"You really wanna do this?" Opie asked Macy the next morning as they prepared to visit Jax and Wendy at Saint Thomas. "You and Wendy were never really close."

"I'm not going for her I'm going for my brother," she scoffed. "We still good with the story?"

Opie gave her a disapproving look but nodded. "If anyone suspects shit, Mace, I'm not gonna dig us deeper."

"No one will suspect anything," she rolled her eyes. "They're distracted by Wendy."

"Yeah, I think you're overestimating how much everyone cares about Wendy," he said, offering her his helmet. "Unless you're driving your own piece of shit."

Macy shook her head, despite hiding it she was still anxious after what happened with Dom so keeping close to someone she could trust was important.

When they arrived Jax was still there, much to their surprise. Macy knew she was hyping up the concern for Wendy, she was hoping if she said it enough it would be true. She didn't expect Jax to be there, it was part of why she didn't call him first, but she was relieved that he was.

"What happened to you?" Jax asked before Macy could even say hello.

Macy huffed as he hugged her roughly. "I got jumped but some drunk assholes. I'm fine."

"I'm taking care of it," Opie said gruffly from behind them.

Jax looked at Opie over Macy's shoulder. "Let me know what you find."

"I will," he nodded somberly. "How's Wendy?"

"Unconscious," Jax explained. "She got high and fell, laid there for hours."

"Jax," Macy whimpered, "I'm so sorry."

"I'm more worried about you," he told her. "What did you see? White guys? Any tattoos?"

"I didn't see anything," she said bluntly. "Hoods were up, it was dark, I was kind of drunk," she shrugged.

Opie interrupted, knowing the more Jax pushed the more likely he would be to find out about Dom and that would land Opie in some trouble. "I said I'm looking into it, I got it, brother."

"I gotta get out of here," Jax huffed. "Come on, let's go."

"Holy shit," Macy said suddenly. "Is that Tara?"

Jax didn't even have to look. "Yeah. She's back apparently."

Macy waved at Tara who was staring at her hard from the opposite end of the hall. "Yeah guess she is."

Tara waved back and gestured for Macy to come toward her end of the corridor. She thought it over quickly before giving Opie a gentle push. "I'll meet you guys outside."

"Where are you going?" Jax asked, nosy as ever.

"I gotta pee, man," she lied. "I'll be right there."

The guys walked away, somewhat suspicious, and Macy scurried toward Tara.

"Hey Macy," Tara said warmly. "What happened?"

"Oh," Macy's cheeks turned red with embarrassment. "Nothing."

"You sure?"

"Why?"

Tara nodded for Macy to follow her toward her office and the younger girl did. "You recognize this?" Holding up a plastic bag with Macy's blood Hanna's pen in it, Tara looked at her knowingly.

"He fucking deserved it," Macy snapped. "He was gonna kill me, on purpose or accidentally. I had to get out of there and it was all I had, it was all I could do." The more she explained the weaker her words became until her angry, tough exterior was completely destroyed.

"Hey," Tara said softly. "It's okay. I'm not looking to get you in trouble and he refused to press charges. I just wanted to see what happened, to see if you're okay."

"I'm fine," Macy huffed. "How did you know it was me?"

Tara smirked a little. "I was in the ER when he came in talking to a family. He was belligerent so I stuck around just in case, he was ranting and raving. The pen, his complaints, and his cell phone tied it all together, then I saw your face and," she shrugged.

"I appreciate your concern," Macy said genuinely, "But Jax doesn't know it was my boyfriend, my ex-boyfriend," she corrected herself, "And I'd like to keep it that way."

"I don't have to tell him," Tara said softly, "As long as you're okay."

"I am," Macy nodded. "Opie's going to handle it so I'll be just fine."

Tara smiled. "That's really cute," she chuckled. "I guess now that everyone is all grown up-

"Oh hell no," Macy interrupted, "It's not like that."

My mistake," Tara said embarrassedly. "It just sounded that way.

"I think it looks that way too," Macy laughed, "But it's not."

"If you ever need anything," Tara offered, "I'm right here. Okay?"

Macy looked at her suspiciously but slowly nodded. "Thank you. You're not trying to make nice with me to get in with Jax?"

"That's another hell no," Tara laughed. "I think Jax and I are both beyond that now."

"Good," Macy laughed. "Alright Doc, I gotta go meet the guys. Thanks for reaching out."

Jax was distracted, to say the least, and everyone noticed that day on the lot. Noticing Chibs perched on the top of a picnic table smoking, Opie dragged his feet toward him from the garage.

"Hey," he said casually.

Chibs nodded. "Go by the hospital?"

"Me and Mace did," Opie said, lighting a cigarette. "She's not awake yet."

"He's in it," Chibs remarked, his eyes on Jax. "Shite wasn't great but he loves her."

Opie nodded. "Yeah, he's feeling it."

"And what are you feeling brother?"

"What?" Opie looked at Chibs with a guilty expression.

"Ya didn't just come over here to smoke, did ya?"

"Oh," he chuckled. "No. I need someone to have my back today, it's not club shit, it's Macy shit, She wants me to handle it without Jax knowing she doesn't wanna add to his shit, but I know better than to go alone."

"Who?"

"Boxer over at Lumpy's," Opie explained, "She said he's been snapping out cause of steroids."

Chibs nodded, "Shite shrinks their wee balls and turns em' into the goddamn Hulk."

"Yeah," Opie nodded. "So, you in?"

"Aye," Chibs flicked his cigarette to the ground. "Simple fix, we can deal with it for Jackie Boy."

