A/N: Thanks for the positive reviews now on with the story

Eight years had passed since Abel had walked out the door of his parent's house and gone into the world, three of those years had been after he had been declared MIA, and the members of the Teller and Morrow households, along with the members of SAMCRO had been left to grieve. It was a strange situation, as there was only a notification of Missing in Action, there was no official death record, and because of this Jax and Tara had not been able to get permission to hold a funeral for their son, instead they went with an idea put forward by the clubs co-founder Piney. He suggested that the club, and by extension Jax and Tara, have a small memorial to Abel put up next to his blood grandfather's gravestone in the military section of the Charming cemetery, that way, in Piney's words, 'JT would always be watching over Abel, even if he actually rested in some foreign field.

But as with all things life returned to normal, SAMCRO continued to deal guns with the Niners and the Mayans, Opie and Lyla had a daughter that they named Donna, after Opie's first wife, Tigg got a couple of more indecent exposure convictions on his file, and the rest of the members of the Sons Of Anarchy mother chapter went about their everyday lives. But all of them thought about the loss of Abel and what it had done to Jax and his old lady.

Jax had become a lot more subdued, a lot colder in his dealings with everyone, even friends and family, he brooded more, a rare feat according to Opie, who often said that Jax was a broody bastard at the best of times. But not knowing what happened to his son was slowly eating away at the SOA President, especially when everyone knew how Jax and his son had split.

The loss of his eldest had eaten Jax up in such a way he was never allowed to go anywhere alone, he never 'rode alone', another full patch member always went with him, for protection and to make sure that he didn't take any unnecessary risk. Because, aside from his cold demeanour the similarities between him and his father were there for all to see, the only reason that he kept going at all was because of the constant support of his wife, his youngest son, and his best friend. Opie was there for Jax like Jax was there for him when Donna was killed, the two of them were practically inseparable, and many of the other members of SOA, even members worldwide, thought that this was the reason that Jax didn't eat his gun.

Piney Winston, First 9, one of only two remaining Sons of Anarchy members alive that wore that patch was standing next to an often visited site, the grave of John Teller. On the side of the grave was a small stone tablet upon which was a bronze plaque, inscribed on this plaque in its top right corner was the SOA patch, only full patch members were allowed such an adornment on their graves, full patch members and those beloved by the club, as Abel was. Also engraved there was Abels full name, his last known rank; Sergeant, and his service; U.S.M.C.. Underneath were two short passages the first of which had originally been spoken by the Lieutenant Colonel that had delivered the news that Abel was MIA, the second was a common enough SAMCRO catchphrase that Abel had used everytime he did something that got him praise from one of the many full patch members in his family.

-"One of the Few, One of the Proud, One Hell of a Marine"-

-"Fear the Reaper"-

Next to the stone was a picture of Abel, one of the only ones that anyone in Charming had of him since he joined the Corps. He was mostly in full Marine battledress with camo fatigues, a solid Kevlar vest and shoulder pads, but instead of the usual Marine Corps helmet he was wearing his camo cover, the Eagle, Globe and Anchor sigil proudly displayed on the front. He was grinning at the camera with his right hand raised to his temple in a mock salute; he was also behind the wheel of some form of vehicle. He looked happy and proud at the same time; it was a picture that brought a smile to the face and a tear of the eye of anyone who saw it.

Piney looked down his kutte at his medals, he was wearing then for a very special reason, today was Abel's birthday and Gemma was throwing a celebratory dinner in the absent Son's honour. It was a yearly occurrence, ever since Abel had been declared missing, so this was the third occurrence, it was half memorial service for Abel, half celebration of someone they all loved. Still glancing at the bits of metal and ribbon on his chest and felt a tear trickle down his wrinkled face. His thoughts drifted to his own experience in war time, for his service in Vietnam he had received all the usual campaign medals, along with an army commendation medal, two purple hearts and a bronze star for valour. The things he had seen rushed before his eyes, the jungles, the dark terror of a Viet Cong attack, and the pure hellish inferno of a napalm strike, he had seen it all.

