So, this chapter does deal with one of the 'mature themes' I talked about at the beginning of the story. If you don't like it, don't read the end. Thanks for reading and enjoy the weekend!


SAMANTHA

Sam had gotten to the park early. There was still so much left to do for the fundraiser, and she was happy to help out. Dave had been so sweet to her yesterday, which made everything so confusing. One part of her knew she had to get out as fast as she could, but another part told her, what if he's trying to change?

She parked her car in the near empty parking lot, spotting Gemma's Cadillac a few spots further. Gemma always enjoyed setting up these fundraisers, and they always raised quite a lot of money for charity. Besides, it was also the perfect opportunity for the club to invite other charters to town and have a good time.

Samantha found Gemma in the back of the park, decorating one of the many stalls that would be selling home made pie later on. By the looks of it, Gemma had been here for some time, as most of the stalls were already decorated with blue and white ribbons.

"Hey," Sam greeted with a smile. "What do you want me to do?"

Gemma stepped down from the ladder and gave the ribbons to her. "Thank god you're here. You can finish this, I still have to look for Bobby. Why isn't anyone ever on time?"

Sam chuckled when she saw Gemma darting around the park, making sure everything went exactly the way she had planned. Apart from stalls that were to sell home baked goods, there were also various activities to do, such as pony rides, arcade games and an eating contest. Bobby was also supposed to do his Elvis act, but he wasn't here yet.

Climbing on the ladder, ribbons in her hands, Sam saw a good overview of the park. She sighed, being glad she lived in Charming. Even though some people were against SAMCRO, Sam was glad they were here. They provided the protection the police department could not provide.

"Hey, Sam," someone greeted her. Samantha turned her torso to see who it was, trying not to loose her balance on the ladder that stood wobbly on the grass.

"Oh, hi Jax!" she replied. "How's Abel doing?"

Having a child of her own, Sam couldn't imagine what it would be like if her life would be in danger. Her daughter never had any complications when she was younger. She found Jax was handling it all really well, or maybe he wasn't just showing his emotions. She made a mental note to talk to Gemma about it.

"He's doing better. Thanks for asking," Jax replied, smiling faintly. He took a drag from a cigarette. "Have you seen Gemma?"

"Yeah, she's in the back looking for Bobby or something." Sam pointed towards where she saw Gemma heading a few minutes earlier.

"Thanks," Jax nodded.

"Hey Jax, if you ever need anything, just call," Sam said before Jax was able to turn away.

He looked at her, smiled, and nodded gratefully.


Before Sam knew it, the park was full with residents and Sons of Anarchy members. She had stayed at one of the stalls, selling corn dogs and popcorn. So far she had taken in quite a bit of money, which was certainly going to make Gemma happy. The fundraiser was for a charity which researched on children's heart problems. It made sense to choose that charity, as Abel dealt with the same heart problems the charity was researching about.

She hadn't seen Gemma all evening, and when she finally saw her walking passed, she quickly walked towards her. "How's everything going?" she asked her, looking around her. Everyone seemed to have a good time.

"Great, Bobby's late and one of the arcade games just broke," Gemma said, annoyed. She continued walking.

"Nobody'll notice," Samantha assured her. "We have risen quite a bit of money, and that's what it's all about, right?"

"Yeah, that's true." Gemma admitted.

"How is Jax coping with everything?" Sam asked.

They stopped at a stall which sold cotton candy. Gemma opened the money box and took some of it out, afraid someone might steal it. It had happened before, so Sam could see where she was coming from. "He's doing good. I only wished that bitch didn't interfere with our family."

"What bitch?" Sam wasn't following exactly, but she knew Gemma mostly hated every woman Jax dated.

"Tara," she replied, an annoyed tone in her voice.

"Oh. I thought she was working in Chicago?"

"Not anymore," Gemma slid the money in a money safe she was carrying in her right hand.

"She's just doing her job, Gem. Jax is over her." Sam couldn't remember the last time she had seen Tara, but from what she remembered, her and Jax had always been pretty close. But lately she had seen Jax with a lot of different women, he surely was over her, wasn't he?

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Gemma said. They walked back to the stall where Sam was supposed to stand. "I think he never stopped loving her."

Samantha thought about her and Tig. She never fully stopped loving him, but she had managed to get over him. She had met Dave a months after they had broken up and she had learned to love him. Eventually Jax would be over Tara, exactly like her and Tig.

"It will blow over," Sam said. "I mean, look at me and Tig. We're friends, even though we loved each other in the past."

Gemma looked at her with raised eyebrows and an expression that yelled: yeah right.

Sam moved back behind her stall, telling Gemma they'll talk further after Bobby's performance. She was busy putting some corn in the popcorn machine, when a little girl came to her, asking for a corndog ever so sweetly. When she gave the girl her corndog and her eyes fell on Tig across the park. He was hugging a girl. Was that Dawn?

