Sydney's eyes were filled to the brim with excitement when she made out the large shape of his hardening cock, looking up at him with a wink before she pressed hot kisses over the fabric of his boxers.

"Jesus, baby." She heard him whimper as she dragged her tongue over his entire length, looking back up to meet his eyes as her finger traced along the inside of his waistband.

He stared down at her with his lip between his teeth, lightly caressing her face and running his fingers through her hair, pulling it back into a ponytail. She smiled deviously, finally pulling his boxers down where her eyes widened when his full length was revealed.

Tig smiled proudly to himself before she slowly licked a trail from base to tip, making his eyes flutter in pleasure - finally experiencing what he had spent weeks dreaming of. He choked on a gasp as his eyes flew open when she wrapped her lips fully around him - grabbing her shoulder to steady himself. That damn tongue ring... 

Sydney's head moved up and down as she took his full length into the back of her throat, massaging the underside of his cock with her tongue as she kept her eyes trained on him - the oral jewelry intensifying each flick of her tongue. He watched her in awe; nearly naked with her cheeks hollowed and those beautiful eyes glistening as he repeatedly bottomed out in the back of her throat - but she didn't choke, she just continued swallowing around him. His grip got even tighter around her hair as her expert-level ministrations continued, making him moan like a whore as he fought the urge to fuck her face.

She finally pulled back - licking her lips gently before he hooked his fingers under her chin, quickly bringing her back to her feet where he sloppily kissed her as saliva dripped down her chin. She tasted herself on his tongue, the tang sending her into a frenzy as she devoured his mouth, meeting his stare as he broke the kiss before he turned her around to where she could see herself in the mirror.

Sydney bit her lip as she eyed the love bites that had formed down her neck and across her chest while Tig admired her body - still in awe of how perfect she was. He caught her eye in the mirror, seeing that same lustful hunger that loomed within his own. "Never came like that before, have you Princess?" His caring voice was laced with a condescending growl as he whispered in her ear, moving her hair over her shoulder as he gently nuzzled her bruising neck.

Sydney knew that her reaction had been a dead giveaway - the way that he had worked her body had her literally shook to her core and it had been impossible to hide. Her innocent eyes met his in the mirror, shaking her head slowly with her bottom lip still between her teeth.

"Not as experienced as we make ourselves look, are we?" He chuckled.

"Not my fault that no one knows how to fuck me properly." She snarked back - half defensively, half hoping that it would spur him on.

Tig grabbed a fistful of white-blonde hair and yanked her closer with a snap of his wrist, smirking against the skin behind her ear. "Remember what I said about watching that mouth?" He taunted, his lips tickling her jaw as she threw her head back in his grip, letting him take full control of her. "I'll show you how good you can feel, baby... Give you what you deserve." She moaned shamelessly at his words of pure domination. She was used to being the one who did the intimidating. For once, she wanted to be the one forced into submission - to be put in her place, and that was exactly what Tig Trager was doing to her.

He pulled her hips towards him, bending her over as he pulled her soaking wet panties down her legs and let them fall around her ankles. Unable to wait any longer, he grabbed his cock and circled the tip against her entrance - both of them immediately shuddering at the sensation.

"So wet for me." He hummed as he caressed one of her ass cheeks - unable to help the immense triumph that he felt to have found her dripping wet for him. "Spoiled little Princess, getting what she wants..." He mused tauntingly. He could tell that she enjoyed the dirty talk as much as he did, and he couldn't have been happier.

Any other time, Sydney might've been embarrassed by just how eager her body was making her out to be. But with Tig - as everything else - it somehow worked perfectly, keeping their sadistic game lively as she refused to verbally submit to him, but completely surrendered physically.

"Don't act like you didn't want this too." She moaned out as she arched her back, pushing onto him slightly.

"From the very first time that I met you." He admitted, entering her slowly. "Fuck... Syd." He grunted, allowing his head to fall back as he entered the tightest pussy that he'd ever felt. She was definitely no croweater...

Sydney smirked at the reflection in the mirror as she watched his eyes slip closed, his grip on her hips tightening before a breathless scream slipped out of her as he went deeper. He was big, filling her up completely - leaving her with no room for emptiness in a way that wasn't just physical...

He stilled his movements, letting her adjust as she forced her muscles to relax. It had been years since she'd liked a man enough to let him inside of her, but luckily with how badly she wanted Tig - her wetness eased any discomfort that her unaccustomed body may have felt.

Tig pulled back slowly before he entered her again, her back arching even more - unable to take the suspense. He smiled at her submission; her mutual need for him - pulling her hips closer and pushing himself further into her, making her gasp yet again. He pulled back, only he heard her whine as he left her this time. He chuckled, pushing back into her - leaving her completely breathless as he groaned at the sensation of her tightness around his cock. He moved his hands from her hips, taking hers from where they had been white-knuckle clutching the edge of the sink as he began a proper rhythm that he feared he wouldn't be able to keep up.

Sydney felt her heart flutter as his fingers laced in hers, unable to control the moans leaving her lips as he finally began fucking her steadily. She arched her back again, straightening up as much as she could - bringing a knee up to rest on the sink. She wanted him to be as close, and as deep as possible. They'd had weeks of foreplay and frustration - neither of them wanted it slow.

Tig felt his eyes roll back when not only did the new angle allow him to penetrate her deeper - but it had her practically screaming. He watched as she pulled one of her hands from his, instinctively lifting it to cover her mouth - which he quickly slapped away, retaking it in his. "Don't even think about it, sweetheart. Let me hear you. Let them hear you." He growled into her ear.

Sydney grinned at his cocky response before gasping again once he found the right spot with his cock this time, hitting it perfectly where she was still sensitive from her first orgasm. Her eyes closed involuntarily as she was bombarded with pleasure. She could feel every emotion and unspoken tryst in the way that he fucked her - the frustration he had over them both being too stubborn to admit their feelings, the anger over her making him look like a pussy, the satisfaction of finally having her, and the desire for more. 

Tig's hand left hers, smoothing around her side, up her stomach, over a breast, and eventually landing on her neck where he wrapped it gently around her throat. He shivered when he felt her tighten around him in reaction to the proposal - smirking while he stared through the mirror and into the sexiest, most deviant pair of eyes that he had ever seen.

He applied the perfect amount of pressure around her neck: enough that she could still breathe, but not easily. He could feel the vibrations of her moans deep in her throat against the palm of his hand, spurring him on as his hips snapped against her ass even harder. He moved the other hand around to her clit, circling it with his fingers while his strong arms remained completely wrapped around her - hoping to get her to come soon as her increasing tightness from the excitement threatened to peak his arousal. 

"Fuck!" She squealed once he hit her with the double sensation, her mouth hanging open as she felt her spring coiling tighter and tighter.

Juice waltzed down the hallway on his way to the laundry room when he heard the unmistakable noises coming from the bathroom. They weren't abnormal noises to hear in the clubhouse, by any means, but they were abnormal noises to hear so early in the evening, and when he'd just seen everybody in the bar. He scowled, the only two people that had been missing from the party were Tig and Sydney - assuming that they had gone back to her house, or for a ride, or whatever the fuck it was that the two of them were always off doing together since according to Sydney, it 'wasn't fucking'. But the sounds coming from the bathroom definitely weren't the sounds that two people who 'weren't fucking' would make. He bolted down the hall to Tig's room, finding it empty - pushing through the people crowding the path to the door as he raced out to the parking lot.

Jax scowled at Chibs and Bobby as he watched Juice in his haste. "The fuck's he doin'?" He nodded to the giddy young kid while the other men just shrugged.

Juice quickly spotted Sydney's car in the lot, along with Tig's bike - grinning huge in victory as he ran back inside to share his discovery with his brothers. "Dude!" He breathed out, exasperated when he finally reached the bar. "They're fucking in the bathroom." The men exchanged scowls. "Tig and Sydney." He struggled to catch his breath.

Bobby smirked and raised a brow, as did Chibs, while Jax just grinned. But a grunt came from beside Juice - the group of men turning to see a very displeased Happy. He had rage in his eyes, and his chest was heaving, but he remained as calm as a pissed off Happy Lowman could be - knowing that there was nothing that he could do about it.

Juice widened his eyes in mockery to his brothers after Happy grabbed the nearest croweater and made his way outside. "Anyone else notice that all of his whores look like her?" He pointed out as the angry man dragged the blonde towards the door.

"I hope to the mothering Gods that they're fuckin', I can't stand to watch them any goddamn longer." Chibs groaned.

"C'mon... There's no way they haven't been fucking this whole time. It's Tig. With her. You tellin' me you'd be spending nights with her in your bed and not fucking her? I call bullshit." Jax sneered.

"Hap says he's done it." Bobby countered.

"Well, why would they lie about it?" Juice questioned.

"The other day, Tig said she looked good in whatever she was wearin', and she said that she would look better on his dick. Girls don't say that shit - especially not to someone that they aren't fucking." Jax argued.

"She's not like most girls. Maybe that's why she says shit like that - because they really aren't." Juice surmised oh so naively.

"She just likes fucking with him." Bobby groaned with a roll of his dark eyes. "My favorite one? She asked what he wanted for dinner the other day, and before he could answer she said he could just eat her for dinner and fucked off - left him there like a deer in the headlights."

"Oh! Or when she was on his shoulders after she danced on the bar that night, and she complained that he had her facing the wrong way." Juice added to the wild things that Sydney would say to proposition the usually sex-crazed Sergeant, completely forgetting the entire point of his argument.

"So why pick him over someone like Jackie boy here?" Chibs questioned.

"Princess' just like Tig. They're shit disturbers - love to freak people out and confuse 'em." Bobby clarified, surprised that two of the best looking Sons were so uneducated on women.

As Sydney revelled in the bliss of finally having Tig inside of her, she began to feel a divine aching in her stomach as juices ran down her thighs - a feeling that no man had ever been able to give her before. 

This was what real sex was like... The croweaters had made Tig forget how much better things were with a real girl. Sydney wasn't screaming some godforsaken moans to try and satisfy him, her moans were all natural - showing him how much she was enjoying it. He had also forgotten that sex with a real girl was more than her sitting there and taking it - Sydney's body responded perfectly to his every move as she rolled her hips to meet his thrusts, clutched his wrist where it laid against her windpipe, and stared deep into his eyes.

He felt her walls clenching around him, bringing him closer to his release as he squeezed her throat a little tighter. "You gonna come for me again, doll?" His goatee tickled her neck as his hot breath sent a shiver down her spine. "Huh? You gonna come all over my cock?"

"You gonna make me?" She managed to bite back through gritted teeth between her panting. He growled at the challenge, rubbing her faster until he finally sent her crashing over the edge yet again. 

Tig let up on the grip that he had on her throat - grabbing her hand and squeezing as he felt her meet the release that he intended to follow very close behind. 

Sydney's breathless gasping continued as she moaned and twitched around him, the extension of his ministrations sending white-hot shocks through her already over-sensitive body where he  thrusted into her a few more times before finally unloading his heat - biting into her shoulder with a groan.

They came down slowly, their breaths mingling as Tig rested his head against her back for a minute or so - still holding her hand. He finally peeled himself off of her, trying to steady himself while she gripped the sink to keep her own balance as she continued trembling.

"Church must've gone well." He chuckled against her shoulder.

"You missed a good show." She smirked, turning her head to face him.

"Darlin'." He scoffed, cocking his head as he looked her up and down. "I just got one." He smirked.

Tig dressed himself as Sydney stared at the ceiling, still trying to regain control of her body. He grabbed her hips gently - turning her to face him where he pulled a bandana out of the back pocket of his jeans and used it to gently clean her up between her legs.

Sydney was flooded with mixed emotions as she leaned back against the sink to give him access. This was easily the best sex that she'd ever had - rough, passionate, but also somehow sweet. All she could do was look up at him with an ironic innocence.

Tig felt his heart skip a beat when he finally met her twinkling eyes after the job was done. He smiled, tangling his fingers in her hair where he dragged her lips to his for a proper embrace.

Sydney could still feel the sparks flying as he kissed her, blushing once he pulled away - but not before catching the adoration that shone from his eyes, confirming her suspicion that it was more than just sexual tension between them.

Tig handed Sydney her discarded clothing where she began to redress, slipping both arms through the straps of her baby-pink bra and turning towards the mirror where she reached behind her back to hook it, but he took over - placing his hands around hers.

"You really are a gentleman." She snickered.

Tig chuckled - too nervous to meet her eyes through the mirror.

Sydney watched him with a light smile - looking at him with something behind her eyes that she didn't quite recognize, something more than lust... She pulled her eyes away from the confusing sight, looking over her shoulder and onto the ground where she spotted her panties lying around her right stiletto. Her brief moment of vulnerable uncertainty was eclipsed by her much more familiar deviancy, smirking to herself as an idea came to her while she finished getting dressed.

She was still facing the mirror when Tig finished straightening out his shirt, looking up at her in the mirror where he found himself face to face with that evil smile. He watched as she slowly drew her foot back, her stiletto nearing her ass when he noticed her panties hanging off of the five-inch heel. She brought her foot up to the hand that was dangling by her side, slowly plucking the underwear off of its makeshift hook before she sauntered over to him, stepping just past him where he stood completely still - unable to see her in his peripherals unless he turned his head slightly.

"Thanks for the tune up." She said in a sultry voice, winking as she gently tucked her panties into the back pocket of his jeans - her cocky little smile turning into a full blown grin as she bit her lip. She held eye contact, turning her head as she walked towards the bathroom door and back out to the party.

The awestruck man watched her longingly, staying in the same position - paralyzed with shock as he wondered how it was possible that even after he had shown her around the block, she managed to leave him feeling like the inexperienced one.

Tig Trager had met his match.

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

Sydney awoke abruptly to the feeling of her heart hammering against her chest, shooting up in bed where she gasped for air, running her hands over the smooth silk of her sheets. She felt her face flush against the contrast of the cold chill that found her sweat-coated body, realizing as she took in her surroundings that the erotic dream she'd had was just that - a dream.

Only it wasn't. It was a reality that her subconscious had been desperate to relive.

She was hooked; the feeling of his skin, the allure of his dominance, the validation in his praise... She'd left the clubhouse immediately after the mindblowing encounter - stumbling out with wobbly legs and a spinning head as she fought with everything that she'd had not to stay and spend the entire night the same way that she'd spent the evening, and she knew that it wouldn't be the last time that she'd have to fight the urge as it began to rise again...

She rolled over as she tried to catch her breath, plucking her phone off of the nightstand to see a new text that had come in while the clock read 3:29 A.M. - realizing that the reason she had been so easily coaxed out of her slumber by the message was because she'd only just managed to get to sleep. She felt yet another wakening rush of nervous excitement, completely distracting her from the President's virtual invitation back to church the following day. 

She was in strange territory - she knew that he felt the same way that she did, but the entire reason that they'd met in the first place was forcing her to maintain her mysterious illusion towards the funhouse expert, himself.

♕

Tig was still awake as his mind danced with the heavenly memories of the unholy evening. The sex that he'd had with Sydney was the best sex that he'd ever had; rewarding, validating, but most importantly, it was mutual. Their physical chemistry had been just as earth-shattering as their mental chemistry had been - the way that their bodies  had fed off one another, seemingly knowing just what the other needed. She had exceeded his expectations tenfold - she was a perfect adaptation of his dream lover: kinky but submissive, sweet but sexy, innocent but evil. He'd thought about fucking her hundreds of times, but the anticipation had made it hard for him to see it as anything more than a fantasy - a fantasy that he still couldn't believe had actually become reality. 

His phone buzzed with the same text from Clay, disregarding the message as he flipped it open and scrolled through his contact list, hovering over her name... She must be asleep. He made the excuse, knowing full well that she would be awake by the numerous late nights and early mornings that they'd spent together lately.

He shook his head, tossing his phone beside him on the bed. He was unsure how to navigate the uncharted territory - he'd never been in this position before, even as a man in his forties. And the only thing that was keeping him from thinking that this had been a dream altogether, was the fact that he had yet to fall asleep.

♕

Sydney awoke peacefully this time to the sun shining through her window, but the peacefulness was short-lived as her stomach flipped the second that she gained consciousness. What was going to happen now? She laid in bed for a while as she tried to process the confusing mixture of emotions - happy, anxious, excited, nervous - before finally peeling back the covers and padding towards the bathroom for a shower. But her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she pulled off her nightgown to see the marks that Tig had left on her body; a large, dark hickey on the left side of her neck, some smaller ones on her left breast around her tattoo, and small red marks on her hips from where his fingers had been.

Though it had been some time, Sydney was no foreigner to sex. But what she was a foreigner to, was sex like that. Sex with such passion, such need. She smiled to herself as she looked down at her white toenails, blushing before finally hauling herself into the shower. He definitely hadn't been wrong about what he'd told her after the wedding - he'd fucked her, and her body knew. She could still feel the way that he'd worshipped her with a slight aching in her stomach, which only tightened with excitement as she thought about what more was to come.

After a long shower with water hot enough to rival the images that played over and over in Sydney's mind, she dressed herself in black ripped jeans, a grey loose tank top that exposed parts of her strappy black bralette, and black platform mules before heading off to the clubhouse with her hair in messy waves that she'd left down to air-dry in a weak attempt to conceal her hickeys.

♕

Tig had never in his life woken up after a conquest and thought about it twice, but as he dressed himself for the day, he couldn't get Sydney out of his mind. The senseless thoughts of her that kept him awake for most of the night had driven him almost as mad as the sight of her naked body had. He'd gotten out of bed eagerly - another thing that he rarely did - making his way to the kitchen for some hardly necessary coffee where he found Gemma waiting for him.

"Mornin'." Gemma was the type of woman whose tone could tell you exactly what she was thinking, but her famous raised-brow, pursed-lip expression only confirmed that he was completely busted before he could even try to plead his case.

"What?" He chuckled, remaining casual - not ready to give it up just yet. They hadn't exactly tried to hide what had happened, but they hadn't thought that it had been all that obvious either...

"Heard you had a good night." She walked over, brushing her fingers over the hickey on his neck with a snort before she lightly slapped it.

"Yeah, crow was crazy." He winked.

She raised her brow even higher. "Yeah." She scoffed. "This... Crow doesn't have anything to do with Sydney stumbling out of the bathroom with you, does it?"

"Oh, nah, Gem. She was just drunk - I was holdin' her hair." His voice was full of over-exaggerated care.

"Not like the Tig I know to be such a gentleman." She scoffed again.

"Just tryna keep the Princess happy - bosses orders."

"You could've at least asked her to stay if she was so drunk." Gemma smirked. 

"Shit... You think so?" He shook his head with a wince, backing down quickly. He knew that he could trust Gemma - one of the only people who had ever been allowed to experience his soft side.

"Don't worry, Tigger. Somethin' tells me that wasn't your only chance." She chuckled with a smile, walking out of the kitchen where she left Tig alone - giddy as a school girl.

♕

Clay sipped his coffee as he sat at the Diner in Pope where he awaited the arrival of the Aryan shot-caller. He was taking a risk going alone, but Darby was the least of his problems right now - and he had a plan that he knew his crew wouldn't go for.

"Clay." Ernest Darby greeted his rival as he strolled past him and slid into the other end of the booth - Whistler and Izzy lingering by the door.

"Been a while." Clay nodded to the balding man. "Wanted to make sure you didn't forget about our agreement." 

"I kept Opie safe the entire time that we were in Chino together." Darby shrugged as the MC President already tried to jump on his ass.

"Oh, I remember how it works inside. Question is; do you remember how it works outside?" He narrowed his eyes.

"A lot changes in three years, Clay."

"A lot stays the same..." Clay shrugged, leaning closer. "Nothing happens in Charming that we don't control, or get a piece of." He sneered. Darby rolled his beady eyes, unable to believe that SAMCRO had already caught onto the operation that he had only just started back up. "See you got some new ink in the joint." He nodded to the swastika tattoo that sat in the centre of Darby's chest.

"Subtle, but it says it." Clay chuckled. "I'm dealin' in Pope. Your precious little town ain't on my shit list." He mused.

"That's good to hear." Clay nodded. "Why don't you, uh - make your way down to my clubhouse later, help convince my guys." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"And why the hell would I do that?" Darby scoffed. Surely Clay didn't think he was stupid enough to so willingly walk into an ambush?

"Do me this favour, and we'll consider the trucking issue off of the table."

"What do you care about some cracked out truckers?" Darby contorted his face in confusion.

"Well you see, the Sons of Anarchy protect a local company; Unser Trucking. Coincidentally the same trucking company owned by the Chief of police." Clay grinned. "Your crank in the truck throws a wrench in our commitment to the safety of the Chief's town. So if I can show my guys that you ain't dealin' in Charming, then we can convince the Chief that we don't have to destroy your entire operation." He lifted his mug to his lips with a smug smile.

"You think I'm just gonna pull up to your clubhouse with a death wish?"

"I'll consider it a good faith gesture - got a tight little San Bernardino prize there for you that'll give you some of her own good faith gestures." He pulled out his wallet and tossed a few bills down onto the table. "I know you got a thing for the blondes with blue eyes." He mused.

Darbys brown eyes flickered. "Fine." He sneered, getting up out of the booth.

"2:15 P.M., see you there." Clay called after him.

♕

Sydney pulled up to the clubhouse at 1:55 P.M.. She had been so nervous - wanting to leave as little time to be grilled by the guys before 2:00 P.M. church as possible. She walked into the clubhouse, trying not to draw any attention to herself as she hurried over to Gemma who was standing at the bar. She'd dealt with the hassling about Tig for weeks, but it was another thing when the hassling was now substanced, and her nerves still hadn't settled from the incident itself. 

"Hey, sweetheart. Heard your first church went well." The older woman smirked.

"I think I showed 'em who's boss." Sydney smirked back, glad that her accomplishments within the club were what was being recognized here, and not her accomplishments with its members...

"Looks like someone showed you who's boss, too." Gemma used the arm of her sunglasses to push Sydney's hair away from her bruised neck, revealing her hickey - the colour draining from her face before the two women started laughing.

"That's me." Sydney announced when Clay walked in, fluffing her hair back into place and walking towards the chapel where Tig was waiting among his brothers, meaning that she didn't have to worry about a potentially awkward encounter.

Tig's eyes lit up when Sydney walked in, and as much as he wanted to stand and stare - he quickly turned away, pulling his chair out and resting his chin on his folded hands.

Sydney took her seat as church began. So far all she'd gotten were a couple of scowls and smirks around the table - which she was more than happy to accept. But she noticed a new face joining the meeting - a face that she'd only recognized from Bobby's wedding: Piney Winston - Opie Winton's father.

She'd heard enough about the father-son duo from Gemma and a few others to have been able to pick them out of a crowd, and Piney's descriptors of 'crazy old fuck with an oxygen tank and an alcohol problem who pretty much did as he pleased as long as it didn't cause trouble' suddenly seemed far less theatrical than she'd originally found it to be as she stared at exactly that. But regardless of his absence in the weeks since she'd arrived in town, he politely introduced himself to her - giving her condolences for her father, and recounting the many times that they had worked together.

Clay began explaining the situation with Chief Unser's truck driver as Sydney nodded off, thinking about Tig as she barely managed to keep her eyes locked on Clay while she thought about those hands that sat only feet away from her peripherals.

"Met with Darby, says he's only dealing in Pope." He looked around his table for the push-back that he had come to expect, glad when all that he saw was confusion. "Unser's coming by later - he's gonna need a friendly reminder that this is an isolated incident, and it doesn't affect our deal." He narrowed his eyes.

"Sure thing." Juice nodded.

"You got it, man." Tig added in what almost came out as a growl as he so valiantly tried to appear present in the conversation that was falling on deaf ears as he breathed in the scent of Sydney's perfume where she sat so close to him...

♕

A few minutes after the chapel doors closed, the one to the clubhouse opened, and Ernest Darby waltzed in. To say that Gemma was confused would've been an understatement - instinctively reaching for the gun under the bar before she remembered that the Nords were at peace with the Sons, at least that was what paper showed, for now...

"Hi, Ernie." She greeted the man that she would've called her old friend - but her husband wouldn't have appreciated that.

"Gemma... Wow..." Darby's eyes nearly popped out of his head as they laid on the gorgeous woman that he'd never been able to get - no matter how hard he'd tried. "How's the beautiful queen of bikers?"

"Holdin' it together." She shrugged. "What are you doing here?"

"Favor for Clay." He dismissed her question quickly. "Damn, Gem... You look real good." His eyes slid over her. Clay had been right, he did have a prize for him. "Clay keeping you happy?" 

"He does the best he can." Gemma smirked. "Interesting new accessory you have there..." She used her sunglasses to now pull the neckline of his shirt down, exposing his hateful ink.

"Picked it up on my little retreat in Chino." He grinned proudly.

"Bet those Jewish doctors keeping your mom alive just love that." She snorted.

Darby's eyes glinted, almost having forgotten just how powerful Gemma's intelligence was - but her allure was even more dangerous. "That's right." He smiled somewhat uncomfortably. "You got a little Jew in you too, don't you?" He nodded.

"A bit... On the angry Russian side." She smirked before her phone began buzzing with a text.

Clay: He there?

She texted back her confirmation. She'd known that something had to be up, but she knew better than to ask questions - at least not right away.

"It was nice talking to ya, Ernie." She grabbed the man a beer, hoping to keep him occupied in her absence before whatever Clay had planned could get underway. "Gotta run and catch my train back to Auschwitz." She winked.

♕

"We need to start thinking about our little Mexican problem." Clay's voice brought Sydney back to earth as he changed the subject to something that was finally interesting enough to pull her from her daydreaming.

"I say we retaliate at equals; find our guns, torch their facility in return - good faith gesture to Laroy so that he doesn't get up our asses when we don't have anything to sell." Jax suggested.

"It's been weeks since the explosion, by now they're thinking that they got away with it - dropping the extra precautions and security they would've had. Perfect time to move in." Tigs eyes sparkled as Sydney spoke in a tone that was all business as she dove headfirst into her club associate role.

"Alvarez's got the local cops on the payroll." Chibs informed her.

"Which makes them lazy, they won't try too hard to cover their tracks." Sydney countered.

"They wouldn't take a chance housing the guns at the cut shops that we already know about." Tig shook his head.

"Gotta be someplace off the grid... Juice, start hacking into crime databases - get addresses of any Mayans in the system. I want surveillance on them til we find out where their facilities are, and what their security's like." Clay's order ended the session as the younger man eagerly pulled out his laptop and got to work.

Sydney was the first to get up to leave when she heard Tig's voice, stopping dead in her tracks as the chill froze her feet to the ground. "Damn, Princess... You know, I heard last night's show was better." He teased.

"I think you got a good enough show last night." Chibs hollered.

Sydney and Tig's faces both went white, then red as the entire table turned to look at them. She raised an eyebrow, shooting Chibs a challenging look, but her rosy cheeks gave her away - which made Tig's face loosen a bit.

"That why you stumbled outta here last night?" Clay teased, but it had the opposite effect when Sydney's ego took over.

"Drunk." She stated easily.

"And you drove home?" Jax challenged.

"Talented." She mused with a coy tilt of her head.

"And your neck?" Chibs added, smirking.

"Curling iron." She shrugged.

"You got an excuse thought out for everything don't ya, Princess?" Clay mused.

"Of course." She said smugly, making him snicker.

"Did he burn his neck with a curling iron too?" Juice yelled across the table, pointing at Tig's far more exposed neck.

"You thought this was natural, brother?" He pointed to his hair, making everyone laugh.

"You think fucking him is gonna get you special treatment around here?" The room fell silent as Clay's harsh accusations stopped Sydney from leaving once again, Tig shooting his President a glare.

"Well, it would just be an added bonus." Sydney smirked before Tig could get too upset. "Besides, your Sergeant gives me all of the special treatment that I need." She rasped, giving the curly-haired man a dramatic once over.

Tig's eyes slowly returned to Clay with the shock plastered on his face in a dramatic display as she smiled devilishly before heading out of the chapel with a proud smirk as the whistling and hollering started behind her. She made her way towards the bar where she saw a tall, balding man with a jolly face, but she knew that this man was anything but jovial - this was Ernest Darby.

Jax was the first to follow Sydney out the door, stopping when he saw Darby - whipping his head around to Clay who was right behind him. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Clay put his arm up, signalling for everyone to hang back. "Getting his welcome home present." He said with a smirk.

Sydney continued towards the door, acting as if she had no idea who the man was -smiling politely at him as she waited for the inevitable plot to be revealed... 

"Eh, not so fast, sweetheart." She'd almost made it past him when he reached out to stop her with one hand on her waist, and the other on her bicep.

"Who the hell are you?" She wasn't sure what angle Clay was working here, but she knew that there was a reason that everyone was hanging back in the chapel - especially if Darby had dared to step foot in their clubhouse.

"I can be anyone you want me to be." He reached up to stroke her hair.

"No thanks." Her tone was that of pure disgust as she pushed him away with a wince - keeping up the act.

Tig puffed out his chest as he tried to get past Clay while everybody watched the encounter unfold. "What the hell, man." He seethed when the President didn't let up.

"Just. Wait." Clay sneered, keeping his eyes trained on the entangled pair.

"You don't gotta play hard to get." Darby reached out for her again.

"I'm not playing at anything." She said as she stepped back, turning her head to glance towards the chapel for some direction, but it was stopped by Darby's hands pulling her face to look at him.

"Don't worry, sweetie." He shook his head assuringly. "Your President said that you were allowed to spend some time with me."

It clicked. Darby thought she was a croweater. Clay must have used her to get him here, knowing what would happen if he tried to make a move on her - explaining why he had been so willing to forget about the trucking situation. He knew that she would give him the warning that he needed.

"Oh." She changed her demeanour, lowering her voice and dropping her hip as her expression softened. She reached up to grab his hands with hers, stroking them gently as she brought them down from her face. "Sorry about that, love - let me grab you another beer." She spoke, leaning into his mouth as she reached for his empty bottle, slowly sliding her hands off of his.

"What the hell is she doing?" Jax pressed, the anger building within him when once again, his President kept him in the dark.

"Exactly what I knew she would." Clay beamed as he caught the tiniest twitch of Sydney's lips as they curled up, letting him know that she was on board.

"I thought we said that she wasn't a piece of ass to pass around." The VP challenged.

"She's not." Tig snarled, pushing past them before he was stopped by a loud smash that drew everyone's immediate attention to the source - finding Sydney pinning Darby against the bar by his shirt collar as she held the broken beer bottle to his neck.

"Now, Mr. Darby." She cooed sweetly. "Didn't mommy ever teach you how to talk to a lady?"

The bald man was stunned, scared, and dazed from the bottle that he'd taken to the side of the head - but tried not to show it. "You ain't no lady." He spit out. "You're just a little biker slu-."

"Ah-ah." She pressed the large point of the broken glass against his skin. "That's where you're wrong, sweetheart." She sneered, letting the jagged bottle neck fall in her fingers - the sharp point dropping from his neck, down to his chest as she lightly traced his swastika tattoo with the makeshift blade. "I'm no crow." She looked up into his eyes as she pressed it into his skin, cutting a deep gash as her green eyes darkened to a deadly shade of black - listening to him hiss in pain as she released the glass from his skin. "You ever try to push up on me again?" She whispered close to his ear in the same low tone, just barely brushing her lips against his skin as she moved her head down to the bleeding cut where she ran her tongue across it. "I'll kill ya. Got it?" She cocked an eyebrow as a toothy, terrifying grin spread across her face.

The man was in utter dismay when she looked up at him with her teeth coated red, her murderous stare only intensifying with the taste of his blood. He nodded, watching her dainty hand release his shirt collar before he took off out of the bar.

Sydney turned to see all of the leather-clad men standing frozen with their jaws on the floor - a look that she was getting quite fond of seeing on them. "I hope he wasn't a regular." She shrugged innocently, waltzing behind the bar to grab a broom.

"Holy shit.... She really is just as twisted as you." Juice exclaimed, looking at Tig who couldn't hide his shock - or his erection - as he stood wide-eyed with his hand on his crotch.

Clay threw Jax an 'I told you so' glance before making off to give the young girl his praise. "Exactly what I hoped you would do, Princess." The President bellowed with a grin. It was the happiest that Sydney had seen him since she arrived.

Sydney watched as Tig slipped down the hallway without saying a word. She wasn't doubting his feelings - she could tell that last night was just as ground-shaking for him as it had been for her. But between that, and what had just transpired, he didn't know how to take it.

"You tell her to do that?" Jax asked Clay once he returned to where he stood at the pool table.

"Nah."

"You tell her who Darby was?"

"Nope."

"So you're tellin' me that she figured all that out on her own - who he was, why he was here, what you wanted her to do." He asked skeptically.

"I told you not to underestimate her... Son." Clay sneered as he made to remove himself from the younger man's disrespectful presence.

"Told you yesterday, VP - I did my own recon." Sydney called from across the bar.

Jax whipped his head towards the grating sound of her voice, surprised that not only had she heard him - but that she'd had the balls to interrupt a private conversation between the two highest ranked members. "Why don't you stay out of conversations that you weren't invited to, like the rest of the women."

"Why don't you learn to lower your goddamn voice when you're talking about somebody ten feet away from you." She retorted with a snort as she made her way over to him.

The blonde man backed himself up against the pool table, but she didn't stop until her body was pressed completely against his. "I know that your big boy balls are having a hard time grasping this concept, Jackson, but-" Her gaze shifted from his quickening pulse, to his fluttering eyes. "I'm not like the rest of the women. It would be smart of you to start realizing that." Her voice was eerily calm before she turned back to the broken glass that she had been cleaning from the floor, whipping him in the face with her hair as she did so - earning a sly smirk from Clay.

The white-haired man approached Sydney as she was crouched down with a broom and dustpan in hand, motioning for Half-Sack to take over the clean-up. "Between Jax, and what I just saw back there? I might have to consider you as my new VP." He chuckled.

"Just doing my job, Pres... But I'd be happy to take that rocker." She winked as he shook his head with a laugh.

Sydney hung around the clubhouse for the afternoon while they waited on Chief Unser, shooting pool with Bobby while Juice and Clay got to work pulling surveillance on the Mayans. After a few hours, they'd seemed to be satisfied with what they'd been able to find out as the younger man packed up his laptop in preparation to start tracking down their warehouse.

"I'm coming." Sydney piped up with an innocent smile.

"Uh." Juice stammered, glancing back at Clay.

"Mayans don't know who she is, she blends in." The President shrugged. "Plus, you'll have some backup." He said through a grin. "Be back by 6:00 P.M., Juicey." He winked.

Sydney's sweet smile widened when she got her way, pleased with her progress in winning over the tough President, and the rough Sergeant. All she had left to do was appease the spoiled Prince, and she would have the SAMCRO trifecta in the palm of her hand.

Tig inhaled sharply from the garage where he watched Juice and Sydney walk around the building towards the van as she did cartwheels, grinding his teeth harshly before forcing himself back to the work that he hoped would distract him.

Sydney followed Juice to the grey Savannah parked behind TM - clearly their designated job vehicle as it was big enough to transport both their guns and the entire crew, but it blended in perfectly at the garage as if it were any old shuttle service vehicle.

"Not bad." She said out loud.

Juice had no idea what she was talking about, and he was too nervous to ask - so he acted like he hadn't heard her at all, searching the area around them for a subject-change. "You gonna wear those?" He scowled as he pointed at her feet.

"Yeah? What's wrong with 'em?" She asked as she looked down to examine her Steve Maddens.

"Oh, nothing! I just mean..." He stumbled.

"Juice, we're friends. Spit it out." She laughed as a sense of relief appeared over his face.

"I just mean like, in case something goes wrong and we have to run."

"Well I'm not gonna have to run, but you might." She cocked her brows with a smirk, walking over to the passenger side. "Can we get something to eat on the way? I'm starving."

"What, your knight in shoe-polished leather didn't bring you your morning donuts?" He scoffed.

Sydney actually laughed out loud at his joke before rolling her eyes when once again, Tig was brought up - turning towards the window with a bashful smile where the drive to Oakland began.

"Syd... If we're friends, can I ask you something?" Juice finally worked up the courage to ask the question that he - and everyone else - had been dying to know the answer to after a couple minutes of awkward silence.

Sydney knew what he was about to ask, sighing heavily. "Shot for shot, Ortiz." She decided that if she was going to be grilled about Tig, she may as well use it to her advantage.

Juice nodded, accepting the challenge. "What the hell's going on with you and him? It's freakin' me out."

"If only I knew the answers to those questions, Juicey..." She said longingly while looking distantly out the window.

"I mean... We all figured you would hook up with a member, but... Not him."

"Who then? Bobby?" She chuckled.

"Nah." He laughed. "Maybe Jax... Maybe..."

"Maybe... You?" She prodded, finishing his sentence as he stiffened.

"You're avoiding the question." He brought the attention back to her.

Sydney chortled before he dramatically turned his head to the side to stare at her, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, okay." She snapped playfully with a roll of her eyes. "I don't know what happens next. But it's public knowledge that I'm into him." The corners of his mouth turned up at her admission. "And if you fucking tell anyone that we had this conversation I will not hesitate to slice your tats in half, too."

"Copy that..." Juice gulped, looking up towards the tribal tattoos on either side of his head. "Your turn."

"What do you take this shit with us for?"

"You serious about him?" She nodded cautiously. "Crows have been asking if you're his old lady - he doesn't really pay them any attention anymore." He shrugged.

Sydney couldn't help the smile that formed on her face while Juice just laughed and shook his head, laughing harder when she hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Now shut up and get me my donuts." She sat back with a huff.

Forty minutes later, Sydney and Juice were parked a block away from the Mayans clubhouse - and the row of ape-hangared Softails along the curb was a telltale sign that they had a full table.

"Would be real easy to just throw a grenade in there and eliminate all of our Mexican problems right now, wouldn't it." Sydney said dreamily as she held her lemonade to her lips, not putting down the binoculars that she was looking out of.

"Jesus Christ." Juice looked at her, horrified as her lips curled into an evil smile. Just then, the doors flew open and men wearing Mayan kuttes poured out. "Shit - get down." He scrambled to get to the floor.

Sydney shot him a scowl. "You get down." She scoffed. "I don't have to get down... I'm just a lady of the night, driving around in her handjob mobile." Juice looked confused before she yanked him by the kutte and made him switch seats with her, slowly creeping up to peer over the dash. "Which ones do we follow?" He asked.

"When Clay needed a routine at the warehouse, who did he send?"

"Me, prospects, Chibs sometimes."

"Then we follow them." She put the van into gear and placed her lemonade into the cup holder as she nodded to the group separating from their President.

After ten minutes of carefully tailing the Mayans, they were led to an industrial area near the rail line in San Leandro. Juice was using the GPS on his laptop to try and guide Sydney in order to avoid directly crossing paths with their enemy as they made their way through the maze of countless warehouses and factories.

"Shit." He cursed, smacking the screen a few times.

"What?" Sydney asked, worried.

"GPS died." He began mashing his fingers into buttons on the keyboard to try and reestablish a signal.

"Shit, Juice... They're gonna catch onto us." Sydney looked up as half of the Mayans took a sharp right into the warehouse gates while the other half stopped and looked at their van. "Fuck... Get in the back and lay down, now." She kept her eyes on the road while frantically searching the glove compartment for a map. She felt her hand brush against a gun and a pair of leather gloves - which almost made her chuckle - pulling the safety tab and tucking the gun under her leg. Just in case.

Just as she neared the two men, she found a crinkled map folded under a stack of expired insurance slips and owners manuals - ripping it open and beginning to make herself hyperventilate as she brought the van to a slow stop.

Two Mayans scoped out the suspicious vehicle that held the unexpected driver. "Oh my god, thank God I found you!" Sydney exclaimed in her best valley-girl voice. "Can you boys help me? I'm so lost and my boss was just in an accident. I need to get to Kaiser Medical Center." She spat out between her gasps for air, worry filling her tear-brimmed eyes.

The men looked to each other skeptically, but once they got a good look at her cleavage - they pointed her in the right direction. "Thank you boys so much, I promise I'll come back and return the favour." She added suggestively, the men raising their eyebrows excitedly at each other before walking off.

Sydney pulled the van to the dead-end at the bottom of the hill, making a gentle u-turn and starting back towards the highway. "We're good." She called back to Juice.

"Holy shit... We should've had a girl on the crew years ago!" He exclaimed in awe.

"That's what I've been tellin' ya, Juicey. Now put this shit back." She laughed, shoving the gun and map into his chest.

♕

Sydney pulled the van back into TM after successfully completing their mission twenty minutes early. "Now, you bring Clay that address." She instructed Juice with a narrowed gaze, blinking as he thanked her for letting him take the credit by the depth behind his dark, glossy eyes.

The two walked in together, beaming as Juice held up the napkin with the address and presented it to Clay where he sat at a table with Tig, Bobby, and Chibs. "Tracked some of Alvarez's half bright prospects. Ran the address - looks like a dummy-corp."

"Good work, kids." Clay grinned.

Tig craned his head around to look closer at Sydney, concern washing over his face as he got up out of his chair and walked around the table, cupping her face once he reached her. "You been cryin', babygirl?" He rubbed his thumb under her eye. 

Goddammit Juice - leave it to him not to tell her that her makeup was running. "Oh! No. I'm fine, it's nothing." She tried to brush it off, but Clay turned around to face her - his eyes pressing her for the truth.

"Lass." Chibs added with concern of his own.

Sydney gave Juice an apologetic glance when Tig didn't let up on his grip. "We had an issue with the GPS while we were following them to the warehouse, they spotted the van. Pretended I was just another dumb blonde needing directions, got the waterworks going so they wouldn't want anything to do with me."

"That what happened?" Clay glanced at Juice.

"Yup." Tig broke into a proud smile as Juice nodded where he stood with the stance of a soldier - his shoulders back and his hands cupped in front of him.

"Thinkin' on your feet... Good job, Princess." Clay nodded.

Sydney forced a smile, feeling Tig pull her in closer before she felt his lips on her forehead - a surprising act that had Chibs choking on his beer while Clay scowled, and Bobby raised his eyebrows. The warmth in her body spread to her face as she started to smile, but immediately snapped out of it. "I'm gonna go get cleaned up." She uttered out before quickly slinking away towards the bathroom.

"You gonna follow her back there again?" Bobby joked as Tig watched her shuffle away.

"Thinkin' about it." Tig blinked thoughtfully as they all chuckled.

It had been almost a full ten minutes since Sydney had started blushing after Tig had kissed her forehead, and she still hadn't stopped - and being in the very bathroom with the vivid memory of him defiling her against the sink wasn't exactly helping her cause. She could even see the scuff mark on the wall where her stiletto had been resting. She couldn't help from glancing at the door, hoping that he would slip through like he did the night before...

She shook the hope away, fluffing her hair and starting for the door, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as she swung it open, getting one foot across the threshold when she ran directly into a leather wall. She looked up to see those piercing blue eyes as Tig leant against the doorframe, smirking down at her.

"Waitin' for me, doll?"

"Maybe." She teased as she cocked a brow, looking up and lifting her lips towards his.

Tig leaned down to meet her halfway, but just before they made contact, she swiftly ducked under his arm and proceeded down the hallway. He hesitated momentarily, but hesitation was what had him in his current predicament - if he wanted her, he needed to act. He gave in, grabbing her elbow and lightly pulling her back to him. "You sure everything's okay?" He looked over her.

"What's it to ya?" She glanced up at him through her eyelashes.

"What do you mean?" He crinkled his eyebrows.

"Well, you've been ignoring me all day." She forced the corners of her mouth to stay in place, fighting her mischievous smirk.

"I care about you." He stated, cursing himself for giving her the wrong impression by not knowing how to move forward.

"You gonna make me a habit?" She raised a brow.

"You're mine." He said by way of an answer, staring deep into her eyes.

"Roger that." She cocked her head, her green eyes consumed by flames as the words left her mouth in a rasp before she leaned in and kissed him hard - running her tongue across his upper lip before sinking her teeth gently into his lower one, pulling back and letting go. "Sergeant." She cocked a brow and turned down the hall.

Tig released his grip and watched her walk away in disbelief before he pulled himself together, stalking out of the hallway to see her standing behind the bar. "Not so fast, Mrs. Dahmer." Sydney chuckled. "Mind telling me what the hell that was with Darby?" His squinted eyes twinkled.

"Just rolling out the welcome mat for our good friend, Ernie - teachin' him to mind his manners." She said casually as she turned towards the fridge.

"Where the hell did you come from?" He shook his head dreamily.

"Straight from your dreams, darlin'." She winked, sliding him a beer.

Chief Unser arrived at the clubhouse right on time. He was a shorter, much older man than Sydney had expected to see; actively balding with drooping eyes - the kind of man who looked like he could kick it any second.

"And who's this?" Unser asked, turning to Clay for an introduction as he shook the hand of the beautiful young woman whom he'd never seen before.

"Sydney Harding. Newest addition to our crew."

Sydney's stomach flipped as she heard the words for the first time - her ego inflating even larger when Unser scowled in confusion. "Nice to meet you." She said with a smile.

"Uh, you too, darling. Call me Wayne."

"Sure thing, Chief." She nodded.

Clay snorted, spending the next ten minutes convincing Unser that Darby was no threat to Charming - or their deal - which was not hard to do. Sydney could tell that the Chief had a soft spot for SAMCRO, one way or another, which explained why he seemed to be the only one in his office who accepted the take...

Sydney moved around the clubhouse, gathering her things after the meeting had ended and Clay had escorted the Chief back to his squad car. "Hey, uh, you heading home?" She heard behind her as she retrieved her purse from behind the bar, turning to see Half-Sack who was clearly feeling out of place among the men that hadn't quite accepted him as one of their own yet.

"Yeah, I was planning on it." She smiled sweetly. "What're you up to tonight?" She wouldn't mind hanging out if he didn't want to spend his Saturday night cleaning up puke from the bar floor.

The younger man's face lit up with excitement before Clay walked between them - cutting the moment short. "No you're not." He told Sydney. "Church."

She raised a brow expectantly at the prospect. "Guess not." She giggled, handing him her bag and following Clay into the chapel, claiming her seat at the table between Chibs and Happy. 

"Mayan retaliation. We strike tonight. Me, Jax, Chibs, Ope and Tig." The President announced, earning a scowl from Juice. "The less bodies, the better. We do this quiet." He explained.

"Ope?" Happy asked with a scowl.

Clay looked uncertain with the decision, but continued anyway. "Needed someone for the pyro."

"Nobody blows shit up better than Ope." Tig nodded.

Sydney knew that he was right; Opie had just recently gotten out of jail after a beautiful arson where his chicken-shit of a getaway driver, Kyle Hobart, had abandoned him at the scene and left him to take the fall that he'd spent the last five years completing without a second thought - but still, nobody looked convinced.

"Ope's leaning right these days." Happy protested.

"Opie's gonna lean any way that we need him to." Clay pointed his finger, widening his eyes.

"He's just tryin' to get on his feet with his family, guys. He didn't turn on us when he was arrested - he's not gonna start now." Jax defended.

"How we doin this, man?" Tig questioned, getting antsy in his seat. The only thing that got him more excited than sex, was violence.

"No bikes, no kuttes. We take the van and the truck - hit it after sunset."

Sydney's admiration for her President as he spoke quickly overshadowed the slight disappointment that she felt when it was revealed that she would be sitting this one out. He was a strong leader, the kind that she would want to be; ruthless but calm, smart but not arrogant - he didn't let anger cloud his judgment. There was no bullshit or doubt in his voice when he addressed his crew, every single word held purpose.

"Weapons?" She heard from beside her, undoubtedly coming from the Sergeant-at-Arms himself.

"Hand guns, silencers - we don't take any risks out in Oak-town. We ain't got friends in places that high." He chuckled. "We leave here just after 10:00 P.M." He concluded with the slam of the gavel.

Sydney returned to the bar, fighting the deflation that she felt in her chest as everybody dispersed to carry out their tasks, but she wasn't about to pout about it - not in front of them, at least. She decided to stick around the clubhouse after all, with all of the excitement going on - knowing that Half-Sack would be stuck on call in case shit went south.

The spur-of-the-moment job had called for the bar to be closed to hangarounds tonight, which meant that Sydney could have some downtime without the distracting presence of croweaters or drunken bikers. She'd briefly thought about asking Gemma if she wanted to spend the night together, but something about knowing that there would be fire and blood, set her blood on fire. She'd been contained over the past month, Darby was merely a workout - giving her a taste for what she craved. She was dying to wreak some havoc.

♕

Donna padded across the thriving green lawn that she'd spent so much time perfecting in her husband's absence, her bare feet carrying her to the slab of concrete that led to the garage where she knew she would find Opie. 

"What are you doin'?" She asked cheerfully, glad that it was a question she could ask again - no matter how mundane the answer may be.

Opie straightened up from where his back was turned to her, shoving the last bundle of wires into his knapsack in hopes that she hadn't seen them. "I gotta make a run." He sighed.

Donna scowled as she ran through their itinerary for the evening. He hadn't mentioned picking up an extra shift at the lumber yard for her father, and she had made sure that all of the day's errands had been taken care of? But it all made sense when she saw it. The one thing that she had been wishing she could erase from her memory for the last five years: the reaper.

"What's in the bag?" She demanded.

"Nothing." Opie sighed as he pulled his kutte on, focusing on the zipper as she made her way across the garage to the bag that he had been packing.

"You promised you we're done with this..."

"It's got nothin' to do with you, Donna." He shook his head, refusing to meet the eyes that he knew would flood him with guilt as he went back on all of the promises that he'd made her.

"I'm the one who gets shit on if you get caught again!" She yanked the bag off of the work bench.

"It's not gonna happen." He growled.

"You sat in a cell for five years while Clay and the others got rich. They sold you out. You know that." She shook her head. "You're just too weak to stand up to them." She seethed as her chest began to heave - making a break for the open door.

"Give me the ba-" Opie reached for the pack in her hands. "Give me the bag!" He swiped it from the shorter woman easily.

"No!" Donna screamed even after the bag had been ripped from her grasp. "No! No! No!" Tears blurred her eyes as she pounded her fists against his chest while violent sobs rippled through hers.

"Donna." Opie sighed, reaching for her hands where she didn't stop. "Stop it..." He tried to calm her down, angry tears biting at his eyes as well as he faced the exact scenario that he'd been desperate to avoid. But his guilt turned to embarrassment as he turned to see that Jax was standing in the driveway, watching the entire thing. "Donna, come on." He told her more firmly this time as he wrapped his large arms around her, eventually shoving her off of him. "Stop it!"

Donna pulled away once she saw that she had an audience, but it didn't just consist of Jax, it consisted of her children; standing in the doorway, terrified. She stumbled back, swiping her hands over her reddened face where she looked up at her husband who was going to leave her alone to deal with the fallout - again.

Opie's eyes fell closed as he watched his family walk away from him, shaking his head as Jax approached before he slammed his fist into the old refrigerator behind him - pulling himself together as he slung the knapsack over his leather covered shoulders.

"Didn't hear you pull up." He greeted the blonde man by way of an apology.

"Nah... I parked down the block." Jax shook his head. "Didn't wanna tweak Donna..."  

"I think she's already tweaked." He forced a smile. 

"Yeah..." Jax nodded slowly as his own guilt crept in - guilt for putting the selfish needs of the club over those of his lifelong friend. "Stay here. I'll handle the run." 

"Woah, woah, woah." Opie stopped him. "If I don't show up, Clay will chop off both of our dicks."

"I'll cover you with SAMCRO." He nodded assuringly.

"What about the boom?" He raised a brow.

"Ah." Jax swatted the air. "We'll figure it out - I'm sure the new girl will have some ideas about exactly how we should handle it." He scoffed.

"Yeah..." Opie's brows crinkled. He hadn't formally met Sydney yet, but word about their newest and unlikeliest associate had travelled fast. "What's that about?"

"The fuck if I know." Jax scoffed again. "Look, man... Donna know's the life. She'll come around - your family's just gotta adjust to you bein' around again... Your kid's have gotta get used to how ugly their dad is." A grin spread across his face as Opie cracked a smile.

"I thought that too, man..." He sighed. "But you leave a woman alone for five years, with two kids? All she knows is that she doesn't want it to happen again."

Jax nodded. He truly understood that now. 

"You sure about this?" Opie looked over his friend gratefully.

"Go fix your family." Jax nodded, punching him in the shoulder with a playful smile.

♕

Sydney had gotten herself a beer and set herself up at the tall table by the stripper pole where she began to unwind for the evening. The music was faint, and the lights were dimmed as she browsed on her iPhone, doing some online shopping when suddenly a heavy bag slammed down on the table, startling her.

"Jesus Christ." She dropped her phone, slapping her hand over her heart where she saw Tig who had changed into a grey hoodie, standing above her with a smirk.

"Just can't get enough of me, can ya pussycat?" He teased, unzipping the bag of handguns and silencers.

"I never will." She said with that devilish smirk on her lips.

Tig smiled bashfully, watching as she reached into the bag and began attaching the silencers to the Glocks with ease. Sydney pretended to be oblivious to his stare, but Half-Sack wasn't - he could see the way that Tig was looking at her from a mile away.

"Where'd you learn to do all this shit?" He asked with bated breath as admiration laced itself in his suddenly quiet voice.

"My da-." Sydney answered without a second thought, recoiling in shock as the words that she still hadn't quite processed the weight of, lodged themselves in her throat. "My dad." She forced them out, clearing her throat as the unexpected pain spread through her chest.

Accepting that her dad was gone was something that Sydney had not even come close to doing. In her mind, he was just on a long run, or waiting back home for her to come and visit. She had pushed all thoughts of him deep into the back of her mind since the day that she'd found him lying dead in their living room, but Tig had just inadvertently ripped them right out.

She bit the inside of her lip as she fought the tears that threatened to well up in her eyes. Her dad had been her best friend - her rock, her mentor, her saviour. Everything she had, everything she'd learned, everything she'd accomplished - she owed to him. She felt Tig grab her hand, his touch sending a shock through her body, making her flinch where she looked up to meet his sympathetic eyes. She quickly looked away, not ready to show him that kind of vulnerability yet - but she didn't let go of his hand, squeezing it tight as she held her head down. She felt herself beginning to recover as she focused solely on the feeling - it was warm and comforting, not rough and masculine like it had been before.

"Shit!" Like clockwork, the moment was interrupted as Clay kicked over a barstool as he stormed into the clubhouse.

Tig immediately jumped up. "What happened?"

"Ope ain't comin'. Jax says somethin' with his kid, but I call bullshit!" He sneered, wracking his brain for another option. "What the fuck are we gonna do now?" He snarled - knowing that nobody in his company knew the first thing about pyrotechnics.

"We can do it without him, man." Tig assured him - he no idea how, but he knew that they would figure it out.

"Let me come." Sydney piped up as she hopped off of her stool, her request coming across as more of a demand than a question as Clay and Tig both whipped their heads around to face her. "We can use blow torches and diesel instead of a bomb. It's not as fast but it's better than tripping the wrong wire." Clay looked skeptical, but he didn't outright say no, so she kept pushing. "I know where the warehouse is, and the best place to hit it from."

"Fine." He realized that she wasn't going to let up. "You and Tig go and get Ope's truck. Me, Jax, and Chibs will take the van." He stormed off without another word.

As soon as Clay was gone, Sydney looked at Tig and grinned, unable to contain the excitement of getting to go on her first official SAMCRO job - even if the circumstances hadn't been ideal.

Tig just laughed and shook his head, impressed that she'd managed to talk her way into achieving her goal - especially while Clay was mad. But he supposed that was how she'd secured her spot in the club in the first place, by showing up just when they'd needed her.

Half-Sack ran over and picked her up into a hug as he spun her around. "Holy shit, that was so cool!" He shared in Sydney's excitement, the two of them happy-dancing like a couple of elementary students while Tig stood with his brow raised, and his hands on his hips

Sydney laughed before smacking him on the bicep. "Come on, Tiggy. We have a job to do." She told him before skipping out the door.

Tig laughed at her excitement once again, following her outside while she did front walkovers on the way to the car - witnessing the act alone being enough to make him dizzy.

"Nah-ah, Sergeant." She scolded as he reached for the handle of her passenger door. "Take your bike. We stop at my house for a bit and then head to Ope's in my car, leave it there while we have his truck. If he really is bullshitting, his wife seeing a Harley parked in their driveway won't help his case." She grimaced. " We'll drop the truck back off when we're done, and you can ride back here from my place. It's gonna be a late night and I need my beauty sleep."

Tig stood motionless for a second, taking in the abundance of information that he hadn't even considered. "Yes ma'am." He nodded as if he really had a choice, not knowing that Sydney's plan was in the favour of anything but convenience - she just wanted an excuse to have him alone at her house for as long as possible.

The two headed off, taking turns brake-checking each other and weaving in and out of traffic - laughing the entire way. They had a couple of hours to kill before they needed to head to Opie's, and Sydney had no idea what was going to happen. They'd spent a lot of time together in the past few weeks, but the dynamic had changed drastically.

Sydney put on her favourite Marvel movie to fill the silence once they got there - the one that Tig had told her on numerous occasions that he hated. "Oh come on, doll... This again?" He groaned when he saw the opening credits for the film that she'd already made him watch twice.

"Of course, Tiggy! I know it's your favorite." She smiled evilly as she sat down on the couch next to him.

Sydney watched the movie lazily, the repetitiveness making it hard to focus with Tig sitting so close to her. She looked over her shoulder, seeing the gorgeous man lounging with his arm across the backrest of the couch - a peaceful sight that she could happily get used to. Her initial intention was just to push him into making a move, but apparently he'd found solace in her, just as much as she had in him. 

Sydney had seen many failed relationships, but had never actually had any of her own - and maybe that was exactly why. She'd seen how boring things became after settling down - the lust, the excitement, the uncertainty always faded, and people became miserable. She couldn't push herself to make the leap of faith with Tig yet, even if something deep down told her that a relationship with him could never be boring.

Before they knew it, the ending credits of the movie were rolling across the TV screen. It took Sydney a second to realize that she was actually there, and that she had managed to zone out for the entirety of the movie. "Like it yet?" She turned to a dozy Tig with a smile.

"I think one more time and I'll be sold." He chuckled, beginning to sit up as she got up to turn the TV off, wincing as he massaged the back of his neck.

Tig's eyes were closed when suddenly a jolt ran through his body as he felt her hand on his cheek, hearing her soft giggle before slowly opening his eyes while her nails tickled his neck as she moved her hand back.

"C'mere." She sat back down and scooted sideways, patting the couch in front of her.

Tig closed his eyes as he did as he was told and leaned back - her gentle touch turning into light pressure on the tense muscles in his shoulders as they began to relax under her rolling fingers. The feeling was bliss - pure, comforting, untainted bliss. His eyes snapped open a few minutes later, realizing that her touch had begun to lull him back to sleep.

"Happy ending?" She asked with a giggle that shot him straight in the heart.

Tig barked out an unfiltered laugh - something that he was unfamiliar with doing around a woman. "Mmm, don't tempt me when we got a deadline, baby." He hummed as he closed his eyes again.

"I can be quick." She breathed into his ear, smirking when his eyes flew open and he sat up off of her lap.

Sydney smiled smugly, getting up off the couch and heading down the hall so that she could get changed. "We probably won't be eating for a while, so you can help yourself." She called over her shoulder before disappearing up the stairs.

Tig stood in the same position, pondering everything - trying to remind himself of all of the excuses that he'd managed to live with over the last fifteen years; pussy is a distraction, women cause nothing but problems, she will try to change you. But he couldn't. Easy pussy in the life of a biker made it so easy to forget what it was like to have something real, to want something real - something worth the risk. Tig was a fearless man, he would take a bullet for any one of his brothers without a second thought - but he was terrified to admit that he was falling head over heels in love.

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

Tig opened up the door to the fridge, lazily scanning the wide selection for something that would tickle his fancy and take his mind off of what had already tickled his fancy - landing on some containers of leftover Chinese food.

Sydney had said that he could help himself... But he knew that he would suffer the consequences if he ate her precious ginger beef without asking - and that was out of the question.

"Hey, Syd?" He called down the hall, getting no answer. 

He'd fully intended on calling her name again as he neared the staircase, but the golden hue that was coming from her bedroom on the second floor created a heavenly pull that he couldn't resist... He slowly crept up the steps, padding closer to the open door where her glowing frame came into view - the soft light hitting her bare legs as she changed out of her clothes.

Sydney slid a pair of thick leggings over her buttery skin, now standing in her bra as she walked over to her dresser and peered into the attached mirror, making eye contact with the mesmerized man standing in the doorway behind her while she twirled her necklace between her fingers. 

"I guess I should've suspected voyeurism by now." She smirked.

Tig chuckled, looking down as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously before he looked back up - meeting her twinkling eyes in the mirror as his shone with something that was deeper than just lust...

Sydney took a shaky breath as he crossed the room slowly, tentatively - like he wasn't sure if she wanted him to or not; haphazardly placing his hands on her waist when he reached her. She felt herself shiver under his gentle touch, her exposed skin breaking out in goosebumps as he didn't just look at her body, he looked at her.

She placed her hands on his biceps as every muscle in her body tensed up - looking up at him before he finally leaned down and kissed her so deeply that it left her dizzy. She could feel the sparks flying as her heart pounded violently against her chest - an unfamiliar type of fear washing over her as she let a man kiss her in a way that she had never been kissed before; like she was precious, like she meant so much. 

She brought her hands up to rest over his face where they both became completely wrapped up in the tender embrace before she finally pulled away for air, meeting his eyes where she could now recognize the same fear... She stood on her tiptoes, kissing him again - hoping that her lips would tell him all of the things that her voice could not. 

Before long, things began to heat up as their tongues twirled together - bringing each other as close as possible. Their bodies seemed to fit so perfectly together in a way that neither of them could understand; subconsciously searching for something that didn't feel right as they pulled, twisted, and turned - but there was nothing. It was like they were made for each other.

Sydney felt Tig's hands moving down to her ass as the encounter continued to escalate - pushing against his chest with her hands lightly. "Tiggy, we-" She shook her head, searching for an excuse against all of the unfamiliar things that he made her feel, even though she would've given anything for it not to stop.

"We have time, darlin'." He whispered, resting his forehead against hers softly. 

She nodded softly, taking a shaky breath before leaning up and kissing him again as she walked him over to her bed and sat him down on the edge.

Tig looked up at her, wrapping his strong arms around her as he nuzzled against her warm skin while she ran her fingers gently through his hair. He laid back - pulling her down on top of him where she now sat astride his hips. He moved his hands up her arms, trailing up her skin with his fingertips until he reached her shoulders, bringing them back down until he found her hands. But before he could continue, Sydney brought his arms up above his head where she pressed them into the mattress softly before she began placing delicate, open-mouthed kisses down his neck - working her way back up to his lips before letting go of her grip on his hands.

Tig cradled the back of her head once his hands were free, lightly grasping at her hair as his other hand splayed across her back as he flipped them over - not breaking the bond between their lips. He pulled away to look at her, brushing some loose strands of hair out of her face as he grazed her cheek with his thumb while she trembled below him. 

Sydney sighed when he settled between her legs, leaning back down into another passionate kiss as her nervous body began to relax, when suddenly a ringing phone snapped them both out of the spell that they'd slipped under. She chuckled, shaking her head as she reached around and grabbed the burner out of his back pocket.

Tig smirked down at her as he flipped the phone open. "Yeah." He barked into the speaker, leaning down to reattach his lips to hers as she giggled against his mouth. "Yeah, brother... We're just about to head to Ope's." He pulled away to respond - his eyes widening when she hooked her fingers into the collar of his hoodie to pull him down to her lips this time. "Okay, see you soon." He chuckled against her lips, pulling away to finish the call before snapping the phone shut. "We gotta get going." He whispered, giving her one last kiss as he got up off of her and left the room.

Sydney pulled on a black, fitted t-shirt before digging through her closet for the singular pair of running shoes that she owned - rolling her eyes at Juice's opinion of her 'impractical footwear' as she slipped into the black Nikes. She gathered her hair into a tight ponytail on the top of her head which nicely showed off the dark cluster of hickeys before she trotted down the stairs, bouncing with excitement as she walked into the kitchen to see that her leftover Chinese food had been warmed up, and was waiting on the island with a plastic fork.

"For the road." Tig winked, grabbing her keys off the counter.

"I'm surprised you didn't eat it." She scoffed.

"And deal with you in the car for an hour? Wouldn't dream of it." He groaned.

Sydney laughed out loud - the man had a point. "Thanks, Tiggy." She told him with a bashful smile, turning towards the door when she felt him behind her as he swiftly bent down and placed a peck on her exposed hickey, winking as he walked out in front of her.

She felt the warm blush spread across her cheeks - biting her lip as she pulled open the closet door and grabbed a black leather jacket, shrugging into it on the way to the car.

"Wow..." Tig drawled as she came into view. "Is it possible that you look sexier with more clothes on?" He squinted as he admired her heist attire.

"Eat your heart out, baby." She cooed, playfully shimmying for him.

"Oh, darlin'... I have every intention." He nodded with a growl.

After making the short drive to Opie's house, Tig waited to pull into the driveway as Sydney backed the truck out after retrieving the keys from the mailbox. Once he parked her car and double checked that it was locked, he jogged over to the driver's side of the truck where she was waiting. "C'mon, we gotta get goin'." He whined impatiently, opening the door and motioning for her to move out of the way.

"No way!" She patted the passenger seat.

Tig grimaced, complying begrudgingly on the sole basis of avoiding a chewing out from Clay for being late after he'd already received a warning call.

"I don't see why we even needed the truck in the first place." Sydney scowled as she headed towards the clubhouse where they were meeting up with the others anyways.

"Don't know if it's so much about needing the truck, as much as it is about needing to know where Ope's loyalty is..."

Sydney nodded slowly as the pieces that she'd managed to gather since she'd arrived in town began to form a clearer picture as they arrived back at the clubhouse where she pulled the truck onto the lot and went straight to the dorm that Happy was occupying.

She'd planned on knocking like a civilized human being, but decided against it when she heard moaning coming from the other side of the door - figuring that she would quickly retrieve her belongings so that he could get back to whatever poor crow he'd grabbed in an attempt to blow off the steam that he'd undoubtedly acquired after finding out that he would not be included in tonight's hit. 

Happy stopped his thrusting when the door flew open, whipping his head around to see Sydney as the woman on her hands and knees before him immediately started screaming for her to get out and wait her turn.

Sydney snorted, crossing her arms as she raised a brow at the woman who reluctantly quit her whining - huffing with a roll of her heavily lined eyes. She quickly made her way over to the desk where she spotted her gold-engraved Glock 17, retrieving the weapon that she'd given him to clean after her first table meeting.

Once Happy realized that she was just fetching her property, he resumed what he was doing - he'd never been one to care about having an audience. But he stopped once again when the grating sound of a silencer got his attention - a sound that only Happy Lowman would be able to pick up over the moans of a woman taking his cock. 

"You goin' with them?" He asked with a raised brow and an upturned lip. The croweater huffed in frustration, shutting up once again as he bucked his hips into her punishingly.

"Ope's not coming. Needed someone for pyro."

"Molotovs?"

"You know it." She said flatly as the concern became more evident in his voice, snapping the magazine in harshly.

Happy sat on it for a second before curtly nodding, deciding that this was acceptable. "Cuidado." He told her firmly, fighting the smirk that was forming across his lips when she confirmed that he had been correct about Opie, after all.

But the cold command in his tone fell on deaf ears. Sydney knew that he only spoke in Spanish when there was something sentimental to be shared between the two of them - or when they were fighting. "Siempre." She gave a soft nod.

The moment was broken with another scoff from the croweater who had tried Sydney's patience one too many times. She crossed the room quickly - the scrawny blonde trying to scramble away, but Happy used his position to keep her in place. She grabbed a fistful of stringy, box-dyed hair, ripping the girl's head back into an excruciating position.

"Try to rush me again-" She sneered with her teeth gritted and eyes full of fire as tears immediately sprung to the woman's eyes as she tried to shake her head out of the tight grip. "And I will cave in those botoxed fucking cheeks. Only warning. Understand?"

The blonde nodded as best she could in the trying position before Sydney let her hair go - throwing her head down against the mattress for good measure. Happy ripped out of her and pushed her forward - she would no longer be getting what she started this scuffle over in the first place.

"Sorry, Hap. If you need a replacement, let me know!" She called over her shoulder as she strolled out of his room. 

♕

Jax and Chibs were surprised to see Sydney as she joined them at the rendezvous - getting a simple sigh and shake of the head from Clay when they looked to him for an explanation.

Sydney's lips curled up as she watched the exchange, grabbing her gun and cocking it dramatically, "Come on, boys." She cooed seductively before strutting out the door.

"You got your hands full with that one." Jax smiled smugly at Tig who followed her out the door as if the earth's gravitation was pulling him after her.

"We all do." Clay sighed.

The guys had let Sydney take the lead on the drive - she'd planned on cutting them off and forcing it anyways, but this was much easier. Tig chuckled as he sat in the passenger seat, amusedly watching the way that she barely held the steering wheel with a single finger while a cigarette dangled from her other hand, and her left foot sat propped up on the seat with her head resting against her knee.

They drove mostly in silence - the radio on quietly for background noise as Tig stared at her longingly most of the way while she tried her hardest not to squirm under his gaze.

Eventually they approached what they'd hoped would be a deserted road leading to the industrial area, but instead they spotted a lone Mayan riding straight in front of them. "Shit." Sydney pulled over as Jax pulled the van up beside them.

"How do we wanna do this?" Clay asked.

"Can't guarantee a clear shot unless we get close, man... Risk spookin' him." Tig shook his head.

"That Mayan spots us and gets on the horn for backup? We're as good as dead." Chibs concluded as Sydney looked around for a solution.

"I have an idea..." She told them as she spotted a steel rod in the bed of the truck. "Stay on me until I give you a signal." She gave no time for anyone to argue with her as she pulled ahead of the van, gaining speed on the rider. "Take the wheel." She looked to Tig after making sure that Jax was right on their tail.

"What?" He shook his head incredulously.

"You wanted to drive, now take the wheel!" She screeched impatiently. Tig scowled but quickly grabbed it as she turned her attention to opening the sliding back window.

"What in the name of Christ is she doin'?" Chibs yelled as he watched Sydney climb out of the window and into the truck bed where she stayed down low. 

"Pull up on his left." She called to Tig, signalling for Jax to go right as she grabbed the steel rod. 

Luckily, the sound of the roaring chopper masked the sound of the truck's exhaust as Tig neared the rider. This plan would let the Mayan think that Tig was just an impatient driver - keeping his attention away from the van so that she could trip the bike before he knew that there was trouble.

Sure enough, the Mayan whipped his head around to give Tig the finger, which was when Sydney leaned over and threw the steel rod into the spokes of his wheels, causing it to roll where Chibs leaned out of the side door and shot him in the head as they drove by. 

Sydney climbed back through the window with a proud smile etched on her face, sitting pretty with her legs crossed and her hands in her lap as Tig looked at her in awe.

"What the hell, baby?" He gawked with a lazy smile and a twinkle in his eye.

Sydney smirked at him, lifting her legs to rest over his lap as she began directing him in and out of alleyways and access roads.

"How the hell do you remember this?" He spat as he finally pulled up behind the correct warehouse.

She theatrically turned to face him as she swung her legs down and inched closer. "You aren't seriously telling me that I'm taking the Sergeant-at-Arms by surprise again, are you?" She slowly slid her hand towards the growing bulge in his pants.

Tig didn't say anything, leaning closer as he twitched under her touch. His lips were almost at hers when they heard the door of the van slam behind them - her hand ripping away before she smiled evilly at him and hopped out of the truck where she was met by the discerning smirks of the three men who had seen the entire encounter through the back window of the truck. She ignored them, looking down with a bashful smile as she walked around to the back of the van to gather her supplies.

Tig got out of the vehicle after trying to adjust himself in his pants, where he met the same questioning gaze. "What?" He groaned.

Jax nodded to his very obvious erection as all of the men snickered. "Am I doing this alone?" Sydney barked impatiently from the back of the van, the men widening their eyes to one another in mock-surrender before rounding the vehicle where Tig grabbed the blow torches from her.

"How old are you anyway, Princess?" Jax asked as he watched the young girl move with the precision of a seasoned veteran.

"What's wrong, VP? You scared of a little jailbait?" She smirked as she tucked the bottle of diesel fuel under her arm and walked away.

Tig's eyes widened as he realized that she posed a threat that he hadn't even considered. He knew that she was young, but he hadn't realized that she was that young.

"Turned twenty-two in April, talked to Packer already." Clay winked at him.

"Oh, brother..." Tig's eyes trailed Sydney's form in the skin-tight clothing that she wore. "I'd do time for that ass." He shook his head with a grimace.

"Perimeter sweep." Clay instructed when they caught up with Sydney just outside of the gate. "Jax and Chibs, you take the left - bring the supplies. Princess, you're with me and Tigger on the right. We meet inside." Everyone nodded, Sydney and Tig handing the equipment off to Jax and Chibs before everyone drew their guns and began their stalk.

Sydney, Tig, and Clay were rounding the right side of the building next to another warehouse, creeping up the wall when they spotted two Mayans standing with a bald, white man. 

"What the hell is a Nord doing here?" Clay sneered, confusion heavy in the hollows of his eyes.

"Darby..." Tig realized. "He and Alvarez must be workin' together to flood drugs into Charming and push us out." 

It all made perfect sense; the way that Alvarez's balls had seemed to double in size overnight when he'd made the bold decision to torch the warehouse, the way that Darby's crank was suddenly showing up inside of Charming after a half-decade long agreement - it was because the two had joined forces.

"That's Whistler." Tig nodded to Darby's second in command.

Clay scrambled up the side of the building, ducking behind a dumpster and signalling for the pair to follow. Tig placed his hand on Sydney's lower back, nodding for her to go first. Once they were all safely concealed, they noticed that all three men were carrying AKs... Their AKs.

"Those are the guys from earlier today." Sydney recognized the two Mayans walking alongside Whistler.

Clay peered around the metal bin, raising his gun at the men who were standing some thirty yards away with their backs turned. The President was about to begin open firing, his finger squeezing the trigger when his gun was suddenly yanked down by a dainty hand on the barrel.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He whisper-yelled as rage filled his chest, the low velocity not serving to make his voice any less terrifying.

"We keep them alive." Sydney explained as Tig sat, frozen by her boldness in his crouched position. "Press them for the intel about Darby - find out exactly what we're dealing with straight from the source."

"And how the fuck do you suggest we sneak up on these assholes and get them to hand over their guns, huh? Princess." Clay sneered.

"Well, that's what I'm here for." She assured him with a devilish smirk, slipping the knife out from the inside of Tig's boot as she spoke - the knife that he'd never told her was there.

The dark-haired man scowled as she used it to cut open her shirt, revealing her cleavage which quickly turned his scowl into a gawk as he and Clay both blinked a few times in an attempt to refocus their distracted eyes. She yanked the elastic out of her hair and flicked it at Tig, laughing as she let her long locks cascade down her back before sliding his knife back into its sheath with a wink - running a hand along his jaw as she got to her feet. She smirked as he looked up at her hazily, tucking her gun into her waistband before running out from behind the dumpster - stopping once she was visible and beginning to stumble around towards the men.

"Hey, boys! I told you I would be back." She wagged her finger at them with a seductive grin through her boozy display.

The Mayans glanced at each other as they recognized the girl from earlier in the day, who was now clearly drunk. "Aye, chicka! You find your boss?" One of them asked, nodding to his partners as they began stalking up to her.

"I sure did." She flashed a grin. "Now I'm here to thank you boys for helping me out." She cocked a brow, the men taking that as their cue as they rushed her against the wall.

Tig stiffened at the sight of them touching her, lunging forward out of instinct - but Clay held him back. "Easy, brother." He told his Sergeant, watching him squeeze his eyes shut as he collected himself.

Sydney watched Tig and Clay approach with a wicked grin as the men pulled at her clothes, ripping her gun out from behind her and pressing it into the ribcage of the Mayan who was whispering in her ear. The two other men went to draw their guns on her, but Clay and Tig stopped them with the barrels of their guns against their heads.

"No bang bang, por favor." Clay whispered to the Mayan he'd taken hold of, turning his attention to the man that Sydney was holding. "You tell your guys that if they steal from SAMCRO? They get some of this." He pulled the trigger on his hostage.

Sydney's eyes flashed at the sight of his blood, a tingle working its way up her spine. She moved her gun up to her Mayan's temple as Tig collected their guns, ordering them inside.

"What the hell?" Jax scowled when he saw one of Darby's guys.

"Looks like Darby's shit ended up on his to-do list after all." Clay announced. "What'd we find?"

"Almost all the AKs." Chibs nodded to the various Dungloe Ireland labeled oil drums that held their imported hardware. "Missin' one. But the Glocks and M4s? Nowhere in sight." He grimaced. 

Clay nodded as he placed his hands on his hips, letting Tig and Jax interrogate the men while Sydney and Chibs held them at gunpoint. The Mayan divulged rather easily that Alvarez had indeed struck a deal with Darby to snuff out SAMCRO, while Whistler remained much more tight-lipped - which told Clay exactly how he was going to move forward with his plan.

After finding out what they needed to know, Clay and Jax brought the men outside while Chibs loaded the recovered AKs into the van, and Sydney and Tig got to work on the warehouse.

Sydney got started lighting up the back of the building, every single one of her senses roaring to life like an old furnace as the flames from her torch began to catch. A warm rush of satisfaction spread through her body as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the smoke that was beginning to billow around her as she stepped back into her element for the first time in months.

Tig's eyes widened as he watched her set the place ablaze, twirling around with the torch in hand. He walked over to her in a haze, beginning to light up the wall opposite to the one that she was working on where the sound of the second blow torch snapped her out of her trance long enough to meet his eyes which were wilder than she had ever seen them before. She grinned as she gave into the sinful pull - walking towards him, completely captivated. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her off of the ground, her legs wrapping around his hips while he spun her around and she reignited her blow torch.

"What in the hell am I fuckin' watchin'." Chibs deadpanned from the doorway where all three men stood with scowls on their faces.

Tig finally put her down when the interior of the building was bright and hot - the two of them running towards the door, hand in hand and laughing maniacally. Sydney grabbed the whiskey bottle full of diesel fuel, standing a few feet from the entrance as she made sure that everyone was ready to go the second that she launched the bottle. The remaining Mayan was being held at gunpoint in the van by Chibs who would release him to relay the message to his club - while Whistler had been bound, gagged, and placed in the bed of Opie's truck.

"Light it up!" Chibs hollered before she underhand tossed the bottle into the doorway, making a run for it with Tig following close behind. Just as they made it safely to the truck, the roof of the building blew open.

"I've always loved fireworks." Sydney said dreamily with her eyes glued to the flames, admiring her handy-work as Tig grabbed her hand from where he sat next to her, just as captivated by the sight.

The two vehicles headed for the exit of the warehouse lot, stopping for Chibs to open the sliding door and push the Mayan out. "I trust you two can take care of that one?" Clay asked the wild pair, nodding his head towards the bed of the truck.

Sydney looked behind her to see the Nord lying wide-eyed, muffling through the gag in his mouth. "Yeah, you can." She said lowly as a sadistic smile washed over her angelic face.

"Those sick fucks are perfect for each other." Clay chuckled to Jax and Chibs as they drove off back to Charming.

Tig drove to a secluded, forested area outside of Oakland where they could safely take care of Whistler. Sydney rolled her window down, taking a deep breath of sweet, pine-scented air as the truck rolled down a dirt pathway. 

"Seem to know where you're goin'..." She questioned playfully as she lit a cigarette, savoring the feeling of the breeze on her cheeks.

"We got burial sites all over Northern Cali, darlin'."

"I should've known." She chuckled.

"Did I..." He put his hand over his heart in mock-surprise. "Did I just manage to take the princess by surprise?" 

"Wouldn't be the first time, Tigger." His brow twitched with intrigue, about to question her further but before he could say anything, she changed the subject. "This place reminds me of home." A trace of sadness could be heard in her voice.

"A deserted forest?" He raised a brow.

"I like my alone time." Her lips curled up.

"You and Hap really are alike." He chortled. "You miss it?" His eyes squinted as he steered the conversation in a more serious direction.

"Nah." She shook her head. "Nothin' for me there."

"And there is here?" Of course he knew what Charming held in store for her on multiple fronts - but he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to hear whatever smug answer she would come up with.

"I could think of a thing or two." She smirked, looking him up and down.

"Come on, doll. No friends, family?" He paused for a second. "Boyfriends?"

Sydney snorted. She'd guessed that they would be having their own relationship conversation sooner rather than later, but she hadn't expected him to be testing the waters this soon. "Slim pickings back home." Tig raised a brow. "Come on, Tiggy. You and I both know that those San Bernardino pretty boys can't keep up with me." She smirked.

"Won't argue with you there, pussycat." He chuckled. "What you need is a man." He nodded suggestively. "SAMDINO Princess must've been off limits." He surmised - the only conclusion that made sense as to why she'd never had a boyfriend. The two had gotten to know each other very well, but family and relationships were a sensitive topic that they avidly danced around - trying to get the answers that they desired through the cryptic games that they played instead of asking directly.

"SAMDINO Princess was off limits... But the SAMCRO Princess ain't." She winked just as suggestively. "Nah, off limits as a sweetbutt. But my dad always wanted me to find someone - even if it ended up being a brother. He kinda knew it would be, I just never did." She took a drag. "I could never be with an outsider, with the way that I am..."

"Don't worry, Princess - you'll meet your knight on a shining Harley one day." He joked, the lightness of the statement fading quickly as he plagued himself with the thought of her being with somebody other than him.

"Yeah... One day." She gave a small smirk, the playfulness in her eyes chasing away his worry and replacing the pit in his stomach with butterflies - a foreign but not completely unwelcome feeling.

"I grew up here." He nodded slowly as he scanned the only place in the tainted city where he had ever been able to find some kind of peace.

"Really?" Sydney sat up a little straighter, watching as his expression fell the same way that hers did when she thought about home... "Well." She mused. "You'll have to show me around some time, take me to all the spots that you used to take girls to." She smirked.

Tig chuckled lightly - lighter than he ever had when he'd been forced to think about the godforsaken place that he'd called home for nearly half of his dismal life. "No boyfriends, okay..." He nodded, turning the attention back to her as they made some real progress. "What about friends and family?" 

"My dad was all that I had for real family." She shrugged. "The DINO guys, sure - but they're different from SAMCRO..." She trailed off, once again realizing how different the two charters really were. The Southern California Sons were like family to her - but it was a kind of distanced family, like a bunch of uncles or cousins that you only saw on holidays. They were all brothers under the reaper - yes, but their less die-hard nature had meant that they had the time for family and friends, but for Sydney, the club was her family and friends - so adjusting to SAMCRO where the club was the only way of life, had been a cakewalk. This was where she belonged.

"I had a few friends throughout school... Guys I'd bring around for fun so that the club wouldn't hassle me." She chuckled. "But they were just people to pass the time with until I finally got to leave."

"You always wanted to leave?" His forehead creased slightly.

"For as long as I can remember..." Her voice fell to a whisper as she flicked her cigarette out of the open window.

"You don't miss any of them?"

"I just don't get attached to people easily, I guess... And anyone I actually like is always on the road." She rolled her eyes. "Hap was always my best friend, and he's here, so there's nothing to miss - except the beach." She added with a playful smile before diverting the lingering attention off of herself. "What about you? You still have lots of girls to tell me about." She teased.

"Nah." Tig snickered. "The whole relationship thing was never really my bent - girls don't get me."

"What you need is a woman." She winked, dropping her facade as she watched the lines in his face beginning to soften. "You ever love someone before?" She asked quietly.

"Long time ago, darlin'..."

"What about family?"

"Fucked around too many times for my daughters to see me as anything more than an ATM machine." He shrugged sadly.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, doll. I earned that." She could hear the pain in his bitter tone as he discussed the shortcomings of his past that he had so desperately tried to ignore. "I'm not a good person, I gotta live with that." He nodded.

"Yeah, I know how that feels." She trailed off. She wanted to comfort him; tell him all of the good that she saw in him - but she understood the feeling as well as he did.

The truck came to a stop when they reached a clearing in the trees at the perfect time. Tig reached for the door handle - pausing before he looked back to Sydney. "You're an angel, darlin'." His words were full of sincerity as his crystal blue eyes penetrated her soul before he got out of the truck.

Sydney's stomach flipped, but she pushed the butterflies down - there were more important things to take care of right now.

Tig lowered the tailgate of the truck which Sydney stepped onto, waltzing over to Whistler where she pressed the sole of her shoe against his cheek - tipping his face up to look at her before she rolled him over towards Tig who grabbed his tied wrists and brought him to his feet. He dragged him over the uneven ground where he dropped him to his knees and held the barrel of his gun to the his head, getting ready to pull the trigger when he was interrupted.

"No!" Sydney begged desperately.

Tig looked up, confused and slightly annoyed as his brows furrowed - exhaling sharply as he waited for an explanation.

"Please, Tiggy... Let me do it."

His expression softened, and the stars in his eyes returned. "Well alright, darlin'." He smirked at the pleasant surprise, watching her cock her own gun and place the barrel against the back of his head, slowly dragging it around his skull and stopping in the middle of his quivering forehead.

"Oh, baby... Let me take this off for you." She removed her gun from his skin, tracing his face in her palm as he cried and screamed against the gag before she pulled it from his mouth. "Is that better?" She asked softly, comfortingly...

"Please, please let me go. I'll tell you everything. I promise I-" His begging was cut short as she shoved her gun back against his forehead and pulled the trigger - his lifeless body crashing to the forest floor.

Tig was completely motionless as he watched the scene unfold, unable to comprehend what had just happened. But what he was able to comprehend however, was how badly he needed her. 

Sydney blinked a few times through her adrenaline-blurred vision, looking up at Tig where they both stood completely still, their heavy breathing being the only sound that could be heard in the dead-silence that always came after a gunshot. He stalked over to her where she practically leapt into his arms, kissing him fiercely where his hands were instantly all over her. Clothes started flying as he ripped her shirt the rest of the way open while she worked on his belt buckle. He laid her down in the bed of the truck where he got between her legs, yanking both her leggings and panties down in one swift tug - using the other hand to pull down her bra and expose a breast. Her nipple hardened instantly in the cool night air before he covered it with his warm mouth, the contact making her whimper before he moved back up to her lips while pushing his boxers down.

Sydney held him firmly by the neck as he slid into her, sending her back up to heaven all over again. He bit and sucked more bruises into her skin in a trail from her neck, down to her chest as he thrusted desperately into her wetness while her nails dug into his back, drawing blood in the heat of the moment - which caused him to bite into her collarbone even harder. She cried out loudly in a mixture of pain and pleasure as he gently sucked the wound, easing the pain of his ravenous teeth with his gentle tongue. 

