The guys were in the auto shop, which had closed up shop for the day. Roller doors locked up tight, Hence the reason Stella had to use the side door to walk in. She was dressed to kill, not that she had planed it that way. Long black skirt and leather jacket, knee high boots. She was only going to take care of the kids, but dying to wear the new outfit she had brought herself.
"Hey"
"Hey Princess, what are you doing here?" Clay asked her
"I have a present" she said handing him an envelope.
"What's this?"
"Nine thousand, six hundred. It's probably only a fraction of what you need but it's a fraction more then you had"
All the guys stared at her in shock
"Sweetheart, where did you get nine grand?" Clay asked her.
"My baby gets to sleep indoor these days" she said with a smile. She had the feeling she was going to get in trouble for selling the bike, but it was worthwhile.
"You didn't, did you?" Tig asked her " Please tell me you didn't, Stella"
"It was just sitting there doing nothing"
"Princess, that was your dad's bike" Clay told her "You didn't have to do that, not for us. Not for this"
"Clay, I wanted too. Take it, use it. If you don't I'm just going to buy shoes with it"
Clay wrapped her up in a hug and told her she was a big girl. Who spent nine thousand dollars on shoes, only a girl that's who. She knew her scarecrow was angry at her, she could feel it. That bike was the only thing she had left of her father and she just up and sold it, without saying anything.
"I gotta go take care of the kids" she told them before running off like a coward, she almost made it to her car before he caught up with her "Damn it"
"You trying to avoid a conversation?"
"Pretty much"
Stella looked up at him and smiled, hoping that was going to get her out of it. She had no such luck. She went to open the car door but he stop her. Stella rolled her eyes "You needed the money. I found the money, it doesn't matter where I got it from"
"Honey that was the only thing of your dad's you had left"
"Weren't you the one a few days ago telling me to stop living in the past?"
"That's different"
"No it's really not. Listen you've taken care of me, my whole life, Alex. Consider this being me taking care of you, the only way I really care. Let's face it I'm kinda tiny"
"I don't like it" he told her, shaking his head.
"I know. Listen I gotta go"
They said goodbye and he watched her drive of and down the road. He shook his head and knew she was going to regret her decision one day.
Stella pulled into Opie's driveway Stella walked out into the living room and thought it was odd that there was no noise, they were kids, and they always made noise. Something was wrong, she could feel it. Something was off. The kids were sitting on the lounge, Ellie's arm was wrapped protectively around her little brothers shoulders.
"Hey Guys" Once they saw her, they both jumped off the sofa and ran to her, clinging to her for dear life "What's going on?"
Suddenly Darby walked around the corner and Stella just shook her head
"Long time, no see"
"Ernest, what the heck are you doing here?"
"Looking for you actually"
"Well you found me. What do you want?" she asked eyeing the gun in his right hand.
"We have a couple of things we need to discuss"
"Fair enough. We can stay here and do that and these kids can go"
He chuckled at her and shook his head. She knew it wasn't going to be that easy but she had to try. "Not going to happen"
"Come on, you know you have more leverage with me. Take me where ever, do whatever but these kids are going to leave. That's the deal on the table Darby and it's the only deal I am going to offer you. Take it or leave it"
She could see the want in his eyes, Stella had always known he had wanted her and the last time they had seen each other and he had her pinned against the trunk, had only cemented that fact in her memory. Stella just hoped she could use it to her advantage.
"Do whatever I want?"
"I'll going along with whatever you want me too" she told him taking a deep breath
"Deal"
Stella looked down at the kids before getting down on the ground and plastering a smile on her face.
"Okay guys where Abel is?"
"In the bedroom" Ellie told her. Stella took both of their hands and led them through the house and away from Darby. Stella walked into Kenny's bedroom and picked Abel up out of the bed, before gently handing him to Ellie.
"Honey, I need you to take the boys and get out of here as fast as you can, you understand me?"
"I am not leaving you! You need me" Ellie told her with all certainly. Stella realized that Ellie was getting to that age when she knew what was actually going on. You couldn't hide club business or situations like this from her anymore, she was too smart for it, now.
"Sweetie, I need you to take the boys and go find someone as fast as you can. I will handle this but I need to know you guys are away from here before I do, understand?"
Ellie reluctantly nodded her head before holding Abel tighter. Stella walking them into the living room and to the front door, shielding Darby for them at all times. Stella waited until she they were out of sight. She felt Darby walk up behind her; she spun around and with all of her might slapped Darby. He didn't say or do anything for a while, just played with his chin before saying
"Okay, I deserve that. You should have seen how torn up he was about betraying you. He was terrified that you were going to find out, he knew it was his last chance with you and wasn't he right?"
"If I did that to him, what do you think I am doing to do to you?"
Darby grabbed a handful of her hair and threw her down on the ground and threw in the boot into her twice. Cleary their time together wasn't going to be caring or sharing.
"You already did something to me, darlin' '" he said kicking her once more "Did you forget about that bartender you charmed into telling you about my lab"
"Oh,yeah" she said with a chuckle "He was a good rattle"
Darby picked her up by her hair again and slammed her up against the wall and pinning her against it. Making a picture frame fall off the wall.
"Of course your boys put an end to that business vantage" he said slamming into the wall again, this time she hit her head and groaned
"I wouldn't expect anything less. They're not fans of trade, Ernie. Especially so close to Charming" He slammed harder before she chuckled " Is this your tender side?"
"Learnt a lot from your scarecrow, haven't you?"
