A/N: I think I'm done making promises I can't keep... I'll update when I can, because right now I'm really busy. Thanks for all the follows and favourites though, I really appreciate it, and I'm sorry if I disappoint with my lack of updates...


Natalie decided that she would avoid Happy like the plague the rest of her time in Charming. This was made a little easier for her as Chibs told her that Happy's services were needed at his own charter back in Tacoma. He left 2 days after the fight, and it was a big relief for everyone. Happy had been dark, brooding, and angry since the fight with the boxer, even more so than usual. The Sweetbutts and Croweaters were the ones suffering the most, as he took out most of his anger in bed – he was rougher and meaner than ever before, and as a result many club lays had walking problems for days.

Natalie was oblivious to all this, as she dove right back into boxing with a new drive. After Chibs had explained Happy's position in the club with a little more detail and scolded Natalie for being so reckless towards the club enforcer, he went back to training her like nothing happened. He noticed Natalie's punches were somehow harder than he had ever felt before, and he realized that Happy really must have stirred shit up. She hadn't told him why she punched Happy in the face, and he figured she would come clean once she was ready.

However, Chibs had not expected what happened that Friday morning when they were training outside, sparring in the ring.

It all started out as a routine training. Natalie had run for an hour in the morning and arrived on time at the clubhouse for the rest of the training. Chibs was waiting for her at the bar, sipping a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper. He had decided he was going to mix her training up a bit and have her spar with him before doing any of the other exercises.

In hindsight, he had realized this had been his mistake. He should have tired her out before sending her into the ring. Half Sack wasn't there today, for whatever reason, which in hindsight was probably for the best. Natalie's pride and ego would be hurting too much if many were witness of the event that occurred that morning.

Natalie had shrugged at his suggested change of the schedule, and let Chibs tape up her hands. They got started quickly, and Natalie was throwing every thing she had in her punches and jabs. He threw her the occasional remark, but she needed very little encouragement since the fight with Happy.

Slowly he noticed her attention waver. She didn't have her head in the game, and her punches were suffering as a result.

"Come on lass, ya need teh punch harder. Get focused, move yer feet!" Chibs said. Natalie ignored him as she tried to focus on the pads in front of her, but she couldn't help her mind wandering off to the previous Tuesday and what Happy had said to her.

"No wonder you got suspended, you couldn't beat a baby in the ring." It echoed in her head. Natalie was trying her hardest to drown out his voice, but it had nestled itself comfortably in her mind.

"You punch like a girl." His insults were flying through her head, and she was unable to stop them. "You don't deserve to call yourself a professional boxer."

Natalie felt something breaking inside her as she knew what comment was going to come next. "Girl, you're so weak. No wonder your parents abandoned you." The anticipation, in combination with her mind actually going there set her off like a time bomb.

All of the anger she had pent up inside came rushing out, but not through her usual punches. She sank through her knees and started crying. She felt more alone than she ever felt before. Coach was 300 miles away – the only person she truly trusted. Instead, she was with a bunch of gang members in northern Cali, training for something she knew she would never achieve. And to top it all off, the sting of her father's abandonment felt fresher than in had in years.

Chibs and Juice might be something she could call friends, but she didn't trust them. She was the only one she could rely on in this annoyingly small town, and she felt completely lost and alone.

Chibs stared as the strong and composed woman he knew completely broke down in front of him. He had no idea what to do with this crying girl in front of him, whom he did not recognize. This wasn't the Natalie he knew. He could handle the cocky, stubborn, and angry woman, but this crying mess? She was a whole other deal of trouble. He patted her shoulder awkwardly, but she didn't seem to notice, as she was lost in her sadness and self-pity.

Gemma had seen it all happen from her office, and despite her annoyance with the boxer's attitude earlier this week she couldn't help but feel for the girl. Gemma had realized quickly the girl's strong demeanour was all out of self-preservation, but she hadn't expected her to break down like this. Gemma sighed at Chibs' pathetic attempt to console her and she got up out of her chair. That girl needed a mother.

Gemma didn't bother to climb into the ring, as she looked up at Chibs. "What did you do?" Chibs just looked at her with a confused expression. "I didn't do anythin' to tha lass, she jus' started cryin'!" He held up his hands in surrender, completely oblivious to what the girl needed.

Gemma tried to catch Natalie's attention. "Hey, boxer. Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Natalie managed to look up to Gemma, who was giving her a knowing smirk, but without pity. She didn't say anything, just got out of the ring, and followed Gemma quietly to the office, while trying to wipe as much liquid off her face as possible.

