Real Good Man

by LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX

It was like they were never present but her mind knew better, the series of events rolling through her like a thunderstorm along with the grime that tinted her soul. The aim to continue with life without a hint of change, that couldn't be that hard right?

2. Untwine

I may drink too much and play too loud
Hang out with a rough and rowdy crowd
that don't mean I don't respect
My Mama or my Uncle Sam
Yes sir, yes ma'am
I may be a real bad boy
But baby I'm a real good man

-Real Good Man, Tim McGraw

TWO
-Untwine-

Rita didn't like it one bit, she hated waiting around for a damn phone call, she liked to feel in control, to have all of the details to every situation that involved herself or her brother. Yet at the present moment she felt none of that as she sat beside Luke on their couch. She had taken some sick leave to give her time to heal and divert Luke's questions about her injuries, only answering that she wanted to stay home help with painting the house. Even though she knew Luke didn't completely believe her, he left well enough alone as they had painted the Kitchen blue. Rita took a bite of her chicken roll as her eyes flickered to the silent phone beside her. "Are we going to finish the kitchen?" Luke asked watching as her eyes continuously strayed to her phone; clearly showing he had caught on to her nervous attitude.

"Of course," She said as she finished off the rest of her roll and picked up a paint brush. She decided that she wasn't about to let them get under her skin, well anymore than they already had. She started the second coat when Luke joined her; the radio turned back on as the siblings continued with their painting.

They had just placed the brushes in a bucket of water when the sound of the door bell ringing sounded throughout the house. She didn't give it a second thought as she quickly opened the door with a smile, the time alone with her brother had eased her mind, but that ease left her at sight of the men standing on her doorstep. "What are you doing here?" She directed the question at Clay before checking behind her making sure that Luke was still occupied in the kitchen. Was nothing ever going to go as it was supposed to.

"Came for a chat," was all he said before he went to walk forward. She merely followed his steps blocking him; her actions were rewarded with a raised eyebrow.

"You can't come inside, you should have called and we would-" She stopped mid sentences and squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of her brother walking towards them.

"Rita, who's that?" Luke asked in a suspicious tone. She knew that tone, they usually stayed out of each other's business but sometimes the older brother act would over step that thin line.

"Get your boyfriend out of here so we can talk business." At that moment she could have actually hit Tig as she listened to the words that came from his mouth. He directed it at her as though she had some form of authority over Luke.

"Boyfriend? I'm her damn brother so I have every right to hear what business you have with her." Luke said angrily stepping up behind her in a protective yet aggressive manner.

"Luke would you-" She didn't even bother finishing the sentence at the striking glare that he sent in her direction. At that glare she knew that this was not a battle she could win. She did however let out a loud groan her for both parties to hear as she opened the front door wider allowing the Sons to come in.

Luke took to them to the lounge as Rita closed the door after the last man. As she entered the lounge she realized that for the first time the room felt too small, with the four men in leather and her brother's large bodies, also each of their foul moods. "What exactly is this about?" Luke asks addressing Clay as Rita was in the middle of the situation as Luke took the reins like he use to do when they were younger.

"Why don't you ask your sister?" Clay says with a smirk in her direction. She frowned at Clay wondering which side the bastard was on, hers or Luke's, perhaps he was just playing the field.

"Well it seems she hasn't been telling me everything," Luke says as he throws another look in her direction. "Or at least she has been leaving out the parts where she got involved with your club."

Rita was tempted to speak up but simply sat back at the feel of a headache rising. She continued to take in her brother, his whole character had changed and it took her by surprise as he didn't draw back or flinch with the exposure of his scarred face to strangers that alone told Rita she had dug a fairly large hole for herself.

Clay seems to regard him for a moment, no doubt tossing the pro and cons about telling Luke about the whole situation. "Well we managed to get the security tapes for both the incidents at the hospital." Clay finally said looking at Rita.

"Incidents?" Luke's body instantly curled up in tension; meanwhile Rita was getting ready for her brother to blow up after finding out that his efforts in shielding her away from the darker side of life since childhood was now exposed to her.

