HEARTS AFIRE

by: Beautiful Girl

WELCOME to CHARMING... Our Name Says It All

Jaci Parker looked over at her younger sister, Vix, as they drove passed the sign and on into the town. She swallowed a large lump in her throat which quickly took up residence in her stomach as a knot.
Vix rolled her eyes. "Yeah right…I wish I had spray paint. Add an UN- to that sign. This town should be sued for false advertising."

Jaci sighed. "I only agreed to bring you along because you promised you'd be good. I mean it, Vix. We're lucky they even let us back into Charming after…well, you know, our past indiscretions. We're gonna have our hands full dealing with Wendy. That's enough drama."

"I know and I promise to be good." Jaci shot Vix an appreciative look. Vix fiddled with her iPhone. "You are aware that GOOD is a relative term."

"Yes. And as a relative of yours, I am telling you we both need to watch ourselves in Charming." At this moment they drove past Teller Morrow Automotive. The knot in her stomach grew.

"Are we stopping in to say 'hey' to Jax?" Vix asked.

"Just relax. We'll run into our dear soon-to-be-EX-Brother-in-Law soon enough. First, let's get settled and then go see how bad-off Wendy is."

"As the younger sisters, why are we always playing damage control? Shouldn't she set some sorta example?"

Like I haven't damage controlled enough for your little ass too, Jaci thought to herself. But she laughed, sadly, "She is an example. Wendy is a big ol' Cautionary Tale. A freakin' step-by-step manual on how NOT to live your life."

2 weeks later…

The Parker girls stop by the clubhouse late one night to chat with Jax and end up being invited inside. An impromptu poker game picks up with Jax, Chibs, Juice and the girls. Tig is in and out of the clubhouse, working after hours on his bike. He plays every other couple of hands of poker. After awhile, Jax heads home and the girls stay, having fun chatting with the other guys. Vix is smitten with Juice immediately. Jaci is just glad to have a night away from the hospital and the mess that is Wendy. After awhile, the subject of the old Charming drinking cabin comes up and the girls reveal they have some personal property that may still be on the premises. Vix dares Jaci to go get the stuff right then and there in the middle of the night; actually a triple-dog-dare. A coin toss decides Jaci's chaperone.

___________________________________________________________________________________

"Hey, look- you don't have to go with me. I am a big girl, not scared of the dark. I can go by myself. Just refresh my memory on which road to take to the cabin." Tig continued walking toward the row of cars and bikes parked outside Teller Morrow. "Did you hear me? I said you don't have to …" Jaci called after him

Tig stopped and held a hand up, "I heard you. I'm ignoring you. That's how ignoring works. I lost the bet, we're going. Stop talking. "

"Bet? You lost a coin toss. It's no big thing."

"I'm holdin' up my end of the deal. Let's get this over with. Get in the car. You got the Mustang, right?"

Both Jaci and Tig walked up to the driver side door. The Mustang was a slick '08 jet black Cobra.

"Keys?" Tig asked.

Jaci pulled the keys from her pocket and jingled them. "Got'em."

She hit the alarm button and unlocked the doors. Tig held his hand out.

"What? Are you being a gentleman and opening the door? I didn't think you guys did that out here in Cali."

Tig rolled his eyes, "I'm driving."

That comment warranted a laugh from Jaci. "Like hell you are. What would you say if I tried to drive your bike?"

"I'd tell you to go fuck yourself."

"Exactly. This is my ride. I drive." Jaci motioned Tig to the passenger seat.

"Woman," Tig replied in an exasperated tone and pointed toward the car. "This is a cage. It's different. Bike rules don't apply."

Jaci let him stew for a moment and finally said, "Calm down. I wouldn't make you 'ride bitch'. Wouldn't want to hurt your street-cred."

Jaci smiled and tossed the keys to him while walking to the other side of the car. "I don't know where the hell I am going anyway. You can be the pilot, Maverick. Just be gentle. This car, while it may not mean shit to you, is like my #2 dream car, so let's not screw it up. I was just fuckin' with you."

Tig started the car and revved the engine, car had some power. "That's dangerous you know. The fuckin' with me part."

"So I've heard." Jaci leaned back in her seat as Tig roared out of the parking lot.

As he shifted gears hard, "And by the way, you RIDE a bike, you don't DRIVE it. Christ!"

Jaci spun the wheel on the iPod until the road trip playlist was displayed and hit play. "Don't worry; I'm not going to torture you with rap music or emo shit."

"Damn straight. I'll throw that thing out the goddamn window." Tig snarled and stared down the road.

Jaci turned to look at him. "You're a real peach aren't chya?"

