A/N: Review responses:

Miamitravel: thank you so much. :D

Jessie & Aries: glad you guys are excited and like it. At first I wasn't sure if I would make it him, but I decided I would. I hope to be able to update every or every other day, but that depends on homework.

the usual, don't own anything but my characters, aka the unfamiliar ones.


Tacoma or Bust

I stripped my clothes off, replacing them with my pajamas, which consisted of a black camisole and sweatpants. I reached for the covers, pulled them over and slid between the sheets. My hand grabbed the pillow from under my head and turned it so that I could rest my head and body on it. I buried my face into the pillow case, closed my eyes and did my best to get some sleep.

I woke up with a groan. It was early, I could tell but the lack of movement in the bar. Rolling over, a stole a glance at the clock: 5 am. Jesus Christ. But now that I was up, there was no way I would be able to fall back asleep, at least not with looking around and making sure everything was as it should be.

After lying still for a while I decided it was no use trying. Knowing, and not caring, that no one was awake yet, I didn't bother to put a sweatshirt over the camisole. As quietly as I could, I pushed the door open and made my way down the hall and the little staircase at the end of it. I looked around the bar, checking the kitchen area, under the pool table, in the shadows surrounding each and every corner, behind the chairs and sofas and both under and behind the bar itself, for crazy stalkers with a knife or gun, or an unruly ATF agent. Or that girl from the gas station.

My morning round complete, I grew bored. It was five o'clock in the morning and wide awake, sitting on a couch in the clubhouse full of bikers I barely knew. I really need to get out of this habit I criticized. After all, I'd shacked up with unfamiliar people in the past, and a lot of good that did me. But that was a long time ago, back when I was a teenager and stupid and had nothing to prove to anyone. Letting out a deep breath, I lied down on the couch and closed my eyes. Maybe now I could finally get some much needed sleep.

I woke up again, though this time it was the feel of a hand on my back and another on my elbow. My eyes popped open and I felt my fingers wrap around the knife I kept strapped to my inner left calf at all times.

"Whoa now, just me. Calm down." Happy was kneeling beside the couch with his hands in the air in surrender. Chibs was just entering the room, Clay, Tig and Jax were leaning up against the bar, laughing.

"Jesus Christ." I breathed, swinging my legs over the side of the sofa, feeling the chill of the cool wood floor under my bare feet. I shoved the blade back into it's sheath. "Never wake a sleeping marine."

"Why, bad karma?" Tig teased.

"Fuck karma. She may a bitch, but she'll just fuck with your head. I'll slit your goddamn throat." I looked down at my knee, trying to see if I could go all Superman and use x-ray vision to see if the cut was healing alright or if I needed to clean it.

"Wasn't tryin' ta wake you up, just guna move ya to your room. Maybe next time I should just leave ya ta go battle for the sofa with Tig." Happy now stood in front of me and offered his hand to help me to my feet. I shook my head.

"Shoulder fuckin' kills" I explained when I noticed the confused look on his face. He nodded and I went on. "Who wants ta go get my drugs? You're not guna get your couch back without 'em." I glanced at their faces for possible volunteers but only found blank stares. "Pain meds. For the shoulder, knee and foot. Please?"

"I'll get 'em. Front pouch of the back bag, right?" Kip announced as he walked into the room and conversation.

"Yeah, in the Ziplock. And the all black bag. Not the red and black one." I watched as Kip nodded, repeated the instruction silently to himself, then bounded up to my room.

I shifted my gaze to the men left in the room. They all wore pretty much the same thing: jeans with a chain to attach their wallet to their belt loop, some sort of t-shirt or sweatshirt and a black leather cut with SAMCRO proudly printed n the back. They all had bike rings, though the amount and which fingers they wore them on varied. There was at least one visible tattoo on each of the men. Happy was the smallest when it came to weight, but something told me he was one to watch out for. Chibs was no doubt the tallest, probably the most muscular, though they all were pretty well off. Kip was obviously the youngest, and hazing on Prospects seemed to be pretty heavy, though it reminded me of getting back at the senior football team my sophomore year. My eyes flitted across their faces, some had scars, like Chibs, though his were healed. But they all had the same expression and were staring at me.