"Rita helped a woman connected to the club; as a result she had a run in with a man the other day." For the first time since she had meet Tig, she felt grateful towards him for keeping the details of the situation to a minimum, keeping things on a need to know bases. A shared glance between him and Rita let her know that she would pay for that save later on, she just hoped to God her and Tig would be in the company of others.

There was one thing Rita learnt that afternoon, she had no chance in having her say when five grown men wanted their way, while she was on the opposite side of their agreeability. She had thought that Luke would have been on her side with his reaction to finding out that she was involved with the Sons, but boy was she was wrong. Once Clay had explained the situation without divulging too many details and emphasising that her ass was on the line, Luke was all for the Sons plan. That plan had resulted to the dark haired man sitting across from her, she tried to give him her best stare of distaste but his striking blue eyes made her feel vulnerable to the point that she couldn't express herself once again. "Rita! What's for dinner?" The question from her brother only heightened her mood as she instantly stood from the couch to escape from the men.

"Make it yourself!" She practically growled as she moved towards the direction of her bedroom.

"Now what would Gran say to you being disrespectful to your guest?" Luke asked in a pleasant tone. She knew the damn man was probably smiling as he said it too.

Without answering Luke, she headed in the direction of the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge. Retracing her steps, she placed the beer on the table in front of Tig. "Bon appétit," she said with a forced smile before returning to the path of her bedroom, her guest satisfied.

Rita had half wished that the man had left during the night but the body curled up under the blanket on the couch proved otherwise, and that he followed the orders from the club to completely. As she stood leaning against the doorway of the lounge, she couldn't help notice the softened appearance to him asleep compared to him awake in his leather and with ragged facial lines. She almost itched to reach forward and trace the lines on his face, to explore what was in front of her. "Would you stop staring?" She couldn't help the pause in her breathing at the sound of his voice, his eyes slowly opened but they were very much aware.

"Just making sure you're alive, I don't need another death on my hands." Rita's lips instantly thinned into a tight line as she heard the words escape her, she didn't know what came over her whenever she was around the man in front of her. It was like the restless Rita in her younger years had suddenly taken over and all her effort of being somewhat confident, somewhat better was disintegrating at the mere presence of this man. "If you're following me, I suggest you get ready, I'm leaving in twenty." She quickly says as she turns away from him making her way to the kitchen.

"God damn it, it's a weekend." She ignored the fact that he had used Gods name in vain and started to make coffee.

"The world doesn't simply stop because of one incident." She says from the kitchen as he stands up from the couch and follows her voice into the kitchen, taking a seat at the dinner table. A black coffee was placed in front of him as Rita quietly sat opposite him, sipping from her own mug in silence.

Tig didn't quite understand the woman in front of him, one moment she was the innocent lamb from their first meeting, then a hell cat lashing out with her claws. He took a sip of his mug as he regarded her; God only knew he needed the caffeine if he was going to handle her attitude for the entire day. As he drank, he let his eyes roam over her flared hips and bust to her shoulder length hair. He wasn't blind, he knew Rita was all woman. As always in more ways than one, a mystery of the unsolved puzzle presented to mankind. He couldn't wait for the end of the week but as he took yet another look at her, Tig knew he wouldn't mind having some fun while he was at it.

The intensity of his gaze made her shift uneasily, she wanted the man gone and far away from her. "Take your feet off the chair." She says as She reaches over and grabs her handbag.

"Why would I do that?" He asks with a smirk. She could see the dare clear in his blue eyes.

Because we're leaving," She said, not giving him another glance, and walked down the hallway to the front door. After hearing the chair scrap against the floor as he followed after her she realised that maybe she could get use to the small power she held over the man.

She didn't bother waiting for him as she stepped into her car. When she pulled out of the drive the roar of a motorbike told her everything she needed while she travelled down the stretch of road ahead of her.

It didn't matter how hard she tried to keep her eyes on the road, they would continuously flicker up to the rear-view mirror to the black motorbike behind her. There some part of her that was worried that he would suddenly vanish and it would be just her left on the road at such an early morning.

Rita was surprised at the fact that Tig didn't follow her inside the hospital. He simply stopped near the entrance and once he saw her cross the threshold of the hospital entrance he started up his bike and rode out of the parking lot. She had to admit it left her relieved at not having him at her side throughout the whole day. Hell she wouldn't even know how to explain the bad ass biker following her around to her co-workers. Like everyone, she had heard the rumours about the Sons and their acquaintances and she did not want to become a part of the small town's entrainment.