No reply was given from the driver as old school AC/DC began to blare from the car's high end speakers. The songs played on as they drove in silence. Tig stared in Jaci's direction even now and then as he waited for her to start making annoying small talk. Women just couldn't help themselves, they had to chatter. Damn genetic disability. That's why he never kept a woman around longer than was necessary and preferred to hang out with the guys. Men could just be quiet and share silence or at least talk about shit that was interesting. Well, except for Juice, that damn kid couldn't shut up if his life depended on it.

"So, it's 11:30pm. What would you normally be doing this time of night? Snortin' coke off a stripper's ass? Or is it too early for that?" Jaci asked as one song came to an end.

"Ten minutes. You made it ten minutes before the yammering started." Tig answered back rudely.

Annoyed, she replied, "I could have made it infinitely longer, I was just being nice. Trying to make this little road trip more fun."

Tig shifted gears as they rounded a curve. "Nice isn't necessary. Look, I don't like you. You think I am a jerk. We don't have to be nice to each other. Just be quiet."

"You don't even know me. How can you already not like me?" Jaci asked "Tonight was the first time you have been in a room with me for more than 3 minutes."

"You and those sisters of yours are a pain in the ass to the club. Trouble we don't need. I don't have a use for you."

"Mmmph." Jaci sat quietly for a few moments then said, "I don't think you're a jerk."

Tig threw a questioning glance her way. He had been nothing but rude to the Parker sisters the few times he had interacted with them since they came back to Charming to look after Wendy. "You don't?"

"No." Jaci held both of her hands out like she was holding a ball. "Jerk doesn't really encompass all of it. I think you're a dick."

Tig replied with a half ass, "Fuck you." Inwardly he admitted that was a pretty good comeback.

*****

Twenty five silent minutes later, Tig pulled the Mustang down a dirt road and pulled the car into a driveway. Calling it a driveway was being very generous. It was really just a dirt path with trees growing up all around it. Tig turned off the ignition and started to get out of the car.

"Ok, I may be a little rusty on the backwoods of Charming, but I'm pretty sure the cabin was back that way." Jaci pointed down the main dirt road they had been on as she climbed out of the car.

"It is. Start walking." Tig replied and commenced to do so.

"It's freakin' cold out here. Why are we walking?" Jaci called after him, still standing by the car.

Tig stopped and waited a moment before turning around to face her. Goddamn whining. He wondered how much trouble there would be for him if he just left her out here.

"The cabin is down a rutted out- gravel road. It will rip the hell out of your undercarriage. But if you want to tear your precious car apart, we can do that. Besides, you must be an amateur when it comes to B&E because you shouldn't really park in front of the house you're busting into. "

"Ok, ok. Thanks for protecting the car. I will shut up now." Jaci zipped up her hoodie, stuffed her hands in the front pockets, and took off down the road to catch up to Tig. Thankfully there was a huge full moon illuminating the way; she didn't even need to turn on the flash light she was carrying.

After a quarter mile walk, they arrived at the cabin. Calling it a cabin was again being very generous. The word cabin brings to mind cedar plank walls with deer mounts hung on them and rustic front porches for gathering with friends. This 'cabin' was really just an oversized shack with a few rooms that high school kids from the surrounding area used for smoking pot and drinking. It had been around for over twenty years and it certainly showed its wear.

Jaci stopped before stepping onto the porch, resting her hand on what was left of the railing. "Oh wow. This brings back some memories."

"Lose your virginity here or something? Maybe we'll find it along with that box of shit you and your sister left here." Tig pushed Jaci in the back to get her moving up the stairs. "Go."

The front door was unlocked; easier to just leave it unlocked than to risk having some kid kick it down. The cabin was sort of communal property with the wayward youth of Charming. No one outright trashed the place but you wouldn't want to eat anything that hit the floor. The five second rule was null and void here. There were a couple of couches and chairs in the 'living room' and a ratty poker table set up in the kitchen. No bed in the one bedroom. If you were here to fuck, bring your own sleeping bag.

"Where's the box?" Tig asked as he poked at some porno mags on the floor with the toe of his boot.

Jaci flicked on her flashlight. The cabin had a generator but she didn't want to call attention to the fact that they were there. "Bedroom closet. There was a loose ceiling board. We crammed it up there."

She headed down the short hall. "You're gonna have to help me. Or bring me a chair to stand on. I'm kinda short if you haven't noticed."

They stood in the doorway of the closet. He sat the flashlight on its end pointing upward to shine on the low ceiling. Tig cupped his hands at his waist, "Foot up or piggy back?"

"Foot up." Jaci started to put her foot in Tig's interlaced hands but realized when she stood up her crotch would be planted firmly in front of his face. A little too intimate. "Uh, wait. Piggy back!"

"Make up your damn mind." Tig stood inside the closet and turned with his back to her. Jaci took a few steps back and then jumped onto his back. He grabbed the sides of the doorway to steady himself after the impact as she climbed into position on his back. "Jesus! How much do you weigh??" Tig faked strain. "I think I pulled a back muscle."