Once they were parked a block down from the gym, Opie called Lumpy and asked him to get Dom into the basement. Lumpy knew Dom and Macy were involved and that meant if Opie wanted him in the basement it was for good reason.

"Hey," Lumpy called Dom's attention when he was alone. "You think you could help me out?"

Dom was hesitant, his injury making every movement painful to a certain degree, but he agreed to keep up appearances.

"Sure," he said pleasantly. "What do you need?"

"I'm moving some boxes out from the basement," he explained, leading Dom toward the stairs, "I'm an old man though, need some young hands to help."

"Oh, totally," Dom spoke enthusiastically, attempting to butter Lumpy up. "Anything I can do to help."

Lumpy led Dom to the far end of the basement, by the old fuse box and Bilco doors, and pulled the thin white string. The light clicked on revealing Opie and Chibs waiting for Dom looking every bit the intimidating avenging bikers that they were.

"Fuck," Dom grunted.

"You lay hands on Macy, I lay hands on you," Opie said as he grabbed Dom by the shirt. He slammed him face first into the cinderblock walls of the basement before turning him around, pinning him to the wall with his arm against Dom's throat.

"She fucking stabbed me!" Dom said angrily.

"Aye, that before or after you slapped her around?" Chibs asked, stepping closer to the light.

Dom opened his mouth to spew some cruel and disgusting words about Macy but Opie wouldn't let him. Pulling his gun from his holster, Opie jammed the barrel of his gun into the fresh stitches in Dom's side.

"You come around her again and I'll finish this job," Opie growled.

"Alright," he said urgently, "Whatever!"

Opie let Dom off the wall but he wasn't free to go. Swiftly, Opie slammed the butt of his gun against Dom's face, exactly where Mace had her gash from him.

"That's it," Chibs remarked, "Lettin' em' off easy."

"Dead body in the middle of the day is a bigger problem than this asshole is worth," Opie spat.

"More than she's worth," Dom grumbled under his breath.

"So close," Opie growled, "You were so goddamn close."

Reaching down, Opie pulled Dominic up to stand and punched him square in the nose, breaking it, then sending him to the floor with a knee to his ribs.

Later that day Opie met up with Macy at the pharmacy by their place. She was picking up a few things anyway and figured she'd just wait for him as he wasn't far.

"What's that?" He asked casually.

"Nothing," she laughed to avoid suspicion. "Just the things I need to keep me beautiful."

Opie smiled and shook his head. "It's done. I dealt with it."

"You did?" She almost seemed surprised. "When? Just now?"

"An hour ago," he guessed. "If you see him or hear from him, Mace, you tell me. I'm serious."

"Okay." She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her car. "What did you do?"

"We got him down in Lumpy's basement and talked to him," Opie shrugged. "That's it."

"Tell me, Ope," she said as she sat on the hood of her car.

"Broke his nose, tuned him up, ripped open the stitches with my Glock."

Macy smirked at him. "That's actually kind of hot," she admitted.

"You think that's hot?" He asked with a slightly judgy look.

"Not the violence," and slipped off the hood, "You doing it for me, even when I said not to you still wanted to teach him a lesson. You wanted to stand up for me."

"Of course I did," he tried to act nonchalant. "The hot thing, though."

"It's a compliment. I called you hot. Accept it. Use it against me later. Jeez," she added with a dramatic eye roll. Doing a little hop so she could reach him, Macy kissed his cheek sweetly. "Thanks again."

Opie watched as she got into her car and a strange feeling erupted in his stomach, one he hadn't felt in years.

Butterflies.

"Jesus Christ," he groaned, finally admitting what a few others had already seen. "This is not good."

It wasn't until later that evening, and a few beers, that Opie made up his mind to talk to someone about it.

"Thanks for today," Opie said to Chibs quietly.

"It was fun," he laughed gruffly. "Haven't done that shite in a while. His face," he laughed loudly.

"Yeah, it was great," he chuckled. "I need some advice, brother."

"Macy?" He asked, lowering his voice slightly.

Opie drew his head back. "What about her?"

"We go take care of the boyfriend and now you need advice," Chibs explained, "Not exactly hard to figure out where your head's at."

"Bad idea, right?"

"Messy," Chibs corrected him. "She's young, you got Clay and Gemma, then Jax," he sighed. "Then the shite from when she was a wee one."

"I didn't think about that," Opie said in surprise. "I kind of forgot, I guess."

"Aye, we were supposed to," Chibs told him. "I think it's complicated, brother and with Clay and Jax it's even worse."

Opie nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm just still dealing with Donna. I never liked being alone," he admitted somewhat shamefully.

"Well lonely ends here," he laughed, nodding off toward two croweaters. "They'll heal whatever ails ya."

"I can't," he genuinely seemed disappointed. "This stays between us, right?"

"Of course," Chibs said, giving Opie a rough hug. "Get outta your head. You'll be happier."

Opie laughed and said goodbye, waving to the few other members he made eye contact with on the way back to his bike. When he got home he found Macy on the couch with a beer, watching a movie in her pajamas.

"I didn't think you'd be back till much later," she said as a hello.

"Tired," he told her. "What are you watching?"

"Some disaster end of the world movie," she said. "You wanna shit?"

"Yeah," he said happily. "I do."

Macy moved all the way down to the arm of the couch to make room for him, her legs curled up under her. He sat with a beer, once his boots and kutte were off, and glanced over at Macy, her face illuminated by the TV.

"This was a good idea," he said, "I think it'll be fun having you here."

"Yeah, me too," she grinned cheerfully at him. "Now let's watch impossibly good looking actors save the world."