Tig pulled back with a smirk as he felt her clenching around him while she moaned as he marked her. He wanted everyone to know that with no doubt, she was his. But the breeze of the night hitting the fresh scratches on his back reminded him that while she was his, he was hers - spurring him on further as he took her hands in his and pressed them against the bed of the truck above her head while he looked into her eyes.

Sydney felt a wave of emotion hit her, a pit forming deep in her stomach when he looked at her like that again; the feeling only intensifying as the moonlight made his eyes look more white than blue - allowing a deeper look into the soul of the man that she was falling for more and more each day.

Tig slowed his pace when he saw something change in her eyes, looking at her with even more care and concern as his gentle eyes silently asked her what his mouth was too scared to request.

"You have pretty eyes." She breathed out with a soft smile.

Tig could feel his heart melting, stopping his movements completely. He removed one of his hands from hers, bringing it down to cup her face tenderly - caressing her cheek with his thumb before he kissed her softly.

Sydney felt the pinch behind her eyes as he touched her in a way that she'd never been touched before - like she was special instead of different, unique instead of out of place. They were both having the same internal battles - completely beside themselves with this new form of intimacy that neither of them knew existed. Tig was a kinky bastard; he loved the screaming, the roughness, and the dirty talk - and Sydney wasn't much different. But the way that her body responded to his was better than any scream or filthy request that he could think of. With her, he could have both - he could work out the kinks that his demons desired, but he could also show the appreciation that his words had always struggled with.

Sydney hesitated when he kept his appreciative gaze on her as he began thrusting into her again, but much slower this time. She leaned up and kissed him deeply, her now free hand running gently through his curls. Neither of them had to say anything else, they both knew...

Tig gently guided her to lay her head back down, pulling his lips away and leaning his forehead against hers. In a matter of seconds, this sex had become much different than the sex that they'd had the night before. This was no longer fucking, this was making love.

Twenty minutes later, Sydney laid in Tig's arms in the bed of the truck - the heat of their bodies combating the cool midnight breeze around them. Her head rested on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as they shared a cigarette while she ran her fingers along his chest lazily, playing with his necklace while he stroked her arm.

"Don't break my heart, Tiggy." She uttered barely above a whisper.

Tig's heartbeat tripled as his mind began running laps, a function that Sydney could feel below her temple as he pondered what exactly it meant if he was able to break her heart. She froze, stopping the movement of her fingers across his chest, but his hand that had been drawing circles over her skin moved to grasp it lightly. He flipped his palm so that the back of her hand was against it as he laced his fingers through hers, bringing them to his lips as he kissed her knuckles gently and pulled her in tighter with the arm that was around her.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to, doll." He admitted with just as much emotion in his voice. For the first time in what felt like his entire life, he wanted something serious.

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

"We should head back, it's been a long day." Tig prompted after a few more minutes of comfortable silence while he and Sydney laid together, listening to the stillness of the night.

Sydney nodded, easing herself up to begin redressing. She giggled as she balled up the remnants of her shredded shirt, chucking it on top of Whistler's lifeless body. "What are we gonna do with him?" She nodded as she zipped her jacket over her bare torso.

"I'll get Sack to come out and bury him." Tig stated matter-of-factly, flipping open his phone and dialling the prospect with the location before they started their drive back.

Sydney leaned her head against the window once they were about halfway back home, the peaceful drive beginning to nod her off as she crashed from the spike of adrenaline.

"Tired, doll?" Tig asked as he looked over at where she was trying to stay upright, watching her nod lazily as she tried to keep her eyes open. "C'mere." He rubbed her back, gently pulling her down to lay in his lap. 

Sydney giggled softly as he gently stroked her hair with one hand while the other gripped the steering wheel as struggled to keep the truck in a straight line, putting her to sleep in no time.

Once they arrived back in town safely, Tig pulled the truck onto Opie's street, stopping as gently as possible before placing it in park - looking down at the gorgeous girl who was sleeping peacefully in his lap. He took his time admiring her while he had the chance - unlike he'd had the previous time that she'd fallen asleep on him - as he ran his fingertips across her cheek, brushing her hair out of her face. She moaned softly as she began to wake - the sound instantly transporting him back to the night of the wedding as his dick twitched, blinking as he reminded himself that he didn't need to try and hide it this time.

"We're almost home." Sydney heard his soft voice before she began to sit up slowly, taking a deep breath before dragging her exhausted body out of the truck, stretching when she hit the pavement to try and wake herself up before feeling Tig's hand on the small of her back. "It's okay, I'll drive." She smiled as he guided her to the passenger seat of her car, sinking into the worn leather in her haze.

"Don't fucking touch my seat." She whimpered with a weak smile as Tig climbed into the driver's seat.

Tig froze with his hand on the lever, pulling it away with a chuckle as he contorted his limbs uncomfortably to fit in the small space that the short girl drove in.

Sydney managed to stay awake on the drive back to her house - given it was a short one - although she had strongly contemplated falling back asleep if it meant that Tig would carry her inside. She staggered up the walkway, unlocking her front door and kicking her shoes off before stumbling down the hall to shut off the lights in the kitchen when she felt his hands grab her waist lightly.

"I got it, doll - you go up to bed." She nodded, starting up the stairs slowly in hopes that he would return quickly and take the hint to follow her, rather than lock the door behind him when he left.

And just as she had hoped, Tig was back in no time - following her up the stairs with a guiding hand pressed lightly against her back. She flicked on the lamp next to her bed before she started fumbling with the zipper on her jacket, shivering as he quickly took control; pulling the tight leather from her arms before gently sliding the thick cotton down her legs.

The surprise of the tender way that he undressed her with such pure intentions woke Sydney right up. She sat down on the edge of her bed once she was left in just her bra and panties, leaning back on her elbows as she innocently widened her eyes while he stood over her.

Tig quickly sat down next to her before the empowering angle could cause him to lose control and potentially jeopardize the still very fragile position that he was in. "You were good today... Real good." He stroked her arm with his finger. "Good girls deserve to be taken care of." He explained at the request of her inquisitive eyes. Of course he had been talking about helping her, but the way that she sat there; half naked and wide-eyed continued to coax the beast in him as his voice turned to a growl.

Sydney watched the switch flip as his eyes glossed over, sending tingles through her body. "Will you take care of me, Tiggy?" She asked in a whisper, taking him from semi, to completely hard in a fraction of a second.

"Yes, babygirl." He whispered as he leaned over her completely when he finally got the green light that he'd needed, attaching his lips to hers as his fingers circled her waist where he swiftly unhooked her bra and gently guided her to lay back.

Sydney shuddered when her back hit the cool sheets below her, a direct contrast to the fire that she felt raging inside of her as he planted a lingering kiss on her lips before moving his to her neck, dragging them down her body slowly. Once he reached her chest he took a nipple into his mouth - sucking gently while twirling his tongue around the ring until it was hard as a rock before he moved to the other one to do the same, all while massaging her through her panties. Once he was satisfied that she was good and worked up, he slid off of the bed to kneel on the floor in front of her - his lips not leaving her body as he gently spread her legs open.

A gasp left Sydney's throat when his teeth grazed her hip bone, biting her lip as she felt his curl up into a smile against her skin as his hands trailed down her legs, grasping a calf as he moved his mouth down her inner thigh and lifted her leg up over his shoulder.

Tig traced the inside of her leg with the tip of his tongue while she giggled and hummed at the tickling of her most sensitive parts before he finally wrapped his arms under her thighs and gripped the waistband of her panties, sliding them down slowly. "What are you doing to me, babygirl?" He shook his head dreamily as his eyes landed on that perfect pussy that was dripping wet for him, yet again.

Sydney smiled under his praise, moaning as he moved his hands to her waist - pulling her closer to where his mouth was waiting. She arched her back up towards him, feeling his tongue just barely touch her clit, which was enough to send her entire body into a spasm.

"That feel good, baby?" He taunted as he hovered over where she was much more ready for him than he'd anticipated.

"Y-yes. More." She whined as her over-sensitive body trembled with need.

Tig dove in properly this time, his tongue working its magic as he alternated between swirling it over her clit and dragging it through her folds. His hands were all over her as she squirmed beneath his own appreciative humming as it sent vibrations through her body.

Sydney was completely at his mercy as she arched her back up off of the bed even further. The experience that this man possessed had her moaning, yelping, and gasping at every move. She squeezed his head between her thighs as she felt him yanking her closer to the edge - curling her toes against his back while she convulsed below him as she quickly met her release.

The staggered breathing as she came down from her high was music to Tig's ears - music that he didn't want to stop. He continued his harsh ministrations - overstimulating her highly sensitive bundle of nerves before she worked up enough strength to pull him away by his now wild hair.

Sydney could feel the slippery aftermath between her legs as he eased them down off of his shoulders before grabbing her waist and lifting her further up the bed - firmly sliding his hands down her sides and around to her ass before dragging them down her legs.

"You're so beautiful, baby. You know that?" She giggled softly, biting her lip and leaning into his touch as her cheeks flushed.

Tig trailed his finger tips down the centre of her stomach with a feather-light touch, watching her tremble before he reached her sensitive clit - making her entire body jolt upwards again. He chuckled sadistically, before he continued his path downwards until he finally hit her entrance where he slowly slid a finger into her.

Sydney mashed her lips together at the overwhelming sensation, letting out a deep moan while she dug her head into the mattress until he retracted slowly - but it wasn't long enough for her to catch her breath as he added another and slid right back in as he leaned over her, brushing his thumb over her forehead while he continued the assault between her legs.

Sydney licked at his lips where he hovered over her animalistically, tasting herself on his skin - which earned her a harder thrust of his digits. She fed into the eroticism; breathing her moans into his mouth while he fingered her in his perfectly mastered technique which quickly turned her into a moaning, writhing mess beneath him - and it was the hottest thing that he'd ever experienced.

"That's it, baby." His lips moved to the sensitive spot below her ear, breathing onto her neck. "My good girl." His words sent her tumbling over the edge yet again - this time, all she could see were stars as her eyes rolled back and her body went limp. He slid his fingers out of her slowly, kissing her softly as she came down, but an odd sensation pulsed through his body when his lips met hers - something between the peak of arousal, and the release of an orgasm. He pulled back, the foreign feeling continuing as he looked over where she was splayed out on the bed, marinating in the ecstasy of his touch.

Sydney was still incoherent when he leaned down, sliding his arms under her until she got the hint and wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as he lifted her - just like he had on the night of the wedding. Only this time as her head span, it was because she had him. 

He placed her under the covers before he turned off the lamp, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead while she struggled to keep her eyes open; the sweet gesture only making her weaker than she already was - if that was even possible. She loved the way that he babied her, making her feel small in a different way than men usually did - in a way that didn't belittle her, or make her feel like she had something to prove.

A pang of sadness pulsed through her chest as he walked towards the door - another blinding similarity to the night of the wedding. But this time, the similarities didn't split as they had earlier. She wanted nothing more than for him to stay, but she still wasn't able to make herself say the words.

But they didn't have to split, to come together as the disappointment in the pit of her stomach quickly turned to excitement as she heard the direction of his footsteps change, rounding the other side of the bed where he stripped down to his boxers and climbed under the covers - snuggling up behind her. The satisfaction was almost enough to trump her high, but he had done an expert job - the effects of which could not easily be snuffed out.

As he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, she could feel that he was still hard against her ass. She attempted to pull herself from her haze, reaching around to grab his cock before she was stopped by his strong hand on her wrist.

"It's okay, darlin'. Go to sleep." He said softly, shaking his head as he wrapped his arm back around her.

"Are you sure, Tiggy?" 

"I'm sure." The quickness of his own answer caught him a little off guard. Tig Trager turning down sex? It was the farthest thing from what anyone would've expected from him - including himself - but she continued to exceed his expectations in every way; pleasing him in ways that he never even knew were possible.

"Promise?" She squeaked nervously.

Tig couldn't help but wonder how she could go from shooting a man mercilessly, to being the purest thing that he'd experienced in decades. If he hadn't been introduced to her dangerous side, he would've been terrified to taint her. But her dynamics demolished that fear, giving him real hope for the first time in his life. He chuckled again, brushing his lips against the crook of her neck. "I promise, babygirl." He pressed a kiss to her warm skin. "Goodnight." He nuzzled against her.

"Night." She choked out as she swooned, squeezing the beautiful arm that was draped over her as her mind drifted down from cloud nine, and settled into a peaceful sleep.

♕

Sydney awoke the next morning in the exact same position that she'd fallen asleep: with Tig's arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Her eyes fluttered open, regaining control of her senses as she blinked a few times before the soft snoring in her ear sent her stomach plummeting at the realization that the man snuggled up to her in bed was not a figment of her imagination, he was actually there.

Her face tingled with a smile as the memories of the night before came back to her - trying to calm her vibrating nerves so not to wake him, but her body betrayed her yet again as she felt him stirring behind her. She froze, clenching every muscle in her body as she tried to stay as still as possible when she heard his chuckle. Shit, busted.

Tig moved his limp arm from around her waist, up to grab her hand where he laced their fingers - nuzzling her neck as he chuckled again when he felt her hand flinch against his.

"Mornin', doll." His breath sent shivers up her spine, the electricity in her body forcing another grin.

"Morning." She brought his hand up to her lips as she kissed his fingers gently, glancing at her phone on the nightstand next to her as it lit up with an email notifying her of the items that she'd abandoned in her Fashion Nova shopping cart the day before. Thankfully, her screen showed no new messages or missed calls, which was a good sign after the events of last night - unless, of course, the Mayans had already killed everybody else and her and Tig were the last ones standing.

But just as the intrusive thought entered Sydney's mind, Tig's phone started ringing. Of course, she chuckled to herself - giggling as he rolled over to grab the old flip-phone out of his discarded jeans with a groan, seizing the opportunity to get herself up and into the shower.

Tig proceeded to answer the call, but before he could utter a greeting his mouth fell open as he caught Sydney walking across the room completely naked. His captivated gaze followed her perfect ass until she stopped in the doorway, giving him a cocky smile while she slowly shook her head, giggling before bashfully looking to the floor and crossing the threshold.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm here, man." He snapped his head back in place as he blinked rapidly.

Sydney stepped into the stand-up shower, turning the taps on with a squeak before the water cascaded down her body, effectively soothing her aching muscles - and nerves. She washed her hair quickly, giving herself more time to enjoy the hot water as she closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting the steady stream trickle down her face as she slipped into deep thought.

Tig laid in bed grinning to himself. The last time that he had properly shared a bed with a woman had to have been years ago - and anything recent was due to copious amounts of alcohol. He had never been a 'stay over' kind of guy, but with Sydney, he found himself dreading another lonely night. He sighed, heaving himself out of bed where he dressed slowly, somehow finding himself staring at her from the bathroom door. He gulped, blinking a few times as he tried to snap himself out of it like he had previously done, but as he watched her hands slide down her body, he couldn't help but wish that they were his...

Sydney heard the toilet flush as the water coating her body went from a soothing warm, to burning hot. Her eyes flew open - ripping her from the peaceful trance as she screeched and jumped back. She pulled open the steam-covered door to see Tig standing with one foot on the toilet handle while his hand covered his mouth as he laughed hysterically.

"Have to start evenin' out the score somehow, Princess." He held out a towel, still laughing. "Come on, we have church." He nodded for her to get out as she raised her eyebrows in challenge.

She reached to grab the towel, but grabbed his wrist instead - yanking him into the shower where he quickly jumped backwards out of the scalding hot stream after having half of his body soaked.

"Now, you are lucky that I wasn't fully dressed..." He scolded as it was her to turn to laugh now, turning back to her bedroom where he still had his grey hoodie on the floor.

"Mmm or what?" She mused with a seductive gaze.

"You don't even wanna know, dollface." He growled as he looked her up and down.

"You gonna come in here and tell me that?" She bit her lip, swaying side to side with an evil look in her eye.

Tig managed to pull himself from the tempting proposal - knowing that he didn't have the time to properly do what he wanted to her as he peeled the wet shirt off quickly.

Sydney's eyes widened. This was the first time that she'd really gotten a chance to admire his strong body that was encased in warm skin and dark chest hair - a stature that was pure man. "Yeah... Real lucky." She scoffed, the awe not leaving her tone.

Tig just chuckled and shook his head before he walked out of the bathroom, leaving Sydney to get ready for the day.

Sydney decided to leave her long hair to dry naturally in its mermaidy fashion, doing some quick makeup and getting dressed in a white concert tee tied into a knot - exposing her midriff and concealing the love bites that littered her chest - distressed denim shorts, and white converse. She'd figured that Tig had made his way to the clubhouse by now, but as she neared the staircase she could smell freshly brewed coffee coming from the kitchen. Taking a deep breath to calm the flipping in her stomach, she waltzed down the stairs - approaching the end of the hallway where she saw a to-go cup, and a cinnamon raisin bagel waiting on the island while Tig leant against the counter, sipping his coffee.

"Wow..." She bit her lip, trying to contain the grin that was creeping across her face as she walked towards the island where she leant against her palms on the cool surface, swaying from side to side gently. "You weren't kidding about taking care of me." She mused.

"Is that your natural hair?" He squinted as he pointed to the quickly curling blonde locks.

"Yes." She snorted in surprise. "You ain't the only one with unruly curls around these here parts anymore, Mr. Trager."

Tig laughed at her sheriff's voice, placing his coffee cup in the sink as she grabbed the breakfast that he'd made her before heading towards the front door.

Sydney was reaching out to the doorknob when she felt a gentle tugging on her arm, turning to see Tig's large, ring-covered hand as he stroked his fingers up her skin, slowly reaching up to rest his hands on either side of her head against the door behind her.

"You know, darlin'..." His raspy voice filled her ears as he boxed her in. "One of these days, I'm gonna stop letting you walk away..." His tone was laced with a note of vulnerability, rather than the lust that she'd expected. She looked down nervously and giggled, looking back up to meet his deep blue gaze.

"Yeah, Tiggy. I know..."

♕

The game of cutting each other off and slamming on the brakes was back in full swing as Sydney and Tig slowly, and not-so-steadily made their way to the clubhouse. Sydney sipped her coffee peacefully as she approached a stop sign after getting Tig stuck behind another driver, not expecting him to cross over into oncoming traffic and swerve in front of her - the angry revving of his engine filling her ears as he passed her open window. She quickly moved her cup away from her white shirt, instead dousing the black leather of the passenger seat as she slammed on her brakes.

Tig looked back at her with a laugh and a shit-eating-grin that was far too obnoxious for her liking - cranking the wheel and pulling into the oncoming lane beside him. "You're detailing my interior for that!" She yelled at him as she blocked traffic without a care - ignoring the angry honking of the Sunday morning commuters.

"You think so, Princess?" He scoffed. "Don't play if you can't keep up." His tires spun as he hastily sped away.

Sydney went full throttle once he challenged her, cutting through side streets and alleyways - praying that the shortcut would give her the edge. She ripped through the parking lot at TM, her tires screeching to a halt as she pulled into her parking spot - a giant toothy grin on her face as she looked down the line of Harleys in the rearview mirror to see that Tig's was missing.

Half-Sack, Jax, and Chibs all ran out as they watched Sydney hurtle through the compound like a mad woman. "What's the matter, darlin'?" Jax exclaimed once he reached her, checking her over as he caught his breath.

"Nothing?" She replied with furrowed brows, turning away with a smirk as Tig pulled onto the compound and begrudgingly rolled his Dyna into formation.

The three men all shared a look of confusion before they ran after her, catching up as she was approaching Tig who was putting his helmet over his handlebars and actively avoiding her gaze.

"Hey, Sergeant!" She called. "Don't play if you can't keep up." She taunted with an evil smile as she winked, tossing her keys over her shoulder before walking towards the clubhouse. "I want her squeaky clean!"

"Really, brother?" Jax raised his eyebrows as a smug smirk spread across his face.

"Hey! I let her win." Tig protested.

"I'm sure you did." Chibs snorted.

"Yeah, yeah. Get goin' on it." Tig shoved the keys to the Dodge into Half-Sack's chest before walking off.

♕

Juice waltzed into the chapel behind Sydney when he suddenly noticed that something was off. He stopped, standing with his hands on his hips as he looked her over - trying to put his finger on it.

"What?" Sydney turned around when she heard the footsteps stop behind her, finding Juice looking her over with a scowl.

"You're way shorter than I remember?" His brows wrinkled.

"Yeah..." She snorted, looking down at the flat shoes on her feet. "Took your advice on the heels... Don't get used to it." She rolled her eyes.

Once everyone was seated, Sydney noticed another new man at the table - Opie Winston. She'd only seen him at the wedding where strangely she hadn't spoken to him, but from what she'd gathered from the others, with the way that his wife was - he didn't really speak to anyone. And she was sure that the only reason he bothered to show his pained face today, was because he couldn't have been bothered the night before.

Tig was the last one in after returning to his dorm to change out of his wet clothes, and Sydney didn't miss the knowing look that Clay gave him - looking back to see Jax giving her the exact same one.

"Jesus." Juice's scoff cut the tension as she tried horribly to hide her bashful smile. "Matching hickeys yesterday, matching hairstyles today. What's tomorrow?" He glanced between them.

"That coming from the guy who's had a faux hawk since the ninth grade?" Tig snorted, Sydney's lips curling up at the clever jab.

Clay chuckled, shaking his head before getting down to business. "Got word from Trammel, our little fiesta last night was a success." He grinned, banging on the table before he had to deliver the regretful news... "Got most of our AKs back, but no luck on the Glocks or M4s. What we did come across though, was an unexpected surprise... Darby's teamed up with Alvarez." He sighed.

"What?" Juice exclaimed in utter disbelief. The Aryan prick teaming up with the Mexicans?

"He floods Charming with crank, Alvarez takes over our gun business to protect it." Tig explained to the table of equally confused men.

"We sent them a pretty clear message." Clay looked over at Half-Sack to confirm that he had buried the Nord, receiving a nod. "Keep an ear out for word on the street about any of their next moves - including where the rest of our hardware might be. Laroy's gettin' impatient." Everyone nodded as Clay reached for the gavel, but he stopped himself. "Sorry about your kid, Ope... Hope everything is alright." He gave the quiet man a look of exaggerated sympathy.

"Yeah. She is. Thanks." Opie nodded curtly.

Sydney could see clear as day that Clay's concern wasn't sincere, and by the cold tone in Opie's voice - it seemed that he could too.

The uneventful session was concluded by the screeching of chairs against the hardwood floor, and the second that Sydney stepped out of the chapel, she was met by the infamous stare of Gemma Teller.

"Hey, stranger." Gemma greeted the little blonde girl with a suggestive side glance.

"Hey, mom." Sydney giggled with an eye roll.

"I heard the Princess had another successful night..." She raised her brows.

Sydney cocked an eyebrow at the cryptic tone in the older woman's voice as she turned towards the fridge. "But what I didn't hear was Tigger returning back to his dorm last night..." She continued with her back turned. "You know anything about that?" She looked back at Sydney whose face went beet red as a nervous smile overtook the previously cocky smirk that she'd been sporting. "That's what I thought." She smirked.

♕

After her vehicle was done being freshly cleaned - courtesy of Half-Sack, Sydney headed home where she passed out on her couch soon after eating lunch, catching up on some much-needed sleep after both the physical and mental toll of the last two days. A couple of hours later, she felt herself being coaxed out of her peaceful afternoon snooze, cracking her eyes open to see her phone vibrating against the coffee table.

"Hey, Gem." She blinked a few times, trying to wake herself up as she waited to hear what The Matriarch was calling for.

"Hey, sweetheart. You wanna come down to the clubhouse tonight? We're havin' a little get together to celebrate Ope gettin' outta the joint."

"Uh... Sure." She scowled. "But didn't he get out a while ago?" 

"Yeah." Gemma scoffed with an eye roll that Sydney could hear across the line. "But Clay thinks that this will help remind him that he has family here too."

"I sure hope so..." But she was doubtful. "I'll see you soon. Need me to bring anything?"

"Yeah. A muzzle for your old man... Won't shut up about you." Sydney's entire body twitched as the words 'your old man' crackled through the speaker, a blush coming to her face - which apparently Gemma could see, even from the other end of the phone. "See you soon." She crooned knowingly.

Sydney clutched the phone to her chest, squeezing it in her vibrating hands before she realized that she was alone in her house where she could finally release some excitement. She screeched, bouncing giddily as she ran down the hall and hopped up the stairs to get ready.

She pulled her air-dried waves into a low chignon at the side of her head, leaving a few pieces out to frame her face. She spruced up the barely-there makeup that she'd thrown on in her haste to get out the door earlier - a matte brown eye and nude pink lip meeting the evening standards. She wore a black button down dress that fell mid-thigh, and had a modest neckline - for once - nicely concealing the red and purple hickeys that littered her chest. With the feeling that she would end up in Tig's room later, she figured that a dress that he could rip open, and a lacy black matching set would be sure to get his blood pumping into all of the right places. She stepped into her usual platform Louboutins, and with a spritz of sweet perfume, she was out the door.

By the time that she arrived, it was only just past 8:00 P.M., but the party was in full swing. The compound was packed with bikers, babes, and booze. She felt her senses twitching to life as she soaked up the familiar atmosphere, walking over to the fighting ring where Tig and Happy were going at it for the hungry crowd.

"Beer?" She heard someone ask quietly from behind her as a hand reached out, passing her a Corona. She smiled sweetly when she realized that it was Half-Sack, thankful for the much-needed distraction as the sight of an angry and punch-throwing Tig sent a wave of heat through her body, and landed between her legs.

"Damn, you could take someone's eye out with those." Half-Sack avoided her long, dagger shaped nails as she accepted the bottle from him.

She chuckled, her lips curling up as she caught Tig's eyes out of the corner of hers - grabbing Half Sack's hand and pulling him closer.

Tig temporarily lost his focus as she leant in towards the prospect's face, allowing Happy to get a good hit in - the recoil giving him an unfortunately clear view as she placed a gentle kiss onto his bright red cheek.

Sydney pulled away from Half-Sack who looked like he very well could've just pissed his pants, and just as she had predicted; Tig took Happy to the ground as he filled with rage. "Hey c'mon! That's no fair! I had ten bucks on Happy." Half-Sack whined.

"Eh, Hap deserves it." Sydney chuckled as she pulled a bill from her purse and passed it to him with a wink, making her way towards Tig who was towelling off on the sidelines while a croweater fought for his attention as she tried to patch him up, eventually moving over to Happy instead.

"Hey, killer." Sydney called, biting her lip as both men looked up - keeping her gaze fixed perfectly in between them.

"Gonna get yourself in trouble messin' with my stats like that, little girl." Happy smirked as the red-haired croweater dabbed his glistening chest.

"Maybe your stats shouldn't be so easy to mess with." She taunted with a grin, breaking off from the straight path she'd been walking and making her way over to Tig who quickly looked back down at the ground.

"Hi, doll... Didn't know you were comin'." He tried to utter as nonchalantly as possible while he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well I'll be doing plenty of that later tonight." She purred as his still jealousy-fuelled eyes darted around in search of Half-Sack. "You aren't happy to see me?" Her smirk turned to a pout.

He turned his attention back to her when he came up empty-handed, to see her lips curling back up from the fake frown that she'd painted on as she ran her hands up his heaving chest, staring back at him with that evil look in her eye.

"What's the matter, Tigger? Pussycat got your tongue?" A cocky grin formed as she felt him shudder, glancing down where she could see him hardening beneath his jeans. She cocked her eyebrows before pulling away, her hands sliding down his chest where he grabbed her wrists firmly and yanked her back towards him.

Sydney watched his demeanour change from a coy and bashful man, to a dominant one stalking his prey as he leaned in close to her face while his eyes iced over. "You better stop playin' games with me." He panted.

She met his challenge with a lean inwards of her own, her lips not more than an inch from his as she practically spoke into his mouth. "Now, what would be the fun in that?" She flashed a sinister smile.

"I will not go easy on you, dollface." He told her through gritted teeth as his grip on her wrists tightened.

The extent of Sydney's wit had been reached as his hands sent a cold chill through her buzzing body, unable to form a response as the tingling between her legs only continued to get stronger. She bit her lip instead, looking up into his eyes as hers became hooded with lust while she fought the urge to strip down right there.

Tig looked over her expression with a snort. "You keep it up? I won't care what your answer is." He had let her have control for far too long. Now that the sexual frustration was out of his system, he was going to show her who was really in charge.

"Tigger! Let's go!" Bobby yelled from the doorway of the clubhouse, startling Tig who immediately let up on his grip.

Sydney breathed a sigh of relief for the chance to regain her composure. "People need ya, Sarge." She patted his chest.

"You too, Princess!" Bobby added.

Tig chortled sadistically as he watched the colour drain from her face. "Looks like I'm not the only one in popular demand." He slapped her ass, startling her this time. "Point for me." He winked. "Get goin'." His voice was a playful growl as he nudged her towards the clubhouse.

Gemma was sitting at a picnic table by the door, smoking a cigarette while she observed the party - as she usually did - and the look on her face as Sydney approached her, told her that she had seen their entire exchange. The green-eyed woman sighed deeply as she sat herself at the table and put her head down in defeat as she shook with humourless laughter.

"Sydney." Gemma said firmly, bringing her head snapping straight up. "Just do it. Take the risk. You're both too damn stubborn." She shook her head thoughtfully. "One of you needs to have the balls to take the step." 

"I guess I'm just... Ugh I don't know." Sydney whined, putting her face in her hands. "I've never had to deal with this... What if things change?" 

"Things will change, sweetheart. But you keep going the way that you're going? One of you will end up hurt." She told her sincerely. "Trust me, that man doesn't know a lot about relationships either - hell, he's probably more terrified than you are." She smiled sympathetically. "He has hardly known any love in his life... So if you have feelings for him, you need to tell him."

Sydney didnt respond, keeping her gaze fixed on the peeling paint of the blue picnic table as she weighed her options - not having expected what was supposed to be a fun night of playing cat and mouse, to take such a serious turn.

"Honey, I have known Tigger for decades. Not once have I ever seen him look at anything the way he looks at you, not even that damn bike." Sydney let out a chuckle. "Give him a chance to prove that he has what it takes... Prove to yourself that you have what it takes." She narrowed her eyes.

Sydney bit her lip and shook her head, chuckling at Gemma's never-ending ability to tell her exactly what it was that she needed to hear. "Okay." She nodded gently at first, then rapidly as she convinced herself that it was the right move. "Thanks, Gem."

Gemma reached out and grabbed Sydney's hand, giving it a squeeze. "You're welcome, baby." She smiled warmly.

Tig turned around once he reached the bar, realizing that Sydney wasn't behind him. "God dammit..." He muttered to himself, craning his neck out the doorway where he saw her talking to Gemma - his expression softening. Off the hook this time.

"Hey there, Tiggy." He felt Clay's large hand grip his shoulder. "Got it bad, huh?" The older man nodded to the two beautiful women. "You movin' in on that?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Guess you could say that..." Tig responded with a weary shrug, unsure of what his President would have to say about a potentially distracting relationship. "Think I should?"

Clay raised an eyebrow. "Think you'd be an idiot not to." He scoffed. "Damn tart gives me a stiffy every time she opens that pretty little mouth."

"Yeah, I know the feelin'." Tig laughed with his friend, ignoring the twitch in his dick as he too thought about that pretty little mouth.

"You like her, don't ya?"

Tig felt his body tense with a rush of unexpected defense. "She's a sweet piece of ass, man." He pursed his lips, trying to play it off but he faltered - Sydney was the furthest thing from some halfway decent gash to bury himself in.

The white-haired man wasn't buying it as he deepened his discerning stare. "Lots of sweet pieces of ass around this place, don't see ya treat 'em like that... You even let her ride bitch." His glance reminded Tig that he hadn't let anyone ride on the back of his bike since her.

"Thought you always said that pussy was a distraction." Tig countered. He wasn't wrong, Clay had spent years conditioning him to be the perfect right hand - ridding him of distractions like women and children.

"Listen, brother... I think we both know by now that she ain't just pussy - she can handle shit. So get it done before someone else does, and shit gets messy." He patted his Sergeant on the shoulder before heading outside.

Sydney politely nodded to Clay on her way through the clubhouse, the building panic in her chest almost reaching its peak as she made to pass him. "Princess, can I talk to you for a second?" He nodded towards the bar.

Fuck.  This was not going to help her already shot nerves. "Of course, boss. What's up?" She tried to keep her voice level as she followed him over to the less crowded area. She knew that she'd done nothing but exceed Clay's expectations, but something about the man managed to fill her to the brim with anxiety every time he spoke - she masked it of course, no one would ever have had any idea just how terrified she was of him.

"You're doin' good here - wanted to tell you myself. I ain't been impressed like that in a long time."

"Thank you." She smiled proudly. "It means a lot... I'm happy here." She nodded sincerely.

"I'm glad to hear that, sweetheart..." He smiled. "Now, you wanna tell me what's really goin' on with Tigger?" His tone was playful as he switched gears, but Sydney could tell that it was still firm enough to know that his question wasn't a question - it was a demand.

"Save it, Pres. Your old lady already gave me the beat down about it." She snickered with a roll of her eyes.

"You don't care about the opinion of your President?" He mused.

"Depends what his opinion is..." She challenged with a smirk. "Nah, I know that the club comes first..." 

"I ain't got a problem with it." He shrugged. "You're the best thing that I've seen happen to that crazy prick... I think he could use an old lady to hold him down... He ain't ever had someone that understands the life." He explained. "And I think we both know you can keep up with his, uh... Blood lust." He grinned.

"That I can." She smirked, nodding slowly.

"As long as it don't interfere with business, you got my blessing. And I think you would have your old man's too." He added quietly, knowing that it would be the final push that she needed - whether she knew it or not.

His words took Sydney aback as all of the thoughts that she'd subconsciously drowned out were brought back up to the surface. She tried her best to ignore the grimness and the guilt, instead thinking about what her dad would tell her to do; which she knew would be to follow her heart - to allow herself to give what she had to offer.

Clay pulled her into a hug. "He would be proud of you, sweetheart." He nodded.

Sydney squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the tears back into place. "Thanks, Clay... I promise I'll keep him in line." She chuckled, hoping to lighten the mood.

"I have no doubt that you will." He winked.

Sydney finally met up with Tig, Bobby, Opie, and Juice who were waiting by the pool table where Half-Sack scurried up carrying a bottle of Jagermiester, and 6 shot glasses.

"Okay we're all here, ready?" Juice nodded excitedly. 

"For what?" Sydney scowled.

"Darts."

"Wow." She snorted, raising an eyebrow. "You boys got me all worked up thinkin' that we were playing strip poker." 

"Nah, see it's not that simple, sweetheart." Tig draped his arm over her shoulders as he turned her towards the dart board. "You hit a bullseye? You make anyone do anything that you want. You hit the board? You ask a question, 'never have I ever' style. Everyone who has, takes a shot. You miss the board? You do whatever we want." Tig explained the rules to the game that had gotten the sleazy men countless blowjobs from wasted croweaters.

"Wow..." Sydney snorted again. "What's next? Spin the bottle, or Bloody Mary?" She teased, earning a few snickers but nobody let up. "Okay." She put her hands up in surrender. "I'll bite. Who's up first?"

"Bobby!" Tig yelled aggressively before the older man threw the first dart - hitting close to the bullseye with a groan at his near victory so early on.

"Never have I ever..." Half-Sack lined up the shot glasses. "Taken one up the ass." Sydney laughed at Bobby clearly saving himself from having to take a shot - her eyes widening when both Tig and Juice picked up their glasses.

"County.... Favor for the club." Juice sighed shamefully.

Sydney nodded with her lips pursed as she tried not to laugh, looking up at Tig with a raised brow - daring to ask for his explanation. "My old man used to rape me." He said nonchalantly - almost humourously - with a shrug.

"It all makes sense..." Juice nodded slowly.

A few more turns were taken before Opie finally hit a bullseye, daring Half-Sack to tell Gemma that she gives him a 'MILF chubby', which they knew wouldn't go over well with Clay...

While everyone was paying attention to the poor prospect, Sydney felt Tig's hand trail up the back of her thigh, and under her dress. His daring touch made her shiver, refusing to make eye contact as he pushed her up against the pool table which was unoccupied despite the busy party - serving to block anyone in the open room from seeing what he was doing as his large hand squeezed her ass. She shivered again, the tingle in her face turning to a grimace as she felt him making his way around her body - knowing that he was about to bust her for the second time today as he began rubbing her over her panties.

"Already wet for me, Princess?" She heard the regretful chuckle in her ear, a fresh shiver tracing it's way up her spine. She bit her lip as her legs started to buckle, grabbing his wrist where she tried unsuccessfully to get him to stop his assault on her in the middle of the clubhouse.

She leaned her head back to rest on his shoulder. "Watching you fight was hot." She breathed into his ear as her tongue grazed his skin while she spoke against it. She was grasping at straws, hoping that maybe, just maybe, throwing him the bone would give him the satisfaction that he craved enough to stop - but of course, she had been wrong. Everything about the way that he moved had her yearning for more, and he knew it.

Tig finally removed his hand as Half-Sack make his way back, straightening her dress while she trembled. "You know you guys probably just cost me my rocker, right?" He whined, shaking his head as he rejoined the circle.

Juice's turn came next, throwing a halfway decent shot but not hitting the target. "Okay, I'll save you." He patted Sydney on the shoulder. "Never have I ever made out with a woman."

Sydney scowled deeply, holding the naive man's gaze as she reached for her shot glass and tipped it back, chortling as his eyes widened as she downed the liquor.

Tig grinned. "See, told ya it was a girlfriend thing." He winked, making a mental note to press her for more information, for scientific reasons - of course.

A few more darts hit the board and the usual mundane questions came about. On Sydney's turn, she threw off to the right. "Never have I ever..." She decided to save herself from the alcohol. "Had my dick sucked." Her lips curled up slightly as everyone took their shots; everyone except Half-Sack.

"Awe..." She giggle-pouted as his face turned bright red, grabbing his shoulder and massaging it lightly - she hadn't meant to embarrass her friend even further. "Don't worry, Kippy. I'll be your wing-woman." She winked.

Bobby's turn came back around, and Sydney realized why he'd wanted to go first as he just barely hit the board now that the alcohol had kicked in. "Never have I ever." He looked right into Sydney's eyes as he spoke. "Been fucked against the wall in the clubhouse bathroom."

Sydney didn't break the stare, leaning on her palms on the pool table - not showing any emotion as she stood perfectly still.

"Hey! No cheating!" Juice yelled.

"It was against the sink..." Sydney cocked her head in his direction. "Better luck next time, old man." She winked at Bobby.

The guys stared at her in utter disbelief, looking to Tig who shrugged in confirmation - taken aback by not only her clever response, but her easy admittance.

A few rounds later, Juice finally hit a bullseye - trying desperately to get Sydney to crack as he dared her to lift a gun off of an older man sitting at the bar - one of their most temperamental regulars.

"Ah, I see now... This little dart game is initiation." She smirked, nodding slowly. "Watch and learn, boys." She shook her head as she walked over to the man at the bar, swinging her hips as she approached. "Hey, honey! You havin' a good time?" She cooed, pressing her hips against his thigh.

"I am now." He let out a hearty chuckle as his eyes slid over her.

"Yeah?" She grinned as she fiddled with the lapel of his shirt with her right hand while opening his holster with her left. "I heard you were a hard one to please..." She whispered into his ear.

"Well I think you could break my streak, darlin'." He bit his lip with an animalistic nod.

"I guess we'll see about that." She cocked her brows as she pulled away from his face. "Hey, you want another beer?" She pointed behind him, swiftly snatching the gun as he turned around to look for the imaginary bottle. "Oh, my bad." She slapped her forehead with her free hand. "I'm seeing double." She rolled her eyes with an apologetic smile. "She can help you break your streak..." She nodded to a brunette who was working the bar, winking as she slowly trailed her fingers down his blue plaid-covered chest and walked back to her group, gun in hand. "Heads up." She tossed the revolver to Juice who flinched out of his trance and fumbled to catch it.

"I think I'm in love..." Opie nodded dreamily.

"Yeah.... Me too." Tig answered just as dazed, not taking his eyes off of Sydney as he patted the tall man on the chest.

Sydney felt Tig's hand back on her thigh while Opie lined up his shot, hitting the board with no bullseye this time. She continued to refuse eye contact, but unfortunately her body and her mind weren't on the same page as she continued to quiver under his touch.

"Never have I ever been in love." Opie stated simply as he tipped his shot back. Half-Sack and Juice stood their ground proudly while Tig and Bobby downed their liquor, but Sydney hesitated - building up the courage before she grabbed the shot glass and downed the Jager that burned a little extra this time.

Tig's eyes twinkled as he tried to figure out what it meant. There was no way that she just admitted that she was in love with him... Was there? He didn't know, but he knew that tonight was his chance to find out.

The Sergeant himself was up next, twirling his dart before hitting a perfect bullseye. Sydney inhaled sharply as her eyes fell closed. She should've known that a man as lethal as Tig would do best under pressure, and now she was going to suffer for it. 

"Okay, Princess... You think you can show us men up - do what we can do." He shrugged. "Why don't you show us somethin' that we can't do." He glanced up to the stripper pole where Jessica was dancing in a neon green bikini.

"No way." Sydney protested with a quick shake of her head.

"C'mon, pussycat. You wanted to play strip poker... I'm speedin' up the process for ya." He grinned.

"It's the name of the game, sweetheart." Juice shrugged.

Sydney ran her tongue across her teeth as her expression remained hard. "I'll tell ya what, darlin'." Tig shrugged. "I'll give you one shot. You hit a bullseye? I let it slide - as a sign of good faith. But anything else and you're gettin' up on that pole."

"Fine." She agreed, stomping up to the board where she ripped out his perfect shot. She huffed back to the line, placing one foot in front of the other and closing one eye as she lined up her shot, bending her knee just as she released - hitting the wall just beside the board which earned an uproar of victorious whistles and hollers.

"You don't play fair." She pouted angrily as the curly-haired man grinned down at her.

"Too bad. Let's go." Tig growled with a nod to her still fully-clothed body.

"Fuck you guys." She spit out before storming off down the hall.

They all chuckled as they watched the little firecracker throw her temper tantrum - something they'd been waiting patiently to see her do, but Tig was left confused. From everything that he had seen of Sydney, he hadn't expected her to crack under their hassling - especially after she had so willingly given out multiple lapdances in front of everybody in the last few weeks. He stood with a creased brow, wondering where the line was, and when he'd crossed it - realizing that maybe the young girl really had been too good to be true after all, and somewhere along the way his clouded judgment had begun to overestimate her.

Half-Sack chuckled as he looked down at his phone screen, walking away from the group. "What do you think he's so happy about?" Juice scowled, watching the skinny kid saunter off with a goofy smile that suddenly appeared after an hour of sulking.

"Maybe she came through with someone to suck his dick." Bobby suggested with a husky laugh when 'Pornstar Dancing' started playing through the speakers, amping up the crowd of excited party-goers as they moved to the dance floor.

Opie had an angry scowl on his face as he watched the ordeal. "You guys shouldn't fuck around with her like that." He shook his head. Granted, he hadn't seen anything that Sydney had done, and he was not on the same level of privy as that of his father - having absolutely no idea what she was capable of.

"Uh... I think she can handle it." Juice's jaw went slack as he watched Sydney while she strutted down the hallway, shaking out her hair and unbuttoning her dress - not taking his eyes off of her while slapping Bobby's shoulder repeatedly, oblivious to the fact that his elder's attention was already on her.

Sydney locked eyes with the men as a smile evil as ever spread across her face as she shrugged out of her dress and handed it to Half-Sack, who offered her his hand as she stepped onto the podium - thanking her instincts for the matching bra and panty set, even if it wasn't serving the purpose that she had originally intended it for. She shared a smile with Jessica as the two began to put on a show, twisting and stalking around the pole as they ran their hands over each other's bodies. If these boys were going to underestimate her, she was going to teach them a damn lesson.

Tig was wide-eyed as he walked over to the podium where she dropped low, grabbing his hand and dragging it up her leg before slapping it away as she stood back up to continue her dance.

"What the hell!" Gemma exclaimed as she walked over to Opie, Bobby, and Juice who were all keeping their drooling at a respectable distance.

"D-darts." Juice stammered.

Sydney rounded the pole again, stomping her foot right between Tigs fingers where they held onto the edge of the podium, her lips curling into a cocky smile when he didn't do as little as flinch.

Half-Sack waited by the sidestep, holding onto Sydney's dress as the song ended, willing himself not to look at her and risk a beatdown from the entranced Sergeant - but it wasn't an easy thing to do. Something about the new girl was completely captivating, she wasn't just hot; she was fun and exciting, light and fresh - everything that you would never expect from somebody in this life.

Sydney walked over to the sidestep where she sat down on it, watching as Tig stiffly walked over where he looked up at her as she leaned back slightly, slowly spreading her legs in front of him. "You like what you see, Tigger?" She cooed, pressing the sole of her shoe to his stomach, slowly dragging it up his chest, around his neck, allowing the stiletto to come up under his neck as she grazed it horizontally.

Tig was completely captivated, all he could do was nod slowly and try to keep his saliva in his mouth. "Mmm, good." She hummed as she wrapped her foot around the back of his head, pulling him into her crotch slowly before swiftly swinging her foot back around and snapping her legs shut as people watched the exchange in bewilderment. "Help me down, would ya Sarge?" She held out her hand to him.

He obliged, stopping her as she made to grab her dress from Half-Sack - quickly ripping it out of his bony hands and holding it open for her to shrug back into. She raised a brow, mouth slightly ajar as she smirked at him, turning to walk away - buttoning her dress back up as she made her way back over to the pool table.

"Satisfied?" The eyes of the men were all on her exposed cleavage as they nodded. "Good. We should play again sometime." She smiled eagerly, leaving the stunned men as she walked over to the bar.

"Holy shit!" The croweater behind the bar squealed. "Girl, you even got my pussy wet with that show." Sydney didn't even know the poor girl's name, but she appreciated the compliment anyway. 

"Thanks, love." She chuckled. "Can you grab me a beer?" She nodded to the fridge full of Coronas.

"Two, on me." Tig stepped in beside her, grabbing the beers from the crow before she could protest. 

The brunette gave Sydney the look as Tig walked their drinks over to a secluded table near the entrance of the bar. She rolled her eyes with a playful smile before getting up to follow him when she stopped - realizing that her perfect performance wouldn't have been possible without her DJ.

"Hey." She nodded to the crow. "My friend over there - the prospect, he helped me tonight and he's never been... Properly taken care of before." She mused. "Do you think you could help him for me?"

"Sure thing!" She nodded eagerly.

Sydney flashed a toothy grin as the young brunette let her control her as if she was a Son. She watched her walk over to Half-Sack who looked uncomfortable at first - tossing him a wink across the room before he immediately let her lead him down the hall.

Making her way over to Tig, Sydney sat herself on the barstool at the tall table while he stood leaning against it. But the second that she was comfortably seated, her chair was being slammed against the wall.

"Didn't know you could dance like that, darlin'." He placed a hand on the wall behind her, leaning in to her lips as his free hand went right up her dress - wasting no time.

"There's a lot about me that you don't know, Tiggy." She teased, grunting as she felt him yank her panties to the side and shove two fingers directly into her tight slit with no warm up. She bit the inside of her lip as she was met with the same hunger in his eyes that she had seen that night in the bathroom - the frustration, the determination. She was terrified, but in the best way possible. "You're not playing fair." She choked out as her body slid forward. She wanted to milk this - swallowing her moan as she tried her hardest not to give him the satisfaction that he craved.

Tig pushed further into her, grabbing her hip with his free hand and using it to press her against the wall. She bit her tongue now as the deeper penetration sent a wave of shocking pleasure through her body - the feeling of his hands on her so boldly being enough to have her breaking as she leaned into his lips.

"No, I'm not." He growled, his hand pushing her away when she leaned in to kiss him. "Nah." He pinned her against the wall. "You're gonna sit here, and look pretty while we have a little chat." He moved his hand to her thigh, holding it in place to keep her from squirming while he pumped his fingers into her. "Got it?" She nodded, her eyes beginning to water from the restraint that she was putting on herself. "Use your words, Princess" He whispered without a trace of softness in his voice. 

"Yes."

"Yes what?" He demanded.

Her lips curled up slightly in defiance before a strong flush washed over her face, her hand flying to grip his bicep when his thumb clamped down on her clit. "Yes, Sergeant." She bit her lip, trying to maintain eye contact to the best of her abilities - occasionally losing control when her eyes would involuntarily roll back, or squeeze shut. But a switch flipped in her once the pet name escaped her lips, all the events of the night connecting in her brain - this was about possession.

The epiphany allowed her to regain some control of her body this time, not just her mind. "You love this shit, don't you?" She sneered, leaning as close to his face as she could get as his body stiffened. Her hands moved to grip his shoulders, looking deep into his eyes with a fiery stare that almost scared him. "I see right through you." She taunted as she began rolling her hips to meet the thrusts of his digits. "You wish that you could be angry and hide away what you think is yours. But you're just as sick as I am. You love that everyone got to look at me like that, got to see your marks on me." She moaned for dramatic effect as she rode his fingers, feeling him twitch at the sound. "Knowing that you're the only one who gets to fuck me." Her breathy words were hot on his skin. 

Tig growled terrifyingly low as his blue eyes darkened significantly before he took control of her body yet again, curling his fingers against that sweet little spot that drove her crazy - quickly making her realize that he had only let her have temporary control. "Yeah, I do." He confirmed easily. "But you ain't so innocent either, dollface. You've been thinkin' about this for weeks - runnin' around here like a damn tease, and toying with me like a little brat when I know how much you love sitting here with my hands on you." He taunted her this time.

"You love that I'm your naughty little girl, Sergeant." She teased cockily.

He cocked his head to the side, massaging her g-spot even faster. "You remember when I told you that good girls get taken care of?"

"Y-yes Sergea-nt." She struggled with the words, finally managing to breathe them out.

"Well, bad girls get punished." He growled, ripping his fingers out of her and snapping her legs shut before stomping away. Before, her win had benefitted him - but he wouldn't be losing tonight. 

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

Sydney sat frozen in place at the table where Tig had left her, still struggling to catch her breath. "You okay there darlin'?" She snapped her head up to see Jax staring at her heaving chest and red cheeks with a scowl.

"Yeah!" She was relieved to have a distraction. "Just hot in here, ya know..." She gave a weak attempt at throwing him off as she fanned her face, focusing all of her energy on trying to calm herself down.

"Yeah... Sure is." He shot her a discerning look which mirrored that of his mother's. "That was quite the show you put on back there." He smirked.

"Sure was." She chuckled. "I hear that this dart game you guys play around here is no joke... Just tryin' to live up to the expectations."

"I think you've done a little more than that..." He raised a brow.

"Yeah." She smiled, looking down at the table. "I guess I have." Her cheeks flushed again as she chuckled, looking back up where she froze once again under Tig's icy blue gaze from where he stood at the bar. "I'm gonna go get some air." She looked back to the much warmer set of blue eyes in front of her. "See you around, VP." She excused herself from the table, squeezing the blonde man's bicep - giving Tig something to look at if he insisted on watching her.

She exited the clubhouse, thankful to feel some of the tension sliding off of her body as the cool air instantly soothed her burning face; seeing that the large crowd in the parking lot had mostly cleared out, with the exception of a few stragglers smoking at the picnic tables - including Clay and Gemma.

"Hey, Gem." She greeted as she approached The King and Queen at the picnic table that they shared. "Can I get a smoke?" 

"Sure thing, sweetheart." Gemma raised her brow as she caught the distress plastered across the face of the young girl as she bent down for a light. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Sydney nodded quickly, straightening up. "Just hot, that's all." She exhaled a cloud of smoke - knowing that a simple 'yes' or 'no' would not please The Matriarch.

"Yeah... I'm sure you are." She arched her brow higher, making Sydney wonder how the older woman managed to still look so youthful - because clearly botox wasn't the answer.

"I woulda thought that you'd be cold after your little dance number." Clay teased.

"Yeah... One would think." Sydney rolled her eyes, turning and walking away quickly as she tried to hide her embarrassment while the couple giggled behind her. She rounded the side of the clubhouse where there was thankfully nobody lingering - needing a few minutes alone to collect herself and catch her still racing breath.

Tig made his way out of the bar when Sydney didn't return in what he considered to be a timely fashion, looking around the dark and dingy compound for the glimpse of light hair.

"Hey, Tiggy!" Clay called from the picnic table, directing him towards the side of the clubhouse where Sydney had gone.

"Think it's gonna work?" Gemma questioned wearily as they watched the Sergeant stalk around the building.

"Baby, with those two? I can't predict a goddamn thing." Clay chuckled, throwing his arm around her shoulders and kissing her temple.

Sydney stood against the cold brick wall with her head tilted back and her eyes closed, trying to control her breathing when suddenly the familiar scent of whiskey, tobacco, and cologne flooded her airway. She inhaled with a smile, not opening her eyes as the sound of his breathing got closer and closer until eventually she could feel it on her neck - the adrenaline hammering through her veins as she waited for his touch. Her eyes flew open and a whimper escaped her lips when she finally got it as he brushed his fingers against her thigh, the cold rings sending a shock up her spine.

"You're becoming easier and easier to surprise, Princess." He smirked.

"Just letting you get ahead, Sergeant." She grinned.

"I don't think you're in a position to be actin' tough." He scoffed as he looked between them.

She looked down, suddenly becoming painfully aware of the predicament that he had her in with his hand on her thigh as his other arm sat propped against the wall beside her - giving her no clear way out.

Tig moved his arm from the wall, brushing the back of his hand against her chest and over her tattoo before twisting his fingers to tangle in the blonde locks at the back of her neck - pulling down to expose her throat to him. His lips ghosted over her skin as his tongue trailed over her pulse and up her neck before nibbling on her earlobe, all while gently rubbing her over her panties. His skillful digits danced their way up to the waistband, running along the edge of the lace - sending pulsations through her body which had her arousal almost reaching its boiling point. He slowly slid his hand into the dainty barrier, lazily swirling her clit with his fingertips - the long awaited movements earning another shaky gasp from her pouty lips.

"Knew I'd get you moaning for me again, pussycat." He chortled with a cocky grin.

Sydney normally would've been harder on herself for letting it slip not once, but twice. But she couldn't handle the pressure anymore - everything that Gemma and Clay had said to her had blended far too harmoniously with the burning desire that nothing could seem to extinguish. Her hand flew to the back of his head, gripping his dark curls and pulling him to her lips where she kissed him aggressively, their teeth clashing in the heat of the moment. Her free hand got to work on his belt buckle while his hand continued to marinate in the heat between her legs, but suddenly he removed it, grabbing her wrist and pinning it against the wall behind her - stopping her efforts. She pulled away to look up at him questioningly when he put a stop to the exhibitionism - something that she thought he would've been excited about.

"You done playing games?" He danced around the real question with a husk in his voice and a sternness on his face.

She peered up into his crystal clear eyes through her dark eyelashes as she became sheepish, unable to make herself face the foreign reality. After a few moments of stony silence, she felt her other hand being ripped from the softness of his hair before joining its counterpart in his tight grip against the rough bricks behind her. Once she was secured in place, he used his free hand to yank her hair back, forcing her to look into his eyes.

All of her efforts went down the drain in an instant as his brute force turned her on so intensely that she couldn't even remember what the right answer was. "Fuck me, Tiggy." She begged, panting as waves of heat rushed over her body.

"So I can fuck this pussy like it's mine, huh?" He scoffed, looking her up and down. "Nah, I don't think I will." Venom laced his tone as he continued to rake over her form animalistically. "I think I'll leave you here, dripping for me - so that every time you move? You won't forget who you belong to." 

Sydney's face fell. It made sense now; the teasing, the dare - it was all to make sure that she knew who was really in charge. She didn't let up on her stare, if anything it only hardened as he challenged her further, biting her lip as he let go of her wrists and pushed off of the wall, waltzing back inside. If she wasn't done playing games, then neither was he.

She let out a heavy sigh once he rounded the building, not realizing what a restraint she'd put on her breathing while he'd been towering over her. She groaned, clenching her fists until her nails dug into her skin - wishing that she hadn't wasted that cigarette from Gemma. Admitting defeat would be a first for Sydney, and although she knew it was worth it - she wasn't taking kindly to being checkmated.

♕

Tig stood on the outskirts of the dance floor, chatting up two blondes when Sydney finally walked back into the crowded room. Even with two ready and willing whores standing before him - she was the only woman that he was looking for. He felt a hand press against his chest, blinking a few times as Cheryl attempted to regain his attention.

"I knew you would come back to me, Tiggy... You always do." She purred.

He grabbed her hand, removing it from his chest and squeezing it reassuringly. "Yeah, doll." He smiled politely at the relentlessly persistent woman, his eyes shifting back to the only blonde that he cared to go back to...

Cheryl's face fell as she turned to follow Tig's gaze, looking for whatever had caught his eye when she felt herself being violently pulled back by her hair - her frail body almost snapping in half. She gasped as her friend caught her before she could hit the ground, helping her steady herself on the cheap platforms that she wore.

"Go get me a beer." She heard the harsh command from the new girl, Sydney Harding - the stupid little slut who thought that she could come in and turn all of the men away from her, especially her favorite.

Tig's entire body ignited into a roaring fire as he watched the older woman's expression deepen as her skin seemed to melt even further into the hollows of her face, her chest heaving as she went to strike back. He had intended on getting Sydney a little riled up, but a catfight was far more than he could've hoped for.

"No!" Cheryl heard before she could lunge - determined to wipe the cocky smirk off of the face of the bitch who dared to order her around.

Emily Duncan pushed Cheryl back, giving her a look that told her that she was playing with a fire far too hot to handle. "Sorry, Sydney." She nodded to the girl whom she'd learned her place from in Happy's dorm the night before.

"Who the hell does she think she is! She's just like the rest of us! She doesn't tell us what to do-" Cheryl began sneering her deluded account of the facts to Emily who just shook her head and led them towards the bar.

Sydney crossed her arms and smirked, dramatically turning her head towards Tig where she raised a brow knowingly. "Damn, babe..." His hands quickly found her waist, pulling her body flush against his. "Just when I was about to give up..." He chuckled against her ear.

Sydney let her fingers curl into the dark hair at the nape of his neck, holding him in place while he nuzzled her soft skin and inhaled the sweet scent that made his face tingle.

Cheryl stomped back over, holding out the Corona that she hadn't bothered to pop the cap off of while looking out the door - refusing to watch as the younger woman dangled her prize in front of her.

Sydney swiped the bottle, bringing it to her mouth where she clamped down on the crimped metal with her teeth - popping the cap off and spitting it onto the ground with a clang, getting both Cheryl and Tig's attention as they made inadvertent eye contact before she quickly stomped away.

An evil smirk was plastered on Sydney's face as Cheryl stormed out of the clubhouse, scanning the crowd as Tig glowered down at her. "Sack!" She called the prospect over. "Take this." She handed off the unwanted beverage, smirking under Tig's discerning expression.

"You just wanted me all to yourself, didn't ya?" He grinned down at her.

"Exactly." She nodded curtly. "I wanted to make it up to you..." She lowered her voice, tilting her lips towards his as they swayed in time with the music. "Please." She begged as her soft voice turned to a pout. "Let me make it up to you..." She placed a hand on his chest while she spoke innocently at his lips. "I just wanna be a good girl for you, Sergeant." His eyes slipped closed as her plump lips trailed pleasure across his skin - placing butterfly kisses on his neck the way that she knew he wouldn't be able to resist. "Will you let me be your good girl?" She whispered breathily.

God dammit she was good. He nudged her forehead with his, regaining eye contact. "You wanna be my good girl? Show me." He demanded with a smirk.

"You piece of shit." She bit her lip with a smile as she shook her head in mock-anger. She couldn't help but admire his dedication to her game - the game that, for the first time in her life, she was about to forfeit.

"I told you that I wouldn't go easy on you." He growled the bitter reminder into her ear.

Sydney took one last look around the room, her eyes landing on Cheryl who was glaring at them from the doorway - giving her the final push that she needed as she looked back up into Tig's eyes, her own fluttering nervously as she gave him a soft nod. 

"You win."

With that, she curled her hand around the back of his neck and yanked him down to meet her lips, furiously picking up right where they'd left off with no regard for the crowded room as wolf whistles and cheers arose from the hoards of people who had been anxiously awaiting their union over the past few weeks.

"God dammit." Jax groaned.

"What? Had something with her?" Opie scowled down at his best friend as they watched the scene unfold.

"Nah..." Jax trailed off with a sigh as Juice approached.

"Come on, pay up." The younger man grinned at his blue-eyed brother. Sydney had told him that she would slice his tattoos open if he told anyone about their candid conversation - but she hadn't said anything about abusing the knowledge that he'd gained from it. Her admission had made him two hundred dollars richer as he made the rounds to collect his winnings from the bets that he and his brothers had placed on how long it would take for the stubborn pair to finally bow under the pressure.

Tig matched Sydney's aggression, pushing her over to the pool table where he could hold her in place, gripping her hips as he ground his pelvis against her. "Take me." She whimpered into his mouth.

"Here?" The surprise was evident in his voice, but not in his movements as he continued to assault her lips with teasing bites and nips.

"I don't care." She shook her head.

He pulled away, looking over his shoulder where he met the scowl of Happy Lowman - his dark eyes burning into them. He let go of her waist, grabbing her hand and leading her to his room instead - choosing the lesser of two evils in the Tacoma Killer's book.

Sydney grinned wildly as he dragged her down the hallway, stopping in front of his door where he dug into his pockets, frantically searching for his keys. She slipped out of his grip, rounding his tall stature where she placed herself between him and the door - beginning to unbutton her dress with a wicked smile.

Tig temporarily lost focus on the task at hand when she began unrobing, shaking his head and returning to the crowded keyring - jamming the correct one into the lock and shoving the door open where he tossed them onto the floor and flipped on the light. Just as quickly as he'd disappeared from her, he returned - cupping her face in his hands as he brought his lips back down to hers bruisingly, pressing her up against the door which effectively slammed it shut before he finally ripped her dress open. 

Sydney couldn't help but smile when he did exactly what she had predicted, but the feeling of her taunting smile against his lips sent him even further over the edge. "You gonna be my girl?" He broke away to see her looking up at him in his powerful stance through her eyelashes, still unable to make herself say the words that she had never uttered before.

He scoffed, looking away from her with a humourless chuckle before swiftly crashing his lips back down on hers, pushing his tongue into her mouth and winding his fingers into her waved locks before he pulled back abruptly and yanked her down to the ground. "On your knees, dollface." He ordered as he unbucked his belt. If she wasn't going to say it, she was going to show it.

Once again, his roughness had Sydney happy to oblige - her thighs instinctively pressing together at the sound of his belt opening for her. She tugged his pants down, taking his boxers with them as his erection sprang free.

Tig looked down at her where she sat with her big green eyes peering up at him submissively in what had become his favourite look on her; hungry, innocent, and at his feet. There was something so rewarding about being able to dominate such a powerful woman - knowing that she had a soft spot just for him made every cell in his body tingle with excitement.

He stroked her cheek with his thumb as she took him into her hand, tracing his length with her tongue a few times - using the ring to make him shiver as she swirled the tip before finally taking him into her mouth. "Mm... That's it baby, take it all." He groaned as her tongue massaged the underside of his cock as she swallowed him further and further into the back of her throat.  He cupped her cheeks as he began fucking her face gently, smirking as he increased the force of his thrusts a few times before reverting back to the manageable pace that he had started at.

Sydney let her jaw go slack, letting him hit the back of her throat before she tightened her lips at the hilt - making him groan in a pleasured surprise as his hand fisted into her hair.

Tig blinked as he tried to regain control of his dick as it pulsated deep in her throat, looking down to see that the tiniest dimples had formed in her cheeks as she smiled around his length. He shook his head as his lip turned up in frustration, launching him over the imaginary line that he'd been teetering on. He pushed her off of him, bringing her to her feet with his hands firm around her biceps before pulling her dress off all of the way and spinning her around where he bent her over the bed.

"Stop playing with me." He snarled through gritted teeth, holding her arms behind her back.

Sydney bit her lip as she smiled into the mattress. She felt the grip loosen on her arms, but she knew better than to move them from the position he'd placed them as his strong hands roamed over her ass cheeks, squeezing the plush skin before she heard the tearing of fabric. She grimaced as he tore the expensive lace from her body - but she knew she'd deserved it.

Tig could tell by the heat between her legs that the slight dabble in fear play had only served to turn her on, unlike the sweet gestures that he was used to performing for other women - if he wanted to win her over, he had to play by her rules.

"Let's get a few things straight, dollface." He explained as he discarded the tattered lace. "This sweet ass?" His hand came down harshly on her skin, making her gasp in surprise. "Is mine." He told her as he caressed the skin that had broken out in pins and needles. "This pretty little pussy..." He mused, appreciation heavy in his voice as he smoothed a hand up her back while the other trailed her thigh, swiftly wrapping his fingers around her neck where he pulled her flush against his chest while he pushed inside of her harshly. "Is mine." A hiccuped scream left her throat, the vibrations rippling against his palm as he held her head back, sadistically staring into her eyes where he searched for any sign of surrender which she still wasn't giving up.

He threw her back down into the mattress, pinning her down by her shoulders as he began jackhammering her, hitting those sweet spots with every thrust. "Tell me, beautiful." He coaxed, knowing that he wouldn't get a response - her mouth didn't tell him what he needed to know, but her body did as she clenched tighter and tighter around him with each word that left his mouth. "You can lie to me all you want, but your pussy can't." He continued pounding into her, marinating in her moans as he pulled her further and further undone when at the very last moment, he stopped.

Sydney cried out in frustration when the intensely overwhelming pleasure came to a screeching halt, the slow purr of his encouraging voice flooding her ears. "Admit it, baby." Fuck he was good. She began laughing humourlessly, which eventually morphed into a sadistic giggle which earned her a slap to the thigh as punishment - eliciting another moan.

Her twisted laugh was like heroin to him - so bad, but so good. His adrenaline only grew as she deliberately pushed his buttons - challenging him to see how far he would go. He grabbed her hips, yanking her to meet his thrusts as they got rougher - pushing into her hard, fast, and deep, turning her moans to screams as he leaned down. "Admit it." He growled against her neck as he began circling her clit with his fingers, gripping her throat again where he cut off her airway completely - determined to break her. "You wanted degrading." He reminded her, the arousing memory only making her smile before a punishing thrust and a rush of oxygen from his relenting grip brought her back to reality. "Admit it." He repeated.

"Fuck!" From his breath on her neck, the ferocity in his words, the look in his eye, and his cock deep inside of her - she broke. "Yes, I'm yours." She squealed, whimpering between staggered breaths as he finally released her throat.

Sydney's orgasm began to take shape once again, uninterrupted this time as he slammed into her repeatedly with a satisfaction that she could feel in his thrusts. "Tiggy..." She begged as she tried to hold on.

"I'm right here with you, doll." He nodded. "Let go." She exploded instantly at the sound of his soothing command, coming so hard that she felt like her body was floating even beneath his weight.

Tig met his release at the same time as she gripped down on him like a vise - shaking as they both struggled to come down from how high they had lifted one another. He scooped her up from the bed, walking them into the bathroom where he set her down on the counter to get cleaned up. He looked down into her eyes for a few seconds before kissing her softly and wrapping his arms around her, an embrace that she happily returned before he pulled his lips away and rested his forehead against hers. "Be mine, baby." He asked gently. Playtime was over, he needed to be sure that this was what she wanted if he planned on doing things right.

"If you wanted me to be yours, Sergeant, all you had to do was ask." She smiled devilishly, biting his earlobe playfully. He chuckled at her pointed mimicking, but she knew that he needed more... "Tig, I've been yours since the day I got here." She admitted quietly.

He brought a hand up to her face, running a ridged thumb across her cheek. "I know I'm not easy to be with... But-"

"If I was easy to be with, I would've been with someone by now." She didn't let him finish his sentence.

"Yeah, I guess so." He chuckled with a smile. He was used to being the fucked up one, and the feelings that he had for her had made it easy to forget that her demons weren't all that different to his...

♕

Gemma giggled as she carried Clay down the hallway as he teetered on his feet after hours together at the picnic table, and countless beers. She wasn't sure if the party had done much to repair Opie's loyalty - especially since Donna hadn't even bothered to attend - but she was glad to see that it seemed to have repaired Clay's attitude.

"Okay, baby..." She sighed as she eased the heavy man down to the bed of one of the dorm rooms, laughing as she unwrapped his strong arm from around her shoulders where she'd been holding him up. "I'll be right back." She pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"You better." He smirked, pulling her down to his lips before she made her way out of the room to be sure that everything had been taken care of for the night. Once she was satisfied that all of the cooking appliances had been shut down, and the remaining men standing didn't need her for anything, she made her way back down the hall to see that Jax's door was slightly ajar.

She scowled, leaning her ear towards the slab of oak where she heard no sounds indicating that she should give him his privacy - pushing the door open all of the way where she found that the room was empty, and the bed that she'd made earlier in the day was still intact.

"Lookin' for Jax?" She turned around to see Half-Sack standing in the doorway, holding a mop. 

"Yeah, you know where he is?"

"I think I saw him head up to the roof..." He scowled as well as he realized how odd it sounded. "Um, I uh... I'm sorry about earlier..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You don't actually give me that... You know, a... A MILF chubby..."

Gemma raised her brow at the babbling kid, keeping the smirk from her face as he stumbled horribly over his words.

"Oh! No, no." He shook his head once he saw the look on her face. "I mean like, not cause you're not hot or anything, just cause, you know... You're Clay's wife, and all..."

Gemma bit the inside of her lip as she shook her head. "Goodnight, Eddie." She nodded to the young man as she brushed past him, pulling the door closed behind her. 

♕

Most of us were not violent by nature. We all had our problems with authority, but none of us were sociopaths. We came to realize that when you move your life off of the social grid, you give up the safety that society provides. On the fringe? Blood and bullets are the rule of the law. And if you're a man with convictions, violence is inevitable.

Jax nodded slowly as he read the script scrawled across the pages of the parchment that his father had left for him to find, feeling the peaceful confusion swirling deep in his gut as he pondered the words. He snapped out of his haze when he heard grunting and groaning coming from behind him, quickly shoving the manuscript into the inside of his flannel and focusing his eyes on the smoke of his cigarette as it drifting into the night sky.

"Jesus." Gemma rolled her eyes when she finally made it safely to the top of the ladder - now understanding why it had taken Sydney so long as she looked down at her strappy black heels as they carried her over to her son. 

"What're you doin' up here?" She asked curiously as she took a seat next to him and sparked up a cigarette of her own.

"Ah." He swatted the air, draping his arm around her shoulders. "Didn't wanna listen to Syd and Tig." He chuckled.

"That finally happen?" She raised a brow.

"I fuckin' hope so." Jax scoffed with a shake of his head, blinking a few times as a pit began to form in his stomach - throwing his cigarette down to the ground and clasping his hands together as he propped his elbows up onto his knees. "When, uh..." He began wearily, unsure if he was making the right move, but he had to know more... "When you and dad hooked up, did he ever talk to you about his vision? About what he wanted from the club?"

Gemma felt her heart sink, forcing a scowl onto her face. "His vision was..." She shook her head as she ashed her cigarette. "You know, what it is." She shrugged. "A brotherhood - a family."

Jax nodded as he bit the inside of his lip. "And running guns? He want that?" 

"He never talked about that." Gemma got to her feet before her worry could betray her. "Why?"

Jax could tell that he had set foot on a broken path - something he should've known by the way that his father had known to hide the manuscript in an old Harley manual; somewhere that she would never look - but he needed to know where it led...

"I found a box of his old shit in the storage unit while I was looking for stuff for the baby." He shrugged. "There was like, pictures and journals - things that I never knew about him." He broached the subject more gently. His father had always been a sore subject with his mother, but this was the first time that he had started to wonder why. 

"What kind of things?" Gemma paced back and forth as she took a mental inventory of everything that had been in that storage unit.

"It seemed like his original idea for the MC was something simpler. You know? Social rebellion. He called it a 'Harley commune' - it wasn't outlaw. Some real hippie shit." He forced a smile.

"We had a lot of bright ideas back then. We were kids." She chortled as she ground her teeth. "Your father became a man, men take care of business." She nodded. "Speaking of babies and business... How's Wendy?" She was grateful to have found the perfect distraction.

"Don't know." Jax scoffed, sitting back up. "She won't talk to me."

"I'll go by and check on her this week - make sure she's getting to her appointments."

"That'd be good." Jax nodded.

"Anything for my grandson." She smiled, leaning down to kiss his cheek.

♕

Tig laid in his bed with Sydney on top of him, her back against his chest as she held one of his hands in both of her smaller ones, running her long nails across the lines on his palm and playing with his rings - paying special attention to her favorite one; the silver cross that he wore on his middle finger while he lazily twirled strands of her messy hair around his fingers.

"Am I your first?" He asked quietly, still unable to believe it.

"The relationship thing was never really my bent." She replied cockily, turning around to meet his eyes with a grin where they shared a laugh before she laid back down. "You're my first." She confirmed shyly.

"I told you I would be there for the rest of your firsts." He chuckled.

Sydney giggled and squeezed his hand, falling into a comfortable stillness as they both waited for the other to fall asleep.

"So you really made out with a woman?" Tig broke the silence with the question that he'd been dying to know the answer to.

Sydney let out a cackle - the amusement in his voice making it painfully obvious that it hadn't left his mind since she'd mentioned it. "Gettin' greedy." She turned around to see that signature glint in his eye.

"How about this - you tell me how it went down, and I'll stop askin' questions." He proposed with a suggestive look and that shit-eating Trager grin.

She chuckled slowly, crawling on top of him. "Deal." She lowered her lips to his.

♕

"Where've you been." Clay grinned when Gemma finally reappeared in the empty room that had started to spin in her absence. 

"Sayin' goodnight to Jax." She began shedding her clothing. 

"Of course you were." He scoffed, patting the bed beside him.

Gemma sighed as she made her way over to the only living person that she could share her worry with, placing her hands on his stubbled face as he leant into her touch. "What's the matter?" He scowled. He knew that look all too well. 

"Jax is going through some shit..." She shook her head.

Clay sighed, pulling away from her as he laid back down - fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Yeah, I know..."

"No." Gemma shook her head. "He found a box of John's old stuff in storage... He was asking me about his original vision for the club, did he want to get into running guns..."

"You're paranoid." Clay shook his head. And he sure hoped that he was right... "Probably just shit he's thinkin' about now that he has a son on the way - knows he's gonna have the gavel soon." 

"He's gettin' chewed up by all of the guilt." Gemma shook her head. "Remorse is a dangerous thing." She narrowed her eyes as she took his face back into her hands. "Look what Tommy's death did to John? It changed him - made him soft." She winced. "You've gotta nail Jax down, Clay. You have to nail him down hard. Whatever it takes. I don't want the ghost of John Teller poisoning him - ruining everything that we've built-"

"Hey. Nothing's gonna get ruined, okay?" Clay put up a hand to silence her, narrowing his own eyes now. "Don't throw your panic into high gear."

"They respect him. Jax is strong. And when you step down as President-"

"Hey, hey." He stopped her once again. "I'm not goin' anywhere, for a long time."

"I-I know..." Gemma realized that she would have to switch tactics if she wanted him to see through his own ego. "I know, baby..." She grabbed his hand. "It's just... When you can't ride anymore, they'll vote my son in as President, and I just want to make sure that he's following in the right father's footsteps, okay?" She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Okay?" Another, lower this time as her voice fell to a whisper, and her lips trailed down his chest.

Clay sighed as she continued the preaching that he only wished was falling on deaf ears - but he could hear her, loud and clear. 

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

Wendy stomped frantically through the house as a cigarette hung out of her mouth, telling herself over and over that it wasn't worth it; that it could kill her baby - just as she had every other time before the unfightable cravings had swept her back into the depths. She shook her head as she tried desperately to disconnect her sober mind from her withdrawing body as it carried her down the hallway and into the kitchen - tripping over the extra long pants of Jax's that she'd been wearing. She caught herself on the wall before she could fall, but the frustration was enough to kick her into gear - a recurring situation that she still had half of a brain enough to wonder if she had subconsciously been doing on purpose. 

But she didn't care as she yanked the utensil drawer open, violently flicking through the stacks of silverware before she pulled the entire drawer out and shook the contents onto the floor. Not a spoon in sight. 

She looked around the kitchen, her breathing picking up before her pin-holed eyes landed on the refrigerator. "Yes." She breathed out as she practically ran across the room and yanked the freezer open, swiping the open gallon of cookies and cream ice cream that had a shining, silver spoon sticking right out of it. She took one last drag of her cigarette as she briefly contemplated what she was about to do, shaking the guilt away as she tossed the roach into the container of confection, and scraped the spoon clean with her teeth.

♕

"Alright, I'm gonna go check on Wendy." Gemma sighed.

"Oh?" Sydney scowled. She had been shocked to have found out that Jax had once been married, let alone that he had a baby on the way with his soon-to-be ex-wife. What she hadn't been shocked by, however, was to learn what type of woman he had married. Wendy was a typical croweater; she hung off of any man who would let her, and partied far too hard for her age, which had ultimately been the demise of their short union - something that Gemma had openly expressed her gratitude for.

"Jax says he hasn't seen a doctor bill in weeks, won't answer his calls... I wanna make sure she's keeping up with her appointments." She explained as she gathered her things off of her desk. 

"I thought you said that Wendy was crazy about him?" Sydney's scowl deepened.

"She is... That's why I'm worried." Gemma mused as she headed for the door.

"I still don't know how she managed to get the coveted 'Gemma stamp of approval'." Sydney smirked knowingly. 

"Well, apparently it's real easy when Gemma wants grandkids mothered by somebody other than that bitch - even junkies." She snorted, a trace of regret stinging in the back of her throat. She had been more than happy to see that Wendy - a hate driven mistake - was finally backing off of her son, until she realized that the only reason she was backing off was cause for great concern. 

"Good luck." Sydney called after her, returning to the order sheet that she had been filling out before she snuck a glance out the window at Tig as he stood with a hand on his hip while he examined an engine with a sexy squint of pure concentration. She felt her stomach - and heart - flutter, sucking her lip in between her teeth. It had barely been two days since they had made their relationship official, and they hadn't exactly considered coming out and announcing it, but most of the guys had come to the conclusion after the scene that they had caused before they went back to Tig's dorm and spent the night thoroughly christening the room of their new relationship. Sydney was sure to tell Gemma though - she wasn't stupid enough to keep such news from The Matriarch.

♕

Jax scowled from where he stood hunched over an oil pan as a frantic honking filled his ears, looking over his shoulder to see Gemma tearing through the lot, wailing on the horn. 

"Shit." He abandoned his wrench, making a beeline towards his mother's speeding car. 

"I- I tried to call you." She shook her head as she practically leapt from the car.

"What is it?" He shook his head as he scanned over her to make sure that she was okay.

"It's Wendy..."

♕

Clay stalked through the hospital between his raging stepson, and frantic wife as they made their way to the emergency room. "I found these next to a bunch of her empty thumb bags..." Gemma explained as she handed him a white book of matches.

"Hairy Dog..." He sighed as he examined the packet. He knew exactly what this meant. 

Jax paid no mind to the detective work of his parents as he kept his gaze fixed on the bed where he could see Wendy being tended to - but his attention was quickly stolen from her when the dark-haired woman adjusting her IV turned to face him. He felt his heart stop, and he could sense that Gemma's did too - shaking his head as he continued his strides of determination.

Gemma felt her jaw clench when she saw her. Of course this would happen. She was finally getting rid of the second one, just to have the first one come running back... 

Tara rushed out of the room and slid the glass door shut once she saw them - the encounter that she had been anticipating since the second that she'd seen Wendy being rolled in. She was grateful to see that Jax wasn't alone - and neither was Gemma as Clay, Bobby, and Chibs lingered behind; making it much easier for her to treat this as any other case.

"What the hell happened?" Jax asked immediately.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Tara crossed her arms.

"Couple of weeks." He shook his head.

"Her hands and feet were full of tracks... The toxicology reports aren't back yet, but it's most likely crank." She tried to keep the hint of smugness out of her voice as she eyed Gemma.

Jax looked back at where she laid, nearly lifeless across the bed, when he noticed that something was off. "The baby." He realized, whipping his head back as he became filled with more dread that he ever thought possible.

"We had to do an emergency c-section." Tara's voice lowered as she strained it to hide the emotion. "He's ten weeks premature."

"Holy shit..." His painful blue eyes widened in a way that shattered her heart far more intensely than she could've prepared for.

"He's got a congenital heart defect, and gastroschisis - a tear in his abdomen." She explained regrettably. "The gastro and the early birth are from the drugs, but the CHD is probably-"

"The family flaw..." Gemma's lips trembled. This was her fault. And now she was going to pay for it, again.

"Yes, it's genetic." Tara nodded, avoiding the eyes of the older woman before she could manage to make her feel bad for her - because she would. "Either one would be serious, but not life-threatening - however, the two of them together..." She shook her head. "Dr. Namid gives him a twenty-percent chance, and I'm afraid that's being optimistic." Her voice finally cracked. "I'm sorry Jax."

"Oh my god..." Gemma shook her head, uttering the words that nobody else could form as they took in the devastating news.

"I didn't know..." Jax whispered shakily. But he should've. 

"Her O.B. said that she missed her last three appointments - no one knew." Tara tried to assure him before quickly returning to the group as a whole. "Dr. Namid wants to fix his belly first. Then, if he stabilizes, he'll go in and try to repair the heart..." She watched as they tried to digest the wealth of awful news. "I can take you to see him." She offered. 

Jax peered over to his mother where she gave him a side-eye, sighing as he followed her down the hallway. "Tara." He called after her. "Look, you don't have to do this." he shook his head. "I'm sure you've got other patients-"

"I asked Dr. Namid if I could assist." She cut him off with a gentle nod. "I want to help your son."

Jax forced a smile. His son. Not their son. "His name is Abel." 

"It's a good name." She nodded awkwardly, clearly picking up on exactly what he was thinking before he turned away from her. "Jax..." She called after him.

"Jackson..." Gemma sighed as she watched her son walk out on his sick child, just as his father had.

"Go with Tara." Jax shook his head. "I got somethin' to do."

♕

Sydney anxiously tapped her foot against the floor where she and Tig sat on the couch in the office, waiting for some kind of update.

"Hey..." Tig squeezed her knee as he felt her grip getting tighter around his hand. "It's gonna be okay..."

"Gemma is going to be a mess." She shook her head as her heart broke for The Matriarch. "Because of some stupid fucking junkie whore." She spit out bitterly. 

"Don't hold back." Tig smirked. "Tell me how you really feel." He jostled her leg, quickly getting to his feet once Clay stalked into the office. "What's going on, man?"

"Kid's going into surgery... Found out that one of Darby's guys sold Wendy the crank." He sighed.

"Jesus Christ..." Tig shook his head. "Nazi shithead didn't take our messages too seriously after all..."

"Or maybe he's answering them..." Sydney suggested worriedly.

"Church as soon as the other's get back, let everyone know." Clay told Sydney as he shook his head, turning his attention back towards his Sergeant. "Call Trammel - see what he's got on Darby and the Nords."

"On it." The pair nodded in unison as they pulled out their burners and got to work.

♕

Jax stalked into the The Hairy Dog without a drop of fear as red clouded every pixel of his sight. He made his way across the Nord-filled room with Chibs and Bobby in tow, walking up to the first guy that he could find - a bald man wearing a white wife-beater as he shot pool with another bald man. He grabbed a pool cue from against the wall as he walked up on the unsuspecting man, winding up and whacking him square in the jaw with the wooden stick while Chibs and Bobby held off anybody that tried to stop him.

"Sell crank to my pregnant ex-wife?" Jax sneered as he slammed his fist into the bloodied man's face, over and over again before he took the pool cue and jammed it into his crotch.

"Easy, boys..." Bobby warned as more Nords began to close in while their brother howled in pain.

Jax didn't stop after that, stomping his boot into the man's teeth before Chibs eventually pulled him off. "I think you made your point." He tried to calm him down before things could get too ugly - pushing the man who was now spitting down onto his victim, out the door.

"Stupid peckerwood shithead!" Jax yelled, allowing himself to be dragged outside. 

"Enjoy your lunch..." Bobby told the rest of the men as he kept his gun pointed in their direction while he backed out behind his VP. "Shish-ka-balls are on me." He smirked.

♕

An hour later, Sydney was seated at a full table - Piney and Opie included. Both men had been hesitant over the phone, but ultimately had decided that anything involving Abel was serious enough to make the trip. She knew that something was up with them, but she figured that it had to just be Opie's continuous family problems, and Piney struggling to choose between his son, and the legacy that he helped build.

"So, uh... What's the Nords roster looking like these days?" Clay began with a heavy sigh.

"Fourteen, fifteen guys - few new kids breaking in." Juice shrugged.

"Still got meth labs outta Lodi - selling mostly to truckers, some Mexi-gangs." Tig added. "Trammel's got a couple of sites on lookout and one of 'em looks like a lab for sure' barn on some secluded land on the outskirts of Pope, dirt road access. They've been out there a few times, but don't got shit for a warrant."

On any other day, Sydney wouldn't have been able to take her eyes off of Tig in the tight black shirt that he wore under his kutte - but for the sake of the bleak atmosphere, she kept her ogling to herself.

"Call that Nazi Prick and set a meet." Clay ordered Juice. "How's his guy doin'?

"Cheek bone fractured, broken nose, left nut swingin' solo." Bobby laughed while Half-Sack shifted uncomfortably in his seat along the back wall.

"Yes, it was beautiful! That's my boy!" Chibs hollered as he slammed his fist against the table.

"Shot or stabbed?" Sydney asked, taking a drag off of her cigarette while her eyes glimmered at the thought.

"Pool cue..." Jax told her while everyone laughed around him, but he didn't join them. "He's lucky he's still breathing." He huffed.

"I, uh..." Piney began. "I wanna say to Jackson, on a club level - the Sons of Anarchy Redwood Original is here for you." The older man nodded to his son's best friend - and his best friend's son. "Your father would be proud of the man that you've become, you know? Every time I see you sittin' at this table, I do a double take."

Sydney tried not to be insensitive as she listened to the sentiments around the table, but she could tell by the looks on Tig's and Clay's faces that they too were fighting the urge to gag.

"Any luck up north?" Clay nodded to Happy, eager for a subject change as the worries that Gemma had put in his head began to get louder. "Meetin' with Cameron on Friday to see what we can do about getting some more AKs in directly with the oil drums, but with those heroin shipments comin' in more regularly? Laroy ain't gonna wait on us much longer..."

"Tacoma can help with the Glocks, but there's no M4s anywhere, man." Happy reported regrettably.

"We'll have the intel from Darby by tomorrow." Jax nodded. "We will get the rest of our guns back." The determination in his voice was almost enough to cover how naive he sounded.