"I am not fat!!" Jaci pulled at some curls at the back of his head with both hands. "Asshole." Since he had his arms wrapped around her legs to steady her, he couldn't fight back easily. Jaci stretched up and pushed around on the ceiling. "Walk over this way." Jaci squeezed her right knee into his chest.

"I'm not a damn horse." Tig warned but moved to the right anyway.

Jaci squeezed both knees and laughed, "Giddy up, Tig. That's a horse name if I ever heard one."

Tig took a fast step forward in retaliation, purposely causing Jaci to smack her head on the closet shelf.

"Ow! Fucker!" Jaci was about to admonish him more for his childish payback, when he squeezed her thighs very hard with his hands.

"Shhhh!! Be quiet!" he hissed

"What is it?" She whispered back.

"I heard something." He replied. They stood very still. The roar of a large truck engine coming up the drive sounded again. "Shit. Someone's here. Grab that damn box."

Jaci pushed up the ceiling board and felt around all the opening. Her hand finally bumped up something.

"Hurry up." Tig hissed and kicked over the flashlight so it would only shine into the back of the closet.

The window in the bedroom had been partly boarded up but he didn't want any light somehow shining through.

Jaci wrapped her fingers around the handle and pulled out the box. "Got it."

Tig backed out of the closet and Jaci jumped off his back. "Lights off." He whispered as he headed to the window. He peered through a slant. Tig backed away from the window. "Motherfucker!"

"Who is it?" Jaci asked as she backed toward the hall.

"That looks like Tommy Roger's truck, so I'm guessing it's a truck full of Nords. Wanna go chat? I bet they would have lots to say to you since you've killed one of them before."

Jaci took the jab at her past without flinching. "Oh like you haven't!" Jaci stood in the bedroom doorway with one hand to her head thinking about what a stupid idea this trip was. "What are they doing here? What are we going to do?"

Tig scratched his goatee as he watched the truck stop in front of the cabin. Normally, he would have walked out the front door with box in hand, flipped the bird to the Nords, and went on about his business. If the skinheads wanted to throw down, he gladly would have, outnumbered or not. But these were not normal circumstances.

He had one of Jax's goddamned sisters-in-law in tow and those chicks were already on thin ice with the Sons and Nords alike just by being in Charming. And what business did the Nords have at the cabin anyway? They had their bar in Charming so they couldn't be here to get high and drink. Something wasn't right. "Alright. We're going out the back door. Something's off."

They rushed up the hall only to see the headlights of the truck sweep through the living room. With Jaci now leading the way, they turned left toward the back of the house. The back door lay just ahead of them. They could hear truck doors slamming and muffled voices. Jaci reached where she thought the back door should be. She clicked on her flashlight but held her hand over it to filter down the light.

"Oh damn it. Damn it!" She whispered as her hand felt all over the now boarded shut back door. "We're fucked. It's been boarded up!"

The only way out of the cabin was now through the front door. Tig looked toward the front porch. The voices were becoming more clear. At least three Nords were about to be coming through the door.

Well, shit. Plan B? Tig took a quick look around the dark room. In the residual light he saw a door knob. He twisted the knob and grabbed the front of Jaci's hoodie, pulling her past him and toward what turned out to be a closet. He opened the door and shoved her inside. Tig stared at the front door for a few seconds. Despite the situation, he was tempted to meet them at the door, consequences be damned.

Jaci looked at Tig's squared shoulders and knew what he was thinking- fight or flight. "Tig!" she hissed. "Not a good idea….and neither is leaving me alone here! Get in here!"

Tig finally took a step back and squeezed himself into the closet as he pulled the door shut. Best just to sit tight and see what those Nazi bastards were doing here.

Thank God the closet had been empty. It was extremely small, just enough room for Jaci and Tig to stand one in front of the other, not much room to the left or right of them. Tig stood directly in front of the door with his hand on the handle of the knife strapped to his leg. Jaci placed her hand on the middle of his back to steady herself. She slid downward to place the box onto the floor. She wanted both hands free just in case something bad happened- like the closet door opening. The 'box' was really an old metal Rambo lunch box Jaci had owned since she was 6. It made a soft clink as it settled on the floor.

"Shhh. Stay still." Tig whispered.

The door to the cabin was kicked open and crashed back against the wall with a bang. A loud procession of boots stomped through the living room. Another beer was cracked open as an empty bottle was broken against the wall. Lots of chaotic yelling in different voices could be heard;

"Where's the goddamn radio?"

"Drag that table over here."

"Do you have the cards?"

"Sit your ass down and chill."

"Pass that shit over here."

Tig had his ear resting against the closet door. The guys were making so much noise, Tig could whisper without being heard. "Those voices sound familiar. Fuck. If I'm right, this ain't good, man."