But soon his thoughts drifted to the young man who was an unofficial grandson to him, he even remembered the boy calling him Grandpa Piney. He reached into the top pocket of his kutte and pulled out an often read, creased piece of paper, it was the very last letter that Abel had sent to him, it was more than three years old and was never out of the old man's kutte, he knew that Clay did the very same thing with a similar letter.

Dear Grandpa Piney

I know it's been a while since I last wrote you a letter, but as you may have guess things have been pretty hectic over here, I know that you would know as we had a couple of jackasses from CNN and NBC lurking around Camp ***** ambushing the Marines for comments. I mean seriously asking Marines if they were unsatisfied with the war? If they were unhappy with the bad press that we had been getting at home? For fucks sake some dipshit asked me if I missed anyone at home, standard issue Marine fist to the face sorted that dumbass out, well worth a week in the Brig if you ask me.

I hope that this letter finds you well, give my best to Tiff, tell her I love her and I'm thinking of her always. Oh and tell Opie, Lyla and the rest, seriously I know too many people to write them on a piece of paper, that I wish them well, wealth and happiness and all that mushy crap. I'm doing ok I guess, getting shot at gets pretty boring after a while though, looking forward to my next shoreleave, last one was in London which was pretty cool, friggin wet, but pretty cool.

Aside from that there isn't much to tell, I know our mail is being screened so 'Hi Uncle Sam', which means I can't tell you where I am right now, hence why the camp name is probably blanked out, but thanks for all the moral support you've given me since I joined up, I don't think I'll ever be able to express what it means to me.

Take care of yourself Old Man

Abel Teller-Morrow

Sergeant

United States Marine Corps

P.S. Tell the folks I'm ok

Piney sighed at the post script, in every letter he had ever received from Abel it always had the same post script, it saddened him that Abel had been unable to reconnect with his parents, because he knew that if Jax and Tarra had received a message from their absent child their lives would have been so much brighter.

He was brought out of his musings by the sound of his cell phone ringing, flipping open the small communication device he answered "This is Piney...Yes Gemma I didn't forget...No I'm at the cemetery just checking in on the boys...Yeah I wouldn't miss Abel's party for anything, see you soon darling."

Pocketing his phone he snapped to attention as well as his old bones would let him and gave a salute to the combined gravestone/ memorial, turned and ambled back to his trike and headed towards the Morrow House. He never saw the figure smoking the cigar that had been watching him for easily twenty minutes from the shade of a tree, he never saw the figure move the gravestone and squat down in front of it for a few minutes, touch the headstone and the memorial once and leave.

Clarence 'Clay' Morrow, First 9, Vietnam vet, mechanic and patriarch of the Teller-Morrow families and all around jack of all trades, was sitting in his lounge room, the curtains closed and a glass of scotch in his large hand. He was thinking about his grandson, he knew intellectually that the boy had absolutely no blood relation to him whatsoever, but he didn't care, he could not care more about that boy if he was his own flesh and blood. He could remember the first time he held Abel in his arms as a baby, he could remember all the times that the boy came to him with problems, wanting advice, of just wanting to be around his grandpa, although they often joked that grandma's cooking also played a huge influence as to why Abel went anywhere.

Clay, like Piney, was wearing his medals today, he had them pinned on his kutte underneath the Redwood Original patch, like Piney he had the Vietnam campaign medals army commendation medal, army good conduct medal (surprising all who knew him), and the silver star. He had never really cared for his medals, he remembered his time in Vietnam with a sense of detachment he was told lots of Nam vets felt, but he remembered the feeling he had when he got home. The unbelievably overwhelming feeling of being back with his brothers, the other members of the First 9 Sons of Anarchy, but his heart was heavy with the feeling that Abel would never know that feeling, to be welcomed home with loving arms.

He looked down at his other hand at the letter he was currently holding, it was a ritual, like the medals, that every year on his grandsons birthday he would read the last letter he had ever received from the young Marine. And keeping with his ritual he re-read the missive on the crinkled piece of paper.

Dear Grandpa

How are things going back home? I'm really sorry that I haven't written to you and grandma, I'm including her in this bit as she is either reading over your shoulder, or she is the one reading this in that case, "Hi Grandma". There are so many things that I want to tell you, and to talk to you about but I'm not allowed to, stupid security measures they seriously must not know who I am and who I am talking to.

