Don't own SoA. Never have, never will.

Chapter 4

"I'll meet you at the Clubhous." Gemma said to her surrogate daughter. "We'll have the Prospects take the last of your boxes over."

Emily's house was finally done. She had had the kitchen and the bathrooms re-done, carpeting replaced, fixed the porch, and well…had redone the entire house. It had taken a couple of months with the connections that the Sons pulled and the money she was willing to put up for it. Moving day landed on Juice's birthday. Gemma was helping her pack then heading out to the Clubhouse for the festivities.

Emily sighed a little sad to leave their home. She had grown accustomed to waking up to Gemma's coffee and Clay's good morning hug. It made her feel a little closer to her father that way. Gemma kissed her on the cheek and headed off for the clubhouse leaving Emily with two very enamored Prospects. The Prospects had fallen head over heels in love with her, it was quite cute, and the brunt of much teasing. If Emily wanted a drink, they tripped over themselves to get it for her, a door opened, one of them got socked while the other got it for her.

"Don't worry Emily." They chimed with grins. "We'll help ya unpack."

"Don't worry about it." She waved her hand at them. "The Club will need ya tonight. Go help them get set up. I got this."

She let them unload the boxes into the house and watched from the doorway as they rode away waving at her. A smirk spread across her face, a knowing smirk that had rubbed off on her from Gemma. Emily certainly didn't mind the attention those two gave her.

The house that she had grown up in was different, far different but still felt like home. She walked through it and traced her fingers over the walls absently. SAMCRO had placed a "Property of SAMCRO" Flag in her yard and had reaper artwork on her walls. Pictures that she had never seen before of her and her Dad were on the wall and a copy of his mug-shot hung in her kitchen. It was such a far, far cry from her old kitchen with Justin. It had been pristinely white and emotionless. There was so much emotion in her home. It was lines with memories and scars from the past and hopes for the future. She was moving forward and it had never felt better.

Emily unpacked her things into her room and was done before she thought she would be. Juice's party would have started by now she surmised. Her cell phone blasted with calls from Gemma and texts from various members and crow-eaters telling her to get her ass over to the clubhouse. She took a shower and did her hair, pulled on a snug pair of jeans and a cropped black leather halter-top. Emily pulled on black knee high spiked leather boots with silver rhinestones up the side and matching bangles. She loved how they jangled as she moved. Hell, she loved how sexy she felt.

The woman picked up her phone and texted Gemma that she was leaving. She grabbed her purse and checked her pocket for her lucky pocketknife out of habit. The night air hit her, kissing her face and brushing her hair as she walked out of her house and to her car. A level of comfort had settled into her mind, into her body.

So…she didn't notice that there was a couple of shadows lingering around her house or that there were soft crunching of footsteps behind her. Until it was too later. The sound of a branch breaking struck her ears and Emily grabbed her pocketknife, flipping it out and whirled around and struck. She struck a large man in the arm. Hot blood spurted out onto her clothing and she felt the crunch of it sliding into his arm like it was slow motion.

Emily withdrew and began to run. Her palms hit her car and she scrambled for her keys. Iron strong arms yanked her back and clamped around her waist. She felt the world move backwards as she was dragged as she clawed and fought from the car into her house.

Raw animalistic screams ripped from her throat but no one heard. Hands gripped her curves and ran down her body with perverted pleasure. Emily thrashed violently and viciously swung out, clawing out with her nails, grabbing what she could. Yanking hair, biting, scratching with so much force that it was like a hurricane but was…not strong enough.

Survival ran deep in her blood and she refused to be put down.

They swung out at her, taking turns using their greater strength and pushing her down.

"Your husband wants you to know that he wants you back." One of them said with a scratchy voice as they knocked her around, fracturing her body like it was a plaything for them to toss around. "You have one month after this to come back to him. He'll be in contact."

"Fuck you." Emily choked out, blood spilling out of her mouth as she spoke. The salty liquid ran down her throat and she coughed it up and spat on the floor. Vomit boiled in her stomach and she wretched on the floor, heaving her aching body as tears scorched down her cheeks.

The one she had stabbed kicked her down and taunted her with words as she slipped into unconsciousness. They waited to make sure she was still alive and left her there. Emily's body was splayed on the floor, her arm at awkward angle and blood soaking into her new carpet.

A few feet away in her yard, her phone rang out in angry chirps.

And continued to chirp. She didn't stir.

Xxxx

"She isn't answering her phone." Gemma said to Clay. "She was supposed to be here an hour ago."

Clay took a swig of his beer and shrugged. "Probably got caught up unpacking."

"She wouldn't miss this." Gemma reasoned, getting worried. She looked out at the rowdy crowd. Jax was taking on Happy in the ring, both getting smashed and bloody. Emily wouldn't miss this, not a birthday party. "The Prospects said she was on her way and a couple of hours I got a text saying she was out the door."

Clay eyed his wife and saw genuine worry. He didn't think there was anything was wrong but there was always accidents. Even if there was an accident, they'd know by now. "I'll have one of the guys go over there and check on her."

"Good." Gemma said.

He looked at the Prospects and saw that they were way too smashed to ride. Shaking his head he motioned over Tig. "Emily isn't here yet, Gemma's getting worried."

"I'll ride by see what's keeping her." Tig said, downing a shot and gripping Clay's shoulder.

Tig rode out to Emily's without much on his mind. He sure liked having Emily around. She was a sweet thing to look at. He always liked 'em Latina. But that Latina was a natural blonde, a sweet honey. A sweet honey they couldn't push up on. It left them more than frustrated but it was a respect. They weren't going to disrespect her, she was getting over that bastard of a ex.