"Who do you think it is?" Jaci replied

Tig leaned back from the door. "The fuckin' Wood brothers; all three of them. They're speed-freak, neo-Nazi assholes. Meaner than shit and dumber than hell."

Jaci stood on her tiptoes and leaned forward, straining to hear Tig. With him being taller, whispering and facing away from her, she could barely make out what he was saying. "I think I heard four different voices. Why are they here?"

"Million dollar question. Sounds like its poker night."

"Makes no sense. What do we do?"

"We sit here and wait 'em out. Well stand here. Sounds like they are going to be here awhile."

"Ok. You're going to have to speak up though. I can hardly hear you." Jaci thought to herself, it's kind of hard to hear when my heart is pounding so damn fast! It had been a long time since her adrenaline had been spiked as high as this.

After a few more minutes of silently listening to the Nord poker party Tig reached behind him and tapped Jaci on the leg. "Trade me places. Those assholes aren't going anywhere for awhile."

"How are we going to do that? There's no room."

"Turn sideways." He replied.

They shuffled around, being careful not to hit the lunch box on the floor. Their bodies bumped into each other several times in the shifting.

"Now what?" Jaci whispered as they were facing each other. Without a pack of crazed neo-Nazis outside the door, this little awkward locked-in-a-closet event might be more fun. Well, if I could swamp out Tig for another guy. Because Tig was no good, nothing but trouble and probably had STDs that didn't even have names yet. A total dick. Right?

Tig placed his hand on her hip and pushed her toward the door. He slid in behind her with his back to the wall. More minutes passed. Jaci stood straight and stiff, trying not to invade Tig's personal space.

"Can you hear me now?" Tig pushed closer to her and whispered in her ear. He had no qualms about invading her personal space. "What's that clicking noise? Is that your teeth chattering? It's not that cold."

"Sorry. Can't help it. Jangled nerves and slightly cold temps equal chattering teeth with me."

"Mmmm." He purposely had his lips on her ear as he talked. "Why are your nerves jangled?"

"Ha!" A nervous laugh escaped her. She thought to herself…maybe because you are making out with my ear!! But said only, "Uh, I don't know. It's the middle of the night; I'm in a cabin in the freakin woods full of crazy white supremacists. And I'm locked in a closet with a sexually deviant, probable homicidal nutcase?"

Tig poked Jaci in the ribs. "Who told you I was a nutcase? I'll own up to the sexually deviant part. You have no idea, honey." He sighed, "This situation is actually bringing back some sweet memories. The last time I was in a closet with a girl- I was 13 and getting a blowjob. A little Seven Minutes of Heaven action."

Jaci snorted. "Wow, some girl was giving you head when she was 13? That's not sweet- that's just sad. And sorry, no blowjobs right now. Too close to impending doom to be re-enacting your childhood memories."

"That's ok. I don't want those chattering teeth of yours anywhere near my dick." He replied.

After awhile, Jaci grew tired of standing so stiff. She was slightly afraid of passing out from having her legs locked so she leaned backward into Tig. She was never going to live down this whole night anyway but she was not going to embarrass herself by blacking out. Personal space be damned.

Tig was surprised by Jaci. Her leaning into him was dangerously close to being categorized as cuddling and that shit did not happen with him. Any attempt to cuddle usually landed a bitch kicked off the bed on her ass. As she leaned back he held his hands up and away from her for a moment in what would be viewed as a 'eww- don't touch me' gesture. The top of her head rested against him under his chin.

He looked down and got a whiff of her hair. Was that…? He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Goddamn Herbal Essence shampoo- like fucking kryptonite. He held his breath for a few seconds. He licked his lips and exhaled. He leaned his head back to rest against the wall behind him and brought his hands down to rest on her hips. There, that wasn't a cuddle. That was just a 'given the stressful circumstances, I will allow you to relax against me if it keeps you from freaking out' kind of hold.

****

The peaceful 'hold' being shared by Jaci and Tig didn't last long.

One of the brothers asked loudly, "Ok, who's got the duct tape?"

That question sparked a flurry of activity. Chairs were kicked over and a struggle could be heard.

One of the guys pleaded, "No, don't do this! Why are you doing this?!"

A body slammed against the wall next to the closet. Tig shoved Jaci violently to the side and moved in front of her quickly. He pulled the knife he always carried and had it at the ready in his hand.

Jaci had one hand on Tig's back, her other hand balled into a fist. She began chanting in her head, 'don't open the door-don't open the door-please don't open the door' over and over. Since they had heard only one voice protesting, Tig was pretty sure the three brothers were jumping Tommy Rogers. Now what had he done to warrant that beating?

As if on cue, one of the brothers said, "You know what happens to rats, Tommy?"

