Jessica POV
Its been ten years since the night that I came to live with my Dad and Gemma. After I graduated high school, I went to the community college up in Oakland and got my associate's degree in business management so that I could help Gemma with TM. Over the years I had even started calling her Mom or Ma (just like Jax did). Once I graduated from college, I started working at the garage full time. Dad had helped me find a decent car when I was in high school but he had to replace the transmission before I started college. He and Gemma helped me get settled into an apartment right after I graduated high school and had helped with my bills while I was even going to school.
I was in my car headed to the garage when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Donna, Opie's wife. She and I had become friends even though I was younger than she was. It was nice having another woman to talk to besides Gemma. I flipped my phone open. "Hey girl, what's up?" I said.
"Hey where are you?" She asked me.
"Headed to the garage. Gem and Luann are having girls day." I told her.
"Not gonna believe who I saw when I got to work."
"Who?"
"Kyle."
"Gotta go." I said as I pulled into TM. I parked my car and went in search of my Dad. I had to tell him that Kyle had been spotted in town. Kyle had almost gotten Opie arrested, so in return Dad kicked him out of the club. I walked into the clubhouse and he was sitting at the bar.
"Hey sweetheart." He said.
"Hey pop. Guess who was spotted in town this morning." I said.
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Who?"
"Kyle Hobart." I said.
Dad kissed my cheek. "Thanks sweetheart. Hold the fort down."
I smiled at my Dad. "Sure thing. Ride safe Pop." I said.
A little while later, I was sitting at my desk in the office when I noticed Tig walk in. "Hey Princess, you got any more work orders?" He asked me.
"Naw. That's it for today. You mind following me home and giving me a lift back for the party?" I asked him.
"No problem."
"Thanks. I'll be done in a few."
"Cool, I'm gonna go get cleaned up." He said. I nodded.
When Tig came back out, I was standing by my car. My dad was walking with him. "Your coming back for the party, right?" He asked me.
"'Course Pop. Just gotta go home and change. Tig's gonna give me a ride so that I don't have to try and drive home drunk." I said kissing his cheek.
"Smart thinking babygirl."
Tig followed me on his bike over to my apartment. When we walked into my apartment, Tig looked around. "Nice place." He said.
"Thanks. It's an upgrade from the last one." I said.
"I get that."
"Beer's in the fridge." I said, walking towards my room. I went to take a shower. When I got out I put on a pair on leather pants, a black leather halter and my black knee high boots. Dad calls me a mini Gemma. I always laugh about it because it's true. I grabbed my leather jacket, put it on and zipped it up to just below my boobs. When I walked out of my room, Tig was sitting on the couch with a beer watching my TV. "Ready?" I asked.
"Wow." He said.
"What?"
"Don't take this the wrong way…but your hot."
"Aww…Thanks Tiggy. Thank Gemma she picked out the outfit." I said, laughing.
"How're you doing?" Tig asked me.
"I'm okay, Tiggy." It had been two years since Kozik had put in a transfer to SAMTAC. I had been in love with him and he had ripped my heart out when he left. Thank god for Tig though. He had been there for me ever since Kozik had left. And I felt like things were changing. "Come on…"
When we got back to the clubhouse, the party was in full swing. My Dad was the first person that I saw. He smiled and waved at me. I turned and looked at Tig. "Sorry Tigger, duty calls." I said winking at him. I walked over to where my Dad was.
Tig Pov
"Sorry Tigger, duty calls." Jessica said.
Chibs walked up to me. "That one is trouble."
"Don't I know it, brother." I said as I watched her walk over to where Clay was standing.
Jessica POV
"Hey Pop." I said.
"Hi sweetheart. You look nice." He said.
"Thanks." I said. I noticed the guy standing in front of my Dad. "Hi, I'm Jessica."
"Jess?" The guy said.
There was only one person that had ever called me Jess. And he looked different. I looked at my Dad, who was smiling at me. "Excuse me." I said. I bolted for the clubhouse door. It wasn't long before I heard the clubhouse door open again.
"Jess!" I heard. "Come on, can you stop?" I just kept walking. "Please."
I stopped and turned around. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I started to yell.
"Come on. It's been 2 years." Kozik said.
"I know how long its fucking been, Kozik. I'm not stupid." I said. I pulled my pack of smokes out of my jacket pocket and lit one up.
"I missed you." He said.
"Well guess what? I've been here the whole time. Exactly where you left me. Right here in Charming." I said, as I took a hit from my cigarette.
TIG POV
I saw Jessica bolt past me and out the clubhouse door. It didn't take long before Kozik ran after her. He had transferred to the Tacoma charter 2 years ago leaving her heartbroken. Jessica had been in love with him….only Clay didn't know about it until after he left. I waited a couple of minutes before I walked out and lit up a cigarette.
"Come on. It's been two years." I heard Kozik say to her. Jackass.
"I know how long it's fucking been, Kozik. I'm not stupid." Jessica said. Way to go Princess.
"I missed you" Koz said.
"Well guess what? I've been here the whole time. Exactly where you left me. Right here in Charming." Jessica said. She was definitely tough.
"What do you want me to say?" Koz asked.
Wrong answer. "I don't care. Just stay out of my way and leave me alone." Jessica told him. She was walking back toward me. "Care to buy me a drink Tiggy?"
"Sure thing, Princess." I said. Jessica and I walked inside and headed toward the bar. I was grabbing us a couple of drinks when I noticed that she looked sad. "You okay?"
"Not really." She said.
"Anything I can do?" I asked.
"Be my drinking buddy for the night?"
I handed her a drink. "Absolutely."