"You really think that Darby is just gonna hand us back our hardware as a gesture of good faith after we killed his right hand, and speared his left?" Sydney spat out, not able to contain herself. She knew that he was just angry over the baby - and she genuinely felt bad for him. But she also knew the dangers of allowing emotions to come with him through that door if they weren't in the best interest of the club.

Jax whipped his head towards her, but before he could say anything, the smack of the gavel ended both the session, and the tension in the room.

♕

Clay sat in the office with Gemma, leaning against her desk as they stared out the window at Jax who furiously tightened a bolt for the fifth time. He shook his head as he turned his attention to his wife, his face falling as he watched her lips tremble.

"Ah..." He smiled sympathetically, rounding the desk where he took her hand. "All this stuff with Abel's pushin' some old buttons, huh?" 

"It's not my buttons that I'm worried about..." She stared out the door pointedly.

Clay nodded, knowing that this would only send her into overdrive - and he couldn't have that. He brought her knuckles to his lips, brushing his thumb over the wedding band on her dainty finger before he made his way over to Jax.

"Not goin' to the hospital?" He questioned as he entered the cold, dingy room that had been enveloped by the night.

Jax ignored his step-father, continuing to tighten the bolt that threatened to break. 

"Hey." Clay's hand came down on his sore shoulder, pulling him up gently. "Don't worry about this Nord shit - you need to focus on your family."

"Come on, man..." Jax shook his head. "Don't push me off this."

"Look." Clay stopped him. "I know you're all spun out over Wendy and the kid - understandable. It's awful shit." He nodded, looking back to Gemma. "But your father and I - we worked hard to create this business." He nodded as sincerely as a lying man could. "We served time. We lost brothers. We spilled a lot of blood. And you're gonna need this now, more than ever." He narrowed his eyes. "A sick kid is an expensive burden." Your father would know that. "You wanna do the right thing by your family, don't you?" He gripped the back of his neck. 

Jax nodded slowly at first, but his willingness to hear out the man before him dwindled with each stomach-knotting word that left his lips in a tone that was just a tad too convenient for him to take seriously. 

"Yeah... Of course." He nodded.

"Well then go and see your son."

♕

Wendy awoke to a tingling beneath her skin - a feeling that she was far too familiar with. It was time to start the day with the same routine - piss, cramps, denial, persuasion, and failure. But something unfamiliar coaxed her out of her sleep that was usually much heavier, and it was the sound of a steady beeping beside her. Her eyes flew open, Jax's face being the first thing that she saw as it all came back to her - realizing that it wasn't just a bad trip, after all.

"I-I didn't think you'd wanna see me." She whispered, looking up at where he stared down at her blankly. "Everyone must hate me." She shook her head, instantly beginning to sob. "I'm sorry, Jax... I'm so sorry." She covered her puffy face with her shaky hand that was ironically full of needles. "Please don't hate me..."

"You need to get help, Wendy." He nodded firmly. He was serious this time. Not like all of the other times when he hadn't cared what she was doing, or who she was doing it with - because it wasn't just about them anymore.

"I know, I know." She nodded rapidly. "I will, I promise. This time? I promise." But she had promised all of the other times too, and it wouldn't be the first time that her baby wasn't enough to save her... "The doctor." She sniffled. "The doctor said that the first surgery went well. They fixed his belly, if he keeps getting stronger then they said maybe they would fix his heart tomorrow, maybe tomorrow morning." She nodded hopefully. 

"They'll do everything that they can." Jax nodded while she cried.

"My lawyer said that they might file criminal charges... Fetal abuse." She shook her head. "I got some stuff back at the house... In the stash drawer."

"Jesus Christ." Jax shook his head.

"Just-" She tried to stop him before he could get angry. "If they find that shit, they're gonna put me away. You own the house, Jax. I'd hate to see this blow back on you..." 

"Yeah, of course." He scoffed, shoving the door open and storming out of the room.

♕

Gemma frantically moved around Jax's living room, doing her best to tidy the remnants of hurricane Wendy. She puffed on what had to be her twentieth cigarette as she anxiously waited for news on her grandson, not bothering to look up when she heard the door opening.

"It's almost midnight." Jax shook his head as he walked in to see his mother, running herself dry for him - just as she always had.

"This place is a goddamn pigsty." She winced as she searched through her bucket of cleaning supplies for a rag.

"Cleaning was never her strong suit." Jax mused as he sat himself down on the edge of the couch.

"What are you doing here?" She raised a brow.

"It's my house." He rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean." She shook her head. "I don't want you to see it this way..."

"Mom, you don't have to do this."

"I just wanna get it liveable; buy you some decent carpet - there's cigarette burns everywhere."

"Mom..." He tried to stop her as she began scrubbing harshly at the alcohol-stained coffee table.

"Get you out of that dorm room and back home with your son."

"Mom, for Christ's sake!" He sprung to his feet, sharing a sorrowful look with his teary-eyed mother as she finally straightened up. "He's not gonna make it." 

"W- what are you- What are you talking about? What happened?"

"He was born with half a fucking stomach and a hole in his goddamn heart! He's gonna die."

Gemma used all of her might as she swung her palm against her son's cheek - her only son's cheek. "Don't you say that! You are the only one that boy's got. You don't believe he's gonna live? You might as well go down there and kill him yourself. You sound just like your father." She sneered, stalking into the kitchen where she lit another cigarette.

Jax sighed, his eyes falling closed as he realized how ignorant he had been in thinking that he was the only one effected by this. "I'm sorry..." He slowly made his way over to where she stood at the table with her hand on her forehead. 

"You gotta go and see him, Jax." She told him. She was not going to let him follow in his father's footsteps - repeat the same mistakes that drove him to the grave.

"I can't." He shook his head. 

"Why? Because he'll break your heart? It's called being a parent."

"For how long? A day? A week?"

"You look me right in the eye Jackson, and you tell me that I wasn't a mother because that little boy died." 

Jax exhaled sharply. "Mom, you know that's not what I mean..."

"Don't matter. That's what it means to be a parent." She nodded as her voice began to shake. "I may be your mom, but I was his mother too. And I always will be, whether he's here or not." 

Jax nodded, sitting himself down at the table as he reached for his own cigarette.

"You know?" Gemma took a seat as well. "You were born with that exact same heart defect." She reached over with a small smile as she patted his chest. "Seem pretty sturdy to me." He smiled softly. "I came through hell... Landed on my feet. Your father was hit by a goddamn semi - dragged a hundred and seventy-eight yards, and that bastard still lived for two more days." She mused. "Tellers do not die easy."

"No. We just die bloody." He chuckled.

Gemma smiled as she shook her head. "That's the Irish in us." 

Jax nodded as the air went silent once again. "You should get home, mom. Finish cleanin' tomorrow. I'll lock up."

"Okay, darling." She nodded softly, placing a kiss against his stubbled lips. "Night, baby."

"Night, mom." He smiled, watching as she pulled her Caddy out of the driveway before he made his way down the hall and into the bedroom, yanking open the drawer that he flipped open once more to reveal the secret compartment that held a revolver, and the drugs that Wendy had told him about. He sighed, shaking his head in disgust as he stalked into the bathroom and dropped them into the toilet, flushing them away before they could taint any more of his life.

♕

"It's gonna be fine, Gem." Sydney grabbed Gemma's trembling hand as she drove them down Main Street to St. Thomas hospital where Abel had been placed into an incubator after his successful stomach surgery the day prior, but the likelihood of the baby surviving was still up in the air as the agonizing hours of anticipation had turned to days. "From what I've seen, Tellers don't go down easy."

Gemma chuckled, squeezing Sydney's hand - grateful for the young woman who somehow seemed to know exactly what to say.

Sydney smiled, but she knew that this had to be hard on her - the fresh reminder of the death of her youngest son - of her first husband. She'd heard through the grapevine that Thomas' death was what drove John Teller over the edge fifteen years ago, and based on Gemma's brief stories about the clearly troubled man, it seemed like maybe it wasn't as black and white as a simple run-in with a semi-truck, which surely didn't resonate well with Jax over the years - whether he knew it or not. She could tell that it was killing him too; whatever shit he was harbouring with Clay, and now this - but she now worried that the tumultuous headspace would only cause him to be even more reckless in a time where they needed most to be smart and calculated.

The two made it to the hospital quickly, making their way to the neonatal unit where they were greeted by Tara. "Abel's stomach surgery went well." The brunette began from across the room as she watched Gemma practically leap from her chair, trying to be as professional as possible as she looked over the tramp that she'd brought with her who had to be either a croweater, an old lady in training, or worse - Jax's new girlfriend.

Sydney gave the doctor an obvious once over. Tara was a beautiful woman, but in a very different way than typical women in the club like her and Gemma were considered to be - she didn't look confident, or sexy, but rather soft, and natural.

"Hi, I'm Sydney." She stuck her hand out, meeting Tara's with a firm grip. 

Gemma had told Sydney all about Tara; Jax's first love - the reckless bitch who had left him heartbroken and fled for Chicago when they were still teenagers. She was able to sympathize with Gemma's motherly instincts, but she had a feeling that she may have been acting a bit unfavorably, so she decided that she was going to judge Tara on her own - not on the stories that she'd heard from the overprotective Matriarch. She liked, and respected Gemma, but she didn't let respect and fondness blind her to the facts - especially when the facts were that Tara was a good doctor that was helping to save her grandson's life.

Tara cowered a bit under Sydney's striking green gaze and firm handshake, falling back on her professional duties as a safety net. "His system is strained from the recovery, and Dr. Namid doesn't want to wait - he thinks that we should do the heart surgery now."

"Well that's good, right? That they don't wanna wait?" 

"It's the best choice, yes." Tara nodded. 

Gemma nodded, not wanting to give the younger woman the satisfaction that she knew she had put herself into a position to get from her. "Thanks." She nodded curtly, turning back towards her seat. 

"Can we talk?" Tara stopped her. "About Wendy..."

"What about her?" Gemma scoffed.

"She's still detoxing - won't stop crying..."

"And?" Gemma raised a brow.

"I was hoping maybe you could talk to her - just let her know that she's not alone."

Sydney snorted, earning an approving half-smirk from Gemma. "Trust me, nothing that I say to that crank whore is going to make her feel loved." 

"You're right. I forgot just how forthright you can be." Tara snarked.

"Seem to have forgotten a lot of things, sweetheart." 

"If you have a problem with me assisting on Abel's case, just say so." Tara stepped up to the older woman for the first time in ten years.

"You a good doctor?"

"Yes."

"Then I don't have a problem." She nodded.

"Good." Tara nodded back. "You know, people change. I'm not that same girl that I was when I was nineteen."

"I am." Gemma smirked.

Tara fought the urge to roll her eyes, turning to walk away when she felt a tugging at the shirt of her scrubs, whirling around where she smacked Gemma's hand away from the tramp stamp that she wished she could forget about...

Sydney's eyes widened as they landed on the giant crow that Tara had tattooed for Jax - the same crow that Gemma had tattooed on her chest for John. 

"I guess there are some things that you can't change..." Gemma bit her lip.

"I leave it there, so I remember that all that shit's behind me." Tara sneered as convincingly as she could.

"I forgot just how clever you could be." Gemma mock-pouted before turning around and stomping off towards Abel's room, leaving Sydney standing alone with Tara.

"Well that was awkward." Sydney smiled with a tut of her tongue. 

"Well if she's not going to talk to Wendy, I'm sure you could." Tara scoffed.

"Why would I wanna do that?" Sydney scowled.

"Strike some fear into the competition." She shrugged.

"Oh." Sydney laughed as she realized who Tara thought she was. "Nah, don't worry. I'm not coming for your man." She winked.

"Gemma's told you about us then, huh?" She shifted uncomfortably as the memories that she had been keeping contained since she'd returned to her hometown began to seep through the flood gates. "More than you just saw, at least." She chuckled humourlessly as she felt tears pricking at her eyes.

"Bits and pieces." Sydney shrugged. "I'm helping out the club."

"I-I didn't know that women were allowed." Tara stammered. That was the last thing that she had expected from the little blonde's presence.

"They aren't." Sydney smirked before she heard Gemma's heels nearing. "See you around, Doc." She waved goodbye to the meek woman, starting down the hallway to meet up with The Matriarch.

"Are you going to help her feel less alone?" Sydney mock-pouted as she rounded the corner.

"Let's just say that she won't be fighting for custody by the time that I do..." Gemma smirked.

♕

"Come on, doll." Sydney looked up from her computer screen in the office to see Tig motioning out the door.

"I get to come?" She was a little surprised. She knew that the whole crew was going to the meet with Darby in support of Jax, but just like she hadn't been invited to the hospital the day prior, she hadn't completely expected to be part of the entourage.

"After what you did to him last time? We'd be stupid not to bring ya." He smirked.

"Well." She cocked an eyebrow. "Let me get changed and grab my shiv, and I'll be right there." She mused with a chuckle as she followed him out the door.

Sydney grabbed the black leather duffel bag that held multiple changes of clothing, from the trunk of her car - she always knew to keep some practical items close in case of a spontaneous job.

"You can go change in my room... Leave some stuff there if you want." Tig said quietly against her neck as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

Sydney blushed, biting her lip as she felt bubbles rise in her stomach. "You sure you want that?" She tilted her head all the way back, her forehead almost touching his chest as she smiled coyly.

"Yeah." He chuckled, kissing her on the forehead and closing the trunk for her. "Now hurry up." He slapped her ass with a grin.

Sydney giggled as she ran off to his dorm where she changed out of her denim mini skirt and into a pair of black jeans - throwing a leather jacket over her white tube top before racing back out of the clubhouse where he was waiting for her by the door. She slowed down, smiling when she saw him before she regained her composure and skipped out past him.

"You forgettin' somethin', pussycat?" He grabbed her hand, stopping her cheerful stride with a smugly raised brow.

"What?" She looked confused.

He tugged on her hand, bringing her crashing into his arms where he kissed her sweetly. She smiled against his mouth - a gesture he mimicked - as she steadied herself against his chest while her body buzzed with a euphoria that was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

Half-Sack awkwardly stood in front of the entangled pair, attempting to make his move for a clear path out the door, but hesitating each time. Eventually he saw his window, making a break for it as he sped past the two in the middle of their embrace where they snickered before following him out.

Tig guided Sydney towards his bike with his hand on the small of her back, smiling as she climbed on eagerly - looking forward to the ride because it meant that she got to shamelessly inhale his scent.

"Damn, babe." He stopped, lowering his sunglasses so that he could properly eye the leather-clad hottie sitting atop his Dyna. "Gonna have to get your own bike..."

"You gonna buy me one, Sergeant?" She mused with a tilt of her head as she leaned back.

"Might have to." He bit his lip and nodded slowly, looking her up and down.

Juice fake gagged, but stopped immediately as Sydney and Tig both whipped their heads around and shot him the exact same threatening look. "Jesus." He muttered.

The crew took off minutes later towards Darby's meeting spot: the diner in Pope where Clay had met with him just days earlier. Upon arrival, Sydney unclipped her helmet and shook out her hair while everybody backed their bikes into formation outside of the establishment before beginning to file in, earning some dirty looks from the quiet suburban customers.

Darby was seated on the outside of a booth with one of his guys on the inside - their backs to SAMCRO while another guy stood beside the table, facing the entrance. Sydney snickered at the way that they all looked just the same as Darby - same beady eyes, and same bald head. She walked ahead of Clay, wanting to be the first one to greet him.

The man standing guard at the table took a step forward to stop her, standing down when Clay put his hand up. She stopped just behind Darby, removing her sunglasses and running a hand over his shoulder. "Nice to see ya again, Ernie." She cooed.

Darby flinched when he looked up to see her face. "What the hell is she doing he-"

"Ah-ah" She pressed her sunglasses to his lips, stopping him mid-protest. "Remember what I told you about talking to a lady." She ran the frame of her shades along the gash on his chest. "Mmm good, she's healing up nicely."

Clay chuckled, sliding into the empty bench in Darby's booth - Jax settling next to him. Sydney slid into the booth behind Darby, Tig sitting next to her while Chibs, Juice, Opie, and Happy sat in an adjacent booth, and Bobby sat behind Jax and Clay while Half-Sack stood by the door, and Piney watched the bikes outside.

Tig gripped Sydney's thigh firmly while she rested her palm on his shoulder and twirled her fingers gently around the curls at the nape of his neck - soaking up the excitement that she felt as their hands stayed on one-another, no matter what the situation was.

"A little get well present for your guy." Clay said as he slid a wooden box across the table.

Darby opened the 'gift' wearily, revealing a white .357 Magnum revolver. "That's some serious iron." He nodded. "Izzy'll like that, thank you." He smiled sarcastically, knowing that this gesture was one of anything but good faith.

"Figured we'd give him something that had some balls." Jax sneered.

Sydney chuckled before Clay interjected, trying to keep the peace. "Look, I know what it's like running a crew... Sometimes, you do shit without thinking things through." He nodded understandingly, but much like everything Clay said - there was an underlying passiveness.

"Me and my guys are thinking just fine." 

"You thinkin' fine when you sold crank in Charming, to my pregnant ex?" Jax spat. 

Darby inhaled sharply before cocking his head. "That was unfortunate, how is your little family doing anyways?" He shot back, barely giving himself enough time to jump out of the way as Jax leapt across the table at him.

Sydney immediately grabbed Darby's guy into a chokehold, keeping him from Jax before Tig could move from his seat while the man who was standing by Bobby's table put his hand on his gun.

"Alright, alright! Everybody contain your shit." Clay ordered as drinks began flying, and people began panicking - nodding to Sydney who released her grip on the Nord.

Jax hesitated before begrudgingly sitting back down while the Nord turned around to see who had grabbed him - scowling in confusion when he realized that the tight grip on his neck had been from the little blonde, and not from the man sitting next to her. She tipped her chin and winked at him before he spun back around, making her and Tig chuckle to each other as they returned to their original position.

"Sorry folks, go back to your corn dogs. Won't happen again." Clay called out to the startled customers with a raised hand before putting his head back down. "We know about your hook-up with the Mayans - I'm guessing you and Ope weren't the only ones who got cozy in Chino." He raised his brows.

"I'm just trying to learn how to get along with my brothers of colour - opening my mind to bigger possibilities." He smiled sarcastically. 

"Yeah, well... Don't think too big - a small mind suits you." Clay winked, leaning in closer. "You know the drill. You can cook all the crank that you want along the border, but you do not deal in Charming." He sneered.

"We ain't the only cook shop in town." Darby shrugged. "If the devil wants in, he'll get in."

"Well then I guess you got your work cut out for you." Clay nodded. "Because the next time the devil crosses the border? I'm coming after you. And next time? I'm not gonna be using a .357 as a 'get well' present."

"Hey, where's Whistler? I don't see him around much anymore." Tig piped up.

Darby shot him a look. "No need to be making threats." He remembered just how sensitive of a position he was in. "Me and my boys have always managed to make things work with SAMCRO."

"Good." Clay stood to leave.

Tig got up and offered Sydney his hand, pulling her across the slippery plastic seat of the booth. As she passed Darby, she caressed his right cheek - her fingertips rounding the back of his head to his left cheek where she slapped it lightly with a laugh before she walked away.

Tig wrapped his arm around her shoulders, yanking her into him. "You have me so hard right now." He whispered into her ear through gritted teeth.

Sydney glanced down towards his crotch - the prominent bulge beneath the dark denim telling her that he was telling every ounce of the truth. "Looks like you're gonna have to learn some self control, Sergeant." She grazed it with the back of her hand before breaking free of his grip with a grin.

"So, where are our guns at, VP?" Sydney called over to Jax as everyone mounted their bikes, raising her brow as he stayed silent - giving her nothing but a cold stare before hastily taking off.

Clay chuckled, taking off after his stepson. Tig turned around, giving Sydney a discerning look of his own, which she met with a devilish smirk - squeezing him tight as he took off after his superiors.

Sydney changed back into her day clothes when they arrived back at the clubhouse, carefully looking around Tig's room for the perfect spot to make her own. She finally decided on one of the smaller drawers in his dresser, opening them up one by one in hopes of finding an empty one - pulling on the very last one which was completely free of clothing, except for a single pink thong; the pink thong that she had given him in the bathroom after their first time. She chuckled to herself, placing her pants beside it before waltzing back to the office where she carried on with the day's work before her shift at the bar was to begin.

"Bother you?" She heard from across the room as she stared blankly out the window, watching the guys drive cars in and out of the garage.

"Huh?" She came back to earth, blinking a few times.

"Shit with Wendy..." Gemma nodded to the usually perky woman. "Remind you of your mom?"

"Oh..." She contemplated the answer that she hadn't even considered. "Not as much as you might think, I guess." She shrugged.

"Well what does that mean?"

"Doesn't make me miss her, if that's what you're asking." She was technically telling the truth. She wasn't uncomfortable, and she hadn't even thought to connect the two scenarios - but she supposed that the deep hate that she felt towards Wendy was stronger than it should've been.

♕

Tara clenched her jaw, gritting her teeth so hard behind her surgical mask that she worried they may crack as she willed herself not to panic. This was just another patient. She tried to tell herself as the tiny baby's blood pressure began to drop. 

"Get the paddles." Dr. Namid ordered as the machine began to beep more rapidly, and her heart dropped. Because this wasn't just another patient. This was the son of the man that she'd loved.

♕

It was a quiet evening around the bar while Sydney worked her shift as the day came to a close. Tig and Half-Sack were working late to get a bike finished for a Nomad passing through, and Juice was sitting at the bar on his laptop where he tried to gather as much intel as possible on the Mayan/Nord union.

Sydney looked up from behind the bar where she was playing Candy Crush on her phone, to see Jax passing by - giving her a dirty look. She scoffed, rolling her eyes at he petty man who was clearly still upset about her simple statement of fact earlier. 

Jax exhaled sharply as he heard the smug little bitch behind him, feeling himself being pushed over the edge for a second time today. "Do you need a reminder that you're talking to a Son?" He turned around, walking up on her.

"Yeah, I'm talking to a Son..." She scoffed again as she stood completely still. "A son of a bitch." She couldn't stop herself from letting a smirk loose as she heard Juice's laughing across the bar, which only served to piss Jax off even more. "Speaking of sons... Shouldn't you be with yours?" 

Jax clenched his fist, feeling each one of his knuckles crack. "You know what, Princess? If you know so fucking much, you find the goddamn guns." He thrusted his finger in her face.

Sydney's eyes followed his scolding digit before she swiftly grabbed his wrist, holding his hand in place as she traced her tongue along the length. "Alright, Jaxy." She released her grip. "I will."

Jax shook his head before storming out of the bar and peeling out of the parking lot. Sydney chuckled, shaking her head before she noticed Juice looking worriedly at her from across the room. "Oh calm down, Juicey." She rolled her eyes - heading down the hallway and into Tig's room where she pulled out her phone and dialled the number that she had quickly memorized, holding it to her ear while she waited for an answer. 

"Hey Gem, sorry to bother you..." She winced as she remembered that she was at the hospital. "Do you have any news?"

"Yeah." Gemma nodded with a smile as tears filled her eyes. "Surgery went well."

"That's great." Sydney smiled. And it was - the faster Abel recovered, the sooner Jax could get his head out of his ass.

"What's up, sweetheart?"

"Um, would it be okay if I had tomorrow off? Club business."

"Of course." Gemma nodded. "But, uh... Is everything okay? Clay didn't say anything." She scowled as she peered into the waiting room where Clay was sitting in front of the TV hanging from the ceiling. 

"Oh yeah, everything's fine - kind of a last minute gig. You know how they are." She mused.

"I sure do." Gemma snickered, ducking back into the private room. "I'll see you later."

"Thanks, see ya." Sydney smiled deviously as she walked back out to the bar to see that Juice was now joined by Tig and Half-Sack who had finally finished up.

"You can get goin', babe." Tig nodded out the door.

"You sure? I don't mind."

"I think I got it covered." Half-Sack glanced around the empty bar.

"Okay." Sydney snickered, grabbing her purse from behind the bar. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." She pulled out her pack of cigarettes, offering the carton to Tig, but pulling it away from his hands before he could grab one - slowly walking backwards so that he would get the hint to follow her outside.

When Tig got outside after handing the Nomad off to Half-Sack to deal with, he found Sydney straddling his bike backwards - leaning against the handlebars as she sat with her legs spread, blowing ribbons of smoke into the night sky.

"I'm definitely buyin' you a bike..." He groaned as he smoothed a hand through his curls before swinging a leg over the Harley, immediately pulling her into his lap and tossing her unfinished cigarette onto the ground. 

"Maybe that was my plan all along." She breathed into his mouth, those pouty lips ghosting over his as she curled her fingers into the front of his kutte.

He pushed her back, leaning down to meet her lips with force - grabbing a handlebar behind her to steady himself while his other hand trailed up her thigh. She clutched onto him tighter, grinding against him where she could feel herself getting wet as she moaned into his mouth while her tongue danced with his. Her lips moved from his mouth to his neck, sinking her teeth into her favorite vein while gripping his shoulders, feeling him shuddering under her touch. 

The whimpering that Tig allowed to escape from his lips had successfully distracted her and before she knew it - he'd managed to wrap the chain on his belt around her wrists, and secure them to the stem of the handlebars. 

Sydney flinched when the cold metal touched her skin, grinning wildly when she realized what he had done - tossing a glance over to Half-Sack and the Nomad across the lot.

Tig smirked, slowly snaking his hands up her thighs and under her skirt while she couldn't move, kissing her neck softly. She went to wrap her hand around his shoulders, but was quickly reminded that it wasn't an option as the chain rattled and she was jerked back. He snickered sadistically before watching as her expression change as her legs untangling from his, leaning back and sliding down the seat towards him.

"You like me like this don't you, Sergeant?" She cooed, biting her lip and narrowing her eyes as she stroked her foot up his leg.

His gaze immediately fell to her open legs where she completely exposed herself to him. "I love you like this, babygirl." He drawled as he gently slid her panties down her legs and tucked them into the pocket of his kutte.

"Gonna add those to your collection?" She teased.

His head shot up, meeting her eyes where she winked. Using this opportunity while he was distracted, she swung her leg up and wrapped it around his waist, pulling him into her. "Now, Sergeant... Are you just gonna sit there and look pretty? Or are you gonna fuck me before I start screaming for help because the big, scary biker chained me to his ride." She growled into his mouth.

Tig was beyond thrilled by her reaction to his risky public sex proposal, immediately undoing his belt buckle and hoisting her back up onto his lap, pushing into her wetness. "Always ready for me aren't you, babe?" He gazed up at her with a cocky smirk as he slid inside of her with ease.

Sydney's eyes rolled back as he lowered her down onto his cock - biting her lip with a squeak as he went balls deep. She rolled her hips as her breathing hitched, unable to leverage herself on anything as she sat impaled with her hands restrained, and her feet dangling off of the ground.

Tig took control of the predicament that he had her in as he placed his hands on her ass and began to bounce her on his cock at whatever speed he saw fit. "Let me hear you, baby." He coaxed her with a harsh squeeze to the plush skin before picking up the rhythm.

Sydney smirked, pressing her lips against his ear so that only he could hear her - her soft mewls turning to full blown moans as he took her further.

Tig pressed his forehead into her chest as he felt her tightening around him as she came, following soon after. He moved his arms up her waist, wrapping her up in them as they both panted heavily - moaning and groaning between staggered breaths. He eased her back down onto the seat once they had both calmed down, leaning over to undo her restraints where he pressed his lips to hers. "Mmm, I love fucking you." He mumbled against her lips with a lazy grin.

"I love you fucking me." She replied with a grin of her own as he straightened her skirt for her.

"You headin' home?"

"Was planning on it..." She drawled out while looking at him expectantly.

"Eat yet?"

"Nah, not all day actually." She replied, just now realizing that her empty stomach had been sustained by butterflies since she'd woken up this morning.

"Good." He nodded, passing her the spare helmet.

♕

"Hi..." Wendy looked up from the dinner that had been sitting on the tray in front of her, over her hospital bed for the last three hours.

"H-Hey." She stuttered when she saw Gemma - the last person that she wanted to see right now.

Gemma closed the door behind her, turning around with a smile. "Looks like the boy might actually see his first birthday." 

Wendy's eyes widened as they filled with tears - soaking her already tear-stained face. "H-He made it?" Gemma nodded. "Oh, Abel... Thank God." She sobbed into her shaky hands.

"Yes..." Gemma nodded as she entered the room. "Thank you, God." She made her way over to the bed where she spotted a Bible sitting on the table. "Maybe, we should say a little prayer..."

"Uh, okay." Wendy nodded. Gemma had always been very against religion, but she wasn't going to damped her spirits after what she had done to get them so down in the first place. "That'd be good." She nodded.

"Dear, God." Gemma began as she took Wendy's hands in hers and placed them on top of the Bible. "Thank you for saving this little boy from his murderous junkie mom, who cared more about a forty-dollar rush than she did her own flesh and blood-"

"Don't you dare." Wendy pulled her hands away.

"Don't I dare?" Gemma scoffed. "You pathetic whore." She yanked the holy book away. "Guess the DA was impressed with your Bible studies... Because I hear they're not gonna press charges."

Wendy should've been glad to hear that, but all that she felt was guilt. She didn't want to go to jail, but jail would hold her accountable, jail would keep her clean... "When I check out of here, I'm going to rehab. I promise."

"Oh yeah!" Gemma nodded studiously. "Let's just throw money at those twelve-step freaks." She rolled her eyes as she turned around. "How long's it gonna last this time? Six months? Three? A couple of weeks?"

"It's gonna be different this time." She shook her head. "This time I have my baby to live for." She barely uttered the lie that she had tried desperately to fall back on over the past few weeks, but it had never caught her.

"That's where you're wrong." Gemma turned back around to face her. "You have no baby. You lost that privilege." She slowly approached the bed before she lunged down, wrapping her hand around Wendy's throat and shoving her against the mattress. "You so much as cast a shadow on that kid?" She whispered shakily through her rage as Wendy struggled in her grip. "Try to turn some legal screw and get custody? I will finish this job." She nodded. "He will never call you 'mommy'." She threw the gargling woman out of her grasp, tossing the Bible back down onto her lap. "I suggest you turn to Jesus."

Wendy coughed violently until her gasps for air turned to sobs rippling through her chest, but suddenly she saw a beacon of light - something stuffed within the pages of the Bible; the exact same thing that had cast so much darkness on her life...

♕

Tig pulled his bike up outside of Pizza Paul's - the pizza parlour tucked away behind Main Street.  

"I thought that wining and dining came before putting out?" Sydney joked as she hooked her helmet over the bitch bar.

"Guess you'll just have to fuck me after then too." He grinned as he killed the engine and removed his own helmet, grabbing her hand and leading her inside.

"I think I can arrange something." She winked as they approached the hostess counter.

Tig made sure that he got them a table outside under the string lights so they could enjoy the warm summer air while they ate the pizza that he ordered with extra olives. Afterwards, he drove them around town - the sky was clear, and he knew how much she loved to look at the stars. He smiled the entire ride, feeling a surge of warmth every time that he felt her head tilting up towards the sky while she clutched onto him just a little tighter.

When they finally pulled back onto the compound, he took her helmet from her before leading her to her car by her hand. She stood on her tiptoes on they reached the Dogdge - thanks to her white converse - and wrapped both of her arms around his neck in a giant hug.

"Thank you for tonight, baby." She whispered into his neck.

"Anything for my girl." He kissed the top of her head.

Sydney felt her knees go weak. Who knew that Tig Trager was this capable of romance?

Her response to his words wasn't lost on him - he pulled away, ghosting his fingers across her collarbone. "Big, bad Tigger's romantic... That's new." He chuckled as he brushed her long hair over her shoulder, curling his fingers at the nape of her neck.

Sydney laughed before his lips caught hers in a deep kiss that left her breathless. He pulled away, but suddenly her need for oxygen was the least of her concerns as she quickly pulled him back, peppering his lips with kisses - finally breaking away when she reached the brink of passing out.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She blushed, smiling nervously at the ground as Tig helped her into her car before closing the door with a smile.

♕

 Tara stopped dead in her tracks where she'd been descending the dim hallway at the late hour when she saw Jax. 

"Is he..." He couldn't make himself say the words, but the smile that came to her face told him that he didn't have to. He grinned, rushing over where he wrapped her in his arms in an embrace that felt all too familiar.

Tara's rigid body instantly melted in his arms, just as it always had. She rested her head against his shoulder before she tried to pull away, but he didn't let go. She sighed, trying to tell herself that he was just emotionally distraught and in need of the comfort, and that it would be wrong of her to deny him that - but as she wove her fingers into the long hair that hung down his back, she knew that she was lying to herself.

Jax shivered as he felt her fingertips on the back of his neck, inhaling her fresh scent one last time as he made to pull away, but he couldn't make himself completely cut off the contact as his face dragged alongside hers - his lips inching closer and closer.

Tara whimpered as his moustache tickled her lips, shaking her head as she pulled away. "I'll take you to see him." She nodded, leading him down the hallway.

♕

Gemma came up behind her son as he peered down at his where he sat in the incubator where he would remain until he made a full recovery - something that she was now confident he would do. She placed her hand on his shoulder, nodding proudly as tears poured down his face. "He's perfect." She nodded as a group of nurses rushed down the hallway behind them, and into Wendy's room. 

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

"She said what ?" Clay screeched at Gemma.

"That's what she told me." Gemma shrugged.

"We don't got any business today, especially none that she should be handling on her own!" He shot Tig a look across the garage where he was working with Jax, Happy, and Half-Sack. 

"Don't look at me brother, she didn't tell me shit." The dark-haired man held his hands up, shifting Clay’s gaze to the others. 

"Shit..." Jax groaned. "I got pissed at her last night... Told her to find the guns herself." He shook his head as he realized that this had to have been his doing. 

Tig chuckled, but a louder chuckle drowned it out, turning to see Happy with a rarely seen smile on his face. "Get used to it. Cali Queen can be worse than Gem." He winked at the matriarch. 

Clay's brow creased at the mention of the familiar name. He’d heard a thing or two on the streets about The Cali Queen - a Southern California assassin - but he hadn't had the slightest clue that Sydney was the one behind the ominous moniker. And by the slightly confused look on Jax and Tig's faces, he could tell that they were all thinking the same thing as they began to piece together the meaning behind the crown tattooed on her otherwise blank canvas of a body.

Clay just hung his head as he went back inside the office. If she really was the Cali Queen, then he had truly struck gold. 

♕

"Billy's bringin' by a whole load of new boys today; Mexicans - says they're his new clients and we gotta make 'em real happy." Sydney sat at the Trucker’s Diner in Pope, dressed in a skin-tight, baby blue mini dress and a pair of cheap black stilettos with her hair and makeup done up to the nines - listening to the group of local prostitutes sharing their business prospects. 

"You guys ever make house calls?" Sydney squinted. "You know... Parties, hotels? I'm on my own now... Lookin' to make ends meet, you know." She asked with her head down, topping off the act with a charming southern accent to help tug on their heartstrings. 

"Oh yeah, sweetie.” An exotic looking woman nodded. “They're having one on Sunday - the Mexicans and the white boys." She smirked. "Pres says that they're celebrating a 'new opportunity for expansion' - wants everyone there." 

"You mind if I join?" Sydney glanced up through her eyelashes.

"Those boys will take all the pussy that they can get, they'd be happy to have a sweet little thing like you around." An older, red-headed woman laughed around her cigarette.

"Where's it at?"

"Some farmhouse not far from here - says it's real remote, but the pay is good." Sydney felt her stomach flip. "I'll give ya the address, sweet cheeks."

"I wonder what this opportunity is... Gotta be somethin' big if we're gonna get paid this type of cash." She mused. 

"Ay, chickita.” The latina nodded. “They doin' some new stuff with guns."

"Guns..." Sydney's eyes widened in horror. "Like... A 'bang bang' gun?"

"Oh honey bun, you really are an innocent little southern belle." Another older woman with horribly bleached hair chuckled as she pinched Sydney's bright-pink-painted cheek.

"Started with some real fancy ones a couple weeks back, and some pistols. But this is still good shit, I guess." The dark-haired woman shrugged. "That's what I hear from my papi, anyways." 

"Wow, it's a new world... To new opportunities!" Sydney raised her glass, clinking cups with the women who had just told her exactly where she could find their guns. 

♕

"Real glad your boy's gonna be alright." Clay nodded to Jax as they made their way across the lot for lunch.

"Yeah... Thanks." Jax smiled genuinely, feeling worlds lighter now that he knew his son was going to be okay. "Hey, I'm sorry about the last couple days... I should've thought that shit through with the Nords - made a shit call." He shook his head.

"You know what? Everything happens for a reason." Clay shrugged it off, hoping that he was right...

"You goin' to see Abel?" Gemma seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Yeah." Jax nodded with a grin that quickly infected her. "I'm takin' the bike though." He winked.

"You act like I'm not accustomed to helmet hair." She mused, poking him in the chest as she followed him to his Harley.

♕

"You'll have to excuse me, ladies..." Sydney stood from the booth full of women now that she'd gotten what she'd came for. "I'm meetin' a new client, and I would hate to give him the wrong impression..." She held up her phone with a meek smile.

"Oh we know, mama. You get going!" The dark-haired woman smiled as she swatted Sydney's butt. "Old white men ain't gonna like all that ass, take it from me." She winked as she wrapped her lips around the bright blue straw in her cherry cola.

Sydney chuckled. Old white men seemed to like it just fine.

"Anybody we might know, sugar?" The red-head tipped her chin up at her.

"Well unless you know anybody in a-" She squinted at her phone screen. "Old black Dodge Challenger."

"Pffft. Must be an out-of-townie." The other blonde woman at the table laughed. "Ain't nobody around here got money for a car like that, sweetheart. You be careful, now."

"I will." Sydney nodded. "I'll see you ladies on Sunday." She called over her shoulder as she made her way out of the small restaurant and to her car - which she had been sure to park around back, out of sight. She settled into the warm leather where she was finally able to pull out her real phone - seeing a montage of missed calls from nearly everybody that she knew in Charming. She snorted, shaking her head as she slid her thumb across the screen over Tig's name, beginning the call that he picked up after the first ring. 

"Babe? Where the hell are you at? Clay's pissed." He ducked out of the garage as he held his phone to his ear.

"Tell him to call church." She completely ignored his question, relieved to hear the relatively casual tone in his voice. Even though she knew that it was worth it, she wasn't trying to get herself into too much trouble. "What was that farmhouse you were saying Trammel checked out?" 

"Turner road? Looks like a cook lab." He squinted, rubbing the back of his neck while he racked his brain for any possible reasoning behind her inquisition - the options that he came up with not serving to ease his mind. "Why?" He urged. 

Sydney looked down at the napkin in her lap where the address was scribbled in red crayon.

620 Turner Road

Sunday 9PM. 

"I'll see you soon." She smiled as she ended the call and hit the gas - her tires screeching as she sped back to the clubhouse. 

♕

Tara looked up from where she had been waiting behind the desk at the entrance to the neonatal unit, slinging her bag over her shoulder as Gemma finally emerged from Abel's room and made her way towards the elevator. 

"Gemma." She cut her off.

Gemma looked the stupid girl up and down. "Abel seems better." She nodded. "Stronger."

"Yeah, he's a lucky kid... Both he and his mom escaped death on the same night..." She nodded slowly.

"Yeah..." Gemma contorted her face into a frown. "I heard about Wendy's second overdose this week. Very sad." She nodded thoughtfully. "Can't say I'm surprised." She shrugged, side-stepping the brunette. 

"Guess you wouldn't be." Tara scoffed.

"Somethin' on your mind?" Gemma turned back around.

"No." Tara shook her head studiously. "Somethin' weighing on yours?"

Gemma stared at her for a few seconds. "Junkie tell you somethin'?" She wasn't used to this boldness from Tara, surely she had to know something...

"No. She's still sedated." Tara walked up on the older woman who had clearly underestimated how much she'd grown over the last ten years. "But I talked to her after that baby was born and she was crushed. She hated herself, but she wanted to live." She nodded slowly. "Somebody else popped her with that needle - or at the very least, gave her the loaded gun." 

"And I guess you think, I'm that somebody?" Gemma raised a brow. "Guess I was the one shootin' it into her fingers and toes the whole goddamn time she was pregnant, too..."

"No." Tara wasn't going to let her turn this around on her the way that she had always been able to do. "That sin's on her... But if I were a cop? I'd call that motive."

"Well, thank God you're only a doctor." Gemma scoffed.

"Well we'll see what Wendy says when she comes out of detox... Or maybe... Maybe I'll bounce my theory off of Jax... See where he lands on it..." 

"That's how you're gonna win his heart back?" She laughed. "By accusing his mother of trying to murder his ex-wife? Come on... I thought you'd at least have learned a few new things in your time away..."

"I am not trying to win anybody back." Tara bit out. 

"No?" Gemma raised a brow. "Then why are you back here?"

"Because of my father." Tara growled. 

"Cleaning up a deadbeat's estate don't take months, darlin' - trust me, I know." She scoffed. She may have been intimidated by Tara's resurfacing, but she wasn't intimidated by her words. She knew that she held far more power over her son, just as she always had.

♕

Sydney finally returned to the clubhouse, waltzing into the bar where Gemma was waiting for her with a hand on her hip. "You got some explainin' to do." She pointed towards the chapel as she raked over her outfit - clearly just as displeased as everybody else was with her little stunt. 

"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes, heading towards the chapel where she swung the doors open to see a full table as every head in the room turned to look at her. 

"What the hell is this?" Clay's voice boomed, ignoring the widening eyes and dropping jaws around his table as she came into view in the skimpy outfit. "You’re runnin' off callin' your own shots, and now you're calling my church?" 

Sydney raised her eyebrows. "You're all here, aren't you?" She scoffed smugly as she walked over to her empty chair, each step echoing as she did so. 

"Nah." Clay stopped her. "You tell me what the hell you're playing at before you sit at my table." 

Sydney’s lips curled up before she shrugged her shoulders, changing course as she moved to sit on top of the table instead - crossing her legs with a smirk. 

Clay slammed his hands down as he pushed himself to his feet, his chair sliding back. He had no problem standing off with the little blonde if she dared to challenge him in front of his club - just like another little blonde seemed to enjoy doing... 

Each set of wide eyes now had a racing heart to match as everybody around the room sat completely still, terrified for her as they watched the scene unfold in slow motion. 

"Just taking orders from my VP." She sneered, shooting Jax an icy glare. "And my President." Her eyes shifted back to Clay as she cocked her head, throwing the napkin down onto the table. "This is where our AKs will be - Glocks and M4s are long gone." 

"This where Trammel was talking about?" Clay asked Tig as he studied the napkin, his Sergeant nodding slowly in awe. "How the hell did you get this?" 

"Simple - you don't send a man to do a woman's job." She smirked as the room full of clueless men looked at each other for clarification. "Women gossip." She explained. "Truck stop just before the Marina in Pope - couple of local prostitutes were happy to share their business tactics with the new whore in town... Tactics, contacts, information..." She mused slowly while examining her manicure, the dramatic display only adding insult to injury. "It seems that Darby and the Mayans are having a little get together to celebrate their new partnership, and our guns are the party favors."

Clay was absolutely blown away by not only her boldness, but also her impressive initiative and seeming success; but he wasn't going to let up easily for making him look weak - Jax had done enough of that. 

"And what happens when the Nords and Mayans hear about how you were up there askin' questions, huh?" Jax questioned a little too cockily for Sydney's liking. 

"A perky blonde with big tits looking to get in with a gang?" She scoffed. Chibs and Happy snickered at the deadpan in her voice - she didn't even need to finish, everybody knew that he was grasping at straws. 

Sydney cocked her eyebrows expectantly as she waited for more protest, satisfied that her explanation had appeased her President as she slid off of the table with a shrug and moved towards her chair. But the moment of pride was short-lived when Clay walked around the table and stopped just inches away from her face, staring down at her where she refused to break her expression. 

Tig stiffened in his seat - clenching his fists as he watched Clay reach out and put his hand on her shoulder. "You understand that if this is right, this is a huge deal." He nodded.

Sydney didn't do as little as blink while everybody around her shifted in their seats, not knowing how to handle however the unprecedented scene would unfold. "And if this is wrong..." He narrowed his eyes. "We are going to have some big problems." He sneered as his face scrunched into a menacing scowl - his grip getting significantly tighter. 

Tig pushed his chair back, and Happy shot up from his as they watched Clay's knuckles going white around her tanned skin, ready to defend her against the much larger man who dared to lay a hand on their Princess - no matter who he was.

Sydney was absolutely terrified as she felt her muscles tensing under his grip, but she refused to entertain it as she tilted her head to the side. "Promise?" She cooed sweetly, sending a silence sweeping over the room that could've had anybody able to hear a pin drop.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Piney whispered to Bobby. 

"The list is too long, my friend." He replied with a sigh. 

Clay's expression softened as he chuckled at her fearlessness, looking back at Jax who was really to blame - not her. "Out." He released her, sending her storming out of the room.

Sydney stomped through the bar with a huff. She had known that this meeting wasn't going to be easy, but she hadn’t at all expected the doubt that she'd received after she’d proven herself - having gone above and beyond every single patched member at that fucking table. Especially the patched member whose temper tantrum had sent her on her outing to begin with - which of course he'd received no scolding for.

"That wasn't cool, man." Half-Sack said quietly as he shook his head from his outcast seat at the back of the room while Tig sat with his eyes closed, still trying to calm himself down. 

Jax whipped his head around, glaring at the prospect who dared to open his mouth in the chapel - and for a critique, nonetheless. 

"She was just doing what we were all told - what none of us had the balls to do." Opie stated with a curt nod. "Took that load of bullshit that you just gave her much better than any of us would've." 

The truth to Opies rarely earned words had Clay quickly realizing that being a stupid leader looked much worse than being a weak one. "God dammit!" He rolled his eyes."Sack, get her back in here!" He bellowed, sending the prospect jumping to his feet and racing out the door.

Sydney heard a light jogging behind her as she approached her car, turning around to find Half-Sack. "Clay wants you back in there." He panted.

"Mmm.” She hummed, unamused as she forced herself to swallow her anger - not wanting to lash out at the gentle man who had easily been the least deserving. “Well, it seems that I've already made a reputation of ‘recklessly going off on my own’." She retorted with a sarcastic smile before turning back away.

"What happened wasn't right..." He tried to stop her once again. "I told them that." 

Sydney felt her stomach drop. "Kip…” She turned back around in horror. “They could kick you out for that!" She pushed him in the chest for being so stupid - for sticking his neck out to defend her when he was already in such a vulnerable position, himself. "They could exile you!" She exclaimed, pushing him again where he just looked to the ground awkwardly before she yanked him into a hug. "Don't ever do that again." She said firmly as she pulled away and whirled back around. 

"Sydn-" She put her hand in the air, cutting him off.

"Not now." She continued her stride - she wasn't about to let her emotions get the better of her on the premises. 

Clay raised his eyebrows when Half-Sack returned empty-handed. "She said that she has to 'maintain her reputation of recklessly going off on her own'." He quoted her exactly - hoping that it would save him from any kind of repercussions worse than the ones that he had already earned himself.

Tig put his face in his palms - pinching his nose and inhaling sharply while Clay and a couple of other guys laughed. 

"Of course she did..." Clay looked to Happy for guidance, but the bald man just shook his head. "Tigger, this is you." He nodded towards the door, figuring that the club's enforcer - and her old man - was the best shot at getting her back.

"This is why I beat hookers." Tig sighed as he pushed himself up from his chair - catching up to Sydney just as she was about to start her car. 

"Out." He ordered firmly as he opened her door and pointed back to the clubhouse. 

Sydney crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him intensely, refusing to crack under his command - no matter how badly she wanted to. 

Tig smirked as her dynamics poked through. One second she was a loose cannon, the next she was willingly submissive and getting off from it - the reaper and the old lady, all wrapped in one perfect package just for him...

"Fine." He shrugged.

Before Sydney knew it, she was being lifted out of her seat by her arms. "Tig!" She whined - her feet barely even hitting the ground before she was being thrown over his shoulder. 

"Keep screamin' my name, baby." He smacked her ass with a grin as he kicked her car door shut and carried her back to the chapel. 

Sydney refused to let him hear her laughing as she tried to contain herself. Luckily, her giggles were concealed by the light chuckling that arose when they entered the room where he stood at the table by her seat and placed his hand on his hip. 

"Okay, I'm here. You can put me down now." She rolled her eyes impatiently where he simply adjusted his grip in response. 

But before anyone could start talking, she managed to raise her leg up enough to kick a heel off over his shoulder - catching it with one hand and smacking him in the back of the leg with it. When his knees buckled, she took the opportunity to swing her legs down as hard as she could - gravity successfully pulling her to the ground. The men roared with laughter while she smiled with a smug flip of her hair - rubbing Tig's shoulder in consolation as he tried to hide his bashful smirk. 

"That was our bad, sweetheart. You did good - better than my surveillance team." Clay shot Juice a pointed glance. "You were just trying to do your part - what you're good at, for the good of this club."

"You bring me back here to tell me shit that I already know?" She crossed her arms in front of her as she raised a brow.

"Look, Sydney - I'm sorry. I’m just fucked up with this shit with Abel... You did what we told you to do and you did a damn good job." Jax interjected.

"Yeah. I already know that too." She snapped, moving her hands to her hips. "I also know that when you're a member, the club comes first. When you're at this table? Your emotions get tabled. If I can understand that, then I damn well expect the VP of the mother chapter to as well." Jax bit his tongue as he nodded - he knew that she was right, but getting called out by a woman in front of his club was not on his list of things that he wanted to accomplish for the day. 

Sydney's gaze shifted to Clay who sucked in a deep breath - knowing that the verbal gunfire was about to rain bullets through him. "And you, boss.” She sneered. “Did you not tell us to 'keep an ear out for word on the street about where the rest of our guns could be'?" She spat his own words back at him as he closed his eyes and inhaled sharply - it was his turn to bite his tongue now. 

"Tell me, boys. If it was Juice, or Chibs that went out to gather intel, would they have gotten the same slap on the wrist? Or is that my special treatment?" Her voice echoed through the room as they sat motionless, struggling to find the words but they couldn't - they knew they were being completely biased. 

"That's what I thought.” She scoffed. “I followed orders from my superiors. If that's not the way that shit works around here, then I'd suggest somebody let me know." 

Clay nodded slowly. "Won't happen again." 

"Good." Sydney cocked her head. "Now, do I have permission to go home?" 

Clay chuckled, nodding as the angry blonde slipped her shoe back on, flipped her hair, and waltzed out the door. "That gash makes us look like goddamn boy scouts." He groaned with a hand over his face once she was out of earshot.

"Did we really just let a little girl show us the fuck up like that?" Jax smirked bashfully.

"That's the shite you missed at her first church." Chibs laughed, hitting a speechless Tig in the shoulder. 

"May God be with you on the day that you make that woman angry." Bobby joked to Tig. 

"Juice." Clay nodded. "Call the gangster hotline, set a meet." He finally smacked the gavel. 

♕

After the nerve-stirring run-in with Tara, Gemma had done what every woman did to calm herself down - she'd gone shopping. After a trip to almost every store in town - and a trunk full of new items for herself, her son, and her grandson - she was feeling much less shaken by the ghost of her past. She made her way through the clubhouse with an armload of shopping bags in hand, kicking the door of the dorm Jax had spent the better part of a year in. 

"Jax?" She called when she got no answer, twisting the knob with the sleeve of her leather jacket and pushing the door open. "Jesus." She coughed when she entered the room. "Smells like old socks and pussy in here..." She mumbled as she made her way over to the bed, her heart stopping when she saw it, the worn cardboard box on the bed. 

John Misc.

She made her way over cautiously, pushing the dusty lid off of the old box. It was time to face a different ghost of her past...

Jax was feeling even lighter after having cleared the air with both Sydney and Clay - like the pit in his stomach was finally clearing as he made his way down the hall with a fresh beer in hand after a cleansing read of yet another chapter of his father's manuscript. But a slight scowl swept over his brow as he approached his dorm to see that his door was open, stepping inside the room to see his mother standing over the box of things that would've held exactly what he hadn't wanted her to find, had he not already been holding it. 

"Oh." She turned around with a smile, attempting to look as innocent as possible. "Hey, darlin'." She pressed a kiss to his oh so charming face. "They were havin' a sale on toiletries - picked you up some thangs." She smiled.

"Thanks, mom." Jax chuckled as he rolled onto the bed, overtop of the mounds of unnecessary items that she'd picked him up from the store.

"You okay, baby? You look exhausted." 

"Ah." He sighed with a nonchalant shake of his head where it laid against the blue-striped pillow. "Just a long few days..."

"Mmm." She nodded as he looked up at her expectantly. "Is that, uh... Is that your dad's stuff that you found in storage?" She nodded to the elephant in the room.

"Yeah." Jax saw the opportunity to get her off of his trail while he could, sitting up and reaching for the box where he emptied the contents for her to see. "Just some pictures... A few Harley manuals, bunch of Nam shit." He shrugged.

Gemma chuckled as she sat down on the edge of the bed, scanning over the potentially incriminating items for something to warrant the worry that had plagued her ever since he had mentioned it. "Oh, wow..." She scoffed as she picked up a black and white photo of her and her first husband. "'80s hair... How hot was I?" She joked.

"Smokin' hot." Jax chuckled.

"You uh, you said you read something?" 

Jax searched her face for any kind of telltale sign that she knew exactly what he'd read, coming up empty-handed. "A few journal entries." He shrugged. 'Nothing much."

Gemma bit her lip as she kept the disappointment from her face. "I'd love to read it." She nodded sincerely. "Your father... He was a real good writer - always had a knack for it. You know, I'm the one who bought him that old Selectric." She smiled.

"I didn't know that." Jax smiled. Maybe he was in the clear after all... "I'm gonna get back to the garage." He held up the black leather binder where he had hidden his father's pages after the close call the other night. "Custom job." He explained, leaving her to do all of the searching that she wanted, because she would never find it.

♕

When Sydney had finally arrived home, she'd stomped directly up to the shower where she spent the next half of an hour scrubbing off her makeup, and her frustration. Once her temper was no longer red, but her skin was - she decided to slip into her pyjamas and call it a night, heading downstairs where she poured herself a glass of wine, grabbed a book, and made her way out to the back patio. 

The warm rays of the early summer sun on her raw skin managed to wash away the remainder of her bad mood as she began to relax, subscribing to the gentle humming of the sprinkler as she read the twisted words of her favorite author, Stephen King, when her ears perked up at the familiar sound of a Harley pulling onto her street. Her senses started to tingle - knowing immediately that it was Tig from the deliciously breathy roar of his custom exhaust, but she made no effort to move. After the events of the day, she would let him come to her. And sure enough, after only a few minutes of making him search, he emerged from the open patio door.

“Hey, doll." He greeted her softly. 

"Come to haul me back?" She looked up at him expectantly as she closed her book and set it down onto her lap. "You could strap me over your bike this time." She mused as he sat down in the chair next to her. 

"Don't tempt me." He mock-scolded with a laugh. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes as they looked out over the glistening grass in her spacious backyard which faced the rolling California hills. "Pretty good view you have." He nodded thoughtfully. 

"It would be better if I could see the sunset." She chuckled before a few more minutes of peaceful silence. 

"You okay? After today?" He finally asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." She responded somewhat distantly, flicking her necklace between her fingers. 

Tig nodded as the gold pendant reflected the sun into his eyes, having enough understanding by now to know that vulnerability wasn't her strong suit. 

"But I find it hard to believe that the Sergeant-at-Arms is making house calls to damsels in distress." She mused with a knowing smile.

"Nah." He laughed. "I wanted to talk to you about somethin'..." He watched her straighten up. "The fair is comin' tomorrow... Every year Gemma gets us to shut down for the day and make an appearance - you know, look good for the town and shit." 

Sydney’s face lit up at his relieving proposal. "Yeah, I figured you'd be excited about it." He chuckled. "I'll pick you up at 2:30 P.M." He stood from his chair.

"You came all the way here to tell me that?" Her voice was full of a light sincerity that hit him directly in the heart. 

"Yeah... I did." He said through his smile. "Gotta get back and set this shit up with Laroy." He told her as he leaned down, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek before disappearing around the corner.

A wave of emotion hit Sydney as her chest bubbled. She almost tried to fight it off as she pondered the perplexing question of what the fuck this man was doing to her. She yearned for him every second of the day - even when she had him. Her craving was never satisfied, her body was physically aching for more. 

She shook her head before she sprang to her feet. "Tiggy, wait!" Her bare feet slapped against the stone walkway as she ran after him, catching up half-way down the side of her house. Tig turned around as she ran up, his heart skipping a beat as she jumped into his arms and pressed her lips to his. 

Sydney wrapped her arms around his neck as he spun her around, supporting her weight with his hands under her thighs as she kissed him passionately - letting the butterflies fly free from her stomach as she poured all of her emotion into the embrace. "Now I'm okay." She said quietly against his lips before kissing him again. 

Tig smiled against her kiss, leaning up against the side of the house where things quickly began to heat up as she pushed her tongue into his mouth and pulled his face into hers, caressing his jaw while his hands moved to her ass and slid underneath the loose shorts that she wore. 

"Mm, why you gotta do this to me babygirl." He hummed when she pulled away for air, his balls aching as he begrudgingly lowered her back to the ground. 

"Good luck." She smiled devilishly, cocking an eyebrow with a mischievous glint in her eye as she slowly retreated, disappearing behind the gate as quickly as she’d come running through it - just like she had come into his life.

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

Tara stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the doorway of Wendy's hospital room while she signed the papers for her lawyer, peeking at the fragile woman through her thin lashes until the suited man finally left the room.

"Feeling better?" 

"A little dopey, so to speak..." Wendy chuckled humourlessly.

"When you're feeling stronger, I'll take you to see your son." She nodded.

"Yeah, okay..." Wendy avoided eye contact. "Has Jax been around?"

Tara felt her spine stiffen under the pointed question. "I don't know." She answered just a little too quickly. "They said that you had a friend smuggle in that syringe of meth..." 

"Yeah." Wendy blinked. "I just signed the affidavit... Hospital's a little nervous about the liability issues."

"I'm sure they are..." Tara nodded slowly, until Wendy began chuckling. "What?" Her face contorted.

Wendy scoffed as she looked over the clean brunette woman in her doctor's scrubs, and then herself where she sat in a hospital gown, caked in a layer of sweat. "The two women who loved Jackson Teller..." She mused. "Could we be at more opposite ends of the spectrum?"

"W-we're not that different." Tara tried.

"Save it, sweetheart." Wendy scoffed. "I don't need a pep talk. I know what I am."

"So do I." Tara nodded. "And you're not suicidal." She shook her head incredulously. "You didn't have anyone smuggle in that dose... And I have a pretty good idea who might have delivered it..."

"Don't go down that road." Wendy shook her head.

"She the one who injected you?"

"No!" She rolled her eyes. "I stared at that five-mil tube for over an hour, and then I pumped it into my favorite vein." She said with a regretful twitch. "End of story."

"Why?" Tara couldn't understand. She had been around addiction her entire life, and she had never understood.

"God." Wendy scoffed with a shake of her head. "If you don't know why, then you and me are nothing alike." 

♕

Sydney scowled as she looked at the clock on her phone as the muffled sound of a Harley could be heard through the music that was blasting from the speakers in her bedroom while she was in the middle of getting ready. She hadn't been expecting Tig for another forty-five minutes, but as she lowered the fluffy brush from her eyelid, she supposed that she didn't mind him being early if he was there for the reason that she thought he was - rushing down to greet him at the door.

“Oh?" Her forehead creased as she opened the door to see Chibs instead. "Hi.” She blinked a few times as the lustful excitement behind her eyes quickly faded.

"Aye, Lass." The accented man nodded politely. "Tigger sent me... Clay's got him in the meetin' with Laroy before we all meet up at the fair." 

"Oh, okay.” She nodded as she stepped aside to let him in. “You're early... I'll be ready soon, so go ahead and make yourself at home." She led him into the living room where she directed him towards the TV remote before to returning upstairs to her makeup - bobbing her head along to the music that was now at a much more respectable volume. But not respectable enough that she would've been able to hear the footsteps enter the room behind her...

"Jesus Christ!" She gasped when she turned around to see Chibs sitting on her bed.

"So, this thing with Tigger..." He started.

She groaned, rolling her eyes. "Who wants to know?" 

"Just me, love." His surprisingly sweet response took her off guard. "He's in deep for you, Lass." He narrowed his eyes.

"You think so?" She tried to fight the heat that threatened her cheeks. 

"I know so... " He told her sincerely. "You love him?" 

"In the five days that we've been dating?" She snorted as the words slapped her in the face. 

"You can trust me, Lass.” He nodded. “I know it's scary, but Tigger - he's my brother." She nodded slowly, still not willing to confirm what she hadn't properly considered. "Never loved no one before, have you?" He smiled knowingly.

"That obvious, huh?" She chortled.

"I think he loves you too." He admitted, hoping to offer the confused young woman some reassuring comfort from an outside source. The Scotsman was not like Gemma or Clay; he wasn't looking for a personal gain in her divulgence, he simply just wanted her to know that she had somebody in her corner about Tig - because he knew that she didn't have much of that. 

"It's too early for that." She shook her head regardless of the feelings that his questions had her coming to terms with. 

"You know, in this life? Nothin' is too early." He nodded thoughtfully. "Days can feel like weeks, months like years..." Sydney knew that he was right, but she wasn't going to say it out loud, nodding once again instead. "I'll be waitin' downstairs." He took her silence as his cue to leave, walking over and placing a kiss on her cheek before starting towards the door. 

"Filip!" She called after a moment's hesitation, biting her lip nervously as he peered his head back into the room. "Thank you." She nodded softly, returning the sweet smile that he gave her before continuing down the stairs.

Half an hour later, Sydney was finally ready to go with her makeup done, and her tightly waved hair secured in a half-up, half-down ponytail. She wore a tight white cropped top that read 'I licked it, so it's mine' in black script, with distressed denim shorts overtop of a pair of fishnet stockings. She stepped into her combat boots, spritzed her signature perfume, and headed down the stairs where she found Chibs on the edge of the couch, very invested in an episode of Storage Wars. She stood with an eyebrow raised and her hands on her hips, trying to suppress the laughter until finally she couldn't hold it in anymore. 

"Jesus Christ!" He whipped his head around.

"My turn." She managed to utter out once she finished laughing, finding the exaggerated expressions of the Scot to be wildly entertaining. "Get real into that shit, don’t ya?" He smiled sarcastically before grabbing his keys off of the island and leading her out the door. 

♕

Gemma made her way through the waiting room and to the elevator in St. Thomas, having taken advantage of the extra time she'd had away from the office to spend with her grandson. She smiled as she tucked the books back into her purse, her expression quickly fading when she saw that face - the face that she hated to see now, just as much as she did a decade ago.

"Wendy's out of detox." Tara called after the older woman who had sped up her stride once she'd seen her.

Gemma exhaled sharply, rolling her eyes as she turned around to see what the fuck the incessant little bitch wanted to fight about today. 

"Just thought you'd wanna know." Tara shrugged. "You know, in case you wanted to bring her flowers, or something..."

Or something. "You think I'm that stupid?" Gemma scoffed, watching her cautious brown eyes shift before she turned back to the elevator. She knew better than to try the same failed tactic twice - something that the young Doctor would do good to learn.

♕

Sydney found herself captivated by the excitement of the fairgrounds the second that she set her black boot-clad feet on them. She took a deep breath of the sweet, carnival-food scented summer air as they made their way to the entrance where the peaceful melody of distant music began to get louder, and more blinking lights came into view. She had to admit, she was impressed; the vast selection of rides was much bigger than she had expected from a county fair passing through a small town - and so were they. 

"Goddamn men." Gemma stammered as they approached from where she stood with Happy, Juice, Half-Sack, and Jax - scanning the crowded lot for the rest of their tardy entourage on what was supposed to be their day off. 

"Look hot, little girl." Happy smirked to Sydney, handing her his half-smoked cigarette.

"I always look hot." She scoffed playfully as she brought the white cylinder to her glossy pink lips.

"Tig seems to think so." She rolled her eyes. "What's goin' on there?"

"What do you think is going on, Hap?" She fought the urge to roll her eyes again.

"Don't know." He shrugged as he looked to the ground. "You ain't tellin' me shit anymore."

"Awe, Happy Meal.” She mock-pouted. “Do you miss our late night gossip sessions full of ice cream and hair-braiding?"

"We never did that." His stoic expression turned to one of displeased confusion over her ridiculous accusation - one that made her chest bubble with laughter.

"Sydney." She turned around at the sound of her name, thankful to see Jax - and only a confrontation with the Tacoma Killer about her romantic feelings could make her thankful to see Jax. 

Happy tossed her a protective glance before she nodded softly, pressing her hand against his chest reassuringly as she passed back the cigarette.

"Hey." She greeted the Vice President awkwardly once they were alone. 

"We good?" Jax squinted in the hot afternoon sun. "I'm sorry again, about yesterday..." She took a deep breath, the sincerity in his voice begrudgingly reminding her that today was supposed to be about distractions from the bullshit - having a good time and not worrying about the weight that was crushing them. "Forgiven?" He held out a strawberry lollipop. 

Sydney giggled at the childish gesture with a roll of her eyes - but she had always been a sucker for sweets. "Forgiven." She nodded with a smile as he pulled her into a friendly hug. "For now." She whispered playfully into his ear, eliciting a bashful smile from the blonde man.

"Fitting." He laughed as he pulled away, pointing to her shirt as she popped the bright red candy into her mouth, but he didn’t wait for a reaction as his twinkling eyes landed on Tig who was approaching behind her - quickly turning his attention elsewhere. 

Sydney’s brow creased when he abruptly stepped back from her, but the feeling of hands snaking around her waist pushed the brief thought into the back of her mind as the cold metal of rings brushed against her exposed stomach. 

"Sorry, baby." Clay walked around the small circle to greet his wife with an apologetic kiss on her cheek as she rolled her eyes behind her purple-tinted sunglasses. 

Sydney leaned back into the embrace as Tig pressed his lips against her temple. "God damn, babygirl... I can't believe you're all mine." He growled into her ear as he tightened his grip on her waist. She tilted her head up to meet his eyes, slowly sliding the lollipop out of her mouth and guiding it into his. 

"Jesus." Bobby winced, physically recoiling in disgust at the first sight that he was met with as he joined the circle that had been waiting on him. 

Tig pulled the candy out of his mouth quickly. "You jealous, old man?" He prodded as he shoved it back into her mouth - his fingers following as she closed her eyes and sucked, moaning for dramatic effect. 

"Everyone meet at the beer tent at 7:00 P.M.." Gemma ordered with a sigh that Sydney could see was beginning to let up as Clay squeezed her waist. "I do not want any trouble today." She narrowed her warning gaze in the direction of the scandalous couple.

"What's your favorite ride?" Tig whispered into Sydney's ear as she bit her lip under The Queen's pointed orders. 

She smirked as she turned around in his arms, letting her eyes slide over his form as she licked her lips. "I could show you better than I could tell you...” She grinned as she cocked her brows.

"No promises." Jax laughed, winking to his mother before he took off to secure a spot in line for the quickly populating Adrenaline with Bobby and Chibs in tow. 

Sydney laughed as the grown men shot towards the kid's ride with such excitement - not at all having expected such behaviour from the rough and tough bikers that she’d thought she'd gotten to know over the past month. 

"Come on, baby... You're mine this afternoon." Gemma cooed, resting her chin on Clay's shoulder after he had successfully buttered her back up. 

"Oh..." He hummed, lifting her over his shoulder with a grin. 

Sydney smiled at the affectionate display of the couple that she admired so greatly; the pair that together was so strong, yet so soft - the pair that had helped her realize that maybe this life did have room for love, if it was with the right person... 

"You know what the cutest part about that shit was?" Tig raised a brow as he nodded towards the entangled pair as they made their way over to the photo booth. 

"What?" She scowled. 

"How she didn't try to shank him with her shoe." 

She rolled her eyes with a smile. "Well, lucky for you-" She turned around and lifted a boot. "I've retired my weapons for the day."

Tig snickered, pulling her towards the line where Jax and the others stood eagerly awaiting the breach of the gate where kids instantly began bolting to get the best seats on the ride - and the full grown bikers were among them. 

"Hey, I want the outside!" Sydney pouted as Tig hopped the metal beam that was holding the ride car that he'd picked for them, to secure the funnest seat for himself. 

"Hell no!" She kept her lip jutted out while she stood with her arms crossed. "Think we could switch halfway through?" He proposed with a mischievous grin - changing her expression as she lit up with devious excitement and jumped in next to him.

Tig buckled the seatbelt to satisfy the carnie as he made the rounds to ensure that everybody was strapped in, unbuckling it the second that he passed their car. He placed his hand on her knee as the ride fired up - the beams raising them higher and higher into the air until they were all the way above the trees. 

"Ready?" His hand left her leg and moved to the restraint.

Sydney bounced in place, readying herself to make the jump at the right time. "Go!" He pushed the protective bar out of the way right as the car reached its highest point in the air, sliding across the seat as she stood to climb over him. 

But the ride abruptly switched directions halfway through its runtime - something that they hadn't anticipated, the force knocking Sydney off of her balance and sending her falling backwards where Tig managed to catch her just in time. 

"Oh my God!" She exhaled as he pulled her back down to the worn leather seat by her wrist, their eyes wide with fear as they began laughing in nervous relief.

"Ah shit..." Tig cursed as the scraggly man eyed them down while he slammed his fist into the control panel, not willing to take on a lawsuit because of some stupid bikers thought that they were above the rules.

"Get outta here!" He yelled to the dark-haired man and his ditsy arm candy, ignoring the chorus of displeased whines from both the children and the bikers.

"Oh come on!" Jax protested with a charming smile.

"You wanna go too, blondie? I ain't got no problem with that!" The gruff man argued back, shutting up the blue-eyed pretty boy.

"The hell did they do?" Jax turned to Bobby who was in the car behind him and Chibs.

"My guess is a handjob." He shrugged.

Sydney snickered as she climbed off of the ride with Tig in tow, laughing as they ran towards the gates. "Well, we got one down. Wanna see how many we can get kicked off of?" She proposed with a wicked glint in her eye.

Tig's expression quickly turned to a wild grin - thrilled over her proposition, but even more thrilled that she didn't seem to be upset with him for the rocky start to their day. "Let's do it, baby." He nodded as he reached for her delicate hand.

As he led her through the fairgrounds in search of more rides to defile, Tig's eyes were drawn to the colourful array of prizes hanging from the game tents. He'd picked up girls at the annual fair plenty of times before with the bullshit cliche of winning them some stupid stuffed toy, getting them to give it up easily by the end of the night. But Sydney wasn't anything like any of those girls; she made him second guess everything that he used to do without question - sending his usual confidence with women plummeting faster than the 100 Foot Free-Fall. 

"Uh, do you want me to win you somethin'?" He looked to her for direction. He was happy to do it if it would make her happy - he'd done it before for a lot less.

"No." She snorted with a shake of her head.

Tig grinned, his appreciative gaze lingering on her when she proved yet again that she was perfect for him. "What?" She asked bashfully, her cheeks pinkening once she couldn't pretend that she didn't notice him staring at her any longer. 

"Uh-" He snapped out of it, the smile still on his lips. "I don't think there are any rides that we can go on over here." He pointed in the direction that they were headed, an abundance of kiddy rides being the only thing between them and a dead end - realizing that he had been too in his head thinking about her to actually have paid attention to where they’d been going.

"You aren't a very good tour guide, Sergeant." She chastised playfully.

"Was able to take you around the block just fine." He retorted with a proud smile on his face as he avoided her approving grin at this clever response.

As they made their way back through the games alley, they spotted Jax, Chibs, and Bobby who had met up with Juice and Half-Sack at the dunk tank - and as Sydney watched Jax throw the first ball and completely miss the target, she couldn't help but stick around...

"Oh, the big bad biker can't hit a target." The man dressed as a clown perched on the platform began harassing him in a mock-pout, prompting another throw which was harder this time, and still missed. "What's the matter, tough guy? Cant put the ball in the tight hole? Bet goldilocks over there said the same thing." He nodded to Sydney.

"That's a bozo no no." Tig snarled the second that the robust man brought his woman into it - stalking towards him with Jax close behind. 

"Oh come on, guys! I didn't mean anything by it!" He began to protest, backing away as they got closer. 

Sydney ripped the red ball out of Bobby's hands, whipping it directly at the target where it hit with a clang - sending the mouthy clown crashing into the water just before they could get to him. She flashed the cockiest grin possible as Jax rolled his eyes while he, Chibs, and Tig held the guy under the water before they carried on down the line of games.

After a close round of ski-ball - which Tig won - they moved onto basketball, a tie between Sydney and Jax; all taking turns giving away their prizes to the kids who'd watched them compete in awe.

Sydney rolled her eyes as the men quickly became smug as they approached the next game; darts. She sighed as she took her exiled seat at the counter, watching in amusement as they got competitive, playing round after round, racking up the points until finally the last round was between Tig, Half-Sack, and Chibs. If Tig got a bullseye, he would win, but if not, it was still anyone's game. The final three began lining up their shots when Sydney saw her opportunity as Tig drew his hand back, ripping the dart out from between his fingers where she threw a perfect bullseye - smiling devilishly as the buzzer sounded. 

"But... Darts at the clubhouse?" Juice questioned in disbelief. 

"And that fuckin' clown." Jax shook his head once he caught on.

She smirked knowingly, turning her attention to Tig as she grabbed his hand and led him away. "Don't be fighting over my prize now, boys." She called over her shoulder. 

"You tellin' me that you missed that shot on purpose?" Tig asked with a lazy grin as he draped his arm around her. 

Sydney held onto his hand as it dangled off of her shoulder, swaying her body playfully as she side-eyed him while he slowly shook his head. "What am I gonna do with you?" He growled, looking her up and down with a smirk. 

She winked, her cocky half-smile turning into a full blown grin as she broke away, walking ahead of him where she twirled around in small circles, stopping when her eyes landed on her next target. "I hope you're in the mood to get wet, Tiggy." She cocked an eyebrow, her gaze set on the Not-So-Lazy River log ride.

"Only if you're the one gettin' me wet." He smirked, leading her towards the ride.

"Should we stand or switch?" Sydney plotted their defiance as they stood in line while children and families boarded the plastic log-shaped carts that sloshed around in the knee-deep water.

"Water surfing." Tig nodded with a grin.

When it was finally their turn to board, Tig side-stepped her - taking the better seat at the front of the ride, once again. "What the hell!" He smirked as she whined behind him. 

"If you think that I'm letting you walk around this busy ass place in a soaking wet t-shirt, you're wrong." He shook his head, slipping his sunglasses on to shield his eyes from the spray. 

Sydney pursed her lips as she looked down at her white shirt - he had a point, but it didn't mean that she was happy about it.

The ride chugged along the track, water lightly splashing around them as they neared the ascent to the top before starting the slow, uphill climb. Sydney was glad that it wasn't too tall - she loved the adrenaline rush that came with the fast-moving, spinning, upside-down thrillers, but big drops that were out of her control were something that she'd never been able to force herself to enjoy, no matter how hard she tried.

"Ready, babe?" She heard Tig call, snapping her out of the dread that she'd conjured up while looking up at the giant red free-fall.

"Yup! Last one standing wins!" They pushed themselves up as the log slid over the curve, sending them over the edge and down the chute. 

Sydney bent her knees in an attempt to keep a better balance - something that Tig couldn't do if he was trying to shield her from the tidal wave. He managed to keep his balance all the way until the end when the force of the water sent him tumbling back, the harshness of the blast taking him by surprise as he ripped his sunglasses off and tried to regain his bearings. 

Sydney would've held her stance longer, but the second that Tig landed on his ass she lost her composure, falling back in hysterics. His plan had worked though, she was going to come out unscathed apart from some water droplets that had coated her legs and arms as a result of him taking on the full impact. 

"Jesus christ!" He muttered as her howling brought him back to earth after the force of what was supposed to be a ride for kids had sent him into space.

"Guess that's why you're supposed to sit down." She laughed.

"Yeah... Guess so..." He blinked, his gaze falling to the exit where the carnies were already standing with their arms crossed - the line not moving as a result of their stunt.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is!" Sydney chuckled when yet another overweight, scruffy man began yelling at them.

"Oh come on, man. We're fine." Tig grinned, helping Sydney up and out of the ride. 

"Who the hell do you think you are!"

"Thanks for the ride!" Sydney smiled sweetly, pulling Tig's arm as they hastily took their leave.

"Think we better lay low for a bit..." Tig scanned the grounds, landing on the beer tent where he knew Gemma and Clay would be.

Sydney's eyes followed his to the lively adult area of the fairgrounds where the music she'd heard earlier had been coming from. "Good idea." She nodded.

Happy stood hunched over the surprisingly sturdy pop-up bar that had been set up along the side of the white beer tent where Clay and Gemma were on the dance floor along with Jax, Chibs, and Bobby who were all trying their damndest to do the country swing, alternating their starry-eyed dance partners who didn't care for their poor skill - just the fact that they were dancing with the Sons. He shook his head as he chuckled at the clumsy scene, turning back to the cute little bartender who had caught his eye with her dark clothing, and short blonde hair.

"You want another?" She nodded to his now empty Jagermeister that she'd already filled three times, becoming more and more intrigued by his stony silence with each tip of the glass.

Happy nodded with a smirk as he watched the petite girl stiffen under his harsh, black gaze - but it wasn't the kind of nervousness that he was used to bestowing upon women. She didn't avoid his eyes, but she also wouldn't meet them straight on with the kind of confidence that a croweater would. He squinted slightly as he watched her green eyes lazily trail his sharp jaw while she slowly filled his glass, bringing it to his lips with a scowl as she pulled away with a hint of a smirk on her lips.

He was the one to finally break the shaky contact, looking over his shoulder as he tried to regain the composure that he wasn't quite sure he'd ever found himself losing before - his eyes landing on Sydney and Tig as they passed through the thick, cloth doors.

"You wanna get out of here?" He turned back to the blonde, surprising himself a bit by his boldness. It wasn't that the Tacoma Killer was a particularly bashful man, per se, but he usually at least allowed himself to ponder the idea of the woman that he was pursuing, before he pounced.

"Um." Maya looked around the crowded tent. She knew that she would surely catch shit from Clayton for dipping out of one of the busiest events of the year, but she also knew that she was Black Smith's best bartender - they would never fire her. "Could you bring me back here after?" They would survive a couple of hours without her...

After. Happy smirked, glad that his reckless haste hadn't hindered his ability to ensure that he was picking a girl who knew the deal. He nodded, draining his glass as she gathered her belongings from behind the bar before leading her out to his bike.

Sydney playfully raised a brow at Happy as he and a little blonde passed her and Tig on their way out, chuckling as he ignored her gaze before she turned it towards the heartwarming scene before her; warm summer air, good music, and the people that she loved.

"Come on, doll." Tig led her to the dance floor. 

Sydney hadn't at all known what to expect from Tig as a dance partner - the only dancing she'd done with him was relatively slow or goofy - but she was blown away as he twirled her around the dance floor expertly, not missing a single step. The couple laughed through the entire song as they danced alongside Clay and Gemma, switching partners halfway through  - keeping a huge smile on Sydney's face the entire time. 

"Well, I'll be... The Sergeant-at-Arms does dance." She teased in a southern accent as the two couples made their way to a picnic tables to cool off after a few songs. 

"You ain't the only one full of surprises." He wiggled his eyebrows, removing his arm from around her as she situated herself across from Gemma and Clay. "Republican... Twelve o'clock." He warned Clay as he peered over his broad shoulder, taking the opportunity to disappear into the crowd before he could sit down.

"Hey, Clay." Sydney straightened up as Clay turned around to greet an older, clean-cut man who had approached the table with who she assumed was his wife on his arm - because she was too old to be a mistress.

"How you doin', Elliot?" Clay stuck his hand out to his old colleague.

"Okay, Clay." The man nodded, shaking his hand.

"Karen." Clay nodded to the stuck up woman. 

"Hey." She forced a smile, refusing to look him - or any of them - in the eye.

Sydney tilted her head and wiggled her fingers in a dainty wave to the attractive gentleman for no reason other than to make his wife more upset than she already was - and hadn't bothered to hide. 

"We gotta go find Tristen." She smiled a great, big, cheesy, fake smile. "Bye." She pulled her husband away from the flirty gaze of the gorgeous young blonde. "Come on." She mumbled as he lingered, nodding his farewell.

"Damn... You'd think that with all that money they could pay somebody to remove those sticks from up their asses." Gemma mused while Sydney snickered. 

"Mhm..." Clay hummed as his eyes fell to her lips. "Maybe he's just a little paranoid that his country club cronies are gonna see him talkin' to the outlaw." He teased as he tickled her sides.

"Come on... I need to talk to the outlaw." She pulled him up from the picnic table. 

"Oh..." Clay chuckled, waving goodbye to Sydney as he allowed her to pull him away once again.

Tig quickly reappeared, not leaving her alone at the table for too long. "Eat." He handed her a giant pink cloud of cotton candy, sitting down beside her as he pulled her to lay back against his chest as he snacked on a small bag of peanuts. 

Sydney fought the urge to close her eyes as she revelled in the heavenly sensation of the warmth of his presence, and the sweetness on her tongue. Tig smiled as he watched her try to contain herself, popping a salty handful into his mouth before his expression fell as someone caught his eye... 

Sydney scowled when she felt him stiffen behind her, turning to see his nostrils flaring as he glared across the tent at a man with a buzzcut, standing with his hand on the lower back of a skinny young blonde. "What? Used to fuck her or somethin'?" She teased with a raised brow. 

"That's Kyle." He explained, not taking his eyes off of the exiled member.

"Like... Hobart, Kyle?" She scowled. 

"Yeah." He didn't bother asking how she knew who Kyle was. "He better hope Clay doesn't see him..." 

"He was kicked out clean, right?" He had to have been if his mugshot was still allowed to hang on the wall where she'd last seen it, turned upside down among the others'.

"Don't mean he won't still get his ass beat for showing his face in Charming." He shook his head as his lip began to twitch.

"We gonna throw that beating?" She surmised hopefully...

"Only thing taking a beating tonight, is that pussy." He snapped out of it, nodding with a dirty smile. “Come on.” He sprang to his feet as she sat with her lip between her teeth, grabbing her hands and hoisting her up. 

Sydney swung her hand back and forth as it sat locked with Tig's while they made their way through the thickening crowds on the grounds, smiling as a group of young kids ran right for them. She took the opportunity to break away from him, giggling over her shoulder as she watched him get caught up in the four-foot-tall traffic. 

As she spun around to laugh at him, Tig felt his entire world freeze. It was like he was watching her in slow motion as her shiny hair bounced and her eyes glimmered in the sun. He ripped off his sunglasses as he took in the full sight of her; waiting for him with her hand out, fingers wiggling with a giant grin. He felt his rapidly beating heart begin to sink - he had fully fallen for her.

He recovered with a delayed chuckle as he placed his hands on his hips and shook his head. "I think that's our next target, baby." He nodded to the free-fall as he retook her hand.

Sydney’s entire body tensed when the moment that she'd been dreading all day finally came to face her. "Um, I don't think we could get kicked off that one, it would just be a waste of time." She attempted to keep her voice as level as possible, but Tig wasn't buying it as he stared down at her with a smug smirk and a raised brow.

"Are you... Are you scared of a ride?" He mused, theatrically throwing his hand over his heart. He was going to milk her weakness as much as he could - because it wasn't something that he'd gotten to do very often.

"No! I just-" He took the opportunity while she searched for an excuse to lift her over his shoulder.

For fuck's sake, she cursed herself for giving him the idea earlier as he ran to get in line where he quickly set her down, spinning her around and standing behind her with a hand on her hip to keep her from running away. 

"You'll be fine." He chuckled against her temple as he felt her start to shake.

She backed into him, pressing her ass against his crotch as hard as she could as her nervous body vibrated - needing some kind of retribution from the torture that she was about to receive. He pulled away from her quickly, inhaling sharply as his grip on her tightened. Victory.

Sydney's stomach only sank further and further the closer that they got to the front of the line until it was finally time to regretfully board the ride. She sighed as she eased into the warm leather seat, pulling the restraint over her head quickly while Tig watched in amusement beside her. She tried unsuccessfully to hide her reddening face in the padding that came over her chest, but that only made him laugh harder - prompting a kick in the shin to shut him up, which was also unsuccessful. 

"Come on, baby… Don't be mean. I'll even hold your hand." He taunted as he reached for her trembling fingers. She rolled her eyes, eventually grabbing his hand after staring at it for a few seconds, bringing it up to the optional handle bars on the chest restraint where she squeezed until her knuckles went white.

"Kitten..." He deadpanned. "The ride hasn't even started yet."

"Shut it!" She snapped, kicking him again as they lifted off of the ground while he tried to play footsie as their feet dangled in the air. She managed to catch her breath unexpectedly as they ascended higher, the gorgeous view of the town from the altitude temporarily stealing her focus as her eyes twinkled before all of the lights that had started to come to life as sunset neared. 

When the ride finally reached the top, Sydney squeezed her eyes shut - taking Tig's hand into a death grip where they sat in anticipation for what felt like ever. She opened one eye slowly, then the other - stilling as she waited for the drop before she rolled both of them. "Why the fuck would they do tha-" But just as she started to complain about the impending suspense, it dropped. Her eyes slammed shut as a blood curdling scream that made Tig wish that he hadn't offered her his hand so that he could cover his ears, cut through the air as it wooshed over their faces. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God." She repeated over and over as her hand remained squeezing his. 

"Babe..." 

"What!" She snapped, opening her eyes where she realized that the ride had stopped, and they were safely back on the ground. She laughed nervously, releasing his hand and rolling her eyes - taking off towards the exit where she intended on getting as far away from the ride as possible. 

"I think you broke two of my fingers." Tig laughed as he caught up to her, shaking his hand out. 

"Well, let's hope they're not my favorite two." She mused with a raise of her eyebrows. 

"Oh, I can get creative, baby..." He growled as he grabbed her waist playfully and pulled her in for a kiss which she deepened with a smile as he dipped her backwards. She wrapped her arm around his neck, tangling her fingers into his hair while her other hand gripped the black t-shirt under his kutte. He smiled, straightening up and pushing off of her hip. "C'mon." He grabbed her hand and led her through the crowds once again as the last light of day started to fade.

A cautious smile formed on Sydney’s face as they approached the County Fair-is Wheel, surprise taking over when he actually came to a stop. "Serious?" She looked up at him, waiting for a punchline or a laugh before he dragged her off to another torture chamber. 

"You wanted to see how many we could get kicked off of." He shrugged, leaning down close to her ear. "And I know how much you wanna see the sunset from up there." He whispered tenderly.

Sydney felt the warmth rush through her body for what felt like the hundredth time that day when such unexpectedly romantic words came from his mouth.

Tig caught the look in her eye before she could turn away, smiling as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and let it hang over her chest while she clung onto it in full swoon.