Violent sounding kicks and punches ensued. Tommy was receiving quite the beat down. He spoke weakly, "Oh, Jesus. Wait, I thought Darby was coming. Just let me talk to him. I can explain things."

Another brother replied, "Darby? He can't save you. Hell, he doesn't even know where you are. But I am sure he will come…to your funeral."

There was another commotion that moved away from the closet. All of the noise seemed to be moving in the direction of the front door. Sounded like ole Tommy was making a run for it. It was quiet in the cabin for a moment. BANG BANG!!! Two gunshots rang out from outside the cabin. Maybe Tommy's run to freedom had just been ended. Jaci jumped a little involuntarily, grabbed a fistful of Tig's shirt, and gritted her teeth hard…oh my god! The Wood brothers did not return to the cabin. Truck doors were opened and slammed, the engine was started and the truck tore back down the road from the cabin.

"Holy fuck." Jaci whispered. Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest again. She wondered how common heart attacks were for people her age. Great. Now I'm a secret witnesses to a damn Nord murder. Shit.

Tig whispered back toward her, "Just stay still."

Jaci nodded silently into his back. They remained absolutely silent and after awhile Tig took a deep breath and cracked open the closet door. No Nords appeared; no bullets flew, so he opened the door wider, poked his head out and then stepped out. Well, he tried to step out. Jaci still had a handful of his shirt.

"You mind letting go of the shirt?" he whispered.

Jaci released him. "Sorry."

He reached back into the closet and pressed his palm into Jaci's chest, silently telling her to wait. He disappeared for a few moments and then returned and asked for the flashlight. Jaci handed it to him and asked, "Are they really gone?"

"Yeah. I walked down the drive a bit. No sign of them. You can come out. Tommy's laying out there in the yard. Let's go." Tig instructed.

Jaci grabbed the lunchbox, took the flashlight from Tig. They walked into the living room and out the front door. She walked until she was beside Tommy's body. Tig was right behind her and bumped into her when she stopped abruptly.

"What the hell? Why are you stopping? Do yourself a favor and don't look at him."

"What do we do now?" Jaci asked.

Tig looked at her like she had three heads. "We leave now. Why are you confused?"

Jaci glanced toward Tommy's body. Tig followed her gaze. "What? He's dead. You can try some mouth to mouth if you want to, but it's not going to work."

"Tig, we can't just leave." Jaci held up her ungloved hands. "We've touched a ton of stuff in that cabin. Our prints are everywhere."

"Yeah ours, the Wood brothers, and a thousand other people's. The cops won't able to see the trees for the forest."

"Well excuse me, Mr. Forensic Evidence. But I haven't been in Charming for over ten years. Any prints I had out here should be long gone by now, covered by someone else's. My prints show up now, that's going to throw a red flag."

"You were a minor when your little brush with the law happened weren't you? Your prints are locked up nice and tight in a sealed file somewhere. So what do you care? You got nothing to worry about. Besides, the body is out here, not inside the cabin. Let's go." Tig took Jaci by the arm and pushed her toward the road.

Jaci dug in her heels and pulled away. "Nope. Sorry. Juvi records never stay where they are supposed to. I'm not taking any chances. If all of our prints come up, who do you think the cops are going to come for? You're SAMCRO and I've got one dead Nord in my closet already. They aren't going to look at another Nord as the trigger man first. I don't need this shit right now. I've got enough trouble taking care of my older sister, the junkie, and my young sister, the wild child. My whole life is goddamn damage control and I'm pretty sure you and the club have enough on your plates too."

Tig contemplated her statement and stared at her. Damnit. Ok, she got us in this mess; let's see if she can get us out. But if she started to cry he was pretty sure he would be leaving two bodies behind. "So? Now what, Miss Know-It-All?"

"Well, our prints in the cabin aren't bad on their own." Jaci ran a hand through her hair. "Dead Nord on his own in a random yard isn't a bad thing for us either, right?" She paced around, "But the two situations cannot mix. So… I vote we burn this place down. Prints won't make it through the fire."

Jaci began looking around for fuel.

"And the body??" Tig asked.

"Well… that fucker ain't going in my trunk." She replied flatly.

"Well then, that fucker has to go in back in the cabin, Jaci. You up to that?"

Jaci took a deep breath and blew it back out with force. She shook her head yes. "We have to carry him though. Can't leave any drag marks, right?"

"You watch too much TV." He replied. "Grab his feet. I'll take his top half."

"Yeah, maybe I do, but that shit is coming in handy right now. The fire will work, right?" she asked.

Tig was slightly impressed with her willingness to go to such extremes to protect herself, him, and the club. Maybe the bitch wasn't so bad after all.

They carried the body the distance back into the cabin and dropped it in the middle of the living room floor. They only had to stop twice to let Jaci rest and then get a better grip. Tig reached into his pants pocket and removed a Zippo. He opened and closed the lighter a few times to get her attention. He cocked one of his eyebrows and tossed the lighter to her, "Light it up."