I wish I was able to tell you what I'm doing and where I am, but the aforementioned security measures prevent me from doing so, all I can say is that I am currently involved in the campaigns in Russia, the only two things that I can really talk about it that it is firggin cold here and that there is plenty of vodka here. The Russians are alright, they are pretty friendly towards us Americans, it's amazing what can happen when you share a foxhole with someone. Oh I'm even picking up some Russian, getting in touch with grandma's family's 'angry Russian side'.

Aside from that there isn't much to tell, the Koreans are doing their best to let us know that they are here, but there're no match for the big Green Marine Machine, don't laugh our Lt spent most of the last week trying to come up with that slogan, I honestly wonder why they let these guys out of the house, they're like 12 or something.

Anyway I'd better wrap this up I can hear some jackass of a Master Sergeant calling us in, probably for something stupid, dangerous or degrading, it's a bit sad that I'd almost prefer degrading at this point, you don't tend to get shot at whilst cleaning out the shitter.

Give everyone my love, and tell Tiff I'm thinking of her, please do it grandma I know you don't really like her, but do it for me.

Lots of Love

Abel Teller-Morrow

Sergeant

United States Marine Corps

P.S. Tell the folks I'm ok

Clay didn't really know how to feel about reading this letter anymore, the burning intense pain of losing Abel had dulled to a constant ache that only really flared up around this time of year. It was known to many that Clay had a temper, was able to make the hard decisions that came with running an MC when he was President, but he was also a deeply emotional man he had a deep love for all the members of his family, but there was a special place in his heart for the grandson that would always come over to talk to him about all subjects, even hear some of his less gruesome war stories from Nam.

Drowning the rest of his scotch he pulled himself out of his chair and headed out to the backyard where Gemma had laid out all the things ready for the barbeque, he saw all the members of the SAMCRO crew milling around in the backyard. Tig, a former Marine himself was wearing his own medals and decorations, and Bobby were talking to Lyla and Gemma near one of benches set up for everyone in attendance. Happy was laughing and joking around with Opie, Juice and Chibs were talking with Juice's wife Bree and Chibs' wife Fiona. The atmosphere was relaxed, reserved, but relaxed, a group of friends coming together to remember someone they all loved and missed.

Clay couldn't help but grin at the sight of Thomas though, there he was talking with Jax, who was truly smiling for once, his youngest grandson was wearing a dark leather kutte with the Reaper proudly displayed on the back, the boy had been a full patch for about a year and a half now, and Clay was very proud of the young man, he was great with computers but even better with engines, a real Teller, the only person that was missing at the moment was the girl he thought would have been his granddaughter-in law. Tiff was a regular fixture at these family gatherings, after Abel had left she had basically become a member of the SAMCRO family, she was also the only person in Charming who had seen Abel since he had left for the Marines.

Abel had been home to the United States once during his time away, he had two weeks leave before he had to report back to the front lines, and that time he had spent with Tiff in New York. Which caused the folks in Charming no end of pain, that their prodigal son wouldn't come home, or more upsettingly felt he couldn't come home. But today was a day to remember the good times, and try not to dwell on the fact that Abel could not be with them today, but he knew deep in his heart that until someone was to definitively tell him that his grandson was dead, there would always be a shred of hope that his boy was still alive.

He could not stop the grin from spreading across his face at the cheer that went up from most of the men in his backyard, Tiff had arrived. Tiff was good looking when she was in High School, but in the years since she had blossomed into a real stunner, her school girl good looks had matured into a beauty that was hard to match, and which unfortunately meant that wherever she went she was hit on constantly by any guy with a pulse. But Clay could not fault her had she decided to move on with someone else, Abel had been missing for three years now, been away from his home and family for eight years, that's a long time to wait for someone, but she hadn't been with anyone else. Her girlfriends had tried to set her up with a string of nice guys, in their opinion, but she had politely turned them down, and only a few needed Thomas, Happy and Tig to insist that they leave her alone.

The smell of cooking meat filled the air, along with laughter and friendly conversation, the assembled group including a few late arrivals, namely Big Otto Delaney and his wife Louanne. Otto had gotten out of prison a few years before Abel joined the Marines, it was determined that some of the evidence that had been vital to his original conviction had been handled with less than professional care in order to secure a quick conviction, and as such his conviction was overthrown, and he was released with time-served for the remainder of his crimes.