The handover went over smoothly and she was busy getting the medication trolley set up when her phone buzzed in her pocket. The unknown number left her in doubt but she answered anyway only to regret the decision at the person's voice on the other end. "How's it going Doll?" Rita thought about telling him exactly what she thought about the nickname but figured that would mean more time having to speak to him than necessary.

"Nothing other than the usual if that's what you're asking." She tersely responded.

"Who twisted your panties?" was his witty reply.

"Goodbye." Was all Tig heard before he pulled the phone away from his ear trying to wrap his mind around the fact that the woman had actually hung up on him. He had no idea what he had done to even earn himself such hostility.

"Anything new with the Girl," Tig heard from behind him.

"Nah, nothin new." He turned his attention to Clay. "I'll head over there at seven." Tig had taken it upon himself to take a look around the house and caught sight of Rita's rota for the next two weeks. Otherwise he would have stayed with her for the whole day, but the woman was constantly around people and didn't step outside the hospital on her breaks. Personally he didn't know how the woman could do it, she seemed like one of those people who liked to be in control, and he had met plenty of them including his ex. there was just something about her that sparked his interest, Tig figured he just needed to taste the piece of ass and all would be cured. The quicker they solved this threat, the quicker he would be relieved his job.

It was individuals like this that helped her to get out of bed in the morning and walk into the hospital. It didn't matter how hard Rita tried, she couldn't keep the small smile from her face at the couple in front of her. It was the regular happy family, mother and father along with their son who was walking away with a mending bone from his latest escapade gone wrong.

It was something so simple, yet an element that she never truly got to experience. The memories of her parents were far and few in between, though she was sure that Luke could remember them. She could still hear the crying and shouting if Rita let herself get pulled back to the past. Her father was in prison and mother wasn't much better with her late nights until she just never came home. It was their Gran that had taken care of Rita and Luke. The old woman long passed her years of child bearing but had given them a few years to experience what every child should. She taught them the simple habits of life from their schooling to folding their own washing. It was three years of Rita's happiest memories, but no one can live forever. With Gram's passing Rita and Luke were left in the claws of the system.

Just helping a happy and family like the one in front of her was more than she could possibly ask for. Even with her own battle of sadness and happiness with a tint of jealously at what she'll never have, just the image of them brought a smile to her face. Taking a deep breath, she pushed everything into a small box in the corner of her mind and turned away from the family. "You really need to be more aware of your surroundings," came a voice from behind her. Rita's attention snapped to Tig who was leaning against the corner of the corridor where he had no doubt been standing behind her for some time."You sure you can handle yourself?" He taunted.

"Yes." She hated hearing the doubt in his voice and the fact that he was so close, catching her at her most vulnerable state made her state of frustration with him higher. "Is there a reason to your unwanted visit?"

She made her way to go past him when he caught her arm, the strength behind his grip surprising her. "Listen here, I don't want to be watching your ass every god damn minute so cut the attitude." His eyes were truly icy at that moment and she tried not to think what the man could do if he wished to. It was a warning and she was going to go heed it. Rita wasn't sure how many more warnings the man would be willing to give her until he left her high and dry.

"Do you want to catch some lunch?" She timidly asked. It was her way of saying sorry for her bitchy front. He merely assessed her before nodding his head. "The cafe is this way."

Rita led the way as Tig easily matched her strides. At first he almost snorted at her suggestion but knew better after getting Juice to get some Intel on the woman. It only made him think about the mistake in the information that juice had collected for them, they had turned up at her house to take care of matters and the unexpected presence of her brother shifted the situation slightly. As far as Juice had said, her bother Luke Matthews was in an army rehabilitation centre but it seemed the facts were wrong. He hated to think what else they didn't know about the woman they were protecting. Yes she did save Tara's ass but you still had to be careful, and this woman's report showed the woman was clean, even if her life hadn't always been sunshine and rainbows. Her mother had taken off and basically disappeared, her father is in prison leaving Rita and Luke to live with a grandparent. After the old woman's death the siblings were separated by the system, briefly reunited, before it seems they went their separate ways, Luke to the army and Rita to University. But if there was one thing Tig had learnt, there was always more to it than what the papers of the state told them.

