Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from SOA. I just like to play with them for fun, no profit made.

A/N: I know that it's hard to judge a fic by a single chapter so I'm posting this to give you a better idea about the characters. I've got a little chunk of the story already written so updates should be frequent. Thank you for the follows and the reviews, I'm really loving this story and hope that you all will as well.

Again, special thanks to R3-1 M4y3r for her help with this.

Chapter TWO

Eden gritted her teeth against the pain that shot through her as she walked towards the hall containing the rooms used by patches to crash in. Kozik's position as SAA gave him a steady room, not just having to grab whatever one was unoccupied. In there she'd find some clothes that actually belonged to her, not the stiff scrubs she'd talked a nurse into giving her when Donut only found bathrobes in the gift shop. Maybe once she had on her own clothes and was in a familiar bed she'd be able to rest.

Maybe but she honestly doubted it, in the hospital she'd slept in fits and starts when her dreams woke her despite the pain killing medication being pumped into her. Nightmares had always been an issue for her, her father used to say it was because of her over active imagination.

"Hey Eden!" She turned to see one of the sweet butts, the one who fancied herself as the leader. "Where you going girl? We've got to get dinner out for the guys."

This was what she'd feared at the hospital, the expectation that she'd do what she always did, help out in the kitchen or on laundry duty. Kozik had promised that she wouldn't have to and she was going to hold him to that. "I'm heading to bed Sandy, I was stabbed remember?"

"Well it can't be that bad since you're walking around. Come on, I don't have time for you playing the sympathy card, Lorca is in rare form today. He's hungry and horny. Now you can help out with the hungry part or..." she trailed off with a cruel smile on her overly made up face.

"I said I'm going to bed, you got a problem with it than take it up with Kozik." Eden snapped. Truthfully she'd never liked Sandy, the bitch had delusions of grandeur and a nasty attitude towards everyone without a patch. She'd held her tongue, not wanting to cause trouble but the woman made too many comments that implied Eden would be like she was, free pussy for anyone with a patch.

"I think that I'll take it up with Lorca instead," the little brunette grinned like a cat who had just chowed down on a canary. "You won't even help out with his dinner when he spent the day changing your locks? That's really being an ungrateful bitch."

"Problem here?" A deep gravely voice questioned as Happy stepped into the hall. Eden didn't need to turn to recognize the voice, the Nomad was frequently in Tacoma these days because something, she didn't know exactly what, was going on.

Fear fluttered over Sandy's face for a second, Happy had a reputation of not taking shit from anyone especially a crow eater. "I'm just trying to keep Eden in line, there's a lot to be done and she seems to think that she's suddenly above it. Really, I'm doing her a favor because we all know how Lee feels about bitches who don't pull their weight."

"Same way he feels about bitches who don't know their place," Happy answered. "Get the fuck out of here," he added.

Eden let out a low laugh as the woman fled down the hallway back towards the main room. "Thanks Happy," she smiled up at the taller man. He didn't intimidate her the way he did most people who weren't his brothers. She knew that he wasn't someone to fuck with but he'd always been nice to her, most likely because of her friendship with Kozik. As far as she could tell her man was his closest friend.

"Got yourself stabbed, huh?"

"Yeah," she patted the spot through her shirt. "Hurts like fucking hell." Eden appreciated him asking, he wasn't much for small talk or any talk at all really.

"You get used to it after the first couple of times," he said with a shrug.

"Hey, what the fuck is this?" Kozik demanded, his voice booming through the hallway. "I leave you alone for five minutes and you're letting one of my Brothers push up on you?"

"I just couldn't help myself, he's so dreamy," Eden replied without bothering to try and keep a straight face as the two men embraced quickly in a one armed hug.

"Was just chasing off that bossy bitch, she was giving Eden shit about making dinner," Happy explained.

Anger crossed Kozik's face. "Sandy?"

"Yeah," Happy confirmed. "I'm gonna head to my room, get some sleep. Been up for like two fucking days."

"When you get up, think that you'll be up for doing some ink?" Kozik questioned.

"Sure Brother, just let me know what you want."

"Not me," Kozik jerked his finger at Eden, "it's for her."

"For me?" Eden's head snapped to Kozik. "What ink am I getting?"

"My ink," he replied.

Happy let out a low chuckle. "Got no problem doing the ink but not today," he shook his head. "Girl just had surgery, that's enough trauma to her body. Give it a few days or it's going to end up looking like shit. I don't do shitty work," he added when Kozik went to protest. He took one look at Eden and a grin spread across his face. "I'm going to sleep."

"Koz?" Eden was floored, they had vaguely spoken about her taking his ink several times but it had stopped at just conversation.

"Eden?" He grinned as he leaned in to kiss her. "What do you say?" His eyes met hers and he saw the answer there.

"Hmmm... I don't know," she leaned in to his touch, "I might need some time, maybe need to sleep on it." With effort she kept her face serious but she couldn't do it, Eden burst out laughing. "Yes, I want your ink."

"Thought so," he said smugly. "Get your ass in that room and rest."

"Aren't you coming with me?"

"Be there in a minute," he told her, "got something to take care of first."