Kozik had stuck around and was patched in as Nomad now. He moved into Charming, the tension between Tacoma and the mother charter had ceased but Koz had sided clearly by transferring nomad. Which meant he all but joined the Charming charter. Not that he would. Tig wouldn't vote him in, not at all. He noticed though, that Kozik and Emily had become chummy. If that went through he'd be force-handed by Clay to patch him into Charming. Clay wouldn't want his goddaughter's Old Man unprotected on the road.

He was thinking that when he rolled into front yard. His eyes adjusted to the dim night and from the bright porch light he noticed a few things at once. The door was wide open, her purse was laying on the ground by her car, and a plant had been knocked over on her porch.

"Shit." He cursed drawing his piece and running into the house. "Em!"

Tig ran full force into the house, breaking down the screen door and crashing it to the ground. He pointed his gun ready to shoot but all he found was a crumpled bleeding woman. Emily was crumpled in a fragile heap on the floor. Her things had been knocked down and blood was smeared on the floor.

Tig's guts cletched and his heart froze. He knelt down and touched her with fear. Her body was so still, Tig couldn't tell if it was breathing. His lungs worked when she shuddered under his soft careful touch. He rolled her over and took in the damage. Rage filled him when her brown eyes opened, one of them swollen shut. Her right half of her face was smashed to bits, bloody and swollen. Her arm was at a awkward angle. Terror was in her eyes at first, when she opened them.

"Hey, hey." He crooned softly picking her up and holding her. "It's just Tig, it's just me sweetheart."

The terror left her eyes and she let them drift shut, her mouth moved and she heaved raspy coughs as she tried to speak.

Tig tried to calm her down as he grabbed his phone from his back pocket and called Clay. No one was answering. Tig debated whether to take her to the hospital or take her to the clubhouse. The doctor was at the clubhouse, he reasoned. He picked her trembling body up and wrapped her in his cut and a blanket he saw on the couch. Tig cradled in his arms, with tenderness he only showed Gemma or a dog.

He carried her outside and picked up her purse. He got her inside her car and peeled out of the yard. Technically, he didn't have his license and so he shouldn't be speeding but at this point, he didn't really care. Tig raced to the Clubhouse.

When he got in he smacked the horn all the way in until he parked. He grabbed her up in his arms and carried her out of the car, as a crowd of people surrounded him.

"CLAY!" He yelled.

Sweetbutts and hangarounds were shoved out of the way as Gemma, Clay and other members gathered around the site of Tig holding a battered crumpled form of Emily.

"Oh my God." Gemma said, running over and cupping Emily's battered face in her hands. "Tara!"

Emily was taken into the clubhouse and the party was pronounced over. People scattered quickly and the Club gathered in the club as Tara took charge, ordering Tig to put her down on the couch. She was examined right there, her mind so far gone that she didn't realize she was being stripped down in front of them. Chibs and Tara wrapped her up, binding her bruises ribcages and setting her arm.

"We're going to need to get her to a clinic for x-rays." Tara said to them. "I know of a Clinic in Lodi. They can do it and keep it quiet, if that's what needs to happen."

"Do we know who did this?" Clay asked Tig who shook his head.

"I got there, found her on the floor. I didn't see anyone." Tig supplied.

Emily's felt the presence of everyone around her, along with pain that seemed to come from inside of her. She tried to move, but every time she did it hurt worse. When she was able to open her eyes she saw cuts milling about in a group, huddled together and tried to sit up. Tara took notice and tried to stop her but Emily was already swinging her stiff legs over so she could sit up right.

She gritted her teeth and forced back tears and pitiful whimpers as the pain vibrated in her skin. Jax nodded towards her and they stood around her, having a hard time watching her. It was taking their medicine, forcing themselves to watch the examination and knowing that it was on them.

"Sweetheart, try not to move." Gemma said sitting next to her and putting her arms around her. Clay pulled up a chair and sat next to them. His eyes full of pain as he saw the close up damaged to her swollen up face.

"Emily, honey. When you can talk, the Club needs to know what happened." He said gently. Emily nodded.

"W-water." She croaked out, trying to get her voice to work.

Bobby shoved the Prospects who scrambled to go get it for her. Jax grabbed the glass and gave it Emily, helping her wrap her hands around it. She gulped it down slowly and eventually found her voice.

"I was going out to come to the party. I was getting to my car when I heard footsteps behind me. My pocketknife..I flipped it out and I stabbed the guy behind me. There were two. It got one in the arm. I tried to run but they grabbed me and dragged me back to the house. They beat me up. Before I went unconscious I was told that Jason wants me back…said that I have one month to go back to him and that he'll be in contact…then the guy who I stabbed made sure I was out for the count."

A rumble of cusses and threats rolled off the Club and into the air. Clay shook his head, hanging his head down.

"I'm sorry sweetheart." He apologized. "This won't happen again."She nodded slowly, words failing her, and he leaned over and kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair. Clay stood up and motioned everyone to the other room. They followed suit quietly.

Tara helped her into a easy-back chair and Gemma got her coffee.

"You need to stay awake for a while." She explained, handing her some meds to shove down her throat.

Emily looked at her friend from her eye that she could see out of and they exchanged a long tender look. Tara compassionately knelt down and kissed her on the cheek and held her close and gently. "SAMCRO will make this right." Tara whispered hoarsely.

"Damn straight." Gemma sounded bringing them coffee. "Goddamn fucker is gonna get his balls chopped off and delivered to you in a gift bag, baby."

Despite the trauma that had occurred, and the seriousness in the air the women found themselves laughing to each other. SAMCRO would make that bastard pay, and knowing the Club, that's exactly how it would go down. Gift bag included in that order.