OK, a new story! This takes place in a whole different SOA universe than my V-centric stories, so don't look for her here—none of her storyline happened in this world. The story starts after season 3, and goes off-canon from there. Please please please throw me a review and let me know if you're interested in more of this one!

-0-

Normally, Chibs would have complained about having to take such a long ride in the tow truck with Juice. The little fucker talked non-stop. With Juice and the rest of his brothers just out of prison, though, Chibs was happy to do it. It was actually good to hear the kid jabber.

The months when the others had been away had been difficult for Chibs in their own way. At first, it was kind of fun—he was buried in pussy, as the same number of sweetbutts as always hung around, with nobody but him to see to. After a while, though, he had to admit to himself that no matter how many different women he was with, he still saw Fiona everywhere. With Jimmy O. gone, he knew Fi and Kerianne were safe, but that didn't much diminish the ache of their absence. The truth was that his girls were both Irish to their cores, and they belonged where they were. The latest trip back had done nothing but prove to him that he didn't. Even with no more threat to keep him out of Ireland, and them there, they weren't going to be together. He'd thrown himself into the sea of Crow Eaters with all the more gusto after he'd come to that realization, but everything gets old eventually. Just two nights ago, he'd laughingly told his brothers he was going on a diet—no more pussy for a while.

It was odd, then, that the first thing he noticed as he and Juice pulled approached the truck on the side of the road was not the vehicle itself—and it was a beauty, a classic ¾ ton from the early 70s—but the girl. She was leaning against the hood, her face mostly shielded by a crushed straw cowboy hat. She wore beat-up cowboy boots, faded jeans, and a t-shirt. She was smallish, but curvy, and she had a ton of red hair cascading over her shoulders.

"God, I am so glad to see you," the girl said as Chibs and Juice got out of the tow truck. When she looked up and smiled, Chibs saw that she had exactly the face he'd have expected, with wide, clear gray eyes, pale skin, and a sprinkle of freckles across her nose. Her smile was wide and her teeth were perfectly white and straight. She stuck her hand out and shook both his and Juice's hands quickly. "I'm Caroline, and my truck is…" she wrinkled her nose, "fucked?" Her voice had a slight accent, but not one he could place.

"I'm Juice, and this is Chibs." Juice smiled back at Caroline. "What happened?"

She shook her head. "No clue. I just unloaded a couple of horses and I was headed out, and," she made a gesture with her hands indicating an explosion. "I thought I blew a tire, but it's not that. Broken strut, maybe? Back end is dragging." She turned to walk towards the back of the truck and show them.

"Back end looks pretty fuckin' good to me," Chibs muttered, getting an eyeful of how her ass filled out her jeans. If she heard him, she ignored it.

Caroline watched and bit her nails as Juice and Chibs hooked her truck up to the tow. "Somethin' wrong, darlin'?" Chibs asked finally, noticing her discomfort.

"No, I'm sorry." Caroline blushed slightly. "I just…I love this truck. Please don't hurt this truck."

Chibs grinned. She was so earnest. It was adorable. "We'll take good of her, you 'ave my word." He looked at Juice. "Guess I better drive, then."

Caroline gamely climbed into the cab of the tow truck in between Juice and Chibs, then took off her hat and laid it in her lap. The hair was even more impressive than Chibs had originally thought, and he smiled slightly when it fell against his shoulder. "Sorry, sweetheart," he said, letting his hand rest on her leg for only a second as he reached for the gearshift.

Chibs stayed mostly quiet on the drive back to T-M, letting Juice fill the silence by asking Caroline questions. She answered each one politely, but none of it was all that interesting. She was from Montana and was out here delivering some horses to her uncle. The truck had been her father's. She didn't much like rap or metal. She was friendly, but nothing she said had any hint of flirting, though Juice seemed to be trying to lead her in that direction.

Back at Teller-Morrow, Chibs and Juice unloaded Caroline's truck while she headed into the office to fill out the paperwork. The garage was quiet—they'd ended up overstaffed when the Club got out of prison and nobody thought to lay off the mechanics that had been hired to replace them, so they'd stayed ahead of business lately. Jax had his motorcycle on the lift, messing with something, and Tig and Bobby sat on the picnic table, not even pretending to work.

A quick look told the mechanics that there was indeed much more than a blown tire wrong with Caroline's truck. "I'll talk to her," Juice said, already heading toward the office.

Chibs caught him by the back of his mechanic's shirt. "I'll talk to her," he said, smirking.

