This is my first attempt at an SOA fanfic. Again, my punctuation is shite. I make no excuses. Raven is an original character that belongs to Moi. I do not own the songs or any of Kurt Sutters brilliant characters (Although if any of them are up for grabs, I would like to acquire a Chibs please. This story takes place during season 1. You remember that season right? When people smiled and everyone was still alive =( I love reviews but only if it's helpful criticism.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well It's Too Long Living In The Same Old Lives

I Feel Too Cold To Live, Too Young To Die

Will You Walk The Line, Like It's There To Choose?

Just Forget The Wit, It's The Best To Use

Oh Lord

I Said Oh Lord

Won't You Follow Me Into The Jungle

Ain't No God On My Streets In The Heart Of The Jungle

…..X Ambassadors Ft. Jamie N Commons (Into the Jungle)

XXXXXXX

Chapter 1

The gavel in church swung down with a reverberating thud, causing even the most intoxicated tongue to grow idle. The scent of leather and smoke hung heavy in the air while everyone awaited the first words from their president. Clay Morrow sat down casually at the head of the long reaper table and lit his cigar, the routine as common to him as is was to everyone in attendance.

"First order of business." He paused dramatically and let the smoke drift slowly through his parted lips "A little less than a month ago, Joe Murray's chop shop got busted. Fed's came and took apart the whole place."

"Shit. We've been doin' business with Joe for years now. They had to find something on our shop if they went through all the files." Jackson Teller leaned his elbows down on the table and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. How did this happen?"

"I don't know. Joe had suspicions before it happened. Was pretty sure someone in the shop gave'em up for a pardoning deal. He thought someone might be sniffing around so he took all the Teller-Morrow paper work and anything to do with the payout he was giving the club and destroyed it. They got nothin' on us."

"And if he rats? Then what do we do?" Tig questioned.

Clay drummed his sore calloused fingers on the table and rested his cigar in the ashtray "He ain't gonna rat. If he was, he would have done it already. No" he repeated "Club doesn't have anything to worry about. But we do have a whole new problem to deal with."

"Yeah no shit. That's gonna be a couple grand out of our pockets every month. Not to mention paying full price for all the shop parts now. Hell, I was supposed to get that exhaust system and windshield for that yuppy towny biker this week." Tig chimed in again.

"I know. I know." Clay's voice rose above the collective chattering among club members "I wish that was our only problem. Buying parts is something that can be worked out down the road. I'm already in talks with another shop. The other issue is Joe's daughter. The kid worked with her old man pullin' and runnin' parts. When they got busted, Joe gave himself up to keep her out of jail. Problem was, she was the only one he kept out of jail. Now there's people that were part of that theft ring that are goin' to be lookin' for payback once they get out jail. If they ain't already. If Joe's convicted, which he will be, he's going away for a long time and his kid has no other family. For his loyalty to the club, I promised we'd keep an eye on her."

"Since when did this club become a daycare center?"

The irritated rumbling voice coming from the opposite end of the table had Clay glaring back intensely. Piney, the eldest club member, swayed slightly in his chair, his face flush from liquor "We got enough people hangin' round this place. Where's she gonna stay?"

"She ain't just gonna be hangin' around Piney. A girl that knows cars and bikes-I already talked to Gemma about it. We're gonna use her in the shop. God knows with everything going on lately we can use the extra set of hands. We'll get her in the garage and she can use one of the apartments in the clubhouse till this all gets settled. Also, if Joe decides to open his mouth to the feds, we have a bargaining chip under our roof." Clay took another puff from his cigar and smiled back smugly. Piney had always been a pain in the ass but his attitude of late was downright defiant and he always managed to put it on full display in front of the other members. Being able to have the last word was becoming one of Clay's simple pleasures.

"The clubhouse could also use an extra set of hands if you get my drift" Tig made a lewd gesture below the table causing an eruption of laughter from all the men at the table except its president.

"No." Clay pointed an arthritic finger at his Sergeant at arms "She ain't a sweetbutt or croweater. I promised Joe I was gonna look out for her and that means keeping her away from you animals. We got enough crazy bitches running around this place."

