Bethany Winston couldn't believe she was really back in this town. She hadn't been here in years and now she was returning with a five month old baby boy in tow. She didn't know how the reception of her return would be. She looked at her son in the rear view mirror. She drove familiar streets to Teller-Morrow to see who was working. She was hoping he was there but wasn't sure he would be. She hadn't seen him since she left and she was worried about how he would feel that she was back. She spotted her brother as she pulled into the lot. He looked up from what he was doing. She got out of the car and went to get her son out of the back. He was asleep.
"Can I help you?" he walked up to the car.
She turned and looked at him. He stopped dead and stared at her.
"Bethany?" he asked.
"Hey Op," she said softly.
"What are you doing back here?"
"Op, it's been bad."
"Beth, what the hell?"
She held her son in her arms and stared at him. He sighed.
"Who is this?" he asked.
"Your nephew, Trae." She said.
"My nephew?"
"Yeah,"
"Anything you want to tell me?"
"A lot, Op. I want to tell you a lot."
He nodded and ushered her into the clubhouse. She sighed heavily. He looked at her.
"Tell me," he said.
That is when she spotted him. He had just come down the hall. He stopped when he saw her. He couldn't believe she was actually back. Bethany stared at him. He walked past them acting like he hadn't seen her. She turned back to her brother.
"Does Mary know you're back here?" Opie asked.
"No, after she lost you, she tried to move us even farther away from Charming. I wanted to come back so bad. I hated where I was. The life is in more places than just Charming and more than just California." Bethany said.
"What do you mean?"
"Trae's father is a biker."
"So?"
"He's a biker that doesn't live by the same type of creed that you and I were raised on."
"What did he do to you?"
"He's been beating me. Not one member cares. I'm expected to do more than I've ever seen you guys do to women around here."
Opie could feel his blood boil. He saw Juice out of the corner of his eye. He could see Juice's rage building. He knew that Juice was listening to the conversation. Juice got up and stormed out. Jax came in the clubhouse. He glanced at the two by the bar. He looked at Opie funny before actually looking at the woman sitting with Opie, holding a baby.
"Oh my god, Bethany?" Jax asked.
She looked up and nodded. He smiled and hugged her.
"How the hell are you?" he asked.
"I've been better," she said.
"Who is the little guy?"
"My son, Trae."
"He's cute."
"Thanks."
Bethany looked down at the baby in her arms. She knew that she was home. She should have never allowed her mother to keep her gone for so long. She had been thru hell. There was no saving her from club life. She had found one in another town and now she was hoping that she was going to be able to come back from that to SAMCRO.
"Op, I'm in danger." She said.
"Why?" he asked.
"The guy who fathered Trae is after me. I took his son. He's raped me to make sure I got pregnant with his son. I don't blame Trae, it's not his fault that he's here. I just want him away from those guys."
"You know we'll keep you safe," Jax piped up.
"I know you will, which is why I came back here."
"Does Piney know you're back?"
"No one knows I'm here but you guys. I haven't seen anyone. I came straight here."
Jax nodded. Opie stared at his sister wondering how their father would take her being back in Charming. He knew Piney had missed his daughter but wasn't sure the old man could take her return in the state she was in.
"Holy shit, Bethany Winston," a female voice said.
They all turned to see Gemma in the doorway. Bethany stood and walked toward her aunt with the baby in her arms. Gemma stared at her.
"How the hell have you been, baby?" Gemma asked.
"Not good, Aunt Gem," she replied.
"What happened to you, baby girl?"
"It's a long story."
"Well come to my office and we will talk."
Bethany nodded and followed Gemma out of the clubhouse. They went to the office at the shop. A familiar sound caught her attention before the door closed. Bethany turned to see her father pulling into the lot on his trike. She glanced at Gemma and started to walk out of the office. Gemma stopped her.
"Wait, baby. We don't need to send the old man to the hospital from a heart attack, now do we? Let the boys handle it," she said.