As Chibs strode towards the office, Bobby raised a lazy eyebrow. "What was that about?"

Juice grinned. "He just about drooled on her the whole way here. Apparently Chibs has a thing for the fire-crotches."

"God, didn't he get enough pussy when we were locked up?" Tig complained. "Some fuckin' diet."

Chibs' conversation with Caroline was unfortunately brief. He explained the work that her truck needed and she nodded, then asked him again, with that same sweet look, to take good care of it. When he asked her if she needed a ride anywhere, she declined politely, saying Gemma had already called her a cab.

After Caroline left, Chibs returned to the garage, where Jax had joined Bobby, Tig, and Juice at the picnic table. All of them seemed to be laughing. "What's so goddamn funny?" he asked.

Jax held up a piece of paper—the work order Gemma's printer had spit out for Caroline's truck. "I think you're out of your league with that one, brother."

"Why's that?"

"Did you happen to get Caroline's last name?"

Chibs looked perplexed. "No. Why?" Jax shoved the paper at him. He read it. "Caroline Oswald. So?"

"Oswald." Jax looked at him. "Like, Elliot Oswald? Like Elliot Oswald's niece, as a matter of fact."

Juice busted up laughing. "How's your luck with bangin' heiresses?"

"Shit." Chibs scowled. That explained Caroline's distant friendliness. She thought she was talking to the goddamn help. And really, she was. He lit a cigarette. "Ah, who needs the rich bitch anyway?" he asked.

-0-

Clay was not happy. He was more than not happy, actually, he was completely pissed off. It was bad enough that there had been nobody to stand in the way of the new "development" in Charming while the Club was put away, but now newly-elected Mayor Hale was behind an even bigger project. This one would wipe out the entirety of the undeveloped stream land on Charming's east side, adding yet more housing and an easier access to the highway. And a fucking mall. It was the mall that really did him in. He scowled around the table. "Any brilliant ideas?"

The faces looking back at him were blank, and similarly displeased. It was more clear than ever that if SAMCRO wanted to keep its place at the top of the Charming food chain, all of this new construction needed to stop. Jax ran his hand over his head. "Hale's already got all the land?" he asked.

"Not all bought yet, but all for sale," Bobby answered. "Nothin' standin' in his way."

"Already tried to convince the sellers they don't want to sell," Chibs said, nodding towards Opie to indicate it was something they'd done together. "It's all fuckin' property companies. Nobody to lean on."

"What about a new buyer?" Jax narrowed his eyes. "If we can't keep it from being sold, can we make sure it gets sold to somebody else?"

Tig shot Jax a disgusted look. "Who do we know got that kind of money? That land's gotta be worth millions."

"And it would have to be somebody who would buy it and not develop it-hardly a profit-making plan," Bobby interjected.

"What about Oswald?" Juice asked. "He's got the cash, and that spread is right next to his place. He probably doesn't want a mall there, either."

Clay looked thoughtful. "Doubt it, but it's worth a try." He nodded towards Tig and Chibs. "Let's take a ride out there, reacquaint ourselves with our old friend Oswald."

Chibs hadn't given more than a passing thought to Caroline since he'd found out who she was. She'd come back to pick up her truck and he hadn't seen her, and that was that. He was surprised, when they pulled their bikes up near Oswald's corral, to lay eyes on her again. She was in the corral with a big bay horse who obviously didn't want to be there. She faced away from them and didn't turn around when they pulled up, but he knew it was her-that red hair was unmistakable. Following his eyes, Clay smiled. "That the niece?"

"Aye." He couldn't help but watch her. She was smaller than he'd though, or just dwarfed by the big horse, but she was steady on her feet and clearly knew what she doing, one hand on the bridle, the other against the horse's neck. Though he was too far away to hear her, he could imagine she was speaking softly to the beast, trying to calm him down. He had to tear his eyes away to follow Tig and Clay towards Oswald.

"New horse trainer?" Clay asked conversationally, nodding towards the corral.

Oswald rolled his eyes. "I guess. My niece. She ran the trainer off yesterday and said she's takin' over before all my horses are ruined." He shook his head and looked towards the corral. "Just as well. Her mother was hoping we could keep her here for a while. Apparently she's..." he drifted off. "Well, let's just say my sister-in-law isn't crazy about her crowd. Caroline has always been...headstrong." He looked at Clay again. "Thanks for taking care of her truck."

"No problem." Clay smiled again. "But that's not why we're here."

"I figured." Oswald nodded. "Hale's development thing?"

