The cab pulled up in front of the garage. She sat nervously in the back seat toying with her purse, debating on getting out. Her hazel eyes moved upward towards the sign with Teller-Morrow in large letters. She hadn't been here in years, and for good reason.
"Ma'am?" The driver asked.
She turned back to him, "Oh...I'm sorry."
She reached in her purse and handed him a hundred dollar bill.
"It's only $25.48." He raised an eyebrow.
"Keep it." She said softly.
"I can't do that..." He protested.
"I'm not taking any change, it's yours." She responded, looking back to the building in front of her.
"I'll get your bags ma'am." He smiled, getting out.
She noticed all the guys in the garage were now eyeing the cab. She opened the door and stepped out. She immediately recognized a few faces. Opie and Piney were standing the the doorway to the club house staring, unsure of what to think. She walked towards a room she knew well. She'd spent a lot of time there when she was growing up. She grabbed the handle and froze...it took a few moments before she regained her composure and pushed it open.
Gemma didn't look up. She just kept working on the books for the club.
"You just gonna sit there?"
"Excuse me?" Gemma asked, looking up.
Her expression immediately changed. She stood up with out a word and walked around the front of the desk.
"I was wondering when you were going to come back, baby." She smiled, taking the girls face in her hands.
"I had to...he's my dad." She responded.
"Oh Emerson..." Gemma said, "You're just as stubborn as he is."
"Is he here? His stupid bitch wife called and said I needed to check up on him..."
Gemma nodded, "He's in the bar with Clay and Jax...I don't know what they'll think."
"Well I don't care what Clay thinks...It's been eight years, I figure I'm safe now." Emerson shrugged.
"C'mon, baby." Gemma took her hand and led her to the bar.
It hadn't changed much. More mugshots that when she'd left. A few new faces obviously. She found herself beginning to tremble nervously as they entered the dimly lit room. They passed a man with tattoos on the sides of his head as they approached the group of men at the end of the bar. His eyes caught hers as they passed...she barely noticed the one he was standing next to.
"Chibs." Gemma said, getting their attention.
"Not now Gemma, this is important." Clay responded.
"More important than Emerson?" Gemma smirked.
Everyone stopped and turned. Chibs stood completely still, stairing at her. Their eyes met and she began to tear up.
"Emie??" He asked, his voice cracking.
"Hi Daddy." She nodded.
He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his shirt as tears streamed down her cheeks. Chibs held his daughter as tightly as he could. He wouldn't let her go...never again would he let her go. He would never go eight years with out his daughter again. Emerson looked up at her father...he hadn't changed at all. He still looked at her the same as she remembered...the way she had wanted someone to look at her for the last eight years.
"Oh my Emie..." Chibs said, kissing the top of her head.
He let go of her and held her at arms length, "You've gotten so big!"
"Well, the last time you saw her she was fifteen." Jax chimed in from his place at the bar.
"Eight years changes a lot of things." Emerson shrugged.
"Boys! Meet my daughter!" Chibs said, motioning for Juice and Half-Sac to come closer.
Emerson turned to them.
"This is Juice and Half-Sack, boys this is my Emerson."
"Half-sack?"
"The guys only got one nut." Juice shrugged, not taking his eyes of Emerson.
"Oh..." She said, "That's kind of...tragic."
"Yeah, it is. My real names Kip."
"Yeah, I'd rather call you that." Greyson laughed.
"So are you going to ignore us?" Bobby asked.
"No...never."
Emerson made her way towards Bobby and hugged him tightly. In all truth, she'd missed him.
"I missed you, baby!" He said, kissing her forehead.
"I miss you too." She nodded.
"Okay, Okay, me next!" Jax said, stepping out from behind the bar.
Emerson turned to face him.
"Well little girl, it looks like you've grown up." He smirked.
She shrugged, biting her lip.
"C'mon." Jax motioned for her to hug him.
She didn't hesitate. Jackson held her closely and she was almost positive she saw him tearing up.
"You're never leaving my sight again, little girl." He said, brushing her cheek with his thumb.
"Sounds good to me." She nodded as Clay cleared his throat.
"Now I do realize that I'm not that important, so can we just get this over with?" Clay smirked, now standing beside Gemma.
"Not important?" Emerson raised an eyebrow. "How can my Godfather not be important?"
"Oh, no! I'm not letting her go!" Jackson shook his head.
"Well, you're going to have to." Clay said, pretending to be upset.
Emerson looked up at Jax. He sighed and released his grip on her, "Alright."
Clay stepped forward and scooped Emerson into his arms and hugged her tightly.
"Glad you're back, Em." He said.
"Glad to be back, sir." She smiled.
He set her back down and did the last rounds of hugs with the rest of the crew. Finally after everyone had returned to their business she found herself wandering the club house like she did when she was little. Not much had changed...John's bike was still in the hallway...the mug shots had grown...it still smelled like cigarettes and beer. This was her home for years...and it still felt like home...
"Oh, sorry!"
She turned to find Juice standing a few feet away, looking a little unsure.
"Oh...Hi." She bit her lip.
"Sorry...didn't mean to intrude on your moment..." He shrugged.
"Oh...no... I was just...I don't recognize some of these pictures...I mean...it's been eight years so I guess I shouldn't be surprised...like you. I don't know you, and that Half-sack guy."
"Yeah...well Half-Sack is still a Prospect..."
"I can see that."
Juice stared at her as she studied his mug shot.
"So what did you do?" She smirked.
"Oh, that one? Uh...I really don't remember. There have been a few different things. Bursting into Churches with guns...uh...ATF stuff...plenty of things on the list."
She smiled, as he shifted nervously under her gaze.
"So uh... you're Chibs' daughter. I didn't know he had any other kids than..."
"Carrie Ann? Yeah..." Emerson rolled her eyes.
"You know her?"
"Not really...but I've heard plenty..." She shrugged.
There was an awkward silence, when the door to the Church room creaked open.
"Emerson, come here darlin'." Her dad smiled.
She grinned and walked quickly to join her father.
"You too." Chibs motioned for Juice to follow.
They entered and Juice sat in his usual seat, while Clay patted a seat next to him. Emerson sat and looked around at the table. She remembered the days when she'd sit in her father's lap while the discussed their usual topics of illegalities.
"Em, we've decided that it's safe enough for you to stay in Charming. Until we figure out if everyone's forgotten, we're assigning you a tag along. Everywhere you go, doesn't matter if you're alone or with Gemma or Tara, you'll have one of us there." Clay said, placing his hand over hers. "We can't a repeat of last time..."
Emerson inhaled sharply, remembering the reasons she was forced to leave. It was then that Juice noticed the scar on her throat. His eyes traveled to the identical marks on Chibs' face. He could only imagine what had happen to her.
"Now the obviously choices to go with you won't always be avalible. But the rest are just as reliable." Jackson said, eyeing Juice and Half-Sack.
"For now, you'll be staying here at the club house...it's the safest place at the moment. Someone's always here." Clay said, squeezing Emerson's hand reassuringly.
She nodded, looking up at the rest of the table.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head about anything." Bobby smiled, winking at her.
She smiled...it didn't matter where she was...nothing would every feel like home, except when she was with the people around her.