Jessica POV
The next morning, I woke up and got ready for the day. Donna and I both had the day off so we were meeting up for lunch at the diner. I took a shower and threw on a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt that said "Teller-Morrow Auto Repair".
When I got to the diner, Donna was already waiting for me. "Hey." I said.
"You look like crap." She said.
"Gee thanks. Had you not bailed last night I wouldn't have spent the night with Tig as my drinking buddy."
"Oh. Sorry. What happened? Why did you end up drinking with Tig?"
Here we go. "Kozik is back." I said.
"What?" Donna said.
"Yeah. Apparently he told Dad that he wanted a chance to make things right with me." I told Donna as the waitress brought our drinks out and we ordered our food.
"Did you talk to him?"
"Briefly. So then Tig and I spent the rest of the night drinking and then he gave me a ride home."
"You and Tig?" Donna asked.
"Nothing happened." I said, taking a drink of my coffee.
"Only a matter of time."
GEMMA POV
I was sitting in the office when Clay walked in. "What the hell was that shit last night?" I asked him.
He stared at me. "What?"
"You know what. Clay, she doesn't want to talk to him. You should have warned her that he was going to be at the clubhouse last night."
"Gem, she's gotta start figuring out when to settle down and get a crow."
"Clay, do not push her. She's just like you." I said.
"Butt out Gem." Clay said before walking out of the office.
TIG POV
I was sitting at the bar in the clubhouse when Kozik came walking in from one of the dorm rooms in the back. "Morning." He said. I nodded my head. "Don't tell me that your still pissed too." He said.
"No, I just think that you're an idiot." I said.
"Why's that?"
"You broke her. She's still broken." I said.
"Well, you seemed to be cheering her up last night." Kozik said.
I stood up and got in his face. "I'm the one who's had her back since you left." I said, hearing the clubhouse door slam shut.
"Tiggy!" I turned and saw Clay. "Need a favor. Go over and check on Jessica. She's not answering her phone." Clay said.
"Sure thing Boss." I said, grabbing my sunglasses off the bar and heading out to my bike. I hopped on my bike and rode over to Jessica's apartment. I didn't see her car. I decided to hang around for a bit and see if she came home. About 10 minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot. She got out and walked over toward me. "Hey."
"Hey, what're you doing here?" She asked me.
"Your Dad's trying to get ahold of you. Said you weren't answering your phone. Sent me to check on you." I said.
"Just not in the mood. Wanna drink?" She asked me.
"Sure." I said and followed her to her apartment.
JESSICA POV
"You didn't look to happy when I pulled up." I said and I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of beers.
"Kinda got into with Kozik this morning." Tig said.
I turned from the fridge and glared at him while I handed him a beer. "What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Tig?" I pleaded with him.
"I may have told him that I had been the one that was here for you when he left." Tig said.
"Jesus Christ! Tig, why the hell would you tell him something like that." I shouted.
"I'm sorry. I was hungover and his presence was pissing me off."
"I get that, I do. But this is my problem…not yours." I told him. I grabbed my beer and stepped closer to Tig. "But thank you." I whispered.
Later that evening, I found myself in a pair of blue jeans and a SAMCRO tank top and my leather jacket, walking into the clubhouse. When I walked in, I found the usual Friday night crew. My dad and Gemma were over in a corner, I saw Donna and Opie over by a pool table playing a round, and then I saw Tig at the bar. I decided to go over and grab a beer. "Hey." I said to Tig as I approached the bar.
"Hey." He said.
The bartender handed me a beer. I smiled at her. "Hey, can we talk?" I asked.
He nodded. "Sure. Meet you out front." I nodded at him.
As I started to make my way toward the door, my brother grabbed my arm. "What the hell is going on?" He asked me.
"Kozik's back, my dad knew, I'm avoiding my dad, and Tig's my drinking buddy." I said.
"As long as that's all?" Jax asked.
"Yup. Breakfast tomorrow?"
"Sure."
I made my way out to the front of the clubhouse. Tig was waiting for me on the picnic table. I sat beside him and lit a cigarette. "I wanted to say thanks."
"For what?" Tig asked.
"For being there for me…You know since Kozik left." I said. Tig smiled. "I mean it. You've been there for me since the day that he left."
"It's not a big deal." Tig said.
For some reason I felt butterflies in my stomach. I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You're the best." I said.
TIG POV
When Jessica and I walked back into the clubhouse I saw her grab a round of beers and walk over to Donna and Opie. Chibs walked over and handed me a beer. "Everything okay, brother?" He asked.
I opened my beer and took a drink. "Jessica kissed me." I told him, before taking another drink.
"Whoa."
"Yeah. With Koz back this won't be pretty." I said as I stood there drinking a beer with Chibs while I watched Jessica dance on the dance floor with Donna. I turned my beer up and finished it before walking over to Jessica. "Hey, can I borrow you?" I asked and she nodded. I grabbed Jessica by her hand and led her back to my dorm room. I pulled her into the room and shut the door.
Jessica POV
"Hey!" I shouted. "What's the big idea?"
"What was that?" Tig asked.
"What was what?"
"The kiss? The kiss, Jessica!"
I really wasn't sure why I had kiss Tig. I knew that part of it had to do with the fact that he had been there for me since Kozik left but the other part was the feelings that I had been fighting deep down for a while now. "I don't know."
"You sure about that?" Tig asked me.
He stepped toward me causing me to step back until I was against the door. "What're you doing?" I asked him.
"This." He said. Suddenly, I felt Tig's hands on my face and he leaned in and kissed me. It was gentle but there was passion behind it. I reached my hands up and wrapped my arms around his neck. What had we been doing for the past two years? Had we been dancing around each other? This kiss was telling me that we had been.