"Yeah. Where do you land on having a Wal-Mart next door?" Clay gestured to Oswald's pasture, barn, and riding trails. "Beautiful place you've got here, Elliot. Hate to see it spoiled."

"I'm not happy with it either, Clay," Oswald replied. "But it's out of my hands. The land they're after isn't mine."

"No thought on buyin' it?"

Oswald shook his head in disbelief. "For five million? No." He sighed. "We're just gonna have to live with it. Charming is changing."

"Yeah," Clay looked disgusted. "We noticed."

"Can't stop progress forever, Clay."

"Who the fuck says it's progress?" Clay scowled. He knew, though, that he'd long spent his influence with Oswald. There was nothing he could do to force the man to reconsider, and it was best to stay on his good side. He changed the subject. "Tell me, Elliot," he said with a grin, "how'd a girl that good lookin' come out of your gene pool?" He nodded again towards the corral, where Caroline had succeeded in saddling the bay.

Oswald chuckled. "Looks just like her mother," he said. He shielded his eyes and peered towards Caroline. "Born horsewoman, though. Been like that since she was a little girl."

As they walked back towards the bikes, Clay and Tig chatted with Oswald. Chibs was quiet, his eyes back on Caroline. As the other men stood by the bikes and talked, he moved down the corral fence, closer to where she was mounting the bay. He didn't know a thing about horses, but could recognize competence when he saw it. She swung up gracefully, clearly concentrating on the horse and either not knowing or not caring that she had an audience. The horse was still jumpy, and she was barely in the saddle before he started to buck. Chibs was enthralled as he watched how she handled him, moving easily in the saddle, the reins in her hands. He could hear her now, still speaking softly to the horse. "Calm, baby, it's OK." The accent in her voice was thicker than it had been before. "Hush now, sugar." The bay seemed to calm some and Caroline began to trot him slowly around the corral.

With his full attention on Caroline, Chibs didn't notice Oswald was headed back towards the barn. Clay and Tig were on their bikes, and Tig started his with a loud backfire. As Chibs watched, the bay spooked, bucking hard, and Caroline went flying, landing on her back in the dirt.

Chibs was over the fence and in the corral before he had time to think about it. He could hear Tig laughing, but didn't stop until he was standing over Caroline, reaching down for her. "You OK, darlin'? Anything broken?"

Caroline looked first confused, then just irritated. She didn't reach for his hand, but instead picked herself up, brushing the dust off the ass of her jeans. "I'm fine." She looked inquisitively at Chibs, then beyond him, at Tig and Clay on their bikes. "Is there somethin' I can do for you?"

"No, we're just leavin'," Chibs frowned, wondering if she even recognized him from the garage. "Had some business with Oswald. Just thought you might need some help. Looked like a hard fall."

She smiled then. "Thanks. I don't imagine it's gonna be the last time I get the toss from that one, though." She looked fondly at the horse. "I'll be fine. First thing you learn is how to fall off."

Looking down at her, Chibs saw that she was younger than he'd thought before, probably only a few years into her 20s. Christ, he thought. A rich girl and a baby. What the hell am I doing? There was something about those clear eyes, though, and the way she'd moved around the horse, that he couldn't quite walk away from. Besides, after months of easy lays, there was nothing wrong with a little challenge. He nodded in the direction Oswald had made off. "Oswald says you're stickin' around for a while?"

Caroline nodded, her face immediately looking more guarded. "Yeah. Uncle Elliot doesn't know it, but needs some help with these horses." She shook her head. "Trainer he had out here was a goddamn joke." She smiled again then. "Hey, thanks for takin' such good care of my truck. She's perfect again."

Chibs nodded. He didn't like the business-like direction Caroline seemed inclined to steer the conversation towards, but at least she was smiling. The girl had an amazing smile. "You look like you know what you're doin' out here," he said, indicating the corral. "Bet you'll have Oswald's horses in shape in no time."

"I hope so." She kept smiling, but seemed to be backing away. Chibs got the distinct impression he was being dismissed. Her next words made it clear that he was. "Looks like your friends are taking off," she said, nodding towards where Clay and Tig were pulling out.

"S' alright, I know my way back," he replied, grinning. He nodded towards the bay, who was watching them from the other side of the corral. "You ever ride a motorcycle? Gotta be easier than that beast."

"Nope, never been on one." She looked wary again, like she suspected what was coming up next.

"You want to try it out?" Chibs jerked his chin towards where his Dyna was still parked. "Promise not to go too fast."