Gemma sat her down on the couch and poured her a cup of coffee. "There you go sweetheart. Now you mind tellin' me what that was all about?" The matriarch asked, while sitting down next to her on the couch.

Natalie shrugged, gratefully taking a sip of the hot coffee. She really didn't want to talk about it, especially to Gemma. She didn't trust the woman one bit; she was a little too unpredictable for Natalie's liking.

"Look, I understand. You're living in a man's world and you need to be strong in order to get any respect. Trust me when I say I get that more than anything. Sometimes you suppress things you shouldn't, because you're scared they'll make you look weak, and you can't have that. If you look weak, you'll get pounced on and replaced. I know that, I've been there. But darling, sometimes you need to let it out, or it will eat you up, and then you're no use to anybody."

Natalie took a surprise look at Gemma. The woman had nailed it with that little speech. She hadn't expected Gemma to be so insightful, and all she could do in response was nod.

"Tell me this ain't about Happy sweetheart. He can be a real mean son of a bitch sometimes, and you shouldn't let it get to you."

Natalie finally found her voice. "It's not about Happy, it's about what he said." Gemma looked at the boxer, wondering what on earth Happy could've said that would get the girl this upset, but she figured it would have something to do with that energy between them. "Oh honey, don't take it personal. Happy doesn't like any woman, except for his mother."

That remark threw Natalie off guard. "What are you talking about?" Gemma's first remark might have been spot on, but this couldn't be further from the truth. "He said that my parents abandoned me because I was weak and bad at boxing." Gemma nodded, her mouth shaping into a surprised 'O' shape, as she realized her mistake. This hadn't been about the boxer being rejected. That was a big surprise to Gemma, as she could've sworn the two wanted to get in each other's pants.

"Is that true?" Gemma asked, curious to learn more about the boxer's personal history. Natalie gave Gemma an incredulous look, getting angry for even suggesting it. "No! Of course not! My mother died of cancer and my father left because he was a pathetic coward!" Gemma smirked at the riled up woman in front of her. "Well then, what are you getting all fussy over?"

This took Natalie by surprise. Why was she getting so upset about something that wasn't even true?

She knew.

"Because I'm scared it's true. Because it makes me feel alone and abandoned, and like I'm worth shit. The one person who was supposed to love me the most just left me fending for myself without any resources. I feel betrayed and hurt."

Gemma nodded. "I get that. But would you be as upset about it if I had said that to you?"

Natalie forced her eyes to the ground, not wanting to admit the answer. She knew that Happy affected her more than she wanted him to, and more than anybody else could, other than maybe Coach. She didn't need any distractions in her life, as she figured that a lack of focus was what got her into this whole mess in the first place.

Natalie sighed, and nodded her head at Gemma, signalling the matriarch that she had gotten the message. She needed distance from Happy, and she could not let him, or anyone else mess with her head again.

After the short, enlightening and confronting conversation with Gemma, Natalie left the office. She found Chibs inside the clubhouse and told him she was going to take the rest of the training off. It wasn't like she was actually training for anything anyway. This reality was slowly sinking in, and it was taking its toll on her, especially mentally. She hadn't felt this weak mentally in a very long time, and Natalie was experienced enough to know that a weak mind lead to poor boxing. She needed to get her head back in the game and her priorities set straight.

After grabbing some lunch and a shower back home, she decided to go for a walk around town to clear her head. Gemma had granted her a day off from work at the garage, and after some resistance from Natalie, the young boxer had complied, knowing this was what she needed. Natalie ended up on Main Street in front of the candy store. She remembered this place from her first walk around town and decided to go in and check it out.

The same friendly old man was standing behind the counter and she greeted him politely. "Hello darling, what can I do for ya." He asked her with a smile on his face. Natalie took a quick look around and spotted what she was looking for. "Can I get 4 ounces of assorted Jelly Belly jelly beans please?" Those were her favourite kind of candy, as she remembered her grandmother always bringing her some when the old woman visited.

The man behind the counter scooped some out of the bin into a plastic bag and put it on a scale. "Is it okay if it's a little more?" He asked her and she smiled at him. "That's totally fine."

He sealed the bag for her. "Anything else you'd like, darlin'?" The older man asked. Natalie waited a second before answering. She was craving some chocolate, but she was debating whether or not she should pig out. She hadn't done so in a very long time, she after a couple seconds she figured she deserved a break form the harsh training regime she was still sticking to. "And a bar of Toblerone please." She finally spoke.

