Prologue- Life Isn't Fair

November, 1993.

The week of John Teller's death wasn't a unique week by any other means. It was quite mundane prior to his death and The Eleven hung out after classes let out the Thursday Jax's father would be hit by a semi. At fifteen, none of them knew their lives were about to change for the first time.

Jax, Opie, Tara, Donna, and Sara were hanging around the Morrow garage.

"So my parents are going to Napa Valley again, and my brother got us all an invite to Liz's place 'cuz her parents are gone too," said Sara. "Everyone else is already there so all we gotta do is show up."

The other four nodded but Opie seemed distracted.

"Whatsa matter Op?" said Sara.

"My parents were fighting again," said Opie. "If things don't work out, I may wind up leaving."

Donna quietly moved closer to Opie and he put his arm around her. Sara smiled. Never had there been a cuter couple.

She could still remember how The Eleven had formed.

First it had been her, her twin brother Sam and her younger sister Rachel, who was probably getting high at the moment. They had begun hanging out with Jax, Opie, Donna, and Tara in grade school, along with Blair and Liz, two other girls Sara befriended. Sam was also dating Blair, and Sara was sure her twin brother would be married before she even found a decent guy. Then there was Blair's younger stepbrother Jake, who was Rachel's age but unlike Rachel had skipped a grade so was in Sara's class. However, Rachel and Liz had been fighting over Jake since everyone had hit puberty and the drama wasn't about to stop. To make matters worse, Jake was seeing both girls off and on. Sara even suspected that the twit was seeing both girls at the same time.

"No one's leaving," said Jax. "Friends till the end."

Soon everyone had congregated in Liz's basement to do homework, watch movies, play pool, or in Rachel's case get high off the weed she'd brought.

"Rachel, are you nuts?" said Sara. "We have school tomorrow."

"So?" said Rachel.

Sara rolled her eyes and sprawled on the carpeting, watching a random film while reading off a script for South Pacific. She had gotten the lead role despite only being a sophomore. Donna came over and Sara took Liz's big bag of nail polish so the two friends could give each other mani-pedis.

"You're gonna be famous one day," said Donna. "You'll go to L.A. and be a successful theater actress then one day you'll come back to Charming looking glamorous and have a sexy man on your arm with a sexy accent that makes you melt like no one else."

"I'll always come back, and when I have kids with said Mr. Handsome and you have kids with Op they'll be friends too," said Sara. "Know this, Donna. You're my best friend. I'll always come back when you need me."

The afternoon turned to nightfall.

Jake and Rachel smoked pot and made out. All the other couples had paired off as well. Liz, upset that Rachel had won this round, was playing pool with Sara.

"Wanting to stay a virgin in this age is a bad idea," said Liz. "Just because we wanna wait doesn't mean we'll be loved."

"We'll find the right guys someday," said Sara.

"You're right," said Liz.

A knocking sound could be heard upstairs. Liz and Sara went up to go get it and saw it was Unser, the chief of the Charming Police Department.

"Howdy Sheriff," Sara drawled in her thickest southwest accent.

The girls laughed and slapped high fives. Unser smiled for only a second and then he was serious.

"Is Jax there?" said Unser.

"Yeah, he's downstairs," said Sara.

"I'll get him," said Liz.

She left, leaving Sara alone with Unser. As Bobby's niece, Unser knew she would find out even if he didn't tell her, so he decided just to tell her anyway.

"What happened?" said Sara.

"John Teller was out riding his Harley and was hit by a semi," said Unser. "Dragged 178 feet."

"Is he alive?" said Sara.

"Barely, he's at St. Thomas," said Unser.

When Jax and the others arrived, Unser pulled Jax aside.

SOA

For two days, only Jax, Tara, Opie, Donna, and Sara stayed and waited vigil. Bobby and Piney sat near the group of teens and Gemma, who was barely in the waiting room and most of the time was silent.

After two days, John Teller, the president of SAMCRO, died of his injuries.

SOA

To Sara, it seemed that all of Charming had turned up for the funeral.

"Who are all the bikers?" said Sara.

"Other charters, they're paying respects," said Bobby.

"You okay uncle Bobby?" said Sara.

He quietly nodded and put a hand on his nieces' shoulder, both of them knew he was lying. The priest spoke.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…"

Sara didn't think of anything for the rest of the day. When night fell, the eleven went to Liz's and got drunk, most of them for the first time.

SOA

June 18th, 1994.

Sara walked into the hotel room and placed candles and red roses in various places, then lit the candles.

It was Opie's last night in Charming, so Donna had asked Sara for her help. Sara just hoped the couple was having sex because they loved each other, not because Opie's mom had decided she didn't want her son around SAMCRO and was leaving Piney, taking Opie with her.

SOA

Summer of 1996

The summer of 1996 brought changes for the group. All but Rachel had graduated. She had one more year to go.

Opie had come back after graduation and along with Jax was now a Prospect, although Sara noticed that no one was hazing them.

Her graduation present had been a car from her uncle, and her parents hadn't said anything outright but Sara knew they hadn't been happy, despite the fact that she loved the white 1964 Mustang Convertible with the black leather seats. Despite how old it was, it ran like a dream. Sam and Rachel and all Sara's friends thought the car was, in their words, "sweet".

Sara, Sam, Blair, and Liz would all be going to UCLA in the fall. Jax and Opie joked about Sam's non-crow status on the last night all the friends would be together, roasting marshmallows on the beach.

"That shit's too deep for me," said Sam. "When Blair's sister was born, it reinforced the good example I want to be when I'm a father someday."

"You're a good guy Sam," said Jax.

Opie nodded in agreement.

Jake would be attending community college. He also had a job as a DJ at the local radio station.

"All of you better call me!" said Jake. "Don't forget this town!"

After they all parted, Sara drove to her boyfriend's house.

"Is this really it?" said her boyfriend.

"I'm going to L.A., David," said Sara.

"Sorry," said David. "I guess I thought we'd have more than the summer."

"Long-distance just wouldn't be fair to either of us," said Sara. "Don't worry. You'll make a woman very happy one day, David Hale."

The next day Sara drove to UCLA in her mustang and went to her dorm room. A petite brunette was unpacking her stuff on the other bed.

"I'm Sara Davis," said Sara.

"Sophie Evans," said the girl. "This is awesome!"

Sara grinned.

Her life as she knew it was about to be what she wanted.