"Besides Tiggy boy, when's the last time yeh saw a hot piece arse that knew cars and bikes? Girl's probably built like a linebacker with a voice like your grandda' and would prefer pussy ta' your cock.

"Chibby, Chibby. Don't tease me."

Again, the biker's stifled their laughter.

"So when will we be expectin' the lad. I mean lass" Chibs corrected with grin.

"Sometime tomorrow. Now is this something that needs to be voted on or are we all in agreement? Clays eyes scanned the table as everyone exchanged neutral looks.

"I'm good with it." Jax said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Aye. Anythin' to help out the shop."

So it's settled then. The girl will be here tomorrow. Now, on to the Mayans."

XXXXXXXXXX

Raven Murray stopped just outside a store window and checked her reflection. Her distressed jeans and low cut black tank top were anything but appropriate to make a first impression, but her abrupt departure from her home above her father's shop had left her clothing options limited. She frowned a leaned closer to the window while simultaneously pulling her long black hair into a high messy bun. She was resigned to the fact this was as good as it was going to get. At this point it was a trivial issue in the towering instability that had suddenly become her life. Had Ra taken even the slightest moment to dwell on it, she would end up a crumpled mess of tears on the pavement. But that wasn't her. Her father had trained her better than that. How to be unbreakable under pressure no matter how bad things seemed to be. If the lessons hadn't been enough, she had gotten to see a full demonstration of that when the shop was raided by the feds and her father had been the epitome of composure Unwavering in his mythological facts that his shop was nothing more than a storage garage and bike shop. That was until they had threatened to press charges against his only daughter. They were seeking a minimum of ten years for her and that was bound to change once they began to delve farther into their chop shop business. At thirty one years old, she would be lucky to get out at sixty. Despite all the lectures and lessons he had imparted upon her, he did the one thing no one saw coming. He rated. He rated out every "employee" that had worked for them. Most of them she had grown up around and regarded as family. Somewhere deep down it felt like a betrayal to her just as much as them. The only difference was, she was back on the street and they were locked up. It was his cross to bear for a plea deal that exonerated her from any charges. A deal she was shocked had even been on the table considering. The only group he had not thrown to the wolves was the one they had done business with for years. Teller-Morrow. Also known as the base sight for The Sons Of Anarchy. Her father was more intelligent than that. Their business dealings had them in bed with some less than savory people, but the Sons could wipe them off the grid in the blink of an eye and no one would ask any questions. Instead, her father would remain loyal to the Sons and as a reward for his devotion, his daughter would be looked after. Still, to say that her future was being held in the hands of a biker gang set in motion by her own flesh and blood was more than unnerving..to say the least.

Ra smoothed out the wrinkles in her tank and was just about to turn away when she saw the reflection of a cop car over her shoulder. It drove passed her slowly, the window also catching the mirrored image of the cop driving it. She cut her eyes to watch it drive by and only looked away when it turned and disappeared around the corner. She may have been a pardoned criminal but she was a criminal none the less and they didn't need to see where her destination was.

Ra could see the iron gate that led into the Teller-Morrow compound. She slowed her pace if only to take a minute to bask in the final moments of her former life. This was about to change everything and she knew it. Crossing the threshold in to their utopia would forever associate her with SAMCRO and make the last couple weeks more than just some fleeting nightmare. The sound of the mechanic drill coming from the garage was somehow soothing and familiar as it drew her to move further to the back of the lot. The sign reading Teller-Morrow on the small garage was overshadowed by the larger building opposite of it. Sons Of Anarchy. There it was. The mural of a grim reaper looked down upon a line of parked bikes like a general looking over its soldiers. The noises coming from the garage came to a stand still and Ra was very aware she had an audience. The slack jawed mechanics watched her every move as she made her way quickly to the door marked office, thankful when the knob turned and a blast of cold from an air conditioner greeted her balmy skin.

"Help you with something sweetheart?"

The woman sitting at the desk regarded Ra for only a moment before returning to the paperwork in front of her. Ra's mind went blank for a few seconds, her mouth opening and closing but not making any noise. The pen in the other woman's hand went idle and she looked back up in visible annoyance.