The pair climbed into the two-person hanging basket after a relatively short wait in line where Tig pulled her to lay back across his chest, his fingers trailing back and forth along her arm as they slowly made their ascent to the clouds - stopping every minute or so for new people to get on.

Sydney saw something different swimming in the depths of his crystal blue eyes as the sun bounced off of them while he nodded slowly in time with the ride - it was similar to the lusty looks of intrigue that he'd given her before, but there was something softer about it...

"Thanks for today, Angel." He stated sincerely as he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. 

"I'm sure you've been to the fair with other girls before, Tiggy." She rolled her eyes playfully as she sat up.

"First time I've done it for more than just pussy." He shrugged.

"Is that supposed to be romantic?" She raised a brow as her lips curled up.

"Ain't it?" He grinned as they both laughed, their carriage finally nearing the top of the ride. He shifted his body beneath her, turning her sparkling eyes over the side where she had a perfect view of an even more perfect sunset as pink clouds littered the sky above the red horizon that spilled an orange glow over the entire town. 

"Wow..." She drawled. 

"Beautiful, huh?" He nodded as she turned around with a smile wide on her face, the golden light of the sun reflecting off of her skin and making her green eyes pop.  

She cowered under his lingering gaze as she caught that same look in his eye that managed to make her feel so uncomfortably comfortable - a combination of overwhelming safety, and unimaginable fear. She laid back down on his chest as she grabbed one of his hands in an attempt to ground herself and calm the flipping that the knowledge of the look was causing her stomach to do. She squeezed her eyes shut as she took a deep breath, tracing her finger along the cross shaped ring on his finger as she clutched her necklace - giving her the much-needed comfort for what she was about to do... 

"I'm in love with you." She blurted out - her eyes flying open. Fuck, fuck fuck. She winced as embarrassment coursed through her entire body, squeezing her eyes shut so that she didn't have to witness the result of her overzealous admission. She'd intended on allowing her tightly sealed emotions to spill over, yes - but in a way that was more like a gentle trickle, than that of the raging flood that she worried was drowning him as his entire body tensed under her, feeling his heartbeat speeding up beneath her temple while she laid frozen as all of the regretful thoughts rushed into her now painfully clear mind.  

Tig cupped her face with both of his hands, gently turning her head to face him - ripping her from the internal cursing that she was giving herself. She opened her eyes under his touch, but she kept them glued to the silver metal beneath them as her heart hammered in her chest hard enough that her ears began to ring.

Tig watched as she flinched again when he brushed his thumb under her eye gently, unintentionally lifting her eyes to meet his where she quickly looked away once again. He shook his head, this was his first time seeing her vulnerable... Properly vulnerable. Not like the brief display of emotion that she had allowed him when they had spoken of her father, or on the night of Bobby's wedding. Sydney was the kind of girl who demanded the attention of everybody in the room without ever having to ask for it - a stark contrast to how she was shrinking with embarrassment before him; which only made him realize just how strong she was to see that she did have these feelings, she just masked them well. Just like he did. 

"Say that again, babygirl." He whispered as he pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. 

“I-” Sydney felt her throat lock up.

He opened his eyes and pulled away from her once he realized that she was still stunned, staring at her as she trembled in his arms. "Syd..." He said firm enough that she flinched at the sound of her name, opening her eyes to find him staring into them with a sincerity that she couldn't ignore - no matter how badly she may have wanted to. "From the second that you walked across that parking lot, I knew there was somethin' more…" He shook his head with a smile that instantly calmed her nerves. "I knew when you left the bathroom that night and it wasn't enough." She giggled. "You make me feel somethin'... I can't remember the last time I felt that." He nodded slowly. "I'm not a good person, but you know that. I don't have any secrets when I'm with you. I can't. I-I ha-” He cleared his throat as the tidal wave of feelings that he had denied himself for the last twenty years, choked him up as well. “I have to open myself up. All the shit that I hide? All the shit I hate about myself? You see it all, baby... And through all that, you still love me? Wow... I mean, man... I've never had that with anyone." It wasn't a lie, Tig had never been loved by a woman who knew what a monster he truly was. "When I try to get close, you know, to feel..." He trailed off as he tried to find the right word, his voice more delicate than she had ever heard before.

"Normal?" She finished for him. 

"Yes!” He nodded eagerly. “Yes. I-I, I just can't hook it up... But I want to. I want to." His voice cracked. "I wanna know what it's like to have someone to go out with, come home to, fuck… Just someone to talk to. When I saw you walking today, all smiles just for me?" He looked away, pulling himself together to finish. "I knew. I knew it, baby. I knew that I'd fallen in love with you." He looked down into her eyes where he could see the relief filling them as she processed his words. He brought her face close, his lips meeting hers as he kissed her deeper than he ever had before - holding her tight. 

Sydney melted in his arms, bringing one hand to the back of his neck and the other to cup his jaw, trying to bring him as close as possible where she poured every last drop of her feelings into the embrace. 

A few minutes into the passionate, newfound union - they were startled by the rattling of the carriage door, and an angry carnie ushering them off of the ride. 

"Damn..." Sydney grinned. "We didn't even have to try that time."

♕

Gemma and Clay sat at a table in the beer tent while they waited for everyone to make it to the rendezvous. "What the hell is it with everyone today?" She exclaimed in frustration as she checked her watch for the third time before Jax appeared just in the nick of time to appease his mother's outburst - kissing her on the cheek. "Where are Tig and Sydney?" She looked around the incomplete circle.

"Just saw 'em being escorted out by security." Chibs announced as he and Bobby approached alongside Jax. 

"The hell for?" Clay scowled.

"Somethin' about a blowjob in the photo booth..." Jax grinned knowingly, his divulgence earning a round of mixed reactions - some laughing, and some groaning.

"You sure you didn't find her at Luann's?" Bobby asked Clay with a raised brow.

"I'm not sure of anything anymore." Clay sighed.

"The Irish are comin'." Juice panted as he reached the group after jogging the entire length of the fairgrounds.

Clay nodded to his crew, signalling that it was their time to leave the fun and get back to business. "Sorry, baby..." He apologized to Gemma. "I'll be sure to finish you off later." He added with a wink.

"Yeah... I've heard that before.” She rolled her eyes. “Give me some quarters, I'm heading to that booth." She grinned, her spirits remaining high - grateful to have had somewhat of a stress-free day.

"As long as I don't have to come rescue you from the security guards." He chuckled, pressing his lips to hers before he took off with his entourage not far behind.

Gemma sighed as she watched her men stalk off to take care of business - a feeling that she wished she could enjoy without the nagging pit of worry in her stomach. She shook the thought away for the sake of her day, making her way over to the Hodgson's Family Lemonade stand where she indulged in a large - bringing the red straw to her lips as she took one last breath of the sugar-filled air before making her way to her car.

"Tristen!" She scowled as a frantic screaming cut off her moment of peace, searching the crowd for the source of the distress where she found Karen Oswald with her hand pressed to her reddening forehead. "Where is she? Where is she?" She repeated over and over as her glossy eyes darted over each and every person around her.

"What's goin' on?" Gemma approached the flustered woman.

"We can't find Tristen." Karen sobbed, suddenly no longer concerned over the reputation of the dark-haired woman...

"Oh, Jesus..." Gemma sighed as she shook her head - she couldn't turn her back on a fellow mother, no matter who she was. "Well she must be around here somewhere..." She stood on her tiptoes, surveying the dwindling crowds as night descended upon the county fair.

"No, we've looked everywhere..."

"She's not on any of the rides." Elliot appeared with two security guards in tow.

"Oh my God." Karen's voice cracked as her panic took over completely.

"We'll find her." Gemma grabbed her hand, narrowing her eyes as she nodded assuringly before taking off to do her own search.

♕

"Laroy's giving us an extra few days to come through with his order…” Clay began as everybody sat around the table after his short meeting with Cameron Hayes. “We get the rest of our AK's back from the Mayans on Sunday, hand 'em off, meet with him again on Monday for the handguns which are comin' down to Lodi, from Tacoma with the Grim Bastards.” He gave Happy an appreciative nod. “All we gotta do is get them from Lodi, to Laroy. With all the heat lately, we're gonna try out somethin' new..." 

"Grim Bastards?" Chibs scowled, unsure that he'd heard his President correctly as he mentioned the distant MC that had actively avoided SAMCRO over the years.

"T.O. - G.B. Pres. is Laroy's cousin. He's convinced him to join our cause." He forced a smile.

"What're you thinkin here, boss?" Bobby asked as everybody nodded haphazardly. 

"Charity front - a ride for the Children's Hospital in Lodi." 

"SAMCRO community servants." Jax flashed a smug grin. 

"How do we carry?" Tig asked. 

Clay placed a bedroll on the table, unrolling it to reveal ten slots designed to hold the Glocks. "Edmund Hayes - Camy's son.” He explained. “Boy's a genius." 

"Must take after his mum." Chibs laughed as they spoke of his kin. 

"Just a biker with a bedroll.” Clay grinned. “Six riders, five dozen - me, Jax, Bobby, Tig, Chibs, Hap." 

"It's a good haul." Happy stated with a nod of approval. 

"Cops won't mess with us when we're serving humanity." Jax grinned. 

"Alright... Now, Princess, why don't you tell us what we've missed."  Clay shifted his gaze to where Sydney sat with a smug look on her face - a look that the table was becoming all too familiar with.

Sydney smirked. "It's a smart plan, but slapping a charity banner over the reaper don't make it an angel. You may think that the cops won't fuck with you during a good deed, but this ain't local. Right now anybody looking to pin any of the crimes in the last few weeks on us will be looking for probable cause. Every deputy from here to Lodi will be on the lookout to pull SAMCRO on anything: speeding, expired plates, unpaid tickets, you name it. You need a distraction." 

"And I'm assuming that's you?" Clay raised a brow.

"Hasn't it always been?" She mused. "If we're passing this off as a charity ride, we need to do it right. Cops are gonna wonder why only half of SAMCRO is contributing to the cause, maybe even more than they'll wonder why we're just now suddenly showing consistent community support. If I started turning tricks, people would be a little suspicious if I only sucked half the cocks dry, don't you think? I mean... Some may call it favoritism but others may call it lack of commitment." She shrugged. 

 Tig bursted out laughing at her choice of comparison. She smiled, biting the inside of her cheek to try and maintain her sincerity. "They also might wonder why we're carrying bedrolls for an hour-long ride." She cocked an eyebrow. "This lessens the possibility of a search - they know that they can't search all of us, and the ones that they might try to aren't guaranteed to be carrying."

"So what's the plan?" Clay folded his hands in front of him as he considered each and every word that left those pretty lips.

"Juice takes the van and drives ahead a couple of miles once we make the pick up - alerts us of cops, radar traps, anything. You can do that, can't you, Juicey Fruit?" A couple of snickers arose at the nickname, but he was too excited to care.

"Yeah! I can hack the police scanners and use the radar detectors!" He nodded eagerly.

"When we get wind of a trap, I'll get far enough ahead, going fast enough for a good ticket that their small-town quotas can't pass up. Cops outside of Charming will have no idea that I'm associated with the club - won't suspect that it's a ruse. By the time that I'm good and pulled over, you guys pass. We repeat that until we reach Laroy. The tickets will be close enough together that their system won't register anything in time to impound me. If we start this out slow and safe, the cops get used to the charity rides and don't suspect anything going forward - won't bother us on the long runs." She finished her pitch off strong, seeing that Clay was deep in thought as he weighed the pros and cons. "What's the matter, Pres? Don't think I can run with the big dogs?" She raised an eyebrow. 

"Oh no, Princess." He snorted. "I know that you can... But I don't think my guys are taking too kindly to you stepping all over their manlihood with those stilettos of yours."  He smiled as he looked around the table of completely silent men who hadn't bothered to put a fraction of the amount of thought into the simple run that could easily get them thrown back in jail.

"Well-" She smirked, hoisting her feet up onto the table. "It looks like I chose a good day to trade 'em in." She cocked an eyebrow. "The future of this club is more important than the egos of your crew, don't ya think?" 

"You're sounding more loyal than my damn prospects." 

"Maybe you'll just have to patch me in." She mused. 

"This goes well, you come talk to me." He smirked.

Sydney felt a rush of triumph through her veins - she had to imagine that it was the same rush that junkies lived for, because she would've done anything to experience it again. She kept her external reaction under wraps - not knowing if Clay was being facetious or not. There had never been a female member in the history of the S.O.A., and the thought of potentially being the first ignited a fire of ambition behind her eyes. 

"All in favour?" Clay asked, everyone yelling words of affirmation and hitting the table. 

Sydney beamed as her first vote passed with the familiar sound of the gavel. She stood up from the table first, exiting the chapel with a confident stride before she was met by Elliot Oswald - the uptight republican from the fair - standing behind the doors, with his head down, and his hair a mess. 

"Hang back." Clay ordered his club before he walked over to see what had brought in their prestigious visitor. 

"Who's the sad lookin' dude?" Half-Sack whispered to Tig where they stood, huddled in the doorway.

"Elliot Oswald." Tig said as he fell back into his chair, pulling Sydney down onto his lap.

"As in Oswald Lumber?" The prospect squinted.

"Oswald Lumber, Oswald Beef, Oswald Construction..." Tig nodded mundanely with a roll of his eyes against Sydney's neck as his hand found her thigh, making her giggle.

"Ain't that a pretty picture." Bobby joked to Jax, watching them whisper what were surely unfathomably dirty things into each other's ears.

"Those two psychos piss me off but I gotta admit… They fuckin' belong together man." He nodded before Clay returned to the chapel with his head hung. "What?" He asked worriedly. 

"Oswald... Someone raped his little girl at the fair." He shook his head sorrowfully as shock washed over the table. "Unser's got Hale out lookin', but the kid don't remember much." He put his face in his hands as he sat back down.

"He hit her?" Sydney questioned as her blood ran cold beneath Tig's hands.

"Nah, just threw her down in the dirt." He nodded towards the chapel doors. "He wants us to find the guy - bring him to him." 

"We got cops, enemies, and a rebuild hangin' over our heads... Do we really wanna be out there playin' some pro-bono Lone Ranger?" Bobby winced.

"Yeah..." Jax sighed regretfully as more unnecessary risk continued to present itself. "We got a lot of shit on the go right now, man..." 

"What if that was your daughter." Sydney snapped at Bobby who reluctantly accepted her point, her outburst serving to stop Tig from making any of the same protests that he’d had locked and loaded. 

"I get it. I just don't know how I feel about puttin' my ass on the line for an outsider." He put his hands up in defense.

"She's thirteen... Thirteen!" Chibs' fatherly instincts kicked in as he thought about his own teenage daughter.

"Clay, Oswald doesn't give a shit about SAMCRO." Jax tried to reason.

"When people have shit happening in this town, they don't go to the cops, they go to the club - that should mean something to you." Sydney shot angrily at Jax. "You wanna send the message that people can come into your town, rape little girls and get away with it?" 

Tig tightened his grip on Sydney's thigh before loosening it, rubbing gently to try and calm her down while Clay chuckled - enjoying that someone other than him felt the need to remind Jax of his position in the club. 

"That's right. Us , Jacky boy." Chibs nodded.

"Look at little pussy-whipped boy over there, not sayin' a goddamn thing. You know he'd be shootin' this shit down if she wasn't here!" Jax pointed at Tig in mock-frustration, trying to lighten the mood. 

Sydney gave a small smirk, placing her hand over Tig’s in appreciation for his display of respect - knowing full well that he didn't give a shit about Oswald or his kid. 

"Do I need to call a vote?" Clay sighed. 

"Nah, brother. We do this." Bobby assured his President.

Jax reluctantly nodded along with everyone else. He still didn’t like the idea of foreign blood on their hands - but at least it was for a cause that he could get behind.

"Guess we're huntin' the tot banger." Tig joked. He knew that the Oswalds wouldn't have given him a second thought if he was the one in trouble, but it seemed to mean something to Sydney and Clay - and he wasn't one to pass up on violence. 

"Found 'em." Jax nodded to the curly-haired man across the table - everybody’s laughs filling the previously tense room.

"Me and Gemma will find out who did this." Sydney announced once the laughter died down, getting up to leave the testosterone-filled room before their ignorance could suffocate her. 

Jax scowled, but Clay just shook his head - not up for another argument. "Woman's job, VP. Woman's job." Sydney patted the table before heading out the door.

♕

"What's so urgent, dad?" Deputy Chief David Hale stalked into the dimly lit diner where he found his father seated at a table with another man, sipping coffee without an ounce of the urgency that had been in his phone call. 

Jacob Hale Sr. blinked as his son approached so hastily, placing his mug back down onto the speckled tabletop. "You know Leo Kessler of Kessler Builders." He nodded across the table to his grey-suited counterpart.

"Hi." The long-time family acquaintance nodded to the boy that he hadn't seen in years - the boy that now stood before him as a full grown man.

"Hi Leo." The darker haired man nodded disinterestedly. "I'm kind of in the middle of something." 

"We know." Leo nodded. "We heard about Oswald's daughter... Terrible thing." He feigned pity.

"What is this about?" David sighed impatiently. 

"We're pretty sure that Elliot's talked to Clay Morrow." His father explained disapprovingly. "It's safe to assume that he's probably looking for some, uh, vigilante justice..."

"SAMCRO is looking for the rapist?" David had to keep the sigh out of his voice and the roll out of his eyes - that boyish look quickly returning to his aging face.

"Yes." Jacob nodded. "And if they deliver? Well... We may have a problem."

"Oswald's very close to selling us and our investors two land parcels off of County 17 - it's over one-hundred and thirty acres." Leo nodded.

"Elliot loves that kid more than anything." Jacob cut off his partner who seemed to forget which of his sons he was speaking to; David had no interest in land or money, he only had interest in one thing - taking down SAMCRO. "God knows what he'll do to the guy if Clay hands him over..."

"Well... It puts Elliot in bed with SAMCRO." David supposed as he tried to make himself villainize the man who was only doing what any father would do.

"And we know how Clay feels about expansion." Leo nodded pointedly.

"You need to make sure that you find this guy first." Jacob instructed his youngest son. "Due process of the law." He nodded firmly. "We all want the same thing, son - for Charming to grow, and prosper."

"Right." David forced a smile. "I think you two are leaning a little heavier on the 'prosper' angle." He scoffed. "I gotta get back to work."

♕

Everybody cleared out of the chapel to begin their hunt for intel - Juice scouring the Nords' rap sheets, Bobby and Tig rattling off old beefs, and Sydney waiting for Gemma to arrive, which gave her the perfect opportunity to approach Clay.

"A word?" She nodded towards the empty garage where he followed her. "You think he's gonna be able to do it?" She began the second that he crossed the threshold.

"Oswald?" She nodded. "Don't know.” He shrugged. “Anyone else? Nah. But his little girl? That shit can make any man go crazy." 

“You're going to blackmail him, aren't you?" 

Clay hesitated, unsure if he could trust the teamwork-savvy woman with his plan... "You got a problem with that?" He tested.

"Make sure that he can't." Sydney ordered. 

"What?" Clay shook his head in confusion. 

"Do it.” She clarified. “Give him a knife, not a gun. Make sure it's something that you know he won't be able to stomach." 

"What are you getting at here, Princess?" He wasn't following. The entire purpose was to use the kill against Oswald as leverage - something that he wouldn't be able to do if the white-collared businessman didn’t carry out the deed.

"You were going to have him kill the asshole and use it as leverage for money for the rebuild." She relayed his thought process. "Do it for something more. He owns land right? Buildings?" Clay nodded slowly. "Bring a bag for the printed knife. When he can't - we use it as leverage for a new warehouse. No one would ever suspect that a property owned by the notorious Elliot Oswald is housing illegal firearms, and he won't have a choice. That way we have our rebuild and our asses covered." 

The face of the President lit up in response to the extremely clever young woman who somehow managed to greatly improve his plan every single time. "You're just what I needed around here, you know that?” He grinned. “Too many of my guys goin' soft these days…” He shook his head. “So, this run to Lodi..." 

"Been dyin' to get back on the road.” She answered his question before he could ask it. “Not really a side saddle kinda gal." She winked. 

"Speaking of goin' soft... I ain't gonna have to worry about my Sergeant, am I?" 

"Not on my watch." 

"That's what I thought." He chuckled.

"Don't you worry, Pres. I'll keep him hard." She gave a suggestive smirk, turning her attention towards the flashing lights that had suddenly appeared on the compound...

"Ah, shit..." Clay cursed as David Hale stepped out of his Charming Police marked Bronco, making his way towards the President with multiple officers in his wake.

"I got it." Sydney nodded her assurance before slinking away from the half of the local police department that clearly wasn't on the payroll. 

"You girls sellin' cookies?" Clay called out to the crew that had undoubtedly come to question his.

"We're investigating a sexual assault." Hale crossed his arms, a little too smug for the President's liking.

"You serious?" Jax seemingly appeared out of nowhere, approaching his former classmate along with his stepfather.

"How you doin, Jax?" Hale greeted the VP. "Heard about Wendy and the baby... I'm sorry." 

"Uh-huh." Jax gave a non-committal nod, remaining short with the man on the other side of the law. “What does SAMCRO have to do with this?

"I need to talk to all of your guys that were at the carnival tonight." Hale put his hands on his hips. "If they're not here, get them here - now." 

"No problem." Clay smirked as he quickly found another advantage in having a woman on their team. 

"You think a Son had somethin' to do with that rape?" Jax raised a brow.

"Half of 'em have violent crimes on their rap sheets, just following logic." Hale shrugged.

"Wasn't it just last week that four Oakland cops were busted for human trafficking?" Jax scoffed, scanning the row of middle-aged men behind Hale. "Logic tells me that we should ask where your dick was tonight."

"And don't say 'in your mama'." Clay added with a grin.

Hale looked between the two men who treated the situation as a joke - who treated him like a joke, swallowing his frustration. It was only a frustration that he had to bear the taste of for a few more weeks...

"Officers Lemmings and Rodriguez will be taking your statements." He told them with a phoney smile. "We can do it here, at the station house, wherever you wanna do it... And don't say 'in your mama'." He deadpanned before returning to his vehicle. He had a rapist to catch.

♕

Not long later, Sydney and Gemma pulled up at St. Thomas on the hunt for Tristen Oswald while Hale made sure his crew kept the Sons at the clubhouse. "Okay, you distract mom. I'll talk to Tristen." Sydney relayed the game plan to her partner in crime.

Gemma raised a brow, unsure how exactly Sydney planned on pulling this off so seamlessly - but she didn't question her. Not yet, at least. 

Sydney weaved her way through the maze of stairs and back hallways until she finally made it to the paediatric wing where she quickly found the one person who she knew could help them - and it was help that she knew she wouldn't receive unless she was alone... 

"Tara!" She called frantically to the brunette. "I need to know where Tristen Oswald is." 

"The girl from the fair?" Tara scowled.

"Yeah." Sydney nodded.

"Is there a reason you're asking?" She asked sheepishly. She wasn't supposed to give out that kind of information, especially when a minor was involved - and she sure as hell wasn't going to give out that kind of information to somebody so closely linked to the woman who had tried to murder a patient just days earlier.

Sydney gave her a look that told her all she needed to know, taking her back to her old lady days when Gemma would give her the exact same look - a look that told her not to ask questions.

"I'm sorry, but I can't-" She was cut off by her ringing phone, grateful for the distraction as she fished the device out of her white coat, hopeful that Sydney would take this as her cue to leave.

But Sydney didn't budge as she watched the nervous woman fumble with the flip phone before she finally brought it to her ear successfully. "Hello?" She cooed before her face fell, slamming the phone shut and shoving it back into her pocket.

"What was that?" Sydney scowled.

"Oh, uh." Tara laughed nervously as she tried to play off the shock of fear that was gnawing at every single nerve in her body. "Nothing." She forced a smile as she shook her head. "Just thought I blocked all of the telemarketers from Chicago." She cleared her throat. "I can show you where Tristen is." She perked up. "You'll have to be careful, though. Her mom's been standing guard at her door since she arrived - won't even let the cops in to talk to her alone. But Karen needs to sign some insurance forms, so I can try to get an admin to keep her busy for a while." 

Sydney knew that she was lying as she tried her best to bury the incident in a wealth of relevant information, but if not pressing the issue meant that she was going to be appeased with the risky task that she'd come with - she could live with that. 

Tara knew that she hadn't succeeded in fooling her, but her forehead creased slightly as she watched the blonde woman affix her eyes to nothing in particular as something seemed to play behind them - something that told her that this visit was personal.

♕

Hale stood in a quiet hallway in St.Thomas as he searched Elliot Oswald's face for any sign that he had already done the deed, but all he saw was an agony that he wished he could argue with.

"I know that this is hard on you and Karen, I-" He cleared his throat, remembering what it was that he was supposed to be doing here. "I can't imagine what you're going through... But anger clouds judgment." He spit the words out in a sneer - the only way that he could make himself. "And it makes us do things that we end up regretting - things that we can never take back..."

"The only thing that I can never take back?" Elliot scoffed. "Is what happened to that little girl."

Hale's eyes fell closed in a sigh as he watched the scorned father storm off to do exactly what he needed him not to do, dragging himself back to the administration desk where he hoped to try his luck with Karen again, his senses perking up when his eyes landed on something much less hopeless; Tara Knowles.

The blue-eyed man had always had a bit of a crush on the quiet girl that he'd known for a majority of his life, and he’d never quite gotten over it, even after she had settled for the likes of none other than Jax Teller. But now that she was single...

"Hey." He slid up next to her with a smile as she walked Karen through the stack of forms that she needed to read and sign. 

Tara jumped when she felt the body heat next to her, relief flooding her when she recognized the face of the lawman. "Oh, hey." She smiled, nodding to another nurse who took over. "How are you?" She looked over the comfortingly familiar man.

Hale sighed, nodding to Mrs. Oswald. "They think they're protecting her by building a wall around her."

Tara perked up, suddenly feeling less guilty about sneaking Sydney into the young girl's room. "Tristen needs to talk to somebody." She agreed. And she would, thanks to her.

"Mhmm." Hale nodded. "And I need something, anything, to make sure that we're not doing this again, with another girl." He nodded pointedly. He had no idea where his old classmate stood with her old boyfriend, but he hoped that she still hated him as much as she had the day that she'd left him and ran for Chicago, because maybe it meant that he still stood a chance - in more ways than one.

Tara felt a chill run through her veins. Had he come to her not five minutes earlier, she would've had no problem helping out the right side of the law. But as usual, she'd been sucked into the cesspool that was SAMCRO.

"I, um." She blinked, looking to the ground. "I don't know much, but I can try to get you in after she's done signing this batch of forms." She nodded to the distraught mother who was struggling to focus on the fine print through her blurry eyes.

Hale nodded, placing his hand over hers as he lowered his gaze. "Thank you." He nodded sincerely. 

Tara hesitated under the unexpected contact for a moment, teetering on the edge as she tried to decide if she should just bite the bullet and risk making the same mistake that she'd made before, but the second that he pulled his hand away, she had her answer.

"I need a favor, too." She pulled him back, her eyes falling shut in an internal curse as she immediately began rethinking her decision. "It's more of a question, really." She let go of him. "It-" She began laughing nervously. "It's gonna sound very dramatic." 

"Okay." Hale nodded attentively.

"If I had-" She felt the words lodge themselves in the back of her throat. What was she thinking? All of this over a phone call? "You know what, nevermind." She shook her head. "Let me go get those extra forms."

♕

Wendy awoke to the crinkling sound of cellophane; a sound that many people who had spent an extensive amount of time lying in a hospital bed may be used to by now - but to her, the sound was foreign. She cracked her dry eyes open, rolling them as they landed on Gemma who stood at her bedside, placing a yellow and purple bouquet of flowers on the table.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She sighed, the small bit of fear she'd had for the older woman having left the building days ago. The only person that she feared now, was herself.

"Something' to brighten up your room." Gemma smiled. "I understand that you and the old girlfriend have become buddies." She raised a brow.

Wendy rolled her eyes, pressing the call button for a nurse on the side of her bed as Gemma rounded it. "It's a little late for the panic button." She scoffed.

"I didn't say anything, to anyone." Wendy stared at the white-panelled sealing.

"Smart." Gemma pursed her lips. "I mean, it's not like anyone would believe you, anyhow. You know, the whole junkie thing..." She nodded with mock-sympathy. "All I did was give you an option, sweetheart... You're the one who took the cowards way out, and you couldn't even do that right."

"We can't all be rocks like you, Mother Gemma." Wendy scoffed. "I don't know how you do it..." She shook her head incredulously. "Keep all the lies straight... All the dirty little secrets buried... Your conscience must be locked up real tight." 

Gemma chewed her lip as she made her way closer, sitting herself on the side of the bed where she leaned into the woman who, without the substance issues, she may have been scared of. "Nothing gets in the way of me taking care of my family... Especially my conscience."

♕

Sydney approached Tristen's room while Tara's admin kept Karen busy until Gemma would step in, giving the older woman a nod as she shoved down the anxiety in her chest and slipped through the door as quickly as she could with Tara's keycard in hand.

"Hi, sweetie..." She closed the door softly behind her as her gaze fell upon the sorrowful sight.

Tristen hesitated before picking up her phone. "My mom said I have to call if anyone talks to me." Her voice shook audibly. 

Sydney sat down on the bed quickly, gently taking her trembling hand and lowering the phone. "That's okay, sweetheart. You don't have to do that. I'm a good friend of your mom’s." She nodded assuringly.

"You are?" Tristen questioned gently, the hope evident in her voice. 

Sydney's stomach dropped further with every word that left the poor girl's busted lips. She hated that something so horrible had to have happened to someone so innocent... "Yeah." She nearly choked on the lie. "I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you yet, though." She forced a smile. "My name is Sydney." 

"I saw you at the fair. You were dancing with that weird curly-haired guy." A small smile just barely tugged at her lips.

"Yeah, I was." Sydney laughed, happy that she was able to momentarily distract the poor girl from the heinous trauma she'd undergone - even if it was at Tig's expense.

"Is he your boyfriend?" She asked with a slight scowl, clearly confused about the gorgeous young woman and the creepy older man. 

Sydney laughed freely, glad that their close proximity in age made Tristen feel more comfortable around her. "He is." She smiled big, still feeling the butterflies when she referred to Tig that way. "It's okay... All the guys bug me about it too." She joked, nudging her leg playfully. 

"They aren't so bad, are they?" Tristen asked inquisitively about the rough bikers that her parents had always taught her to be afraid of - but tonight, they were the only ones that she wasn't afraid of. 

"Not nearly as bad as you would think.” Sydney smiled. “They look scary, but really they're just one big family. And that big family is working as hard as they can right now to find the guy who did this to you." 

"Really?" Tristen asked hopefully to which Sydney nodded. "He looked at you special... Like he loves you." She did her best to focus on one of the happier things from the evening - trying her best to follow her mother’s advice and forget about what had happened. 

Sydney's heart throbbed as the meaningful words came from the girl who's life had just been changed forever. "You're a strong girl, Tristen." She nodded in admiration. "He told me tonight... That he loves me." She smiled.

"I hope someone feels like that about me one day." 

"A beautiful, kind girl like you? You're going to have a line of men who feel that way about you in your lifetime, sweetheart." Tristen began to smile, but her lips started trembling and before she knew it, the tears began spilling uncontrollably. 

"Not anymore." She sobbed.

"Don't say that.” Sydney shook her head as the horribly familiar scene began to play out before her eyes. "Look at me." She ordered firmly as she ground her teeth together, reminding herself that today, reliving the awful memories was going to be for something good. 

Tristen looked up, meeting Sydney's soft, forest green eyes. "Did you ask him to do what he did?" She asked, watching as the young girl became visibly uncomfortable with the upfront question, eventually shaking her head wearily. "Did you tell him to stop?" She continued, getting a slow nod. "You're a smart girl, Tristen. Smarter than a lot of girls your age, I'm sure your parents tell you that, right?" She nodded. "As a smart girl, you know that there is nothing that you did to bring this on, and there wasn't anything you could've done to stop it, right?” She elicited another cautious nod from the young girl. “There are sick people in this world, baby. Nothing about this is your fault." She clutched her hand in an attempt to reinforce her sincerity. "The same thing happened to me when I was younger." She finally admitted after a few moments of silence, knowing that the only way to get through to the damaged girl was to help show her that these things could be overcome.

"What?" Tristen squeaked, unable to believe that the gorgeous, confident, intimidating woman who ran with the notorious bikers could've ever been hurt the same way that she had been tonight.

"Close." Sydney nodded, staring off distantly as she attempted to ward off the weight of the memory.

"How did you-, I mean... You don't look like-" The young girl stumbled over her words, trying to find the right thing to say.

"I didn't want to tell anyone…  Didn't want anyone to look at me differently, but I had to. And I was lucky that I had the right people to show me that it wasn't my fault." 

"Can I trust you?" Tristen asked meekly after a few seconds of thinking over Sydney's advice. 

Sydney hesitated, remembering that her purpose here was to find out who was to blame for this, and finding who was to blame could very well involve breaking Tristen's trust. She did something that she very rarely did - going with her heart over her head as she nodded her confirmation. 

"I remember everything. My mom says it will ruin my reputation if I tell. I know it's not my fault. But… She’s making me feel like it is." 

Sydney felt her stomach wrench in disgust at the preppy mother of the broken young girl who clearly cared about nothing more than what the suburban housewives would have to say about her the next time that they met for brunch.

“I promise that isn’t the truth.” Sydney shook her head. “If you can tell me what happened, I can make sure that it never happens again.”

Tristen squeezed Sydney’s hand while she told her the heartbreaking story of what had gone down that night, who did it, and where it happened. It was hard for her to listen to, but she felt better knowing that this time, rather than being the victim, she was going to be the vindicator.

"I'm going to fix this.” She nodded. “And once I do, I'm going to come back and visit you, okay?" 

"Please." Tristen nodded. 

Sydney got up off the bed, heading towards the door. "Tristen." She looked over her shoulder as her hand sat on the door handle, seeing so much of her younger self in the poor, battered girl. "You're gonna be just like me one day, baby." She nodded with a smile.

♕

"I did not give you permission to question my daughter!" Sydney lingered at the end of the hallway with Gemma after getting herself out of Tristen's room just in time as Karen Oswald chewed out Unser's Deputy for trying to do the exact same thing that she had done. 

"I wasn't questioning her, ma'am." Hale sighed. "I was just seeing how she was feeling."

"They don't want her to tell - just want to make it go away." Sydney shook her head.

"Somethin' like this ain't just gonna go away in a small town..." Gemma looked over her shoulder as the poor guy tried to plead his case to the angry mother.

"I know." Sydney nodded regretfully. "Think you can get her to crack?" 

"Sweetheart, have you met me?" Gemma smirked, making her way over to Karen.

"Bullshit! I am not going to let you people traumatize her any more than she already is. You leave her the hell alone." She sneered before stomping down the hallway, and out of the hospital completely.

Gemma followed close behind, stepping out into the night where the lighter-haired woman stood in the parking lot with her arms wrapped around herself. "Had a little conversation with Tristen." She announced her presence.

"What?" Karen whirled around. "Why would you be talking to my daughter?" 

"She seemed relieved to get it off of her chest." Gemma raised a brow.

"What the hell did you say to her?" Karen sneered as her chest began to heave, but not with anger - with fear.

Gemma looked over the woman that in another life, she was sure she would be close friends with. "She remembers everything, doesn't she?" Karen stayed silent. "You don't want the trial... The press... You just wanna sweep it under the rug."

"Don't you judge me..."

"I'm not judging you." She shrugged. "You don't know me, and I got no idea what it's like to be you. But I do know something about burying the truth... And thats a burden that you never want to put on a kid." She nodded sincerely. "Tristen has to know that this really happened. Make her hide it? Lie about it? It'll come back and shit on every relationship that she ever has. That rich, happy lifestyle that you've worked so hard to give her, you can just kiss it goodbye."

"If they arrest this guy..." Karen's voice cracked. "Then everyone puts a face to the crime... And then it becomes real." She choked on a sob. "My little girl becomes 'that girl who was raped at the fair', for the rest of her life, not Tristen."

"Sweetheart... In her head? She'll always be the girl who was raped at the fair." She shook her head. "The only thing worse than everyone knowing? Is no one knowing."

♕

"Carnie raped her. Big guy dressed as a clown." Gemma reported as she stomped back towards Sydney.

"Thank God..." Sydney breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that she wouldn't have to carry the betrayal of the young girl's trust on her shoulders.. "And thank God that you managed to talk some sense into that cunt..." She sneered. "Does he know yet?" She nodded to Hale on their way out.

"Not yet..." Gemma raised a brow, breaking off from Sydney where she pulled the car around to the front, slowing for the little blonde to jump in after whatever she had done to buy them more time to get to the guy before the cops could.

Sydney slid into the passenger seat, quickly pulling her door shut and dialling Clay. "Get Oswald, meet at the fairgrounds in twenty. We don't have much time." She barked into her burner before snapping it shut - giving him no time to argue. 

"Jesus, you're sounding like more of a President than him." Gemma commented with a raised brow.

 Sydney just smiled smugly. "Why didn't you ever try to join like I am? You would be amazing." 

"Not doubting you there, sweetheart.” Gemma chuckled. “John never would've let it happen... And by the time that I was with Clay, I had a son to take care of... Family took over for me. Clay is too protective to give me a seat at the table." 

"But you know everything, right? He privys you, you give advice..." Sydney mused.

"Yes, I do." She smirked knowingly.

"So you keep your man happy and let him think that he's in control while you pull the strings behind the scenes." She surmised with a smug nod. 

"I knew that I was gonna like you..." The Matriarch smirked. "I have a feeling Tigger's gonna have an even harder time with you than Clay does with me."

"Can't let their lives be easy all the time." Sydney snorted, her heart fluttering as the less depressing events of the evening came back to her. "He told me that he loves me." 

"What?" Gemma screeched excitedly as she slammed on the brakes in the middle of the road. 

Sydney howled in laughter at the over the top reaction from Gemma, biting her lip through her giddy smile. "But you don't think it's too soon?" She asked nervously once the excitement had died down. She rarely cared about the opinions of others, but she was going into this relationship completely blind. If she was ever going to seek someone's advice - it was the advice of The Queen.

"Baby, it's never too soon in this life." She looked over at her with a smile.

"That's what Chibs said too." Sydney chortled.

"If Chibs is telling you that it isn't too soon? Then it definitely isn’t too soon." Gemma scoffed. "Now what the hell happened in that photo booth?" 

♕

Hale made his way out of the hospital with the new information in hand, and a pep in his step as he strolled to his Bronco. There was no way that SAMCRO could ever find out before he could make the arrest, even if Elliot didn't take his advice.

But just as the invigorating thought had begun to seep into his brain, he felt it being sucked right back out as his eyes landed on four flat tires. 

"God dammit..." He sighed. The bad guys had won again.

♕

Sydney stalked over to where the guys were waiting at the entrance to the fairgrounds, pure adrenaline filling her veins with the thought of what was about to go down. "Oswald?" She questioned when she didn't see the clean shaven man among the group of outlaws. 

"On his way." Clay nodded.

"Carnie. Clown from the dunk tank." She cocked a brow.

"Jesus fucking Christ." Jax groaned, shaking his head. 

“We grab him, have Oswald meet us in the woods." Clay ordered.

"Got it." Juice confirmed as he flipped open his burner. 

"Good job, Princess." Clay nodded.

"You owe most of the thanks to your old lady." Sydney winked. 

"Will do." He raised an eyebrow, giving her a smug nod.

SAMCRO stomped through the grounds of the fair which had long shut down by now, making their way over to the campers where all of the carnies were drinking around a fire. 

"Hear you're harbouring a fugitive." Clay called out. 

The wandering eyes of the sleazy, disgusting men all fell on Sydney where she stiffened uncomfortably - thankful when Tig immediately pulled her behind him. 

"What are you gonna do about it?" One of the bigger guys challenged as he got to his feet. 

"Citizens arrest." Clay sneered as he hit him square in the jaw, knocking him out cold before an all out brawl broke out. 

One of the bolder men tried to sneak around the side where Sydney was standing as multiple members took down carnies around her, which landed him right next to his buddy - thanks to Tig - while Bobby and Chibs wrestled the culprit to the ground, dragging him to the woods as most of the men backed off once they realized that the bikers meant business. 

Elliot finally arrived where they'd dragged the rapist deep into the woods. "Here's the scumbag that raped your little girl." Clay pointed as the man pleaded his protests from where he'd been forced onto his knees in the dirt - just like he'd done to her. "Cattle guys call this an elsie maker... It's used to cut the balls off of bulls." He explained as he presented the homicidal father with a small knife. 

Sydney's eyes widened, twinkling against the moonlight while Tig gripped her hip in anticipation. She was impressed by Clay's creativity - she knew that he was ruthless, but he had always appeared much more intimidating than twisted. 

"Strip him." Clay ordered Jax and Bobby who began yanking the man’s clothes off - one much more eager than the other. 

"Jesus." Elliot muttered as scratches from his daughter appeared all over the man's chest, tears clouding his eyes while sweat beaded on his forehead. Perfect.

“He deserves every second of the pain." Clay coaxed as Jax tried to ignore the tensing of his muscles as he begrudgingly made himself watch what was about to take place. 

Elliot grabbed the knife and walked up haphazardly, dropping to his knees where he pressed the tip of the blade against the blubbering man's skin, ever so slightly drawing blood as he continued to plead and cry - screaming in pain before it became too much for the straight-laced man to bear, shaking in frustration before he ripped himself away. 

"Oh, Jesus." Bobby groaned, but Jax felt relief. He hadn't wanted to get into bed with the Oswalds, or bloody his hands in the first place - now he wouldn't have to.

Sydney's evil smile took over as her breathing got heavier, watching her plan unfold perfectly before her eyes. Clay cocked an eyebrow at her, his gaze trailing down to the knife which had dropped to the ground from Oswald's hand. 

"What do you wanna do here, Elliot?" He prompted.

"I'm sorry." The terrified man shook his head and walked away, wanting to be far away from that scene before they did what he knew they were going to do - what he thought he'd wanted them to do. 

Clay quickly picked up the knife with a plastic bag, nodding to Sydney as Jax ripped his grip away from the man, Chibs taking his place before the scumbag could break away. 

The Sergeant-at-Arms stepped forward to finish the job, rolling his shoulders back as he began to pull out the knife that was strapped to his thigh before he was stopped by a delicate hand on his bicep. 

Tig looked into Sydney’s glimmering eyes with confusion - looking to Clay who gave him a nod, which he returned before stepping back.

"Hold him still." Clay ordered. 

Jax's confusion began spiralling as the guys exchanged scowls when Sydney got to her knees before the man, gently caressing his face. "Hi, sweetheart." She wiped away his tears until he stopped his screaming against her gentle touch. "Don't worry, baby..." She leaned into his ear as she lowered her voice to a soothing coo. "I'm gonna make sure these big, bad bikers don't hurt you, okay?" He whimpered, nodding frantically.

"Thank you." He cried as she pulled him into an embrace. 

"Shh, it's okay." She cooed as he sobbed into her shoulder. "I heard you like little girls... Is that true?" She whispered to him in a low, cold voice while his head sat tucked into the crook of her neck. 

"What the hell?" Bobby groaned as Sydney took her sweet time, wasting theirs with her theatrics.

With one swift move, Sydney revealed a pink chrome Swiss Army knife that had been concealed along her inner arm, ripping the curved blade along the top of the scumbag's nutsack and pushing him off of her to avoid the blood spatter on her clothes. 

"Clay!" Jax screamed among the agonized man's wailing as Sydney got to work detaching his organs - nobody moving to stop her. "Don't make her do this!" He shook his head as his stomach turned, ripping his eyes away.

"Holy shit, holy shit." Half-Sack repeated over and over again as he tried to ignore the aching in his own organs.

Sydney looked up with an evil smile once she finished her knife work, revelling in the soundtrack of the lowlife's screaming before he slumped over in the dirt, bleeding out - wiping her knife on his shirt before tucking it back into her boot. 

“This makes so much more sense now..." Bobby thought out loud as he looked between Sydney and Tig. 

Happy walked over and placed a hand on Sydney's shoulder, giving her an approving nod. He knew how lethal she was - Clay, Tig, and a few others had caught on, but the rest of the men still had no idea to what extent she operated, watching the scene in shock.

"Tacoma Killer and the Cali Queen." Clay announced, staring at the two. 

Sydney swore that she could feel the goosebumps wash over the group as everyone realized who she was. "San Bern's finest." She cooed playfully before skipping over to Tig, looking up at him expectantly with those wide, innocent eyes. "Take me home?" She asked sweetly. 

He gulped, shaking his head slightly as he snapped out of his state of bewilderment. "Sure, doll." He choked out, his erection threatening to rip open the button on his jeans. 

"Let him bleed out. Bury him in the woods - mark the grave." Clay ordered Half-Sack. "Pick those up and gift wrap 'em." He nodded to the set of testicles that laid on the forest floor.

"What the hell are we doin'?" Jax got in Clay's face, earning him a menacing stare of challenge that made him rethink his statement. "I can't be your number two if I don't know where you're taking this club." He rephrased, but the disapproval was still heavy in his tone.

"Takin' out some real estate insurance." Clay grinned. "We just bought ourselves a new warehouse, boys." He held up the bagged knife. 

Cheers arose as they came to the realization of what had just happened - the way that their President had managed to kill two big birds with one very small stone. 

"So you knew this was comin'... Whether Oswald had the nerve or not - this whole hunt was about blackmail." He spit out.

"Well, actually... The leverage was just a fortunate byproduct of my community spirit." Clay grinned before walking off.

As they approached the bike, Tig gripped Sydney's elbow hard, spinning her around to face him. "So the rumours are true... Cali Queen, huh?" He brushed the back of his hand against the top of her left breast where her crown tattoo sat underneath her shirt. She didn't answer, looking up into his eyes as she tried to read his expression while his fingers trailed up her chest around to the back of her neck where he pulled her closer. "You're still my Princess." He whispered huskily.

"Always, Sergeant." She choked out in a whisper as a shudder rolled through her body. 

As Sydney was getting herself comfortable behind Tig on his bike, Clay appeared from the darkness - handing her an envelope. She accepted it with a crease in her forehead, opening it to reveal a thick wad of cash, eyeballing about $10K. 

"What's this?" She scowled.

"You just saved me a shit ton of money on a rebuild... Buy yourself somethin' nice." He winked. "Tigger, you take care of this one tonight, you hear me?" He ordered with a raised eyebrow. 

"Oh don’t you worry, boss... I will."  It would be an easy order to follow, he had been dying to get her home since their little photo booth escapade had been cut short. He looked her up and down, ghosting his palm over his crotch. 

♕

Jax made his way through the hospital where he found his mother in the same place that he had found her every waking moment since his son had been given his own room, watching with a smile as she read what had to be the hundredth book to her sleeping grandson.

"You really think he can hear you?" He asked softly as he entered the room, gazing upon the infant that he swore was looking bigger already.

"Yeah." Gemma nodded thoughtfully. "I do." She smiled. "You guys take care of the clown?"

"Yeah." Jax scoffed, blinking out of her gaze.

Gemma nodded slowly as her nagging worry crept back in as she watched his display of fear - of disdain for the life that he knew all too well, that she had taught him all too well. "The junkie's awake." She changed the subject.

"Don't call her that." Jax's face contorted in a wince. 

"Alright." Gemma rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Sorry."

Jax chuckled, kissing her cheek goodnight as he made his way out of the hospital. He'd hoped for the lightness that physically seeing his son brought him, but after what he'd witnessed tonight, he was going to need something more...

Tara looked up from the clipboard that she was finally retiring for the night, her nerves frying when her tired eyes landed on Jax. "H-hi." She stuttered, cursing herself for the lack of caffeine that ironically made her more jumpy.

"Hey." He smiled. "I just saw Abel... He looks good."

"Yeah." Tara smiled. "He's doing better."

Jax couldn't think of anything else to say as he looked over the soft curves of the beautifully calming face that he knew all too well, realizing after a few seconds that he had been staring for far too long. "Um." He blinked. "Are you on your way out?" 

"Yeah." Tara nodded.

"I'll walk you to your car." He smiled.

"Okay." Tara ignored the butterflies that swarmed deep in her stomach. He's just being a gentleman. She told herself as she gathered her belongings. There had been a rape this evening, after all. "Did um... Did you hear about the Oswald girl?" She asked as she slung her brown saddlebag over her shoulder, trying her best to make small talk.

"Yeah." Jax nodded regretfully. "Horrible." 

"It is... I can't imagine." Tara shook her head as they made their way to the staff lot.

"Shit..." Jax grinned when his eyes landed on the black vehicle. "Your dad's Cutlass..."

"Yeah." Tara chuckled, remembering how much he had always loved that car. "Needs some work, but... Still drives pretty good."

"Dad stopped maintaining it?" Jax scowled as he patted the roof of the old car.

"Towards the end, he..." She trailed off, blinking a few times. "I found it in the garage under two tons of old newspapers."

Jax grimaced once he realized that he'd put his foot in his mouth, doing the first thing that he could think of to remove it. "Why don't you bring it by the garage? I'll see what I can do."

"Really? That'd be great." She nodded thankfully.

"Sure." Jax grinned, pulling her in for a hug out of pure instinct.

Tara managed to catch the gasp that threatened to escape her throat when he pulled her into his arms, remembering what had happened the last time... She held on, half of her hoping that it would happen again - but she stopped herself. She couldn't go down that road, not again. 

"Goodnigh-" She began as she pulled herself away, looking down at her scrubs that were now stained with blood - blood that she knew hadn't been there before. She looked up at him in horror, her first instinct being to check him over for injuries, but the familiar wince that graced his face told her everything that she needed to know - because it was a wince that she had seen far too many times before.

"Clean yourself up, Jax." She blinked in disgust, in terror - in all of the things that had driven her away from him all of those years ago.

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

Tig hastily pulled his bike onto the compound while Sydney clung to him, climbing off quickly and putting a hand on her leg to keep her in place - not bothering to remove his helmet. "Grabbing some shit. You stay right here, kitten." He winked.

"I can't wait." She whined breathlessly, desperately - pouting as she clung to his arm as the extra dominance in his command only added to the already unbearable need that she felt in every part of her body.

He reached out, running his fingers through her hair before he leaned down, kissing her hard. He released one hand from her curls, gently trailing down her body where he began to rub her through her shorts - chuckling as her hands immediately went to his belt buckle before he stilled them with one swift movement.

"Looks like you're gonna have to learn some self control, pussycat." He grinned.

Sydney inhaled sharply when he mimicked her words, rolling her eyes as he pressed the same tantalizing kiss on her cheek that he had the day before - the one that left her cheeks burning, her core throbbing, and her mind racing.

Tig hurried through the clubhouse, not bothering to stop and greet any of the party-goers that crowded the bar as he made his way to his dorm, gathering some clothes for the next day. He stopped as he passed his nightstand, a mischievous smile coming to his face as he advanced towards the small chest of wooden drawers where he pulled out the perfect addition to their evening and slid it into his back pocket, scowling as his hand brushed up against a piece of thick cardstock.

The dirty smile on his face softened as he realized what he was touching, pulling out the strip of photos that he'd managed to swipe on their way out of the fair after she’d given him the earth-shattering blowjob that had gotten them escorted off of the property.

He smiled as he studied the four photos on the glossy paper. The excited couple had been completely oblivious to the fact that even though they were in a photo booth, there were actually pictures being taken. The top one was of Sydney, grinning and looking to the side as she tightened her ponytail, which he pinpointed as the moment that she was waiting for him to make sure that the coast was clear. The second one was him looking down at her, and her up at him while his hand cupped her face, and the one following that was when their ravenous lips finally met. But the very last one was his favorite - the perfect moment captured while they smiled with their eyes closed just as they had pulled away from each other - his hand still in her hair, and hers on his face.

He'd always been able to tell that she looked at him differently than others did, but being able to see it captured from somebody else's perspective; to see the way that her eyes sparkled with so much depth made his underlying insecurities sink a little further into the back of his mind. His heart fluttered one last time as he examined the undeniable evidence printed clear as day on the images before him, reaching towards the open drawer where he stopped, pulling his arm back and ripping the strip in half - separating the top two photos from the bottom two. He ghosted his thumb over the face of the mindblowingly beautiful girl who, for some reason, had decided that she loved him - tucking the photos into his wallet before placing the remaining two in the drawer.

Sydney's chest heaved violently as rushing air assaulted her face on the short ride to her house that felt agonizingly long as she pulsed behind him. She tried to calm her racing heart as they pulled into her driveway - ignoring the realization that this kind of adrenaline was something she'd only ever felt before, or after taking a life. He killed the engine the second that the bike rolled to a stop, turning around and unstrapping her helmet before she could do it herself - holding out his hand to her where he helped her to the pavement. A blush washed over her cheeks as she felt her stomach dip in a swoon, fully submitting to the authority in his actions as she clutched onto his large hand tightly. As soon as he was satisfied that she was safely planted on the ground, his hands flew to her waist - kissing her roughly as he walked her backwards until her back was up against the garage door where he lifted one of her legs and wrapped it around his hip.

"I need you." She breathed out as his hand moved roughly between her thigh and her ass while the other once tangled in her hair.

He pulled back with a nod, the same desire bubbling in his stomach as he pushed off of her and led her to the front door where he waited for her to unlock it, stepping inside where he instantly retook control the second that the lock clicked - slamming the door as soon as they crossed the threshold and pinning her against it with one hand on her waist and the other above her head. 

Sydney felt the warm sensation pooling between her legs as she realized how small she felt in his presence, his dominance, his stature - standing almost a full foot taller than her when she wasn't relying on her heels. But as she discovered how small she felt in his presence, she also discovered her enjoyment for it; that drop of fear that turned her on - not combating the intimidation like she usually felt the need to do around men like him.

Tig leaned down slowly after a few seconds of intensely staring at each other - relishing the anticipation before he pressed his lips to hers again. She clawed at his black t-shirt as their teeth began to clash in the heat of the moment, needing to feel his skin against hers as she raked her nails over his covered torso before he finally flung the confining leather from his shoulders and let her pull his shirt up where he yanked it over his head.

Sydney felt her shirt being pulled up just enough that he could reach around to unclip her bra while she ripped open his belt buckle - the sound of the rattling metal only spurring her on and prompting her to move faster. Once her tits were free of the white bra that she wore, he immediately covered a nipple with his mouth, licking and biting greedily at the supple skin. She threw her head back against the door, moaning in pleasure as she pushed his pants and boxers down - her needy movements slowing considerably as his mouth slipped her into a trance.

"Tiggy..." She whined in wanton before his hands stilled her bucking hips, squeezing them before he moved to the button on her shorts as his mouth latched itself to her neck.

If there was ever a feeling for Sydney to bottle up and save for a rainy day, it was this one; the buzz of pure excitement that mixed with his slow, carefully calculated movements that had her ready to burst on the spot - unable to even imagine the euphoria that she was in store for as things continued to escalate.

Tig smiled when he felt her pulse quickening under his tongue as she writhed under the ministrations that had him reaching peak arousal the same way that he imagined she was.

"Here, now. Please." She begged through staggered breaths, her body convulsing in his hands.

"Okay, baby." He whispered tenderly with his forehead against hers, kissing her lips gently as he dragged her shorts down her legs, his expression growing dark with lust once he realized that she wasn't wearing any panties beneath the denim. "You naughty girl..." He growled with a grin, turning her around slowly as he stepped out of his own jeans, pulling her hips towards him before gathering the stringy black material at the apex of her thighs in his hands and pulling it apart.

Sydney felt herself getting even wetter when the sound of the tearing fabric filled her ears, her mind on nothing but the godsent man behind her as he made her need like she'd never needed before. She whimpered when his hands moved to her ass, pushing it out for him as he spread her open, yelping when he lined himself up with her sensitive entrance.

"Tell me how bad you want it, baby." He whimpered, the intensity of the encounter taking a toll on him as well. Tig knew that he was good in bed - he hadn't spent years learning women's bodies for nothing - but he'd never had a girl literally falling over her feet for him the way that Sydney was.

"So fucking bad." She was almost in tears, quivering while he slicked himself with her juices before slowly pushing into her, squeezing her hip as a high-pitched, breathless scream left her as he bottomed out, an abundance of staggered breaths following as she tried to compose herself.

"So damn tight..." Tig groaned, fighting off the urge to finish before he'd even started as her walls pulsed around him while he began to move slowly, acclimating them both to the overwhelming sensations as their moans mingled together. Once he got a handle on his self-restraint, he gradually picked up his pace - watching her ass bounce with each snap of his hips.

Sydney brought her forearms up to leverage herself against the door as she completely bent over for him, needing something more reliable than her shaky legs to help keep her upright. But as the sound of skin slapping filled the room, she couldn't help herself from looking over her shoulder at the erotic sight - a dirty grin coming to her face before she began moaning even louder. The way that he fucked her had taken her to her full potential; succumbing to her most sinful desires where she finally felt like she didn’t have to hold anything back.

Tig’s eyes widened as he watched her fully let herself go for him - his dick swelling inside of her. He quickly hooked his fingers under her knee and lifted her leg up, wanting to take her as far as possible before it would be too late. 

Sydney squealed when he went even deeper, burying her face into her surely bruising arms as the magnitude of pleasure sent her eyes tumbling into the back of her skull.

"Look at me." He commanded, bringing those gorgeous green orbs back up to his before he dipped his head down, capturing her lips - his tongue working overtime as he poured as much pleasure into the embrace as possible.

The authority in his eyes and the ferocity of his kiss sent Sydney’s orgasm crashing through her, slamming her fist against the door as she cried into his mouth. He pulled out quickly - he wanted this to last as long as possible, and he knew that he couldn't do that with her tight little pussy milking his dick as she came. He gripped her biceps, turning her around where she dropped to the ground and wrapped her lips around his cock in an instant - the only thing that she could do, because her legs would've given out if she'd tried to remain standing.

He stumbled back in surprise before steadying himself with a hand on the wall, not at all expecting her to be so eager to suck her own release off of him - adding to the rapidly growing list of things that made him think that there was no way that she wasn't made for him.

Sydney let her heavy eyes fall shut as she sucked him off sloppily, moaning to let him know that she enjoyed pleasing him just as much as he was enjoying being pleased. But her actions didn't last long before she felt herself being lifted back to her feet, his tongue reclaiming her mouth before she could even fully open her eyes. She gripped his jaw and pulled him closer with force, the need for him not dwindling even after her first orgasm. This had been the most passionate sex that she'd ever had - and she wasn't ready for it to end yet.

Tig pulled away abruptly, spinning her around by her elbow and smacking her ass before his hand gripped her throat, tipping her head up to where he found her lips once again, ripping his mouth away and replacing his tongue with his fingers. "Upstairs, dollface." He ordered in her ear with a whisper, sending an icy-hot chill through her as she curled her tongue around his digits, nodding eagerly before scrambling up the stairs.

Once she was out of sight, Tig pulled his boxers and jeans back on, but he didn't bother with the rest of his discarded clothing - bending to pick his kutte up off of the floor where he hung it in the closet by the door. He grabbed his backpack, locked the door, and turned off the lights before he finally allowed himself to follow her up the stairs - desperately needing the breather if they were going to continue on the way that they'd been going.

When his feet finally hit the landing, he found her sitting on the bed, waiting for him - completely naked now. She stood as he approached, waiting for further direction but getting nothing as he stood frozen in front of her, his pupils blown out as his eyes ate up her form; tight, perfect, and all for him.

"Such a good girl." He mused almost animalistically as he cupped her face in one hand, the other trailing the top of her thigh, up to cup her breast, roughly flicking the pad of his thumb over her nipple - eliciting a gasp from her throat. He grinned at the noise as he watched her eyes dilate, filling to the brim with need before he littered her body with soft kisses, scraping his teeth along her skin as he did so.

"Arms up, gorgeous." He whispered into her ear as he pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his back pocket, watching her eyes flash with excitement - a reaction that earned her a nice bite to her neck before she turned around with a grin, holding her hands over her head so that he could fasten the cuffs over the metal frame of her canopy bed.

"Mmm." He hummed where she stood restrained before him, sliding his hands down her sides as he slipped in front of her, sitting himself on the edge of her bed while she shivered between his legs. "I could just leave you here all night." He nodded thoughtfully as he revelled in the softness of her body beneath his calloused hands, nuzzling against her stomach as he lightly blew over her clit while he held her in place by the back of her thighs.

"Whatever you want, Sergeant." Her eyes fluttered shut as his fingertips kneaded the sensitive skin that was so agonizingly close to her dripping slit.

He chuckled in appreciation for her willingness to please, dragging his lips up her torso where he sucked her diamond belly ring into his mouth before moving up her chest, engulfing a nipple while he looked up into her needy, helpless eyes.

The softness of his gaze threw Sydney off as her entire body broke out in goosebumps before he bit down, lightly tugging on the ring in her hardened bud - causing the perfect amount of pain to intensify the pleasure as she gasped, curling her toes into the carpet as a wave of excitement rushed through her.

He lifted her off of the ground, her knees hitting the soft duvet as he pulled her into his lap while her wrists remained secured to the bar above her. He placed wet kisses all around her chest while he rubbed slow circles into her ankles before dragging his hands up her bent legs at a tortuous pace, smoothing up her thighs while he let his thumbs fall between her legs, ghosting over her mound. Her head rolled back as she shuddered, her hands pulling on the restraints as she subliminally rose up onto her knees, pressing her body against his where she sighed when she finally found some contact as her bare chest met the warmth of his.

Somehow, even without the use of her hands, she had managed to get him exactly where she wanted him. She leant down, nudging his forehead with hers, effectively tilting his head upwards to where she could swoop down and sink her teeth into his neck.

"God..." He whimpered, yanking her closer by her ass on instinct as she sucked his pulse and ground against his denim covered crotch. He eventually felt her movements change, pushing herself back against his palms - catching on as he slid his fingers closer to her opening, coating the tips in her arousal until she was able to push herself back far enough to make the contact that she was after.

"Tiggy..." She whined when his fingers dipped inside of her from behind, keeping his palms firmly planted on her ass cheeks to tease her just enough. "Let me touch you." She pouted as desperation took over as she was forced to marinate in denial, looking into those blue eyes pleadingly.

"You wanna touch me, baby?" He pushed his hands closer together.

"Mhmm..." She rocked against his hand, nodding while she widened her glossy eyes and bit her lip.

Tig was no match for that pout or the way that she ground against his fingers. "Hold on." He instructed with a nod as he patted her thigh, standing with her in his arms as he wrapped her legs around him. He would've been a stupid man to deny her request - that's what he told himself, anyways, rather than admitting that he would’ve given up every last bit of control that he'd always clung to so tightly, if it meant making her happy.

Sydney did as she was told, nodding obediently as she squeezed her thighs around his hips to keep herself upright so that he could utilize both hands to unlock the cuffs. She felt her eyes begin to blur as she zoned out, staring longingly at his perfect jawline while his head was tilted up, not realizing that she was still holding her arms above her head far after he had released them from their confines.

"We'll save these for another day." He chuckled at the ego-inflating display as he stroked her forearms with his rough palms, kissing her wrists sweetly before easing them down to his shoulders. But before he could make his next move, her mouth was on his jaw in an instant - kissing, sucking, and nibbling. He stumbled back against the bed, regaining his footing in time to turn so that she was the first to land on the mattress with him on top of her - returning the same assault as he pushed her further and further up the bed. He chuckled darkly as he hovered over her; her sex drive was proving to be well above his expectations. "You're a dirty little girl, aren't you?" He grinned sadistically as he gathered her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head before shoving two fingers into her weeping core, the condescending tone in his voice sending a shudder through her that could be felt on his fingers as her walls fluttered around them.

Sydney gasped at the sudden intrusion, her cheeks flushing as he stared deep into her eyes while he hovered over her helpless body, unable to compose herself enough to speak where she found herself completely at his mercy before her lips eventually curled into a devilish smile. She removed a wrist from his grip as her eyes glinted mischievously while she trailed her fingers down his chest, to where he was buried inside of her - slowly sliding his fingers out of her and bringing them up to her mouth where she sucked her juices off of his digits and nodded with her eyes wide. She could feel that he was as hard as a rock against her abdomen as he shoved his tongue into her mouth the second that his fingers left it - pushing her down into the mattress before he pulled himself away, kneeling between her legs where he released his painful erection from its denim confines.

As soon as his pants were out of the way, Sydney was yanking him back down to her lips, running her hands down his back as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pleaded with her eyes. He rubbed the tip of his dick against her entrance a few times before finally pushing inside of her - making her gasp beneath him while he growled against the sensitive spot on her neck. He pulled back, sliding slowly back in where he buried himself completely in her heat until his hips were flush with hers - her breathing hitching and a squeak leaving her throat as his length hit a spot inside her that she didn't even know existed. 

Tig nibbled up and down her neck lightly as his pace gradually grew until eventually he was full on jackhammering her where he had her arms pinned above her head - pushing them into the mattress to leverage himself. She cried out again at the change in pace, every thrust sending a new wave of pleasure through her body where she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold off when she felt herself tightening around him once again.

"Don't hold back, beautiful." He kissed her collarbone delicately - a contrast that sent her over the edge as she felt every muscle in her body tense up before finally falling completely limp - her spasming walls threatening to push him out while her body twitched around him. 

Tig marinated in her moans of pure satisfaction for a few seconds before flipping her over where he shoved his cock into her from the new angle, his own eyes rolling back now as he listened to her cry out for him while he began chasing his own release - grabbing her hair as he pulled her head up to bite her earlobe once he met it, finally slowing his pace.

"Tig!" Sydney cried out between moans as she clawed furiously at the blankets beneath her, the deep penetration from the new angle causing her to unexpectedly come again.

"Fuck, doll." He panted, pressing a kiss to her shoulder blade before he rolled onto the bed beside her, gently rubbing her back as he pressed his lips to her neck.

Sydney whimpered freely as he caressed her over-sensitive, raw body while she came down from a high unlike any other. She would never admit it, but this was one of her favourite parts of being with Tig; the aftercare - praising her with soothing words and gentle touches for accepting his roughness, reminding her just how soft he could be. All she could do was moan contently as her eyelids got heavier, smiling when she awoke under the covers a few minutes later with her head on Tig's chest as he stroked her hair with one hand, and held her hand in the other as he stared at the ceiling - off in the heaven that having her in his arms created.

♕

Jax sat on the roof of the clubhouse with his fifth cigarette between his lips as he wrestled with the logic of his President, and the words of his father. He ran his hands down his face as he sighed, hunching over his knees. He knew what he was supposed to think, what he was supposed to feel, but all he could focus on was the paragraph inked deeply into the parchment in his hands as the sounds of the man's screams played over and over in his mind.

"When we take action to avenge the ones we love, personal justice collides with social and divine justice. We become judge, jury, and God. With that choice comes daunting responsibility. Some men cave under that weight. Others abuse the momentum. The true outlaw finds the balance between the passion in his heart, and the reason in his mind. His solution is always an equal mix of might, and right."

♕

Tig awoke the next morning without the feeling of Sydney's skin on his, his eyes opening frantically when he realized that she had left the bed altogether. He looked around the room where the bathroom door was open, and the light was off. He couldn't help but feel his heart quicken in a habitual worry, fearing that maybe she had changed her mind - gotten cold feet after the momentous conversation that had transpired the day prior. He began pulling his clothes on, trying to shake the voices of insecurity from his head as he buckled his belt before heading downstairs to look for her - the smell of frying bacon wafting in his face as soon as he pulled her bedroom door open.

Sydney had spent a gruelling fifteen minutes inching herself out of Tig’s grip that had remained throughout the entire night before she was finally able to slink out of bed and tiptoe down the stairs where she now stood barefoot, wearing only his shirt while her hair bobbed around in a loose bun on the top of her head as she spun around the kitchen, humming while she cooked.

A huge grin spread across Tig's face when she finally came into view; a sight straight out of one of his daydreams. He ran up behind her, picking her up and spinning her around. "Now ain't this a pretty sight..." He growled against her neck as she giggled, wrapping one of her arms around his neck. "God, I fucking love you." He beamed with a melting heart.

"I love you too." She whispered as her face reddened, kissing his cheek as she giggled against his ear. 

He lowered her feet back to the ground, pulling her hips back into his morning erection. "I could listen to you say that all. Damn. Day, pussycat." He whispered into her ear, the words broken up by kisses trailing over her shoulder and up her neck.

"You might have to." Her sparkling eyes slid over him lazily, completely mesmerized by his form before she managed to break her trance - playfully slapping his chest with the spatula in her hand. "Now you better make it up to me for ruining the surprise." She turned back around to the stove.

"Sorry..." He laughed. "First time I've had a girl leave me alone in bed." He winked.

She chuckled with a playful roll of her eyes - the soft giggle quickly turning to a gasp as his hands snaked up her - well, his - shirt and over her tits, his thumbs finding her nipples with ease and sending her back arching further into him. "Somethin' tells me that you're not sorry at all." She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Mmm not at all." He hummed into her neck. "Now, how 'bout I make it up to you..."

She mockingly contemplated the offer for a second before reaching over and turning off the stove, giggling as she walked him backwards into the living room and sat him down onto the couch, straddling him while he pulled the shirt over her head.

♕

Tara sighed as she looked up from the room full of incubated babies, to see Jax waving at her from the other side of the glass where he watched his son. She blinked a few times, avoiding the charm behind those oh so tempting - and oh so familiar - blue eyes as she begrudgingly made her way out to greet him.

"Hey." He nodded with a smile, glad that the slip up the night before hadn't sent her running - it wouldn't have been the first time. "He's moving around a lot more." He nodded to the squirming baby.

"Yeah." Tara nodded. "All of his vitals are up."

Jax chewed the inside of his lip as he caught the slight disdain in her voice as she forced herself to make small talk. "Any permanent damage?" He asked cautiously. "Cause of the drugs... Brain or anything?"

Tara could tell that he was trying to avoid what had happened the night before, the second that he started rambling - just as he always had. "Can't know for sure." She shrugged. "But everything so far points to a full recovery." She forced a smile.

"How long is he gonna be in that thing." He nodded to the incubator.

"Could be weeks." She sighed.

Jax's eyes fell shut as he shook his head. He hated that after everything they'd been through - after all this time, he still made her uncomfortable. "Hey, look..." He took a step back, hoping that some extra distance would help her ease up. "I'm sorry about last night... I wasn't-"

"I really don't wanna know." Tara cut him off with an assertive shake of her head.

"Right..." Jax nodded slowly. Some things never change.

"What?" Tara's brow quirked as he looked her over.

"Just figured you'd land a million miles from this place." He shrugged. "You always hated it here." He felt bitter resentment that he'd spent years trying to shove down, clawing it's way back up his tightening chest.

"I didn't hate Charming, Jax..." She shook her head, realizing the weight of her words as she watched his face fall. "Um, it looks like Wendy is going to be okay, though." She took a step closer.

Jax scoffed as she changed the subject. "Define 'okay'." He smirked.

"We're taking her through sedated detox, she'll be out in a couple of days." She explained, watching him nod disinterestedly. "Are you two... Together?" 

"No." Jax shook his head quickly. "Nah, I filed over a year ago... She got clean about ten months back, we tried to reconcile... Didn't work out too well." He chortled.

Tara smiled sympathetically, turning back towards their son. "Well, at least one good thing came out of it."

"Yeah..." He smiled. "Yeah, I guess it did."

"I, um." Tara cleared her throat. "I'm late for rounds..."

"Yeah." Jax nodded understandingly, taking her hand as she tried to pull away. "It's good to have you back."

Tara smiled awkwardly as her hand twitched in his, soaking up the first feeling that had her agreeing with him.

♕

It was a beautiful evening as Sydney held onto Tig on the back of his bike, warm air clinging to her body as his backpack sat on her shoulders, full of her things to bring to his dorm after he had emptied his things to leave at her house. Gemma had scaled back Sydney's hours at the bar since she'd become a full-time member of the crew, so tonight she got to relax and enjoy the party - just as the rest of the Sons did.  

Tig rolled his bike into formation while Sydney unclipped her helmet, quickly getting off so that he could help her to the ground, but instead he was met with a devious little smirk as she leaned back slightly, allowing him to peek up her black denim miniskirt.

"Givin' me flashbacks to the other night." He quirked an eyebrow as he rustled the silver chain on his hip. 

Sydney laughed, sure to spread her legs a little extra as she dismounted the Harley before he quickly slid his backpack off of her shoulders, pecking her cheek before he straightened back up. She felt herself swoon as a blush undoubtedly graced her cheeks - even in the hot weather. She loved that he could be so masculine and gruff, yet so incredibly soft and sweet at the same time. She grabbed his hand, yanking him back where his lips came crashing down onto hers, swooning once again when she felt him smile against her mouth as they listened to the whistles coming from the garage.

"Can you believe that he got that?" Lowell Jr. asked Juice as they tightened the fan belt on a Toyota.

"No." Juice scoffed.

Sydney waltzed into the clubhouse where she saw everybody preparing for the Saturday festivities; a few crows stocking the bar and cleaning tables nodding to her as she passed. She smirked proudly as she continued her strut; not only did she hold the respect of the men, but of the women too - they knew what she was capable of if she’d been given a seat at the table, and now they knew that she was with Tig. Despite the unfavourable reputation of the wild man, she trusted him completely. She knew that his feelings for her were just as real as hers were for him - but knowing that most of the crows were scared of her was a nice bit of reassurance. 

But as they continued down the hall towards his dorm, she felt her mind beginning to race with a confusing medley of thoughts that she’d never had to consider before. She knew all about the run clause - that the men were able to do whatever, and whoever they wanted on the road, as long as they didn't bring it home - and it was always something that she'd understood... Until it effected her.

It was easy for some old ladies to turn a blind eye to what they didn't know; that it was something to be expected when you're with a biker, but the more that Sydney thought about it, the more she realized that she had no idea where she stood with it, and not only where she stood with it, but where he stood with it as well - if her heavier involvement in the club and acceptance of the rules had given him the wrong idea in thinking that it wouldn't bother her. 

She blinked out of Tig's gaze as the gears spun behind her eyes as a whole new world of questions opened up in front of her. Perhaps this had been the whole reason that nobody had thought that he was capable of romance in the first place - why he'd come with so many warnings. And perhaps she wasn't nearly as indifferent towards the rules of men, as she'd previously thought...

♕

Wendy awoke from her deep sleep slowly, pushing her consciousness through the thick fog that enveloped her senses as she tried to pry her eyes open - but it wasn't a feeling that she wasn't used to. In fact, in was the most comfortable that she'd felt in days - until a light tickling in the palm of her hands began to pull her from the depths.

"No... No, no, no, no, no." She begged once she realized what was happening, opening her eyes to see Jax staring down at her. "W-what-" She blinked as she tried to make sense of what was happening, looking down at where his hand sat in hers - the sight that only confirmed that this was just another bad dream.

"That sedation is no joke..." He smirked.

"Y-" She shook her head. "Sedation?" She looked around the room, finally remembering where she was, and why as she looked down at the dark bruising in the crease of her elbow.

Jax looked over her sadly as he pondered their last conversation; what could've been their last conversation. "I don't want you hurting yourself, Wendy..." He sighed, waiting for a response - a denial, but he got nothing as she looked up at him pitifully, rubbing her arm. "Not over this..." He shook his head. "What happened to Abel is not your fault." 

Wendy scoffed over the gut-wrenching sincerity in his voice. "Oh yeah, I'm powerless." She chuckled humourlessly, throwing up her track-riddled arms. "That bullshit excuse is even getting old to me." She sniffled as the guilt pooled behind her eyes.

"It's not that." He grimaced. "Us getting back together... I knew that would turn bad. I didn't wanna be married." He scoffed. "No way I was ready for a kid. And when you got pregnant, I hated you." She looked away shamefully. "I hated that you gave him a name."

Wendy chewed her lip, her thumb hovering over the call button for her nurse as she felt the overwhelming urge for a fix flooding her veins under his poisonous words.

"And I bailed." Her blackened eyes flew back up to his. "Him born tweakin', belly hanging out? That's on me, babe."

Wendy choked on a sob as she felt herself being lifted into his arms, the need subsiding instantly and the dream-crushing words seeping into the back of her mind as he placed her into a wheelchair and rolled her out of the room.

"W-where are we going?" She asked when she finally got a hold of her emotions.

Jax didn't answer as he pushed her down the hall until he finally reached the blue door that he was looking for. She needed to see this.

Wendy felt every single muscle in her face contract in pain as her she laid eyes on her son for the very first time. "Oh, Jesus!" She covered her mouth as she began hyperventilating. "He's so small..." She choked out as his hand found its way around her shoulder. "He's so small. Jax... What did I do?" She sobbed. "What did I do..." 

♕

Sydney sat on the edge of the bed as Tig began to undress for a shower, deciding to ignore the what ifs for now as more important things took over her mind once he pulled his shirt over his head...

"You can put your stuff in your drawer if you want, darlin'." He chuckled when he saw those lusty green eyes sliding over his form before he disappeared into the bathroom. 

Sydney felt the embarrassing swarm of butterflies in her stomach once again when he said 'your drawer'. She rolled her eyes at herself, getting to her mule-clad feet where she folded the stack of clothes that she'd brought from her house and laid them neatly into the small drawer before she sat back down, looking for something to occupy her fragile mind when she noticed the overflowing laundry basket in the bottom of his closet. Men, she snickered with another roll of her eyes - scooping up the basket full of dirty clothes and carrying it down the hallway into the storage room. 

"Wow... Didn't expect to see the Princess doing his laundry." Jax smirked as he tossed the bloody shirt from the night before into the basin full of soapy water and hydrogen peroxide, twisting the knob and slamming the lid shut. 

"Has anything that you’ve expected from me really panned out, VP?" She mused playfully as she set the basket on top of the washer that he had just beat her to.

"Good point...." He nodded bashfully from where he stood blocking the doorway. "You know that's a croweater's job." He nodded to the silver appliances.

"Laundry ain't the only thing I do that would be considered a croweater's job, sweetheart." She winked as she slid past him.

“How's that goin, anyway?" The blonde man questioned, skepticism oozing from his gleaming pores.

"Good, I think." She shrugged nonchalantly, fighting the tingling in the back of her mind as he reminded her of exactly what she was trying to forget.

"He seems happy…” Jax agreed. “I just didn't think he was the type for that shit."

"So I've heard…” She nodded slowly before turning away once again.

"I hate that you guys make me do this shit, man." Half-Sack appeared at the end of the hallway where he stomped past them and into the storage room, swiping a roll of twine off of a metal shelf and beginning to knot it around the package that he was wrapping for Elliot Oswald.

Sydney smirked when she realized what it was that he was holding. "Gotta toughen up that stomach if you want a patch, Kippy." She winked.

"He hasn't shown you, has he?" Jax bit his lip mischievously. 

"Shown me what..." Sydney asked tentatively, her voice almost a groan as she watched the sly smirk on Jax's face spread into a grin. 

"His half-sack." The blonde man snorted as he made his way back to his dorm - he didn't want to have to see the horrendous sight for a second time.

"I uh." Half-Sack began as he unzipped his fly. "I got my left nut blown off by an aper frag in Iraq-"

"Okay!" Sydney held her hands up, stopping before he could get his pants down. "I'll take your word for it." She nodded. "Besides, it looks like you have your hands full with enough balls right now." She smiled, patting his chest as she made her way outside for a much-needed cigarette.

♕

Tara slung her bag over her shoulder as she made her way out to her car after a long and confusing shift - feeling a tad more optimistic about her future in Charming, whatever that was.

But the thoughts of her future were eclipsed by the reality of her past as her confident stride came to a screeching halt when she saw them; the rose petals that littered her windshield.

Her breath caught in her throat as her chest began to heave with fear, looking around frantically for some kind of explanation other than the one that had first come to her mind. There was no way that he was here... Was there?

♕

Tig was still in the shower when Sydney returned, and with a still cloudy mind, she took the opportunity to properly look around his room. She noted a few trinkets here and there, some posters of bikes and naked girls, a Marine Corps badge, an outdated Harley calendar, but what properly piqued her interest was the row of photographs that he had along the mirror frame. She ghosted her fingertips along the worn faces in the photo of a group of men - one had blinding blonde hair, another was bald, but the smile appeared on her face when she spotted him; clean shaven, shorter hair, but eyes exactly the same as the ones that she’d fallen in love with. The next photo was of his twin daughters as toddlers where she easily picked out his features in the young girls; Dawn had the dark curly hair, and Fawn had the electric blue eyes. And the last photo was of him and Clay, standing side by side in front of the Teller-Morrow Automotive Repair Grand Re-Opening sign.

Tig came up behind her, but she was too invested in his memories to acknowledge him. She felt his hand circle her waist as a genuine smile radiated his face. He'd never had someone take so much interest in his life before - someone who cared enough to peel back all of his layers without the fear of what they would find hiding underneath.

"How old were you here?" She nodded to the picture of him on the military base.

"Little younger than you.” He nodded nostalgically. “Careful, doll. You might catch yourself a case." He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

"I might..." She agreed with a lazy grin and a slow nod. "Although... I think I'll stick with being the cause." She looked him up and down as his damp body glistened in the low light, ghosting her fingertips up his chest before bringing them back down where they hooked into the towel around his waist.

"You always this horny?" He grimaced. Tig had the labido of a teenage boy who had just discovered porn for the first time - he was shocked that not only was she keeping up, but was running laps around him.

She giggled before pulling the towel free, looking up into his eyes as she sank to her knees slowly. "Only for you.” She spoke the simple truth against his skin - that she was completely addicted to the rush that she got off of him; the satisfaction never lasted long before she needed more. And for all of the things for a generational addict to be hooked on, his love seemed like the safest bet. “Why? You can't keep up, old man?" She playfully bit his hip bone as his erection grew by the second.

As soon as her teeth left his skin, her feet left the ground. His hands gripped her biceps as he roughly lifted her on top of the dresser, earning a gasp as excitement crashed through her veins and washed away any trace of worry - he could never be like this with anybody else.

Tig hummed low as he contemplated a pleasureful punishment, leaning in as he pressed his hands against her hips. "I'm gonna let you get away with that for now, pussycat - only cause you look real pretty tonight... But when the party's over, you better be ready for me." 

"Yes, Sergeant." She panted out. She loved exploring his dominant, animalistic side - seeing him become more and more comfortable showing it to her as she learned how to push his buttons.

"Good girl." He nodded curtly, giving her a quick peck before lifting her off the dresser - pushing her down to her knees with a smirk.

Sydney giggled, teasing him a little for good measure as she placed butterfly kisses down his stomach, along his length, and up to the tip before finally taking him in her mouth - earning a groan as he stumbled back. Her tongue flattened along the underside as she hollowed her cheeks, sucking his cock further into the back of her throat where he went to grab her hair to steady himself, but quickly shifted to her shoulders instead - she had just finished getting ready for the evening, and he needed to keep that face pretty. For now.

The motivation behind Sydney's strategic actions changed from mitigating her impending punishment, to showing her appreciation for his thoughtful gesture as she deepthroated him completely, massaging what she could with her tongue as she bobbed her head up and down until she felt him start to convulse, pushing lightly against her face to stop her where she grabbed his wrist firmly, looking up into his eyes as she swallowed his release. Once she was satisfied that she had completely drained him, she decided that it was time for a little fun as she slowly slid her lips off of his impressive length - flicking her tongue over his sensitive tip with a sadistic giggle when his knees buckled.

When she finally got to her feet, he brought her in for a passionate kiss - his tongue claiming her mouth as he walked her backwards to the bed. "I have to go start your laundry." She giggled before pulling away - knowing if they started now, there was no chance that they would be joining the party.

"My laundry?" His forehead creased.

"Mhmm." She smirked, slipping out the door.

♕

David Hale sighed as he descended the steps of the station house after yet another unsuccessful day of fighting the crime that ran rampant in his town, nodding to the mailman who was too preoccupied examining a rather oddly shaped package.

"Officer!" He heard behind him, turning around with a scowl as he watched a silver-haired man practically leaping out of a taxi. 

"Yes?" He raised a brow as he watched the squirrely man toss a fifty at the driver - not bothering to stick around for his change. "Agent Kohn, ATF - Chicago Three Division." He announced as he made his way over, pulling his badge out of his suit pocket.

"Deputy Chief Hale." The younger man nodded to the outsider. "What brings you here?"

"Been working an interstate weapons case - outlaw crew in your town may be involved... Sons of Anarchy?"

Hale felt a smile tugging at his lips as he finally stepped forward to properly greet his new best friend. "Welcome to Charming." He chuckled, grabbing his briefcase for him as he led him inside.

♕

When Sydney returned, Tig was fully dressed in a short-sleeved, black button up underneath his kutte, and a pair of dark grey jeans. She stared at him from the doorway, wide-eyed, enjoying the sight almost as much as she had when he was naked.

She walked over to the bed and sat back down, clasping her hands in her lap as her eyes stayed glued to him before he came to stand in front of her, straight-faced where he cupped her jaw lightly before he grasped her calves and pulled her down swiftly. She let out a shriek of surprise, laughing as her back hit the bed - her giggles quickly turning to soft whimpers as he removed her panties under her skirt, letting them fall to her ankles where he buried himself directly in her folds. She squealed in delight, arching her back off of the mattress and gripping the sheets below her - curling her toes against his back as he flicked his tongue over her clit at lightning speed.

Tig kept his eyes trained on hers the entire time, which only intensified the sensations as her hands moved to his hair where she gripped and pulled at his curls; eliciting growls and groans as he devoured her pussy - the sounds sending vibrations rippling through her body that was still sensitive from the rounds that morning, bringing her orgasm on quickly. 

Tig grabbed her hands and hoisted her to her feet the second that she had pushed his head away, giving her no time to calm down as her legs trembled and her face flushed while he pulled her panties back up, giving her a light smack on the ass before straightening her skirt with a wink as he reached for her hand and led her out to the party.

"I'm gonna see if Gemma needs help with anything." Sydney said shakily, still trying to regain her bearings.

"Okay, baby." He pressed a sweet kiss to her cheek - but a sweet kiss wasn't enough as she grabbed his arm and yanked him to her lips where she needed to somehow release some of the emotions that she was harbouring.

Tig smiled against her mouth, pulling her into his arms after parting from hers. He rocked his weight from one foot to the other, contemplating turning right back around and shacking up with her for the night rather than drinking with his brothers - something that he never thought he would turn down. He pressed his forehead against hers, staring softly into her eyes before she nodded gently and pulled away.

Tig held onto her hand gently until she'd gotten far away enough that they had to let go - begrudgingly making his way over to the pool table where most of the guys were hanging out.

Sydney headed outside in search of Gemma, but instead she found Half-Sack barbecueing, or at least attempting to barbecue. She watched with an amused scowl as the poor kid threw the heavy slabs of meat on top of the roaring flames with a wince, standing as far away as he could as he tried to evenly spread them across the heat.

"Um, do you need some help over here, Kippy?" Half-Sack whipped around, beads of sweat covering his forehead.