Clay was sitting back looking as his assembled friends and family when he looked down at his right hand, there was still a pale band on his finger where once a large SOA ring had sat, he remembered the day he had pulled up in front of the United States Marine Corps recruiting centre with Abel, he remembered with absolute clarity the look on the young man's face as he had pressed the heavy bronze-gold ring emblazoned with the Reaper Crest into his hand and said "For luck" the tight hug that followed had almost brought him to tears, but it was nothing to the sight of his grandson walking through the doors that would send him far away from hearth and home.

Gemma was doing everything that she could to keep her rolling emotions in check, today was a day that everyone was pretending to feel joy, when all they could feel was sorrow. However there was an unspoken rule that stated that if anyone broke down the purpose of the day would be void, pointless, because if anyone let themselves fall prey to the emotions they were feeling, it would mean that they had given up hope and that Abel was truly given up as lost.

She saw Tiff lending a hand getting the plates together and taking them inside, since the number of people who came round to their house for dinner had increased, especially with so many of the members of SOA having families, or expanding to their families, even Opie's eldest boy was getting ready to get married, the family had bought a large long wooden table and set it up in their back yard to ensure that on fine nights, such as this, they could all sit together.

Only a few people saw Tiff head into the house with the last load of dishes before the next course was served, no one heard her turn at the deep voice that rumbled in her ear, but everyone heard her long piercing scream, it was so loud that people two towns over probably heard her.

Anyone not familiar with the members of the Sons of Anarchy Redwood Original would have been surprised at the speed which handguns and knives were produced, but long wars with rival MC's, gangs and law enforcement had forced them to carry at all times. But even those not armed, such as wives, old ladies and minors all ran in with the full patches to see what could cause a girl so strong and self reliant to scream like that, they would never have guessed in a thousand lifetimes what would greet them on the other side of those doors.

Tiffany Emily Rodgers was not in a happy place at the moment, she loved the Teller-Morrow family, she loved the members of SAMCRO but she could not help but shake the feeling the Abel should be there, she had never felt what she felt for Abel with anyone else, and his absence was like a knife wound that would not heal.

Sighing she placed the plates down on the counter top ready to be washed, she was about to grab another plate of meat when she felt a large hand descend on her shoulder and a deep voice rumble near her ear "Hey beautiful."

Spinning around she found herself looking into eyes that looked like they had been forged from chip of ice, doing the only appropriate thing in at the time, she screamed.

Jax, Clay and Gemma were the first ones into the house and they saw a crying Tiff sobbing into the chest of a uniformed United States Marine Corps Olive 'Class A' dress uniform, three sergeant's stripes with two under-slung rockers marked him as a Gunnery Sergeant. Gemma immediately voiced the worst case scenario.

"Abel...he's dead isn't he? One of my babies isn't coming home?"

Clay put a protective arm around his wife tears threatening to spill from his own eyes as the grief washed over him like an endless tide, he spared a glance at Jax who looked like he was about the break too until the Marine spoke.

"You know so many people thinking I'm dead is enough to give a guy the wrong impression" the figure turned around and there he was, decoration and campaign ribbons going practically up to his shoulder, expert rifleman and expert pistol badge gleamed on his chest. His hair was covered by a USMC service NCO cap, but the face, the face was so similar to the one that walked out the door eight years ago, but looking leaner, meaner and so much harder. The eyes spoke of someone who had seen far too much in such a short space of time, but the tiny flicker of amusement was all Abel. The assembled group was shocked out of their stupor at his next words.

"What a home coming eh? So no one is going to offer me a beer? That's sad."

He locked eyes with his startled mother and father and said in a voice warm with emotion "Mom, Dad. I'm home."

Then all hell broke loose, as everyone tried to embrace Charming's long lost son, a brother, a friend, a hero.

A/N: Whew that took me a while, sorry about that my muse nicked off for a pint and took a while to get back, hope you enjoy. Reviews are welcome, flames will be ignored, will hopefully update soon :D cya TBK