"Do you have something that needs to be fixed or did you need an English lesson?"

Ra let out a breathy laugh and shook her head, removing the sunglasses from her face "Sorry. I just walked five blocks and it's hot out there. I.."

"If you need a tow it's going to be about an hour. The guys are already out on a pickup." The woman cut her off and stood to put her papers into a filing cabinet.

"No. No I don't need a tow. I was told to talk to Clay's wife Gemma. I'm Raven Murray." She hesitated, unsure if she should say his name to someone she just met "Joe Murray's daughter."

"Oh." the womans face relaxed and she looked suddenly interested "I'm Gemma. Sorry been a busy day almost forgot you were coming." Gemma's eyes flicked over Ra causing her to shift uncomfortably "So you're Joe's kid huh? Raven. Interesting name."

"Ya well, that's what happens when your mama is part Indian and your daddy is too drunk to check the birth certificate before he signs it. You can just call me Ra though. Everyone does."

Gemma smirked and rested a hip against her desk. It wasn't till just then did Ra notice it. If the portrait of the Reaper outside was the general, Gemma was the queen. Her dark clothing and highlighted hair were mere packaging for the part. She held herself with an air of calm self confidence and probably had years of training herself to look seemingly indifferent no matter what the situation. She didn't need to plaster a fake smile on her face and coddle Ra. If anything she probably expected Ra to drop to her knees and express her gratitude.

"Well your daddy told Clay you're one hell of a little mechanic. Did he mean fixing them or hot wiring them 'cause we don't do that sort of thing here little bird."

Ra took in a sharp breath and pursed her lips together. Maybe the Son's were doing her a favor but her father had also helped them out too "Look. After the last couple weeks I've had the last thing I need is to have someone else dumping their shit on me." She quickly bit her tongue, surprised that the words came out so freely. She was even more surprised when Gemma cocked her head to the side and a crooked smile tugged at her lips.

"Tougher than you look" Ra highly doubted it was meant to be a compliment "Well Birdie, here's the deal..you'll work in the shop for us fixin' up the bikes and cars and being a "go for" for the guys. I'll probably need you in the office too. In return, we give you room and board and the protection of the club." Gemma was very matter of fact about everything and Ra wondered how many times she had given that same speech to some random. The biker queen breezed passed her casually and opened the door "Come on. I'll show you where you're stayin' and let the boys know their new ward is here. Oh and by the way.." Gemma stopped to let her eyes skim over Ra one more time "Having perky tits and a nice body isn't something I can hold against you, but keep the girls covered when you're in the garage. I need those boys with their hands on the cars, not their dicks." Ra chewed on her lip and nodded, following behind Gemma obediently. She would have had a snippy retort about Gemma's cleavage peeking out from the top of her own shirt but decided not to push her luck.

"So. Is your mama in jail too or is she hiding out in a tipi somewhere?" Gemma questioned sarcastically.

"She's dead." Ra stated flatly.

Gemma slowed her steps and for the first time dropped her brash attitude "Oh. Sorry."

"S'okay" Ra shrugged, adjusting the satchel on her arm "It was a long time ago. I was to young to even remember her."

"Still, no child should grow up without a mother."

"Eh. I had a dad that wasn't so bad and the guys at the shop. Can't miss something you never had right?" Ra craned her neck to hear Gemma's reply but could only read her lips as the animalistic roar of a motorcycle entered the lot. She turned in time to see the reaper's returning soldier sitting coolly on top of his iron stallion. She watched as he backed effortlessly into the empty spot down the line of bikes like putting the missing link back into the chain. He turned to look at her as he killed the bike and she noticed the scars on each of his cheeks.

"You comin' birdie?"

Ra turned around to see Gemma waiting for her outside the door of what she assumed was the MC's clubhouse. She looked back to the biker who was no longer looking at her, but exchanging words with a few mechanics coming out from the garage to meet him. She watched for a moment longer before following Gemma into the building.