"Oh! Uh... No, I'm fine! I got it, you know... Cooking and stuff." He nodded casually as he ran his hand down his reddened face.

"So… That's why you just threw a full rack onto an open flame?" She raised a brow.

"Are you... Like... Not supposed to do that?" He blinked nervously.

Sydney laughed, reaching over where she turned the heat down and grabbed the tongs from his trembling hands where she spent the next twenty minutes cooking the ribs to perfection. Once they were done, she trudged back through the clubhouse with Half-Sack in tow - hauling the finished food to The Matriarch for her final touches before it was up to her standards and approved for display.

"If you ever want to enjoy a meal again, do not put the prospect on the grill." Sydney advised after Half-Sack was out of earshot.

"Ah, shit..." Gemma winced. "Did he ruin everything?" 

"Nah, don't worry. I got to him before that could happen." She snickered.

"Well, thank God for that... The last thing that I wanna deal with is this group when they're hungry." She scoffed as she poured some extra barbecue sauce over the meaty cuisine.

Sydney chuckled, her mind wandering to the group in question... "How's Abel?" She perked up, realizing that she hadn't been properly updated in a few days.

"Good." Gemma smiled. "Things are looking up."

"Oh, thank God…” She breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Yep... We have the good doctor to thank for that." Gemma mused almost mockingly.

"You don't think that people change." Sydney surmised in the form of a statement rather than a question. It was clear that Gemma thought of Tara the exact same way that she had all of those years ago. The newcomer still hadn't decided what to think of the uptight brunette, but what she did know was that the rapist wouldn't have been caught, and the newest Teller wouldn't have lived without her help - help that she gave without any obligation.

"Not in our world, sweetheart." Gemma shook her head before heaving up the tray, heading out towards the food table. Sydney chuckled as she followed her out, understanding the truth to Gemma's words - at least enough truth for her to know that it wasn't worth the argument.

Sydney rounded the bar once they reached the busy room, helping herself to a beer from the fridge rather than waiting for service at the counter. She popped the top off on the edge of the bar, winking at Jessica who had given her an appreciative nod as she raced to fill the glasses of their thirsty customers - looking up to see Happy standing in front of her.

"What's up, Happy Feet?" He grunted at the sound of the pet name.

"Where's Tig?" He bit out - making it clear that he didn't agree with the Sergeant leaving their woman alone during such a crowded club party.

"I don't know." She rolled her eyes. "Where's barmaid blondie?"

"I ain't seein' her again." He shook his head, the statement that he'd given absolutely no thought to only reminding him just how much he would like to see her again...

"No wonder you ain't seein' her again." She scoffed. "You're never gonna find a girlfriend dressing like that." She nodded to the massively oversized attire that his stocky frame drowned in.

"What's wrong with this?" His scowl deepened as he looked down at his kutte, white tee, and blue jeans.

"Hap, girls don't like this." She grabbed his shirt, lifting the mass of fabric to reveal his chiseled abs. "They like this." She smirked as he ripped his shirt back down.

“The fuck do you know about what girls like?" He stomped off before she could make another remark, leaving her standing at the bar giggling as she watched him stride angrily through the crowd - his clothing flowing behind him as Chibs and Jax waltzed over with loaded plates. "Quick question, Chibby.” She nodded to the Scotsman. “Why the fuck did you sponsor a vegetarian, virgin prospect?"

"Wait, the kid doesn't eat meat?" Jax questioned with a lip turned up at the disgrace.

"Don't know, but he definitely doesn't cook it." Her eyes fell to their plates which were piled high with a variety of meats fresh off of the grill. 

Jax dropped a rib down on the plate, from his mouth with a look of horror on his face while Chibs held his inches from his lips. "No no, don't worry, they're fine." Sydney snorted, almost choking on her beer. "I wasn't about to let him fuck up some prime babybacks."

"You made these, Lass?"

"Well they didn't get cooked to perfection on their own." She joked, smacking Chibs on the shoulder before turning to get herself another beer while the two men exchanged a glance.

"You hungry?" She stood from the fridge to see Half-Sack panting after making a hasty journey from the grill to the bar.

"Yeah, burgers done?" He nodded eagerly, running off to fix her a plate before he was stopped by Jax.

"Bro... You don't know how to cook ribs?"

"I don't eat meat, man." He fidgeted uncomfortably, taking off towards the serving station before the hassling could start.

The giddy prospect stood at the food table where Tig and Bobby were talking with Gemma and Clay as they observed their guests. He got to work assembling Sydney's plate, smiling to himself as he thought about the spunky new girl who had for some reason befriended him. He grabbed the mustard, but his hand was stopped by a ring-covered grip on his wrist. He looked up to see Tig - and not a happy Tig; a Tig who had just witnessed him smiling like a school girl while he thought about his old lady.

"If that's for my girl. I wouldn't be puttin' that shit on there unless you want a size-seven Steven Madden up your ass." The much younger, and much smaller man nodded his understanding nervously, averting his eyes from the threatening gaze.

"Did I just hear that come out of your mouth?" Gemma, Clay, and Bobby all shared the same scowl.

"What?" He whined. "You learn that shit when you got an old lady." He shrugged.

"I never learned that shit." Clay shook his head. "Hey, Bobby - you ever learn that shit?"

"Never, brother." The older man shrugged.

"Please, for the love of God, tell me that you did not put pickles or mustard on that." Sydney winced when Half-Sack came jogging back in with her plate of food.

"No. Your, uh- Old man wouldn't let me." Sydney's forehead creased as a curious smile came to her lips, glancing outside where she saw Tig winking at her. She blushed, biting her lip before rolling her eyes when Half-Sack laughed at her knowingly.

After everyone's stomachs had settled, the fights had finally begun. Sydney stood in the crowd with a grin, she loved watching the guys get riled up and blow off steam - the sound of the heavy boxing gloves slamming into skin sending a wave of euphoria through her, just as it always had.

She watched closely, evaluating each fighter as she tried to decipher their strengths and weaknesses. Half-Sack was way better than she'd expected; his small, lanky size working in his favor for agility as he successfully took down multiple party-goers, Juice, and Chibs before he eventually lost to Happy - but he'd put up a good fight.

"Not fightin' tonight, baby?" Sydney placed a hand on Tig's chest as he approached while the next fighter suited up to take on the Tacoma Killer.

"Nah, gotta let the others have a chance at winning for once." He winked.

She smiled and raised a brow, giving him a discerning look while she held back her laugh. "Shame, I was looking forward to it." She shrugged before ripping herself away from him, moving to stand across the ring by Chibs.

Jax was Happy's next opponent, and it was a pretty fair fight until the blonde man let Happy get him into a headlock - eventually tapping out under the tight grip of the muscular Nomad.

"Oh, come on! You can do better than that!" Sydney screamed from the sidelines, smacking the side of the ring.

"You go then, Princess." He countered playfully, tossing her the gloves as he climbed down to the ground.

Many eyes fell on the petite blonde as she caught them; expecting her to back down or laugh it off, but they were surprised when she simply shrugged before slipping one over her dainty hand. 

"You sure you're up for it, little girl? Been a while." Happy raised a brow.

"Tacoma Killer'll beat the hell outta that tight little ass of yours." Bobby warned.

"Good thing I'm into that." Sydney winked.

"Woah, woah, woah." Tig gripped her biceps lightly after he'd stalked over, his eyes wide with panic. "What are you doing?”

"Dinner and a show." She explained with a smile, tiptoeing to kiss his lips. "Hold these, will ya?" She dropped her earrings into his palm.

“No offence, darlin'. But..." Jax looked in Happy's direction while she slipped her shoes off.

"No offence, darlin'." She spat cockily. "But you have no idea who you're talking to." She winked as she shoved her Steve Maddens into his chest, entering the ring barefoot.

"Cali Queen, so I've heard." He challenged. 

"Well!" She raised her eyebrows amusedly. "It sounds like you do know... I must admit, VP - I'm a little offended by your lack of faith." Even if he did know, what he didn't know was that if anyone was in trouble - it was Happy. "You're right, Hap.” She turned her attention back to her opponent. “It has been a while, and from what I remember - we have a score to settle." She confirmed the challenge with an evil smile and a crazy look in her eyes which were bordering on black.

Happy's lips twitched with a smirk as he briefly reminisced over the days when he'd taught Sydney to fight - finally getting her good enough over the years to the point where he actually had to try to beat her.

"What the hell?" Gemma exclaimed when she reached the group standing at the side of the ring in awe.

"Princess' showin' us what she's made of." Clay smirked as he lit a cigar.

The opponents grinned wildly at each other as they circled the ring - Sydney studying his every move, mimicking every step that he took. "C'mon, Happy Meal. I haven't taken a punch in weeks... A girl has needs." She egged him on in a voice that was as sweet as pie until he finally threw a punch - which she blocked. "That's what I'm talking about." She grinned as a few more came after; blocking two, and dodging one - the adrenaline lighting that familiar fire within her. 

The crowd was captivated, oh-ing and ah-ing at every move as her constant deflection got him riled up, serving to tire him out - just as she'd planned. "Come on! Hit 'em!" Chibs hollered impatiently.

Sydney stopped to listen, giving Happy the opportunity to swing where she ducked down, not even looking in his direction as his arm swung over her head - swiftly coming up as he submitted to the force of his angry right hook; hitting him once in the gut, once in the chest, and once in the face all in a flash. It had been obvious from the start that Happy was stronger, but she was fast.

"Thought we didn't go for the face?" Happy growled as he recovered from the upper-cut.

"No." She smirked. "You don't got for my face."

After a few more punches were thrown, Happy finally managed to link one of her arms - pulling it behind her where he grabbed the other one and did the same. She struggled against his grip as he attempted to wrestle her to the ground, hopping over the foot that swung to trip her as she dragged them towards the corner of the ring.

"You ready?" She called over her shoulder, hearing him grunt in confusion before she channeled all of her adrenaline to her feet - running up the padded pole and kicking off of the top. 

Happy’s grip loosened in the moment where she caught him by surprise as she flipped over him - but hers didn't; her arms rotated in his as she flipped over him, pulling his arms behind his back now and using his position to leverage a safe landing. She knew that this wasn't exactly the fight that the crowd had wanted to see, but she wasn't about to show her cards all at once.

In Happy's bewildered state, she kicked the back of his knee - dropping him to the ground where she forced her right elbow into his spine to keep him down while she kept her arms linked in his as he squirmed against her grip, but he was no match for the tingling immobilization. Back of the knees - her signature move; the one that nobody ever saw coming, and always underestimated.

When Sydney came back to earth and the ringing in her ears faded, she heard the crowd cheering louder than she’d ever heard them cheer before as they counted down the seconds to her victory - thanks to Happy’s inability to tap out.

"Too much time away from me, Hap. Seems you've forgotten about my favorite sweet spot." She cooed in his ear as the crowd exploded in cheer.

"I am totally hard right now." Tig muttered to nobody in particular.

"Yeah... Me too." Juice replied slowly.

"Damn, Princess." Happy stood and cracked his neck. "Better than last time. Who you been trainin' with?" The pride for his protege quickly overtook any bitterness that he could've had for losing.

"This is all me, baby." She flipped her hair over her shoulder with a smirk.

Half-Sack raised her arm as she bowed for the ecstatic crowd, exiting the ring where Clay lifted her up onto his shoulder for a victory lap. Once she was back on land, she turned to Jax who inhaled sharply, waiting for what he knew was coming...

"You up next, VP?" She asked innocently, grabbing her shoes from him, slipping them back on as he just shook his head and walked away.

"I'd offer to patch you up, but you're still sittin' pretty, angel." Tig husked as he handed off her silver hoops.

"Always." She smirked, laughing when he scooped her into his arms, bridal-style and carried her to the clubhouse.

"Where you takin' me, Sergeant?" She cooed with suggestion in her narrowing eyes.

"Not where you think, dollface." He growled as his jaw clenched. 

Sydney pouted when she didn't get the answer that she wanted as his emphasized alpha-male demeanour made her pussy throb for what she’d only gotten a taste of earlier - now she was desperate for more. 

"You aren't ready for me yet, sweetheart." He scoffed before setting her down on top of an empty picnic table. "Stay here." Sydney narrowed her eyes as she watched him walk into the clubhouse, rolling them when he disappeared in the crowd.

She sighed, making eye contact with a croweater who brought her over a cigarette, wrapping her lips around the white cylinder with a smirk.

"Alright, doll." Tig returned quickly with a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand, slamming it down on the table as he plucked the cigarette from her lips and dropped it to the ground. "Here's how this is gonna work." He grinded it beneath the heel of his boot. "You're gonna tell me all of this shit that I don't know about you."

"Oh, am I?" She scoffed, blinking incredulously.

"Yeah. You are." He demanded, sliding the bottle across the table.

"You think that just because you're fucking me full-time, I'm gonna give it all up that easy?" She smirked as she watched his neck redden under her vexing. She figured that if she was already facing punishment, she may as well make it worth it. "You'll find out soon enough, Sergeant." She took a gulp from the bottle and stood from the table, shoving it into his chest before strolling into the clubhouse.

"You're gonna regret that, pussycat." Tig growled into her ear when he caught up to her, grinding his teeth as she looked up at him with those wide eyes. The intoxicating combination of her deviance mixed with her innocence was driving him absolutely wild - trying as hard as he could to hold off on marching her to the bedroom.

♕

Tara slammed the door behind her, twisting the lock as she gasped for air - trying to tell herself over and over that she was just paranoid, that it had just been some freak coincidence.

But that freak coincidence didn't stop her as she peeled her trembling body off of the thick wood that she hoped would be enough to keep him out, stalking towards the closet where she yanked the door open, taking a step back as she was hit by the eye-watering smell of mothballs. She shook it away, digging through the top shelf until she finally found the box where she had hidden it; the tiny silver gun.  

♕

It didn't take long for the victory party to move inside once the object of celebration was no longer occupied - the excited spectators feeding Sydney shots as they approached her at the bar. She downed a few and passed some off to others before she started refusing them altogether, excusing herself to use the bathroom.

She wasn't surprised when a confused Tig ran up behind her, but what she was surprised by was the amount of concern in his actions as he grabbed her waist, gently stopping her stride instead of pushing her up against the wall, or threatening her for toying with him like she'd expected.

Tig pulled her around to face him, crinkling his brows slightly as he met her warm smile and pink cheeks. "What's wrong, doll?" He asked anyways, even though he was realizing that maybe he'd just overreacted.

"Nothin', Tiggy." She replied sweetly as she smiled up at him, placing her hands on his chest.

"You sure? You're not drinkin'..." He had yet to see the fish of a girl turn down an open opportunity to drink him and his brothers under the table.

Sydney leaned in, twirling a hand in her hair as she looked up into his eyes. "I'm just trying to be a good girl for you, Sergeant. You wouldn't want me to be too drunk and not be able to understand my punishment later. That would mean that I might do it again... And you don't want that, do you?" She spoke in a seductive pout.

"Yeah..." He said distantly as his eyes glossed over. "Yeah... You're right, babygirl." His tone was gentle and appreciative as he stroked her hair before he pressed his lips against her forehead. She closed her eyes as his lips met her skin, but they quickly snapped open when she felt the gentle petting on her hair tighten as he gripped it in his fist. "But don't be thinking that's gonna get you off the hook." He sneered, gritting his teeth before he pushed off of her and walked back out to the party. 

Sydney huffed as she watched him walk away after doing an equally good job at riling her up - he knew that she was dying to see what he had in store for her, and she was dying to see now.

After Sydney finished up in the bathroom, she headed back out to the party when her eyes landed on the pool-turned-poker table where Chibs, Tig, Bobby, Half-Sack, and a few randoms that she'd seen at club parties before were all getting ready to play.

"Come to watch me clean 'em out?" Tig pulled her into his lap as she walked over, acting as if their previous conversation hadn't taken place.

"Come to do it myself." She scoffed, biting her lip as yet another chance to surprise Tig presented itself without her even trying - knowing that she was really in for it now. "You didn't really think you were going to play without me, did you?" She cocked her head at Half-Sack who looked nervous, immediately dealing her in as she moved to her own chair - a chair that was as far away from Tig as possible. She was sure to grind against him extra hard as she stood up - just for good measure - smirking at him as she sat across the table.

It was well over an hour into the game and Sydney was doing exactly as she had planned. She'd gotten two of the three randoms out entirely, and had the biggest stack on the table as Chibs went all in before she successfully called his bluff, getting him out too.

"There is no damn way that you’re this good at poker." He groaned as he slid his chips to her ever-growing pile.

"Had to pay the bills somehow." She shrugged.

"Figured it was stripping." Bobby scoffed, bringing his beer to his mouth.

"A girl's gotta eat." She replied studiously. "So, who's giving me their money next?"

It was finally down to the final rounds and Sydney’s cards weren't great, but by the way that the betting was going - theirs weren't either. It was Bobby's last chance as his blinds ran out, figuring that she could move her impending win along quickly by going all in and flushing him out.

Tig was trying his hardest to read her expression as he studied every inch of her angelic face when suddenly it hit him; the slightest flicker behind her eyes as her fingers ran over the gold pendant around her neck.

"All in." He shoved his impressive stack of chips to the centre of the table.

"You sure about that, Sergeant?" She raised a brow.

"Let's go, Princess." He motioned for her to flip her cards. 

Sydney bit her lip as she flipped them, revealing that her hand was only a measly pair of sevens - but a measly pair of sevens appeared to be enough as his face dropped.

"Shit..." He cursed. "You did good, pussycat..." He sighed. "But not good enough." It was her face that dropped now when he revealed his pair of eights. 

Sydney cursed herself for letting his charm get the better of her as she slid a large majority of her chips over to him, ignoring the satisfied grins from the opponents that she'd beaten out as Half-Sack dealt what she knew would be the final hand - which played out exactly how she had expected; Tig running up the bets and flushing her out, because it was exactly what she had been doing the entire game. She inhaled sharply as he shot her a shit-eating grin as Bobby handed him his pay out, pushing away from the table and stomping over to the bar. 

"Not gonna stick around to congratulate your old man?" She caught the whiff of whiskey and cologne, turning around to see him standing over her where she glared up at him. "That's what good old ladies do, sweetheart." He tried to work her up even more - her trying equally as hard by not giving in - leaning in closer to her ear when she didn't budge. "Thought you were bein' a good girl for me tonight, doll?"

She ran her tongue across her teeth, trying her hardest not to let up on her hardened expression as she stared up at him through her eyelashes. She could see the frustration building in him, the fire igniting behind his eyes - and it was a sight that made her lips twitch.

Tig looked her up and down, chuckling in a low rumble that was evil enough to scare her a bit - grabbing her elbow and yanking her towards him. "That's enough. My bed. Naked. Ten minutes." He snarled through gritted teeth.

Sydney fought with everything in her not to submit - and she would've found it much easier to do if he wasn't using his Sergeant's voice. She knew that she couldn't mask the look in her eye, but she didn't move a muscle in her body - her eyes following him as he walked away.

She spent the next eight minutes contemplating whether or not she would show up late, or be waiting for him fully clothed - finally deciding on fully clothed, figuring that she would give him the short-lived satisfaction of watching her walk to his room. 

"Hey, can I talk to you there, uh- Heavyweight champ?" Clay approached with a nod, making her chuckle. "You ready to ride out on Monday?"

"Got her all tuned up, figured I'd get it done well you kept my Sergeant busy." She smirked.

"Your Sergeant?" He raised a brow. "So, that's goin' well, I take it?"

"Seems to be… He say anything?" She asked as casually as possible as she examined her cuticles.

"More than enough." He raised both brows now, making her blush. "He keepin' you happy?" She looked down shyly, brushing her long hair behind her ear to reveal a cluster of both old and new hickeys. "Forget I asked." He winced, looking away with a dramatic recoil that made her laugh. "You use any of that money yet?" He nodded.

"Why? You gonna ask for it back?" She mused.

"Nah, you earned that." He chuckled. "Gonna secure the warehouse this week... I want you there for that."

"Yes, sir." She nodded, inadvertently glancing up at the clock to see that she had completely lost track of time, and was due in Tig's room in less than a minute. Panic washed over her face as she realized that she was no longer in control of which request she would be disobeying, because at this rate - it would be both. "Uh, it was nice talkin' to ya, Pres - but I've got somewhere that I need to be." She stood from her barstool hastily.

"Everything okay, Princess?" He scowled.

"If you want me in tip top shape for the ride on Monday..." She raised a brow. "I would suggest that you let me get on my way." She began slowly backing away.

"Jesus Christ." He grimaced when he finally caught on.

Sydney laughed as she took off down the hall, not giving herself any time to see if Tig was even still amongst the party. She silently prayed that he was, opening the door slowly where she peered around it, sighing in relief as she stepped into the empty room - but her reprieve was cut short when her usually favorite scent filled her nostrils.

"Cuttin' it close there, dollface." Her stomach sank and her eyes widened as she slowly turned around to face him, jumping when the door slammed behind her. She backed towards the bed as Tig approached her - tall with his chest puffed out, her knees hitting the mattress as she fell back.

"I-I'm sorry, Sergeant." She stuttered as he took her jaw into his rough and assertive grip.

Tig looked down at her as she looked at him in her exaggerated innocence, only this time it was completely organic. "You're not sorry yet, darlin'." He moved his hand down to her throat, growing even hungrier as he watched the fear-laced excitement grow behind her eyes. "Get those clothes off." He tipped her head up as he leaned down, kissing her roughly. "Now."

She stripped for him deliberately; fast enough to satisfy his command, but slow enough for him to enjoy the show - her core igniting with the need to please as she tried to maintain her nervous appearance as he walked over and placed his hands gently on her waist. She tentatively reached up, beginning to unbutton his shirt where she placed gentle kisses on every bit of skin that she exposed, pulling away where she looked up into his eyes apologetically when she heard him chuckling at her efforts.

Tig was surprised at how good she was at the little girl act considering just how hard of a time she caused for anyone who thought that they could tell her what to do. He pushed her to lay down gently as he straddled her, still wearing his boxers. He kissed her passionately, slowly - confusing her, letting her think that her minimal efforts had actually worked. She ran her fingers through his hair as their tongues tangled as he placed his hands on her waist, lifting her pelvis to grind against him - trying to get some kind of release, but his hand quickly slid down to her hip and pinned her to the mattress.

"Not so fast, babygirl." He spoke softly. "My little princess needs to learn what happens when she tests my patience." His tone intensified - now a hushed growl directly in her ear. 

Sydney’s cheeks flushed scarlet as her body became instantly covered in goosebumps. He kissed gently down her neck, making his way to her nipples, taking one in his mouth and sucking hard. She moaned the way that she thought he’d want - suddenly feeling him cease all contact until his face was at hers again, and his hand was gripping her throat.

"You make a single sound? And it's game over, pussycat."

"But that's not fair, Serg-" Her whining was quickly cut off by him roughly flipping her onto her stomach, pinning her small frame beneath him as a loud clap echoed off her ass the second that she landed.

"Nah, sweetheart. What's not fair. Is you. Walkin' around here. Like. You own. The damn. Place." His words were broken by his hand coming down on her ass, the spanks getting harder each time.

Sydney grew unbelievably ravenous as the stinging that spread through her body morphed into adrenaline that needed release. She tensed and wiggled under his grip as she tried to stifle her moans, clenching her teeth as hard as she could as he rubbed the skin that was now bright red, soothing the burning that followed the pins and needles. His hand dipped down between her legs, grazing her glistening wet folds which made her gasp as her entire body jolted.

"You like this, don't you?" Another spank. "Horny little brat."

"No, Sergeant." She lied before he plunged his fingers into her, ripping them out just as quick.

"Liar." He spanked her again, even harder than before. 

Sydney felt tears welling up in her eyes as her insides tightened, silently cursing herself for being so weak, but she couldn't help it - she would've given anything at that moment if it meant absolution.

"Don't forget what I told you." He pulled her up by her hips so that she was on all fours, snaking his hand down to clamp over her clit, not moving his fingers. "You can lie to me, but this pussy can't." He could feel her trembling as he retook her throat in his hand and pulled her up to his chest. "You gonna be a good girl and listen from now on?" 

"Yes, Sergeant." She whimpered, willing her body to shiver as much as she could without it being obvious that she was after the friction where his fingers were, but the ploy only earned her another hard spank as he bent her back over and pulled himself away - making it clear that she was to stay in that position.

Tig grinned as he left her on her hands on knees for what felt like ages for both of them, the anticipation becoming almost unbearable as he moved around the room, undressing himself fully before his hands finally returned to her ass, making her jolt again.

"So beautiful." He mused as he admired the red handprints that covered her skin, planting open-mouthed kisses all around them - occasionally dipping his tongue inside her core. She remained still and quiet as she violently clutched at the duvet - determined to get her reward.

Tig pushed two fingers inside of her when she didn't break, curling them the way that he knew she liked. He would only be able to take her so far before he himself would break, and he wanted to see how far she would push herself for him. His dick throbbed painfully as he revelled in the intoxicating power that she let him have - allowing him take her from the independent woman who played by her own rules, to the obedient little girl that worshipped him at his feet; the reaper princess, the one that no one could handle, completely at his mercy.

"That's enough, babygirl." He decided as he ran his fingers gently through her curls while she quivered, ignoring the devil on his shoulder that was calling him a pussy for letting her win once again as he took in the last moments of the beautiful image before him. Because even though she was winning, was he really losing? "C'mere, Angel."

Sydney had never realized that a man's words could stimulate her so intensely until she met Tig - feeling every one of her female organs twitching, trembling, and teetering as each pet name rolled off of his insatiable tongue.

Tig brought her into his arms and placed her onto her back where already her eyes were rolling back against his touch - the tears of restraint loosening from them. He lifted her legs and pushed straight into her, the sudden pressure, immense relief, and intense pleasure pushing out a scream. She quickly shut herself up, but it was too late - another tear falling when he pulled out of her. He cupped her face with both hands, leaning into her as he chuckled sadistically and pushed back into her where he set a brutal pace - the position of her legs on his shoulders causing him to hit her g-spot perfectly with each thrust. 

Sydney no longer cared about being quiet once the sound of the bed frame slamming against the wall filled the room; she was screaming his name, and she knew that he wouldn't be able to stop even if he wanted to.

Tig quickly felt her clenching around him, holding her head still as he looked deep into her eyes, bringing her to her release at the same time that he met his - something that he hadn't anticipated so early on, but torturing her had inadvertently done a number on him as well. 

All Sydney could do was give in as stars exploded before her, her vision fading from his gorgeous crystal blue orbs and into a spotty black abyss of pure euphoria.

Tig let her slowly drift back to earth before he moved off of her, pulling back the covers where he laid back and brought her on top of him before covering them both up. She cuddled against his chest as the aftershocks pulsed through her body, clinging to his warmth as he rubbed her back while his lips stayed pressed against the top of her forehead.

"Was that... Too much?" He grimaced as he hooked his fingers under her chin, bringing her heavy eyes up to meet his. He knew that she liked when he exercised his dominance, but the new addition of tears had thrown him for a bit of a loop.

"It was just right, Tiggy." She smiled with hazy eyes.

"Oh yeah, Princess?" He raised an eyebrow with challenge in his tone as the concern in his eyes turned immediately to lust. 

"Mhmm." She hummed, shifting her gaze from his eyes, to his lips where she leaned in to recapture them. "I love you." She said quietly as she kissed him, succumbing to the drowsiness. 

Tig wound his fingers in her hair, gripping it tight as his arms flexed around her back, pouring his emotions into the kiss before he pulled away and pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you too." He hugged her tight, releasing slightly but keeping a grip firm enough for her to know that was how she would be falling asleep - in his arms, where she belonged. 

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

Sydney awoke the next morning, still wrapped tightly in Tig's arms while he laid on his back, snoring lightly. She savored the warmth of his body against her skin as the ceiling fan whirled cold air around them, her chest bubbling with giddy excitement as she watched his rise and fall. 

As if he knew that she was looking at him, Tig’s eyes fluttered open. "Mornin'." He grinned when the first sight that he was met with was Sydney biting her lip as she admired him. 

Sydney couldn't contain herself any longer, throwing an arm over him and placing sloppy kisses all over his face. "Morning." She greeted with a grin of her own. 

"You sure I'm not dreamin'?" He groaned as he rolled onto his side and pulled her against his buzzing chest.  

"I don't know, Tiggy..." She looked up at him innocently. "Do I feel real to you?" She ran her hands down his chest, ghosting her palm over his morning erection. 

A sigh of satisfaction left his dry lips before he ran his tongue over them, leaning down to kiss her softly - rolling her over so that her back was against his chest as he pulled her even tighter against him.

"Oh, I'm definitely dreaming." He chuckled while his hand ghosted up and down her side, caressing her sensitive skin from the top of her breast, down to her thigh.

Sydney could feel the aching of bruises from the punishment that she endured the night before as she ground her ass back against him - a sickly sweet pain that made her smile as the erotic memories fluttered between her legs. 

Tig began slowly massaging her clit, lazily attaching his lips to the skin in the crook of her neck before swiftly lifting her leg and sliding into her. 

Sydney almost choked on the breathy gasp that came barrelling from the back of her throat as her hand flew behind her and to the side of his neck, but her body instantly relaxed when instead of the pounding that she had quickly tried to prepare her sore and oversensitive body for, she got something slow; languid. It was the kind of sex that turned grips to grazes, and scratches to softness. She felt her chest decompressing as her body melted into his, lazily meeting his gentle thrusts as their soft moans mingled together and filled the room around them.

♕

"SAMCRO has been in this town since I was a kid." Hale explained with an upturned lip as he sat back in his chair, looking over the impressive case that Kohn had built against his favorite bad guys. "My old man was a county judge - saw some of them catch their due, but for the most part Clay and the others keep slipping through the legal cracks."

"I've been chatting folks up since I got here... Most of em' get pretty quiet when I ask about Sons of Anarchy." Kohn squinted curiously.

"Yeah." Hale sighed regretfully. "Clay has quite a few of the locals convinced that his brand of outlaw justice keeps away the corporate boogeyman."

"I'd say he's right..." Kohn nodded. "Franchise development in Charming is pretty much nonexistent - I've been jonesing for a Starbucks since I got here." He chuckled.

Hale glanced at the open door, getting to his feet where he peered out into the station house before quickly pulling it shut. "SAMCRO isn't stonewalling growth by themselves - they get a lot of help... Some of it from inside this department." He sneered.

"Well..." Kohn grinned. "Maybe it's time that this department starts helping each other." He pulled a stack of photos out of his suit pocket - a stack of photos that, after he'd completed his morning field trip, he knew would start the investigation that they both needed.

♕

"Mmm, can I wake up like that every morning." Tig hummed against Sydney's neck once their morning tryst had concluded. 

Sydney chuckled as he laced his fingers with hers, pulling her in tighter. "Why does everyone think you're incapable of this shit?" She asked incredulously - in a way that was almost organic, had she not been plagued with the ideas from the day prior. But she pushed her subconscious away, choosing to live in this moment as she rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up onto her elbows. 

"Never really seen me do it, I guess." He shrugged as he folded his arms behind his head. "Only see me do the dirty work... Guess it's easy to assume that after all this time, I'm just incapable of feeling." 

"Well, are you?" She prodded with a playful smirk. 

"Thought I was for a bit." He nodded honestly. "I mean, I feel shit for my daughters, for my brothers - but that's about it. Until you came along... Made me remember what it’s like to feel somethin' for someone more than a couple times a year." He chuckled humourlessly.

Sydney couldn't stop the grin from forming on her face as the sincere words left his lips in that raspy morning voice that she loved so much - successfully putting her worries to bed for another day. 

Tig's lips turned up as he watched the stars circle her dreamy eyes, a sight that made his heart throb instead of his dick - but he wasn't going to forget about the praise kink that he'd inadvertently uncovered. He leaned back against his arms, allowing himself to fall back into the tenderness of the moment. "You make me feel like I'm not a freak…" He shook his head slowly as the words fell from his unrestricted tongue, his eyes hollowing as he stared at the spinning fan above his head. "The type of shit I do? Women don't understand it - can't be okay with it, and I can't hide what I am." He blinked a few times as he came back to earth. "But you... I don't feel like I gotta change to be with you, because you do the same shit. I don't gotta worry about scarin' you away, because you'll be standing right next to me.” 

Sydney zoned out as she listened to the words that held more reassurance than he ever could've known. She supposed that she’d never thought of it that way before. In the much more family-friendly club that she’d come from, she had watched the SAMDINO men find women without a problem - all that they had to worry about in regards to women was pussy - and they had plenty of that to go around.

“You take care of yourself, you don't rely on anyone else...” He continued, finding it hard to stop once he’d started with the girl that had made him comfortable enough to talk about all of the feelings that he’d been taught to bury. “And you actually make me fuckin' laugh.” He added with a smile. "You're nothin' short of perfect, darlin'; beautiful, sexy as hell, and don't even get me started on that pussy." He groaned while Sydney laughed. "You're what every outlaw dreams of finding."

Sydney tried to remain modest as she revelled in his compliments, her newfound insecurities unable to pierce the veil of flattery, no matter how hard they tried. Her eyes continued to sparkle as she grinned like an idiot - an expression that he mirrored before he rolled on top of her and assaulted her entire upper half with kisses.

She giggled, burying her face in his soft chest - in what laid under the bulletproof exterior. "I'm gonna marry you one day." He whispered as he kissed the top of her head.

Sydney felt every nerve in her body short out. Tig Trager? Sydney Harding? Marriage?

"Trust me, darlin'. I never thought I'd hear those words come outta my mouth again, either." He chuckled into her coconut-scented hair.

"Damn, Sergeant... A week with me and you're already talking about marriage? I wonder what else I can milk ya for...." She teased, shooting him her shit-eating grin for a change.

"Yeah, yeah... Whatever." He groaned as he tickled her ribs, eliciting an unexpectedly loud shriek with a fit of hysterical laughter to follow before she ended up bucking out of his grip and rolling off of the bed with a thud. "Oh, pussycat..." He tutted his tongue as he shook his head evilly after inadvertently uncovering one of her biggest weaknesses. "You are in big trouble." 

"You better not.” She tried to warn through her heavy breathing. “Don't think that I won't stay here all morning.” He shot her a discerning smile, daring to call her bluff. She shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest before yanking the blanket off of him in one swift pull and beginning to make herself comfortable on the floor. 

"Babe." He whined, shrinking into the fetal position once he was hit by the cold air. She raised an eyebrow as she stayed completely still, waiting for his surrender. "Come back, I promise I won't." He pleaded.

She wearily got up and crawled back onto the bed towards his outstretched arms, wrapping the blanket around herself and laying down with her back to him as she bit her lip, fighting a grin. Suddenly her body jolted and another shriek left her lips as his fingers jabbed into her sides - immediately releasing her grip on the blanket where he pulled it over himself. She glared at him over her shoulder, shaking her head with a discerning smile before she begrudgingly rolled back into his arms. 

The fluttering in Tig's heart continued even after the playful struggle was over. She made him feel more alive than he had ever felt in his entire life - like he was more than a dead man walking, like he had something to live for again.

Sydney looked up at him as he sat with the permanent smile on his face, biting her lip as she captured his hands in hers and rolled on top of him - pinning them above his head. "You know..." She drawled as she looked him over. "I couldn't help myself from falling in love with you even if I wanted to." She nodded softly, sincerely - an exciting contrast to the seductive tone of her voice and commanding movements of her body. "So you better get used to bein' tied down like this, Sergeant. Cause you ain't gettin rid of me." Her lips ghosted over his before they found his neck.

"Wouldn't dream of it, baby." He choked out as his eyes rolled back, and her mouth closed around his pulse.

♕

Half-Sack moved around the garage with Lowell, the heavy scent of bleach burning the back of his throat as he dropped the bucket that he'd been holding. "Shit." He cursed, looking up to see Gemma narrowing her eyes at him.

"Uh, sorry ma'am!" He thrusted his hand into the air in an apologetic wave - hoping that the grand job he'd done of cleaning the musty work room on their off day would make up for it, but Clay's narrowing eyes from across the lot as the younger man stumbled over his words in front of his wife, only reminded him that his apologies meant nothing here, and he still had to pay for the last one.

Gemma rolled her eyes as she turned her attention back to Lowell as he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck while he avoided her eyes. "So yeah, uh... Moby's doin' real good... He likes school." He nodded, tapping his foot furiously against the freshly scrubbed pavement. "Yeah. He likes to draw a lot. I don't see Emily too much, but..."

"She taking good care of him?" She raised a brow.

"Yeah!" He nodded rapidly. "Oh yeah, she's great..." He trailed off. "Hey, uh... I'm real happy that Jax's kid is gonna be okay." He finally pushed himself to address the sore subject now that he was in need of a subject change. "I mean..." He shoved his thumbnail between his teeth. "That's a blessing."

"Mhmm." Gemma nodded as she watched the ex-junkie fidget like there was no tomorrow - but this was an ex-junkie that she had a soft spot for. "What happened to Wendy should be a lesson to you, Lowell." 

"It is." Lowell shifted his reddened eyes out of her penetrating gaze, shifting them back quickly where he recognized the look that he had spent a majority of his teenage years cowering under; it was the look of concern, the look of a mother - the look that he had never known until he'd met Gemma. "No, I know, I know it is." He nodded sincerely. "I've been doing real good with all that, Gemma. I mean, you know, ask Clay."

Gemma's gaze didn't falter as she regretfully looked for any signs of dishonesty in the troubled man; signs that the junkie that she didn't have a soft spot for, may have sent him spiralling back down, but she found nothing - nothing out of the ordinary, at least.

♕

After spending the better part of their morning in bed, Sydney and Tig finally peeled themselves off of each other to shower for the day that they had free to spend together before any club business was to take place later in the evening.

Sydney glanced around the small bathroom as he got the water started, glad that she had known to bring her own toiletries - growing up around men, she knew that he would undoubtedly have a bottle of cheap two-in-one men's shampoo and conditioner, and that would simply not do the job. 

She stepped under the stream of warm water first, closing her eyes as it cascaded down her body before she decided that it wasn’t hot enough to upkeep her zen - twisting the tap further to the left and sighing when she finally found the right temperature. 

Tig stood still for a few minutes. Seeing her so relaxed and focused put a small smile on his face, which quickly turned into a cocky smirk and a twitch in his dick when she turned around and he caught sight of the dark handprints on her ass. 

"What do you think about in there?" He asked amusedly as he stepped over the edge of the tub to join her.

Sydney had let herself get so deep into her head in the few short minutes, that she’d completely forgotten he was there as his voice startled her a bit. At least it wasn't the toilet.

"Wouldn't you like to know." She smirked. 

"Think about me?"

"Mmm... Baby, you have no idea..." She purred seductively, trailing her hand down her stomach, towards her mound before pulling it away and turning back to the hot water with a playful smile. 

Tig shook his head, making his move to get in on at least some of the water before she could hog all of it. "Jesus!" He jumped back the second that the scalding liquid touched his skin. "Are you showering with fuckin' Satan?" 

"Don't be a pussy." She laughed, motioning for him to come closer. 

"You're used to showering with Hap." He snorted, holding his stance. 

"The devil himself." She mused, adjusting the temperature with a roll of her eyes, dramatically motioning to the now lukewarm stream. 

Tig chuckled nervously when she didn't deny his claim, stepping forward into the spray that any civilized human being would've still considered to be far too hot. "You sure that nothing's ever happened with Hap?" His tone was more inquisitive than accusatory. It wasn’t that he didn't believe her - it was that he couldn't wrap his mind around how his fellow nymphomaniac of a brother could be in constant close proximity to her, and keep his hands off. 

The question made Sydney realize for the first time that maybe part of the reason that she'd never sought out a boyfriend, was because deep down, she knew that it would likely compromise her relationship with Happy. She knew that what they had wasn't normal or conventional, and it would never surpass potential lovers. 

"Yes." She replied meekly, willing herself to keep eye contact - trying to hide her flustered frustration with exaggerated innocence in hopes that he would just take her word for it and drop the subject.

"I'm not accusing you, baby. It's just-"

"I need you to understand something." She cut him off, her tone going cold as her patience revealed itself to be even thinner than she'd thought. "Me and Hap aren't like that. The way that he is with me, it's not…” She inhaled deep into her chest as she tried to find the words that she'd never felt the need to find before. “It's not that kind of love." His expression remained sympathetic, but it was clear that she would have to elaborate if she wanted him to really understand. 

"Besides my dad, he was the only family that I had growing up... And my dad was gone a lot, which meant that Happy was around. Since I was three years old, he was there. Always there. He was the one who made my lunches for school and helped me with my homework. He was the one who gave me baths and read me bedtime stories. He was the one who slept in my bed when I would have nightmares." She paused as she felt herself getting worked up over the sensitive subject. "Tig, I'm not good with..." She took another breath of frustration, forcing herself to open the gates of vulnerability for the sake of the man that she'd fallen in love with. "Look, I know that I seem like I'm not scared of anything. For the most part, I'm not. But Happy is the reason why. He taught me how not to be afraid. He's the only person who has ever seen me be... " Her teeth clenched around the exposing words. "Not what I am today." She looked away. "It was something that I never grew out of, because it was the only thing that I've ever found safety in, that I didn't have to provide for myself." 

"Okay." Tig nodded understandingly, not knowing what else to say other than to voice his acceptance of her words with as much compassion as he could. 

Sydney's eyes fell closed under the single syllable that she knew wasn't enough. If she wanted him to really understand, she had to give him more, and now was the time to get out as much as possible while the floodgates were already open. 

"I'm not gonna say this more than once..." She inhaled deeply, not opening her eyes to see Tig's soft nod. "When I was sixteen, I made a... Stupid mistake." She spoke bitterly as she recounted the event - one of the very few times that she had stupidly let her guard down. "I'd just gotten my first car - piece of shit junker truck - and the engine died on my way home from the beach one night. I was in Huntington, so my dad sent some of the Nomads who were close by. Bikes rolled up behind me a few minutes later, I got out thinking that it was them.” She felt her throat beginning to lock up. “It wasn’t.” 

"BTT." Tig recalled, his own jaw tightening.

"You know?" Her question came out like more of a statement.

"Heard about it..." He nodded at the vague memory he'd had of Clay mentioning the attack from the San Bernardino gang before a run into Southern Cali, years ago. "All they said was that it was close to home..." He bit his lip. "Didn't know how close..."

“The lights were bright in the dark, I couldn't see who it was but it seemed too right to be a coincidence." She shook her head, still trying to explain herself, even all these years later. 

"They didn't..." He winced, not wanting to finish the question.

"No." She said quickly. "Quinn and Hopper showed up before it could get that far, but it was close enough..." She shook her head as the familiar tears of embarrassment bit at her eyes.

Tig felt his fists balling at his sides, looking down at the water circling the drain as a painful rage filled him - not the kind of rage that had him excited to shed blood, but the kind of rage that had him wishing that he'd just kept his mouth shut in the first place.

"Hap killed them." She halted his anger before it boiled over - watching as the pressure slowly faded from his face. "I was a fucking mess that night.” She chuckled humourlessly. “You think I'm feisty now? Imagine me as a teenager." She gave a small smirk, trying to bring some lightness to the sorrowful tale. "I was in so much pain, mad at myself for letting it happen, angry that the club didn't let me kill them myself." She shook her head. "Happy was the only one who knew how to make it better...”

Happy slammed his phone shut without saying a word to t he newest prospect who shuffled down the hallway, his arms grazing his leather-covered sides as he propelled himself forward rapidly, anxiety rising in his chest after calling the only man that he knew would be able to handle the job that he had been tasked with. He squeezed the plastic device in a death grip that would've cracked it had he held on not two seconds longer - shoving it back into the pocket of his kutte as he ground his teeth while making his way back to his bike.

"Uh... Hap?" He heard a meek voice when he stepped into the clubhouse after what his speedometer had made sure was a very short journey, turning to see the useless prospect that had pulled him from the manhunt. Deep down, he knew that Sydney was a force to be reckoned with - one that caused him great difficulty on the best of days - but he was too angry over the entire ordeal to accept anything other than the fact that the prospect hadn't been able to do what should've been a simple job.

"Where is she?" He demanded from the younger man that was supposed to be with Sydney - the younger man that was already on thin ice, and had now not only failed one order, but two.

"She locked me out of her room, man. I tried everything..."

"So you left her alone after you were told not to?" He seethed as his anger only continued to build at the thought of the young girl alone after what she had just endured.

"She put a gun in my face, man!" He pleaded the weak case that, on any other day, Happy probably would've found amusing, but right now he had no humour to spare. "Get out, leave your kutte."

"W-what?" The blonde too-pretty-to-be-a-biker stuttered as bewilderment coated his smooth-as-a-baby's-butt complexion. "Y-you can't do that." He shook his head. "Yates is my sponsor, you're not even a SAMDINO patch, they have to vote on it-" His protests were cut short as the taller man yanked him closer by his shirt collar, ripping the leather from his body.

"Yates will understand." He threw the kid out of his grip like a ragdoll, tossing the spent vest onto the bartop before hurrying to Sydney's room at the back of the clubhouse.

He lifted his fist as he approached her door, hesitating just before his knuckles were about to make contact with the thick oak - lowering them as he took a deep breath before lightly tapping them against the barrier. He waited a few seconds for some kind of response - a sign that she'd heard him, a sign that she was even in the room, but he got nothing. He knocked again, just loud enough that he would know for sure that she had heard him - still nothing. Eventually the modest rapping of his knuckles turned to full blown fist pounding when his efforts continued to go unanswered -  knowing that it wasn't going to get him a good result under the circumstances, but at least he would know that she was okay. 

"Syd!" He yelled, finally kicking the door in as his worry became overwhelming, and rightfully so as the sight that he was met with sent his heart plummeting into the bottom of his chest. "Sydney..." His voice cracked as he looked over the battered teenage girl, sobbing into her pillow. Apart from when he’d found out that his mom was sick, this was one of the only times in his life where he actually felt like he could cry. 

Sydney looked up at him pitifully, her eyes red as tears poured down her face in a never-ending stream as he noted each and every mark visible to his rage-filled eyes - each place on her body where their hands had been. He shook his head, letting his blackened eyes fall closed as he sat himself on the edge of the bed  where she choked on a sob and crawled over to him, letting him pull her into his arms where he willed himself to stay strong for her.

"It's gonna be okay." He tried to tell her through his gritted teeth as he managed to harness his emotions, but he knew that it wasn't. Not yet. "Gotta get cleaned up." He decided as he gently scooped her up into his arms and brought her into the bathroom where he placed her onto the closed toilet seat, figuring that sitting caked in blood and filth wasn't going to help her calm down. 

He let her sit for a few minutes while she processed what was happening, but his worry only continued to grow as she continued to hyperventilate. He crouched down to where she had hugged her knees up to her aching chest, brushing a piece of reddened blonde hair out of her marred face. "Hey..." He whispered, bringing her eyes to his where the beautiful jade swam in a sea of red. "I'm gonna fix it." He told her, nodding gently in time with her breathing that finally began to regulate. 

Sydney didn't say anything as she looked over the hardened face that had brought her so much comfort over the years, a fresh batch of tears springing to her eyes - but these ones didn't sting as badly. She nodded her understanding, slowly easing her throbbing body up while he drew her a bath. She took a deep breath in, a jolt of pain ripping through her. Broken ribs. She bit the inside of her split lip, returning to the shallow breathing that had previously masked the pain as the adrenaline began to wear off - carefully shedding her clothes where another splice of pain sent a yelp shooting up her throat as she tried to lift her shirt over her head. Collarbone. 

Happy's heart clenched as he heard her cry of pain, quickly taking over where he shrugged her gently out of her clothing. He winced as he took in the sight; the beautiful girl covered in purple welts and dried blood. He took her hands, guiding her towards the mirror when she immediately started shaking her head. 

"Hap, I can't look." She became hysterical again, yanking herself out of his grip without any regard for the agony that it caused.

"You need to." He urged. He had never seen her so scared before, and he was determined to make this situation one that she would learn from, not break from.

"No, no I can't." She sobbed, crossing her arms over her bare chest where he could see their teeth had been. "Please, Hap. I-" 

"You need to." He whispered, gently pulling her back into his arms where he rocked her back and forth until she finally let him slowly guide her closer to the mirror where she worked up enough courage to open her eyes, snapping them shut with a painful wince when she caught sight of the state of her body.

"Hap..." The tears came harder as the pain that she felt was no longer from her injuries. 

Happy turned her away from the mirror once he was satisfied that she'd gotten a good look, settling her into the bathtub where he gently cleaned her tender body. Her sobs eventually reduced to sniffles as she closed her eyes, trying to focus on the comfort that the water usually brought her, but a gasp caught in her throat as she opened them back up to see the muddied water rippled with her blood.

"Sh..." Happy placed his hand over her eyes as he pulled the plug and drained the poignant remnants, quickly refilling the tub with fresh water. "Okay." He nodded, removing her makeshift blindfold once he was sure that the water would remain clear. "Bruises fade, bones heal." He reminded her as she stared down at her scraped knees. "Ain't nothing that could ruin that pretty face." 

Sydney gave a weak smile. But the bruises on her body weren't what she was worried about as far as long-term damage went - it was the bruise on her ego. 

Happy wrapped her up snugly in a fluffy pink towel once she was clean, carrying her back to her bed where he set her down onto the leopard print duvet before heading to the closet in search of some soft clothing. 

"We need to go..." He spoke softly after helping her into the velvety sweatsuit that he'd always made fun of her for wearing - teasing her for trying to dress like the middle-aged women from her reality shows who were so desperate for youth.

"No!” Sydney’s eyes widened. “No, Hap." She shook her head rapidly. "I can't go to the hospital! There are lots of people there, and-" 

"Once the shock wears off you're gonna need those pain meds." He told her with a shake of his head. “I'll get you a private room. Only a few hours, I promise.” He nodded firmly.

"Okay..." She relented as her brain focused on the ever-increasing pain, and not on combatting his regretful orders. 

Happy drove them in silence, the guilt settling into his chest as he thought about what he was about to do, but he shook the thought away as he pulled into the crowded lot of the big city hospital, it was what he had to do. He gave her a nod as he stepped out of the vehicle, extra sure to lock the doors behind him as he made his way inside where he arranged her a room, and made sure that the doctors were very clear on what had happened, and what they were to do - and not do - about it.

Once her room was ready and the medical staff had been paid off, he returned to the car where he opened her door open gently, pulling her velvety pink hood overtop of the mass of blonde waves before ushering her through the waiting room - avoiding the eyes of as many people as possible. He helped her into her hospital gown before he tucked her into bed, turning on the TV where he flipped through the channels until he landed on one of her trashy reality shows that he wished he hadn't been able to recognize.

"What gives? Sydney choked out as she watched his muscles ripple under his skin as he mashed his fingers violently into the buttons.

"What do you mean?" His strained voice came out in a growl, his jaw tightening as he kept his eyes affixed to the TV.

"You paid for a room..." The usual smug raise of her brow that he expected when she made fun of his frugalness never came.

"You really need to ask why I did that?" He tried to keep the bite out of his tone as he contemplated what would be worse - a lie, or the truth.

"When you're standing there vibrating so fucking hard that I can feel the bed shaking? Yeah, I do." She snarked, the relieviatingly familiar reaction almost putting a smile on his face. "I know what that look means, Hap..." She whispered as her sad green eyes pooled with another bout of tears.

Happy looked at her for a few seconds, pain behind his own eyes. This was the first time that he wished she hadn't known that look - that she lived a normal life, away from all of this shit. "I gotta go..." He told her with a regrettable nod, a wince instinctively coming to his face as he awaited her reaction. 

"What?” She shrieked, thrashing against the blankets that he had been sure to pin her under. “Hap, you can't leave me here alone!" She began hyperventilating as her strength against the restraints betrayed her, ignoring the excruciating pain in her chest as an excruciating pain in her heart took over. She couldn't believe that he had convinced her to come here, just so that he could leave her. She would have expected that from anyone else - prospects, the guys, even her own father, but never from him. 

"I called Donut." He shook his head, his eyes falling closed to block out the sight that broke his heart. He hadn't wanted to make this any harder on her, but he couldn't bear the thought of letting those monsters live even a second longer, thinking that they'd gotten away with laying a hand on his princess. "You won't be alone..." He whispered as he wrapped his arm around her, winding his hand into her hair where he brought her into him - hoping to mitigate her anger in the only way that he knew how.

Sydney melted against his touch - the touch that she was so often denied. But even that kind of reward wasn't enough to diminish the wealth of misery that plagued every tainted cell in her body - nor was a visit from her northern best friend. "I don't want him to see me like this." She wailed, her shaky words barely intelligible against his chest.

"I'll be back soon." He nodded as he stroked her hair.

Sydney shook her head against his hand, balling her fists into his shirt and shoving him away from her. "You lied to me." She sniffled, wiping the tears that suddenly felt much hotter on her face.

"Little girl..." He crouched down, narrowing his eyes. "I need to fix this." 

Sydney felt her chest heaving as she looked at him, her jaw tightening painfully with each blink of her blurry eyes until her anger eventually boiled over, lifting her hand to strike him before she froze - bringing it crashing down to the stiff mattress where she completely broke down. She knew that Happy was doing everything that he could to make this easy on her while still doing what he needed to do; but right now, what she needed was him.

Happy felt the broken pieces of his blackened heart being stomped on behind his chest. He never thought that her not hitting him would upset him, but it only added to the damage that he could see had been done to the usually feisty girl in front of him, and that only fuelled his rage. 

"I need to go, and I don't trust anyone else." He sucked in a breath in an attempt to hide the crack in his voice. The Tacoma Road Captain was much more sensitive than the stoic Nomad - one of the only people that Sydney had taken a strong liking to, other than himself. He knew that he was the only one that would be able to comfort her in his absence.

"Please don't go..." She pleaded with a squeak as her pain-filled eyes glistened up at him- the eyes that he couldn't say no to, at the best of times. 

"I'll be back." He told her again, shaking his head as he stood from the bed before she took his arm into a death grip. "Girl..." He tried to warn as calmly as possible, surprised by the amount of strength that she still had as she clung to his arm. "You know that I can't let them get away with this..." He sneered through gritted teeth, pushing her off of him gently as his mind was retaken by the thoughts of what he was going to do to them. 

"W-what are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna fix it." He assured her with a pointed nod.

"Well damn, Princess... I'd hate to see the other guys." A smooth voice carried across the room from the doorway where Sydney looked up to see Donut standing with an obnoxiously giant bouquet of sunflowers. 

The short-haired man willed the sly grin on his face not to falter as he witnessed the apple of his honey-coloured eyes in such a state. As soon as he'd gotten the call from his former Tacoma brother, he’d sped off in the direction of San Bernardino without a second thought. He was on a mission to help cheer her up while Happy found the scumbags who did this to her, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

"I'll be back to get you outta here when I'm done." Happy promised, taking her small hand in his where he squeezed it tightly, leaning down where he rested his forehead against hers. "Te amo." He whispered.

Sydney's eyes fell closed as she soaked up the sincerity that managed to dull the panic in her chest, finally giving him a small nod.

Happy sprung to his feet as the adrenaline that he'd been waiting to feel was finally granted, nodding to his longtime Tacoma pal before he stalked out of the hospital with murder buzzing beneath his skin.

“When he came back he took me for a drive, got me to eat, and let me burn their bodies." She smirked a little. "He was the only one who didn't look at me differently after that... Like I was helpless or like I needed protecting... I didn't feel like I had something to prove to him the way that I did with the others." She felt a confusing spike in her heart as she, for the first time, found herself looking back on the horrible memory that she tried so hard to bury, with a sliver of fondness - all because of him. "I know it's complicated, but I can't let go of the way that I feel with him, Tig. It's one of the only things that keeps me human." She tried to explain. "I know that there are things that cross the line, and I know where that line is if I'm going to be with you. But if you want to be with me, then I need you to know where it is, too... Because no matter what, no matter how much I love you, I will always choose Happy." 

Tig had to admit that the words did sting a little, but he understood them. He knew that his tattooed brother was just as loyal, if not more so than he was - he wouldn't risk his patch to tap a brother's old lady.

"I, uh-” He rubbed the back of his neck as he willed himself to dig deeper beneath the top layer of insecurity, realizing that the situation only presented another way in which they were perfect for each other. “I feel that way with Clay and Gem.” He nodded. “For the longest time they were the only ones who I felt I could talk to... Trust... Show myself to." He had endured his fair share of accusations from Colleen regarding his relationship with Gemma, and he had always chosen his good friend over women who couldn't understand that it was all that she was to him - a good friend. 

"I wouldn't ever take that away from you.” Sydney shook her head. “I know how important that is to have in this life... With what we do." She nodded, the slightly dissociative look still on her face as she came back from the trying divulgence, locking up those damned gates. "Thank you." She looked properly into his eyes. "Not just for understanding... But for letting me say all of that..." 

"You're a hell of a lot better with words than I am, angel." He chuckled, reaching out and trailing his fingers up her arm. "I don't mind, as long as I'm the only one who gets to do this." He whispered as he ran his hands up her body, descending his mouth onto hers. 

Sydney wound her arms around his neck, curling her fingers into his damp hair as she sighed against his mouth. "I'm all for you, Tiggy." She whispered, brushing her nose against his. 

The two showered together tenderly - more tenderly than Sydney would've ever imagined as he washed her hair, turning her to face him so that he could rinse the suds out once he was satisfied that it had been lathered up enough.

She closed her eyes, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck - letting him guide her completely. He tugged at her hair gently, bringing her head back just far enough before he rested his forehead against hers, kissing her nose. She smiled at the cute gesture as he moved down to kiss her lips, arching her back as she pressed her body against him completely. 

"Baby." She whined when his arm wrapped around her waist and his lips moved to her neck, enjoying the intimacy far too much as he moved his hands up and down her back, his fingers tracing along her spine.

"Does my princess like this?" He mumbled against her neck.

She looked up into his eyes, nodding innocently as he stroked her hair and reattached his lips to hers, continuing his soft and gentle movements - taking his time worshipping her as she stood in front of him, her body curling at his gentle touch. There was some component of the embrace that wasn't sexual, just appreciative, but she knew that there was a hint of possession in the way that he was babying her - and she didn't mind one bit. 

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

"You hungry?" Tig heard behind him as he was getting dressed, glancing into the bathroom where Sydney stood in front of the mirror, brushing her damp hair. 

"See, doll." He smirked as he approached her, wrapping his arms around her towel-wrapped body from behind. "This is why I'm gonna marry you." He chuckled against her neck, pressing his lips to her cheek before he left the room.

She chortled to her reflection, pulling on one of his t-shirts that she knotted in the front before slipping into a pair of leggings. She twisted her wet hair into a bun on the top of her head, securing it with the multiple bobby pins that she was already finding scattered around his room before stepping into her black fuzzy slides and making her way to the kitchen where she got to work preparing breakfast for the surely heavy hangovers that the morning would bring. 

She’d surveyed the fully-stocked kitchen - thanks to Gemma - as a fresh pot of coffee brewed, taking the time to establish what ingredients she would be working with before she headed out to the bar to do a headcount. When she reached the musty, beer-scented room, she found multiple passed out crows, Juice on the pool table, Bobby on the floor, Chibs on the couch, Happy at the bar - who was being pestered by Tig, and Half-Sack racing to clean up. 

"You need help, babe?" Tig nodded, his attention turning away from his scowling brother - giving the bald man some momentary relief. 

"No, I'm fine. Hangout." She smiled, handing him a cup of coffee where he pecked her on the cheek before she returned to the kitchen and began frying up multiple packs of bacon and sausages, as well as scrambling two dozen eggs.

"So, you guys are the real deal?" Happy regained the Sergeant's attention after massaging his throbbing temples.

"Oh yeah, man." The blue-eyed man gushed. 

"Don't fuck her around. Spent a lot of time teachin' her that she's special, ain't about to have you fuck it up." Happy grunted, cutting off any idea that he may have wrongfully given Tig that could have indicated that he approved of this.

"Brother, I saw what she did to you last night…” He raised a brow. “Wouldn't dream of it." 

"For real. That one's somethin' you'll never find again. Deserves the world. Only reason I'm letting it happen is cause I've never seen her want it before." Happy let his harsh words soak in for a few seconds before going back to freak mode - his usual setting around Tig. "So, how is she?" His black eyes glinted as he grinned wickedly.

"Like you don't know... I hear the way she talks to you, man." Tig scoffed. Yes, Sydney's sorrowful anecdote had wiped up every last drop of confusion that he may have had about their relationship - but Happy didn't know that, and Tig was never one to shy away from hassling a brother, especially Happy Lowman.

"Only talks to me like that to piss me off." He shook his head. "Knows I won't do it."

"I don't know how you don't." Tig scoffed again.

"You want me to do it?" Happy retorted, his response getting the desired effect as the Sergeant finally shrunk down in his seat. "She doesn't fuck around with anyone. That one's a tease - gets a kick out of it, too. The DINO guys hated it." 

Tig looked down as he felt a rush of heat grace his cheeks. He had no idea what it was that could've possibly made him special enough to make her break her rules for him. 

"Never had anything serious with anyone." Happy confirmed with a nod. "She dabbled with a couple scrawny bitches back home to keep the guys away... Chewed 'em up and spit 'em out when she got tired of entertaining 'em. Funny shit." His eyes went hollow as he reminisced. 

When Happy had first found himself in San Bernardino, he was a freshly eighteen year-old prospect from Tacoma. He’d been drinking at the SAMDINO clubhouse when he felt something brush against his leg. He'd pulled back abruptly, but the absolute last thing that he'd expected to see was a toddler hanging from his baggy jeans. He'd done everything that he could to shake her - literally - but the second that she opened her mouth to tell him ‘no’ with a high-pitched giggle, he'd sold his soul to the little girl.

Even all of those years ago, Happy was still stoic, still tattooed, and still terrifying - but for some reason the little blonde toddler shadowed him like no other. She wouldn't let anyone else near her if he was around - not even her own parents. The tattooed man had been her hand-chosen babysitter, and as time went on he eventually grew to love the role that allowed him to exercise his regularly hidden soft spot for cartoons.

Happy knew that it was this time that they’d spent together, that had made them so close - a closeness that was too close for them to ever indulge in whatever Tig seemed to find so incomprehensibly irresistible. The love between them was that of family - family that had been together through both life, and death. 

"I'll treat her right." Tig said honestly as he nodded to the bald man who was clearly deep in thought.

"I know." Happy smirked. He had made it his life's ambition to have Sydney know her worth, to make sure that she never got hung up on some pretty boy - and it wasn't a job that he had finished yet. "Hundreds of guys would kill to be where you're at with her." He gave one final reminder to the man that, deep down, he knew didn't need it.

"Another one over here, sweetheart." The attractive man with dirty blonde hair tossed Sydney a wink from down the bar. She flashed him a smirk before grabbing his beer, sauntering over to him with a swing in her hips where she leaned over the top of the bar with her tits on display once she met him - he was attractive enough that his attention was enjoyable, but not nearly enough to let him take her to bed.

"Gotta head out." He said abruptly - the influx of leather-clad men being the cause, no doubt. The forced finality in his weak tone told her that he was trying desperately to appear like he had somewhere important to be, but she knew better. She rolled her eyes, turning around to greet the San Bernardino Sons.

"Hey, honey." Her dad addressed her with a warm smile and a squeeze to her hand as he quickly walked past her, grabbing a beer and making his way to the poker table. 

Happy walked around the bar, pouring himself a whiskey as his eyes glued themselves to the man that Sydney had been talking to, narrowing his gaze down at her with a smirk. "He'll be back for you." He nodded to the now empty seat that had been occupied by the poor excuse for a man.

"I bet he will." She scoffed. 

"Gonna let someone hit it?" He raised a brow, unexpectedly - he knew how hard it was to earn a spot on her exclusive roster. 

Sydney couldn't resist the urge to press his buttons as that scowl appeared in the crevasses of his face when she didn't answer quick enough to satisfy him. Getting closer to him, she slowly pressed her body against his, pushing him against the bar. "You offering?" She nodded in a low whisper as her playful green eyes became hooded. 

He hesitated for a second, looking her up and down before pulling away where he rapidly began shaking his head. "Shouldn't say shit like that, little girl."

"Awe why not, Happy Feet?" She mock-pouted, ending her facade with a smirk once she was met with the warning glare that she knew all too well. "I'll start throwing bones when I know I'll get a good one in return." She shrugged as they watched the cowardly group of men filing out of the clubhouse.

"Yeah... tell me about it." Tig said dreamily.

"Hurt her, and I'll slit your throat." Happy said casually, clapping the dark-haired man on the shoulder as Sydney walked out holding two plates, placing one in front of each of them. 

"Coffee?" She nodded to Happy, setting a steaming mug down in front of him as he nodded. "Still take it black, I assume?" He nodded again. "Great talk." She nodded sarcastically, disappearing back into the kitchen. 

Sydney finally made her way back out to the bar with her own plate of food and coffee in hand, scowling as she looked down at Half-Sack where he sat, scrubbing vigorously at the floor - cleaning what she assumed was vomit. 

"Hey, Kippy." She chuckled, feeling sorry for the poor prospect. "You eat yet?" 

"Nah." He squinted as he looked up at her. "'I've been cleanin' all morning." 

"Well, there's eggs and coffee in the kitchen... Sorry I didn't make any tofu." She pouted playfully.

"Thanks." He chuckled with a barely noticeable roll of his eyes.

Sydney waltzed over to where Tig and Happy were sitting in their barstools, setting her plate onto the bartop across for them - opting to stand while she ate. "Damn, little girl." Happy shook his head as he swallowed a savory bite. "I knew there was a reason I missed San Bern." He grinned.

"I thought you were lookin' a little skinny these days." She chuckled, poking him in the ribs with her fork. "How's Ma?" She piped up, realizing that she hadn't spoken to Happy's mother since she'd left. It was odd, she realized; how right SAMCRO felt, how right Tig felt. It all felt so right that she'd completely forgotten that she’d had a whole other life back home.

"Good, misses ya." He nodded. His mother's health had improved vastly since it had brought him to San Bernardino, all of those years ago - hence why he was now comfortably bouncing between the western charters as a Nomad. "Told her that we were here together, she's happy." He smiled. 

Esmeralda Lowman was the closest thing that Sydney had to what she imagined an involved mother was. Being an old fashioned latina woman; she babied, clothed, and cooked for the young blonde whenever she could, no matter what her condition had been.

"I bet she is." She smiled as she tried to figure out if the older woman had known all along that she and Happy would be in Charming together - it definitely wouldn't have been unlike her to keep it a surprise. 

The three of them were all pulled from their separate thoughts as they heard Bobby begin to wake, laughing inharmoniously as the discombobulated man stumbled about the room littered with unconscious party-goers. 

"Breakfast is in the back, sleepin' beauty." Tig called as the large man made his way to the kitchen, stopping halfway down the hall to throw up. 

"Oh come on, man..." Half-Sack groaned from the end of the hallway where he had finally finished his cleaning.

"Jesus Christ, man." Jax came barging out of his room to see what the ruckus was after being startled out of the sleep that he must've succumbed to sometime after returning from his early morning ride out to the warehouse, scowling when Bobby ignored him and continued his path towards the food. "Dude, where are you goin'?" He scowled.

"Breakfast." The Treasurer barely uttered out. 

"Gemma here early?" Jax crinkled his brows, rubbing his forehead as he prepared for the cyclone that was his mother, much earlier than he had anticipated. 

"Sydney." He managed to choke out before a coughing fit began.

Jax's crinkled brows turned into a deep scowl as the older man's answers only flooded him with more questions. "You're tellin' me that the Princess is goin' domestic?" He shook his head incredulously. 

"I ain't complainin'." Bobby shrugged as he grabbed a plate and began to dish up. 

Jax strolled out into the bar after filling his own plate of food, grabbing the empty stool beside Tig. "Laundry and dinner yesterday, breakfast today..." He mused as he looked over Sydney with a sly smirk. "You got a good one here, brother." He nudged the Sergeant's shoulder. 

Tig smiled proudly while Sydney beamed across from him. He couldn't believe how lucky he'd gotten - he had the girl that everyone wanted, the girl that every member only dreamed of having; the one who embraced the club with open arms, the one who fucked him like her life depended on it, the one who looked like a playboy centrefold, the one who was half his age - but most importantly, the one who only had eyes for him. She had him completely done for.

"You really make all this, Princess?" Jax nodded.

"Well the prospect wasn't going to." She shot him a knowing glance. 

"Lookin' to get promoted to Queen?" He raised his brow with a smirk. 

"All in good time, VP." She mused, taking the empty plates back to the kitchen. 

"You better put a fuckin' ring on that, man. Before I do." Jax poked at Tig who was still basking in all of her glory - waiting to wake up from the dream, but he didn't. This was real. 

After everybody was done gorging on Sydney's status-securer of a meal, she headed back to Tig's room to properly get herself ready for the day. She pulled her now dry hair from the bun where it fell down over her shoulders in big, voluminous waves - just the way that she’d hoped. She didn't bother throwing on any makeup before slipping into a baby blue, v-neck tee - she would be doing plenty of that later.

She passed through the bar, smiling as Jax gave her an approving nod which she returned as she made her way outside where she spotted Tig sitting at a picnic table with Happy, Juice, and Bobby. She strutted over, throwing a little extra swing in her hips - running her hand over Tig’s shoulder as he sat with his back to her. 

"Oh. Hey, baby." He cooed when he looked over his shoulder to see her smiling down at him, grabbing her hand and bringing it to his lips.

"I know what we can do today, Tiggy." She announced as she pushed herself up to sit on top of the picnic table. 

"What's that, doll?" He quirked a brow, the genuine curiosity behind his attentive eyes giving her hope that he might actually say yes. 

"You should teach me how to ride." She mused, looking down shyly as she fiddled with his kutte - lazily circling the smooth leather with her fingertip. 

"Oh, sweetheart... You ride just fine." He scoffed, raising a sly brow as the guys laughed. 

"Well, maybe..." She tilted her head as she ran her finger down his forearm. "If you give me a few pointers, I'll show you what I've learned later..."  

Tig stood up without second thought as the table erupted in a chorus of groans and gags, leading Sydney over to his bike which quickly turned the protests to laughter. She was sure to tip Happy a wink over her shoulder - a wink that he returned. 

"How much you wanna bet she wears his crow within the next six months?" Bobby proposed another bet in hopes that this one would favor him better than the last one that he’d participated in. 

"I give it three." Juice snorted as he opened his wallet and tossed a bill onto the table. 

“More than that.” Happy shook his head, standing from the table. He knew that she would never get a crow before she got her reaper, but that knowledge was valuable enough - he didn't need to profit off of it.

"You sure you wanna do this?" The reality-blinding enchantment of sex quickly started to dissipate as they reached the row of Harleys where Tig realized just what she was asking him to do.

"Well, you're the expert, right?" She raised a brow. "Who better to learn from?" She flashed a cocky smile as she plucked the helmet from his handlebars and pulled it down on top of her curls. 

"I don't know, doll…” He sighed. “My bike ain't stock... Got a lot of-"

"Yeah, yeah, you have mods, I know. But that means it'll just be easier if I learn on something hard." She countered. He pursed his lips, she had a point... "Besides, your bike is my favorite..." She looked down again. "It looks the best, it's faster than all the other ones..." She mused as she ghosted her fingertips over the skull on the brake handle this time, stroking the gleaming chrome just like she was stroking his ego. 

Tig squinted hard, sighing as he grimaced. "I hope you know that I don't let anybody ride my bike alone. Ever." He rarely even let anyone ride it with him.

"I promise I'll make it worth your time, Sergeant." She nodded eagerly, her tone laced with just enough seduction.

Tig spent the next fifteen minutes explaining the components and functions of the bike. Sydney listened intently, nodding in fascination as the world around him blurred, his silky voice echoing in her ears as she blissfully revelled in his presence; curls bouncing and eyes glimmering in the sun as he explained his passion. 

"You get all that, kitten?" She snapped out of it, nodding rapidly once she registered that he had stopped talking, and was now staring at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Mhmm." She hummed the assurance that he clearly didn't believe, but he didn't have time to do anything about it as she fired up the engine. He helped her get set up, making sure that she was steady on the thousand-pound machine that he had seen grown men struggle to control - finally pulling away after relaying the gear shift, and making sure that her helmet was buckled tight. 

Sydney rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she chortled before she started rolling, getting ready to kick off. "Wait!" She heard him yell behind her, whipping her head around impatiently to see him grabbing a nearby helmet off of one of the bikes - yanking it down over his own head, nodding for her to continue once it was clipped in place. 

"Asshole." She rolled her eyes again while he grinned, turning her attention back to the monster of a bike beneath her.

"That's it, baby!" Tig cheered as she fumbled with the clutch a few times before getting a halfway proper start under her belt. She couldn't help but blush, looking down as her nerves forced a smile. "Do that a few more times, and then you can start practicing above first." He nodded.

She went back and forth across the lot in first a few more times, as he instructed - stalling every once in a while. "So neutral is between first and second?" She looked up at him for clarification as he showed her how to shift the bike into a higher gear, crinkling her brows in confusion when he nodded. "I thought you said that this would be like shifting in my car." She whined.

"It is, baby.” He nodded reassuringly. “Neutral's after first, so that you can't accidentally shift twice into second." He rubbed her back soothingly as he explained.

"Oh." She nodded slowly before giving it a try, jerking around a little more. "Neutral is hard." She pouted, stomping her foot to the pavement as she pushed her lips out in hopes of some more tender encouragement. 

"It's okay, sweetheart. You're doin' great." He lifted her wrinkled chin, smiling when her frown broke into a sweet smile 

Clay pulled into the lot, scowling as he watched Sydney shakily ride the giant Harley around the perimeter. He chuckled once he saw Tig standing in the middle of her small circles, shaking his head as he rolled his bike into formation. He pulled his helmet off as she made her way back over to Tig, stopping with a screech - the seasoned Harley riders sharing a chuckle as she giggled nervously. 

"What's this?" The older man mused, tossing her a wink. 

"Princess wants to learn how to ride." Tig nodded confidently as his ringed hand shielded his squinting eyes from the harsh July sun. 

"If I'm gonna get my patch, I'm gonna have to learn." She said through a knowing grin. 

Clay raised his eyebrows discerningly. "Hey, Tiggy." He turned his attention to his Sergeant. "You mind checkin' in with Jax?" His playful eyes narrowed much more seriously.

"Sure thing, boss." Tig nodded eagerly once he realized what this was about, heading towards the clubhouse in search of the VP.

"So..." He began laughing as soon as the dark-haired man was out of earshot. "How long you planning on makin' him chase you around the parking lot?" 

"A little longer." She replied with a cocky smirk. 

"You're something else, Princess..." He laughed, taking off towards Bobby, Juice, and Happy where they sat, thoroughly entertained at their picnic table.

Sydney rolled Tig's heavy bike next to Clay's, making her way back over to where everybody was gathered. 

"So, how'd ya manage that?" Clay scoffed. 

"She just asked." Happy beamed. 

"She told him she'd ride him later." Juice scoffed, kicking his fellow bald-headed brother under the table.

"You would've done that anyway." Clay scowled. 

"Exactly." She purred with a smirk, swaying playfully before she took her leave. 

"Jax took care of it - everything still looks good. Doesn't look like the Mayans have tried to come back." Tig nodded to Clay as he approached, his hand trailing Sydney's as she strutted past him.

"Heard she didn't even have to bribe you for that." Clay joked as the pussy-whipped jokes started coming at the Sergeant who had been far too easily convinced to spend his afternoon playing teacher. 

"You gonna say no that?" He posed with wide eyes, humming as he gestured to Sydney walking away, those juicy hips swinging while her ass bounced along behind her - just below the ends of her shiny hair. 

"You got a good point, my friend." Clay nodded, clapping him on the shoulder. 

"Heard we had some riding lessons goin' on out there?" Jax teased as Sydney entered the clubhouse.

"Sure did. Better watch your back, VP... I'm comin' for that precious little flash on your chest." She winked.

♕

The afternoon came to a close much quicker than Sydney had anticipated after spending the bulk of her day with Tig. Before she knew it, she found herself at the table with a beer and a pack of smokes in front of her in preparation for the lengthy conversation that was about to take place; the Mayan ambush.

"We gotta figure out the best way to do this..." Clay sighed. "With the Mayans and Nords, we're gonna be outnumbered - by a long shot."

"If we pull this off, we only have to worry about the Mayans tailing us back. Nords don't care enough to fight a battle that ain't their own - especially for brown." Tig added.

Clay began explaining his plan for what would undoubtedly be an all out warfare: The Sons would ambush just after 9:00 P.M., interrupt the handoff with guns drawn, load the AKs into the van as quickly as possible. The plan was smart, but Sydney didn't know if it was smart enough to avoid a possible casualty by going in blind, with bullets flying.

"You need me on the inside." She decided, sitting up straighter as Clay's deep blue eyes landed on her the second that the words left her mouth. "You have no idea where the guns will be, or when they'll get there. If I'm on the inside with a gun to Marcus' head, we can secure a safe exit." She rushed to her own defense before he could protest.

"And how do you plan on getting a gun in under one of your tight little whore dresses?" Bobby mused. "Gonna use that prison wallet that Tiggy talks so highly about? Huh?" He chuckled heartily.

Sydney smiled sarcastically, pulling her shirt down to reveal a teeny tiny Colt Pony stuffed deep in her cleavage - silently thanking the puberty Gods as the guy's faces dropped, and eyes widened while Tig laughed proudly. 

"Didn't see that comin', did ya, old man?" She teased Bobby, tossing a wink to Tig. "And neither will they."

"Darby and some of his guys know what you look like. So does that Mayan that we set free." Jax countered.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head, VP. I got that covered." She cooed with a theatrical shake of her head.

"Juice - in the van." Clay began. "As soon as you roll up, you pull in front of the bikes - they're gonna start firing right away." Juice nodded. "Sack, you're in the van with Chibs - you two are in charge of transport." The Scot gave a curt nod while Sydney smiled at Half-Sack across the room as Clay assigned him his first major role on a job. "I'll make sure Laroy's on board."

"I'll get one of the girls to drop me off just before 9:00 P.M., text all updates off a prepay." Sydney nodded.

The meeting dragged on with the boring details of where the rendezvous points were, how to get there, and what weapons would be best - but Sydney didn't care, she'd gotten her way. When it finally wrapped up, she made her way back to Tig’s dorm to gather her things before she was to head home and get ready.

"This ain't gonna be like anything you've done before." A voice came from behind her. The worry in the tone, for a split second, had her wondering who was speaking. She looked over her shoulder with care - she wasn't scared, but she knew that going undercover in what would end in a shower of bullets was something that for once, warranted the worry of her best friend. 

"Don't think I can handle it?" She teased lightly. 

"If anyone can, it's you, mi sol." Happy sauntered into the room with a nod. "But bullets... They don't care how good you are. Anyone can get hit." 

Sydney smiled softly to herself. She knew how to get under Happy's skin, but he wasn't completely unaware of how to get under hers. The praise always did something to her when it rolled off of his tongue; the roughness of his gravelly voice emphasizing the soft words that were so hard to earn from him, making them that much more infectious - and he knew it. 

"Guess I'll just have to aim for a flesh wound." She smirked. 

"Just don't wanna see anything happen to you..." He gave in to the softness as much as he could make himself - the softness that she had always desired from him. "Old man would roll over in his grave and kick my ass."

They both shared a chuckle before Sydney's smile faltered, feeling the never-too-dormant anger bubbling in her blood as her emotions hastily began to take over. Her dad's death had thrown her for a loop; had made her lose all control over herself, made her act like everything she was against. She hated that her throat stung and her eyes burned every time he was mentioned, she hated that running away from everything she had ever known - from everybody who had ever loved her - felt so damn good. But most of all, she hated that erasing the existence of her father was the only way that she could handle remembering him.

"It’s okay to cry.” He nodded, walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder. “I miss him too."

Her eyes refocused and her head snapped up from the hung position that it had fallen into. “No.” She snarled, shaking her head angrily as she pushed his hand away. 

"Syd... If it was Ma who died, I woul-"

"Enough." She clenched her jaw, her face hot with unspent emotion. “I’m fine.”

Happy's chest rumbled with a chuckle as he pulled her against it. "Too much like me, little girl." He shook his head. "Too much like me..."

Sydney chortled, feeling the tightness in her chest begin to subside. "You need to be careful, too..." She took a deep breath, finding a calming comfort in his familiar scent of cheap soap and pine needles. "I don't know what I'd do without you..." She said softly. 

Happy stared ahead blankly, mindlessly stroking her hair. "C'mon." He pulled away. "Show these fuckers what I taught you." He spoke with a smirk that her lips curled up to mimic before she followed him out the door. 

♕

Sydney felt her skin beginning to ripple with the familiar buzz of excitement that espionage never failed to bring her, clutching onto Tig a little tighter where he rolled into her driveway. 

"You be careful tonight, kitten.” He took off his sunglasses to look her in the eyes as he unclipped her helmet for her.

"Of course." She nodded up at him before he threw an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a sweet kiss. 

"You better take a long look at me, Sergeant..." She pulled away with a grin, nudging his forehead with hers. "Cause later tonight, you won't have any idea who I am..." 

"Don't get me excited like that, pussycat." He growled against her lips.

"You better stay whole for me tonight." She raised her brows expectantly. "I still have to show you what I learned today." She smirked as she pulled away.

"Hey." He held his hands out. "Since when do I gotta be whole for that?" He teased as she dismounted his bike.

She chortled. "You stayin' at the clubhouse tonight?"

"Yeah, Clay's gonna need me close after this shit goes down - who knows what it's gonna stir up." He sighed, shaking his head as he looked off into the distance while Sydney nodded. "You are too." He told her, watching her brow crease in confusion. "I don't want you alone tonight." He explained, watching those playful green eyes roll behind her dark lashes. "I mean it, baby." He narrowed his eyes.

She chuckled before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yes, Sergeant." She whispered into his mouth, sealing the promise with a kiss - she had absolutely no problem with the excuse to spend another night with him.

"That's my girl." He hummed in approval, grabbing a generous handful of her ass before she finally broke away.

A few hours later, Sydney was finally ready to go with her makeup caked into oblivion, wig glued in place, brown contacts settled against her green eyes, and temporary tattoos powdered to satisfaction. She slid into the skin-tight, satin red dress where she saw Jessica's dark Volkswagen pull up in front of her house - pulling on her cheap hooker heels and spraying the knock-off version of her favourite perfume before she headed out the door. 

The brunette didn't notice Sydney walking out the door as she sat playing games on her phone while she waited, looking up when a dark-haired woman opened the passenger door and slid in. "Uh, I think you have the wrong car-" Her brows were furrowed in confusion before she recognized her passenger. "Holy fuck... Sydney?" She exclaimed as her jaw fell to the floor.

Sydney cackled, pulling the mirror down. "Not too shabby, huh?" She dragged her finger along the corner of her cherry red lips.

"How the fuck did you do that?" Jessica bounced in her seat. "Oh my god..." She shook her head in continuous awe. "Where were you when I was using other people's IDs?" Sydney laughed again, plugging her phone into the aux cord as they set off to Pope. 

The two shared a fun ride full of laughing, gossiping, and singing along to the stereo. Sydney was starting to see the wild brunette as a genuine friend, not just a whore who was to obey her commands. They drove slowly along the dirt road until they finally saw the old farmhouse - which was a much smaller residence than Sydney had expected for such a large gathering. She scanned the property as they pulled up, her quickly drying eyes running over a few old pickup trucks until she spotted them, like a bunch of diamonds; the gleaming Softails.

"Bingo." She smirked. "Thanks, Jess. See you later." She kissed her chauffeur on the cheek, pulling out her burner to let Juice know that she was heading in as she strutted up the rickety steps of the beaten down building, pulling open the screen door where she was hit with the strong scent of marijuana and chemicals - successfully remoistening her eyes as they adjusted to the fumes. 

She glanced around, eyeing mostly Nords mingling with the women that she'd met with at the diner, spotting the red-head who had given her the address standing with Darby and the man that she had seen with him at their meeting - assuming that he had to be his new right hand since they’d killed Whistler. She made her way over, her dramatically altered appearance successfully preventing any of them from recognizing her where she stood just close enough that she could catch the end of their conversation as she served herself a drink - listening to Darby relay the details of the drop which would be taking place around the side of the house very shortly. She chewed on the edge of the red solo cup in her hand, heading off to the bathroom once she was satisfied with the intel - locating the side door on her way.

Juice and the rest of the Sons were parked on an access road off of the highway a few miles away where they awaited Sydney’s final signal. The entire group was antsy - as to be expected before a shootout - but Clay noticed that Tig was squirming on his bike in a way that he wasn't used to seeing; in a way that sent him back in time...

"She's gonna be fine, brother." He assured him with narrowed eyes.

"Oh." Tig snapped out of it. "Yeah... I know." He tried to play it off with a casual nod. 

"Now." Juice called out, snapping his phone shut. 

Tig was grateful for the distraction from his worry, the nerves fueling his actions as he sped off down the road - everyone behind him with their guns in hand.

Sydney snuck out the side door just before Alvarez arrived, with ease - rounding the back of the house where she positioned herself with her back against the splintering wood. Finally, she heard the door creak open, peering around the corner to see Darby, his bitch boy, and two other men exiting down the steps that threatened to snap even under their unimpressive weight as Alvarez pulled up with a black Impala in tow.

The Mayan President dismounted his bike, taking his time making his way over to Darby while his men popped the trunk. The two shook hands before walking over to check out the guns, Darby nodding a few seconds later before motioning to one of his guys who then handed Alvarez an envelope. At the last possible second, Sydney finally heard it - the rumbling of the Harleys. Showtime.

Shots began ringing out as soon as the Mayans realized what was happening - bullets hitting the side of the van where Juice came to a screeching halt in front of the Sons. Sydney grinned as the Niners emerged from the property line behind the trees with guns in hand, successfully giving Half-Sack and Chibs a clear path to haul the crate of AKs to the van as everybody scrambled to find cover. 

Sydney was in awe as she watched Half-Sack fearlessly walk straight into open fire with his gun drawn, seamlessly taking down one of Darby's guys as Alvarez and another Mayan ran back in her direction. She tucked herself back out of sight as they rounded the side of the house, landing them face to face with the barrel of her gun. 

"Ay, ese." She greeted the President with a smile. "Mind telling your mano here to pass me his gun?" She nodded to the trembling man who stood behind him.

"And who the hell are you?" Alvarez said with a snicker.

"Oh, sweetie... You gonna make me say the magic words?" She cocked her gun and pressed it against his forehead. 

"Give it to her, Esai." Alvarez laughed again, giving the younger man a nod before he reluctantly placed his gun into her unoccupied hand.

"Gracias, amigo." She tossed him a wink. "On the ground, hands behind your head. You behave, and I'll let your pretty face go without a scratch." She ordered as she stroked the tip of his own gun over his face. Esai Alvarez was a beautiful man, it would be a shame to have to carve him up - plus, she knew that harming the President's son would likely cause more problems than it was worth. 