Bethany watched her brother come out of the clubhouse and walk toward her dad. She saw them talking and pointing toward the office. She couldn't hear what any of them were saying. They walked her way, making her nervous. Piney opened the office door and stared at her.
"Daddy," she felt the tears choke her up.
"Baby girl," he stared at her.
"I have missed you so much,"
"Come here."
He pulled her into his arms. He held her close causing the baby to squirm and squeak. He looked down at the baby.
"Your grandson, Trae." Bethany told him.
"He's perfect," Piney smiled.
"Daddy, I'm home for good."
"Good, I've missed you baby girl."
"I've missed you all."
Gemma looked at the family reunion going on in her office. She felt like a piece of her family was home and it was a little more complete.
"We have to have a dinner," Gemma said.
"Is that your answer to every occasion, mom?" Jax asked.
"You hush."
Jax shook his head, laughing. Bethany looked at her brother. He sighed. She was going to stay with him, Donna, and the kids. He wasn't going to let her stay anywhere else.
"I can't wait for you to meet Donna and the kids," he said.
She nodded. Juice was in the garage. She was watching him from the corner of her eye, trying to keep it from being obvious. Everyone left the office, leaving Gemma and Bethany alone.
"He hasn't been with anyone else since you left," she said.
"Who?" Bethany asked.
"Honey, I know where your heart is, please don't act like I'm crazy. I get enough of that with these damn boys around here."
Bethany sighed.
"It doesn't matter, he won't want me now. I'm ruined." Bethany said.
"No you aren't honey, you are a mother." Gemma said.
"Because I was raped."
"Honey, he loves you. No matter what he says, he loves you."
"Gemma, I don't know."
Gemma looked out at the shop. Juice was staring their direction but he hadn't moved from where he was. He had no idea they were watching him. The baby began to fuss. Bethany got up from the seat she had taken across from Gemma.
"Is there somewhere I can nurse him?" she asked.
"Yeah honey, I'll close up in here. I'll keep them all out," Gemma said.
"Thank you,"
"Of course baby."
Bethany sighed heavily. Gemma kept all the boys out of the office so she could nurse her son and get him back to sleep. Juice went back to work as soon as Gemma came out of the office.
"Juice," Gemma said.
He looked up. Gemma waved him over to her.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Tell me what you're feeling," she said.
"About what?"
"Bethany being back."
He shrugged. He wasn't sure what to think. His stomach jumped to his throat every time he thought about her. It rolled when he saw her looking at him. He was scared of the rejection that would surely go along with him telling her that he still loved her. Opie sighed. He saw Gemma talking with Juice and knew what the conversation was about. He felt for Juice but this was still his sister. He would do anything to protect her from getting hurt anymore.
"Op, when are you gonna be off?" Bethany had just come out of the office.
"About an hour, why?" he asked.
"I'm tired."
"Take my room," Juice piped up.
She looked at him. He nodded. She didn't know if he was serious or if he was joking. He stared at her.
"I'm serious, Op can come get you when he's done," he said.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm sure."
She nodded. He led her to the clubhouse and to his room. She looked around, surprised to find it actually clean.
"You look surprised," he said.
"It's clean," she smiled.
"Yeah, well, I always hear this voice in the back of my head telling me to pick shit up."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, kind of annoying."
She grinned. There was a picture of the two of them on his dresser from when they were dating.
"You still have this?" she asked.
"My favorite picture," he replied.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Why is this, your favorite picture? We look so young."
"We were really young."
She nodded. He sighed again. He couldn't believe he was actually talking to her. She glanced at him for a moment before sitting on the bed. He ran his hand across his head.
"I'll let you rest," he said.
She nodded slowly. He didn't move from the door.
"Juice," she started.
"Sorry," he turned and left the room.
She placed the baby on the bed and sighed heavily. She hadn't stopped loving him and she probably never would but it was obvious he didn't want her. She knew that he couldn't want her anymore. She was a mother but she was ruined. She felt dirty all over again and could feel the guy's hands all over her body. It gave her the creeps. She wanted to call out to Juice and have him come back but she knew that wasn't right.