The cabin went up in flames surprisingly well. Tig and Jaci stood in the yard watching it burn for a bit to just to make sure it didn't burn itself out. Jaci uncovered the watch on her arm and brought it close to her face to read the time. "Damn, 2:30 in the morning. So I guess I have to burn down a piece of my adolscence and the Wood brothers just get away with all of this?"

Tig shrugged. "Guess so."

"That kinda sucks." Jaci watched the fire. "Well, Happy fuckin' Valentine's Day, huh? I really would have preferred roses to luggin' a dead body and arson."

Tig laughed, "I would have preferred a blowjob. Day's just starting really, so I got time. You're probably out of luck though."

"Yeah." Jaci stared at the flames more.

Tig scratched at his beard thinking. "I think I got a way to fuck with Darby on this. Let's go."

******

They drove the extra miles to the nearest Walgreen's without talking. "Do you want to go in or me?" Jaci asked.

"Do I really look like a candy and card kinda guy?"

"Good point. No one will remember a chick buying that stuff." She slipped on a pair of gloves that she found in the glove compartment. "And chicks are also cold most of the time so no one will care about the gloves either. I'll be right back."

Jaci returned to the car a few minutes later. She settled into the passenger seat, opened the sack and took out a small box of candy.

"Why'd you buy two boxes?" Tig asked as he looked over her purchases.

"Tig, I just torched a dead body to beat a murder rap. I need some chocolate." Jaci unwrapped the box and started poking the tops of the candies. "I'll share… which kind do you want?"

Tig started the Mustang and pulled out of the parking lot. "Well quit fuckin' poking all of them. Just hand me one."

They ate candy all the way back to the clubhouse. Jaci filled out the card and showed it to Tig who replied that her sentiment was perfect. She answered all of the texts from her sister Vix, letting her know that: Yes, they were on their way back and No, they had not been fucking all of this time.

******

Tig drove into the clubhouse parking lot and shut off the engine. Jaci opened the door and started to get out. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back down into the seat. "Hang on a minute. We need to discuss a few things."

"Ok. Shoot." Jaci closed her eyes, "Sorry, bad pun. Look, before you say anything, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about tonight. This was a total cluster fuck. Thank you for… "

Tig held his hand up, "Shhh. Don't mention it. I'm just glad you didn't freak the fuck out on me when the shit hit the fan. The fire should cover everything."

"I'm going to take all of that as a compliment."

"Whatever. Listen, after you step out of this car, we don't talk about this night again, understand? You are going take your sister and go home immediately. I'm going to tell Clay and the guys what they need to know and hope I don't have to take too much shit for tonight's stupid behavior. End of story." He pointed down to the box of chocolates and card that was now in his lap. "And this shit is strictly between you and me. No sisters, no brothers need to know. Keep your mouth shut."

Jaci nodded at him, "Wow. Like 20 seconds."

"20 seconds what?" He frowned at her.

"The amount of time it took you to go from Human Being to Hard Ass. Don't worry Tig, I'm not a moron. I know how to keep secrets."

She got out of the car and headed toward the clubhouse. Tig caught up to her after stashing the candy in his truck. He brushed past her roughly and walked through the door first. As soon as they entered the room, Juice, Chibs and Vix began with the catcalls and harassment from their perch at the poker table.

"Oh, Thank God you're back! I can't take much more of these two. Like a fuckin' Flirting-101 course. So what took you guys so long?" Chibs asked and waggled his eyebrows.

"Tig and Jaci sitting in a tree, F-U-C…" Juice began singing a dirtier version of the playground song.

Tig cut him off quickly by pointing at him on his way to the bar and growling, "Shut up."

Something about the look on Tig's face made him comply.

"Did you get the box? Where's the box?!" Vix yelled from her seat.

"It's in the car. We'll go through it at home. Let's go." Jaci tapped her sister on her shoulder and pointed toward the door.

"Naa, go get it. I wonder if there's any ancient weed in there?"

Jaci shook her head, "Not tonight, Vix. Come on."

Vix looked back at Tig, "Hey…why is she all worked up? You didn't do anything bad to her, did you?"

Juice sniffed the air and looked at Jaci and then to Tig, "Why does she smell like a campfire?"

Tig took a swig of beer and glared back at them. "What would I possibly do to her?"

"I'm not even starting that list!" Chibs laughed.

"Jaci, isn't it past your bedtime?" Tig asked.

"He was a perfect gentleman ... and we do need to go... now." Jaci interjected. She looked at Tig. He stared back at her neutrally.

Vix caught the undertone in her sister's voice and nodded. She knew when to push her sister and this wasn't one of those times. She grabbed her hoodie off the back of the chair at the poker table and smiled at Juice ... "Text me."