Esai slowly began to sink to his knees before her, freezing as she brushed her bare knee against his cheek with a snicker. "No, sweetheart. Over there." She nodded across the yard, smiling sadistically as he stood shakily and backed away. "Great bodyguard you got yourself, Pres." She turned her attention back to the senior Alvarez.

"I like this one, Mijo." Marcus laughed to his son.

"Call your men off. Now." She ordered, nudging him forward with her gun. 

Alvarez surrendered easily, slowly turning against the barrel to where it was positioned at the back of his head as the little brunette walked him out into the open where the Mayan gunfire ceased immediately once they saw the predicament that their President was in.

"Guns on the ground." He ordered, the Mayans all dropping their weapons from where they had shielded themselves behind various trees and vehicles. 

The Sons emerged from behind the van, Chibs and Half-Sack taking the opportunity to hurriedly get the guns loaded safely while the Niners moved in to collect the fallen weapons.

"I think you have something for me, Papi." Sydney cooed into the short man’s ear, feeling him tense the moment that he realized that this had all been perfectly set up by the Sons. He exhaled sharply, placing the envelope between her fingers - his brown eyes flicking towards the gun in her hand. "Try it, see what happens." She coaxed with a smirk, ripping the envelope out of his grasp. "We'll consider this a finders fee." She taunted loudly enough for the rest of the men to hear, nudging Alvarez again as she continued her strut. "Always a pleasure, Ernie." She winked to Darby as he and his men stood stiffly on the sidelines, unwilling to shed more blood over a Mexican beef. 

"You gotta be shittin' me..." The bald man groaned once he realized just who the leggy brunette was...

"Nice car." She cooed before she shot out a tire, the rest of the Sons following suit as they opened fire on all of the vehicles that could potentially be used to follow them. 

"Pleasure doin' business." Clay called out with a wave.

The Niners held each and every Mayan and Nord at gunpoint while Sydney safely walked Alvarez over to the van as her crew got ready to make their escape. She nodded to Jax, who took the signal and hightailed it out of there with the rest of the mounted Sons in tow while she kept her gun on Alvarez as she led him around to the sliding door, pushing him to sit where Chibs lifted her up before Juice backed into a circle and took off down the road. 

"Since when are the Sons recruiting putas?" Alvarez asked Sydney with a smug smile.

"Since the Nords started recruiting wetbacks." She retorted, leaning into his face. "Thanks for the cooperation, Marcy - now don't do anything stupid." She nodded sweetly, kissing him on the cheek before pushing him out of the moving vehicle. Chibs slid the door shut once their hostage was unloaded, everybody screaming in victory as Juice floored it down the dirt road where they headed to the meeting point.

"Kip!" Sydney gave the prospect a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "What the fuck was that? You were amazing!" She screeched excitedly.

"Ah, it was nothin'..." He blushed bashfully.

"Hell no! That was some rambo shit, that was not nothing! Where the fuck did it come from?" She shook her head at the shyness of the young man.

"Dunno." He shrugged. "I mean, I was in the army so I guess it just comes naturally..." 

"Ah..." She squinted with a slow nod. "Now I see why they let you prospect." She smirked.

"Aye! I told you I wasn't crazy to sponsor him!" Chibs yelled. "I think you two are gonna be up for MVP tonight!" 

Half-Sack's nerves jolted when he felt Sydney's hand grab his and he looked up to see her beaming with pride. He looked down as a nervous laugh rippled in his throat. He couldn't believe that he had managed to take her by surprise.

"Doesn't look like they're followin'." Juice hollered from the front.

"Good." Sydney laughed. "Maybe they aren't as stupid as they look."

Ten minutes later, the van rolled to a stop on the opposite side of the access road where they were to wait for Laroy and the rest of the Niners so that they could hand off the AKs and finally begin to fill the order that never should have been interrupted in the first place. 

"Hi, boys." Sydney cooed when the door slid open from where she was sitting among the crates and barrels full of guns, with a grin on her face and her legs crossed. 

The Oakland gang leader's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he was greeted with such an unexpected scene - holding out his hand to help the mystery woman down. She winked at him as soon as her feet hit the ground, strutting over to her crew to exchange victory cheers. 

While Clay and Jax handled business, Sydney eyed Tig who was still on his bike a few yards away, keeping watch down the road. She blushed when he looked over and winked at her, looking down to the ground bashfully before a shrill whistle brought her attention right back. She watched as Half-Sack perked up, following the Sergeant’s nod as he motioned him over. She chuckled, shaking her head as she propped an elbow against the side of the van while the eager kid took his place as lookout. 

"Hey, Sergeant." She cooed as he walked over, swaying side to side slowly as she twirled the fake hair around her finger.

"Who is that." Laroy hummed, licking his lips as he raked over Sydney's figure from the back - which somehow was an even better view than the front. 

"Hey there, darlin'." Tig greeted, his lusty eyes giving her a once over before he looked over his shoulder and moved his hands to her waist. "You know, we should probably get outta here before my old lady sees us..." He teased before crashing his lips into hers where he shoved her against the van before either of them had time to laugh, tightening his grip on her as she moaned. His tongue dominated her mouth almost immediately as her hands moved up to his neck, pulling him in further without a care in the world for the audience as the post-heist adrenaline coursed through their veins.

"Wait, wait, wait.." Laroy winced at the atrocious sight before him. "You ain't bouta tell me that she... Is with him?" 

"We don't get it either, man." Jax chuckled.

The pair was standing close enough to be able to hear Laroy's comment, but Sydney was too wrapped up in her man to care. Her man, however, felt anger bubbling within him as he turned so that he could look the man in the eye as she moved down to kiss his neck - grinning when the younger man quickly looked away. 

"Good, kitten." He purred in her ear as he grasped her hair.

"Think we have time?" She whispered with a devious smile that he quickly returned as she glanced to the van. 

"We better wrap this up before they start fuckin' right here." Clay announced, shaking Laroy's hand. 

Sydney and Tig finally pulled away from each other, retreating to their separate modes of transportation as the handoff was completed. The rest of the drive was uneventful compared to the beginning as Juice pulled the van into the TM lot, but before Sydney could even step foot on solid ground, Tig was right there waiting for her. He wrapped his arms around her legs and slung her over his shoulder, carrying her into the clubhouse while she freely laughed this time as the whistles began.

"Church!" Clay called as Tig passed him.

"Later." He replied simply with a low growl in his voice. 

♕

Everybody except Sydney and Tig sat around the table in complete silence, listening to the muffled screams that were audible even from across the clubhouse, and behind multiple closed doors. 

"Is anyone else getting hard?" Juice asked, causing an uproar of laughter.

"How long d'you give it?" Chibs asked with a grin.

"Thirty seconds." Jax scoffed, eliciting another round.

Sydney stayed on her arms and knees for a few seconds after Tig had pulled out and made his way to the bathroom, collecting herself before she finally got to her feet and straightened her dress. When he emerged a few seconds later, he briskly walked towards her - taking her face in his hands and kissing her as soon as she turned to face him. Her body gave into his as she leaned back, pressing herself completely against him - craving the intimacy that the first round had lacked. 

"I'll take care of my princess later." He promised tenderly with his lips against her neck, exciting her all over again. She smiled and nodded before he grabbed her hand and led her down the hallway to the chapel where they entered to a round of hassling. 

Sydney smiled bashfully as she realized that they had likely heard the entire encounter - albeit a short one - rolling her eyes. "Now that is how we get shit done." Clay stated as the stragglers took their seats, bringing on a new round of cheers. "Laroy's happy. After tomorrow, business resumes as usual - gonna set up that new warehouse with Elliot." He ignored Jax's grimace.

"What kinda discount did Laroy get out of us?" Sydney winced in anticipation for what she was sure was going to be a devastating blow.

"Only thirty..." Bobby nodded with a sly grin. "Wanted fifty - but a certain brunette changed his mind." 

"You saved our asses, Princess." Clay nodded as he tossed an envelope across the table. "Laroy was pure profit. You got our money from Alvarez - you deserve that."

"Wow... A week with you guys and I've managed my whole salary back in San Bern." She mused as she thumbed through the $20K that glided smoothly over her fingertips. 

Clay smiled softly, his eyes falling downwards before he was startled by a breeze - looking up to see that she had tossed the envelope back to him. He scowled deeply while Tig swung his head towards her, the other men knitting their brows as she passed up the hefty payday. 

"The club is a team, not a dictatorship." She shook her head. "Split it the same way that you did the thirty-five we got from Alvarez. Like you said, business as usual." She nodded firmly. "You wanna cut me in a little extra? I won't complain." She shrugged with a smirk. "But I want a share given to the prospect."

Half-Sack's head shot up at the unexpected request. Prospects never got payouts.

"You know what you're doin here, Princess?" Clay narrowed his eyes as his forehead creased. He was shocked that she would pass up that kind of money, but he was even more shocked that she would ride this hard for the club - let alone for a prospect.

"Yes, sir." She stated with a confident nod.

Clay clearly didn't understand, but he nodded haphazardly anyways - respecting her wishes and handing Bobby the envelope to re-divy up. "We head out tomorrow at noon." He concluded the session with a nod.

"Police scanner software is downloading now." Juice nodded as everybody began to file out - most of the guys opting to head home after the long day. He took a deep breath, nodding as he accepted that he would be working in silence tonight as he made his way over to the couch. 

"So... Doesn't look like anyone's too worried about retaliation tonight." Sydney mused as she closed the door to Tig's dorm, shooting him a discerningly expectant look. 

"You never know, doll." He shrugged, feigning oblivion as he sat on the edge of his bed and began untying his boots.  

"You sure you just didn't want me to stay with you again?" She teased with a squint of playful suspicion, walking towards him where she placed her hands on his shoulders, smirking down at him as she waited for him to crack, but he said nothing as he grinned up at her while his hands trailed up the back of her thighs. She laughed before pulling away, shaking her head as she retreated to the bathroom where she began the lengthy process of transforming back into herself. 

She was about to start the shower once her wig was finally off and her contacts were out when she realized something that she hadn't bothered to realize before - that his shower was actually a bathtub. She felt a smile coming to her face as her chest filled with a warm comfort that she didn't feel often when she thought about the few things that she missed back home - but a bathtub was one of them. She leaned out the open door where she spotted Tig, lounging back on the bed with his feet up and his arms behind his head as he watched TV. Seeing him like this only made her smile widen; he looked so casual, so at peace - a sight that she rarely got the privilege of witnessing when he was distracted by something other than herself. She felt the deep appreciation in the no-longer hollow pit of her stomach beginning to swirl, the weight lifting into a lightness that drained into her core as her body began yearning for his touch - the touch that she'd been deprived of earlier. 

"Babe!" She called as she ducked back into the bathroom, leaning against the sink as she wiped the fake tattoo off of her arm where it didn't take long until she was face to face with him in the mirror, unable to help but smile as she turned around to face him where he quickly cupped her face with one hand, and cradled the back of her head with the other. 

"There's my sweet girl." He grinned, running his fingers through the pale hair that he was used to as he pulled her to meet his lips. 

Sydney smiled against his mouth, scooting up onto the sink without breaking the kiss. She placed her hands on his sides, clutching his hips between her knees as she continued moving her lips against his, her tongue quickly finding its way into his mouth as she moaned - turning the sweet kiss into a sensual makeout session. 

"What'd you want, kitten?" He pulled away, still holding her close. 

"Can I have a bath?" She smiled up at him.  

"Of course, baby." He chuckled. "But if you need bubblebath, you're out of luck." He painted on a silly frown.

"Well..." She smirked, walking her fingers up his chest. "I need my old man." She draped her other arm over his shoulder as her hand trailed back down his chest and up under his shirt. "Your kitten's had a long day without her tiger." She mock-pouted as she spoke at his lips, feeling him hardening against her thigh. 

Tig bit his lip, breaking the enchanting eye contact as he tried to contain himself. He had his own plan for how their night was going to go, and he wanted it to be more than just another bout of exhibitionism. "Later." He looked back down at her, dropping his hands from her head, to her waist. "Got some shit I need to do." He bit his lip again, growing impatient as she jutted out hers - tightening his grip on her waist as he moved a hand to clamp the back of her neck - pressing his forehead against hers. "No attitude. Have your bath, relax. I'll fuck you when you're done." 

Sydney felt the proverbial sloshing in her core become a very real wetness between her legs as she listened to his commands; the sinful contrast of his dominant actions, but sweet tone - biting her lip as she nodded slowly as the feverish look overtook her face until he gave her a curt nod and started out the bathroom door. 

"One more thing." She called after him.

"Mmm?" He hummed inquisitively as he turned back, hanging onto the door frame with an attentiveness that had her questioning if the cold exchange that they'd shared just seconds ago, had actually happened.

She ignored the confusion that she knew he was trying to stir up - taking the wooden spoon into her own hands as she smiled devilishly and turned around, moving her hair over her shoulder before peering back at him.

Tig's breath caught in his throat as he realized what she was asking him to do, hesitating for a second before he briskly walked over and began to tug the zipper down as fast as possible. 

"Careful." She whirled around and smacked his hand. "You'll break it and have to buy me a new one." She teased with a smirk, turning back around while he kept his stoic expression.

He started again, carefully pulling the zipper down the length of her spine - his body betraying him when she pressed herself back against him as his hands smoothed up her sides and his lips went to the crook of her neck. 

Sydney shivered, whimpering as his lips grazed her skin. She reached up behind her to grasp the back of his neck - holding her to him as she took every last drop of contact that she could.

"My needy little girl..." He chuckled against her neck. 

"It's not my fault that you showed me what I was missing..." She responded with an organic innocence that every single thing about him managed to draw from her; his scent, his warmth, his breath.  

Tig spun her around where he roughly reclaimed her lips, pulling away to lift her back onto the counter. She smiled evilly as she pulled him back to her, his grip on her waist tightening as one of his hands moved down to her ass where he pulled her body flush against his where all of a sudden, his lips abruptly left hers. 

"Bath. Now." He commanded, the sternness of his voice reminding her that she was not to give him attitude. 

Sydney nodded reluctantly, huffing in defeat as he slipped out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. She rolled her eyes as she shook it off - starting the bath where she ran the water as hot as she could before she finally sunk into it, sighing as the liquid-hug enveloped her body. She took her time, deciding that she was grateful for the solitude - but she wasn’t going to tell Tig that. Once she was good and relaxed, she pulled the plug, towelled off, and slipped into one of his t-shirts and a pair of black boyshorts - leaving her wet hair down to dry. She exited the bathroom, steam billowing out behind her as she walked out into an empty room. She looked around with a scowl - his kutte was on the armchair, his boots were by the bed where he'd taken them off, and the TV was still on. She willed herself to ignore the ever-present detective's voice in the back of her mind, crawling into bed to wait for him, but she only grew increasingly more impatient as time passed and he didn't return. 

Eventually she couldn't take it anymore. In reality, it had likely only been a few minutes, but it was a few minutes longer than something as simple as grabbing a snack or a glass of water should've taken - and patience had never been a strong suit of hers. She sighed dramatically as she threw the blankets off of her, stalking out into the clubhouse where she found that he wasn't in the kitchen, wasn't at the bar, and his bike was still in the lot. She stood in the doorway with a crease in her forehead, her hands finding her hips as she searched her brain for any other logical answer. 

"Roof." 

"Jesus." She gasped, turning to see Juice sitting on the couch with his laptop. "I didn't know you were still here." She placed her hand over her racing heart.

"I'm almost done." He chuckled. "He went up to the roof." She scowled. "I don't know." He put his hands up before she could question him. "He told me to tell you when you came out."

Sydney was really confused now, but she headed down the hall towards the ladder anyways - beginning her ascent to the rooftop. Once she made it through the hatch, she was immediately captivated by the night sky that was clearer than she had ever seen it before. She tilted her head back as far as she could as she twirled around with a huge smile on her face as she admired the scene above her where each and every star was visible - not snuffed out by the big city lights like they had been back home. She finally stopped her spinning when her twinkling eyes fell on Tig who was watching her with a grin on his face. 

"C'mere, babe." He motioned for her to follow him. 

"What's going on?" She asked, trying to contain the excitement in her voice.  

"Just come here." He shook his head, holding out his hand before she ran over and took it, allowing him to lead her to the second level of the spacious rooftop. 

"You ain't gonna propose to me, are you?" She joked.

"Nah - figured I'd save that for next week." He winked.

They both chuckled as she climbed the short ladder after him, grabbing his extended hand where he lifted her up the last two rungs. Once she was over the ledge, she saw what it was that he was talking about; multiple sleeping bags laid out with pillows and blankets atop them in a makeshift bed. She grinned up at him, her eyes sparkling just as the stars did above them. 

Tig smiled back and led her over where he sat them both down on the surprisingly comfortable surface, laying back to look at the stars. On the ride back from the job he’d found himself drawn to the clear night sky - a habit he'd undoubtedly picked up from her - knowing how upset she would’ve been about having to ride in the back of the van if she’d known how beautiful the stars were.

"And to think that people say you don't do romance..." She mused.

"A month ago they were right." He chuckled.

"All those other girls are missin' out." She teased with a toothy smile, looking over at him. He smiled softly as something in the air around them changed - like the temperature had dropped, but he was still sweating. He shook it away, returning his gaze up to the abyss above them as he lit the end of a blunt that he'd rolled for them - taking a puff and passing it to her.

Sydney inhaled the marijuana deep into her chest, feeling the relaxation set back in as a peaceful stillness trickled over her already soothed muscles while she allowed the smoke to lazily escape her lips as she stared at the perfectly clear night sky. 

"You know any actual constellations?" Tig teased, taking the blunt back from between her fingers - avoiding her dagger-shaped nails.

"Only a few." She chuckled. "The stars don't look like this back home." 

"You probably can't see Orion from there, huh?" He laced his fingers in hers, bringing her hand up in his as he pointed to the cluster of stars that resembled something of an hourglass.

"That's the belt one right? Those three right there?" She moved their hands around as she traced the three stars. 

"Yeah, the three are his belt." He smiled. "But the other four are his shoulders and legs, then the little ones connect his body." Sydney smiled dreamily as he guided her finger around, drawing the constellation in the sky. 

"I've never seen all of it before." She grinned, captivated. "What about the bears?" 

"Ursa Minor and Major?" He smiled at her excitement while he moved her hand in his, pointing to the spoon-like shapes that decorated the sky.

"Isn’t that the Big Dipper?" She scowled.

"They're the same thing, darlin'." He chuckled. "You probably never seen the whole thing at home, but look - all these little ones make it more than that." Her eyes widened as the image of the bear came finally into view with his help. 

"Wow..." She took another hit. "And to think I've been gawkin' over the city-slicker version of all this, the whole time." She mused as she passed the dwindling blunt back to him as they both chuckled. "Do you believe in aliens?" She asked as the weed started to take effect. 

Tig barked out a laugh. "I've seen Bobby get laid, that's enough to make a man believe just about anything." Sydney cackled. "You like this stuff, huh?" He asked as he snubbed out the roach. 

She looked over at him and nodded, smiling softly - modestly. "I've always liked nature shit. My dad got me a big telescope for Christmas one year so that we could look at the stars together." 

"He give you this?" His hand folded over hers where it had instinctively clamped down onto the gold necklace as she spoke of her father. 

Sydney was a little taken aback by his observation - the observation that she’d never made herself. She nodded slowly as he examined the gold pendant that she religiously wore around her neck, leaning in to press a delicate kiss to her lips before pulling her across his chest. 

Hours seemed to pass like seconds as they talked; laughing, sharing heavy stories from the past that seemed so much lighter as the high drifted their minds into the star-speckled sky. For the first time in years, Tig allowed himself to open up - talking about his daughters with a freedom that he thought he would never see behind the bars of his choices since a drug-riddled  Colleen had kicked him out of their lives, and corrupted their view of him forever.

"You'd think I'd be upset, right?" He scoffed after he'd moved on to an even more sensitive topic... "My daddy murders my mama, leaves me all alone to take the punishment of his mistakes." He mused. "Nah..." He shook his head. "Nah, I was relieved that at least one of them was gone..."

"How old were you?" She asked softly. She knew all about the confusion that came with the sense of relief after losing a parent...

"Fourteen." He nodded. "The day I turned eighteen, I enlisted - got the hell out of there."

"Have you ever looked back?"

"Nah." He scoffed. "No siblings, no relatives that were any better than my parents." He shook his head. "My dad told the cops it was drugs... They didn't even bother investigating. That tells you everything that you need to know about the Tragers." He chuckled humourlessly.

"It makes sense..." She nodded with a soft smile from her position on her stomach, propped up on her elbows while she absorbed each one of his vulnerable words. "Why you are, the way you are."

"You mean fucked up?" He scoffed from where he laid on his back.

"We're all a little fucked up, Tiggy." She smiled, poking him in the ribs.

"What about you?" He nodded. "How did you get so fucked up?"

"Hey! I prefer the term 'unique'." She mused theatrically, the two sharing a laugh before he brought the seriousness back to the conversation with that depth behind those gorgeous blue eyes.

"How did you become this?" He asked. 

Sydney was taken aback by the almost dreamy tone to his inquisition. "You really wanna know? From the beginning?" She asked sincerely. She would tell him if he wanted to know; she wasn't a total stonewall, but she rarely met people that she cared enough about - or that cared enough about her - to discuss her past.

"I wanna know, baby." He nodded with just as much sincerity in his eyes. 

Sydney nodded softly, settling back onto his chest as hers began to curdle as the memories began flashing behind her eyes. "My dad was VP until I was six..." She inhaled deeply. "On the weekend of my fifth birthday, my mom walked out - took my dog, whatever money was around the house, and disappeared. My dad was worried sick… Thought that the club had pissed off the wrong people. He sent out search parties everywhere that he could; club, family, fuck even the police.” She scoffed. “After a couple of days the club found her in a meth house with some dude.”

“She ever pull shit like that before?” Tig’s brows furrowed. Hit and run parents weren’t exactly a shocking thing to come by in the life that they lived.

“No.” Sydney replied with the disbelief still heavy in her tone, even all these years later. “She disappeared for months... Eventually we found out from the hospital when she came in battered by the guy, that she was using. After that she came back - said she was clean and wanted to fix things. My dad was still heartbroken so he let her back in." She felt her chest tightening as the harder parts of the story began to near. "She managed to keep the act up for a few days before stealing everything that she could get her hands on and taking off again - racked up my dad's credit cards, defaulted on all of the loans that he’d co-signed… We almost lost our house.”

“The club didn’t help out?” Tig shook his head in shock.

“SAMDINO ain't outlaw... They don't earn like you guys do.” She shook her head. "They helped as much as they could, but we were eating from a food bank while she was spending my college money on crank.” She chuckled humorlessly. “One day the spending stopped, and we stopped hearing from anyone who had contact with her. We just assumed that she was dead..." She scoffed. "Beaten to death, or finally pushed her limit too far." 

Tig nodded, tightening his warm and comforting grip on her - lightly rubbing her arm as he listened to what he assumed would be the end of the story. 

"Then a few months later... It was the spring of first grade." He watched her expression change - a light smile on her face as she transported herself back to that day. "There she was... Picking me up from school with my dog, standing with all of the other moms who were waiting for their little girls, as if it was where she had been the whole time.” She continued, her eyes glossing over as she recounted one of the only vivid memories that she had left of her mother. “God, I was so excited." She shook her head. "We went home… I thought her and my dad had gotten back together, but I was wrong. He was there." Her tone changed from a bitter nostalgia, to a pure, unbridled hate. "I wasn't a sheltered kid - I knew exactly who he was, and what he did. I don't remember them ever threatening me, but I remember being scared - knowing that I couldn't tell my dad that he was ever in the house. I’m sure you can put those pieces together.” She scoffed. “Eventually my dad came home, and by then my mom had already changed the locks - told him that she was taking the house. I remember screaming bloody murder behind the door while he held me back as she told him that he wouldn’t see me again if he called the cops." She felt her skin begin to crawl. Naturally, one of the only vivid memories that hadn't faded, was his hands on her. "That vindictive bitch was a lot of things, but stupid wasn’t one of them… She knew that they would never give sole custody to a Son, and he would die before he saw me go into the system.”

“He didn't have a choice…” Tig nodded regretfully.

“She told him that her junkie boyfriend was gone and she was clean - he couldn’t do much else but hope that I would tell him if anything happened.” She shrugged. “He made sure that some of the guys kept an eye on the house for the first little bit, until they convinced me to tell him that things were okay..."

Tig nodded along while she spoke, adjusting his grip accordingly as he felt her muscles tense and relax during different parts of the story that he knew was only going to get worse.

"My daddy did everything that he could to make sure that I was happy when I was with him..." She smiled softly as she recounted the few happier memories from that time. "It went on for a few months before the guy started coming around more once the heat was off." She felt his fingers squeezing her a little tighter as he anticipated what was to come next. "He never touched me." She clarified. "But he made sure that I knew he would… He made sure that I watched while he hurt my mom. He made sure that I watched him beat the shit out of my dog so that I would know that 'that was what disobedient bitches got'.”

“Jesus.” Tig winced, his own muscles tensing this time. "Your dog..."

"He killed her." She felt her jaw beginning to tighten, forcing herself to loosen up as she moved on. “I was so scared to tell my dad... They did such a good job of making me feel like what was happening was my fault... And that feeling is something that a child that young shouldn't even be able to comprehend." She closed her eyes as she felt them filling with tears of regret. "I didn't know that she was still using..." She explained as her voice dropped to a whisper. “If I did, I never would’ve lied about it-”

“Sydney.” Tig hushed her, stilling her rapidly shaking head. “This was not your fault.” He shook his head slowly, speaking with more sincerity than he’d ever spoken with in his entire life.

Sydney blinked a few times, taking a deep breath and collecting herself before she continued. "One night I went into the bathroom to look for her when she didn't put me to bed... She was in the bathtub. I didn't even have to touch her to know." Tig could've sworn that he could feel her blood going cold under her trembling skin. "I don't remember feeling anything… But what I do remember is the sick fucking smile that the bastard gave me when he found me standing over her body." 

"I'm so sorry, Angel." Tig said softly as he held her close.

"I don't miss her." She said a little too abruptly, sitting up from his chest - softening immediately when she caught herself, keeping her anger in check as she rolled onto her elbows. "I've taken all of the good out of it, and I'm grateful. If she lived, she would've fucked my life up much worse than she had managed to in five years. She chose to put me in danger. I would've been tortured by him the same way that she was, and I don't even want to think about the kind of shit that would've happened as I got older.” She looked back into Tig's eyes - feeling the uncomfortable wave of vulnerability again. She took another deep breath, willing herself to understand that this was part of a relationship. "After it happened, I spent a few days with my grandpa while they swept the house for drugs and evidence. Apparently I wouldn't come out of the closet - crying, saying I was scared, but I don't remember it at all.. I don't even remember being there."

"Must feel weird..." Tig nodded thoughtfully. "Hearing things about yourself that you don't remember - things that you've done."

"It feels like another violation." She choked out. "My dad went a little off the deep end after that... Tried to throw himself into the club, but that didn't last long."

"That when he turned in the patch?" 

"He was voted down." Sydney was barely able to utter out through her anger. "He turned to other means of distraction..." She felt the tears beginning to shake loose. "Knew that it scared the shit out of me, but he did it anyways." Her father's short-comings were often memories that she would leave out of the story, but something about the safety of Tig's arms had pried them from the depths of her self-altered psyche. "He tried to hide it from me... But even as a kid, I wasn't somebody that you could hide things from."

"That a warning?" Tig raised a brow, trying to lighten the mood with a playful smile.

"It sure is." She chortled, lightly punching him in the shoulder. "Things eventually evened out when he decided to throw himself into raising me full-time.” She sighed. "We never talked about it, but I knew that he blamed himself for her death... And I think that raising me to be everything that she wasn't, was his way of righting that wrong." She nodded thoughtfully. “I guess the reason that I never really missed her was because I didn’t remember anything about her… There was nothing there to miss. All I knew was that I felt relieved." She narrowed her eyes pointedly. "Sometimes I would miss what could've been, but none of it was realistic. I was missing ideas, not her." 

“What about the rest of your family?” Tig asked gently as he trailed a finger down her arm as he thought about her fucked up answers that matched up seamlessly with his own. He wished that he had been able to have taken the same stance with his daughters, because maybe then he would actually be able to call himself a father.

"My grandpa helped a bit when my mom left, and then again when she passed, but no one in that family ever looked at us the same. They blamed my dad for driving her into his arms - which seems a little ironic if you ask me, but grief is a fickle thing I guess.” She chuckled genuinely this time. “My dad left home when he was fifteen, so I’m not joking when I say that I got jack shit for family.” Another chuckle. “The club became my family after that, but nobody in SAMDINO ever took me seriously - no matter how much of their dirty work I did, or how well I did it. They'd never let me patch.” Bitterness found its way into her tone, yet again.

"And you'd never forgive 'em for what they drove your daddy to." He surmised easily.

“They were great to me." She assured with a sigh - the most confirmation that she was willing to give. "But their priority was always to keep me safe, nothing else." She felt her jaw tighten the way that it always did when she thought about her San Bernardino brothers, but an odd sensation followed this time as the tense muscles in her face began to relax. "But I guess that's because they'd failed to do it so many times before..." She nodded slowly as the realization dawned on her for the first time, forcing herself to swallow the bitter taste on her tongue that she'd always known was unwarranted, but she could never quite get rid of it when it came to them - to that place. "The brotherhood isn't strong there." She shook her head, getting back on track. "They aren't doing anything like the shit that you guys are doing here. They get more time with their families - time to have totally separate lives from the club, which was something that I never had, so that's why I think SAMCRO feels so normal to me..." She paused again, smiling softly. "Happy spent a lot of time in San Bern. for his mom. He helped train me, taught me how to fight, how to kill - saw what the others couldn’t force themselves to see." Tig's eyes widened as all of the loose pieces that had been floating around in his head finally started to fit together. "I always knew I had something different in me... A rage. The club tried to pretend that they didn't see it, but Happy did." She smiled fondly.

"How?"

"Because when we would play pretend, I always wanted to be the evil queen - never the pretty princess." She smirked. 

"Well, you're my pretty princess." He gave a small smile. 

Sydney chuckled, twirling her finger over the thread count of the blanket as she got to the better part of the story - the part that she could look back on with at least some fondness. "He helped me track down my mom's ex... I never blamed him for what she did - that shit was on her, they were her choices. But the anger that I felt towards him never went away. I needed to get it out before it would eat me alive, the way that the club would've seen happen." More bitterness. "Happy saw it as an opportunity for practice - a pussy who'd never hit anything more than a few feet off the ground." She snorted. "Showed me how to bind, how to torture - get past the mental block of it all. He let me do it all by myself... Didn't try to stop me or get scared that I was going too far." A wistful smile came to her face. "He let me kill him. And that piece of shit got to see my twisted fucking smile before he died - the same way that I had to see his."

"That's why you love him." Tig nodded, finally able to fully understand the odd bond between his girlfriend, and his brother. Sydney nodded appreciatively. "How old were you?" 

"Seventeen."

"I killed my old man the day that I left for the Marines." He added the final detail of his own backstory that he'd always left out as she divulged a story almost completely identical to his own.

Sydney's eyes widened, she wasn't necessarily surprised - but she was surprised yet again by just how similarly they’d grown up. "Good." She nodded curtly, regaining her composure. "He deserved it." 

"Yeah, he did." Tig held back the bite in his tone. "So that's where this is from, huh?" He nudged the happy face tattoo on the top of her foot - effectively reverting the attention back to her, and away from himself.

She nodded with a snicker. "I think letting me start early taught me how to control it... How to harvest it when I need to, how to be rational..."

"Yeah... I think I'm still learnin' that..." Tig chuckled.

Sydney giggled. "I don't hate that part of me." She chose her words carefully - knowing what it was that he meant, and hoping to show him that she knew how he felt. "For a while, I did. I was disgusted by what I was capable of. But I stopped fighting it... It's who I am, and being proud of who I am is saying a lot..." 

Tig grasped her face, nodding reassuringly as he listened to each and every word, even though he didn't know what to say. "Why don't any of us know about you, darlin'?" He shook his head incredulously - the only reaction he could form as he tried to process the wealth of information. "Half of the charters in the states have heard about what you've done here by now... I mean, we've all heard a few things about the Cali Queen, but we always just assumed it was a cartel play - never knew you were associated with an MC." 

"My dad always knew I wanted to patch." She smiled half-heartedly. "He knew that the only way I would be able to, was if I became some kind of secret weapon - made the DINO guys keep me under wraps while I earned a reputation under a different name. He knew that club recommendation would be enough to get my foot in the door, but not enough to keep it open. If people knew my reputation then I would have club recommendation and backup - might actually stand a chance." 

"You do a lot of shit for the club back home?"

"I got to do shit when they needed it, or for training." She snorted. "Their own personal mercenary." She mused. "But I wasn't privy like I am here. I was more of an... Advanced Gemma." She chuckled. "I was allowed to know more than most associates of the club, but I also was kept in the dark about a lot. They never saw me as an equal, but I guess that's what happens when one day the little girl that they once knew is suddenly a twenty-two year old woman trying to sit at their table." She pursed her lips knowingly. "Happy didn't look at me like they did, and Les always knew that I was much more than what they needed." 

"Cares about you a lot…” Tig nodded. “I've known Hap a long time, never really seen him close to anyone outside of the club or his family." 

"He's protective, but he knows I can handle myself." She nodded. "As much as he hates to admit it, he always knew I'd end up with a Son." She shot him a sly look.

"You're incredible, baby." He smiled dreamily - a kind of dreamily that she was confident in this time.

"Yeah... It's not all it cracks up to be." She chuckled softly. "Nightmares have been a bitch for as long as I can remember." 

Tig knew the feeling all too well; the feeling of guilt, embarrassment. He pulled her closer into his chest as it ached with a pleasant appreciation for the fact that he was the one who she’d chosen to share her life with - that she trusted him with her deepest and darkest memories. 

"I get them too, doll." He whispered while he stroked her wavy hair. He had known that she was a hurricane from the second that he met her; powerful, dangerous, complex - but tonight, he realized by looking into the eye of the storm, that she was so much more. 

Sydney shivered with a wave of emotion as she laid in his arms - completely and utterly at his mercy - and before she knew it, her teeth were chattering violently. The way that he had held her, and listened to her had been so natural - it was a way that assured her that he would've laid for hours in any uncomfortable position just to listen to what she had to say, and she'd never experienced that with anybody. 

Tig sat up without a second thought, pulling the blanket over top of her shaking body, rubbing her arms to help warm her up in the chilly midnight air. 

Her glossy eyes shone up at him, deep with emotion as she realized in that moment that she was completely screwed, allowing the perpetual stinging in her throat to give way, pushing streams of hot tears out of her eyes. She'd fallen for him hard. He'd shown her a kind of love that she never knew existed outside of the cheesy movies that she avoided like the plague - the kind of love that made her chest ache, her stomach flip, and her mind race; the kind of love that made her finally understand why people in it, did such crazy things. 

"Oh, baby." Tig whispered sympathetically, his hands running over her face as concern washed over his. “I’m sorry that I asked… Made you relive that...” He shook his head as he began cursing himself for crossing that line so early on - hoping that it wouldn’t push her away in the way that he’d let it push himself away, so many times in the past.

"It's not that." She whispered back, grabbing his hands. "I love you." She looked deep into his eyes as tears continued to spill from hers. "Tig, I really fucking love you."

Tig wiped the tears from her eyes as pools formed within his own - he never thought that he would experience somebody getting emotional over their feelings for him, ever again. "Ah fuck." He tilted his head towards the sky while they both chuckled at their collective softness. 

Sydney sniffled as she pulled the blanket overtop of him as he hovered over her, pulling him down on top of her where she pressed her palm against his heart while they cried in each other's arms - rocking themselves to sleep.

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

At some point in the early hours as dawn broke, Tig felt himself being coaxed awake by the sound of morning traffic on the road below. A smile came to his lips as his eyes remained closed while he recounted the events of the last few hours, burying his face in Sydney's neck where she woke with a giggle as his moustache tickled her skin.  

"Let's get to bed, baby." He whispered, pressing a light kiss to her jaw before he pushed himself upright and led her across the roof, and down the ladder - leaving the blankets for Half-Sack to tidy. Once they were back inside the clubhouse, he let her lead him this time - lightly grasping her outstretched hand with a smile. 

Once they reached the dorm, he closed the door - not bothering with the light as the rising sun provided enough that he could see where he was going as he sauntered through the blue-lit room, over to where she stood by the bed. He took her face in his hands as he brought her lips to his, her small hands affectionately covering his before he pulled away, stripping down to his boxers before lifting her shirt - well, his shirt - over her head. He took a step back to admire her body, which somehow looked even more perfect in his groggy state. 

"Baby." He drawled as his dreamy eyes roamed every inch of her exposed skin before he reached back out for her, lifting her into his arms and reattaching his lips to hers as he laid them down and covered them with the blanket. 

Sydney revelled in the comfortable silence - especially after such a heavy divulgence - as she snuggled against his chest while she listened to him drift back off to sleep. She sighed, tipping her head back to admire him as he slept - soaking up the peaceful expression in the softened lines of his face while the burdening weight of life that suddenly meant so much more, lifted itself from his unconscious mind. 

Tig could feel her appreciative gaze, even in his slumber - smiling without opening his eyes as he slowly re-woke under the feeling of her eyes on him.

"Why can’t you stay asleep while I'm tryin' to eye you up?" She grinned shamelessly as she twirled her fingers in the soft hair on his chest.

"I can feel you." He answered as he rolled them both over and buried his face into her neck - still not opening his eyes. 

Sydney felt her face getting hot under the sincerity in his unexpectedly thoughtful reply, smiling bashfully into his wild hair. "Can feel you blushing too." She heard the grin in his voice, giggling as she pressed her cold feet against his thighs - laughing hysterically as his eyes snapped open and he flew back to his side of the bed.

"Oh, Sergeant... I think I've just found your weakness." She smiled wickedly as she narrowed her playful eyes at him.

"You agree to surrender your weapons, and I'll surrender mine." He held his hands up.

"Twenty-four hour truce?" She raised a brow.

"Deal." He nodded, holding his arms out where she crawled back into them with a smile. "You ready for today?" He asked once they settled back into each other, reaching for the remote as he turned the TV on and began to scroll through the channels for some morning cartoons.

"Sure am.” She did her best to keep her excitement under wraps as she felt her heart leap behind her chest. “Gotta go home and get my shit in order though." She looked up at him. "You know, water the plants and all - seeing that I've been imprisoned here." She mused theatrically. 

"Oh, Princess." He scoffed. "You love being my prisoner." He growled with a discerning look behind his narrowing eyes.

"Speaking of prisoners..." She raised her eyebrows.

"Hmm?" His forehead creased slightly.

"I guess we don't gotta worry about the whole in-law thing, huh?" A playful smile tugged at her lips. 

♕

Clay sat with his crew in the empty bar on the Monday morning, glancing up at the clock for the third time as he waited on Sydney and Tig who were cutting it awfully close. He sighed when they finally emerged from the hallway, sharing a knowing glance with a couple of the guys as they all took notice of the fact that Sydney had seemingly taken up permanent residence in Tig's dorm. 

Sydney just rolled her eyes in the faces of the knowing smiles and raised eyebrows, strolling into the empty chapel without a care. "Well, come on." She called over her shoulder, feigning innocence with her wide eyes and pouty lips. "We don't have all day."

The men all exchanged various looks of amusement as they filed in after her, not having enough energy to hassle her so early in the morning. 

"We ride out at noon.” Clay began. “Juice - two miles ahead. Pull over as soon as you get wind of any kind of trap." 

Sydney mentally checked out as they ran though the details that she had already memorized, fantasizing about how, in just over an hour, she would be back on the open road - and she couldn't wait. 

"You okay, baby?" She flinched as Tig's hand landed on her shoulder where she sat frozen in her seat after the session had concluded, managing to check herself before accidentally elbowing her lover in that pretty jaw of his - her fight or flight reaction only deepening his concern.

"Just excited." She blinked a few times as she came back to reality, looking around to see that they were the only ones left alone in the room with Clay. 

Tig nodded cautiously. He could tell that something was up as he looked between his President, and his old lady - but she wasn’t letting on as she stayed firmly planted in her seat. He decided to bite his tongue and trust his instincts, nodding as he followed the rest of his brothers out.

"I'll meet you guys for the drive back.” Sydney turned her attention to Clay once he was out of earshot. “Don't wanna tip 'em off early." She winked to her President who just shook his head and chuckled before she made her way out to the lot where the guys were shooting the shit as they sat on their bikes, watching Half-Sack paint the van.

‘LODI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. S.O.A. RIDE FOR KIDS’ 

She couldn't help but laugh as she read the streaky white paint scrawled across the van's tinted windows. "Wow.” She mused, shaking her head at the minuscule effort that they were putting in to actually make this look legit. “Gonna have churches all across the state ready to sign us up with that kind of spirit." She spoke sarcastically to the artist himself - making both him and Juice laugh before she waltzed off towards the guys - opening her mouth to speak before the words were stopped by a God-awful screeching sound. She scowled deeply, spinning around dramatically to see Bobby pulling his Fat Boy out of the garage. 

"Chitty chitty, bang bang." Chibs shook his head disapprovingly.

"Hey, it's an old fat boy on an old Fat Boy." Sydney couldn't help her grin when Half-Sack got a good jab in on the older member - living for the confidence that she could see him gaining day by day. "Sorry." He quickly uttered as soon as he was met with Bobby's glare. It was nice while it lasted. 

"Thought you put that beast to sleep?" Jax questioned while lighting a cigarette.

"Hey!" Bobby winced with his hands up in defense. "The Fat Boy ain't even reached its prime." 

"It barely looks like it can reach the end of the lot." Sydney deadpanned, eliciting even more laughter from the group.

"It is the best bike for a long ride." Bobby shook his head while Sydney scowled again, and Juice chuckled as he watched her dramatic expressions. "And I'd put it up against any of your pretty Dynas." He looked over the group with a pointed finger of challenge.

"You hittin' a gay rodeo on the way?" Jax turned his attention to Bobby's ridiculous chaps with a smug smile.

"It's Captain Chaps!" Juice yelled through his hysteria.

"Cowhide protects the man-hide." He tapped his leather-covered thigh.

"Get in line, Brokeback." Chibs hollered.

Sydney giggled as everyone hassled the short man before he turned away to pout, rolling his bike into formation as it blew a sputtering cloud of black exhaust - which only made the hassling worse.

"I'll get Gem to take me home." Sydney winked to Tig once the laughter died down. 

"Alright, baby." He smiled as his hands found her hips. "You be careful." He ordered with a hardened blue gaze. 

"Yeah, yeah." She giggled as she rolled her eyes. "You're the one who needs to be careful. Nothin's gonna happen to me." She smiled smugly, pressing a brief kiss to his lips before she headed off towards Gemma's Cadillac.

"She really gonna be able to make this work in the Dodge?" Juice approached Clay, nodding to the two women as they pulled out of the lot.

"Who said anything about her car?" Clay chuckled, patting his very confused Intelligence Officer on the shoulder before he walked off.

Sydney raced to get herself ready as soon as she got home - dressing herself for the occasion in a tight leather jacket, black jeans, and combat boots. She finally headed out to the garage, her eyes sparkling and heart fluttering as she eyed the tarp in the middle of the concrete room. She gripped the corner of the blue polyester, rubbing it between her fingers before she pulled it loose - a lightning bolt of adrenaline shooting through her veins. 

"Hi, baby..." 

♕

After making the tense pick up from the brother club in Lodi, the Sons began their risky trek back to Charming, and with no sign of Sydney as the van veered off to the side of the road up ahead, they realized just how risky that trek was. The Harley riders began to look around anxiously in search of their blonde scapegoat before they went into full panic mode - looking to the President for direction, who rode without a trace of worry. They had no choice but to trust the judgment of their leader, but they now knew that without Sydney, this run could land them back in the hole for God knows how long - and none of them wanted that.

Suddenly, the unfamiliar whining of a foreign exhaust caught their attention where they spotted a black Kawasaki Ninja speeding past them and into the oncoming traffic lane going at least 90mph.The men all exchanged glances as the logic of the clearly insane motorcyclist distracted them from their worry, but they soon realized that distraction was exactly what the mystery rider had wanted, just like...

"You gotta be fucking kidding." Tig grumbled as he realized that this had been the real plan all along, watching as the rest of his brothers caught on as they eyed the smirks on Happy and Clay's faces, and the white-blonde hair peeking out from under the black helmet, whipping around in the wind. 

Sydney freely laughed a laugh of pure joy as she heard the celebratory honking behind her, grinning under her shielded helmet as she crossed back into the correct lane of travel. She would've sworn up and down that nothing on the planet had ever felt as good as what she was feeling in that moment. 

But her moment of euphoria was short-lived as she spotted the ghost car up ahead; a dark red Kia Forte pulled to the side of the road, hoping to trap speeding motorists. She let off the clutch, reducing her current speed that would surely get her impounded - but still going fast enough for a hefty ticket by the time that she passed the cop car. Sure enough, within seconds of passing, the blue and red flashing lights went off as the cop peeled out after her. She pulled off to the shoulder quickly, anchoring her feet to the ground but making no effort to remove her helmet as the grey haired cop wearing classic aviator sunglasses came barrelling out of his vehicle.

"Do you have any idea how goddamn fast you were going? You're going to cause an accident and kill someon-" His rant was cut off, shock taking over his body as the reckless man removed his helmet to reveal that he was no man at all - he was a stunning young woman with innocent green eyes and an angelic face.

"I am so sorry, officer." Sydney picked up her breathing and widened her eyes. "I just… I just got this new bike and-" She gulped. "I'm not used to controlling the speed, I- I thought it would be safer to learn on the highway where there weren’t as many stationary objects, but I guess I was wrong." She rambled with a shaky voice. "My brother was supposed to teach me, but he-" She shook her head sorrowfully. 

"Uh... It- it's okay sweetheart..." The man said awkwardly, not wanting to upset the inexperienced woman before she would have to ride again.

"Am... Am I in trouble?" She asked meekly.

"I'm not gonna do anything that affects your demerits." He sighed sympathetically. "But the sensors caught that speed... I'm afraid I have to process the ticket." The roaring Harleys sped past as the officer explained the situation, grumbling once he realized that his hefty ticket was going to cost him a potential bust on the infamous MC...

"Thank you so much, sir!" Sydney perked up. "I completely understand. It won't happen again, I promise."

The patrolman processed the ticket and let her go, taking long enough - thanks to her chit chat - that the Sons would be too far ahead for him to even consider pursuing them, opting to notify his fellow officer who was stationed further down the stretch of highway. 

Sydney was sure to ride the speed limit until she was out of view before going full throttle, unleashing the beast on the open road where, between her excessive speed and the leisurely pace of the crew, she caught up quickly. But just as she was nearing the group, the van swerved off the road abruptly. Juice had discovered an out of view trap over the police scanner which had been broadcasted by the officer from her previous stop, alerting his crew as quickly as he could, but he worried that it would be too late for them to slow down enough for Sydney to somehow get in front of the entourage and take over the attention of the policeman who was waiting specifically for them. 

Sydney's brain started working overtime, carefully calculating her next moves and looking for her window - traffic was starting to pick up, so she needed to make this count. She finally spotted it over her heavy breathing - the slight break between the flowing vehicles where she could weave through to get to her position. She cracked the throttle, straddling the yellow line that divided the road beneath her - her bike propelling her past the Sons with ease. She revved her engine three times as she passed them - just for good measure - gliding in between the cluster of Harleys, and the vehicles ahead of them. She kicked up her speed even more, increasing her chance of being impounded with each mile that her speedometer climbed, but with the Sons close behind, she needed to be sure that she was the one who would be stopped. 

She whirled around another car, trying to put as much distance between herself and her crew as physically possible. And as she quickly approached the cop, she decided to take the risk - recklessly overtaking yet another vehicle right in front of the clearly marked squad car.

"What the hell is she doing?" Jax yelled to Clay who gave him no response, watching in anticipation.

Sydney eyed her rear view mirror nervously, praying that the cop would begin his pursuit - her heart sinking when he held his ground. She did the first thing that she could think of, swerving in front of an oncoming vehicle before quickly swerving back - causing an uproar of honking and tire-screeching from the disrupted traffic on the opposite side of the highway. The bubbling in her stomach was instantly calmed as the sirens finally went off, and the cop car raced down the road after her - unable to help herself from chuckling at the ass-backwards logic of her nerves.

"Protecting her crew!" Clay gave his VP a delayed answer with a proud grin when she pulled over to the side of the road. 

Sydney accelerated her breathing, squeezing her eyes shut as she filled them with tears, but deep down she knew that this excuse hardly warranted the fake tears, because the real ones would be soon to follow. 

The middle-aged cop with a receding sandy brown hairline came bolting out of the vehicle towards her far more gracefully than the older, overweight cop had been able to - yelling all kinds of unpleasantries to the reckless delinquent. She took her helmet off, making a show of gasping for air which stopped the officer dead in his tracks - not expecting the cocky motorist to be a young woman. He shook his head, regaining his composure before continuing his rant - woman or not, this behaviour was unacceptable. 

"I can't breathe." She choked out in a sob, gasping for air as she ignored everything that the man was saying. 

The officer stopped his bantering when he realized that he was going to send the clearly distraught woman into cardiac arrest. "Uh... Ma'am, I need you to calm down."

"I'm so sorry, Officer. It’s my dad... He just had a heart attack and I need to get back to San Bernardino as soon as possible." Her words were broken by shallow breaths. 

"Well I'm sorry to hear that, but I cannot let you go unscathed after that kind of recklessness." He tried his best to hold his ground as he looked into her tear-filled eyes.

"I... I understand sir, please just don't take me to jail. I might not get to say goodbye." She sniffled to the man who was clearly conflicted, caught between his heart and his badge - the Sons riding past them putting even more strain on his decision. "You can write me up for whatever you need to, I'll pay it. I just need to go, sir. Please ." Her voice cracked.

The man contemplated her offer before finally agreeing to her terms, not letting her off easily as he took the opportunity to give her as many fines as possible as recompense for missing out on the potential MC takedown - the takedown that she had somehow managed to distract him from, even when he had been waiting for it - finishing with a lecture about how she was to ride safely all the way to the hospital.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him on the cheek. 

"Alright, alright. Let's not be doing that." He tried to remain professional as he lightly pushed her off of him. 

Sydney gave him a grateful smile before pulling her helmet back on and firing up her Ninja, sighing heavily once she was safely behind the tinted shield - shaking her head to rid herself of the emotional situation. 

She took off, riding like a proper civilian this time when her eye caught something in the distance - the sun reflecting off of the chrome of the Harleys which were all pulled to the side of the road, with the van close by. She skidded to a stop when she reached the group, ripping off her helmet and shuffling over to see what everyone was stopped for; finding Tig lying in the grassy ditch along with his bike, an unimpressed looking Clay, an amused looking Jax, and a very guilty looking Bobby - who coincidentally ran down to help Chibs and Happy aid their Sergeant, right when she arrived. She could see that Tig's injury was superficial, so she didn't feel guilty about the look that she shared with Jax as they both tried to contain their laughter.

"It was that fucking Fat Boy wasn't it?" She asked with a knowing smile.

"Yep." Jax laughed. 

"Well... I guess that's why he knew to wear the chaps." She scoffed.

"I'm sorry, man." Tig apologized to Clay as he gained his footing, looking down at the leg that had been cut open badly enough to cross him off of the roster for the remainder of the gun lug.

"You just get patched up." Clay wasn't mad at Tig - it wasn't his fault, after all - but he was mad at the situation...

"I am gonna shove that bike so far up your ass." Tig growled at Bobby as he hobbled past the older man, Half-Sack helping him to the van where he could sit.

"He's gonna be just..." Bobby's optimistic face fell as he saw the displeased looks on everyone's faces. "Fine." 

Jax snickered again, him and Sydney sharing another amused smile - which only pissed Clay off even more. "Call Piney, tell him we got a bike down - gonna need the flatbed." The President ordered

"That's you. Call Piney!" Bobby yelled to the prospect, clearly trying to help out as much as he could to mitigate his damages.

"What was it?" Sydney looked to Bobby expectantly. "About the Fat Boy being the ‘best bike for a long ride’?" 

"Yeah, yeah..." He groaned, although he was pleased to only be taking hassling from the Sergeant's hot-tempered girlfriend, rather than the verbal - or potentially physical - smackdown that he'd expected.

"You tend to his every beck and call, wipe his goddamn ass if that's what he wants you to do!" Clay yelled to Bobby - tasking him, Juice, Happy, and Half-Sack to accompany him to the hospital. 

Sydney felt that he was giving up far too much manpower, but she used her better judgment and kept her mouth shut rather than questioning the irritable President - she would leave that to Jax, who quickly began arguing with him about who would be carrying Tig's gun-filled bedroll. 

"What'd I tell you about being careful?" She chastised playfully as she walked over to the van where Tig was sitting sideways with his legs hanging out of the open door.

"Baby, come on." Tig groaned.

"Don't worry, Sergeant." She leaned in and pecked his lips. "I'll take care of ya." She winked.

"There's only one thing that will make me feel better right now." He spoke with a grin as he pulled her to semi-straddle his lap, avoiding his hurt leg. 

"Mmm what's that?" He didn't answer, responding by pressing his lips back to hers, easing his tongue into her mouth. She kissed back, allowing herself to indulge in the sweet taste of him before she pulled away. 

"Don't be starting things that you can't finish..." She warned.

"Who says I can't finish them?" He asked with a cheeky grin. 

Her lips curled up before she lightly slapped the gash on his leg, making him yell out in pain. "That's who." She winked, kissing him on the cheek before hopping off of him and making her way back to the group of agitated men.

Clay tossed Opie one of the bedrolls, the tall man catching it with tense hands before he begrudgingly strapped it to the back of his bike. This wasn't what he'd signed up for - another job that could get him thrown into jail. The only reason he'd agreed in the first place was because Clay had insisted that everybody be in attendance, and a charity ride was one of the few things that he could still slip past Donna.

Jax chewed the inside of his lip, grabbing the package of guns from Opie's hands as he watched the turmoil swirl behind his brown eyes.

Clay scoffed, ripping the roll back from Jax's hands. "I got it." He grumbled. Because apparently nobody else did.

"I can take it..." Jax sighed. He hadn't been trying to start a problem - this time - he had been trying to stop one.

"I said I got it." Clay snapped, double-loading his bike as Jax and Ope exchanged a loaded glance before he led them to a gas station just off of the highway so that Piney could get the bikes loaded up, and Juice could transport the Sergeant to the nearest hospital without drawing any unwanted attention that they had already gone to extreme lengths to avoid. 

♕

"What the hell are you talking about 'you can't take him'?" Bobby scoffed from the admissions desk inside of the small emergency room.

"Mr. Trager only has basic coverage, he can only be admitted into a hospital in his plan." The snooty nurse explained as she eyed the bikers with a judgment that they were all too familiar with.

"He's bleeding in your hallway!" Bobby shook his head incredulously. 

"I'm sorry." She shrugged. "We'll have to transfer him. He's stable enough to travel."

Bobby sighed as his panic began to build, knowing that Clay wasn't going to like that... "Well, how about you give him some pain meds? Huh?" 

"I can give him some Advil." She smiled condescendingly.

Bobby scoffed. "He's got a goddamn gash the size of your attitude on his leg!" He yelled as he made his way down the hall where Tig was laid out on a stretcher while Half-Sack shook his head back and forth. "Got enough Advil for that?"

"How much longer?" Tig bounced his head back off of the shitty pillow that he'd been given to lay on, in time with the throbbing in his leg. 

"Well..." Bobby began wearily. "There's good news, and there's bad news..." He pressed his hand to Tig's chest. "You're stable enough to travel." He nodded.

"What do you mean?" Tig scowled. "Travel? Travel where?"

"Well... That's the bad news. We gotta move you to another hospital... HMO bullshit!" He craned his neck back towards the bitchy admin where she sat smugly with the phone to her ear.

"Christ." Tig rolled his eyes. "Come on! Stitch me up!" He yelled to anybody who could hear him. "Sons of bitches!"

"Yeah... We need this guy picked up." The dark-haired woman spoke into the receiver as she watched the bikers cause havoc in her unit. "The quicker the better." She hung up the phone. "Your ride will be out front!" She called to the gruff men with a sickly sweet smile. 

"I hate Stockton." Tig grumbled as Bobby helped him into a wheelchair and began pushing him down the hallway, towards the exit. 

"Oh, shit!" Bobby took his hands off of the metal handles and began patting himself down. "That bitch still has your insurance card."

"I got it." Happy nodded, turning around and stomping back inside.

"Where the hell is this deadbeat hospital, anyway?" Tig squinted in the harsh afternoon sun, unable to slide on his sunglasses that had been lost during the wreck.

"Find out." Bobby looked to Half-Sack.

"What do you want me to d-" Half-Sack scowled.

"Find out!" Bobby cut him off. "Ask whoever's in there." He nodded back to the hospital where Happy had already disappeared.

Tig rolled his eyes as Bobby parked his wheelchair. "Clay said that your task is to be my bitch."

"He did..." Bobby nodded with a sigh.

"Yeah. I got one request." He sneered. "You leave that piece of shit Fat Boy on the side of the road."

"Dude, that is my-"

"Side of the road." Tg taunted.

"That is my baby. That is the first bike-"

"No, no, no. You almost killed-" But their arguing was cut short as a blue van screeched to a halt in front of them.

♕

"Where the hell were you guys?" Clay barked into his phone as he leant against his bike where they had all been waiting - chatting and snacking on various items from the small convenience store. "And you just let them-" Everyone exchanged looks of confusion, wondering what more could be upsetting their President to this magnitude - and wondering how it affected them. "No, no. You just wait there! You've done enough goddamn damage today." Sydney raised an eyebrow towards Jax as she bit into her candy bar, wondering what Bobby and his Fat Boy could have possibly done now.

"What?" Jax asked, watching as Piney pulled in beside them as Clay waited for the old man to be in earshot before making his announcement.

"Bounty hunters just picked up Tig." He sighed.

"What?" Sydney exclaimed. She was no longer questioning his judgement on the heavy manpower escort to the hospital - because apparently between four guys, it hadn't been enough.

"The hell for?" Opie questioned.

"Didn't stop to say." Clay answered with a sarcastic smile. "Juice and Sack are tailing 'em."

"And they just let them take him?" Sydney questioned in bewilderment.

"Jesus Christ, how does that happen?" Chibs shook his head.

"Could've been the hospital - bounty hunters will pay admins to call in names." Jax nodded.

"If Tig had an outstanding warrant, I'd know about it!" Clay shot down Jax's smart theory - showing Sydney for the first time that the pettiness between the President and his VP could go both ways.

"Might be out of state... If the bounty's big enough they could be hauling his ass to Maine." Jax kept his cool under Clay's red-hot temper.

"Okay, so what are we gonna do about it?" Sydney asked impatiently, not understanding why they were arguing over the 'why' rather than the 'how'.

"We gotta go after him." Chibs stated easily.

"We got a delivery to make." Clay scoffed.

"Bondsmen have no jurisdiction, there's nothing to stop us from taking him back." Chibs reminded everybody.

"What's stopping us are these bedrolls full of illegal handguns!" Clay sneered.

"We go after him now? We got a chance. If he crosses state lines..." Jax shook his head with a wince.

"If Tig was here, he'd vote to deliver the guns." Clay continued to push.

"We dump the bedrolls somewhere safe - relay just gets pushed back a few hours." Jax tried to reason. They were already late as it was, he didn't see the harm in being a little later if it meant getting one of their highest ranking officers back.

"We're goin'." Clay concluded, slamming his helmet back down over his head.

♕

Tig sniffled, looking around the packed van with discontent from where they were pulled to the side of the road so that their driver could take a leak. "No one's gonna tell me why I got scooped up?" He sighed, looking over the faces of the stoic men that surrounded him. "Nothin'?" He raised a brow. "No small talk, no 'Hundred Bottles of Beer on the Wall', 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat'?" Still nothing. "Wow..." He leaned his head against the wall of the vehicle behind him. "Wow, okay... I'll start." He shrugged. "I'm guessing you played college ball there, baldy." He nodded to the bald man sitting in the passenger seat. "Offensive line - too much of a pussy to make the pro, and too stupid to graduate." He nodded sympathetically.

"Shut your mouth, asshole." The Clint Eastwood-looking douchebag sitting across from him leaned forward.

"Oh." He turned his theatrical attention towards him. "And you... You are clearly into this because of your aggression issues... Actin' out daddy's fantasies-"

"You hear what he said?" The dark-skinned man beside him cut him off with a nudge to his split leg.

"And you're at least half a fag." Tig scoffed, making his way around the van. "You're probably in love with him..." He whispered as he shifted his mischievous gaze to the other man across from him - the slightly older Clint Eastwood-looking douchebag that was sitting next to his younger counterpart. "This job? It's your way of staying close..." He smirked. "I get it." He shrugged. "Got a similar situation with my old lady... But, I guess I shouldn't call her that, cause she's real young... Young enough that she might even be your daughte-"

"Knock it off!" He heard coming from the passenger princess as his taunts finally got one, his head flying back and hitting the wall behind him from the force of the fist that had punched him square in the jaw. "We don't collect if we bring him in beaten." The bald man reminded his unnecessarily worked up colleagues. "It's Oregon." He told Tig with a sigh, hoping to table the insults that clearly hit home much harder than they should've... 

"Oregon?" Tig scowled. "I've got nothin' outstanding in Oregon?"

"2001... Assault and indecent exposure inside a livestock transport." He chuckled humourlessly.

Oh yeah... That. "Shit." Tig cursed. "I thought that got squashed?" He looked back up.

"Nope." Baldy shook his head. "You skipped on a $40k bond."

"Sick bastard." The man who had punched him uttered.

Tig turned his sadistic gaze back, a smirk coming to his face. "You're dyin' to ask me, aren't ya..." He grinned, leaning forward. "Alright, go ahead." His first target remained unmoving, turning back to his right. "Bet you got half a stiffy, Oprah."

"Gag him!" The bald man ordered before their crazy hostage could elicit another unwanted outburst, but it was too late as he head-butted the man holding the duct tape.

♕

"They've got him in a motel about two miles down the road, beat the shit out of him. Crazy prick must've provoked 'em - knows that they can't bring him in beaten to a pulp." Piney informed everyone after snapping his phone shut as he watched Clay prepare to take off without his right hand.

Sydney stayed silent, too busy running over every possible scenario in her head as the grown men began to bicker once again. She eventually looked up, making eye contact with Piney who nodded his head towards the bed of the truck with a wink.

"Maybe we should call a vote." Jax suggested as respectfully as he could while Clay was already worked up.

"Vote all you want, I'm going to get him." Sydney responded distantly as she began her path to the truck, which was quickly stunted by Clay harshly grabbing her bicep. 

"Are you forgetting about those rules, Princess? Members obey the orders of their superiors." He reminded her with a menacing grin. 

Sydney's blood ran cold. Anybody else would've found themselves with the barrel of her Glock between their eyes for putting their hands on her, but she knew better than to disobey her President and hold him at gunpoint. 

"Well it's a good thing that I'm not a member." She said slowly through gritted teeth, the venom dripping from her low tone before she ripped her arm from the giant hand that had swallowed it - jumping up onto the flatbed where Piney handed her a shotgun. 

Jax grinned at her blatant defiance - of course, if they had been on opposing sides he would've been pissed, but he decided to let himself revel in the victory that the little blonde firecracker had provided him. 

Sydney's heart was racing as anxiety bubbled within her every cell after the shocking choice that she'd made - but she felt her worry fade instantly as Jax and Chibs climbed on with her. 

"Where the hell are you going?" They heard Clay yelling in the distance as Piney took off, rolling to a stop where Happy and Bobby approached the entrance of the gas station.

"What's up?" Happy called over the chugging exhaust of the old flatbed.

"Shit kickin'!" Jax grinned.

"I'm in!" The bald man climbed on, leaving the ever-so-grounding Bobby to tend to their fuming President.

"So, biker barbie does more than just ride bitch, huh?" Jax nudged Sydney's arm playfully before they hit a bump, causing Bobby’s bike to topple over.

"Bitch bar's looking mighty fine right about now." She teased.

"We have a plan here?" Chibs asked as they pulled up to the shitty motel where Juice and Half-Sack had tracked them.

"Got him in room twelve." The prospect jogged up, jumping up onto the flatbed with the rest of his crew.

Jax looked to Sydney for direction. She knew that his sudden willingness to give her control was just a result of his animosity towards Clay, but it still felt good. As much as she enjoyed toying with the VP, she was glad to know that their squabbling wasn't anything personal.

"Ask the old man." She decided to give Piney the lead.

"Alright, hang on guys!" Piney called over his shoulder.

"Jesus Christ." Jax shook his head at the crazy look in Sydney's eyes once Piney swung the truck around, revealing that his master plan was to simply pile drive straight through the fucking building. 

"Shit!" Chibs yelled over the beeping of the machine as it reversed. "Arms up, ladies!"

Tig was tied to a chair in the middle of the motel room as the lot of burley men attempted to patch him up when he spotted the truck outside, coming full speed towards the window - a wide grin spreading across his mouth under the duct tape. 

The flatbed successfully crashed through the hotel room without any casualties - just as Piney had planned. Sydney cocked the shotgun, ready to fire if necessary while Happy pushed any debris out of the way so that he and Half-Sack could jump down and help Tig up onto the bed of the truck while the others held the men at gunpoint.

"Don't move!" Sydney yelled to the group of shocked men as her and Jax kept their weapons aimed at them. 

"Or I will blow your balls off!" Chibs warned.

As soon as his hands were free, Tig ripped the tape off of his mouth. "Hey, guys... Listen, I gotta tell ya." He stood and began collecting his weapons off the table. "I had a lot of fun, but I really gotta go, this is my ride." He jumped up onto the flatbed, Jax helping him scoot back. "Thanks for everything! Hopefully we can do it again sometime." Sydney chuckled at his shit disturbing ways, knowing that she would've done the exact same thing. 

The rest of the cavalry climbed on, keeping their weapons pointed at the men as the truck pulled out of the disheveled room before cheering as they drove away.

"Hi, baby." Sydney gave Tig the most innocent, angelic smile that she could muster up.

"You have got so much explaining to do." He growled while she laughed with her lip between her teeth.

♕

Clay shook his head as he sat himself down on the sidewalk after watching his crew speed away, leaving him alone with Opie and Bobby.

Opie watched as Clay stormed off, but he could tell that it wasn't anger that the older man was feeling; it was something different, something shameful - something that he could relate to. He sighed as he made his way over, sitting himself wordlessly next to his President. 

Clay sighed, his anger draining and his logic returning as his aging body relaxed against the pavement. "I don't think they'd listen to me if I told them I needed a kidney." He chuckled humourlessly.

"That's what prospects are for." Opie joked in his usual monotony, the small smirk that followed eliciting a laugh from Clay.

"Yeah." Clay chuckled, looking over the troubled man whom he was surprised to see consoling him. "You alright?" He nodded, finally getting the one on one that he'd needed with Opie since he'd gotten out.

Opie said nothing as he tilted his head, blinking slowly - hoping that Clay would understand so that he didn't have to try and make him.

"Family?" 

Opie nodded. "The road helps... Reminds me why I signed up for all this bullshit in the first place."

"Amen, bro... Amen." Clay sighed.

♕

The recovery crew made it back to the gas station with Tig in hand, in no time - finding Bobby hanging back by the bikes at the fuel pumps, while Opie and Clay spoke on the curbside across the lot. 

"Now would ya look at that..." Sydney mused as Clay approached. "We still got time to spare." 

Clay kept his mouth shut and his expression hard as he walked over to the passenger door of the truck where Tig was settling in for the ride back, ignoring the glare that he could see coming from Jax, even beneath his dark sunglasses.

"Got a death wish." Opie stated plainly to nobody in particular as he rejoined the group. Jax and Sydney exchanged a look, silently agreeing not to say anything after Opie had stayed behind to kiss Clay's ass, rather than help them rescue their Sergeant At Arms. "No comment?" Sydney gave a slight nod, letting Jax take the reins on this one. 

"Just a little cautious, I guess." The blonde man shrugged. "Not sure that what I say, ain't gonna land in Clay's ear." 

"What the hell does that mean?" Opie scowled.

"You tell me, bro." Jax shrugged.

"Don't drag me into whatever bullshit you got going on with stepdaddy, alright?" He stormed off, leaving Sydney biting her cheek to contain her smirk. 

"I know you're pissed..." Tig attempted to calm Clay's wrath. "But the guys were right this time. Motel was a quick stop - I would've been in Oregon by the end of the day."

"Take him to St.Thomas.” Clay ignored him, turning his attention to Piney. “Hopefully that's within your plan." He mused.

"This ain't on the kids." Piney shook his head. "It was my idea. You'll just have to blame it on the, uh… Dementia." He laughed, trying to keep the mood light. Clay gave a sarcastic smile, showing that he was anything but amused as he slammed the passenger door.

"Ah, shit..." Tig groaned as he watched Clay walk away, knowing that he wasn't going to back down easily with the way things had been going with Jax as of late - and his girlfriend was sitting pretty on the top of his shit list.

"It's gonna be a long ride, Tigger." Piney laughed, handing him the whiskey bottle that he'd been sipping from.

The rest of the run went smoothly - awkward as all hell, as no one was speaking to each other, but smoothly. The Sons eventually met up with Laroy just outside of Charming to make the drop according to plan, while Sydney made her way to St.Thomas to make sure that Tig wasn’t being vetted by any more bounty hunters.

"You guys are one short?" Laroy observed aloud. Normally he wouldn't have had any idea who the fuck was and wasn't on the Sons' roster, but the image of the crazy Sergeant swooping in on the hot brunette from the day earlier was still heavy on his mind.

"Yeah, got all the cargo though." Clay brushed off the man's inquisition. Once the hand off was completed, no words were exchanged between the Sons as they all went their separate ways - some returning home to their families, and some heading back to the clubhouse. 

♕

"Sydney." A friendly voice greeted her as she walked through the sliding doors of St.Thomas with her helmet under her arm.

"Hey, Tara." Sydney smiled. So far, she found that she quite liked Tara - regardless of what Gemma thought. 

"You looking for Gemma?"

"No, Tig actually. But I shouldn't be surprised that Gemma's here." She chuckled.

"No, you shouldn't." The two smiled as they joked about Gemma's overly hands-on role as grandma as they made their way to the emergency room. "So... Tig, huh?" Tara's voice dropped as she quirked an eyebrow, deciding to let a little bit more personality show through her professional front.

"I told you I wasn't coming for your man." Sydney smirked. 

Tara chuckled. "Well, here he is." She announced awkwardly as they approached Tig’s bed before quickly taking her leave.

"Hey, Princess." Tig slurred with a grin as he looked up to see Sydney.

"Hey, Sergeant." She grinned back in amusement now that it was obvious that he had been given some proper pain meds. "You gonna ride bitch?" She teased.

"Oh, yeah!" He exclaimed as he fuzzily recalled the day's events prior to his abduction. "How the hell did you pull that shit off?" 

"I guess I had a good teacher." She winked.

"You are gonna get it." He slurred again as he tried to hold a scolding finger up to her, unsuccessfully.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm real worried..." She chuckled. "Let's go." She nodded out the door. 

Sydney followed the flatbed back to the clubhouse, letting Piney do the heavy lifting as he helped an incredibly inebriated, injured Tig back into his dorm - something that she surely could not have done on her own. 

"Well, looks like you trapped me again.” She teased once the door closed behind the older man on his way out of the room. “Can't be leaving you alone like this." She shrugged out of her jacket.

"It was my plan all along, baby." Tig mumbled as he laid face down on his pillow.

"Mhmm, I'm sure it was." She kissed him on the top of the head. "I'm going to get some fresh air and something to eat, I'll be back so-." She stopped, laughing as she realized that he had already passed out before she could even finish her sentence. 

Sydney decided to take advantage of her favorite time of day; when the hot California sun began to retreat behind the hills and a blissfully ignorant sense of peace would set in. She sat back on her bike, lighting a joint as she recounted the events of the day, herself. 

"Kawasaki looks a little out of place." She was startled out of her haze, looking up to see Clay leaning against his own bike.

"Like me." She responded with a light chuckle as she passed him her joint, sharing the weed in silence. "I'm sorry... About today-" 

"I don't give a shit about today." He cut her off. "I give a shit about tomorrow, next week - how all this shit is gonna play out." 

His cryptic words were enough for her to understand what he was really trying to say. "Whatever's going on there is affecting the club - affecting the calls being made." She agreed without him having to elaborate. "Today was a textbook example of why we can't have this shit - you guys thinking that every call and second opinion is being made out of spite." 

Clay wanted to defend himself as she called him out, but he knew that she was right. "You talk too much like a member." He chuckled, passing her back the joint.

"Give me a patch then." She teased before taking another drag. "Whatever's going on, the bottom line is that you have that President flash. Jax is the one who needs to get right with you." She finished on a strong note as she passed back the end of the joint. She may have needed to be on a more respectful level with Jax if she wanted to get herself voted in, but she needed to be on a respectful level with her President, more.

"Yeah... He does." Clay dropped the roach to the ground, stamped it out with his heavy boot before disappearing back into the clubhouse.

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

Tig felt himself being slowly coaxed out of his deep sleep by a pleasant tightening in his stomach. He felt a smile creeping across his lips as he kept his eyes closed, still not fully awake as his hands gripped the sheets below him before eventually moving to grasp the source of his pleasure. His eyes flew open the second that they made unexpected contact with the softness of hair, realizing that his wet dream was very much a reality as he was met with Sydney's wide eyes from where she knelt on the bed between his legs, topless and sucking his cock into her mouth. His own eyes widened once he realized what exactly he was looking at - the feeling so intense at the early hour that he didn't even acknowledge the pounding in his head, or the throbbing in his leg. 

"Baby." He groaned, beginning to sit up before she pressed her tongue harder along the underside of his dick, withdrawing him from her mouth and licking the tip teasingly before pushing herself up the bed to meet him halfway.

"Relax." She pressed her lips to his in a hard kiss, curling her tongue around his before pulling away just as abruptly - pressing her palms against his chest and pushing him back down to the mattress. 

"You are gonna kill me." He growled through gritted teeth as she made her way back down, smoothing her hands down his thighs as she neared his length once again. 

"Why's that, Tiggy?" She asked with a pout, her lips only a hair away from where he wanted them as she looked up at him innocently.

"Because-" But before he could get his sentence started, she shoved him all the way to the back of her throat. She withdrew again, laughing sadistically as he caught his breath. "That's fucking why. Get up here." He ordered with a growl.

"Or what?" She bit her lip.

"Come on, doll." He whined. "You wouldn't do that to an injured man, would ya?" 

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do." She grinned playfully. "Now, are you gonna be a good patient and sit still for the nurse?" 

His eyes glinted, saying nothing as he obeyed her commands and laid back - besides, letting her finish wouldn't exactly be the worst thing in the world. 

Sydney raised a brow and narrowed her eyes as she lowered herself back down, continuing the sloppy blowjob that she had started. 

♕

Vic Trammel sighed as he pulled up to the bones of the Sons' warehouse that he had been guarding for weeks under the guise of 'evidence protection', stepping out of his squad car where he popped the trunk and began fishing through the sea of law enforcement equipment for the personal items that he had brought on the job to help make time go by just a little easier - a fold out chair, a bag of sunflower seeds, and some XXX magazines.

But his newfound morning routine was interrupted by the sound of another vehicle rolling over the gravel, looking up to see none other than Deputy Chief David Hale. "Shit!" He slammed his trunk closed, shuffling over to the old Ford Bronco that had another Charming PD marked cruiser in tow.

"You're a little outside your jurisdiction, aren't you, Hale?" The older man squinted in the sun.

"Well." Hale shrugged as he stepped out onto the rubble-littered ground. "When something blows up this close to your town? It would be bad law enforcement not to look into it." He nodded as he approached what he could now be sure was a crime scene, thanks to Kohn.

"Well this is county property." Trammel took a step forward. "San Joa. sheriffs can handle this." He narrowed his eyes at the other two cops that began to circle the perimeter.

"It might've been..." Hale nodded. "Until we got a tip that it may be linked to the Sons of Anarchy." He held up the search warrant with a smug smile. "Which, if you'll remember, Vic... Is outside of your jurisdiction."

♕

"You gonna keep making me ask what went down yesterday?" Tig asked as he lightly tickled Sydney's exposed ribs as she laid with her back pressed against his chest - enjoying what was the relaxing sensation of his hands caressing the sensitive skin covering her upper body before the increased pressure made her squeal as she tried to wiggle out of his grip before he managed to calm her, stilling his hands and pressing his lips to the back of her neck.

"Maybe I just want you to make up for falling asleep on me so early. I was so lonely, I almost had to use Jax to get off." She tilted her head all the way back to look at him with those sparkly, mischievous eyes - watching his bright blue ones narrow. "What first?" She caved, rolling her eyes as she turned onto her stomach, using his outstretched arm as a pillow. 

"The fact that you ride." He scoffed.

"I got my motorcycle license not long after I got my drivers." She shrugged. "I'm surprised you didn't catch on when you were teaching someone who has grown up around bikes their whole life, but supposedly had no idea what side the clutch was on." She smirked.

"Yeah, yeah." He groaned. "What about Clay?" 

Sydney’s light expression fell slightly as the conversation took a more serious turn. "He didn't think that the bounty was serious." She pulled her eyes away. "Jax tried to reason with him, and we all know how that seems to go." She scoffed.

"Didn't used to be that way." Tig observed aloud.

"Yeah..." She nodded slowly. "You think it has anything to do with me?"

"Maybe." He blinked. "Started just before Abel was born, got worse when you came. But I don't think it's anything against you - think it's somethin' against you siding with Clay." Sydney nodded along with the theory that she hadn't yet considered.

"Piney knew it was serious, so I went with him.” She continued. “Jax, Chibs, and Hap joined... And then you know the rest." 

"Syd…” He shook his head. “Crossing Clay... You gotta be careful-."

"Yeah, I know." She snapped. She didn't need a lecture from the man who was laying in his own bed, and not in a jail cell, because of her. "I talked to Clay." She waved off his concern. "He ain't happy, but he ain't pissed at me either. I'll be fine." 

Tig just nodded, chuckling as he realized that the little firecracker was even harder to be reasoned with than he was, but that was a problem for another day. "Guess I have some explaining to do, too." He grimaced. 

"Yeah! What the fuck?" She exclaimed with wide eyes and a crease in her forehead, punching him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" He recoiled. "The hell you hittin' me for? I'm cooperating!" 

"You're fucking stunted if you don't know why!” She playfully hit him again. “Making me forget that you were the one who caused all this shit, getting your ass hauled off for God knows what!"

"Hey." He held up a finger in protest. "Technically, Bobby was the one who caused it."

"Oh, yeah? Bobby cause the bounty too?" He just winced in response. "Yeah, that's what I thought." The pair chuckled before Tig went on to tell her about the horribly misunderstood crime that had caused the bounty in the first place, about the bounty hunters themselves, and about Bobby being dubbed his bitch until he was healed - the two of them laughing hysterically as he recounted what he had done to provoke the beating that had ironically saved him. 

Even battered and bed ridden, Tig was glowing - basking in the safe haven that she provided him. He'd never expected to see the day where he would be spending a morning laid up with a blonde in her twenties, laughing about his less than conventional mishaps. "I love you." He grinned.

"Yeah, I bet you do." She shook her head discerningly. "You're lucky you're hurt, or I'd make ya get on your knees and grovel to me."

"That would hardly be a punishment." He smirked suggestively.

"Oh yeah? I'll hold you to that." She smirked before finally getting herself out of bed to begin getting ready for the day's work at TM - unbraiding her hair from the night and dressing in the only things that she had around his dorm; a pair of leggings, a slightly cropped red tank top, and combat boots. 

"I need more clothes here." She whined as she stormed out of the bathroom, feeling her skin beginning to crawl with discomfort in the thick leggings that she longed to be a pair of shorts on the hot July day, and the ground level shoes that didn't at all match the outfit as a whole.

Tig raised an eyebrow as she stomped around the room, gathering her things in a huff. He didn't understand what she was so upset about - he thought she looked hot in the tight pants that hugged her curves in all the right places - but if there was anything that he'd learned from his short time as a husband, it was to simply smile and nod.

"Babe." Sydney was temporarily distracted from the tantrum that she felt bubbling in her chest, looking up to see Tig sitting against the headboard in amusement as he watched her pout like a child.

"I don't wanna hear it." She whined, knowing how ridiculous he probably thought that she was being.

"Bottom drawer.” He chuckled, nodding towards his dresser. “The black Harley one on the top." 

She furrowed her brows in confusion, but followed his instructions anyways - opening the drawer to see a bunch of t-shirts. "Tiggy, you don't have to-" 

"It's fine. I don't need it back." He nodded. He'd seen her wear band tees before, and he didn't mind sacrificing one of his if it meant that she would be more comfortable - especially since he was the reason that she didn't have her proper clothes. "We can just consider my debt squared." He winked.

She bit her lip, swaying bashfully as a blush spread across her face, grabbing a pair of scissors and heading back into the bathroom where she cut out the front of the shirt to expose her cleavage - leaving the neckline intact to give a choker-style effect before knotting it up in the front to tie the look together.

"I should've left you in the other top." Tig grimaced when she re-emerged after somehow having turned the large men's t-shirt into something even more revealing than the tiny top that she'd been wearing earlier. "Bring some more of your clothes here, I can give up another drawer if I need to." He smiled sympathetically.

"You only got yourself to blame, Sergeant." She smiled back as she walked over to him and leant down for a goodbye kiss which she deepened, showing her gratitude for his thoughtful actions. "Thank you." She whispered before pressing her lips back to his in another sweet embrace before she finally pulled away to get to her shift on time. 

"Hi, Kippy." She cheerfully greeted the prospect who was lugging cases of beer to the fridges behind the bar as she passed through on her way to the office.

"Hey, Syd." Half-Sack raised a hand in greeting before remembering just as she was walking out the door, that he was supposed to be keeping her confined to the clubhouse. "Shit." He grumbled, racing after her. "Hey!” He caught up to her just as she was about to cross the threshold. “Uh, that was cool yesterday." He attempted to look nonchalant by sticking his arm straight up and flopping his body against the doorframe.

Sydney raised a brow in amusement - the poor kid couldn't be deceptive even if his life depended on it. "It was." She nodded with her lips pursed, her expectant eyes telling him that she was onto him.

"Your bike looks real cool, you know... With all the other bikes." He waved his hand frantically towards the bikes that were lined up in the middle of the compound. 

Sydney glanced quickly in the direction that he was pointing before using the element of surprise to catch him off guard, taking one giant step and pressing him against the wall with her body, holding him in place.

"Cut the shit, prospect." She nodded as he squirmed against her. "What're you tryin' to distract me for?" She spoke close to his face.

"What? Distract you? No way." His grimace overtook his scoff.

"You wanna keep that one nut, don't ya?" The poor kid winced in defeat. Even though she only stood at a mere 5'4 - he found her calm, casual tone to be scarier than any menacing threat that she could've presented him with. 

"In the garage..." He mumbled. 

Sydney looked him up and down with a smirk. "Good boy." She nodded before taking off in the very direction that she wasn't supposed to go.

"Thought the ol' Fat Boy was supposed to be lyin' in a ditch somewhere off 99?" Bobby and Juice jumped at the sound of a woman's voice behind them, whipping their heads around to see Sydney leaning against a car with a smirk on her face.

Bobby scowled, scanning the compound for Half-Sack who he'd tasked with keeping Sydney and Tig away from the garage whilst he and the Intelligence Officer attempted to fix his beloved bike. He found Half-Sack standing in the doorway, wincing dramatically to try and let him know that he had done everything in his power to keep the invasive blonde occupied.

"All you had to do was get him to tell me that I had the day off." She stated matter-of-factly, sporting a smug smirk as she taunted the men - and their lack of effort.

"Look, this bike is my baby, okay? It's my baby!" 

Sydney turned her head dramatically and raised her brows. "Tell ya what, I won't say anything to Tig if you all pretend that Half-Sack told me that I have the day off."

"Deal." Bobby replied easily. 

Sydney smiled big before waltzing back to the clubhouse, looking around the poorly lit room where a few more members had trickled in for the day. Her eyes landed on Jax who was sipping his coffee at the bar, deciding that she would attempt to maintain their current good standing. 

"No church?" She slid into one of the empty bar stools next to him.

"Money's in the safe, marked envelopes." He nodded to the chapel, assuming that was what she was interested in.

"Damn... He is pissed." She raised her eyebrows with a snicker - her knowing smile matching the one spreading across his face. "What's going on there, anyway?" She questioned as casually as possible.

"I don't know, man..." He shrugged. "Just thinkin' about shit since the kid was born... The club, the future, my dad." He explained. With the recent reconciliations between himself, Tara, and Wendy - he had managed to regain control of his emotions that had spiralled so wildly out of control the past weeks, keeping them tucked into the back of his mind instead of lashing out defensively.

"She could be good for you." She shot him a knowing smirk as she nodded. "How’s Abel?" She asked with a smile.

Jax returned her knowing smile, glad that at least somebody seemed to be on the same page about Tara - even if it was Sydney. "Seems to be out of the woods... Gonna be in the cage for a while though." A smidge of resentment found its way back into his tone.

"Like father, like son." She mused playfully. "And Wendy?" Her voice softened as she broached the next, and even more sensitive subject. 

"Ah." He shook his head, hoping to show her that her hesitance wasn't necessary. "Shipping her off to rehab... Again." He chuckled.

"Think it's gonna work this time?" She raised a brow.

"Don't know." Jax shrugged. "I'm not holding my breath, but I think having the baby might make a difference."

Sydney nodded understandingly, falling into a short silence as she contemplated his words. "You don't think that Clay is carrying on your dad's legacy." She surmised with a distant nod as the conclusion finally came to her.

"Yeah…" Jax scoffed. "Somethin' like that." 

Sydney could see the quick change in his demeanor as his jaw clenched tighter, his eyes went darker, and his expression went sour. "Looks like I'm not the only one with daddy issues." She nudged him playfully. She knew that there was more to the story, but she would find that out later - now that she finally knew where to start.

Jax allowed the much lighter subject to put a halt to the brooding that came a little too easily these days. "Darlin'...." He scoffed. "You got more than daddy issues... You got grandpa issues." He smirked.

"If grandpa issues are on the table..." Piney husked as he entered the room, hauling his oxygen tank up onto the bartop. "Then I'm next in line."

"You're my next stop, old man." Sydney licked her lips as she gave the founding member a lazy once over.

Jax grimaced at the sight that he thought could be no worse than seeing her and Tig together. "You ever fucked anyone your own age?" 