She hadn't seen Dawn, or Fawn for that matter, for quite some time. His girls and her daughter got along really well back in the day. They always played together and dressed up as little princesses, pretending Tig's bike was a Cinderella carriage. She saw him giving Dawn a kiss on her forehead, which made her turn away.

There were times where she wondered how her life had turned out if she hadn't married Dave. Then Dawn and Fawn would be her daughters. She would be his old lady and she wouldn't have to deal with a man with anger issues. Tig had seen the inside of a prison cell multiple times, but so had Dave. Tig had a criminal past, but so had Dave. They weren't that different, except for the anger part that is. She had never seen Tig lash out over nothing and even though he was quite a womanizer, she rather have that instead of an anger problem.

Stop. Am I seriously comparing the two to see who is better? Sam shook her head as if she was trying to shake the thoughts out of her head. She had made her decision when she married Dave. There was no point thinking about 'what if I had married Tig'.

Their eyes met from across the field. Sam quickly turned around, still confused by her thoughts.

What is happening to me? She thought, never imagining Tig could make her nervous just by looking at her.


Samantha returned home at 10 o'clock, exactly the time she had told Dave she'd return. Sam had told him she was going for dinner with Gemma and her friends, knowing he wouldn't let her go to the fundraiser. A little white lie wasn't going to hurt was it?

She found her husband laying on the couch, a beer in his hand. The TV was blaring some kind of action movie she didn't recognize and probably didn't like. Throwing her bag and coat over the kitchen chair, she walked towards him. "Hey, babe." She gave him a kiss.

Dave didn't return her kiss, instead he complained she was standing in front of the television. Sam ignored it, figuring he had drunk one beer too many, and returned to the kitchen to get herself a cup of tea before she'd go to bed.

The water had started to boil when Dave entered the kitchen, an empty beer bottle in his hand. "You didn't go out with Gemma did you?" he confronted her.

Sam had her back towards him. She felt her heartbeat creeping up. "I was with her," she said, trying to sound as calm as possible. Technically, she was with Gemma, right?

"You went to the fundraiser," Dave started. "Don't try to deny it, John saw you."

That made Sam turn around. "Are you spying on me?" she raised her eyebrows and completely forgot about the tea she was brewing.

"I can't trust you, Sam." Dave moved closer to her, and she could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Dave…," Sam warned, trying to back up, but he had her pinned down between him and the counter. "What are you doing?"

"STOP LYING TO ME!" he shouted and before she knew it, the beer bottle he was holding was thrown against the wall, breaking into million pieces, leaving behind a nasty stain that would be impossible to remove.

"I'm not lying," Sam stumbled. He had never come so close to her before when he was angry, usually she was able to get out of the house before he could get to her. "I also have a life. I want to go out, you go out without asking me first. Why can't I?"

"You can't, because I don't trust you." Dave lowered his head and moved it closer to hers.

"Dave, please, let me go." She didn't know what to do. There was no way of escape and stabbing her husband with a knife wasn't exactly an option.

"If I ever see you around that club again, I will break your fucking neck." He moved backwards, turning his back towards her. Dave rested his hands on the mahogany kitchen table.

Something told her he was serious, but she could not do that. She had known the members of SAMCRO for too long to just eliminate them out of her life and Gemma had been her friend for as long she could remember. If she didn't have them, she had no one.

"This is about Tig isn't?" Sam managed to get out.

Dave turned around sharply, spinning on his heel. "Don't say his name."

Oh my god, it is about Tig. She couldn't believe it. He and Tig hadn't even met and she never talked about him in front of Dave. Why would he be jealous? Was this just rage taking over and finding every possible excuse to lash out?

"You're jealous of him," she stated. "Babe, you don't need to be jealous. Me and Tig are done, we were done the moment I met you."

She didn't see the blow coming. His fist collided with her cheekbone, sending shudders of pain all through her body. Sam moved her hand towards the place where his fist had touched her, feeling it swell up.

"I told you, don't say his name! You never listen, do you?" he warned her again.

"You're just drunk," Sam mumbled, still in shock Dave had actually hit her. "You're not thinking straight."

"I am thinking straight, Sam. You think you're all smart and I don't notice it, but you're probably fucking him behind my back."

Sam knew she had lied to him before, but she never lied to him about that. Her and Tig haven't spend a moment together since their break-up many years ago. Now he was just being ridiculous.

"I am not fucking him. I would never do that!" she bit back.

This time his fist hit her eyebrow and it wasn't long before she felt blood trickling down the cheek he had hit just a minute earlier. Sam knew it was time to leave. He clearly wasn't stopping and this could be the death of her.

Gathering every ounce of strength she had, she slid under his arm that had rested against the cabinet and made her way for the kitchen door. But with his long legs, he was quickly standing next to her again. Not thinking, she kicked him, right in his balls. That had to hurt. Sam looked over as she saw him cringing, muttering profanities. Seizing the moment, she opened the door, running down the street.

A little white lie doesn't hurt? Think again, Samantha.