Caroline shook her head. "I don't think that's a very good idea," she said. "I've got a lot to do here today, and I'm sure you're busy." She smiled again, but the expression seemed less genuine this time, and more polite. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you around. Thanks again for fixing my truck." She didn't wait for a response, but turned and began to walk back towards the horse. Scowling, Chibs got on his bike and rode away.

Back at the Clubhouse, Tig and Clay had filled the rest of the guys in before Chibs even pulled into the lot. "Taking a shot with the rich girl, huh?" Jax asked, grinning. "How'd that go for you?"

Chibs shook his head. "'Fraid this one might take a while, boys." He opened the beer Bobby slid towards him down the bar. Then he grinned. "Easy as it's been lately, though, I could use the practice." There was no use giving them any indication of how lost he suspected this particular cause might be.

"You tell us one more time how much pussy you got while we were in the joint, I'm gonna beat you to death," Tig said, his tone conversational. "Bragging bastard."

"You know," Clay said slowly. "Elliot Oswald may not be any help to us with this thing right now, but he's still a damn good friend to have. I'd hate have that jeopardized by somebody in this Club tryin' to stick his niece. His very young, very innocent niece."

"Wait, I missed this part. Young and innocent?" Jax laughed out loud, smirking at Chibs. "You're a dirty fucking old man."

Chibs didn't reply, just drank his beer. God, it was good to have the boys back.

-0-

Caroline sighed with pleasure as the hot water hit her. It had been a long day, and the damn bay had thrown her twice more before she could get him calmed down. Everything ached, and she smelled terrible.

She wasn't sure about this plan to stay in Charming for a while. She knew her mother had cooked it up with her uncle, and even if she hadn't fired the good-for-nothing trainer, they'd have thought of some other reason for her to stick around. While it would definitely be nice to be away from her mother's prying eyes and incessant nagging, and the horses could certainly use her, she wasn't sure what else she was going to find to do out here. Her cursory look at the town hadn't been promising. It wasn't that Caroline liked the city-as a matter of fact, she hated it-but at least at home in Montana she had people to go out with. Here, she was picturing a lot of boring evenings watching TV with her uncle and aunt. Which was probably exactly what her mother had in mind.

As she lathered the shampoo in her hair, Caroline thought about the bikers who'd visited. What business could they possibly have with her uncle? After seeing the bikes lined up at the garage, she'd asked about the Club, and Elliot had been oddly non-specific, saying only that they had been in Charming for a long time and were nothing to worry about. Her aunt had been less charitable, telling her later that they were, she thought, mixed up in some very bad things and should be avoided.

Thinking of the Scotsman's attempt to get her to ride his bike with him, Caroline felt a wave of something close to excitement run through her. In truth, she hadn't given him a second thought after meeting him when her truck broke down, but he'd seemed different today, his mechanic's shirt replaced by a leather vest. She'd even considered, for the briefest moment, taking him up on the offer. She'd always been curious as to what riding a motorcycle would be like. She was intrigued, too, by his scarred face and heavy accent. There had to be a few good stories there. She shook her head. Crazy thoughts. She could just hear her mother now, on the phone with her aunt. "She went out with WHO?" The thought made her smile. It would certainly make the cowboys she tended towards back home look a bit shinier in her mother's eyes.

By the time she was toweling off, Caroline's thoughts were back on the horses. The two she'd brought out from Montana were in good shape, trained by their trainer at home and ready to run. The four Elliot was already planning to race, however, were all terrible, and his riding horses weren't much better. It was a wonder he hadn't had a serious problem of some sort already, either due to their extremely poor training or their substandard feed. She began to make a list in her head of things she was going to need to get delivered, and to wonder if there was a decent farrier around this town. Fucking California, she thought with irritation. All this damn people and nobody has any idea what the hell they're doing.

It wasn't until Caroline's head hit her pillow that she thought of Chibs again. She never had any trouble sleeping-days spend on horseback left her physically exhausted enough to sleep well, and her mind was generally untroubled. Tonight, though, it took a while for sleep to come. She kept flashing back to the brogue with which he spoke, and the way he'd smiled when he'd seen how fond she was of her truck. Once again, she chided herself for her thoughts. It was absolutely ridiculous for her to even be thinking about this guy. He was a scar-faced biker mechanic, and he had to be 20 years older than she was. Her mother would freak. Elliot would freak. Still, she mused, as she finally drifted off, it wouldn't hurt to get to know him a little better, would it? The whole idea of the Club was intriguing, and at least it would give her something to do.