"Uh, yeah.” She rolled her eyes. “What do you think made me realize that juvenile dick ain't my bent?" He smiled bashfully - the brashness of the young woman never failing to take him aback. 

Sydney took her leave after some more progress with her male counterpart, heading to the chapel to retrieve her payout before returning to the main room. "Hi, Chibby." She greeted the Scot with a friendly smile, taking a seat at the table that he was occupying.

"Aye, Princess.” He nodded. “You ain't workin' today?" 

Sydney glanced out the door where Bobby and Juice were still working incognito. "Apparently not." She smiled. 

A couple of hours later, Tig came hobbling out of his room after his calls to Fat Elvis went ignored. "Bobby!" The Sergeant screamed at the top of his lungs, startling Chibs who was in the middle of a heated round of five finger fillet with Sydney.

"Holy fuck!" Sydney exhaled, wide-eyed and laughing nervously with her hand pressed over her heart after dodging the knife that would've found itself plunged through the top of her delicate hand. "That's you." She looked to Half-Sack who was parked behind the bar, looking frantically between the needy Sergeant, and the door.

"Christ! Nearly chopped your lass' hand off!" Chibs caught his breath between his hollers of outrage. "I'm sure you don't want that." He gave Tig a pointed look.

"Where the hell is Bobby?" He whined.

"In the garage fixing the Fat Boy." Sydney replied casually, not looking up as she began slamming the knife between Chibs' fingers.

"What?" Tig exclaimed right as Bobby walked in.

"What do ya need, Tigger?" 

"I thought I told you to leave that hunk of junk on the side of the road! What the hell you doin' fixin it?" Sydney smirked as the argument began.

"You can't be serious, man-" Bobby began to protest.

"No, no, no, no, no." Tig shook his head, holding his finger up to Bobby's lips. "I don't give a shit." Bobby shifted his gaze to the unbothered blonde who was supposed to be keeping him, and his Fat Boy under wraps.

"Really?" He widened his eyes and held out his hands. 

Sydney looked up, still moving the knife across the hand of the foreign man. "Slip of the tongue." She stated sweetly with a shrug, slamming the blade down harshly without looking. She grinned sadistically as the entire table shook under her force - seeing the worry on everyone's faces before she pushed herself up. "Oh, by the way." She called over her shoulder as she made her way out of the clubhouse. "You should try replacing the fuel lines." She winked at Bobby.

"Is there anything she can't do?" He sighed, looking around in disbelief.

"Taxes?" Juice suggested.

"Did 'em in San Bern. when Joker was in the hospital after that pile up." Happy seemingly came out of nowhere to answer the question.

"Handstands?" The younger man tried again.

"Nah, brother." Tig smirked. "She can do those too." He winked devilishly. 

"I don't even wanna know what that means." Juice sighed as he made his way back outside. 

♕

After some much-needed TLC from his wife, Clay had managed to get over his mood from the day prior - finally gathering up the courage to show his face in the clubhouse after the embarrassing outburst. 

"Afternoon, kids!” He greeted as he emerged from the chapel, holding the envelopes that had not yet been collected. “The Niners are officially taken care of - spoke with Laroy and he is giddy about his new assault rifles." The President had a giant grin plastered on his face as he tossed the envelopes to their respective owners. 

Sydney and Jax exchanged a look of amusement, knowing that his excitement was being heavily exaggerated in an attempt to distract everyone from his equally dramatic tantrum the day before.

"I love the greed! All about the benjamins." Chibs waved his envelope around.

"Hey!” Juice got everyone’s attention before they could get too excited. “Just got an update from my City Hall snitch… Looks like Hale's got a warrant to search the warehouse." He winced.

"The warehouse that burned down a month ago?" Sydney drawled with a dramatically raised brow, unsure how, or why a warrant was now being obtained for a pile of bones that had been sitting untouched for weeks.

"Why's Hale the one doin' it?" Clay sneered. "That ain't Charming jurisdiction!" 

"Well is there still evidence up there?" Sydney was appalled that she even had to ask, but based on Clay's reaction - she already knew the answer.

"Trammel was keepin it under wraps." Jax sighed. 

"So what the fuck is he doing now?" She exclaimed. "You are seriously telling me that you haven't bothered getting that shit cleaned up?" 

"Had bigger problems to deal with." Chibs defended.

"Twenty-five to life seems like a pretty big fucking problem to me." She retorted.

"Our names ain't connected to that warehouse... Hale should’ve had no way to link it to us. Trammel was keeping it contained!" Clay's voice boomed in frustration, taking him right back to the mindset that had plagued him the day before as things continued to go wrong.

"Well something has made him decide to start looking into it, now hasn't it?” Sydney blinked. “Warrants aren't granted on suspicion. He's got something credible, and if there is even a shred of your DNA somewhere in that pile of rubble and gun parts, then you better get cozy with the idea of spending the rest of your days getting topped by a cellmate."

"Shit!" Clay cursed after sitting on her words for a second. She was right, the evidence of gun running in the warehouse was never the issue - hence why they had been lazy with the clean up - but now, the very real possibility of Hale linking it to SAMCRO, was. "Call Unser, call Trammel, call everyone! I want everybody at the table!"

♕

Opie stalked back into the house from where he had been working in the garage, hoping to avoid Donna on his way out after getting the call from Clay - but he was stopped in his tracks when he came face to face with where she was standing in the middle of the kitchen.

"You headin' out?" She asked much less accusingly than he had expected.

"Yeah..." He answered cautiously.

"Um." She ignored the urge in the pit of her stomach to ask where he was going. "I'm gonna need the truck..."

"Okay." Opie blinked. That was perfect - now he didn't need an excuse for riding his bike. "Something wrong with the Wagon?"

Donna sighed, pulling the folded papers from her back pocket. "We're three months behind... I gotta lock it in the garage or they'll repo it."

Opie shook his head, examining the papers. "I don't know how to get in front of this shit... We're getting buried here, Donna." He threw the notice down onto the counter.

"Look." She took his large hands in hers. "I'll pick up some weekend work, you'll get that pay bump soon..." She looked up into his eyes optimistically in a way that she hoped he could believe. "We're gonna make it through this, baby." She pressed a kiss to his unmoving lips. "I promise."

♕

"Trammel said that there was nothin' he could do. Hale showed up with the warrant in hand - started pokin' around." Tig relayed his phone call with the San Joaquin sheriff, to the full table.

"If we don't get this shit taken care of, that gun factory could land right on our doorstep." Jax winced.

"And ATF takes up a permanent residence in our collective rectums." Juice added - eliciting a giggle that Sydney forced herself to swallow.

"That warehouse sits on county property..." Clay tapped the table as a cigar hung out of his mouth while he tried to remain calm and logical - like a good President was supposed to do. "Hale's gonna have to wait days for San Joa. to shake loose a forensic unit."

"It's a local case, county won't get involved.” Juice scowled. “Hale will just wind up borrowing a unit from Lodi."

"Hey…” Jax remembered something important. “Otto's sister still works for the A.D.A. in Lodi... Call her, see if there's a forensic team heading this way." 

Sydney nodded in agreement. She was starting to realize that when Jax was level headed, he was a force to be reckoned with - not just a pretty face. Perhaps she'd judged the temporarily weak-minded Vice President too harshly...

"I still gotta talk to Unser." Clay sighed. "Maybe I can convince the Chief to put a leash on his hyperactive Deputy." He scoffed.

"Unser's just waitin' for the clock to run out." Jax shook his head. "That old boy's a lame duck."

"Yeah." Clay chuckled as he smacked the gavel, hoping that there wasn't as much truth to Jax's statement as he thought that there was.

♕

After church, Sydney took the lull in business as an opportunity to head back home and actually make a dent in the chores that Tig's company over the past few days had her neglecting - it was her day off, after all. She fired up her bike, revving the engine as she got ready to peel out of the compound and make her debut to the town as a rider, when she realized that the keys to her house were still in Tig's room. She sighed, cursing the delay for keeping her from her Ninja - and her change of clothes - any longer than necessary, ripping off her helmet and jogging back into the clubhouse. But she stopped with one foot in the door when she saw Tig lying on the couch with none other than Cheryl as she tried to rub his leg.

"I said I don't need anything." He tried to brush her off, but his injury didn't exactly have him in a position to make a breakaway.

"He needs more medical shit.” Sydney answered for him. “You can go get that from the hospital, can't you Cheryl?" 

The croweater straightened up when she heard the unexpected voice from behind her, turning around with a nasty scowl. "I don't take orders from you-" 

"You can go get that from the hospital, can't you Cheryl?" Sydney raised her voice - a much firmer tone as she repeated herself, letting the older woman know that it wasn't up for debate. 

Cheryl looked to Tig for confirmation - or rather backup as the mouthy little blonde tried to order her around.

"What are you, deaf? You heard her." He nodded out the door. "Go." He shooed her away. 

Sydney stood firmly planted in front of the door, staring Cheryl down as she was forced to awkwardly try and slip past her. 

Tig's eyes were wide as his mouth opened to plead his case, but Sydney just raised a brow and shot him a discerning smirk as she made her way down the hall to retrieve her keys before walking right back out to where her bike was waiting. 

The blue-eyed man sat on the couch in a conundrum, blinking through his confusion. He had no fucking clue if she was actually pissed, or if this was just another one of her games. He thought that he’d seen a ghost of a smirk on her face, but the way that she'd stormed past him without a word had made it impossible to tell. He groaned for the hundredth time today, falling back against the armrest as he yelled for Half-Sack to bring him a bottle of whiskey.

♕

"So, your boy..." Clay began as he and Chief Unser strolled down Main Street, smiling to the neighbourhood kids playing along the sidewalks. "Not really a team player." He raised his brow from behind his sunglasses. 

"Hale's not interested in teammates." Unser shook his head. "He thinks that Charming is stuck in 1969 - wants to bring it into the twenty-first century." The older man sighed.

"Hale is a half-bright clerk with a Wyatt Earp complex - hardly seems like a guy with a vision." Clay scoffed hopefully.

"Don't underestimate him..." Unser warned regretfully. "He's tight with city council, and his old man's got deep political ties in Northern Cali."

"Yeah." Clay shrugged. "But you're the boss, right?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Come on, Clay." Unser sighed. "Since they found the cancer last year, I got one foot out the door." He explained a little too optimistically for Clay's liking. "The squad's his now - it'll be official in a few weeks."

Clay felt his blood run cold, side stepping his old pal as he stopped him dead in his tracks. "This uptight piece of shit is gonna make our lives miserable." He leaned down to the shorter man's level. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"There's nothing I can do about it." The soon-to-be retiree shrugged. "Doctors, colleagues... They're making me step down. I'm sorry, but it's done."

"Yeah..." Clay stepped out of the way and continued his stride. "I'm sorry too..."

"W-well this doesn't mean that we can't keep our business arrangement." Unser chased after him. "Me and you, we had a good thing going for a lot of years." He nodded desperately. The whole point of his current predicament was for Clay not to blame him - not the opposite. "We need each other."

Clay stopped, turning back to face him with a smile on his face. "Yes we do." He nodded. "What's the run?"

Unser looked around, pulling the roll of papers from his back pocket. "Got Blu-rays and iPods headin' down to San Jose." He narrowed his eyes. "Goddamn lowlives have been jacking the shit out of them. Keep your eyes open on this one."

"I'll make sure that they get where they're going." Clay smiled as he tucked the info into the pocket of his kutte.

Get where they're going, indeed.

♕ 

Sydney spent the early afternoon giving her house a much-needed  tidying, leisurely sipping rosé and absently listening to Forensic Files as it played through her speakers before the broadcast was interrupted by a call. She padded over to where her phone was plugged in on the coffee table, lifting it to see that Tig was calling. She chuckled as she pressed ignore, letting him sweat a little after the incident this morning. She wasn't at all upset, in fact, the bit of competition after such a reassuring past few days had really turned her on - but she didn't need him to know that yet. 

Tig groaned as his call went to voicemail, sure now that she was upset with him. He ran his hands over his face in frustration. If she was going to get upset every time that a croweater or a hangaround tried to hit on him, they were going to have a lot of problems. But something about the predicament vaguely ticked a memory in his brain; the memory of her storming off before her sneaky little striptease on the night that they had played darts - making him once again question the motive behind her actions. But regardless of what his standing was with his much younger girlfriend, he was not in the shape to deal with it. 

"Sack!" He yelled into the bar where he knew the scrawny kid would come running. "Call Syd for me." He ordered when Half-Sack did just that - trying to look as enthusiastic as possible after spending his entire day catering to the injured Sergeant.

"Did you need me to get your phone for you, or-" He turned down the hall.

"Did I say ask questions?" Tig cut him off. "Nah, I said call Syd for me." The poor kid wasn't trying to talk back - he was genuinely curious, but he had yet to catch onto the fact that the reasoning for his curiosity wasn't the problem, the problem was the fact that he expressed curiosity, at all. 

Sydney snorted when she saw her phone lighting up seconds later with a call from Half-Sack. "Hi, Kippy!" She answered cheerfully, knowing that even if Tig wasn't listening, he would, at the very least, know that she’d picked up the call. Men were so painfully obvious with their tactics.

Tig glared at the younger man as his call was instantly answered. Half-Sack widened his eyes frantically, half in apology - not wanting to be collateral damage in whatever sick game that the odd pair was playing at - and half in uncertainty over what he was supposed to say.

"Church." Tig grumbled, pushing himself up off of the couch and hobbling off to the chapel.

"Uh, could you like, come back to the clubhouse? You know, for church?"

"I sure can." She replied sweetly. “I’ll see you soon.” She ended the call before she rode her bike back to the clubhouse, swapping her leggings and combat boots for a pair of denim shorts, and black Converse - still not her usual heels, but they allowed for riding, and that was something that she was going to have to get used to. 

She pulled onto the compound a few minutes later, waltzing into the clubhouse with a bubblegum-flavored lollipop between her lips, mentally preparing herself for whatever other bullshit that these men were likely preparing to lay on her as she fell into formation behind Bobby, Juice, and Chibs who were all lined up outside of the chapel - dropping their phones into the empty box on the pool table, now that the threat of anonymously-tipped-off police was present.

"Jimmy Cacuzza called." Bobby told Clay as he took his seat. "The Italians wanna place an order - I didn't know what to say..."

"How about, ‘the store burned down, they missed the fire sale'." Clay suggested with a smirk while Sydney snorted in response - her expression falling as soon as her eyes landed on Tig who was already in his chair.

"Well, I talked to Otto's sister…" Juice sighed as he sat down next to Bobby. "Lodi forensic team will be here first thing in the morning." He reported the bad news regretfully.

"And the shit keeps piling on my head." Clay gave a sarcastic smile.

"So we distract 'em with something big in Lodi - get the shit out while they're busy." Sydney suggested easily, not able to keep the blatant disappointment out of her tone. For such smart men, these guys could be incredibly fucking stupid.

"There’s only one thing that's gonna stop that Lodi forensics team from gettin' to our warehouse... And that's another murder in Lodi." Clay narrowed his eyes.

"Yep." Tig agreed.

"I don't know..." Jax exhaled, shaking his head.

Here we go again... Sydney thought as she fought the urge to roll her eyes, seeing that Clay was apparently thinking the same thing as his head snapped up, prepared to defend himself against whatever bullshit excuse Jax was surely about to come up with.

"Hale's on red alert; Mayan's, Nord's - everyone's twitchy as hell, man..." He grimaced, defending himself in the least defensive way possible.

He had a point, but Sydney failed to see what two thirds of it had to do with the situation at hand. "You're all gonna be twitchy as hell sitting in ATF holding." She reminded him of the vast difference in consequences. 

"It's not a good time to kill-" He shook his head.

"It's never a good time to kill.” Clay cut him off. “But we're talking about the whole club here - stayin' outta ATF's crosshairs." Jax nodded half-heartedly along with everybody else as they pondered the ramifications of the messy situation that could land on all of them. "We hit the projects - find ourselves a scumbag, a dealer..." Clay tried to present the grim solution to his stepson in the most ethically sound way that he could.

"We should off a couple more Nords, Clay, is what we should do." Tig nodded. "Alright? We should just do that, and then dump the bodies in Lodi. Buys us some time to get shit cleaned up at the warehouse, sends one last message to Darby - kills two birds with one crow."

"That points finger at us with Hale and with the Nords." Sydney shot down her man's idea. She wasn't doing it purely out of spite - she truly did mean what she said about it blowing back on the club - but she didn't mind the exciting idea that her disagreement would give him. 

"Yeah, very clever." Chibs scoffed. "With the cops watching the warehouse-

"Doesn't matter, doesn't matter." Tig shook his head quickly as they argued against what he'd thought was a seamless plan.

"I'll handle that." Clay told Sydney. "You." He pointed to Tig. "Set it up."

Tig nodded, hastily getting up from the table as his injury temporarily slipped his mind that was too clouded with the adrenaline that came from the delicious combination of getting to slaughter some skinheads, brownie points with his President, and winning this battle with Sydney.

"Looks like you lost this one, Pussycat." He purred into her ear before heading towards the door. 

Sydney felt all of her senses electrify as his smooth but condescending words passed through her ears. She smirked, moving the lollipop from one side of her mouth, to the other. She was weirdly okay with the defeat, as it proved that just when she’d thought that she had the upper hand, he pulled her right back into another challenge - just the way that she liked. 

"Hey!" Jax called after the Sergeant who was about to exit the chapel, forcing Sydney's smirk into a full blown grin - giving her the feeling that the approval on Tig's plan was about to be revoked. "What if I could do this without spilling blood?" He suggested.

Sydney fought every single urge that her body had to retaliate against his ridiculous proposal, only because he was her saving grace in this round - but luckily for her, she didn’t need to as Clay rolled his eyes, and Tig bore a scowl deeper than she had ever seen before. 

"Look, this ain't me tripping some guilt shit because of my kid, okay?" He sighed. He didn't know if it was true or not, but if he put the idea in all of their heads - including his own - before they could draw the conclusion themselves, he hoped that they would believe it. "This is about one of us thinking straight."

Sydney raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips in amusement, it seemed that Jax had caught onto their assumptions over his mindset, after all. "Brains before bullets, right?" He pointed to the sign with the matching quote on the wall behind him - pulling out all of the stops to attempt to throw them off of his trail. She snorted. More like bullshit before bullets.

Tig retook his seat, looking less than impressed as he avoided her taunting gaze - but she couldn't help her glossy eyes from lingering on the brooding man who looked sexy as hell while he stroked his goatee with those ring-clad fingers.

"Let's hear it." Clay uttered out begrudgingly.

"All we need for murder are bodies, and a crime scene." He explained.

"Jackie Boy... Now you lost me." Chibs shook his head.

"Skeeter... He's always got more gambling debt than he can handle. I'll make it worth his while." Jax explained smugly.

"The cemetery guy?" Bobby scoffed.

"Cash for cadavers... I like it." Chibs agreed. 

"I give Lodi a front page murder, and we don't stir up another shit storm to bite us in the ass." He finished his pitch on the strongest note possible.

Sydney decided that she wasn't necessarily against this plan - she much rather would've offed some kiddie-fucker in Lodi, but she supposed this would get the job done - what she was against, however, was the mother chapter's VP going soft.

"What about educating Darby?" Tig argued the second that Jax finished talking, still avoiding Sydney’s eyes as she found herself entranced by every single thing that he did, and said - even if she disagreed.

"I'll figure that out.” Clay nodded. “The important thing right now, is keeping our DNA out of a petri dish - protect the club." He looked around the room, deciding that now was as good a time as ever to erase the strike that he’d put on his own record, the day prior. "Path of least resistance is always best, right?" No one seemed to object - not openly at least. "We do it your way, VP." He nodded, but the glare that he gave Jax was not lost on Sydney. "The other thing..." He switched gears before everyone could clear out. "Unser's supposed to be stepping down as Chief... Hale's taking his spot in a few weeks." He sighed.

Nobody seemed to be too surprised by the news, but surprised or not, the fact didn't change that having the new Chief of local police up the MC's ass would be very bad for business.

"What does that mean for us?" Sydney asked.

"Not too sure yet... Made several gestures of friendship, and Hale's declined every one."

"There's no way that we can convince the good Chief to stay on any longer?" Sydney raised a brow. "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, right?" 

Clay smirked at Sydney's suggestive inquisition - wishing that more of his patches could be as like-minded as the young woman. "Well, maybe there is." He smiled. "Gonna find out after this protection run." He held up the papers from Unser. "That's all I got for now." Everyone cleared out after he finished, stopping to retrieve their phones from the box outside of the door.

"Don't make me regret this." Sydney heard Clay sneer to Jax on her way out, a smirk finding its way onto her face as she pulled both of her devices from the now empty box.

"Tig! Syd!" Clay called as he exited the chapel - the Sergeant and his girlfriend turning quickly to face their President. "Go get Darby's car to transport the bodies." He smirked.

The couple momentarily forgot about their little game of ignorance, to share a wicked grin - glad that they were at least getting some satisfaction from Jax’s plan. 

Just as everybody was about to head out to complete their respective tasks - Tig and Sydney to fetch Darby's vehicle, and Jax, Chibs, Half-Sack, and Juice to talk to Skeeter - Hale pulled his Ford Bronco into the lot. Clay, Jax, and Tig all exchanged a look from their respective positions on the compound, beginning to walk over to the nosey Deputy with Sydney trailing close behind - not caring that this was clearly a task to be taken on by the highly ranked members.

"You know, I took a ride to the other side of the stream today…" Hale nodded to the pavement as the bikers approached from multiple angles. "Saw that warehouse that burned down..." 

"Outside your jurisdiction, ain't it?" Sydney asked casually as she approached alongside Tig and Clay.

Hale scowled as his eyes struggled to adjust in the afternoon sun. He had no idea who this little tart was, why she was interjecting herself in their conversation, and most importantly; why Clay was allowing her to. "I'm sorry, and you are?" He asked condescendingly, hoping that his authority would overtake his shock as he properly focused his blue eyes on what he could now see was an absolute dime of a young woman. 

"Sydney Harding, nice to meet ya." She smiled, sticking her hand out to the man who was clearly trying to mask his surprise as he zoned out, but still managed to keep the hard-ass look posted on his face. "C'mon Deputy, you wouldn't leave a girl hangin', would ya?" She teased when he didn't return her handshake.

Hale snapped out of it - remembering where he was, and why he was there. "David Hale." He introduced himself, shaking her hand briefly before cutting off the contact and quickly returning his attention to his real target. "Whole area was littered with casings and gun parts - warehouse was a weapons depot."

"No kiddin'." Jax drawled unamusedly in a way that told Sydney that there may have been a little more animosity shared between the two than just that of cop and criminal...

"Chief Unser is retiring at the end of this month, and I'll be stepping into those shoes.” Hale looked around the circle that had closed in around him - just as he intended on doing to them. “I know that Unser's always had a 'look the other way' policy with the Sons of Anarchy, but I-"

"Look, I don't know what it is that you think Chief Unser is lookin' the other way for." Clay dragged his large hand through the warm summer air. "We're just mechanics, and motorcycle enthusiasts." He shrugged casually, in a way that was almost taunting - in a way that told Sydney that she wasn't the only one who liked to play with her food.

Hale looked between his former classmate, and his former classmate's stepfather. "Just a friendly heads up that I will not look the other way." He told them with a curt nod before turning back to his vehicle.

"We're all free men protected by the Constitution." Jax shrugged. "You look any way you want, Chief." He held eye contact menacingly as they began to part ways. 

Sydney tossed a flirty wink to the lawman who tore his eyes away from her before she felt Tig’s hand on the small of her back as he guided her to the van, glaring at Hale as he did so - apparently just as aware as she was about how taken aback the Deputy had been by the green-eyed charmer. He walked her around to the passenger side, yanking the door open before his loaded grip found her waist, lifting her up and into the seat without a word - seemingly forgetting about the injury that’d had him crippled for the better part of the day, which of course had nothing to do with him being dramatic... 

She flashed him a cocky grin, biting her lip under his domineering action. "Don't think that I won't drag you to the back of this goddamn van..." He told her in a low growl - possibly lower and darker than she had heard thus far as she deliberately continued to push him. 

Her eyes widened and her pupils instantly blew out as a blush creeped up her neck. "I knew there was a jealousy kink in there somewhere... " She teased as he was about to shut her door. 

Tig stopped his movements - realizing that he hadn’t been crazy in wondering if she had just been toying with him, after all. He threw her door back open, grabbed her out of the seat that he'd just placed her in, and ripped the sliding door open where he shoved her inside without a word. His original plan on how to kill two birds with one stone wasn't going to pan out - but this one was; round up the game, and blow off some steam. 

Sydney smirked as he tossed her into the van just as he’d said he would, not bothering to even try and look innocent - she was pleased with herself, and she wanted him to know.

"This ain't me giving in easily." He informed her with narrowed eyes as he climbed into the box of the van himself, and slid the door shut. 

"Of course not." She widened her eyes, speaking with mock-innocence as she looked up at him. 

"You’ve been fucking with me all day." He growled as he fisted his hand into the back of her hair.

A small whimper escaped her lips as her head was harshly jerked back, but her eyes were filled with fire as he manhandled her in the way her body loved. He clenched his jaw, releasing his grip on her hair before lifting her by her hips to set her on top of the block heater where he got between her legs, placing his hands on her thighs as he licked his lips.

Sydney tried to regulate her breathing under his predatory gaze so that he wouldn't catch on to just how excited she was, biting her lip nervously as she waited for his next move. He took his hands off of her and began unbuckling his belt, keeping his eyes trained on hers - daring her to look away. She shivered under the intimidation of his ice blue stare, goosebumps breaking out across her skin where there was no physical contact to combat the chill. 

Tig pressed his lips to hers in a gentle, passionate kiss - surprising her as she melted into the familiar comfort of his arms that she knew would be short-lived. And it was as he took advantage of her position, yanking her bottoms off in one swift tug.

A rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins as she squeaked in surprise, the rough movement pulling her back to earth after her moment of weakness. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him into her as soon as their clothing was out of the way, but her ministrations were halted by his hands prying her thighs from his hips and pinning them to the metal box that she was perched on, doing the same to her hands. Without any warning, he pushed directly inside of her - sliding all the way home, thanks to her abundant arousal. 

They both reacted exactly the same - rolling their eyes back and holding their moans in the back of their throats, not wanting to give each other the satisfaction. His thrusts were hard, and they only got harder - but remained just as deep as he tried to coax the noises from her lips, instead being met with her defiant, dark green stare. 

He drove into her with even more force, pushing her backwards with a hand to her throat, pinning her helpless body against the wall behind her. She gasped when her back made contact with the cold metal, but the air was quickly knocked out of her lungs by the angry, animalistic snapping of his hips that had the van shaking. 

She continued to glare at him as she took his punishment, silently challenging him to push even further - even if she didn't think that she could take much more. She knew that she wouldn't be able to hold back her screams for much longer, so she figured that she may as well squeeze every last drop of satisfying frustration out of him, before letting him win.

Tig grimaced as the ruthless blonde challenged him with those irresistible eyes. He was the kind of guy who liked it rough, and often had to hold back - but with the way that the girl who inhabited his heart took everything that he had to offer, he wasn't sure if he was even capable of giving more. 

"Turn over." He pulled out, giving her thigh a slap - praying that the change in tactic would work, because he was running out of ideas in the limited space, with the limited tools that he had. 

Sydney smirked when he lazily bent her over the metal box, knowing that he was nearing his limit. "I wanna hear those pretty little sounds that you make for me." He growled as he smacked her ass with one hand while the other yanked her hair back - his cock pushing into her at the same time, creating an overwhelming medley of sensations that elicited a moan from deep in her throat. "That's better." He pulled her hair tighter as he leaned over her, his lips making contact with the soft skin behind her ear while he bottomed out inside of her - hitting that spot that he knew drove her crazy. 

Sydney didn't react to the deeper penetration, but it wasn't purposely this time - she was too overwhelmed by the pleasure to formulate any kind of response. 

Tig released her hair and roughly shoved her down against the metal surface when she didn't comply. "I'm not gonna ask again." He spanked her harder this time - making her cry out in ecstasy as his rough hands spread pins and needles across the plush skin of her ass. "That's it, baby." He lightened his tone when she finally gave in - whether it was purposeful or not - and placed a gentle kiss against her shoulder before letting loose a barrage of bruising thrusts, using her shoulders for leverage.

"Tig-g-y." She whined helplessly as she felt her orgasm approaching, the intense tightening in her stomach telling her that it was going to the best one that she'd ever had. 

Tig felt her the clenching of her walls getting stronger and stronger around his dick as he continued pounding into her, getting much tighter than he had ever felt from her before, than he had ever felt from anyone before. He decided to ignore the worry that she might actually snap his dick off, and instead focus on the fact that he was about to give her a mindblowing orgasm, and secure a final victory for himself.

"I feel you baby, come on... Come for me." He cooed in her ear, coaxing her gently - knowing that the contrast between his rough actions, and sweet pleas would launch her over the edge.

"Oh God!" She cried out as a mind-numbingly strong feeling ripped her to shreds beneath him, her release exploding between her legs. 

Tig's stomach dropped and his dick swelled as he felt her gushing around him - a wicked grin forming on his face as hers reddened in embarrassment. There was no way that he could've gotten that lucky...

He continued fucking her, trying to hold off for as long as possible just to teach her a lesson, but unfortunately for him, her squirting and squealing were far too intense. He pulled out of her, instead grabbing her wavy blonde mane and dragging her down to her knees before him, pushing himself into her mouth where he coated her tongue with his seed before he pulled her back up, wrapping one hand around her throat to tip her face up towards his where he crashed his lips down to hers before pulling away just as suddenly. 

"Get dressed. No more fucking around." He ordered as he released his grip and began redressing himself. 

Sydney was glad that the rush of excitement had managed to mask her embarrassment over the unexpected finale. "I told you before, I'm never done fucking around with you." She replied with a smirk as she went to slip back into her shorts, but stopped when she realized that wasn’t an option... "Um..." Her cheeks flushed scarlett as her chest began to tighten.

Tig chuckled, grinning wolfishly as he reached out and placed his hands on her waist. "You never told me that you were a squirter, baby." He couldn't have hid the cockiness in his voice if he tried. 

"You know me, always the element of surprise." She teased with an eye roll, clutching to the lapels of his kutte - needing some intimacy after the less than romantic encounter. 

Tig realized by the way that she was looking at his chest yearningly, that they had crossed a line today - a line that she had clearly never crossed with anybody before. "I love you." He said gently, resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you too." She whispered back weakly while looking deep into his eyes as the exhaustion of relief began to set in. He pulled her into a hug, both of them sighing contently as they revelled in the comfort of each other's scents. 

"I'll go grab a towel." He kissed her on the forehead and winked before pulling away.

"Okay." She laughed, grateful that the shame was only one-sided with the wild man. 

Tig pulled the door open, revealing Clay, Jax, Chibs, Half-Sack, and Juice all standing with raised brows. Both his and Sydney's eyes widened as they realized that not only were they caught - but that Sydney was completely naked below the waist. He quickly jumped in front of her where luckily she was sitting sideways, stopping the men from getting a full peep show. 

"Hey! Didn't anybody tell you girls? If the van's a rockin', don't come a knockin'." He mused with a sly smirk.

"Get goin'." Clay winced, regretting his poorly thought out idea to pair the two together on this mission. 

Tig jogged across the compound after safely shielding his naked girlfriend from the inquisitive eyes of his brothers, grabbing a blue towel from the rack in the garage. 

"God dammit… You spill somethin' in the van again?" Gemma questioned with a raised brow from her desk in the office.

"Somethin' like that..." Tig grinned, winking before he took back off to clean up his mess.

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

"Think he's gonna be at the Dog?" Sydney asked from the passenger seat while Tig drove them to the Nords' local hangout - finally beginning the task that they should've gotten a much earlier start on. 

"Doubt it." Tig shrugged, rubbing his sore leg after the strain that he'd put on it. "But it's a good place to start." He nodded slowly as he pushed his brand new pair of sunglasses - an exact replica of the ones that he'd lost during the wreck - up the bridge of his nose.

She detected the shortness in his tone, pulling her gaze away from the window to see him brooding with his thumbnail between his teeth. "Awe, come on Tiggy..." She slid out of her seat where she knelt on the ground between them, resting her chin on his shoulder. “I squirt for you and you're still in a bad mood? Now that ain't any way to treat a lady..." She mock-pouted, raising her brow playfully. 

"Yeah, you're right.” He chuckled, wrapping his arm around her where he pressed his lips to her temple. “Sorry. doll… Just this shit with Jax... I don't know..." He shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. "This is the kind of thinking that landed his old man where it did..."

"Clay sees it... Been trying to nail him down, but it only pushes him further away." She nodded slowly. "What does Gemma think?" She was curious whether or not The Queen had been privy to the rebellion of her son, or if she had picked up on it on her own. 

"Don't know…” He shrugged honestly as he himself wondered just how deep this internal beef ran. 

Sydney just nodded in agreement, making a mental note to talk to Gemma about it when she had the chance as they turned onto the street where The Hairy Dog took up residence. They quickly spotted Darby's dark Suburban, each breathing a sigh of relief when the task proved to be much easier than they'd thought - but their collective reprieved was cut short when the boxy vehicle pulled away from the curb.

Tig looked to Sydney for confirmation, pulling out to follow him when she gave him the nod. 

"He's alone... This is just what we needed." She grinned evilly, sparking up a cigarette as they tailed Darby all the way to a park in Oakland where they exchanged a glance - they both knew what this meant... 

♕

Opie took a deep breath from where he sat on his bike after tailing his father down to Main Street after church. He closed his eyes as he dismounted his Dyna, his boots hitting the pavement that he hoped would ground him as he let them carry him over to where he was going to do the absolute last thing that he'd wanted to resort to...

"Shouldn't you be at the mill?" Piney scowled, trying to keep the sigh out of his tone. He knew exactly what his son was going to ask if he was choosing to spend time with him, rather than work.

Opie's brown eyes immediately fell to the ground. "I'm on my way... But I gotta ask a favor..." He peeked up at his very unimpressed looking father, looking back down to the ground where he gathered the courage to look him in the eye like a man - showing him that at least he had taught him something. "We're three months behind on Donna's car payment... They're gonna repo it..." He ran his hand through his long hair. "Now, I hate doing thi-"

"If you're gonna ask me for money again, I can't help you." Piney cut him off. "I just made that quarterly insurance payment, so I'm gonna be tapped until the end of the month, okay?" He widened his aged blue eyes that threatened to roll as the disappointment on his son's face hit him in one of the few soft spots that he still had left. "Look, I'm sorry, son..." He sighed.

"That's alright." Opie shook his head. "Thanks, Pop." He turned back to his bike.

"Hey." Piney nodded after him. "Clay is making that protection run tonight for Unser... It's low-profile... You ride along, scare off the bad guys, get your cut. Huh?"

"I think I'm still on Clay's shit list." Opie shook his head before he even really considered the gig. "Doubt he'd put me on it." He lied. After five years of sitting in prison because of them, it was easier to think that he couldn't get on, than to accept that he actually wanted to be.

"Well then why don't you make it right?" Piney shook his head incredulously. He may have inadvertently taught his son many bad habits, but he most certainly did not teach him apprehension.

"I don't know..." Opie shook his head as he looked off into the distance.

Piney rolled his eyes, firing up his trike with a scoff. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with you. But why don't you quit whining, grow a dick, and take care of your business?"

♕

"This skinhead fuckwad really just doesn't fucking get it, does he?" Sydney barked in utter shock of the ongoing stupidity that she was constantly finding herself subject to as they watched the bald man walk towards a picnic table where none other than Marcus Alvarez was sitting. "Park around the other side." She ordered Tig who raised an eyebrow, but obliged anyways, changing his course and rounding the side of the park where they rolled to a stop.

"Hey, Darby." A scuffed up Alvarez nodded to the pale man. "Here, I got you a tamale."

"He looks pissed." Sydney snickered as Darby harshly shoved away the box of food.

"You blame him?" Tig scoffed.

"I never should've led you to their gun warehouse. I knew that stealing that hardware was a bad move." Darby sneered.

"None of my moves are bad." Alvarez shook his head.

"Oh, yeah?" Darby scoffed. "I lost two of my best guys, niggers got their guns back, and you're out three guys and a warehouse. What the hell would you call that?"

Alvarez squinted for a few seconds, straightening up as he prepared to fill in his small-minded partner. "Insurance covers the warehouse. And I've always been about survival of the fittest." He shrugged.

"Well now that Clay's onto our little fiesta, they're gonna come at me, hard. We need to combine forces, now." He pounded his fist against the table. "Strike before they wipe us out for good."

Alvarez shook his head casually, pursing his lips as he squinted in the afternoon sun. "Let the asshole sweat - spin a little doom about what we're planning next. We'll learn from their next move." 

"Their next move is gonna be puttin' a bullet in my goddamn dome!" Darby leaned in closer. "Now, we made a deal. We work-"

"Our deal." Alvarez cut him off. "Was getting the guns that SAMCRO keeps feeding our competition. I get the guns, I cross the Niners. Starting a war is not smart."

"I got a news flash for you, La Bamba." Darby shot him a sarcastic smile. "I don't give a shit about some wetback-nigger beef." He sneered. "Now the only reason that I'm at this table, is because I need muscle to push the Sons of Anarchy the hell out of Charming. You comprende that?"

Sydney and Tig watched the two men in their heated discussion for a few minutes as they went back and forth, taking turns trying to guess what it was that they were saying until Sydney abruptly straightened up and made for the door. "What the hell are you-" Tig exclaimed.

"Get the car." She cut him off.

"Syd!" She slammed the door, silencing his protests before she bounded off towards the two men. "God dammit." Tig growled in defeat as he was forced to obey her request - he wasn't in any shape to go after her, or cause a scene...

Alvarez blinked a few times. "I'll give you some guys to watch your back in case they retaliate, but we've gotta let this shit settle down before we make our next move-"

"Well, I'll be!” The tense conversation was cut off by Sydney's southern accent as she approached. “If you told me this mornin' that I woulda been lucky enough to see two of my favorite men, in the same place, sportin' my pretty little marks? I woulda said you were lyin'." She hopped up on top of the picnic table, smiling sweetly as both men stared at her with wide eyes. 

"Is everything you do always so goddamn dramatic?" Darby shook his head, almost amused by the continuously surprising actions of the little tart. 

"I guess you'll just have to find out." She cooed with a cocky grin.

"You know this blanca?" Alvarez asked with a smirk, immediately recognizing the tone - and taunt - of the blonde woman who had been a brunette when she’d infiltrated their hand off. Even if the little puta had pissed him off, the Mayan President was smart enough to respect the game; he could appreciate a good soldier when he saw one. 

"Yeah.” Darby rolled his eyes. “She's just one of SAMCRO's whor-" He stopped himself under her narrowing green eyes. "One of SAMCRO's associates." He corrected himself with a sarcastic smile.

"And they say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks." She grinned smugly. "You boys are brave... Meetin' out here in public, not a care in the world that it might give people the wrong idea..." She mused theatrically.

"Oh yeah? And what idea might that be?" Alvarez asked with squinted eyes.

"I don't know.” She pursed her lips, giving a one-shouldered shrug. "Perhaps that the Nords aren't maintaining the brand?" 

Alvarez smiled at the clever young woman, turning his attention back to the man across the table. "Don't worry, Darby. We'll both get what we want." He told him with a cryptic nod. 

Darby responded with a simple snort - clearly unhappy with the result of the meeting that had been going bad even before Sydney had interrupted it. "You gonna eat that?" She nodded to his tamale. 

The Nord leader scoffed in response, shaking his head incredulously as he got up from the table and stormed off. 

Sydney shrugged again, taking his tantrum as a ‘no’ as she reached towards the box. "Careful." Alvarez warned. "Shit's too spicy for a blanca." 

"Creo que estoy bien." She responded with a wink as she sank her teeth into the Mexican delicacy, turning away where she left the latino man chuckling. Her lips curled up as she made her way back towards the road to see Darby standing on the opposite side of the park, scratching his shiny head as he searched the area for his missing vehicle.

Darby groaned as he caught the smirk of the young woman before she disappeared into a grey van, exhaling sharply through his nostrils as his hands fell dramatically to his sides - he knew exactly where his Suburban was.

♕

Jax stood behind Juice, Half-Sack, and Chibs as they swung open the doors to the crematorium. "Y-you really cremate bodies in here?" Half-Sack stuttered.

"Yeah, we do." Chibs snickered as he pushed his prospect past the threshold, capturing the attention of the man that they been looking for. 

"H-hey guys..." Skeeter turned around nervously, setting a fresh vat of ashes onto the metal table in front of him. "What's- What's going on?" His beady eyes twitched.

"Need a favor, Skeeter." Jax smiled.

"Man... Now is not a good time." The overweight man shook his head as he moved frantically around the room. "Got a new supervisor crawling up my ass."

"Relax, we're not here to make a deposit." Jax shook his head.

"Actually, it's a withdrawal." Chibs lowered his sunglasses in the dark room.

"We need two bodies." Jax nodded. "Fresh."

"You serious?" Skeeter scowled. "For what?"

"Well..." Jax smirked. "I could tell you, but then I'd have to stuff you into that furnace."

Skeeter chuckled nervously. "Two dead ones, that- that's crazy shit, man."

Jax held up an envelope. "I'm sure you took a beating at Golden Gate this weekend." He threw it down onto the table.

"No, I- I stopped." He shook his head. "I stopped the ponies, man. I stopped it all. Gambler's anonymous - I got thre- three-, three months now."

Jax blinked a few times. "You're kidding." He deadpanned. "You don't want the money?"

"I'm working a program, you know?" He tried weakly.

"Jesus Christ..." Jax sighed.

"But there is something that you might be able to get for me..." He began shovelling out the furnace. 

"What's that?"

"Emily Duncan." His eyes lit up in the deep, dark hollows of his face.

"Thought her name was Cheryl?" Jax looked back at Chibs.

"No, no. They're friends - that blonde pair of Friday night whores." Chibs nodded smugly. "They both love a good punch up the knickers."

"Don't get me Cheryl, man." Skeeter shook his head. 

Jax scoffed. He didn't pay much attention to the older crow eaters that typically appealed more to his older brothers, but he found it quite amusing that Cheryl could somehow be bad enough for someone like Skeeter to turn down.

"I've been trying to push up on that for a long time." The balding man nodded. 

Jax chuckled. "You wanna hook up with a croweater? I'll make it happen." He smiled, clapping the older man on the shoulder.

"Really?" Skeeter nearly jumped out of his heavy boots. "Shit, well you got a deal." He made his way to the clipboard hanging by the door. "I, uh... I'm not cremating anything until the end of the week..." He flipped through the pages.

"We need two by tonight."

"Well, I'm prepping a closed coffin - some phone guy took a header off the top of the pole."

"White guy?" Jax questioned.

"Yeah." Skeeter nodded eagerly.

"I'll take it." An even better idea came to him, an idea that would satisfy both his need to remain clear, and Clay's need to send a message. "Need a Mexican guy, too." He smirked.

"Buried one this morning - should still be fresh."

"Wait..." Half-Sack's stomach turned. "You mean that we gotta dig it up?"

"Who said anything about we?" Jax smirked.

♕

"You are running a seriously risky game." Tig scolded Sydney as he emerged from the garage once she’d arrived back on the compound.

"Did we get the car?" She asked simply as she swiped Darby’s keys from his hand.

"Well, yeah but-"

"Did he see you?"

"No, but-"

"Well there you go." She cocked her head and patted him on the chest before strutting into the clubhouse. 

Tig pursed his lips once he realized that had been her tactic the whole time - to hide in plain sight and keep Darby's eyes busy while simultaneously conveying the message that SAMCRO was behind the auto theft.

"The Suburban has landed." Sydney reported playfully as she tossed Clay the keys to the black vehicle. 

The white haired man caught them with a grin. "Wouldn't mind the extra eyes on that protection run, incase that little puppet show that Jax wants to put on, ain't tickling your fancy." He winked. "And Hap's on his way back up to Tacoma for more Glocks." He gave her the run down of all of the things that she’d missed in the few hours that they’d been gone. "Which one do you want?"

"Preference?" She tried to keep her tone casual, she would be wherever he wanted her - even if she was delighted to have been given the choice.

"Lady's choice." He grinned.

"I'll take the cadavers - someone's gotta make sure that job gets done properly." She winked.

"What I thought you'd say." The older man smiled knowingly at his younger counterpart. "They're over at Skeeter's, you can take the hearse down." He smirked. 

Sydney nodded with a smile, making off towards Tig's dorm to change her clothes for the evening - the Sergeant himself trickling into the clubhouse not far behind her. 

"Ope asked to be put on the protection run... " Clay told him quietly.

"Tryna make up for that pyro fuck up?" He scowled.

"Nah..." Clay scoffed. "I think he's just strapped for cash."

"You gonna let him?" Tig raised a brow. He was a simple man - if somebody wasn't willing to put their ass on the line for the good of the club, then they shouldn't be allowed to share in the pot.

"I'm gonna give him another chance to prove his loyalty." Clay defended his weary decision against the judgmental doubt in the tone of his right hand. 

Sydney bit her lip as she stood with her back pressed to the wooden wall in the hallway, listening to every word that the two men spoke. She didn't think that Opie was a bad guy, and though she couldn't sympathize with his disconnect from the club - she could empathize. However, empathy did not trump the dangers that a rogue member caused...

Tig stayed silent on the matter, he didn't agree with his President, but his job wasn't to agree - it was to obey. "Darby was with Alvarez when we jacked the car." He told him.

"What's it gonna take for this prick to get the damn message?" Clay sighed.

"It's gonna be a bloody Sunday, brother... We gotta call in all the Sons, all of em. Kill this cracker-wetback alliance now ." He growled as the frustration that he had been harbouring all day finally got the chance to poke through.

"We can't afford another war like '92." Clay reminded him. Neither of them wanted to go down that road again.

"We might not have a choice.” Tig shook his head. “Clay, I'm worried about this… Okay? Jax is smart, and I appreciate his lead on a lot of stuff, I do. But where we gotta go... Where shit's heading? It ain't about bein' smart, it's about killin' shit." He voiced his previously dormant concerns as they grew by the second. 

"I know." Clay agreed regrettably - knowing what needed to be done, but not knowing how to do it.

"No, I mean..." Tig shook his head again. "I don't trust him... When push comes to blood? I don't. I don't think he's got the balls to pull the trigger, you hear what I'm sayin'?" He pushed harder - the time for dicking around with Jax's soft approach was running out, and he worried that it was going to get somebody hurt.

"I hear ya!" Clay sneered. "I hear ya..." He repeated a little softer. Once again, Tig wasn't the problem - the situation was. "Look, you think I don't see the same shit? I do, brother. I do..." He trailed off when he heard the sound of Sydney's sneakers on the wooden floor, glad that she emerged just in time to temporarily table the tough discussion. 

♕

Jax paced around his dorm as he awaited Emily's arrival, working up the charm that he would surely have to bestow upon her for what he was about to ask. It was a song and dance that he was more than familiar with, but lately had grown less fond of - the women, the lies. 

He perked up when the knock finally came to the door, ripping his shirt off in a last ditch effort. "Hey, Jax." Emily smiled as she leant against the doorframe, pushing her fake tits together in the black halter top that she wore. "Uh, Chibs said you were lookin' for me?" She quirked a brow. "I'm Emily."

"Yes you are." He gave her a boyish grin. "Come in." He nodded into the room, stepping aside as his plan of action became clearer by the second.

Emily bit her lip in a flirty smile as she waltzed into the dorm room that looked just like the other dorm rooms that she had seen hundreds of times, only this one had more stuff in it. "Sit down." She turned her attention back to the charming young prince that she had been waiting to sink her red-painted claws into since the day that he'd turned eighteen.

"Nice room." She laughed nervously as she straddled the desk chair where his kutte hung, as he sat on the edge of the bed to face her.

"Yeah." Jax scoffed as he looked around his temporary living arrangement that somewhere along the way had become a lot more permanent as he still actively avoided his house, even with Wendy gone. "So." He narrowed those tempting blue eyes at her. "I need you to do a favor for the club, Emily."

"Really?" Emily smiled as a wave of flattery rushed over her heavily made-up face. "Sure." She nodded eagerly under his penetrating gaze before she managed to pull herself from his trance. "I mean, what do you need? What can I do?"

"You know Skeeter, right?" He smirked knowingly, understandingly - the personal touch that had always made him more successful with the women in the harsh and intimidating environment. 

"Yeah." Emily scoffed. "That guy's been trying to get in my pants since high school."

Jax grimaced. "I'm gonna need you to let him in..."

"Are you serious?" Emily whined. "Dude, that guy burns dead bodies, he creeps the shit outta me." She pouted.

"I know." Jax nodded with his own sympathetic sigh. "But we need Skeeter to do us a good deed..."

"Mhmm..." She nodded along.

"And the only thing that he wants in return..." He reached for her hands, rubbing her slender fingers between his. "Is the hand of the beautiful Emily Duncan."

Emily blushed as she bit her lip again. "I'm not some whore..." She shook her head slowly - playfully. 

"Come on..." Jax grinned as he got to his feet. "It'll be our secret... Cross my heart." He placed her hands against his bare chest where he could see her starting to break. 

"Yeah..." She chuckled as he leaned in closer, her blue eyes flicking down to his lips.

"I need you, Emily..." He pleaded, painting on that puppy dog look that a childhood with Gemma as his mother, had helped him perfect.

Emily contemplated what she was now sure was his offer for a few seconds longer before she got to her feet and pushed him back towards the bed, pulling her shirt over her head. 

"Oh, boy..." Jax shook his head in awe as she ran her finger over his face before bending over and dropping her tiny denim shorts to her ankles. 

"You do me..." She straightened back up as she walked over and straddled his lap. "I do him."

♕

Sydney pulled up to the cemetery in Darby's SUV where she made her way through the maze of tombstones until she spotted Chibs, Juice, and Half-Sack jumping down into a hole. She crept up quietly, listening to Half-Sack complain about being tasked with digging up the body of the biggest man that he’d ever seen, all by himself. 

"This is wrong, man... So wrong." He shook his head as he dusted his dirty hands off on his jeans.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sydney yelled, unleashing just how impossibly loud she could make her voice go. 

"Woah!" Half-Sack yelled as all of the startled men whipped around with their hands over their hearts to see Sydney standing above them, cackling. "You scared the piss outta me." He choked out as he tried to catch his breath.

"Sorry, Kippy. Havin' fun?"

"Not as much fun as you had earlier." He smirked, getting a good jab in while he was protected by the safety of the six-foot hole that he was standing in - a grin spreading across Sydney's face as the prospect got bolder, not backing down this time.  

"I hate this shit." He whined as Juice laughed, clapping the poor kid on the shoulder - a little too happy to be seeing somebody else doing the bitch work that he'd been saddled with not too long ago. "It's really bad karma, you know... Digging up a grave." 

"Nah. As long as it's not your grave, karma's just fine." Jax's laugh came out of nowhere, just as Sydney's had.

"How are we gonna get him out?" Juice looked down at the corpse that had to weigh the same as all of them combined.

"I think we're gonna need a tow truck." Sydney joked, looking across the grave at Jax who shot her a playful smile.

The late hours of the afternoon came to a close as Jax, Sydney, and Chibs drove down 99 towards Lodi in Darby's Suburban with the bodies as their companions as Juice and Half-Sack followed close behind in a stolen Cadillac. Jax lit a joint from the driver's seat, shaking out the flame of his lighter as Chibs took a swig of beer from the passenger seat beside him, while Sydney sat in the back with the cargo. 

"Jesus Christ, these guys stink." Jax groaned as he inhaled the weed while Sydney rolled her eyes.

"We'll leave Darby some good, dead, Mexican stench." Chibs began to laugh, but he was stopped as two loud import vehicles swerved around them, cutting them off abruptly and forcing Jax to veer off of the road and into the barrier to avoid them.

"Woah!" Sydney tried to steady herself from taking a backwards tumble into the pile of limbs. "Jackson!" She whined. Even if he had been narrowly cut off, she found the dramatic swerve that resulted in a scrape to the vehicle, to have been completely unnecessary. 

"Assholes! They made me spill my beer!" Chibs hollored to no one in particular.

"Don't blame me!" Jax yelled back to Sydney as he tried to regain control of the heavy vehicle. "Blame Honda Civic cocksucker!" Sydney relented - at least they were on the same page about import drivers.

Not too long after recovering from the near hit and run, a cop car travelling towards them came into sight. They all held their breaths on instinct as they approached the oncoming squad car, exhaling when they seemingly made it past without issue.

"Ah, shit..." Jax groaned when just as they’d thought that they were in the clear - the patrol car lit up and pulled a u-turn.

"Ah, shit." Half-Sack unknowingly mimicked his Vice President as they watched the scene unfold.

"Spotted the smashed front end." Jax surmised while Sydney sat with her head in her hands, and her eyes wide in what was apparently a never-ending shock at the sheer lack of intelligence that she’d unknowingly placed herself directly in the middle of. 

"They run either of these plates and we're fucked." She told Jax and Chibs as they pulled over. "This could've been fucking avoided if you knew how to fucking drive! Smoking up in the front seat like a fucking idiot!" She smacked him in the shoulder. The Scotsman turned to defend his VP, but was stopped by the fiery woman smacking his shoulder next. "And you! Drinking out of a clearly marked container? No wonder they're stopping us for vehicle damage! You guys are the worst fucking criminals that I’ve ever met!" 

Chibs ignored her rant, pulling out his Beretta as the cop approached. "Lodi's got a sky team... We'll never get away, not in this piece of shit." He kicked the floorboards beneath his boots.

"Definitely not with his driving." Sydney added with a scoff.

"Put the gun away." Jax ordered firmly - disgusted by his brother's desperate solution to the problem. "Sup?" He greeted the hispanic cop with a nod. But before the lawman could even tell him why he had been stopped, he was startled by Juice and Half-Sack ramming his squad car with the Cadillac.

"Jesus Christ!" His attention turned to the younger men as he backtracked with his gun drawn. 

Sydney grinned as she watched the brilliances unfold; Juice and Half-Sack abandoning the getaway vehicle and beginning to run down the road while Jax and Chibs slashed the cop’s tires and stole his radio while he was preoccupied. She saw her opportunity - kicking the trunk open before quickly sliding into the driver's seat and throwing the vehicle into gear where she pulled a violent u-turn to retrieve her compromised crew. She came to a screeching halt, letting Jax and Chibs in before she raced to get ahead of Juice and Half-Sack so that they could make the jump before the cop started shooting. 

"Run prospect, run!" Chibs hollered out the window as they passed the sprinting men. 

"Get in!" Sydney yelled, smacking the door of the vehicle in a rush of adrenaline. 

Juice and Half-Sack made the jump at the same time, flopping down onto the landing pad of rotting corpses. The carload of criminals whooped and hollered as they made their breakaway from the armed cop who took a horrible aim at their tires before he gave up altogether. They would have to steal a new getaway vehicle for the ride home, but that was the least of their worries.

When they arrived at an abandoned car garage in Lodi, everybody jumped out of the odor-filled vehicle as quickly as possible and began staging the scene. Sydney sat on the tailgate as she carefully uncovered the bodies, quietly admiring the face of the thinner man who had unfortunately met his demise so young - extending her fingers where she gently caressed his cheek before leaning down to kiss his forehead.

"Jesus Christ... You and Tig really are meant for each other." Juice winced.

Not too long later, the sun had set and the deed had been done - the clear message of ‘M + N = blood’ being left at the bloody crime scene where a dead white man, a dead Mexican, and Darby's vehicle could be found altogether in a genius metaphor. Sydney still thought that a real murder would've been much more satisfying, but she supposed that the strategic warm up would suffice. 

♕

Opie sat on the curb with a cigarette between his lips at the truck stop as he and the others waited for Unser's driver, looking up to see Clay handing him a cup of coffee. "Thanks." He nodded, accepting the caffeine gratefully. 

"You, uh..." Clay sat himself next to Opie, hoping to recreate the reassuring scene that the two had shared just days earlier. "You haven't said much... You know, since you got outta the joint." He nodded.

"Not much to say." Opie shrugged. "You know what it's like - takes a while to adjust." He took a long sip.

"Yeah." Clay nodded. "Hear Donna's having a rough time with it."

Opie stopped himself from speaking of his wife - of his short-comings - on instinct, the extra few seconds to think before he spoke helping him to realize what was really going on. "I think it was easier for her when I was inside." He nodded thoughtfully. "She knew what to do, then. But now..."

"Gets that way." Clay nodded. "Sometimes the people that we love just don't know the right move..." He spoke thoughtfully, himself as he brought his own paper cup to his lips. "Crippled by all of the shit that they're afraid of..."

Opie's forehead creased as the conversation took a turn, making him realize that his problems weren't the only ones that they were talking about... "Donna isn't crippled." He shook his head as he took another sip. "She's pissed."

Clay stared at the younger man for a few seconds. "How about you, Ope? You pissed?" Opie tried to control his face from falling too quickly as the conversation took another inadvertent turn. "I mean..." Clay pursed his lips. "Guys get locked up, they resent the loss of freedom, start doubting the choices they made... The right and wrong of it all." He mused pointedly. 

Opie nodded as he tried to find the right answer inside of his brain that swirled with hundreds that felt wrong. "I got no resentments." He told his President what he hoped he wanted to hear - what he hoped would be enough to get him his cut at the end of the night. 

"Attaboy." Clay nodded. 

"Is he supposed to be riding?" Opie raised a brow as he nodded across the dark parking lot where Bobby and Tig were arguing beneath a lamppost - surely about the incident that was still only a couple of days old. 

"Probably not." Clay scoffed, draining his cup as he got to his feet and made his way over to the pair with Opie in tow.

"Yo." Bobby nodded. "Uncle Jimmy called." He narrowed his eyes at his President.

Clay blinked slowly, waltzing up to the cab of the truck where he knocked, nodding as the driver swung the door open. "Hey, I just got a heads up about a hijack zone."

"Where?" The driver became frantic enough for Clay to wonder if maybe Darby's crank wasn't an isolated incident for the Chief's employees... "Coleman off-ramp - I uh, think we should go around the back way, take 101 instead."

The long-haired driver scowled. "You sure you guys know where the hell you're going?" 

Clay chuckled. "You sound like my wife." He slammed the driver's door shut, and made his way over to his bike.

♕

Sydney and her quartet made their way back to Charming in another stolen vehicle that she had insisted on driving this time - a newer model Ford F150, seeing that their Cadillac had been compromised - when the same bright red Honda Civic from earlier in the day whirled past them yet again. But she didn't swerve the way that Jax had, she just grinned wickedly, because she was in the driver's seat now, and nobody cut her off.

"It has been a very long day, Lass..." Chibs tried to reason from where he sat in the backseat with Juice and Half-Sack, knowing exactly what was going through her mind by the look in her eye that he could see in the rearview mirror.

"Ah, come on." Jax grinned, apparently just as hungry for revenge as she was.

"We didn't jack a twin turbo for nothin'." Sydney smirked as she slammed her foot to the floor, engaging the turbo boost that sped the heavy truck around the puny import with ease. "Hold on." She grinned, grabbing the handle above the door as she slammed on the brakes, bringing the whizzing red car crashing into the back of the truck - the lowered front end wedging itself under the tailgate and smashing the windshield. 

"Well, that was quick!" Juice said cheerfully.

"I ain't done yet." Sydney snarled as she stared distantly into the rearview mirror, letting the rage take over as she unbuckled her seatbelt and threw the truck into park. 

A smirk ghosted across Jax's face as he followed her lead, seeing this as a much-needed opportunity to blow off some steam - an opportunity that didn't end in someone dead. The two blondes strutted towards the damaged vehicle with the same pep in their step, and smirks on their faces - radiating their respective roles as the reaper Prince, and Princess.

"Get him out." Sydney looked to Jax who nodded, grabbing the douchebag by the scruff of the neck and dragging him over to her.

"Hey, what the hell is wrong with you?" The brown-haired man started yelling deliriously before he was cut off by Sydney's jaw-shattering right hook, knocking him straight to the ground. 

"Holy shit." Jax blinked a few times, looking over at Sydney with his blue eyes wide in shock by the velocity of her punch.

The small woman smirked, playfully wiggling her fingers which bore her now blood-covered diamond rings. "I keep tellin' you not to underestimate me..." She cocked a brow as the man groaned, rolling around on the pavement as he regained his bearings just in time for her to climb on top of him, holding him down with a hand to his throat. "Don't ever cut me off again." She sneered low before delivering another blow, filling his mouth with blood. "Your turn." She smirked to Jax as she got to her feet, who kicked the man hard in the stomach before throwing a punch that shattered his other jaw, waltzing back to the truck with his arm slung over her shoulders as they both smiled smugly. 

"Quick enough?" Sydney quipped as they re-entered the vehicle to the posse of grinning men who had clearly enjoyed the show. 

They quintet made it back to Charming without a hitch, all heading their separate ways for the night once they reached the clubhouse. Sydney was surprised by the lack of Harleys on the compound. She'd figured that the others would've been back from the protection run by now, but she supposed that she didn't actually know how long of a haul they were scheduled for. She shrugged, heading home where she assumed that she would hear from Tig in the morning. 

♕

Clay stood next to a heartily-chuckling Jimmy Cacuzza as Tig swung open the doors of the semi-truck to reveal Unser's driver, bound and gagged among the mountain of expensive electronics. 

"Circuit City... Kiss my guinea ass." The slick-haired man grinned. "I can move this whole load for you in two days." 

"Good." Clay nodded to his Italian partner.

"Fifty-fifty?" 

"Ah." Clay shrugged. "Just throw me ten percent - it's my little gift to you." He caught Opie uncomfortably lingering in the shadows, out of the corner of his eye as he turned to explain to the clearly shocked man standing next to him. "We had a little setback with the business..."

"Yeah, we heard rumours. Wetbacks, right?"

"Yeah." Clay confirmed regrettably. "It might be a minute before we're back up and running. I'd appreciate it if you and some of the other crews would be a little patient... Give us some time to get on our feet before you find another distributer."

"We might need to go elsewhere in the short term, but I'll let the boys know." Jimmy nodded. "They don't to any big gun business with anyone except the Sons." He smiled.

"Thanks, Jimmy." Clay grinned, hugging his old friend gratefully. 

"Make it fall off the truck, boys." Jimmy called to his men as the separate crews dispersed. 

"You knew all this was going down?" Opie caught up with Clay. "What about your deal with Unser?" He scowled. "We're supposed to protect the cargo?"

Clay could smell the naivety coming off of the man that he was now sure he hadn't been wrong in worrying about. "Chief Unser needed a wake up call, we needed a good will gesture - now that is how you kill two birds with one crow." He smiled smugly. "Don't worry... It'll all work out." He nodded, watching him squirm under his gaze. "You wanted in, right?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, I did." Opie nodded, but he wasn't sure if he was speaking in past, or present tense.

♕

When Sydney finally got home after the long day, the first thing that she did before throwing herself into a steaming hot shower, was remove her rings and place them into a bowl of boiling water to loosen the crusted blood that coated the diamonds. She began stripping down on her way up the stairs, tossing her spent clothing into the laundry basket before stepping under the stream of liquid comfort where she stood with her head tilted back as the water ran down her face for far too long - as she always did. 

When she was finally ready to re-enter the reality that existed outside of her shower, she slipped into a pair of silk pyjamas and sat herself down at the dining room table with a glass of wine, a plate of stir fry, and the bowl containing her rings. She lifted her slipper-clad feet up onto the table, lazily picking at her food as she meticulously buffed the grime from her diamonds when the roaring engine of a Harley pulled her from the state of relaxation that she’d fallen into. Her senses perked up, but she made no effort to get up for the door. She had a feeling that her mystery visitor already had a key... 

Tig hobbled up to Sydney's front door after a long night of his own, sticking the key into the lock where he turned it until it clicked open - second guessing himself a second too late as he stepped inside to realize that maybe he should've called before showing up unannounced. He contemplated turning around, hoping that maybe she hadn’t heard him, and he still had a chance to make a break for it.

"Tiggy?" The soft, hopeful voice that came from down the hall erased any doubt that he had, allowing it to pull him through the warm house to its source.

"Better be me, doll." He masked his moment of uncertainty with a wink. 

"I was hoping it was my other boyfriend." She smiled playfully as he approached her, gently brushing his fingers over the red silk that covered her waist as he leaned down to press a kiss to her lips. Tig couldn't help but break his tough guy facade with a smile when he pulled away to see her sparkling green eyes staring up at him. "There's food if you're hungry." She nodded to the pan on the stove.

"You sure, baby?"

"Mhmm." She hummed as she returned her attention to her jewelry.

"What're ya doin'?" He tilted his head to try and get a better look into the bowl.

"Why don't you go get some food and I'll tell you." Her tone was playful as she kept her eyes focused on what she was doing - not entertaining his dawdling. 

Tig snickered at her stubbornness, grabbing a plate from the cupboard where he dished up a generous helping - between the day's diet of alcohol and on-call, he'd worked up quite an appetite. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and headed back to the table, setting his plate down and sliding his chair right up against hers where he picked up her propped up legs and dropped them onto his lap. 

Sydney giggled, sighing contently as his hand lazily rested on her knee and his thumb stroked her skin while he ate, and she cleaned. 

Tig found himself with a permanent smile as they sat in a comfortable silence despite the trying day. He never would’ve thought that he would see the day where he would be coming home to an old lady, with dinner on the table, and no questions being asked. He tapped her knee before he moved her legs so that he could get up, picking up the empty plates and carrying them to the sink to wash before she could protest. 

"You and Jax finally get into it?" He asked with a sly smirk as he placed a fresh glass of wine in front of her. He’d assumed that the blood on her rings was a result of staging the crime scene, but he knew that the joke would get a laugh, and hopefully keep the door open for her to voice her concerns about the VP...

"I wish." She scoffed. "Asshole cut me off." She grumbled. 

Tig raised an eyebrow when he realized that the blood was actually a result of her hitting someone, but he didn't question any further - retaking his seat and yanking her into his lap. 

Sydney giggled when he nuzzled her neck, the rough stubble tickling her sensitive skin. "Long night?" She knew that he must’ve been tired if he was this touch-starved.

"You got no idea." He groaned.

"Thought it was just a protection run?" She turned to face him with a scowl.

"Was supposed to be... Turned into a hijacking - try to teach Unser a lesson." 

"Really?" She exclaimed excitedly as her eyes lit up. "And I got stuck with the boring fake murder with the band of pussies." Her giddiness turned to a pout. 

"Hey, hey, hey… It seems like you had plenty enough fun tonight, pussycat." He stroked her bruising knuckles.

"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes, returning to her rings. "How'd Ope do?" 

Tig raised a brow when not only did she somehow know that Opie had been on the job, but she also knew that it was cause for concern... "Fine, I guess." He shrugged when she didn't give an explanation. "Didn't know what was going down, definitely didn't seem as giddy about it as you did when he found out." He scoffed. 

Sydney nodded slowly, wondering how much of an issue the bearded man’s hesitance was going to become for the club, if he was anything like his best friend.

Tig took her silence as a sign that maybe he had overstayed his welcome, after all. "Well." He patted her thigh, exhaling before heaving himself out of the chair that they were occupying. "Thanks for dinner, doll." He kissed her on the cheek as he guided her back down to her chair.

"Are you leaving?" Her face fell when he ended the peaceful moment that they'd been sharing, instinctively clutching onto his arm when he stood - both of which she immediately cursed herself for doing.

"Not if you don't want me to." He grinned when, once again, she instantly abolished his fears. 

"Stay." She nodded with a sincere smile.

"You ain't gotta tell me twice." He returned her warm smile. "Need a shower, though." 

"You might wanna get some shit for here.” She chuckled. “Unless of course, you like smelling like me." 

"It's the best way to keep the croweaters off." He winked, kissing her on the cheek before heading upstairs to bathe.

Sydney smiled happily as she heard the peaceful hum of the water running upstairs. She'd always enjoyed being alone; never thought that she would like sharing her space with someone so often - that was one of the nice things about Happy being gone so often. But she was finding that she loved having Tig around to fill the silence. Her house didn't feel as cold and empty when he was there, it felt warm and comforting - it felt like a home. 

She followed him up the stairs not long after - it was late, and she was exhausted. She padded into the bedroom, contemplating joining him in the shower even after the lengthy one that she'd taken just hours earlier as her craving for closeness grew, but she knew that she would get plenty of that once he came to bed, so instead she crawled under the covers where she quickly dozed off.

Tig stumbled out of the bathroom after a much-needed hot shower, steam billowing out of the room after him as he rubbed his hands over his face to try and gain his bearings - he was exhausted, and the hot water had only intensified the doziness. He'd managed to change into clean boxers before sauntering over to the bed where Sydney was already sleeping. He smiled lazily before flopping down onto the mattress where he heaved a sigh as he reached to turn off the lamp before pulling her into his arms.

"Love you." Sydney mumbled, recognizing the feeling of being pressed against his chest in her barely conscious state.

"Love you too, baby." He pressed a kiss to her forehead but didn't pull away, falling asleep in the comfort of the close proximity.

♕

"What the hell happened out there?" Clay leant against the pillar that supported Black Smith's patio cover as he and Unser stood outside of the saloon-style bar that had yet to open on the early Wednesday morning. "O'Brien Electronics is my biggest account!" Unser sneered.

"Probably the last time that they'll use Unser Trucking to transport their precious cargo." Clay nodded with mock-sorrow.

"What are you doing, Clay?" Unser felt his blood run cold as his sneaking suspicion was confirmed by the nonchalant taunt that he'd come to recognize in the younger man.

"Just keeping a good cop on the job, is all." Clay grinned, throwing a threatening arm around Unser's shoulders. "You don't step down for another six months - you let us rebuild, and you keep Hale off my goddamn back." He growled.

Unser scoffed as he pulled himself from his threatening grip. "If I say no?" He raised a brow.

"Then I'll make sure that every truck leaving your yard hits a roadblock."

Unser looked around the deserted streets of the barely sunlit town that was now his job to continue protecting. "Where's my driver?" He sighed.

"Oh, he's getting patched up." Clay nodded assuringly. "We convinced him to keep this incident in-house."

"Jesus Christ." Unser shook his head. "This how you treat an old friend?" He'd spent decades covering up what he knew Clay was capable of, but that kind of closeness had apparently clouded his ability to realize that the same capability extended to him, as well. 

"No." Clay spit out. "This is how I treat an old cop."

♕

Tig was rustled awake by Sydney pulling herself out of his tight grip. He whimpered, immediately missing the warmth of her body, even in his sleep. 

"Shhh." She hushed as he began stirring. "Keep sleeping." She whispered, kissing him just below his ear before slipping out of bed, into one of his t-shirts, and down the stairs to start on breakfast. 

Tig happily laid half-asleep for the next half an hour, completely at peace until he decided that it was time to get up for the day - which the smell of food surely had nothing to do with. He got dressed, brushed his teeth, and sprayed some cologne in an attempt to mask the coconut scent that still lingered on his skin from his shower the night before, making his way down the stairs where he stopped at the landing to inhale the heavenly smell of whatever Sydney was cooking. He smiled as he pulled his kutte over his shoulders, continuing his walk towards the kitchen where he came face to face with a beautiful sight that he had seen before; Sydney, humming and spinning around while she cooked in one of his shirts and a pair of panties.

Sydney smiled, knowing that Tig was watching her as the scent of his cologne wafted into the kitchen, overpowering the smell of the food. "Morning." She twirled around with two bowls, bright eyes, and a huge smile which turned devious as her eyes fell to where his hand rested on his belt buckle, absently palming himself over his jeans.

"What?" He grinned wolfishly, a glint in his eye as he moved towards her and gripped her waist. "You know how I feel about this view." He turned her around slowly so that he could get a good look at her ass. 

She went along with his early morning sex drive, bending right over the table as she set the bowls down - moaning for effect. She wasn't surprised when she immediately felt his hands roaming over her ass, using the distraction to her advantage as she hooked one foot behind his, swiftly knocking him off balance and into the chair behind him. 

"Eat." She ordered as she landed in his lap, pecking his lips. 

Tig chuckled, a little winded from the sneak attack as she moved into her own chair. "You gonna keep slipping vegetables into my diet?" He poked at the green peppers that she'd incorporated into the hearty breakfast scramble. The Redwood Sergeant was not a 'four food groups' kind of guy, and he hadn’t missed Sydney trying to sneak them under his nose and into his mouth.

"Yep, and you're gonna keep liking it." She deadpanned, taking a bite while scrolling through her phone. 

A bashful smile came to his face that he was glad she didn't notice under her dominance, taking a bite of the steaming hot meal where his eyes rolled back as soon as the taste hit his tongue. 

"Damn." Sydney chuckled as she peered at him through her eyelashes. "I don't even think you look like that when you eat my pussy."

"Pussy's a strong contender but..." He shook his head, shovelling more food in his mouth - veggies included.

♕

Unser sighed from where he sat in the barber chair at Floyd's - the one place that he used to find even a moment of peace among the chaos, but as he watched Hale stomp past the window, he knew that those days were long gone.

"Why'd you pull my detail off that warehouse?" The blue-eyed man growled, placing his hands on his khaki-covered hips.

"I was paying overtime for six unis to sit on a twenty that's not even in our jurisdiction." He deadpanned.

"This is my case." Hale sneered. "And overtime is not really your concern anymore."

"Afraid it is." Unser shrugged. "Not stepping down yet."

Hale felt his eyes beginning to flutter. "W-What are you talking about?" He took a few steps forward. "That's already done?"

"No, it's not - gave city council a heads up, I'll be keeping the badge for another six months." 

"What the hell are you doing, Unser?" Hale squinted.

"Right now? Gettin' a haircut." The older man grew impatient with the constant questioning that he'd gotten a little too cozy with the idea of being able to leave behind.

"Bullshit." Hale cut him off with a snarl. "You've always been in SAMCRO's pocket, this is about me-"

"Stop talking, son." Unser cut him off this time. "One more wrong thing comes out of your mouth, and I'll rip that badge off of your puffed-out chest." Because thanks to Clay, that was a power that he still had.

♕

Once breakfast was finished, Sydney and Tig headed to the clubhouse for church before the days work was to begin. Sydney surprised herself as she climbed on the back of Tig's bike, opting to ride bitch even now that she could freely ride on her own. 

"If you told me that protection was gonna be that fun..." Sydney shook her head at Clay as the pair walked through the clubhouse hand in hand on their way to the chapel, receiving an approving smile from Gemma along the way.

"Well, I had it in the works, but I wasn't sure til I got the call..." He smirked.

"You know, I coulda made it for both." She raised a brow.

"Yeah, I'm sure you could've.” He chuckled at her eagerness. "But then who would've given that asshole a proper beatdown?" He mused.

She flashed a cocky smile when he said the perfect thing to shut down her argument - feeling a little too smug that the news of her night's events had travelled just as quickly.

"Unser ain't gonna be stepping down for another six months." Clay announced with a victorious grin once everyone was seated around the table. 

"You met with him already?" Tig scowled while everyone hollered at the news.

"This morning." Clay nodded, watching the face of his Sergeant fall as he learned that he'd gone on yet another one of their usually tag-teamed missions, on his own. "I didn't see you here, ready to go." He smiled sarcastically.

Sydney smiled wickedly as she joined in on the celebratory cheering, but concern creeped back into her mind when she looked over to see Opie looking much less than pleased where she and Tig shared a quick glance. 

"Now that we got that forensics unit off our ass, we need to flush those warehouse bones and get rid of any evidence - Bobby, Tig." Clay appointed the task, looking to Sydney to gauge her reaction on being included. He knew that her expertise would be useful, but he had a feeling...

"Nope." She scoffed with a shake of her head. She had no issue doing the dirty work, but she wasn't about to spend her day cleaning up their mess in the hot July sun, solely because they'd been too stupid not to do so in the first place

"That's what I thought." The President nodded with a chuckle, wrapping up the session so that everyone could get to work for the day - minus Tig and Bobby who took off in the van that they had packed with an arsenal of bleach. 

♕

"Hey, I gotta run to the grocery store for the cookout tomorrow - I could use the extra hands." Gemma nodded to Sydney across the office as she removed her glasses as the afternoon rolled around - she'd had enough paperwork for the day.

"Sure." The younger woman obliged with a smile. "I can only imagine what shopping for a meal that size looks like..." She chortled, remembering how much of a task it had been to shop for the much smaller San Bernardino crew.

"You got that right.” Gemma scoffed. “And the prospect ain't much help around a grocery store."

"I got you, Gem." Sydney smiled, heading out to the parking lot.

The Matriarch chuckled happily at her eagerness to help, shutting down the computer and gathering her things to head out for the afternoon.

As soon as Sydney's mule-clad feet hit the pavement, she noticed David Hale pulling into the lot - undoubtedly coming to grill them about the delay in his impending status as Chief. Jax and Clay walked side by side, exchanging a glance, but choosing to ignore the bothered Deputy as they strolled right past his truck and towards the garage. But Sydney wasn't about to miss out on the interrogation, letting her feet carry her to where her superiors were standing.

"Unser's not retiring…” The lawman began as he exited his vehicle. “What'd you do? Threaten to rape his daughter?" He surmised casually. 

Sydney couldn't help but snort at his facetious assumption - even if it wasn't at all facetious - the three light haired degenerates all turning around at the same time, with the same amused look on their faces. 

"That's a little harsh." Clay smirked.

"It was bind and torture. Give us a little credit, Davy." Sydney mock-pouted, making Jax chuckle.

"Maybe the old man's just not ready for the gold watch." Clay shrugged.

"I just got back from that warehouse…” Hale nodded slowly. “There was a testable crime scene before my security got pulled off - whole thing is contaminated now." 

"You should talk to your supervision about that." Jax squinted in the sun, pulling a pack of cigarettes from the front pocket of his TM shirt.

"You guys." Hale scoffed. "Cruise around here like heros, when you and I both know the truth..."

"And what truth is that?" Clay raised a brow.

"That you white trash thugs are holding onto a dying dream." He delivered the painfully ironic statement.

"Same could be said about the white-collared ones." Sydney responded with a smug smile.

"That is so poetic, Chief. Oh! I'm sorry, I guess it's just Deputy Chief... Right?" Clay grinned.

"It doesn't matter if I'm Chief or not... You can't stop progress."

Sydney laughed humorlessly. "That's why you're standing here, right? Questioning us about a contaminated scene and a stunt in your career?" She approached the Deputy, getting uncomfortably close. "It seems that progress has already been stopped." She said in a low, raspy tone.

"It won't be long before SAMCRO is just an ugly memory in the history of Charming." Hale responded with a sneer, his attention mainly on Jax and Clay before he turned back to the blonde woman in front of him. "Enjoy the ride, while you still can." He sneered,

"Enjoying the ride's what I do best." She winked as he backed away, spitting onto the ground next to the bikes. 

Clay and Jax shared a smile, both thoroughly entertained as Sydney did the tormenting that they couldn't do. 

"They did it just in time." The President sighed in relief.

"Yep..." Jax said with a trace of worry in his tone. Close calls like this were exactly what he was trying to avoid...

♕

Sydney and Gemma headed towards the checkout at the Charming Grocer with multiple carts full after an afternoon of shopping to stock the clubhouse kitchen. Gemma was thrilled to have had a helping hand who knew what she was talking about, and who she actually enjoyed talking to - not like the usual croweaters.

"Mrs. Winston? I'm sorry, we can't take your cheques anymore... The last two bounced." A voice in the distance caught the attention of the SAMCRO women, turning to see Opie's wife uncomfortably putting back half of the groceries that she’d just found out she couldn't afford to take home to her family.

"That's sad." Sydney genuinely felt for the woman that she knew little about. Regardless of how she felt about Donna's disapproval of the club, and her husband's involvement in it - she hated to see someone struggling when they were trying their damndest, and being humiliated for it, nonetheless. 

"Yeah... You handle this?" Gemma's question was more of a statement as she pursed her lips, walking over to the till where the younger woman's leftover groceries sat. 

Sydney knew that Gemma's gesture was for anything but good faith, it was a power move - and she was living for it. She smirked, allowing Gemma to follow Donna out of the store before leaving the hefty job with the cashier so that she could trail close behind. When she got outside, she saw Gemma holding out the bag of groceries to the fellow old lady who wasn't nearly as grateful as Sydney would've expected a struggling mother to be.

"Opie's out now, we don't need any more charity." She listened to the argument, trying to decide if she admired Donna's dignity and strong will, or found her stubbornness to be disrespectful and stupid.

"It was never charity, Donna. It's what we do, you're family." Gemma held the bag out again. 

Instead of accepting, Donna stepped closer, daring to challenge Gemma Teller in the middle of a good deed - even if it was just an act of manipulation. "I have my family back, I don't need yours." She spat at the older woman, quickly making Sydney decide on the latter.

"Look." Gemma set the bag down to the ground after a pause of sheer dumbfoundedness. "I know what you went through. I've been there - with two husbands." Donna scoffed. 

Sydney couldn't believe the set of balls on this woman; to think that she could openly disrespect the old lady of her husband's President. She clearly didn't understand the life...

"You lose your man, your kids lose their dad, you get pissed off - wanna blame the club. But SAMCRO is not the enemy, it's the glue - the one thing that will always be there to pull you through the ugly shit.” Gemma explained gently. “Stop fightin' this, Donna... You need us." 

Sydney found herself admiring Gemma even more as she showed her  exactly what a good old lady was made of; a woman who knew how to get her way, while simultaneously setting her own feelings aside for the good of the club - a vital skill that she suddenly found herself feeling like she would never be able to wield. 

"I married Opie, I didn't marry the club." Donna's anger was starting to get the best of her as her voice shook with the threat of tears.

"You married a man in an MC, you knew what you were signing up for." Sydney stepped forward, unable to help herself any longer as she completely abandoned the fleeting idea that she could ever be as diplomatic of an old lady as Gemma was.

Donna scrunched up her face, the anger seething from her pores as the little tramp leaned up against her vehicle after interrupting the already unwanted conversation. "Who the hell are you?" She spit angrily.

"That seems to be the question of the week." Sydney chuckled. "Sydney Harding." She made no effort to initiate a handshake with the angry woman.

"And what the hell do you think you're doing telling me about my marriage?"

"Just reminding you of the facts, sweetheart." Sydney pushed off of the truck where she stood tall next to Gemma. 

Donna stood uncomfortably for a few seconds before regaining her composure under the stares of the intimidating women. "Neither of you have any idea what I need." She rolled her shoulders back and turned to get into the truck. 

"Donna." Gemma followed after her. "We're having a little family get together tomorrow for the Fourth. You and Ope should come - bring the kids, you might actually have a good time." Donna shook her head incredulously at Gemma's determination, opening her mouth to protest. "Don't say anything else." Gemma held her hand up. "My Martha Stewart's wearin' real thin..." She had a slight look of smugness on her face as she turned back to Sydney.

“And you might wanna wash out the bed of that truck!” Sydney called after the distressed brunette as she peeled out of the lot.

“I don’t even wanna know.” Gemma chortled as the pair strolled back into the grocery store.

"I’ll spare you the details if you share some of that Martha Stewart with me." Sydney chortled - trying to remain light-hearted even though witnessing the exchange had her, for the first time, seriously questioning what it was that she was getting herself into. 

When the two women reached the till where their groceries should've been, they found it to be empty. They both furrowed their brows in confusion before being led outside by the starry-eyed, teenage store clerk that Sydney had allowed to chat her up while she checked out - presenting Gemma's caddy tightly packed with all their purchases. 

"Thanks, Daniel. You're a peach." Sydney smiled as she caressed his cheek, figuring she would give the poor kid something for his 'above and beyond' efforts to impress her.

"Looks like you got enough of it on your own." Gemma scoffed with a smirk.

♕

Sydney was unable to shake the nagging pit in her stomach for the rest of the day while she sat at her desk, bouncing her knee in anticipation for quitting time to roll around. When 6:00 P.M. finally came, she quickly gathered her things and scurried out of the office - leaving a very concerned Gemma in her wake. She scanned the compound for Half-Sack, hoping to avoid Tig who she knew would ask questions when he found out that she no longer wanted a ride home from him. She knew that it would inevitably come up in the morning, or even via phone or house call later that evening, but she would've rather bought herself the time to come up with an excuse. 

"Kip!" She gasped in relief after managing to make it across the lot and into the clubhouse, undetected. The poor kid looked up from where he had been making his way back out to the bar, terrified for what he could've done wrong now. "Can you take me home?"

"Yeah." He was relieved that her inquiry was harmless. "Tig busy?" 

"Yeah. Let's go." She grabbed his arm, yanking him towards the tow truck.

"Jesus Christ." He muttered in her grip as she dragged him out the door like a ragdoll.

They drove the short distance to Sydney's house in a silence that she was thankful for as he pulled into her driveway and placed the vehicle into park. "Thank you." She said quickly before getting out and shuffling to her front door. 

Half-Sack sat frozen for a few minutes; he didn't take Sydney to be much of a talker when it came to feelings, but she was his friend, and she was clearly unsettled by something. 

Sydney slammed the front door as her chest began to heave, dropping down to the bottom of the stairs where she let her head fall into her hands, trying to minimize the out of character panic that she was feeling over something so minuscule, but so foreign. Her head snapped up as she heard a light knocking at the door, which only served to spike her heart rate right back up.

"Syd? Uh, it's me, Kip." She got up quickly and opened the door before he could utter whatever apology he'd rehearsed for disturbing her, returning to her spot on the stairs.

Half-Sack was surprised when she opened the door so quickly, but even more surprised when she didn't say anything before slumping down to the ground. "I'm a good listener, you know... If you want to talk." He tried to comfort her in the awkward nature that had plagued him ever since he was a kid.

Sydney smiled genuinely in appreciation for the sweet man. "I just..." She stopped, realizing what she was doing - shaking her head and ridding herself of the moment of weakness. "Don't let the club turn you into an asshole, okay?" She looked up at him sincerely before getting to her feet, and wrapping her arms around him. 

Half-Sack nearly passed out when she brought him in for a hug, coughing a few times to catch his breath. "Did, um… Did Tig do something?"  He finally was able to form the words when she pulled away. 

"Nah." She smiled half-heartedly. "Shockingly." She added in an attempt to lighten the situation. "Um, could you keep this between us though?" She decided that was the most vulnerability that she was willing to show for now. 

The compassionate man smiled and nodded eagerly - excited that he was being entrusted with a secret from the mysterious blonde. With that, he took his leave, heading back to the clubhouse with a smile - wishing that all of his errands could be like that one.

Sydney could feel the panic attack taking shape once again as she was left alone - the anger over her inability to control her emotions making it even worse. She stomped into the bathroom down the hall and splashed some cold water on her face, trying to control the breathing that was only getting more labored by the second as the very real possibility that she would actually have to talk this out, began to hit her. The girl wasn't a stonewall - she had talked to her dad about everything, but now that he was gone, she was starting to realize just how small the group of people that she trusted with her emotions was, and how hard of a time she was having with the idea of widening that circle. She finally gave in, calling the one person that she had left...