"What?" I looked at them questioningly.

"That" Happy tried to poke my in the chest but I swatted his hand away.

"Oh, my tat? What about it?"

"How many you got?"

"Three, including the USMC. One on the ankle and this one. Thing fucking hurt."

"It's your chest, don't hurt that bad" Tig injected his own logic and made a face when I shook my head.

"Starts at my hip and goes up. The chest and gut hurt the lest, rib cage and hip bone. Christ." I grinned. Tig gave me I look that was easy to recognize, "No, you can not see it. Maybe when I'm in a better mood." He put his head down in mock disappointment and pouted.

"Should prolly get goin'" Happy seemed almost unwillingly to leave.

He heaved a backpack onto his shoulder and gripped a small duffle. Kip came running into the room, threw a plastic bag at me, which I accepted. I nodded at the kid and popped a couple pills. After waiting for me to do so, Happy gave me one last look and walked out of the clubhouse, followed by Tig, Jax, Chibs then Clay. Ignoring the pain, I stood, with the help of Kip and strode stiffly after them. I stayed in the background as I watched Happy strap his bag to the back of his bike and gain a man hug from everyone in the little group. I stepped to the middle ground, intending only to say goodbye but his hand wrapped around my wrist and he smothered me in a tight hug.

"Shoulder" I yelped and squirmed around. He let go and threw his hands up in surrender for the second time that morning.

"Think I'm just guna leave you alone from now on," He twisted his face in mock anger.

"No! Don't do that." I tried my hand at innocent.

"Then quit complainin'" His finger jabbed into my side before he sat on his bike.

His hands pulled me by the hips and half picked me up onto his lap after noticing that I kept shifting my weight. I accepted the spot on his leg as I rubbed my knee, willing it to stop hurting so much.

"Why you guys doin this?" I questioned.

"What you mean?" Clay answered.

"Like, helping me and everything. You know you don't have to, so why are you?"

"You served your country like the rest of us, got hurt in the process. Been through a lot of shit, then explained it to us without falter. You deserve it." Was his answer, the look in his eyes told me there was something else mixed in. They wanted me in case things got bad, knew that I could come in handy if whatever conflict they had going on went physical. I wasn't opposed to fighting for them, they'd done a lot for me in the past two days.

"And you know that I feel obligated to do whatever it takes ta pay y'all back." I added for him, knowing well that he wouldn't.

He simply nodded.

"So when ya guna be back?" I turned my head to Happy.

"Eh, Wednesday, maybe early Thursday" He shrugged and I nodded. "Ya know, you could come with...See what Tacoma's like, stay there or come back and stay here?"

The two of us looked at Clay for confirmation that it was okay. But the older man turned to Kip. "Up ta Half Sack."

"Not much I can really say. She ain't blood related, more like an over protective guard dog than anything, no offense," I waved the guard dog comment off. "Sorry, but you're fair game. So, I guess it doesn't really matter."

"Then I'm going. Hang on lemme grab some stuff." I hopped onto my good leg and attempted to hurry to my room, but Happy gripped my arm again.

"We're ridin straight there, it's like fourteen hours. Can ya handle that?"

"Course I can. I'm a sniper, I kin stay awake for an entire week if necessary."

"Well, you don't gotta stay up that long," He poked my side again.

I took a step with my right leg, to make sure the drugs were kicking in. After my assessment, I half jogged across the bar, up the stairs and down the hall. I grabbed my back bag, shoved it with enough clothes and eyeliner to last me five days and flung over my shoulder. I pulled on my black Converse and a hoodie then jogged back to the group of men. Bags were strapped onto the bike, hugs were recieved and given, the bike was mounted by both rider and passenger. I wrapped my arms around him as he waved his final goodbye and revved the bike.