Rita felt the nerves shoot through her as they entered the cafe; she hadn't thought this through at all as her eyes trained on to her co-workers. Straightening her back she continued to the food and quickly grabbed herself a wrap and juice, watching as the man beside her took the greasy chips. She was almost tempted to copy Tig as her mouth watered at the idea but knew the wrap would be better for her figure.

She took the table near the corner with her back against their audience and Tig sat in the one that gave him the view of the whole room. Rita almost cursed herself for choosing this spot as it put them in a position that showed they didn't want to be interrupted. So now her only choice of eye contact was her food or him, so she chose the later.

Tig was once again stuck in a position he wasn't sure about. She had once again gone from a fire ball to shyly glancing down at the table. He did think about letting her stay in her pile of unease, but decided to try something else, attempting polite conversation. "It was good of you to help that family back there." Rita tensed up waiting for him to make a strike at the moment he had caught her in. "God only knows how I would cope if something happened to my girls."

She ignored the use of God's name and tried to wrap her head around the fact that this man had a wife and daughter. "You have a wife?"

The expression on Tig's face told her that the wife was not in the picture anymore before the words escape his mouth. "Nah, I've got two daughters." He wasn't quite sure why he was telling the woman in front of this but he liked to talk about them. It was probably due time that he gave them a call. "Dawn and Fawn," he said with a smile.

Now the expression that crossed his face was something she could get use to, she didn't know what kind of father Tig was to his daughters but he cared about them one way or another. It once again reminded her of her family; that whole part of her life was like a jigsaw puzzle that no one could put together. Most of the time Rita just hoped to God she could find a good man to have a family with and that she would be a good mother. She almost craved to experience such a thing but first she needed to get herself into a good position, and that also involved cleaning up the mess she had unknowingly gotten herself into with the club.

"Do they live in Charming?" She curiously asked as she watched him take another bite of the chips and instantly wanted to reach over for one.

"Nah, they take care of themselves," most the time, he thought to himself. They usually came looking for him when they got into a hard spot; everyone knew they were his weakness. "They're in their twenties." He took note that her eyes had moved from her untouched food to his and simply pushed the food in her direction, he was full anyway.

"I can't." The words from her mouth didn't apply to the emotion in her eyes.

"Sure you can, no one's holding ya back," he said as he settled back in his seat watching the silent battle that the woman was having with herself until she finally started to eat. e liked a woman that could have her share of food, put meat on her bones, full hips were nicer to grab than bony ones.

Rita had cleaned the plate of the chips and silently watched the man in front of her; she didn't know what to make of him after the news of being a parent. She didn't know why but the idea of the Sons actually having children seemed alien with the town's gossip. With the amount of leather and black clothing the Sons wore they could be devils servants but in reality they were like every other man on the earth. It reminded her of finding him on asleep on the couch this morning, what would it be like to have a man like him in bed beside her? Would he be as dominating in bed as he was in everyday life? She knew it was possibly something she would never find out, he was all business and the flickering of his eyes around the cafe only reminder her of the reasons why this man was in her presence to begin with. "How long do you think it will take?"

At the whisper of her tone he knew exactly what she asking. "A week or more at the latest." That was if Juice could get the information they needed to get the ball rolling, there was still the unknown of whom. "Aren't you going to be late?" He asked after looking down at his watch.

A curse escaped Rita's mouth as she too glanced at her wrist watch seeing that her break was well over but the grin on the man in front of her, made her stop for a moment. Just at seeing the change to the icy man she had first met. "Are you..."

"I'll be here to take you home," was all he said before he started to pick up their trash from their table.

She gave him one last glance before making her way out of the cafe, she was glad to be out of his overbearing presence, but she had enjoyed the flow of conversation. It was as if she caught a glimpse the other side of the man behind the leather.

It had reached the end of her shift and Tig wasn't there. The flickering thought of leaving without him did cross her mind, but she was truly too tired to put up with the aftermath. So she started to make her way to the Chapel in the hospital, the man could call her when he arrives.