XXXXXXXX

Chibs slipped his sunglasses down to the tip of his nose and peered over the dark lenses "I dunno what tha' was but I want one."

"That's going to be under our roof and in our garage for the next few weeks and we can't play with it" Tig sidled up to Chibs' bike, wiping grease from his hands, Juice on his heels.

"Murray's daughter?" The Scot looked surprise.

"Yup. Who would have known daddy's little girl was going to be a hot piece of ass."

"Yeah Chibs" Juice chuckled "Where's the linebacker that was supposed to show up today?"

"Ugh. If that's what linebackers look like I should really start watching football."

Juice and Chibs exchanged glances, recognizing that dreamy zoned out stare Tig would get when talking about sex and could only imagine what raunchy images were playing in his head. Their conversation was cut short as Clay and Jax pulled into the lot and backed their bikes up side to side.

"Mom said the girl just got here. Get a look at her?" Jax dismounted his bike and pulled the helmet from his head.

"Oh yeah. We saw her." Juice wagged his eyebrows up and down but his face went blank when he saw the threatening look of his club president.

"Come on shitheads. Let's get this over with"

XXXXXXXX

This place was a dive bar. A dive bar with a hotel attached, but a dive bar nonetheless. Ra scrunched her face up. It even smelled like one. Her gaze drifted around the room, taking in every little detail. From the stripper pole, to the wall of mug shots and the couch with questionable stains..this was definitely SAMCRO'S playhouse. There was a short skinny brunette behind the bar staring at her curiously while a heavyset man with an oxygen tank was peering at her over the short neck of a tequila bottle.

"Piney. Ra. Ra. Piney." Gemma wagged a finger between the older man and Ra in a dismissive introduction.

Ra gave him a halfhearted smile and in turn was met with a hardened stern face "I ain't no babysitter." he grumbled breathlessly.

She locked her leg in place and put a hand to her hip "Well it's a good thing I ain't looking for one."

Gemma couldn't help but smile as Piney leaned back further into his seat and all but snarled at her. She slapped an arm around Ra's shoulder "Don't mind him. He's old and cranky. Actually he's old, cranky AND drunk a majority of the time."

Gemma directed Ra down a hallway with doors lining each side. The stickers and Harley signs reminded her of a college dorm and she could pretty well guess these rooms saw just as much action, if not more. The older women opened up the door at the end of the hall and looked into the room with a self-approving smirk "Some of the girls and I got this place all cleaned up for you yesterday. Not a simple job since this is the place where condoms and slutty thongs came to die."

Ra set her bag down on the floor and sat down at the end of the bed. There was a small cherry wood dresser across from her where a small television set and an ashtray on top of it. A kitchen station complete with microwave and sink and off to the side of that a small bathroom. The most predominant thing was of the ever present reaper staring at her from its spot on the wood paneled wall. Had it not been for the deity she would have just thought she was in a motel room. Instead, she was going to be waking up to its toothy grin and hardened black eyes staring at her coldly and reminding her every morning of her present situation. She chewed on her bottom lip and stared down at her black boots in an effort to focus on something other than the tears threatening to rise up in her eyes. Gemma frowned and sighed, pulling away from her spot in the doorway.

"Hey I know it's not the Hilton but its no reason to get upset about it" She joked, sitting down next to Ra.

"No. It's not the room. I just.." Ra pulled her hair down from the messy bun and sucked in a sharp breath "One minute I'm working on a twin cam engine and drinking beers with the guys and the next I'm looking at my dad behind bars and shacking up at a motorcycle club." She shook her head and chuckled darkly "I'm not looking for sympathy, we were criminals and I knew getting caught was part of the territory. It's just when it happened, it happened so fast."

"Yeah. I know sweetheart. We've all been through it" Ra nearly jumped at Gemma's hand rubbing up and down her back in a rather motherly fashion. She even had to do a double take to make sure it was the same woman that moments ago had been so standoffish in the office. Gemma met her confused eyes with a lighthearted smile "A lot of the women here have been through the same thing. Their Dads, sons, brothers, husbands. One day you wake up to a full house and the next..you're going to sleep in an empty bed surrounded by silence. Shitty."