"Of course." The shopkeeper said, happy to sell some candy to the new woman in front of him. Business had been going bad lately, as no-one bothered to come to the candy store, now that candy was readily available at the Commerce Market Place in town. "That'll be 9 dollars and 78 cents please." Natalie handed him 10 dollars, waving her hand when he offered her change. "Thanks." She replied as she took the small bag of candies from the counter and got ready to leave the store for a relaxing night at home. "You mind if I ask you a question?" The old man looked at Natalie as she shook her head, keeping her impatient and what probably would have been a rude comment to her self. She didn't need to make enemies in this town; it wouldn't do her no good.

"You're new in Charming, aren't you?" He continued, to which Natalie simply nodded. "Well, there's been some talk about you living with the Sons. What's your connection to them?" He asked politely, but she noted a hint of caution in his voice. She smiled at him. "They've given me a roof over my head and a place to train. I needed some time away from the city, and a close friend of mine knows one of the members. He hooked me up and voila, here I am." The old man nodded. "Well, be careful darling. No innocence can be found at SAMCRO." Natalie took in the odd warning. "I'm not that innocent myself sir, but I'll keep that in mind. Any particular reason you're trying to warn me?" She was a little curious now. She didn't know the old man, but she understood his sincerity, even if it frustrated her to no end. She wasn't sure if her frustration was with the fact that the shopkeeper tried to scare her away from the club because he thought she was a weak little girl, or because he didn't like the way the club treated women in general. Either way, it wasn't very positive.

"They're outside the law, outside society, darling. That makes them dangerous. They don't answer to no-one but themselves." Natalie let that sink in, as she nodded her head in response. "Thank you sir, and have a nice day." She left the shop and made her way back to Chibs' house. Nothing the man had told her had come as a surprise. After all, she knew that the Suns were involved in arms dealing from conversation between Chibs and Coach the second night she was in Charming. She had seen the mug shots in the clubhouse, and she knew they weren't carrying their guns and knives for decorative purposes. It also explained the looks she had been getting all over town. People must know she was involved in the club somehow, and they avoided her for it, staring after her like they knew her.

In LA, whenever she walked around, she was just one of the many people. She wasn't anybody special and she didn't stand out. Here, in this small town, people were talking about her. They probably knew her name, and it was very likely that wild stories were now circulating the town as to why she was here. The thought frustrated her as she sped up, eager to get back to her bed and sleep this off. This place was quickly turning into a nightmare and she needed to relax.

But before Natalie even made it off of Main Street, somebody called for her. "Miss Hopman!" Natalie stopped walking in confusion. The voice didn't sound familiar, so she knew it wasn't the old shopkeeper, and she wondered who would want to talk to her. She also wondered who the hell would address her as 'miss Hopman'. She didn't know that many people in town, as she mostly kept to herself. She turned around to find out and saw a man in a police uniform walking up to her.

He started talking as soon as he reached her. "Hello, miss Hopman. My name is David Hale, I'm the Deputy Chief of the Charming Police Department. I was wondering if you have a minute."

Natalie frowned, wondering what the cop wanted from her, but nodded in compliance. Growing up in LA, in a middle class suburb, she had never had anything against cops. As a young girl she had been under the impression that the cops were there to serve the people. But after her father abandoned her, she went to the police station where she was waved away. The packed bags, cancelled rent, and the fact that she was close enough to 18 that she should be able to take care of herself, was enough for the cops to think she could fend for herself. They eventually found her dad after she had turned 18, and by then she didn't want anything to do with the man anymore. She had fallen through the cracks, and who knows how she would have ended up had it not been for Coach taking her in and making sure she was fed, clothed, and finishing high school.

Now, as a mature woman, Natalie still distrusted cops. They had failed her, an angry but naïve and scared girl. They had done nothing for her, and she wasn't one to forget.

David Hale seemed friendly enough, but she could tell he was a stickler for the law. Over the years, Natalie had learned that morality was not simply black and white and often consisted of choosing the right color of grey, but she realized the man in front of her did not view the world the way she did. She kept quiet, allowing the man to speak up.

"Miss Hopman, the town's gossip mill has been buzzing with your arrival in Charming and your alleged affiliations with the club – " "Not alleged." Natalie decided to stop him immediately, because his careful wording was annoying her. She appreciated it in people when they were direct and to the point. She was in some ways affiliated with the club, so she decided to call out the cop's bullshit hesitation.