As always she prayed for her brother, thankful to have him alive and pleading to give him strength to continue with life. Next she couldn't help but send a prayer for herself, that the mess she had found herself to be eased so she could safely continue on with her future before saying the My Father.

"Does that really work for you?" Her head snapped to Tig leaning in the corner near the door, her heart in her throat as the man seem to appear out of nowhere. At least he had the heart to wait until she was finished to make his presence known.

"I'll take that, you don't believe in the Lord," she quietly said.

This time Tig didn't hold back his idea on the matter and let the sound of disgust escape him, the 'Lord' as she put it never did any good for him. "You didn't answer my question."

"Of course I do, I don't except you to know any better." The sentence made Tig send a fierce look in her direction and she almost felt shameful at her words.

Let's get you home," was all he said. He didn't wait for a response as he made his way to the door, he could hear her following behind. Rita kept her distance as Tig took long strides to the exit, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened during the afternoon that had created the space between them again.

As she started the car, Tig was already seated and ready behind her with the light of the motorbike shining in her rear-view mirror; obviously the man was flowing with impatience. She pulled out of the parking lot and like this morning he trailed behind like a shadow until pulling up beside her when they arrived at the house.

As they made their way to the front door she turned to him before opening the door. "Did something happen?"

"Need to know bases." His blunt answer made her clench her teeth to not snap at Tig, so she entered the house to keep herself from doing so.

"Hey," Luke said as he sat up from the couch as the two entered, watching the stiff muscles present in his sister shoulders but didn't see any threat between them. "How was work?"

"The usual, yourself?"

"Same here." Rita took a glance around the house realised that nothing had changed from this morning except for the few extra dishes, at least he was eating. "I pulled out sausages for tonight." Luke opened the fridge, pulling out two beers before catching the unimpressed look on Rita's face. "I'll cook tomorrow," he said sheepishly.

She let him leave and slipped her shoes from her feet as she started the dinner. She knew that the likelihood of him cooking tomorrow was slim, the good days were few when his body and mind wasn't been tortured. She needed to get him more active, keep him going until he didn't have time to think about such things. The hard part was actually getting him to that stage. Maybe the first stage was already in motion as she could hear the voices talking from the lounge room, she couldn't remember the last time he had spoke to anyone other than herself or the Doctor.

It was later that night with a hot chocolate in hand that she went to the lounge, the TV giving off the only light as Tig laid on the couch as Luke had already retired to bed. "The army really did a number on him," Tig's statement was loaded. She would say that the incident had torn her brother, Luke had never been the innocent type but the scarred face had taken a part of him with it not just physically either. "I was in the marines." At his own confession he stood up from the couch and made his way to the kitchen, Rita close behind as she listened to him talk.

"Would you ever take it back?"

"Nah, it made me who I am and given me what I have now." He pulled another beer from the fridge and made his way to her. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Shouldn't you?" She asked back.

"I'm not the one doing a night shift tomorrow." She frowned at him; the man seemed to always know what was going on. It slightly annoyed her that she couldn't catch him off guard.

She didn't know if it was the right time or not but in the small space of her kitchen, she felt it was easier to talk to him. "This afternoon..." She trailed off as she tried to think of the right words without making him fire back at her. Instead she said, "I wouldn't put it against you if you took the night off and caught some shut eye." She didn't get the response she thought as his baby blue eyes watched her, the intensity of them made her breath catch.

"We have a lead." The air seem to rush out of her lungs at his words as he took a step closer to her, the mug leaving some distance between them. "It's my job to make sure this ass," he emphasized his meaning by sliding his hand to the curve of her ass and squeezing it, she tried to hold back the groan that was daring to escape her, "is safe and sound." He leaned forward and she was silently chanting for him to close the gap between them when he suddenly pulled back. "Go get some beauty sleep Doll." His hand left her backside as he made his way back to the lounge.

Her hand gripped her mug as she found her way to her bedroom; her thoughts were screaming at her, that this was so not happening to her. But she couldn't help but want a taste.

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AN: Remember that the story doesn't follow the TV Show so anything used from the show such as enemies and deceased characters are non related to the show events. I would also like to say a special thank you to my Beta, Baloo18.