Ra laughed out loud and pushed the tears away, finding it easier for her body to relax under Gemma's touch "Yeah. Shitty"

Gemma took Ra's head in her heads and held her gaze "But all of the girls out there will tell you that you need to be strong. It's okay to hurt and be mad and miss them, but when your day begins, you put on your big girl pants and you deal with it. Your dad gave himself up so you didn't have to be on the inside too. That's what family does. Best way to thank him for that is to prove how strong you can be."

Ra inhaled sharply and tightened her jaw. Gemma was right. This wasn't her. This whiney daddy's girl feeling sorry for herself. It had never been her. If her dad saw her now he wouldn't recognize her. There was the sound of men talking down the hall and Gemma turned to look over her shoulder "Alright" She stood and adjusted the bottom of her shirt "The guys are here. Enough with the mushy mommy shit. That's all you're going to get out of me. Let's go birdie."

Ra's lips twitched upward. She was sure that was the truth. Gemma transformed right back to the bitch in the office, but now she had a little more understanding as to why. Perhaps even a little envious too. Ra wiped away the smeared make up under her eyes and ran a hand threw her hair before following Gemma out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

The scent of leather and smoke was the first thing to invade her senses. That was followed by the sound of laughter and loud talking. It reminded her so much of hanging out with the boys in her shop and she smiled in spite of her sudden nervousness. The memory melted away quickly under the weight of eyes on her now. There they were. The Reaper's outlaw cavalry. All perfectly uniformed in black leather kuttes. If the jukebox wasn't playing faintly in the background Ra was sure they would be able to hear her heart beating.

"You boys play nice with your new friend otherwise mommy and daddy won't let you have anymore sleepovers." Gemma joked as she walked to the exit.

Ra wanted to follow after her, surprised in herself that Gemma would be the person she latched on to and felt suddenly thrown to the wolves. The door shut behind Gemma and Ra looked around awkwardly till her eyes landed on two familiar faces. Clay and Bobby. She didn't deal with the "sales" portion of her father's business, she was just a "mechanic," but she did remember seeing Clay. He was hard to miss. The idea that he could have any other occupation other than the head of this MC was preposterous. His unique look projected one thing…Alpha Male. Then there was Bobby. She had often seen him hanging around the office and was pretty sure he was screwing Rachel, her father's secretary. Coincidently so was her father.

Clay's lips pulled back into a tight smile "Raven" he opened up his arms, taking her in to a bone crushing hug. He pulled back, the smile sliding from his face "We're sorry about the business. Even more sorry to hear about your dad. He's a good man. We're gonna take care'a ya till all this blows over. You're family now. Don't hesitate to ask if ya need anything"

"Thanks Clay."

Her eyes wondered anywhere but to his sincere stare. She was afraid if their eyes were to meet it would bring on fresh tears. Gemma's words echoed in her head and she pushed her somber thoughts to the side.

"Boys." Clay didn't need to raise his voice to command the attention of everyone in the room "This is Raven. She's gonna be our new tenant. I want you to treat her like a sister." He eyed a tall man with dark hair and moustache with a five o'clock shadow "The one ya didn't sleep with Tiggy. We got fights tonight so let's get ready for that. Ra make yourself at home and relax tonight."

With his final words, Ra was nearly knocked backward by the towering leather clad men. They were offering her beer and introducing themselves, but Ra's head was spinning from the sudden attention.

"Easy lads. Like a bunch'o dogs with a bone."

The cool glaze of leather ghosted over her hand and Ra's eyes snapped up to the dark lenses of the man from the parking lot. He winked and smiled, the scars on his cheeks morphing into deep dimples as he passed her a bottle of beer. There was something about his thick Scottish brogue that had her staring at him in curious awe.

"So happy you're going to be staying with us doll" the tall man with the scruffy black hair grabbed Ra's hand and ran his lips across her knuckles in a ineffective attempt at a antique gesture "Names Tig." It was corny but charming in such a silly sort of way she had to smile.

"Is your name really Raven?"