David Hale nodded, a little shocked at the somewhat rude interruption, learning a little bit more about the young woman in front of him. "Ok, so you might be aware that they are involved in criminal activities. I just wanted to give you a fair warning, ma'am, simply out of courtesy. They are dangerous men, and the people closest to them will end up hurting for their mistakes."

Natalie was quickly getting fed up with the police officer. He seemed too self-righteous for his own good. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I guess it's a good thing that I'm not that close to them then."

This comment threw David Hale off. "Excuse me?" Natalie sighed with annoyance. "Look, Officer Hale, was it? I appreciate your concern, but what I do is really none of your business. Unless my presence here in Charming or my affiliation with the Teller Morrow garage is somehow illegal and you need to arrest me, I suggest you go and take your good intentions to someone who needs them." Natalie stated adamantly, not in the mood to put up with these insinuations. She was getting tired of this ridiculously small town and its annoying gossipy inhabitants. "I do not appreciate what you are insinuating Officer Hale, and I hope that your police work in this town does not depend on the gossiping housewives who have their heads so far up their asses they wouldn't recognize the truth if it were a casserole served hot in front of them. Now if you'll excuse me, I've had a shitty day, I'm tired, and I'd like to go home. Have a nice day." She finished with an icy smile, sarcasm dripping from her voice, as she turned around and walked away. Natalie felt a headache coming on and she cursed to cop for messing with her afternoon plans, making her day even crappier.

David Hale had no idea what had just happened to him. He had not expected such hostility from the woman, but he figured that she had been with the club long enough for them to indoctrinate her. In a way he felt bad for her. Another one lost to the Men of Mayhem. This one had been really pretty too, and seemed to have a good head on her head. He decided to do some digging into this young miss Hopman, because he was hoping that maybe he could save her from the live of violence she seemed so willing to dive into.

When Natalie finally arrived back at Chibs' house, he wasn't there. Natalie quickly remembered that Friday night was the night the Sons had Church, after which they partied. Natalie was still annoyed with her encounter with Deputy Hale, and she was wondering whether or not to tell Chibs about the little chat. In the end, she figured the club would probably hear about it sooner or later, as everyone in this town seemed to gossip, and so it would be best if the club were to hear about it from her first.

As soon as she decided she needed to tell Chibs, she walked back over to Teller-Morrow. Natalie made it to the lot right before Church was about to start, and she called out Chibs' name. He turned to her as he dropped his phone in a box on the pool table. "What's up lass? Now's not really a good time, Church is about teh start."

Natalie sighed. "You probably need to hear this before you go in." Chibs looked at her with slight worry on his face. "Officer Hale paid me a visit today." She said nonchalantly, knowing it would get Chibs' attention. It did, and he immediately was all ears. "What'd he want?" The Scotsman inquired, a little curious why the copper would look into the young boxer.

"He wanted to warn me of the club, scare me away I think. Told me you were involved in 'illegal activities' and that 'I would get hurt' if I got too close." She said honestly, making sarcastic quotation marks with her fingers as she said the words in a bad impression of Hale's serious tone of voice. Chibs nodded at her. "What'd ye say lass?" "Basically that he could go fuck himself." Natalie replied curtly. Chibs nodded. "But what exactly did ye say?"

Natalie tilted her head, a little worried about his serious interest. She thought it didn't mean much, but the man in front of her obviously thought differently. "Well, I told him I wasn't close to the club, that he shouldn't believe rumours, and that whatever I do at the Teller Morrow garage – I said that very specifically by the way – is none of his business and definitely not illegal." Chibs nodded again and stayed quiet.

"An' he believed ye?" he asked after a minute or so. This time it was Natalie's turn to nod. "Yeah, seemed like it. But I have a feeling this is one cop who isn't just gonna let this rest. He was digging, but I don't know for what. I had a feeling he didn't want me near the club, but maybe he thought I would rat out the club, spy on you guys and pass on the intel." Natalie thought out loud. "Ye wouldn't right?" Chibs stared into her eyes, which turned defensive and agitated. "Of course not, don't insult me." Natalie spat back, not liking his tone. "Don't get offended lass. We don't really know ye. Ye seem alright, but we can never be too sure." Natalie sighed, understanding his position.

This new development worried Chibs, because he knew the cops and the feds would do anything to get their hands on hard evidence against the MC and their gun business. He would have to talk to Clay about what would be the best next step now that Natalie was on the copper's radar.