After the girls left, Tig walked to the poker table, twisted a chair around backwards and sat down. He took another swig of beer and squeezed the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache.

"Took a long time to drive a few miles out of town and retrieve a box of whatnot." Chibs stated.

"We didn't even get to see what was in the box. Why'd you run them off like that?" Juice whined. "Oh man, see what you did?" He pointed to a pink phone on the table. "You made them leave so fast Vix forgot her phone."

He pulled out his cell and began texting. A moment later the phone on the table vibrated.

Chibs and Tig looked at the phone then at Juice and shook their heads in disbelief. Idiot.

Juice grinned sheepishly. "Oh. Oops. What's Jaci's number then?" He looked to Tig.

"Like I fucking know." Tig growled back.

"Didn't get around to trading numbers, brother?" Chibs laughed.

"Not exactly." Tig began to spill the details about the last couple of hours.

Valentine's Day…late morning…

Darby opened his front door to retrieve the morning's paper. He bent down and then frowned. Partially hidden underneath the paper was a red heart shaped box. Darby tucked the paper underneath his arm and held the box in his hands. If one of the damn strippers had left him candy…surely they knew better. He took the items back into his house. He opened the box of candy. A cheesy red and black card was lying on top of the candy. He opened the card and dropped the candy to the floor as he read the words. "I KNOW WHAT YOUR BOYS DID LAST NIGHT."

Darby quickly looked to the front page of the paper. Nothing bad there. He turned on the television, luckily catching the morning news. One of the main stories was about a small fire that destroyed a cabin north of Charming. More details to follow. Darby kicked the candy across the room. What the hell did the Wood boys do??

*****

Jaci had gotten tired of Vix bitching about her lost phone. She opened the front door of their duplex rental to go see if Vix had just left it inside her car. Her little sis had been a little drunk last night and had probably left it in the damn cup holder. Jaci took a step out and felt a crunch under her shoe. She looked down to see a dozen red roses lying at her feet. What the hell? Her mind flashed to what Darby was probably finding on his doorstep this same morning. For a paranoid second she thought he might be returning the favor.

She picked up the bouquet and looked for a card but didn't find one. Jaci frowned. She looked down at the top of the flowers and began separating the greenery from the roses. She found the card crammed deep into the flowers like a damn Cracker Jack prize. Nothing was written on the outside of the envelope. She pulled out the card and read the few words that were written. Jaci was utterly shocked. She stood on the step staring at the words when the card was ripped out of her hand.

Vix exclaimed, "Oooh roses! Let me see that!"

Jaci tried to grab the card back. "Wait!"

Vix read the card aloud, "Stay out of trouble, signed T. Who the hell is T?? Juice would be JC or JO or probably just Juice."

"They're not for you. I think they're mine." Jaci said taking the card back.

"Yours? Who the hell would send you…?" A huge smile spread across Vix's face. "Oh shit. T- Tig. Trager. You did something really right in those woods last night, Sista!" Vix laughed. "Or something really 'wrong'! Depends on personal preference I guess." "Mmmph. Well, did you find my phone?"

"I didn't make it to the car." Jaci held up the flowers as an explanation.

Vix bounded down the steps and pressed her face to the car window to stare inside. "Nope, no phone. Must have left it at the clubhouse. Oh darn. Load up!!"

***

Jaci pulled the car into the Teller Morrow lot. She turned to her sister and turned down the radio.

"Ok, ground rules. You go to Juice and directly to Juice. Do not pass go, etc. Get it? No talking to Tig, don't even look at him. That situation is on extremely thin ice."

"Thin ice? He bought you freakin' flowers! On Valentine's Day! That seems solid to me. What are you going to say to him?"

Jaci bit her bottom lip- her trademark nervous tick. "I don't know. I may not even get out of the car."

"What?? You have to go say thank you. What's wrong with you?!" Vix punched Jaci in the shoulder.

"Go get your damn phone. I'll handle me. Just be subtle please, ok?"

Vix smirked, got out of the car, and slammed the door. She smiled widely back at the Mustang and muttered, "I've got your subtle right here." She tapped the passenger window and yelled, "Get out of the fucking car!" She flipped Jaci the bird through the window and trotted off to the clubhouse laughing.

Jaci slammed her head into the steering wheel in disgust and the horn beeped loudly. Shit. Damn sisters- they could make your life hell. She opened the car door a few moments later and walked to the shop slowly. Ok, breathe deep, girl.

****

Clay and Tig were inside the office when Tig caught a glimpse of Jaci's Mustang in the parking lot through the blinds.

"Oh, here we go." Tig said while walking closer to the window.

Clay followed his gaze in time to see Vix's little 'get out of the car' outburst followed by the horn beep. He shook his head in disbelief.