It wasn't five minutes before we stopped. "Shit." He swore as we pulled up to the gas pump.

"What?"

"That girl's working taday" He looked down when he began to pump the gasoline into the bike. So he didn't see me twist my face. I swung my leg over, grabbed his free hand from his pocket and pulled him closer between my parted legs. "What the fuck?"

"Shut up, bitchface is watching" His face lit up as he realized what I was doing.

"Ah, thanks."

"No problem."

"Um, fuck, this is guna get weird...Is she still looking?"

"Like she's guna rip out my jugular." I looked down at my lap as his hand slid up my leg and body to the back of my neck.

"Don't freak out..." His hand pushed my face to his as our lips met.

I closed my eyes, to make it look real I kept trying to tell myself, though I could feel the unmistakable spark. The kiss lasted longer than it really needed to because the second the girl saw my face move the slightest bit closer she turned away. But I didn't tell him that part. We stayed together in that way, he obviously didn't want it to end either. But he pulled back and stared at me.

"Damn, girl." His hand remained tangled in my hair. "We should do that again sometime." He poked me then released my hair when the pump declared his tank was full.

"Maybe we should." I grinned. It had been a while since I'd been kissed by someone, not to mention kissed like that.

"Come on, I'm paying." He grasped my hands and pulled me off the bike so that I nearly ran into him and grinned playfully.

We walked side by side into the little store. "Why am I coming with you?"

"Food. And," He leaned closer so his lips were against my ear, "They have bathrooms."

"I am not guna let you fuck me in the bathroom"

"Why?" He seemed genuinely confused.

"Because gas station bathrooms are gross. Even for me." I grabbed a bag of chips off the shelf.

He just shook his head as we made our way to the register. Without saying a word, he plucked my chips from my hand and placed them with his on the counter. "The usual for the smokes," He requested to the girl.

"Are you always guna pay for me?" I asked, almost annoyed at the gesture. It was sweet, but I hated taking charity from anyone, friend, make out partner for a minute in the parking lot or stranger.

"Prolly." The girl rang up our food and his cigarettes while staring at us.

"Are you two like...together?" She interupted. Happy looked at me for help.

"What of it?" I asked, a hint of defensiveness shining through.

"Nothing...Just askin" She seemed shut down.

"Look...what's your name?"

"Darcy..." She handed the bag to Happy and tilted her head at me.

"Well Darcy, I'm Jayden. I'm a friend of Half Sack's, we were in the Corps together. This," I waved my hand between Happy and I, "was just luck. Like me not dyin' in Iraq," I leaned over the counter and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "You're young and beautiful, you don't need luck. Trust me, Darcy, you don't, and you don't need a guy to be happy. But me, I need all the luck I can get." With that Happy and I walked out of the convenient store.

He mounted first, like always, I followed behind. I was squished into his back because of the bags, but it was okay.

Fourteen hours riding to Tacoma wasn't exactly what I'd call fun, but there were rest and food stops, so we weren't on the bike for the entire trip, though they delayed our arrival time. Happy and I didn't even touch for the rest of the trip, except when we were on the bike, but that was alright, things were heating up between us and the slightest touch may have actually pushed me into a restroom with him somewhere, gas station or otherwise. But finally we arrived at their clubhouse. It wasn't all that different from the one in Charming, the only major difference was that it was a lot smaller. We walked in and he was instantly greeted by men wearing familiar leather cuts. After man hugging each one of them, he motioned for me to step forward and rested his hand on my shoulder.

"What am I, your arm rest?" I joked, poking him in the side.

"Yep." He nodded once then looked at the other men. "Guys, this is Jayden. She's a friend of the prospect in Cali, stayin' for a while till I bring 'er back on Wednesday."

"Well, she's a fine one. You said friend, right? Oh and where the fuck is she gunna sleep? We got no extra rooms, you know that," One of the others commented.

"First, she's off limits. And, we'll figger somethin' out," He strode to the bar, signaling the end of that conversation, and grabbed two beers, one of which he threw at me. "Nice catch."


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