Happy pulled his vibrating phone from his pocket as he sat on his bike at the gas station just outside of Charming borders, his brows furrowing when he saw that it was Sydney calling. Phone calls from her weren't unusual, but he had just spoken to Clay, and there was nothing going on tonight - meaning that the call was personal. 

"Are you back from Tacoma?" Sydney asked the second that the phone stopped ringing, giving him no time to greet her - not that he would have anyways.

"Just got in."

"Can we go for a ride?"

"Been riding all day." Happy grunted, he had spent the entire day under the blistering summer sun - all he was interested in was a shower, a good meal, and a warm body for the night.

"Please." She kept the conversation short, hoping the finality in her tone would be enough for him to know that she needed him. 

"What happened?" He felt his heart rate pick up as the concern overtook him.

"I'll see you soon." She hung up with a playful tone, knowing that she'd succeeded - leaving the Tacoma Killer rolling his eyes and taking off towards her house.

♕

Half-Sack arrived back at TM with the tow truck just minutes after he'd left, thanks to the small town. He took a deep breath as he killed the chugging engine of the aging Super Duty, his heart stopping as he looked up to see Gemma summoning him into the office. He exhaled in a whine, lugging his exhausted body across the lot. "Hi, Gem." He tried to act casual, leaning against the doorway as he avoided staring at the woman for too long. 

"What's wrong with Sydney?" She cut right to the chase.

"What do you mean?" He scowled genuinely, not just as part of his act - he had no idea how The Matriarch could've possibly caught onto the fact that something had been wrong, when they hadn't even been in the same general vicinity.

"Don't be getting fresh with me, prospect." Gemma stepped up to the tall kid. "Either cut the shit, or get better at piling it on."

Half-Sack gulped, the woman was all business, and was just as scary as her old man. "She wouldn't tell me, but she's real uncomfortable about somethin'. And she asked me to keep it between us so... If you could like, you know, not tell her I told you..." He trailed off.

Gemma pursed her lips, deciding to accept the answer for now. "Thank you, Eddie." She dismissed him with an approving smile, hastily making her way into the clubhouse in search of Tig the second that the younger man was gone, stomping through the bar until she reached his dorm, rapping on the wood obnoxiously - not stopping until the door flew open.

"What?" He groaned, stepping out of the way to let her in.

"What'd you do to piss off Sydney?" 

"What do you mean?" He wrinkled his brows as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

Gemma could tell that his tone had more concern than frustration, which she realized wouldn't have been the case if he actually had done something - at least knowingly. 

"I don't know!" Tig shook his head incredulously under her unrelenting stare. He had been napping off the physically demanding job of defiling the warehouse rubble, he hadn't even realized how late it had been, or that Sydney had even left. "I'm sure she's fine, Gem - off plotting some shit like usual." He tried to be rational as he now began to wonder why she hadn't come to him for a ride home. But he hadn't seen her since this morning, and surely there was nothing that he could've done to piss her off in his sleep... Right?

"Guess we'll find out." Gemma scoffed, unhappy with the result of her interrogation as it seemed that the little blonde was just as good at keeping secrets as she was.

♕

Sydney felt the suffocating panic in her chest beginning to subside as her garage door lifted off of the ground, firing up her Ninja as soon as she heard Happy pulling up outside - rolling down the driveway and taking off without a word.

Happy shook his head as she blew past him, but he followed contently as her actions let him know that she would be taking her frustrations out on the open road - it's not like talking was his strong suit, anyways.

After forty-five minutes of speeding down the highway and into the sunset with Happy struggling to keep up, Sydney veered off of the road as they approached a snack shack that overlooked the San Joaquin River. She took off her helmet and shook out her hair before taking a deep breath of clean, crisp air - grateful for the wonders that the ride had done for the panic that was now pure adrenaline. 

Happy snorted into the wind, of course she was stopping for ice cream. He followed her lead - taking off his helmet and sunglasses before following her into the tiny shop where she said nothing as she scanned the limited selection. He was surprised to find himself growing more and more impatient with her silence - for once wishing that she was just a little less like him. 

The pair ordered their treats and approached the till  where Sydney looked up with that damn grin on her face. "I ain't paying." He shook his head, shoving his hands into his ironically deep pockets.

"Yes you are." She nodded.

"The fuck I am." He scoffed with a scowl and an upturned lip.

"Sir, is there a problem?" The judgmental cashier looked at the biker with a discontent that shone blatantly in her dull brown eyes. 

"Keep the change." He grunted as he looked between Sydney, and the overweight woman - slamming a ten dollar bill down onto the counter in frustration as Sydney used her infamous blindside to get the one up on his penny-pinching ways. "Sneaky bitch." He chuckled as he followed her outside where she led them to a picnic table by the edge of the cliff. "Anything even wrong?" He narrowed his eyes, wondering if it had just been a ploy to dupe him into hanging out with her, all along.

"Come on, Hap… I'm not that mean." She smirked, but her smug smile quickly faded as he raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Scratch that." She chuckled, he was right - she was that mean. 

"Tell me what happened." Happy gathered a spoonful of his maple walnut ice cream from the plastic dish in his hand - he always opted out of the more expensive, cone experience. 

"I don't know if I'm good enough for here." She replied with an honest sigh as she picked at her waffle cone. 

Happy's face contorted. "The hell's this comin' from?" He had no idea what on earth could've possibly possessed her to allow those words to leave her mouth. 

"I know that I'm good enough for SAMCRO." She clarified. "But I don't know if I'm good enough for what SAMCRO would mean for me..." She trailed off, hoping that he would catch her drift so that she didn’t have to say it.

"Don't think you'll be a good old lady?" He surmised exactly like she'd hoped - she was glad that he could be blunt when she didn't want to be; she didn't have to say what was on her mind if he could do it for her.

"I know the life, but I think maybe I know it too much... I'm too close. I could never be just an old lady." She tried to find the right way to say what she was feeling.

"You won't be." He shook his head without second thought. 

She couldn't help but smile at how fiercely he believed in her. "I just don't know how to put shit aside if I don't think it's good for the club... And what if that's bad for the club?" 

Happy chuckled as he listened to the rarely-heard womanly voice that still existed inside of her testosterone-tainted head - the womanly voice that over-complicated anything that it was presented with. 

"Hap it isn't funny!" She whined, kicking him under the table.

"You're overthinking it." She shook his head.

"I just don't think I can ever be for them, what Gemma is..." 

"Gemma’s just an old lady. You ain't just an old lady." He told her simply as he devoured the rest of his ice cream. "You never wanted to be the queen, you always wanted to be the king - don't let this shit with Tig change that." He reminded her.

She nodded, putting her head down on the table. "I have no fucking idea how to handle this." She exhaled dramatically.

"You'll learn, like everything else.” He nodded confidently. “You got a new relationship, new home, new family, lost your old man... The weight of that shit's gotta go somewhere, and it's your job to make sure it goes to the right place."

Sydney grinned when she received his rarely earned advice that extended more than a few words, lifting her head from where it was buried in her arms. "Did anyone ever tell ya that you sound like Dr. Phil?" Her playful eyes glinted in the sun.

"Enough." Happy shook his head, not allowing himself to give her the satisfaction of knowing that he was glad that she was acting like her normal self after what could've been a much tougher conversation.

"You look like him too..." She avoided his black eyes, smiling into her ice cream. "Why didn't you ever make me date so I could work this shit out while I was young?" She rolled her eyes.

"Have I ever been able to get you to do shit you didn't wanna do?" 

"Fair point." She shrugged with a smirk. 

With that, Sydney finished the rest of her ice cream quickly before the pair raced back to Charming in the last bit of sunlight where she felt as light as a feather after the weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, thanks to Happy.

"Thank you, Hap." She wrapped her arms around his neck where he sat on his bike outside her house.

"Te amo." He rasped, holding her tight.

"Te amo." She whispered back, emotion heavy on her face. It wasn't often that Happy was affectionate - but when he was, it always got her. She knew how hard it was for the Tacoma Killer to let anyone in, so it was never lost on her what a privilege it was.

♕

Although the worry in Sydney's mind was gone, the discomfort under her skin was not as she spent the night tossing and turning without the comfort of Tig's arms. He hadn't called or stopped by, so she assumed that she'd successfully flown under the radar, but she still missed him sleeping next to her. After what felt like hours of fruitlessly trying to fall asleep, she rolled over with an exasperated sigh and grabbed her phone, no longer caring for the inconvenient hour.

Tig had been having a restless night of his own after being woken by nightmares of doubt - the nightmares that Sydney had chased away in the past few weeks. He was almost relieved when his phone began ringing, even though he knew that a 3:43 A.M. phone call rarely ever meant anything good. 

And he was right as the hope for a temporary distraction only turned to dread when he saw who was calling. "Got used to me, huh?" He answered smugly in an attempt to play off his discomfort.

"I could say the same with how quickly you answered the phone." Sydney scoffed with a smirk from the other end of the phone.

"Yeah... You got me there." The drop in his tone rather than the usual playful banter that Sydney was used to, did nothing to make her feel better - realizing that she had most definitely not succeeded in flying under the radar, no matter how much she tried to tell herself that he was just tired at the late hour. "Can't sleep?" 

"Nah, turns out I like my bed being taken over..." She attempted to keep her tone light even though her face was void of any kind of joy as she felt the pit returning to her stomach. 

"You can come sleep here if you want." He offered in the least committal way possible, not wanting to set himself up for what he now knew would be inevitable disappointment.

"Nah, it's fine." She ground her teeth. "Just wanted to hear your voice." 

“Okay.” Tig chewed the inside of his cheek. "You workin' at TM tomorrow?" 

"Yeah, I'll see you there." Her tone only grew more and more distant.

"Alright." He nodded. "If you need help gettin' to sleep, just think about sheep jumpin' over Harleys." She laughed at his joke, but she couldn't force any more words out of her mouth as the  awkwardness of the conversation only grew - something that had never happened between them before. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" 

"Yeah." Sydney hung up, falling back onto the mattress. She hated herself for the weakness that had pushed her to give in to her urges, just for it to have made the situation worse. She closed her eyes, repeating Happy's words in her head over and over again until she finally drifted off.

Tig punched his nightstand when he heard the line go dead, cursing himself for not being better with words - wondering why the fuck he couldn't bring himself to ask what was wrong. But deep down, he already knew why he couldn't; because he didn't want to hear the answer. He didn't want to hear her explain that she wasn't thinking clearly when she’d decided that she wanted to be with him, that it was fun while it lasted but she needed someone younger and more stable - someone who could provide for her and give her the life that she deserved. 

He dragged himself out of the clubhouse and slumped over his bike in defeat, he knew that it had been too good to be true. He smoked a couple of cigarettes before pushing off of the pavement and heading out for a ride - he wouldn't be sleeping tonight, and his thoughts were gentler to him on the road than they were in a dark room.

♕

Sydney woke up for work a few hours later feeling anything but rested, she could only hope that she would see Tig, and all of her self-doubt would melt away. She knew that she was vastly overthinking it, but she didn't know how to stop - and the foreign feelings of insecurity were only making her feel worse about the situation. 

She managed to get herself done up for the day’s Fourth of July celebration in a red tank top, distressed light-washed denim shorts, and white converse - topping the look off with red heart shaped sunglasses, red lipstick, and a red bandana which held her hair in a tousled updo. She smiled as she stood in the mirror, her reflection reminding her exactly who the fuck she was. She didn't need to be a perfect old lady, because she was going to be exactly what she was always meant to be; a Son.

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

“Well don’t you look like a slice of cherry pie.” Gemma narrowed her eyes as she slid her glasses down the bridge of her nose to get a good look at the slender blonde standing in the doorway of the office.

“Good enough to eat, I hope.” Sydney smirked as she crossed the threshold.

“Uh… Yeah.” Gemma scoffed with widened eyes that only further emphasized her point. “Shut the door, sweetheart.”

Sydney’s heart rate picked up as the request hit her ears. Gemma scared her almost as much as Clay did, but in a different way - she didn’t so much worry about The Matriarch ripping her to shreds physically, as much as she did verbally; the former of which she almost would’ve preferred, because then at least she would've had a fighting chance at defending herself. 

She did as she was told, sliding off her sunglasses and sitting down on the couch with her eyes widened theatrically - hoping that the light-hearted humour would get Gemma to ease up on whatever interrogation she had planned.

“What happened yesterday?”

Sydney tipped her head back, exhaling dramatically while she rolled her eyes. “What’d the prospect tell you happened yesterday?”

“Nothin', that’s why I’m asking you.” Gemma scoffed playfully enough for her to know that this wasn’t an interrogation. As nosey as she was, she was genuinely concerned about the young girl that she had taken under her wing.

Sydney chuckled humourlessly, shocked that Kip had managed to keep his mouth shut - even if it was only because he didn’t actually know what it was that had bothered her. “Just had a moment, it was nothing.” She shrugged.

“Well you might wanna tell Tig that.” Gemma nodded towards the garage where Tig was sluggishly working, exhausted from the sleepless night of his own.

“You talked to Tig?” Sydney’s relaxed demeanor instantly tightened up. “Gemma...” She whined.

“Well no one else was tellin' me anything!”

“I was just being stupid, it’s no big deal. I didn’t want him thinking that it was something more than it was.” She shrugged again.

“You better go tell him that, cause I think he already does...” Sydney fought off her irritation as Gemma advised her in her motherly tone. She knew that the glitch in communication had been her fault, but she still pulled a face - letting the older woman know that she was less than pleased with the situation that she had helped create as she pushed herself off of the couch. “Uh, where do you think you’re going?” Gemma raised a brow.

“To talk to him?” Sydney looked back incredulously.

“Nah-ah. You still haven’t told me what happened.” Sydney flopped back down onto the couch with a groan. “You really are my daughter.” Gemma scoffed with a chuckle.

“Just getting into character, mom.” Sydney chuckled back.

“You remember what I told you?” Sydney’s mind drifted back to the conversation that they’d had the night that Tig had officially asked her to be his girlfriend. “That doesn’t just apply to Tig, it’s everyone here. You can’t be part of the brotherhood if they don’t feel like they know you.” She knew that Gemma was pulling out all of the stops to get the information that she desired - the woman didn’t have a reputation as a mastermind for nothing. “Look, I get being closed off; cold, mysterious - it makes you strong. But if you want a permanent spot at that table - and in his heart - you have to be okay with transparency.”

Sydney heaved a heavy sigh, even if Gemma was just saying what she had to say to get what she wanted, it didn’t mean that the words didn’t hold true. “It was stupid, that’s why I didn’t bother saying anything. I knew it was stupid… I knew it would make me look weak and irrational and insane and like I'm overthinking everything-” She sighed again when she caught herself beginning to vent, avoiding Gemma’s knowing smirk.

“I get that you need them to see you as a force to be reckoned with, but sweetheart, they are human too. If you get that kutte, you become a brother, and it is okay to be weak when it comes to family.”

“That’s not what they think about Jax.” She shook her head. “His weakness worries them.” 

Gemma was taken aback by the way that Sydney so boldly flipped the situation onto her son, but she couldn’t help the smirk that found itself on her face - she liked the spunky little blonde. “Jax’s weakness is a distraction… Not good for the club.”

“So you see it too?” Sydney looked for confirmation, ready to check the box that had been lingering on her to-do list

“Careful.” Gemma narrowed her eyes warningly.

“You wanna know my secrets, I wanna know yours.” Sydney shrugged smugly.

“This is why mothers should drown baby girls.” Gemma joked. “Jax found an old box of JT’s things in storage just before Abel was born… Since then he’s been asking questions. Second guessing Clay, the club, the vision - everything.”

“Could whatever he found potentially be harmful to the club?” Sydney asked cautiously, not wanting Gemma to think that she was making assumptions where they shouldn’t be made.

'Don’t know - been tryin' to find out, but he’s keeping it to himself, and Clay’s in denial.”

“No he’s not.” Sydney shook her head with a hardened expression as she began rifling through all of the information in her mind as if it was a rubik’s cube - trying to line everything up.

“What?” Gemma scrunched up her face.

“I heard him talking to Tig.” She clarified before any more detrimental assumptions could be made. “He sees it, and he’s worried about it, I just don’t think he wants you to worry - if he convinces you that everything is fine then maybe it’ll go away.” Her tone was stone cold as she went into full business mode. 

Gemma chewed her lip with a creased brow - she knew that she hadn't been overreacting about this like Clay had tried to convince her that she was.

“What about Tara... You think it could be her?” Sydney didn’t necessarily think that Tara herself was the problem - she hadn’t experienced anything but politeness and aid to the club from the brunette doctor - but she wondered if perhaps the old flame had reminded Jax of the hole that she’d burned through his heart, and had him second guessing everything that he’d used to plaster over it.

“That little bitch isn’t any good for him, but this began before he started dipping into that again.”

“You worried she’s gonna make it worse?”

“Not if I can help it…” She assured her. “Now enough about me!” She widened her eyes as she reached over and smacked Sydney’s knee with a rolled up tire catalog.

Sydney giggled, deciding that Gemma had proved her own point by opening up to her about her fears - showing her that it didn't have to change the way that she was looked at. “After we saw Donna I just got a little too in my head... I would’ve had her exiled for disrespecting the club in front of me, but you…” She spoke with intense admiration for the woman sitting next to her. “You were able to put that aside and see the bigger picture - continue to extend the olive branch even after she's continuously taken a chainsaw to it. I never realized that is what good old ladies are supposed to do, and I just got worried that I wouldn’t be able to do the same.”

Gemma smiled sympathetically as she stood from her seat, gently sitting herself next to Sydney where she took the younger woman’s hands in hers. “Your heart is in the right place, baby. If you’re protective of them, that is what’s best for the club.” She nodded reassuringly. “You think I haven’t had my days? Look at me and Tara.” 

Sydney snorted, her forehead creasing as the shock set in after her initial reaction faded - how had she not considered Gemma’s undying vendetta against Jax’s high school sweetheart? “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She smiled, wishing that she would’ve thought to talk to Gemma before she blew things out of proportion. 

“I know I am.” She winked. “Now you go talk to Tigger.” She nodded, kissing her on the cheek and pulling her up from the couch.

♕

Tig had retired to the clubhouse after finishing his first car of the day, feeling that he deserved a much-needed break after a long forty-five minutes of work, sitting himself down at the tall table with a glass of whiskey in hand as he laid his head against the worn wood.

“What’s the matter? Kicked out of The Jelly Bean again?” He heard a hint of playfulness in Opie’s typical monotone as he entered the clubhouse, earning laughs from Piney, Half-Sack, and Chibs who were all scattered amongst the empty bar. Tig chuckled along with them to avoid suspicion, returning to his previous position only to be pulled from his thoughts yet again when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck.

“You need some cheerin' up, Tiggy?” He scowled, recoiling immediately when he realized that it wasn’t Sydney’s voice - turning to see Cheryl standing behind him with a smirk on her face.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” He seethed, his already tainted state of mind pushing him to get angry with the croweater even quicker than he usually would've allowed himself to.

“Mary mother o’ Christ.” Their confrontation was interrupted by an outburst from Chibs as he dropped his arms to his sides and stared out the front door.

Tig’s eyes followed the Scotsman’s to where he was watching Sydney walk up, looking like five and a half feet of pure American bliss. His eyes widened and his jaw went slack, a steady buzz beginning to ripple under his skin as he took her in. He didn’t give a shit about the issue anymore - he needed to chase this high as long as he could. 

Cheryl scoffed when Tig’s attention drifted from her, taking off down the hallway in search of a willing patch to validate her until her next opportunity to take the Sergeant off guard and show him what he was missing.

Sydney felt every ounce of her doubt wash away when she saw Tig looking at her like that - just as she'd hoped. She bit her lip as she continued her strut over to him, letting him bask in the glory of everybody staring at his girl before he got to show them yet again that she was his, and only his.

“Hey, Sergeant.” She grinned as she approached. 

Tig reached out and stroked her arm, tracing all the way down to her hand before snaking his arm around her waist. “Hi, baby.” If he thought that he had been confused before, he was as good as brain dead now as he became completely entranced by her beauty - his lips finding hers before he could even comprehend what he was doing.

Sydney sighed when they made contact, beyond thrilled that her outfit had the desired effect as she melted in his arms - wondering if she would even have to address the issue with how well this was going. She reached up, holding the sides of his face and gripping the back of his neck as their lips moved together, pulling away where she looked up at him with those angelic green eyes that had the power to destroy him in seconds.

“Gemma said I could come see you for a minute, I have to get back to work…” She whispered innocently, apologetically - letting him know just how much she wished that she could stay to enjoy the moment.

“That’s okay.” He said a little too quickly, shaking his head and picking her up before reattaching his lips to hers.

She giggled against his mouth and wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her body completely against his - addicted to the way his closeness erased her fears. He set her down on the pool table with one hand clutching her waist and the other sliding over her shirt with no regard for the fact that they had an audience. She dug her nails into his skin more aggressively as the embrace heated up, allowing the public display to turn her on ever more.

Tig was thrilled when she pulled him closer instead of pushing him away. He grinned against her ravenous lips as he pulled her down off of the table, wanting her body as close as possible if all he was going to get for now was a little dry humping. He gripped her ass with both hands, pulling her against his crotch while his hands slid under the little shorts that she was wearing, going for as much as he could get in their short rendezvous.

Sydney blinked in surprise when he abruptly pulled away after a crashing sound from behind the bar interrupted them - both turning to see Half-Sack stumbling while trying to lean over the bar.

“Eh!” Tig snapped his fingers, the wildly terrifying look coming to his eye when he caught the prospect trying to sneak a peek at his woman.

Sydney chuckled, taking this as a sign that their mid-morning quarrel was over for now. She leaned up, licking her lips before attaching them to his neck, grazing her teeth along the vein. She hadn’t missed Cheryl lurking in the shadows when she’d entered the clubhouse, so she was sure to mark her territory with a bright red lip print - grinning evilly when she heard him whimper in pleasure, looking down at her with desperate eyes.

“I’ll see you later.” She said seductively and winked as she pulled away, walking past the spectators with an innocent smile before returning to the office to continue with the day’s work. Mission accomplished .

♕

After working through the lunch break to get everything done in time, Gemma and Sydney made the trek across the lot to the clubhouse kitchen to begin prepping for the massive Fourth of July feast that would be taking place in just a few short hours.

“You get things smoothed over with Tigger?” Gemma asked as she mixed hamburger meat with her hands.

“You could say that.” Sydney stated cryptically with her back to the older woman as she chopped away at the never ending mountain of vegetables, impressed that the notoriously nosey Queen had been able to hold off on questioning her about it for a whole four hours - even if it had only been because she was busy on the phone.

Gemma raised a brow, but said nothing more, knowing after this morning that it would be more work than it was worth - she would find out from a more willing source.

6:00 P.M. rolled around quickly and the clubhouse was bustling as the SAMCRO women got everything in order for the hoards of bikers that were already starting to trickle in for the celebration of independence.

When Sydney was finally relieved of her duties in the kitchen, she made her way outside where her face lit up as she took in the scene before her. Like many parties before, there were leather-covered men and scantily-clad women everywhere, but the long performance tracks, huge bonfires, and heavily crowded fighting rings set this party far apart from the others that she’d attended thus far.

Tig sat quietly sipping a beer with Clay, Bobby, Piney, and Jax at a picnic table as they discussed the details of the rebuild while watching a couple of Vegas guys going at it in the ring. Tig was exhausted and would’ve much rather been in bed, but he knew it was important to make his presence known in support of the club on such an important day, when they were discussing such important things - especially now that his absence was on Clay's radar. He remained silent as he continued to try and recover from the toll that his self-loathing had taken, coupled with the fact that he still didn’t know what had been wrong with Sydney - if anything even was wrong.

“What would happen if we didn’t rebuild?” Jax rattled off the idea that he'd been building the courage to float for days, feeling much more confident after the success of his violentless stunt the day before - plus, the idea that the busy party would ease any potential backlash, helped.

Tig scowled while Bobby and Piney acted as if they were too engrossed in the fight to have heard the bogus words coming from the younger man’s mouth while Clay tried to keep his expression as casual as possible.

“What do ya mean?” The President succeeded in sounding genuinely interested in the opinion of his VP, but Tig knew that it was bullshit by the blatant disapproval behind his eyes.

“Take the land profit and put it in somethin' else.” Jax shrugged, seeing Clay looking more and more unamused by the second. “Hey, I’m just thinkin' about what’s best long-term. We got heat with the Mayans, Nords, Hale crawlin' up our asses... It might be time to look at other ways to earn.”

“Yeah, well there’s a lot of shit up in the air right now - we’ll figure out what the next move is.” Clay dismissed his stepson, wanting to avoid a fight on the celebratory evening - but it wasn’t easy to keep himself from smacking the smug look off that face as he lied directly to his.

♕

Sydney had spent most of the evening with Half-Sack by her side. She had to admit, she had grown extremely fond of the young prospect; he was easy to talk to, and she hadn’t realized it at first, but the two had much more in common than she'd thought as they both worked towards a seat at the table.

Tig found himself surprisingly thankful that the prospect got along with his girlfriend so well, letting the exhausted Sergeant off the hook for the evening - after getting a warning about getting too close, of course. There was no way that he was going to allow his old lady to stand alone in the middle of a crowded party when she didn’t wear his crow, looking like that.

“I bet I could do that.” Half-Sack feigned as much smugness as he could as they watched a Rogue River member burning rubber as he rode his Harley in a wheelie down the entire length of the performance track.

“Yeah… I’m sure.” Sydney teased with a raised brow, wishing that she had ridden her bike so that she could participate in the stunting. “Do you even have a real bike?” She scowled.

“Well… I’ve ridden one before.” He blinked a few times. 

The blonde girl stared at him blankly for a solid ten seconds before they both laughed. “Get me another drink, prospect." She playfully punched him in the arm. "I need to keep this buzz going.”

Half-Sack scurried away in search of something stronger than beer while Sydney walked over to the food tables where Gemma was topping up the never-ending buffet. “No Ope?” She asked, not surprised that Donna hadn’t let up on her stance against the club.

“Nope, thank God Bobby can handle the fireworks, or Opie would be in trouble with a lot more than just Donna.” Gemma scoffed.

Sydney felt arms around her before she could respond, shivering as the warmth under her skin from the alcohol only intensified the contrast of the cold rings of the hands that had snaked around her waist.

“Hey, baby.” Tig said distantly in a gravelly voice, now stewing with the impending doom of his relationship, and the bullshit from Jax - he didn’t have the energy to try and sound chipper.

“Hi, Tiggy. Where’ve you been?” Sydney pouted, the intoxication allowing her to overlook his indifference.

“Not really in a party mood.” He refused to look her in the eye, choosing to stare out into the crowd instead.

“Are you gonna stay for the fireworks?” She looked up at him hopefully.

So much for not fucking looking her in the eye, Tig thought as his gaze was immediately pulled down to where her eyes were a dark green from the low light, peppered with specks of flickering jade as they reflected the flames scattered amongst the compound. 

“Yeah… Yeah of course I am, doll.” He nodded, ironing out the crease in his brow as his expression softened and he kissed her on the forehead. As much as he’d been anticipating an early night, he knew how much she loved fireworks - and he was no match for that angelic face.

“Okay.” She grinned up at him as Half-Sack returned with a bottle of coconut rum.

“This is all I could find to bring out here, you know, other than beer. I could get the whiskey but I thought since you’re a girl and all…” Sydney giggled at the painfully shy kid, pulling him into a hug as she hung off his shoulders much longer than usual.

Half-Sack nearly pissed himself when he saw it… The look that everybody talked about; the crazy, murderous look that inhabited Tig’s eyes as he watched his girlfriend in the arms of another man - a man that he had already warned about getting too close.

“Let’s go over there.” The prospect grabbed her arms and pulled her along as he ran to the picnic table where Jessica and Juice were sitting with Jax, looking for any excuse to get away from the crazy-eyed Sergeant-at-Arms. “He’s gonna kill me.” He gulped, looking over his shoulder to see Tig snarling before returning to his post next to Clay.

“Nah, I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt you… Too badly.” She laughed.

“Why you gotta do this shit?” He whined, knowing by the smirk on her face that her actions had been purposeful. “This because of what happened yesterday?”

Sydney raised a brow as an amused look formed on her face. “You’re gettin' real bold around here, prospect.” She nodded slowly before joining the younger group at the picnic table.

After about an hour of passing multiple bottles around the table, Sydney realized just how desperately she needed to pee. She got up from the picnic table, wobbling on her unsteady feet before falling right back into her seat. Her group at the table - as well as some stragglers that had joined throughout the night - all laughed, watching in anticipation as she tried again.

“I’m good.” She put a hand up and laughed once she was confident that her feet were firmly planted this time, not realizing how drunk she had been.

Half-Sack looked around nervously as Sydney got up to make her way to the bathroom, but his uncertainty didn’t last long as he caught Tig’s narrowing eyes across the compound, nodding frantically as he got up to follow.

“I’ll come with you.” He attempted to say casually as he caught up to her, but as usual, he failed. 

Sydney scowled dramatically, her facial expressions a little more enhanced thanks to the booze. “You know the rule only applies to girls going to the bathroom together… Right?”

“Well… I need to pee too.” He drew out his words before landing on the poor excuse.

Sydney rolled her eyes at his inability to lie even half-decent, coming up with an idea or two of her own about why he had been attached to her hip all night. But as much as she wanted to press him for the truth, her bladder hadn’t scheduled any time for that.

“Come on then.” She said impatiently as she grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the clubhouse before coming to a screeching halt once they entered the main room where he almost ran into her.

“What?” He asked with a scowl.

“You can wait here for me.” 

“Um… But like, what if somethin' like, happens… You know.”

Sydney rolled her eyes, feeling her frustration building as he continued to lie to her. “I’m gonna give you one chance to try and come up with an excuse as to why you’re following me now, and not at every other party before, and why you suddenly seem to think that I need a guard dog to take a piss." She spit out firmly. "Come on, let me hear what ya got.” He stared at her with wide eyes as she called his bluff. “That’s what I thought.” She scoffed. “I know that Tig put you up to this, so consider yourself lucky that I let you follow me in here and look like a good little errand boy for the big bad Sergeant.” She mocked before slowly walking up and pressing her body against his harshly, making him wince. “Keep shit like this from me again, and you’ll be seeing firsthand that I don’t need a protector.” She whispered in his ear with gritted teeth, the anger effectively tabling her buzz as she turned dramatically and took off once again towards her destination.

♕

Herman Kozik strutted through the SAMCRO clubhouse with a grin on his face as his blue eyes scanned over his old stomping grounds where he greeted familiar faces here and there; fellow western brothers, former charter mates, croweaters - all fond memories of the place where he'd made a real life for himself after serving in the Marines alongside Tig, whom he was hoping to avoid on his short visit down south...

The dark-haired man had been the one who had convinced him to join the Sons in the first place to try and help him kick the drug habit that was taking him down the path to an early grave as a result of the mental toll that combat had taken on him. The two had a nasty falling out a few years later, leading to his decision to transfer to Tacoma where he eventually met the only person that he cared to see tonight - his longtime friend Happy Lowman. 

He'd been invited down from Washington to participate in the Fourth of July celebration by his former Tacoma brother - somehow having managed to earn himself a spot on the exclusive roster of people that the bald man actually kept in contact with even after he went Nomad over a decade ago.

The blonde man made his way to the bar where he spotted Happy, along with his former Vice President - the crowd parting for the former resident, but he wasn't the only one that the crowd seeming to part for as he eyed a gorgeous blonde girl, strutting through the sea of leather that dispersed in her wake.

Sydney nodded to Clay and Happy on her way to the bathroom where they sat at the bar with a tall, broad man who had spiky blonde hair. He looked like he had been plucked straight off of the beaches of Malibu, but the hollows in his face and the tattoo on his neck proved that he was pure outlaw.

Kozik’s small eyes widened, craning his neck to follow the sway of her hips as she walked away from him - wondering what the hell had found its way into the California water if their club whores looked like that. But he was startled out of his less than respectful thoughts when his action earned him a hard punch from Happy, looking up to see those dark eyes glaring at him.

“What? She one of your favorites or somethin'?” He grinned to his younger brother. He wasn't quite sure why the bald man cared who he was checking out, but the more that he thought about it, the more he realized that the young girl was every ounce the Tacoma Killer’s type - blonde, slim, and a great rack - making him realize that maybe the Nomad's absence in Tacoma as of late had been for a reason... 

“It ain't what you’re thinkin'.” Happy rasped with an upturned lip before turning to order another beer.

“So she’s single?” The Tacoma Sergeant surmised with another shit-eating grin that mirrored that of his Redwood counterpart - just as it always had.

“Trust me.” Clay snorted. “She’s very taken.” 

Kozik scowled. He hadn’t seen a crow on the little blonde, and she was walking through the clubhouse alone, dressed like a sweetbutt. But he decided not to question any further, he would find out for himself eventually. Besides, there was plenty of pussy to go around tonight.

Sydney giggled as she heard Happy shove the man who had been gawking at her. Blondes weren’t usually her type, but had she been single, she uncharacteristically found herself feeling like she might actually have given the burly man a chance - but maybe it was just the Sergeant's patch on his chest…

After taking her time in the bathroom where she let herself marinate in the buzz that she managed to channel back, Sydney finally sauntered back out to the even more lively party to meet back up with her security guard.

“Well, if it aint my Cali Queen.” Sydney froze when she heard the familiar voice. It couldn’t be?

“Uncle Les!” She lit up when she turned to see her godfather, squealing as she jumped into his arms. She’d had no idea that anybody from home would be making the trip for the holiday, and it was just the pick-me-up that she'd needed.

“Woah, woah, woah.” The San Bernardino President huffed as he lowered her to the ground. “Careful now, I’m an old man these days.” He chuckled heartily.

“You? No way.” She joked.

“Hey, Syd.” Yates nodded cautiously as he approached the intimate reunion. 

Sydney’s excitement turned to disappointment as her lip turned up at the black-haired man. “Why couldn’t you have brought Tank?” She pouted to her godfather with those wide, doe eyes that had caused him so much trouble over the last twenty-two years.

“Nice to see you too.” The VP deadpanned before making off to the bar.

Les laughed as he put an arm around her shoulders. “So, Clay tells me someone’s managed to steal the heart of our Princess.” He lowered his voice, as if the conversation was top secret - making Sydney giggle. “Tacoma Killer?” He figured it was the only viable option, still unable to believe that she had actually let someone in - let alone somebody new.

“Redwood Sergeant.” She replied bashfully, looking to the ground with an eye roll as her cheeks began to pinken. 

Packer raised his eyebrows at first before his lips pursed and his head began to bob in an understanding nod. He was very familiar with Tig, the Northern Cali Sergeant was ruthless, loud, and a little insane - just like Sydney. 

“Yeah, yeah.” She groaned, rolling her eyes with a smile.

“How you doin' here? You haven’t called...” He steered the conversation elsewhere.

“I love it.” She gushed with bright eyes. “It feels like home… Like I belong here.” She briefly felt guilty for not reaching out to anyone back home, but she hoped that this explanation would help him understand.

“I’m glad to hear that, sweetheart. Your daddy would be real happy.” He squeezed her shoulder. 

“He would.” Sydney nodded with a genuine smile. She knew how proud her dad would be that all of his hard work had paid off, that she was doing okay without them, without him… And that knowledge stopped her from subconsciously waiting for the pinch behind her eyes that for the first time, didn't come.

Packer gave her another smile as he began to pull away, leaving her to mingle with her new family. He was thrilled to see the progress that she was making in the new town when the mention of her father brought a twinkle to her eye, rather than a tear when only a few short months ago, the subject had been completely unmentionable. 

“Les?” She stopped him, watching as he turned back to face her with soft, caring eyes - just as he always had. She smiled, the amount of attention he paid to her wasn’t lost on her; he’d always made her feel like her words had such purpose. “Do you really think they’d let me patch?” She asked quietly, feeling more comfortable with her vulnerability around the man she’d known for the entirety of her life.

“I wouldn’t have chosen here for you to go if I didn’t think that they would.” He stated reassuringly with a nod. Truth be told, the SAMDINO President would’ve patched his goddaughter in a second, but he knew that his crew didn’t feel the same way - and the hardly outlaw Southern Cali MC slapping their rocker on her back would’ve been an insult to her capabilities. Things were better this way - she seemed to be thriving in Charming without the reminder of her dad’s death at every turn she took.

She nodded back with a smile before she tossed a glance at Half-Sack, letting him know that she would be going back outside now, but she made no move to speak to him. She managed to find an empty picnic table by the garage as everybody started to gather across the lot to get the best seats in the house before the fireworks were to start, sparking up a cigarette. Even though the conversation with Packer had been reassuring in some areas, it had given her a lot to think about in others. Weakness was never something that she'd handled well, it was something that she’d managed to track down and chase out of life, but like Happy had said the day prior; between her dad’s death, her transfer to Charming and her new relationship - her unspent emotions were putting her through the ringer.

She watched Tig longingly across the crowd as he chatted with Bobby, unsure about whether or not to address the shit from the day before - especially after things had seemed fine this morning, but then there was the issue of him having the prospect spy on her… She wondered if it was because he didn’t trust her, or if he had simply just been looking out for her in the crowded party - but even then, wasn’t that his job as her old man? She racked her brain for the right answer, the right move - something she could always come up with on the fly, but for some reason blanked on when it came to him.

“Get the fuck outta your head.” She was shaken from her thoughts by a raspy voice, whirling around to see Happy stepping up onto the picnic table and taking a seat beside her.

She chortled - he always knew what she was thinking. “You didn’t tell me Packer was coming.” She brought the cigarette up to her lips.

“Figured you could use a surprise.” He shrugged.

“I’m not wounded, Hap.” She rolled her eyes.

“Never said you were.” He challenged, initiating a staredown which she was the first to break - turning her attention back to her cigarette. “Got a smoke?” 

She snorted, laughing before handing him her pack out of her back pocket - trying her hardest to refrain from making a joke. “Is D coming?” She asked with deflated hope in her tone - she knew that she would’ve seen Donut with the other Tacoma Sons if he was coming tonight, but she didn’t want the conversation to revert back to its origin.

“Nah, Lee’s got him on a run.”

“Well, fuck Lee.” She pouted.

“Watch your mouth.” Happy warned as she spoke ill of the SAMTAC President, but the smirk on his lips showed he was being facetious.

“He can send Malibu Barbie down, but he can’t send my Donut?” She whined at the narrowly missed opportunity to see one of the only other people on the planet that she genuinely loved to be around.

Happy chuckled at her description of Kozik. “Yates is here.” He tried.

“Yates is a bitch.” She scoffed with a grimace.

Happy chuckled - she wasn’t wrong. “You’ll see him again soon.” He nodded formally before ashing out his cigarette on the table, sticking the roach in his pocket, and pushing himself to his feet.

Sydney laughed loudly. “Okay, I was really trying not to make cheap jokes but, Hap… You make it so hard. There’s like three puffs left on that!” She spoke incredulously, waving her hands about.

Happy just smirked, glad that his tactic had worked in cheering her up. “So you saw Kozik?” He raised a brow.

Sydney became intrigued once she realized who the Tacoma Sergeant was… Happy hadn’t ever spoken extensively of Kozik, but he’d let on enough for her to know that the two were good friends, with good history - a rare standing for the private man in front of her.

“I always knew you liked blondes.” She grinned, nudging him with her foot.

“Fuck off.” Happy grunted before striding back towards the clubhouse.

Sydney chuckled as he stormed off, instantly feeling uplifted by their conversation - albeit a short one where he mainly swore at her, but uplifted nonetheless. She dragged Half-Sack to the bar for a couple of shots, heightening her level of intoxication that had begun to fade before she finally returned to the drunken group at the picnic table where music was blaring from every corner of the compound as the fights and stunt track had wrapped up.

About an hour later, Sydney found herself on top of the picnic table, dancing with Jessica - enjoying putting on a show for the spectators with her partner in less-serious crime. They danced until the music was finally cut off, looking around the compound as everybody began to pair off for the light show that was to begin. Sydney scanned the crowd for Tig, a shock running through her as she easily picked his blue eyes out of the masses where he was walking towards her.

A smile spread across Tig’s face as he watched her light up when she saw him. He reached up, grabbing her waist to bring her to the ground, but she wrapped her legs around his waist instead. He chuckled, nuzzling the crook of her neck where he breathed in her familiar scent that had been mixed with beer and coconut liquor. He was surprised to find himself relatively sober, especially on such a big party night for the club - especially when he was dealing with demons. He usually turned to alcohol when his mind was weighing on him, but something seemed to have given him the belief that he possessed the strength to combat them on his own.

“You have fun dancin' with your boyfriends?” He teased as he turned around, sitting on the picnic table with her in his lap

“Mhmm.” She hummed as she rested her head on his shoulder as she closed her eyes peacefully, thankful to hear the playful banter. “I sure did.” 

After a couple of heavenly minutes of inhaling his cologne, Sydney pried herself off of him and turned to look towards the sky as the loud booming began. She watched the exploding lights in the sky with a grin plastered on her face - she’d loved fireworks ever since she was a little girl, and the SAMCRO Fourth of July display was anything but disappointing.

Tig knew that he needed to ask the question - he would continue to let it eat him alive if he didn’t - and he figured that now, while she was drunk and in a good mood, would be the best time to do it...

“Hey." He nudged her arm lightly. "What was goin' on yesterday?” He asked as gently and casually as possible, giving her an unbiased chance to clear the air.

Sydney’s joyful expression fell before she could catch it when his words in her ear somehow sounded louder than the popping noises that echoed around them. She contemplated telling him the truth for a split second, but she figured why ruin the mood? She was far past the issue itself, and the only thing that kept nagging her was the way that she’d handled it. She knew what she needed to do in the future to ensure that didn’t happen again, so she’d deemed it pointless to talk about.

“Oh, nothing!” She perked up. “I was just tired… Gemma dragged me to the grocery store with her to get shit for tonight. I’m sure you know how that can be.” She chuckled, adding a light roll of her eyes for believability. “I was just so eager to get home and pass out - figured I wouldn’t hassle you for a ride while you were doing the same thing.” She tugged lightly on the collar of his shirt as she gave a sympathetic smile.

Tig had to give it to her, she was a good liar. If it wasn’t for the alcohol that had provided a slight delay in her initial reaction, he might’ve believed her. He nodded, pulling her out of his lap and guiding her onto the table next to him as he got up, grabbing her elbow lightly once he was on his feet before leaning down to whisper in her ear. “I know you’re lyin' to me.” He said coldly before kissing her temple and pulling away. “Prospect will take you home.” He stated, nodding to Half-Sack before walking off to his dorm.

Half-Sack approached cautiously once he got the signal from Tig, his nervous blue eyes fixing themselves to Sydney as she sat frozen with a pained look on her face as her eyes glossed over. “Syd...” He said softly, reaching out to brush his fingers over her forearm.

“Don’t touch me.” She snapped, smacking his hand away and pushing off the table where she made a beeline for the van.

“Uh… We- We’re taking the truck!” He awkwardly tried to call after her. “Come on...” He mumbled with a grimace as he made the decision to follow her - fully aware that he was playing with fire.

Sydney’s chest heaved as she held back tears of frustration; frustration over allowing him to catch her off guard, frustration over giving in to a moment of weakness, frustration over having the moment of weakness at all, frustration over him having Half-Sack spy on her, but most of all - frustration over her inability to properly open up, which was what started this mess in the first place.

Half-Sack almost tripped over his own feet when he found Sydney standing with her back against the van, and her head towards the sky - praying for both of their sakes that he didn’t ask any questions. “Uh, we have to go in the tow…” She nodded once, glad to see that he was respecting her boundaries by keeping his distance as she turned to follow him to the other side of the lot where she climbed into the tow truck without a word, crossing her arms and looking out the window at the dwindling party.

Half-Sack completed the short drive silently, violently fighting the urge to try to ease some of the tension as it clawed under his skin and made him twitch while he drove.

“Do you want to come up and make sure that I get tucked into bed nicely so that you can report back to him?” Sydney asked sarcastically when they pulled up in front of her house, slamming the door before he could answer.

Half-Sack threw his fears out the window, jumping out of the truck and running after her. “Syd, it wasn’t like that!” He couldn’t let his friend think that he had just been spending time with her because he was told to, or that her confidence in him had been misplaced.

“Then what was it like?” She screamed, whipping around to face him as she stood on the stoop with her chest heaving.

The horrified look on the poor kid’s face was what finally sent her over the edge in her inebriated state after an overwhelming night, sending tears tumbling down her cheeks, and sobs rippling through her chest.

To say that Half-Sack was shocked to see her breaking down in front of him was an understatement, but he’d learned enough to know that whatever was going on wouldn’t be helped by him emphasizing this weakness that she was clearly unhappy about showing, let alone feeling. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, rubbing his bony hands down her back as she shook violently - breathing a sigh of relief when he felt her hugging back, rather than laying him out as he’d half-expected.

“I wasn’t spying on you.” He guided her down to sit.

“I know that you were just doing what you were told-“ Sydney began by way of an apology, shaking her head before she was cut off.

“No. I mean like, he didn’t want me to spy on you.” He clarified. “Look… They don’t really give me a lot of details when they tell me to do shit, but he said that he had shit to take care of and he didn’t want you to be alone tonight. I mean, you know… Not in that many words cause like, he doesn’t talk to me like he talks to you, but…”

Sydney smiled slightly as Tig’s true intentions were revealed, finding it sweet that even when he was upset with her, he still wanted her to have a good time. This really had all just been one big misunderstanding, and it was one big misunderstanding that she needed to clear up.

♕

Tig finally found himself in the comfort of his own dorm and away from the mind-numbing crowd, breathing a sigh of relief as he made his way to the bathroom to get ready for bed - stopping just over the threshold when he heard an angry knock at the door. He groaned as he turned on his heels, he recognized that incessant rapping anywhere.

“What?” He whined like a teenager as he opened the door for Gemma.

“Where’s Sydney?” He stiffened up when he heard the tone in her voice, realizing that apparently she wasn’t feeling nearly as patient as she had been the day before.

“Prospect took her home.” He nodded curtly.

“Without saying goodbye?” The Queen crinkled her brows. “I thought you two worked your shit out today?”

“Wasn’t any shit to work out. She won’t talk to me.” He shook his head bitterly as his lip turned up.

“Did you give her a chance to?” She widened her eyes.

He scoffed when Gemma jumped to conclusions, clearly assuming that he was the one fucking things up - just like he always did. “Yep.” He kept his answers short, hoping that if he didn’t give her the information that she wanted, maybe she would leave him alone and move onto somebody else so that her accusations wouldn’t make him feel like such an asshole.

Gemma sighed, sitting down on the edge of his bed once she noticed the change in his demeanor - feeling a tad remorseful for placing the blame on him once she realized how truly bothered he was by the situation. “She’s struggling, baby...” She started gently. “Doesn’t know how to deal with these feelings that she has for you.”

“She wouldn’t have to if she would just tell me what the fuck I did so that I can fix it.” He scratched his head with a whine.

“You really love her, don’t you?” She smirked as he referred to himself fixing the problem, rather than her getting over it - a quality that she hadn’t seen from Tig Trager in decades.

“I do.” He sighed with an almost shameful shake of his head, cursing himself for going down this path again - the path that had tried to divert him so many times.

“It wasn’t anything you did.” He looked at Gemma with surprise - and a little resentment - when he found out that Sydney apparently had no problem telling everybody else what it was that she was upset about, but she couldn’t tell him. But Gemma held her hand to silence him, shutting down those thoughts before they could expand. “I had to rip that shit out of her - took time, and some secrets of my own. That girl is one tough cookie.” She nodded with a proud smile. “We ran into Donna yesterday at the grocery store, she saw how I handled it and got spooked - didn’t think she’d be able to rise to the task of behaving like a proper old lady.”

“But I’m not looking for a-” Tig shook his head incredulously.

“Believe me.” Gemma cut him off again. “I know, I tried to tell her. She’s just stuck in her head, sweetheart. But you are doing fantastic… I think that’s why she didn’t want to say anything - knows it’s her own shit.” She advised the confused Sergeant in the comforting, motherly tone that she knew he silently craved.

Tig took in what she was saying, and as easy as it was to listen to the demons in the back of his mind saying that it was because he didn’t deserve something as pure as the love that Sydney made him feel, Gemma’s words made sense. “Thanks, Gem.” He nodded, deciding that he would wait for the prospect to return before going to her house to plead his case.

Gemma stood, bringing her old friend in for a hug. “You’re welcome, baby.” She kissed him on the cheek, patting his chest and giving him a nod before slipping out the door.

Within thirty seconds of Gemma leaving, Tig was being summoned by yet another knock. He groaned as he lugged himself towards the rattling door again - fighting the urge to begin cussing out whoever it was that dared to disturb him before he was to get on his knees and grovel, but he held back - he was anticipating Half-Sack's return, after all. What he wasn’t anticipating however, was Sydney standing before him.

“You were right.” She nodded.

“What?” He stared at her blankly as he slipped under the spell of her mere presence. He’d heard what she said, and he’d known what she meant, but the surprise of her being there had made him unable to utter anything else.

“You were right." She repeated. "I was lying earlier and I shouldn’t have-” She was cut off by his lips crashing hard into hers, sending her mind into an overwhelming state of desire. When he pulled away she looked up at him; flustered, dizzy, and with pink cheeks - unable to pick up where she left off while he stared at her with that needy gaze.

She reached up, grabbing his neck and yanking him back down to her lips where he reacted instantly - grabbing her thighs to lift her up into his arms before kicking the door shut behind him and backing over to the bed, letting himself fall backwards with her in his lap as they bit each other’s lips. If there was anything to be said about their relationship, it was that they were much better at showing how much they cared rather than telling; worshipping each other physically rather than verbally.

They began hastily ridding each other of clothing, Tig had gotten her top off, and she had pushed his kutte off of his shoulders when his lips found her neck. She tipped her head back to give him as much access as he desired, pressing her chest against him and grinding her hips against his as he sucked greedily at her sensitive skin - leaving fresh marks over the ones that had faded. He got her bra undone, ravishing her chest the same way that he did her neck before flipping them so that she was on her back, and he was now kneeling between her legs.

She leaned up and began working on his belt buckle while he ripped his shirt off, finding her lips again while her hands were still at work. As soon as his pants were undone he leaned down, forcing her onto her back again as their lips remained connected, pulling away once again to unbutton her shorts and pull them off. Once the denim left her legs, his hand was cupping her between her thighs and over her panties, massaging her slowly. She leaned up again, desperate for his lips where she pulled him down on top of her and wrapped her legs around his waist to keep him close - somehow managing to drag his pants down his knees.

The air around them was electric, and their movements were greedy as Sydney reached down to grasp him where he was hot and hard under the thin fabric of his boxers. She finally knew what people meant when they said that make up sex was the best kind of sex - never having stuck around any of her conquests long enough to ever have anything to make up for, and find out.

Tig whimpered when she gripped his dick, not realizing just how badly he had been needing the contact after their tangle this morning, and scuffle this evening. He quickly pulled her red, lacy thong to the side, running his fingers through her folds a few times before sliding a finger into her dripping wet slit. She whimpered against his lips now, but the whimpers quickly turned to low moans as he added another digit and began pumping them into her in his perfectly mastered technique while his thumb rubbed her clit. She pulled away from his lips, moaning as she looked into his eyes with an erotic haze in hers - making him even harder than he already was.

“You’re so fucking sexy.” He drawled dreamily as his eyes roamed her body - the moment making him realize why he loved foreplay with her so much; being able to physically see her getting more and more turned on by him, and him alone.

“For you.” She kissed him again, stroking his tongue with her own as the bliss of proper intimacy after a few days without it, took her to a whole new level of aroused. She let her hand travel inside of his boxers, moaning even louder when she felt how unbelievably hard he was in her grasp - gripping the curls at the back of his neck with her other hand as she felt a shiver run through her, her senses heightened to the max as her body begged for him.

Tig ripped his fingers from her when he felt her inner muscles massaging them, knowing what her body was asking for. He pulled away from her mouth once again, his dick twitching when he heard her whimper at the loss of contact. He slid her panties down her legs as swiftly as possible, and returned to her mouth just as quick as he hovered over her while slowly guiding his cock into her.

“Oh God!” The prolonged sensation of overwhelming pleasure had Sydney crying out and clutching to him desperately.

Tig let her adjust, taking the few seconds to marinate in his own pleasure as she gripped down on his dick like a vise. Once he felt her inner muscles relax, he began thrusting slow and deep - watching her eyes roll back each time that he retracted just enough so that she would feel every inch when pushed back in.

But it wasn't enough - even though he was literally inside of her, Tig needed more contact after the emotionally trying couple of days that their relationship had faced. He scooped her up into his arms, bringing her into his lap to face him - his cock never leaving her. 

Sydney gasped at the new angle, letting her body relax as she pressed herself against him - the two thrusting against each other violently while his lips alternated between her mouth, jaw, and neck.

After climaxing together, she laid on his chest, still tangled in the mess of sheets and half-shed clothing as they soaked up the blissfully ignorant afterglow. He held her tightly, his lips against her forehead and her hand in his, glad that his doubts had been silenced - for now.

“I’m not good at this...” Sydney whispered apologetically as she drew circles in the palm of his hand with her fingertip.

“I’m not either.” He assured her quickly, bringing her hand to his lips. "We’ll learn together."

♕

Chapter Text

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♕

Sydney trotted across the concrete of her garage with a pep in her step, and a smile on her face as she practically skipped over to her Ninja. After a brutally long week of anticipation, it was finally time to confront Elliot Oswald and secure their new warehouse in preparation for the shipment of guns that was due to arrive from Ireland any day now - thanks to Cameron Hayes.

She threw her leg over her bike, guiding the short key into the ignition where she felt a premature rumbling below her, pulling away with a scowl as she realized that it was her phone vibrating in her pocket. She chortled as she reached behind her, tugging her iPhone out of the back pocket of her tight jeans where she'd struggled to fit it in the first place - thankful for the sleek design that made the job a tiny bit easier.

Happy Feet 🙂 : U good?

She smiled, thumbing a quick response to the Tacoma Killer who had departed the state the day after the big party to visit his namesake and work on getting more Glocks for SAMCRO. 

S: Si hermano ❤️

She appreciated that he cared to check on her since he wasn't around to keep an eye on her - or lend an ear to her -in the couple of days that had passed since the Fourth of July, but thankfully the watchful eye, and the open ear were no longer necessary. 

To say that Tig's demonic thoughts had been laid to rest would've been an overstatement, but at the very least they had been silenced, and he was glad to be feeling more like the version of himself that he didn't despise. And some time alone to reflect on her emotions without the embarrassment of showing vulnerability had done Sydney some good of her own. She’d managed to conclude what Gemma had been trying to tell her all along - that she'd gotten a little too used to the idea that her only task was to prove herself, thinking that any display of emotion or irrational behaviour would immediately strike her from the roster. Yes, being a woman meant that she would need to work a little harder, but The Matriarch had helped her realize that she'd lost sight of the fact that overall, this was a family.

The other thing that Sydney had come to terms with, was that the reason she struggled with her vulnerability was because no matter how much she hated the way that she reacted, it made sense to her - she could rationalize it. She had always been the kind of person who had unconventional thinking, but as long as she could make sense of it, she didn't care. She knew that her issues were all in her head, but she felt that they were justified, which was why she’d had such a hard time pushing them away. The realizations were a step in the right direction that she had never known she'd needed to take until recently; allowing herself to remove the mental block, and accept the weakness that she had - at least when she was alone with nobody to witness it.  

Happy nodded at his flip phone, satisfied with her response before stuffing the device back into the deep pocket of his jeans - dropping it down into the bottomless pit of denim right as it vibrated again. He grunted in frustration, fishing it back out and whipping it open.

S: Tell D he better come visit me soon 😇

Happy Feet 🙂 : K

Sydney laughed at his short response - he hated texting almost as much as he hated her double replies. She placed her phone into the pocket of her leather jacket, not bothering with the restricting denim that was already struggling to cover her ass, firing up her engine and speeding towards the highway with a grin on her face - the week had been full of unwanted confrontation, she was bursting with excitement over a desired one. 

♕

Clay, Tig, Juice, and Sydney all climbed off of their bikes after parking on the Oswald's acreage that was even more impressive than any of them could've expected, looking around the substantial estate in various states of disdain, but Sydney was beaming. She was thrilled that she had been recruited for the blackmail, and she was even more thrilled that Jax hadn't been - finding endless amusement in the insult to injury that Clay had thrown in by allowing Juice of all people to tag along. 

The quartet strolled up the dirt path and around the back of the glass-panelled mansion where the horse stables were located, their boots kicking up dust as they  hunted down their target before he could have them escorted off of the property by the security team that he unironically had posted at the entrance - finding him brushing the mane of a brown mare.

"Clay." Oswald said shakily by way of a greeting as he turned around, unsettled but unsurprised to see the outlaws at his home. "How did you get in here?" 

Clay lit a cigar as they approached; tall, threatening, and dressed head to toe in black leather."I told the guard at the gate that we were here to fix your cars." He spoke casually. "I guess we look like the help." He laughed, grinning menacingly around his cigar.

Sydney somehow found herself in admiration of Clay every time that he handled business, entranced by the friendly approach that he often chose when it was public knowledge how dangerous he was - which made him all the more intimidating. 

"What's this about?" The wealthy man widened his down-turned eyes.

"This is a great lookin' horse, man." Tig stated as he rounded the beautiful - and surely expensive - animal, stroking its silky mane with a fixed gaze. Sydney smirked, she knew exactly what he was doing as Oswald stared at him with a slight scowl in a mixture of both confusion, and discomfort.

"I assume that you got that, uh, special delivery." Clay cocked his brow.

"Yeah. I got it.” Oswald shuddered at the memory of the gift-wrapped testicles that had almost sent him into cardiac arrest when he'd absently opened them at the breakfast table a few days after the attack. “You made your point." He ground his teeth. "I reneged on our deal." 

"The knife." Clay nodded to Tig who pulled the bagged, bloodied knife out of his kutte. "It's still got your prints all over it. The nutless clown that raped your daughter? Well, he's buried in Macon woods." He smirked. "Dead body, murder weapon, motive - the three things a guy needs for a homicide conviction." He raised his brows.

"Jesus Christ..." The petrified look that Oswald had sported the night of Tristen's rape, washed over his face once again. "You're insane." He shook his head.

"I assure you, Elliot." Clay stalked closer to the man. "I'm saner than I've ever been." Oswald looked behind him for a way out as the outlaw got closer, turning to see Tig breathing down his neck. "I need your help, Elliot. And if you refuse? I'm gonna turn all three of those items over to Unser." He stated as he too began petting the horse.

"What do you want?" He Oswald, knowing that he was trapped - figuratively and literally - looking over his shoulder at the Sergeant once again.

"A warehouse - access road, somethin' off the radar." Clay listed his credentials.

"Guns?" The land owner shuddered.

"You don't ever need to know." Clay shook his head.

Oswald took a final look around him to be sure that he had no way out. He didn't verbally agree - not wanting to say the words out loud and soil that white collar of his - instead simply nodding before scrawling down the address of one of his currently vacant warehouses off of highway 17 that he'd planned on selling to Kessler Builders for a pretty penny, but his freedom - and his reputation - were worth far more than that. “Get Rosen to draw up lease papers, I’ll sign them.” He told Clay bitterly as he handed him the piece of paper.  

"Your daughter here?" Sydney asked with a little too much menace in her tone considering the unfortunate situation regarding the young girl, but she was desperate for some compensation after the unexpected backseat that she'd been forced to take on the matter.

"The hell do you want with my daughter?" He growled.

"Just checking on a neighbour." She shrugged. 

"No. She isn't here." Sydney knew that he was lying, but she also knew that there was no use trying to make good on her promise to visit the young girl while her extra overprotective father was around.

The outlaws made their way back down the dirt path towards their bikes with smirks on their faces after completing the uneventful coup. Engines were started and kickstands were raised, but Sydney noticed something out of the corner of her eye where she saw Tig giving her a look, along with a slight nod of his head that told her to hang back. She nodded back, allowing Clay to take off with Juice in tow before she removed her helmet and turned her attention towards him, her eyebrows raising in question as he dismounted his bike and approached hers, leaning his weight against one of her handlebars.

"You okay with how that went down?" He grimaced. 

As much as Sydney appreciated his concern - as well as the reassurance that this was supposed to be her deal - the rush of defence still sparked in her nerves. "Yeah, I'm good.” She held back, pushing the hostile air out of her nostrils. “I can tell that Clay's got some shit with Oswald." She answered sincerely. Usually, she would've been more bitter over somebody taking the lead on a blackmail that was only possible because of something that was her idea in the first place, but she could sense that it meant something to Clay to prove a point to his wealthier and seemingly more successful colleague. So for the morale of the club, she'd decided to keep her mouth shut. 

Tig smiled when he saw the thought process on her face clear as day, relieved that she wasn't angry, but also that she was making a conscious effort to be more open for him. "Okay, baby." He nodded, taking her face into his hands where he tipped her face up towards his, bringing his lips down onto hers as he poured as much emotion as he could into the embrace in an attempt to lift her spirits. 

Sydney smiled into the kiss, feeling the underlying bitterness beginning to melt away as she brought her hands up to the leather cuffs around his wrists, holding his hands in place. Maybe opening up wasn't so bad after all...

"I'll meet you back there." He squeezed her arm with a smile before climbing back on his bike. 

"Race ya!' She called before yanking her black helmet down over her curls, cracking the throttle and sending rocks spewing behind her.

Tig chortled as she left a cloud of dust in her wake, glad that she didn't seem to be too fazed by the injustice as he peeled out after her.

Sydney easily passed Clay and Juice on her hasty ride back to the clubhouse where she stood leant against her Ninja in the TM lot, admiring her manicure. She'd just gotten a fresh set done by Luann's girl at Cara Cara, and she had to admit that despite her worry that the small town women might not be able to achieve her standard, they looked great - a long coffin shape, and cherry red in colour. 

She finally turned her head towards the gate when she heard the approaching Harleys. "There you boys are!" She waved theatrically. "I was beginnin' to think that somethin happened." She taunted as the grumbling men dismounted their bikes, realizing that the Sergeant wasn’t among them... "Where's Tig?" She scowled. 

"Stopped off for gas a couple miles back." Clay reported before he made his way into the clubhouse. 

"Aye, McKeevy'll be here tomorrow." Chibs held up his burner from a barstool as his President entered the building. 

"We take possession tomorrow morning." Clay nodded curtly. "Where's the prospect?" He looked around impatiently once he realized that a cold beer wasn't being immediately placed into his hand. 

"Ran out after gettin' a call." Chibs shook his head in confusion, having assumed that the urgent call that he'd gotten had been from Clay. 

"Hey! Bartender! Beer over here, stat." Sydney yelled to Clay from down the bar, grinning as he chuckled and rolled his eyes before sliding a Corona across the glossy surface of the bartop when Tig finally walked in.

"Don't even start." He began with a hand up to silence the trash talk that Sydney was surely about to berate him with. "It wasn't an even playing field." 

“Mhmm." She nodded amusedly, clearly unconvinced as she leaned up to peck his lips.

"You know where Sack is?" Clay nodded to his Sergeant.

"Hey, babe." Tig asked Sydney quietly. "Can you go grab my sunglasses?" He nodded down the hall.

"Yeah." She nodded happily. "The new ones?" He nodded, giving her a swat on the butt as she made off towards his dorm. 

Sydney smiled as the buckles on her combat boots rattled with each step that she took after a quick trip down the hall, a sound that she was coming to recognize over the signature clacking of her stilettos, these days - re-entering the bar where Tig abruptly stopped his conversation with Clay, looking over at her with wide eyes as she furrowed her brows in question.

"7:00 P.M. tomorrow." Clay nodded to his Sergeant.

"You got it, man." Tig nodded, looking out the door to see Half-Sack walking up. "Come on, doll." He nodded eagerly as he rounded the bar, holding his hand out to Sydney. There were still several hours of daylight left to pull off what he had planned, but they would have to get on the road quickly to make the most of it. 

Sydney’s brows remained creased, but she took his hand anyways, following him out to his bike where he handed her his spare helmet. "Scared I'd beat ya if you let me ride alone?" She taunted with a grin as she pulled the helmet down over her already flattened curls. 

He looked back at her with an unamused look on his face as his lips pursed, saying nothing as he fired up his bike and drove them out of the lot. Sydney held on tight as they roared down the highway, making quick work of the hills that surrounded the small town. She had no idea where it was that they were going, and as soon as she found herself inhaling the sweet smell of the tall redwood trees along the scenic route, she didn’t care - she was too busy enjoying the air rushing over her face, and her hair blowing freely in the wind.

Tig didn't have to turn around to know that she was greatly enjoying herself from where he could feel her buzzing as she held onto him, which had him sporting a grin almost as big as hers. He reached down off of the handlebar, trailing his hand up her calf where he gave it a squeeze before returning to the warm chrome. 

Even through her black jeans, his touch gave Sydney goosebumps, effectively widening the smile that was already on her face as she continued to scan the scene around them, trying to figure out where it was that he was taking her. 

After a glorious two hour ride, Tig veered onto an off ramp where, luckily for him, Sydney had been too busy admiring the shapes of the clouds in the sky to have seen the landmark sign. She knew that they were in a city on the coast, but it hadn't quite occurred to her just yet, what it was that he was planning - that was until she saw a break in the buildings, and the glimmering water of the ocean in the direction that they were headed. She lit up the second that she recognized the Santa Cruz boardwalk, bouncing on the leather seat behind him as she tightened her arms around his waist.

Tig chuckled while she squeezed him as they neared the gorgeous California coastline where he parked along the beach, confirming that this was indeed their destination. He knew that she'd mentioned missing the beach back home, but he hadn't expected her to have missed it this much. 

Sydney was almost screeching with excitement as they dismounted the bike, but her state of awe kept things silent between them as her widened green eyes took in the beautiful sight of the white sand beach, clear blue water, and twinkling boardwalk lights. "Thank you, Tiggy!" She squealed before launching her arms back around him. 

"You like it?" She nodded with her nose buried in his chest, looking up with a giddy grin.

Tig was glad that his impulsive idea had the desired effect on both her and him; realizing that maybe this wasn’t just about cheering her up, but that it was his way of making up for the awful doubts that had crossed his mind in the past week about their relationship - a suspicion that was only confirmed as he felt his guilt fading further and further into the back of his mind as each second that she remained tightly wrapped around him, passed. But regardless of his subconscious motives in an attempt to erase the thoughts that she was all too unaware of, he was glad that he'd been able to pull this off in the first place - having to collect both of their belongings for the trip, and get the go ahead from Clay, all in the short time that she wasn't in his direct company - and now that he could be sure that his efforts had paid off in both areas, he had to admit, he was excited too. Happy's larger presence in Charming these days meant that the Sergeant was finally getting some much-needed time off; and real time off at that - not just getting drunk for free while he waited around the clubhouse for something to come up where Clay needed his most ruthless soldier by his side. 

"I got Half-Sack to stop at your house..." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he popped open the storage compartment on the side of his bike to see what the clueless kid had packed for her - hoping that his faith in him had not been too horribly misplaced. "Uh... Is this-" He pulled out the white bikini that the prospect had chosen. “Is this okay? We can go buy you somethin' if not…”

"Damn... You must really love me if you let the prospect rifle through my panty drawer." She spoke with a grin as she took the white bathing suit into her hands. "You know, I'm happy just seeing the beach again, if you don't wanna..." She looked towards the water. She was more than satisfied with what he’d managed to bring for her - being a little unprepared had never fazed the resourceful woman, anyway - but she hadn't exactly pegged him to be much of a beach-goer...

"And miss out on showin' this whole beach what a hot body your old man has? No way." He winked. "Wanna leave your jacket?" He looked to her thoughtfully as he stuffed his kutte into the storage compartment. 

Sydney nodded, shrugging out of the leather jacket that she wore over her white tube top - it had been a mild day in Charming, but here in Santa Cruz the unforgiving sun was beating down hard. 

After the storage compartment was locked, Tig held out his hand to her before they began their stroll along the paved pathway that ran parallel to the shoreline leading up to the entrance to the beach, letting Sydney go first only so that he could slap her ass when she passed by, earning some concerned looks from offended bystanders. 

"Go change, I'll get towels and meet ya out there." He squinted in the sun as he nodded towards the open beach. Sydney nodded, pulling him down for a peck before she bounded off to the change rooms with a bashful smile.

As Tig predicted; he had changed into the black swim trunks that he'd acquired from the convenience store on the way back from Oswald's, much quicker than Sydney. He’d managed to secure them a spot in a more secluded area of the beach, laying out the blue and white striped beach towels next to the section of cliff-like rocks where nobody else seemed to want to be - which was fine by him. He slid his sunglasses back up the bridge of his nose, sighing as he sat himself down in the sand while keeping his eyes trained on the doors of the facility while he waited for her to emerge, but even with the anticipation, he couldn't have prepared himself for the sight that made his heart stop, and his jaw drop as the doors flew open; his girl, strutting out in the tiny bikini with her hair blowing in the wind like she was on the runway of a lifetime. He groaned at the sight, palming himself over his shorts as his eyes ate up the white suit that made her tan pop and eyes sparkle even from all the way across the sand.

Sydney bit her lip when she saw him staring, knowing that even behind his dark sunglasses, his blue eyes were glossed over. But their moment was cut short as a loud whistle penetrated the heavy air between them. She looked over at the source of the noise, smirking in the direction of the two, toned frat boys who were throwing a football back and forth as they so blatantly drooled over her.

Tig grimaced, immediately regretting the bathing suit decision - it was one thing for his brothers to stare at her when they knew that she was his, but it was another when the stares were from cocky men who had no idea who she - or he - was. He shuddered at the thought, suddenly feeling naked without his kutte. If he had been wearing it, there was no way that the group of pussies would've catcalled his woman in front of him like that. He felt his exposed skin beginning to crawl. He'd never thought of himself as a man who hid behind the patch, but maybe that was because the item had become a like second skin to him - never having any occasions or outings that provided an opportunity for it to be left behind. He gulped, swallowing the bile rising in his throat as he tried to remind himself that she was his, and he would gladly show everyone on this beach, just that.

"Hey, Sergeant." Sydney cooed seductively as she approached the towels and sat down beside him. 

"I should've booked us a private cabana." He raised a brow as he lifted his sunglasses, eating her up with his eyes in the way that she had expected.

"What's the fun in that?" She smirked, slowly climbing over him where she straddled his waist. "I was hoping for at least public indecency... Maybe even assault." She glanced in the direction of the men who were still staring her down.

"Might just get what you're askin' for..." He gripped her thighs tightly as he spoke, his gaze following hers. 

Sydney smirked before leaning down to kiss him, bringing his attention back to her. "Mmm." She hummed against his lips. "We should just go to a motel..."

"Now you're gettin' greedy." Tig chuckled as his hand ricocheted off of her ass with a loud clap, thankful for her ability to bring him back down to earth, rather than scold him for wandering off. 

A light gasp left her lips as she fought off the moan that threatened to follow. "I have to admit..." She sat back up with a grin. "This is not a sight that I expected to see..." She ran her hands down his exposed chest.

"Don't get used to it." He scoffed.

"What if I wanna get used to it..." She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth as that wild look took over her. She could definitely get used to her lethal Sergeant laid up in the sand.

Tig grimaced as her eyes propositioned him in the way that he'd became all too familiar with, the look telling him that she may have been serious about that public indecency charge... 

"You ain't used to it, are ya?" She grinned when he couldn't keep the look off of his face long enough to even try to perform the mock-scolding that he'd intended on giving her.

"No." He shook his head with a bashful grin. He never thought that he’d see the day where he would meet a woman that could keep up with his vulgarity. 

Sydney smiled, leaning in for another kiss before finally making to get up off of his lap when she froze, her eyes going wide. "What?" Tig's face fell with concern.

"My top came undone..." She leaned back in, whispering in his ear before pulling back with innocent eyes, gauging his reaction before she pushed further - letting the top slowly start to slide off of her body. 

Tig moved faster than Sydney had ever seen him move before; quickly covering her tits with his hands and holding the top in place once he realized what she was doing. "You bad girl." He growled. 

"You gonna take me to fix it?" She asked with the same innocent tone that made him weak in the knees - and dick - smirking when he roughly pulled her against his chest and tied the top back in place, pushing her away just as roughly where he adjusted the front so that she was properly covered once again. 

"Can't take you anywhere, can I? Huh, doll?" He smirked.

"Baby... You could take me anywhere." She winked before getting up out of his lap and walking towards the blue sea in front of them, swinging her hips as she gathered her long hair into a messy bun on the top of her head. "You comin'?" She turned back to Tig who was sitting in awe with his sunglasses off and his mouth agape, quickly getting up to follow her.

"Jesus." He shivered once his feet hit the cold water. 

"Water's too hot, water's too cold... I'm beginning to think you might be hiding behind that Sergeant's patch." She teased, turning around and grabbing his hand to pull him out further into the water.

"Better watch that mouth, Princess." He warned.

"Or what?" She challenged playfully.

"Or this." He growled, lunging for her legs and slinging her up over his shoulder before taking off into deeper water as she squealed. "You done?" He asked once he was waist deep with her head hovering just above sea level.

"Yes!" She laughed hysterically as she kicked her feet in the air.

"Okay then." He nodded, faking her out as he started swinging her down before crouching quickly and dunking her head under the water, bringing her back up and properly swinging her down where he wrapped her legs around his waist - letting out a loud laugh when he saw the shock on her face. 

"You're gonna regret that!" She shook her head. 

"No, no, no, no, no." He laughed, ungracefully dropping her down to her feet when she shook her head, coating his exposed top half with cold water.

"I'll give you a ten second head start." She nodded toward the deeper water. 

Tig chuckled, but his face fell when he saw the seriousness in her expression, quickly turning and making a run for it the best that he could in the water, forgoing his legs all together and diving beneath the surface.

When he resurfaced out deep enough that he actually had to swim, he realized that it had definitely been longer than ten seconds, and he still didn't hear her splashing behind him. His forehead creased when he finally turned around to see no sign of her; no kicks, splashes, or bubbles to indicate that she was below the surface and heading towards him. He scanned the area for a couple of minutes, squinting as the glare of the sun bounced off of the rippling sea, his confusion only deepening when he still couldn't spot her. He began to worry, frantically scanning the rocky ledge only a few metres away. The waves were about as calm as they could get in the ocean; not strong enough to do any real damage, but it was the only conclusion that he could draw as the seconds began to feel like hours as he continued surveilling the rocks until he couldn't take it anymore, swimming towards the jagged ledge. 

Sydney giggled as she peeked out from behind a rock, watching him searching for her - easily falling for the bait she'd set. She waited patiently for him to swim close enough to begin combing through the rocky base, beginning her ascent up onto the low cliff; climbing higher as he focused his attention lower.  

Tig really started panicking now - which was exactly what Sydney wanted. She smirked, waiting until she was sure that each one of his senses had peaked before she launched herself off of the giant rock, landing inches away from him with a giant crash into the water. Even far beneath the surface, she could hear him scream when she successfully startled him - racing back up before the bubbling laugh could escape her. 

Tig whipped around to see that she was the cause of the nerve-frying splash in the water, the worry in his crystal blue eyes trickling away when he finally realized that she was safe and sound, and had been planning this the whole time.  

"Scare ya?" She asked with a grin.

"You know how close these rocks are?” He looked around incredulously as his mounting heart attack continued to decline. “You could've sliced your leg right open!" He reprimanded, hoping to cover up the fact that he'd been worried that she'd fallen victim to a shark attack, and that her splashing into the water next to him had meant that he was next. 

"Fuck matching tattoos, we would have matching scars." She brushed her foot along his leg which had healed up nicely over the past week - thanks to St.Thomas.

"You are somethin' else." He scoffed as she swam up to him, widening her eyes innocently. He'd planned on continuing his facetious scolding, but his train of thought was lost before he could even board it as he stared at her blankly - a stare that she still hadn't quite gotten used to. 

"What?" She questioned bashfully, looking down from his eyes. 

Tig blinked and shook his head, coming back from his short visit to heaven. "Uh, your eyes." He pulled her body against his, wrapping her legs around his waist as he slowly swam backwards with her, but he quickly felt himself falling right back into the trance that he had just pulled himself out of as he stared into the stunning seafoam green colour of her eyes that were only being brought further to life by the sun and surrounding water.

"Oh..." She smiled as her cheeks turned pink. 

"You're gorgeous." He spoke with a strong sincerity that she also still hadn't gotten used to. 

"So are you." Her tone was just as dreamy as she let herself gaze upon her man - his dark curls wet from the salt water, his eyes lighter than ever, and his strong body glistening in the sun.

"Think you're gonna get far with flattery?" He raised a brow.

"I have a feeling I might..." She bit her lip.

"You just wanted to get me out here so you could take advantage of me, didn't ya?" He smirked.

"You're onto me." She whispered with a grin as she leaned towards his lips, capturing them before biting down on the bottom one and pulling away as she stared into his eyes seductively. 

Tig tightened his grip on her thighs, the temptation to fully give in growing as she began to grind herself against him beneath the water, but he managed to pull himself away. "And you ain't gonna get onto me." He winked before pushing off of her and swimming towards the shore.

Sydney smiled and rolled her eyes before following after him, letting her body glide through the water. She truly did miss the beach; the water, the calmness that she felt when she was around it, but this outing had shown her that it really wasn't as far away as it seemed. 

Tig turned to grab her hand once he was out of the water and on the sand where the waves rolled over his feet, but when he didn't immediately feel her grip, he realized that she wasn't behind him. He scowled, turning around to see that she was still a few feet out, floating on her back. He smiled, beyond pleased that he had managed to come up with a day that she seemed to be enjoying so thoroughly - especially given his limited experience.

Sydney's peace as she stared off into the sky and listened to the rolling waves went undisturbed when Tig slowly drifted up, kneeling behind her in the shallow water. She knew that he was looking at her, but she didn't move, smiling to acknowledge him instead as she tried to soak up as much of the euphoria as she could. 

He smiled in return, even though she couldn't see it - absorbing the calming sense of relief that she was radiating. He sat back where the water gathered at his chest, gently guiding her to float in front of him where they sat in silence for a while as they both allowed the peaceful trances to engulf them as the waves gently swayed their lightened bodies. 

"I love you." Sydney broke the silence, a small smile on her face and she stared across the horizon where the water seemed to go on forever. 

"I love you." He nodded, staring off into the same vastness that for once didn't make him seem small. 

“Water's always made me feel better." Sydney nodded as the words began rolling off of her tongue with an ease that she didn't bother to fight. "My parents used to take me to the beach everyday when I was little, before everything..." She trailed off. "It's some of the only stuff I remember about her. Not her directly, just memories that I know she was a part of…" 

There was a note of melancholy in her tone as she reminisced, but Tig couldn't help but notice the lack of hostility as she willingly opened up about her past, this time. "Tell me." He nodded encouragingly. All of the memories that he had of his parents were of the vile, horrible, unthinkable things that took place in their home - he wanted to be able to help her remember the good.

She smiled in appreciation for the man behind her; the man who had brought her to her favorite place, the man who wanted nothing more than to see her happy. She sighed contently as she rested her head back against his chest, digging deep into her psyche where she began to recount the happier memories of her childhood. 

"My grandpa had a cabin on Huntington Beach that me and my mom would go to every weekend. My dad would come when he could get away from the club, but a lot of the time it was just us back when he was VP."

Huntington, Tig's brain ticked, realizing that must have been where she had been before her attack, but he didn't bring it up.

"I don't remember a lot about back then… But I always remember being by the water." She paused, feeling the overwhelming discomfort that always accompanied the happy memories - which was why she never bothered reliving them. She clutched onto her necklace, forcing herself to let the words flow freely without altering them. "She was a good mom… She was so good at making things seem normal; like we were a normal family doing normal things, like she was a normal wife. We looked like the American dream… People never would've guessed the kind of life that we lived at home..." 

It was clear to Tig from her tone that she was still immensely confused by her mother choosing drugs and abuse over a happy family, rubbing his thumbs down her arms as she spoke.

Sydney felt the dreaded tightening in her throat, deciding that she had done good enough as she took a sharp turn off of memory lane. "I wasn't allowed there after everything, but I would make Happy take me back every chance that I got." She chuckled at the happier memory of the grumbling Tacoma Killer being guilted by the little girl on a weekly basis. 

Tig chuckled along with her. He could see exactly how it would've gone down with the way that Sydney still had him so tightly wrapped around her finger. "You ever get caught?" 

"No." Sydney smiled, gently caressing his hands. Even after she was banned from her personal slice of heaven, she always managed to make it there undetected - always feeling like it was a sign from whatever God existed, that it was where the universe intended for her to be; the one place where she was allowed peace. "I'd make Hap sit there for hours… He hated it." She chuckled. "Couldn't wear his kutte, sometimes he'd even have to pose as a kid to blend in." 

Tig cackled loudly at the idea of Happy trying to look like a normal beach dweller, the unpersonable man having to fit in with the types of guys that had been hassling Sydney just minutes before. 

Sydney giggled through the smile that found its way onto her lips, she loved the sound of his laugh. "Once I got my license I would drive out there almost every night. I didn't give a shit how much gas or sleep I lost doing it." She smiled sadly as she inadvertently confirmed his suspicions - the ones that she feared would never leave her subconscious after tainting the route to her favorite place. "My favorite time of day was just before sun down… When the air starts to cool and everyone goes inside for dinner. I'd go sit on the beach and watch the sunset while listening to the waves with my feet in the sand, and the smell of a home cooked meal... There's nothing in this world that beats that." She fought the sadness of nostalgia. "That's the only thing I miss about home." She concluded her session of divulgence, noting that the way that he listened to her so intently and allowed her to speak freely without interrupting had made it much easier to get through.

"You should show me one day... Sounds like I could use a place like that." Tig nodded. He'd never been lucky enough to find a location like Sydney described, but what he had found was a peace similar to the one that she’d described, in her. 

Sydney looked up at him for the first time since he'd come back into the water with her, her eyes bright and hopeful. "I'd really like that." She smiled. 

He returned her smile, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "You about ready to head back to shore, captain?" He smirked as he sat back up.

"Only if you promise there will be lots of seamen there." She raised a brow.

Tig chewed his tongue, holding back his laugh at her clever response before pulling her to her feet and walking her towards their beach towels.

Sydney stretched out across the fluffy blue and white towel, enjoying the warm sun on her chilled skin where the droplets of salt water quickly evaporated. "I'm gonna have to thank you real good for this..." She spoke with her eyes closed and her face tilted towards the sky.

"You're really pullin' out all the stops to get me naked, aren't ya?" She smirked but kept her eyes closed as he carried on with his prude act, but that was okay - she would crack him eventually.

♕

Jax sighed as he moved around his dorm room, swiping various items of discarded clothing off of the carpeted floor and tossing them into the laundry hamper that Gemma would surely be by to collect any minute now. He straightened up once the room was clean, taking a deep breath of the musty air that he had gotten a little too used to in the however many months that he had spent in the dorm that was only supposed to be a temporary solution, but as the time to move back into his house neared, part of him wished that it could be permanent.

He'd never cared for the idea of being a bachelor the way that most guys in the life did, but somewhere along the bumpy road of heartbreak, marriage, and divorce, the idea of returning to the empty house where he would be forced to face the reality of what his choices had cost him, became much more daunting than resigning himself to inhabiting a building full of people who shared in the weight of them.

He blew a heavy breath over his lips as he ran his hands through his hair that was days away from needing a cut, his tired eyes landing on the black binder that sat in the top of his closet... He shook his head, tearing his gaze away where he did everything that he could to extinguish the spark in the pit of his stomach that he could feel growing wider as he pondered the temptation. 

He bit his tongue, shaking his head in frustration as his feet carried him closer to the one thing that he knew had caused all of the problems that he'd had lately - and he hadn't even finished it yet. He had managed to hold himself back the past few days, allowing himself to live in the moment with Clay, rather than in the past with his father, and miraculously, things between the contemporary pair had been better. But there was something in those pages - between those lines - that had him unable to choose peace as he reached for the manuscript. He needed answers, whether they were to questions that he knew that he had, or not.

♕

"This what you were talking to Clay about?" Sydney opened her eyes as she broke the silence after some time bathing in the sun, turning over onto her stomach. 

Tig opened his eyes, blinking a few times as his head lifted from where it had been resting on his folded hands, staring at her blankly. "Oh, yeah." He blinked again once he realized what she was talking about, and what his answer was supposed to be. "Yeah, it was." He nodded quickly. 

Something ticked in her brain briefly as she scowled, something telling her that his answer didn't seem as sincere as it should've, but she brushed it off - maybe he just hadn't realized what she meant at first, especially since it was sprung on him so suddenly. 

"We could go grab some dinner at one of the restaurants." Tig changed the subject quickly, knowing that she would surely sniff him out if he didn't.

"Is that what you wanna do?" She asked gently with a raised eyebrow, knowing full well that the Sergeant-at-Arms likely wasn't a 'napkin on the lap, with a glass of red' kind of guy - which was exactly what all of the fancy seaside restaurants were full of.

"I wanna do whatever will make you happy, baby." Tig didn't mind sucking it up if it was what she wanted, he'd figured that having a girlfriend meant that he would have to succumb to the domestic activity sooner or later - so it may as well be when he was ready and willing.

"What I want." She smirked, climbing into his lap. "Is for you to remember that I'm biker trash just as much as you are, Sergeant ." She whispered in his ear. 

Tig blinked up at her as he nearly choked on his saliva. Now she was pulling out all the stops to get him hot and bothered; sitting in his lap, tickling the sensitive skin of his neck, telling him he didn't have to sit through a fancy dinner? Maybe he would give in after all...

"That's all you gotta tell me as a thank you for today." He chuckled. "Wanna get dressed and see what they got on the boardwalk? I'm starving." 

Sydney smiled and nodded, grabbing her clothes and making her way back to the changing rooms where she moved much quicker this time - her empty stomach serving as motivation. She slipped her sun-warmed clothes over her tanned skin, and fluffed her sea-dried hair with her fingers before walking back out to meet Tig where the pair walked hand in hand as they set off towards the bike to drop off their damp bathing suits. 

"Haven't they seen beauty and the beast?" Tig asked in her ear as they continued to earn scowls from passersby along the way.

"I guess not." Sydney joked back.

"Doesn't bother ya?" He couldn't help but ask, knowing that she was the one being judged much more than he was.

"The stares? Fuck no. We should turn it into a drinking game." She was completely unfazed by the dirty looks - if anything, they amused her.

Tig grinned, never failing to feel like he had hit the jackpot when he'd scored the San Bernardino girl. "What do you feel like eatin'?" He nodded towards the boardwalk as they approached, the wood clunking beneath their boots. 

Sydney just looked him up and down in response with a dirty smirk on her face, making him smile demurely as he shook his head, continuing to refuse to give in to her antics. "How about-" He began.