"Aye lass, thanks fer tellin' me. I'll let the club know, and we'll figure out what teh do next." He said as he got up from the couch. Natalie was confused at that final remark. "Why do anything? I don't know anything and if I were you, I'd keep it that way. Act now and it would only look more suspicious and draw more attention to you." She rationalized. Chibs thought about this, and it did seem logical. But he would take it to the club anyway. They needed to at least be aware of this. Chibs nodded, and with nothing left to say he turned towards Church, ready to inform his brothers on what Natalie just told him.

Natalie left the clubhouse and was looking forward to a calm night at the house. She needed to give her head a rest, so a chick flick and an early night in with beer, chocolate, and jellybeans sounded perfect to her.

At the same time at the police station, David Hale was back in his office and had done some digging on Natalie Hopman. He found out she was a professional boxer who had been suspended for match making. She had a couple of criminal charges including assault and battery, aggravated assault, and one for indecent exposure. She seemed to have a violent streak in her, and he wasn't surprised she ended up a boxer. But he couldn't find a connection between her and the MC. Her mother was dead, her father out of the picture since she was 17. Her boxing coach was an old man without a criminal record who had run a boxing school in LA since his late twenties. A far as he could tell, there was no good reason why she was in Charming, or why she was staying with the outlaws.

David Hale rubbed his face as he realized it was getting late. His shift was long over, but seeing as he didn't have anyone to go home to, it didn't really matter that much. On this uneventful Friday night, Natalie Hopman was the only interesting person in the whole town of Charming. Too bad that she was a dead end to finding a way into the club, as she seemed very unwilling to talk. Hale decided he would give it a rest, at least for now, because he wasn't sure she was worth the unpaid overtime.

Chibs was a little concerned about the fact that Hale had taken an interest in Charming's newest resident. The Scotsman knew she didn't know very much about SAMCRO and that she was smart enough not to talk to the cops, but he didn't know if Natalie could truly be trusted. He cursed at himself; he should have seen this coming. Bringing outsiders close to the club was always a risky business, but because they had very little on her, and she had no actual ties to the club, she could pose a very serious threat.

So in Friday night Church, after everything had been discussed and Clay asked if anyone had any matters they needed to talk about, the Scotsman raised his hand. "What's up Chibby?" Clay asked his long time friend. "Right before Church Natalie came up teh me. Told me Hale had tried to feel 'er out, see where she was with tha club." This got him some stares from his brothers, as Clay shifted his position at the head of the table, motioning Chibs to keep on talking. "It didn't sound like he had much, just testing the waters, but Natalie thought we should know."

"Goddamn it. I knew that broad was gonna bring us trouble." Clay hissed, slamming his hand on the table. "Come one Clay, let's hear Chibs out. What did Natalie say she did?" Jax asked Chibs, whose opinion the young Vice President respected very much. "Well, the lass told me she didn't give Hale nuthin', that she didn't know anything other that TM was a garage, and that she wasn't close to the club. From what I got, she basically told him to fuck off."

"You think we can trust her Chibs? You seem to know her best." Jax continued, curious what his brother would say. Chibs sighed, not sure how to answer that question. "She minds her own business, doesn't care about the club much. She knows we're doing illegal business, but she hasn't asked me about it once in the three weeks she's been here. I think she's alright, I just think she trusts us even less than we trust her."

"And what did she say we should do about this Hale problem?" Clay asked, curious what that gash had to say about that. "She told me we shouldn't do anythin' 'cause Hale was just blowin' up smoke. She thought if we reacted it would only look suspicious." Chibs answered truthfully. His brothers all nodded at the table, listening to the questions and answers.

After a short silence, Bobby spoke up. "I think she can be trusted. She's shown no interest in the club whatsoever. I don't think we should spill all our secrets to her, or draw her closer to the club either, but I don't think she's a danger to the club if we keep the relationship as is." Jax nodded at this. His gut was positive towards the boxer. She didn't take shit from nobody, even Happy. There was nothing the police could do to her that was worse than what Happy could do, and she had punched the killer in the face. This made the young VP curious what damage she could to the cops if she wanted to. She didn't seem afraid of anybody.

"Ok." Clay said. "All in favour of letting the boxer stay, not changing the arrangement, and not doing anything about Hale for now?" "Yay's" sounded from all around the table, and Clay slammed his hammer down. "Now gentlemen, time to party!"