A younger man with a shaved Mohawk surrounded by tattoo's reminiscent of racing stripes sat down in the stool next to her. His smile stretched clear across his face and his eyes were wide with curiosity. There was a certain innocence to him she didn't expect to see in any of the men.

"Yeah. You can just call me Ra though."

"I'm Juice." He said proudly, the name obviously given to him by his fellow brothers in arms as a badge of honor "You met prince charming here." He gestured to Tig and Ra felt herself shrinking into her chair at his odd vacant stare burning holes into her breasts. He pointed over to a giant of a man leaning up against the pool table in the middle of the floor fumbling with a cell phone "That's Opie." The bearded man raised up a hand in acknowledgement but his eyes never left the phone in his hands. The Scot on the other side of the bar is Chibs." Chibs raised up the shot glass in his hand in salute before downing its entire contents and slammed it back onto the bar. Ra's eyes lingered on him a little longer than they probably should have and Chibs raised his brows at her unwavering stare. The heat rose up in her cheeks as she turned away and squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment, hoping the silent exchange had only been noticed by the two of them.

"And I'm Jax"

Ra spun around to an outstretched hand and a VP patch looking back at her. She looked up into a pair of gentle blue eyes. He was about her age. Handsome. Great sincere smile. Just like Juice, he still had traces of innocence behind his eyes. Though she was sure he was anything but when it came to the perks of being the Vice President of a motorcycle club "Sorry about your old man. Only met him a few times but he was a nice guy. Loyal."

"Guess so." Ra shrugged and took a long swallow from the bottle of beer in her hand.

"Hey cause of him you're not behind bars right? That's what family does for each other."

"Yeah I know. Family" Ra was pulling at the label on her bottle now in thought "You sound just like Gemma."

Jax licked his lips and grinned, leaning a hand down on the bar "Well just don't tell her that. No one wants their parents to know they might have rubbed off on them."

Ra quirked an eyebrow "Parents."

"Yeah. The crazy broad in the office is my mom" he smirked "Clay's my stepdad" The phone is Jaxs' pocket rang and he offered no apologies when he turned around and walked away to take the call. Ra spun back and put her beer down on the bar.

"Son's in the hospital." Chibs pulled out another shot glass and filled it with the same amber colored liquid as the one in front of him. He slid it over to Ra and came out from the bar, taking a seat next to her. Pulling a pack of smokes out from his Kutte pocket, she watched as his lips wrapped around one of the cigarettes and pulled it out effortlessly with his teeth. He leaned over and wordlessly offered her the opened pack.

"I quit." Ra said hesitantly, reminded herself more than declining the offer.

Chibs lit his cigarette released the smoke out the side of his mouth as he chuckled and shook the pack in front of her again "Trust me luv. Now's the time ta' start."

Ra shrugged and pulled a cigarette from the pack, leaning over to Chibs' offered lighter. She inhaled deeply, letting the smoke fill her lungs. Her head lolled backed as the smoke drift back out through her partially parted lips. Chibs grinned, shaking his head in approval.

"Good right?"

"Too good" she said dreamily, the second drag feeling even better than the first.

Chibs reached over and set the shot glass down in front of her "Stick with us lass. It'll only get better." He grabbed his own and lifted it up, waiting for Ra to do the same. She smiled and clicked her glass off his. The whiskey was warm when it hit her lips and burned in her throat, igniting into a full blown fire in her stomach. It felt good. The smoke and liquor was already making her head a little foggy. The amount no where near what she could generally consume, but the stress of the last few days was probably messing with her tolerance. To hell with it she thought to herself. She was so overwhelmed with the uncertainty of her future that the thought of being able to forget, even for a little while, was way to tempting. The door to the clubhouse swung open and people began filing in, each person louder than the next. Two scantily clad women jumped behind the bar and began dispensing alcohol to the impatient rowdy group. The volume of the jukebox skyrocketed and the room quickly began to fill to capacity. Juice, who had been sitting on the other side of Ra, smiled and grabbed his beer off the bar.

"Ever been to a fight Ra?"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Please Review. No Flames Please.