While Jaci was making her way up the office, the tow truck driven by Juice pulled in front of her. Half Sack was riding shotgun. Juice jumped out quickly.

"What's up, girl? Is your sister here?" Juice asked hopefully.

"She's looking for you. Please tell me you have her damn phone. She's drivin' me nuts about that thing."

Juice tapped his shirt pocked. "Gots it right here. I'll go find her." He shuffled backwards a bit and took off at a slow jog toward the clubhouse.

Clay strolled out of the office, shaking his head side to side. He walked up to Jaci and stopped.

"Hold it right there." He said.

She stopped and looked up at him, preparing for a severe ass chewing. Clay pointed his finger at Jaci. "I'm going to keep this short and sweet. You Parker girls are making my life way more interesting than I like it to be. The excitement level with you girls needs to drop down a coupla pegs. Understand me? You're supposed to be the responsible one…fucking act like it. No more bullshit!"

Jaci threw her hands up in mock surrender and ducked her head once toward him. "I got it. Believe me."

Clay stared at her for a moment more and then walked away to his bike. Jaci looked down while grinning sheepishly. Well, that went better than expected. She looked up to see Tig standing in front of the office with his arms crossed. She stopped smiling. Here goes nothing.

She started the conversation. "Hey."

"Why the hell did you honk your horn?" he asked, annoyed.

"Uh, that was an accident. I was slamming my head into the steering wheel because my sister is an idiot and inadvertently caused myself even more embarrassment. I should have stuck with my original plan which was to stay inside the car."

"You should have stayed home."

"That would have worked too. So I guess Clay, well, everyone knows about…you know?"

"Yeah."

"Did you catch a lot of shit? You look like you haven't caught a wink of sleep."

Tig ran a hand through his crazy hair. "Yeah, that'd be about right."

"So I guess that means Cupid was a busy boy early this morning then?" She raised her eyebrows.

Tig shrugged and smiled ever so slightly. "He might have made a delivery or two."

Jaci nodded. Neither said anything for a moment. Tig was obviously not a guy that regularly bought flowers for women. He probably wouldn't want an outright thank you so she stayed quiet on the subject.

She took a breath and frowned. "So why does this feel like an awkward morning after thing?"

"Cause it is." He replied, staring past her.

****

He had bought the flowers from a convenience store outside of Charming around 5am. She had really held her own in last night's drama and being locked in a closet with her had been kind of hot. He figured he could slip back into normal human mode for a bit and buy the girl the damn flowers she had mentioned.

Who knew buying fucking flowers was so damn stressful?

The clerk was asking him all sorts of questions- what color, color is important-yellow means friendship, pink means this, white means this, etc….

Do you want a dozen or just a single rose?

She shut up after he told her to give him whatever color/number combination said 'I want to fuck you.'

After that, he was on his own with the card so he kept it simple.

Now he couldn't make up his mind if he regretted the whole damn exercise or not. Funny how most things in life seemed like a better idea the night before in the dark. This morning after shit was weird.

He watched Jaci as she stood in front of him, awkwardly trying not to make too much eye contact since he was being distant. He had to admit she looked even better in daylight. He hadn't noticed until today how green her eyes were. Very nice.

"So what's in the box? Was it worth all the trouble?" Tig asked to break the silence.

Jaci shrugged. "All the unforeseen trouble…absolutely not! Was it worth torturing myself with a car ride with you…yes." She smiled to let him know she was teasing. "There was a whole bunch of pics of me and the sisters, which is cool. And a good size bit of some now very vintage weed if you're interested."

He shook his head. "Where'd you get the Rambo lunchbox? You have a brother I don't know about?"

Jaci blushed slightly. "Nope, its mine. I always was a bit of a tomboy. Playing football and war instead of with Barbies."

"Well, the tomboy bit came in handy last night. So how's your sister this morning?" he asked.

"Which one?"

"Vix. I don't really give a shit about the junkie."

"Understandable, sometimes I don't either. Vix is fine, crazy as always. She went on and on about 'Juice' last night; which was fine because that kept her from asking too many questions about our little escapade. I don't know much about Juice other than what she said though." Protectively she asked, "What's he like? How is he?"

"Retarded." Tig replied bluntly but without a trace of malice.

The mood had lightened a little bit so Jaci took a chance, "So, I got roses on Valentine's Day. Do I get anything for St. Paddy's Day?"

Tig surprised himself by laughing. "Planning some more evil deeds? Well, as of now- you get jackshit. I didn't get what I wanted today."

"Oh yeah, you were wantin' something, huh?" Jaci gave an evil smirk remembering the blow job he had listed when she mentioned flowers.

"Mmmhmm. And I think St. Paddy's Day is payback." Tig replied.

"Does there have to be a closet involved?" She grimaced.

He replied with blues eyes shining brightly, "Oh absolutely."

TO BE CONTINUED….