2 2 2

Eden woke to the feeling of Kozik's fingers tracing along her spine, "You said just a few minutes," she pointed out. Her voice was thick with sleep and her eyes closed.

"Had to handle something," he continued to trace his fingers over her exposed back. He'd been a little surprised to find her half naked when he walked into the room but he certainly wasn't going to complain, the thin strapped nightgown exposed most of her upper back and fell just below the curve of her ass.

"Can I ask what?" Eden had learned long ago to always ask if she could or should ask. There were things that the didn't tell her, things that she wasn't sure that she even wanted to know.

"Sandy," he replied. "How long has she been giving you shit for?" It took some effort on his part to keep annoyance out of his voice. Eden had never once mentioned that the woman was any sort of way towards her but tonight when he'd gone to confront Sandy about calling Eden a bitch he'd gotten an earful from Carmen, Lee's Old Lady.

"It was nothing that I couldn't handle."

"The next time one of these bitches sells you shit, you tell me. No one is talking to my Old Lady like that and getting away with it."

Eden rolled over to face him. "Do you know what you just said?"

"Said that you're my Old Lady, you got a problem with that?" He grinned as he watched her expression, several times she opened her mouth as if she were going to say something but no sound came out. "Eden?"

"Are you sure?"

"Woman, are you trying to piss me off?" he questioned. "Or are you trying to tell me that you don't want that?"

"I... I love you Koz, you know that," she let her fingers move over his bare chest and traced the letters over his heart.

"That ain't an answer," he pointed out. "This shit... it's for life Eden."

"Guess it's good I've got plans on spending the rest of my life with you then," she rested her head against his. "Think you can put up with me that long?"

"I'll manage," he told her.

"So, you going to tell me what exactly happened with Sandy?"

"I wondered if you were going to want details. I might as well, if I don't tell you than Carmen will."

"Carmen?" Eden was intrigued now, Lee's Old Lady was something else. She was a legend in the Tacoma clubhouse, a pampered rich girl who had come to the clubhouse with friends and basically never left after meeting Lee. In less than a month they were married and she was inked, no one ever thought that it would last but it had been five years.

"Yeah, Carmen," Kozik let out a weak chuckle. "Found Sandy in the kitchen, mind you she's still complaining that you didn't come to help and wondering if you're fucking Hap too and that's why he said something to her. I lost my shit." He could see it clearly, he'd walked over to the woman and slammed her into the fridge with his hand firmly around her throat. "Basically told her that I'd cut her tongue out and stick it up her ass if she ever so much as said your name again. She started blabbering about how she was just having a bad day and was sorry. I told her that she would be sorry if she didn't take her skanky ass out of the kitchen to the front door and not look back." Of course there had been one sharp smack to her face but he'd been beyond pissed. No one was going to get away with talking about Eden that way, no one.

"What does Carmen have to do with it?"

"She was there," he sighed. "Getting something for Lee to eat or whatever but she saw the whole thing. Waited until the bitch left to ask me to take a walk with her."

"Why?"

"She wanted to talk to me," Kozik's fingers resumed their exploration of her back. "Told me it was about time I got my head out of my ass and opened up my eyes. You should have told me how these fucking whores treat you, shit Eden you're better than them and you know it."

"They're just jealous," at least that was what she told herself. "It wasn't a big..."

"If you say it wasn't a big deal again, I'm going to get really pissed at you. It was a big deal and is a big deal because I'm telling you that it is. You should have come to me, you should have defended yourself to them. Jesus Eden, why didn't you?"

"I've seen too many women get kicked out of this clubhouse for getting into brawls. I didn't want to have that happen. I didn't want to..."

"Spit it out Eden."

"I didn't want to get kicked out and lose you. Shit Koz, I knew that if you had to pick between me and the club... well, I knew that wasn't a choice I wanted to have happen."

"Baby, no one would have kicked you out," Kozik told her. "You've never been one of those girls Eden, not even the first day you walked in here. Shit, everyone knew from day one that you were mine."

"Day one all we did was argue," she pointed out. "I really couldn't stand you." He'd been so cocky, so sure that he was getting in her pants. It had pissed her off because if he'd just tried a little harder to be smooth than she'd have likely just let him in.

"You're breaking my heart here Eden, might want to get a knife it's just cruel to kill me slowly."

"Alright, where's your knife? I left mine at the house," she laughed as he began to tickle her side. "Shit," she hissed as pain shot through her.

"Sorry," his hand stilled. "You need another pill?"

"No. I'm okay," she told him though she would have taken one if she didn't feel like it was wrong to do in front of him. She knew him, knew his demons and never wanted to be someone who tempted him. Since they'd started sleeping together she'd actually cleaned up her act a lot.

"Bullshit," he replied. He knew her well enough to roll off of the bed and grab the bottle on the dresser. "Take these," he crossed back over to the bed and held out the pills.

Eden swallowed them with the bottle of water she had next to the bed. "Get back in here," she patted the warm mattress next to her. "Sort of sucks to be you tonight, huh?"

"Why would you say that?" Kozik slid back under the covers.

"You get an Old Lady and no ass."

"Yeah, that does suck," he agreed as he leaned in to kiss her forehead. "You're going to make up for it later, trust me."