Stella laughed out loud, knowing her smart alec ways from her scarecrow, everyone knew that. So much could be said for learnt behavior "Oh Darby you have no idea"
"No, but i'm about to find out"
He slammed her one last time, her head cracked against the wall and she slumped down in his arms, out cold.
When Gemma saw the kids walking down the road, she thought she was seeing things. It couldn't possibly be them, not alone. She pulled over and jumped out of the car. She quickly took her grandson out of Ellie's arms. The little girl thought her arms were about to fall off, for a little kid he was heavy.
"What's wrong?"
"It's Stella, she back at the house with that guy! We have to go get her!" Ellie told her
"Which guy, Baby?"
"The bald guy with the cross tattoo"
Gemma closed her eyes and felt like she was going to faint but there was no time for that so she buddle the kids up in the car and drove straight to the clubhouse
Jax paced up and down the clubhouse. He couldn't stand the thought of the thing a guy like Darby could be doing to her at that moment and what was he, helpless, that's what. Tig was not much different expect for the fact that he wasn't pacing.
"Darby has always had a thing for her, man" Tig told them "He had a thing for Savannah too. When I get my hand on him I swear to god"
"Darby won't be able to help himself" Clay told them "He is going to have to gloat some how and when he does, we'll get him"
"Until then?" Tig asked
"Nothing. Juice and the prospect are out checking every place Darby could be. As much as we all hate it, there is nothing he can do yet. Stella is a fighter, we all know. She'll be giving him hell right now"
"I can't just sit here" Jax said walking towards the door. Before Tig phone rang. They all froze before Tig picked the call up and pushed speaker
"Hi" she said. Her voiced was strained Tig could almost the pain in her voice.
"Princess" Clay piped up " How are you going?"
"Sittin' here resting my bones. It's been a great day so far"
"Are you okay?"
"Been better but I'm breathing so I'm okay. You know ever since I left my home in Georgia, things just haven't been so great"
Tig frowned, Stella hated Georgia, it reminded her too much of her mother since Savannah was actually from Georgia. Stella only ever passed through on her way to somewhere else. She was trying to tell him something, in her own way.
"Babe?" Jax asked her "Is Darby with you right now?"
"Of course"
Tig racked his brain trying to figure out what she was saying. He thought through everything they had ever been through. She was giving him a clue and he just couldn't grab it, he couldn't understand what she was saying. He knew if her mother was there at that moment, she knew. He thought of Savannah, how beautiful she was, how she had a voice of an angel. She always sang her favourite song around the place. Suddenly the penny dropped, he knew where she was, at least he thought he did.
"Sweetheart. Are you headed for the 'Frisco bay?"
"Definitely"
"Are you there or are you close to there?"
Clay and Jax looked at Tig confused wondering what he was talking about.
"Kinda" she said softly
"I'm leaving now. Hold on Baby"
"Okay. Ummm Alex, just in case..."
"I know, I love you too. I'll be there soon. I promise"
Suddenly the line went dead. Clay and Jax looked at him for answers. Tig walked towards the door and told him
"I know where she is"
They quickly followed him over to the auto shop and watched him grab Gemma's keys.
"How could you know that?' Jax asked heatedly " We don't have time to mess around if you're wrong"
"Jackson I know my girl and I knew her mother" Tig turned to Clay " What were the two songs that Savannah use to sing, constantly. It's Otis Redding, Man"
Clay thought back to the things that she had said that had made no sense to him at all and it made all the sense in the world.
"She's at the docks" Clay said breathing a sigh of relief
"Yeah"
"You go, I'll follow on the bike. Meet you there. Go easy" Clay turned to Jax. " Call your mother, tell her what's going on. Stay here just in case Stella calls again"
"What! NO! I'm going with you, Clay" Clay exhaled loud ly knowing he didn't have the time to argue with his son but also knowing Jax was going to put up a fight " I'm not staying here, when she needs me out there"
"Do you have any idea what state she is going to be in when we find her? We know what Darby is like and we know how proud Stel can be. Do you think she is going to want you or any of us to see her like that. Son, I am not trying to side line you. I'm trying to respect her. So do me this one favour"
Jax could see where he was coming from. Stella didn't even like them to see her cry. As much as he hated it jax knew Clay are right and he stayed behind.
As soon as Stella hung up Darby snatched the phone out of her hand. She was trapped in a crap worn out shed that smelt like fuel, dirty water and crap. Her sides were aching and the blood was rushing to her face.
"Very clever. You two really do have your own language don't you?"
"What do you think?"
He stuck so fast that she didn't even see it coming and so hard that it knocked her out of her seat and on to the floor. He picked her up and threw her into the work bench, knocking her handbag on to the ground. Her waist hit the edge before she stopped herself with her hands and stared up at him.
"You slap like a bitch"
He reached his arm back to slap her again but she moved at the right moment and hit the floor and reached into her bag. Something was missing, her gun was missing.
"Looking for this?" he said waving the gun playfully in his hand. Stella kept her back to him, she slumped her shoulders, defeated. Stella wasn't an idiot she knew Darby took her gun out of her bag. Everyone knew that the SAMCRO woman always carried. Of course he had taken it out, he wasn't a complete idiot, and she gave him some credit. Darby walked up behind her confidently, she waited for a second or two, until he was close enough, before she reached into her jacket slowly and took the knife that Alex had brought her three years ago, out of its brown and turquoise leather case. She jammed it into Darby's thigh until she hit something solid with the tip of the blade. Darby screamed out in pain and toppled over but not before giving her one more hit and it was a good one. They stared each other down for a second, trying to read what the other was going to do. Darby saw the look in her eyes, the fighter within had came out and Darby was in too much pain.
"We're not done" he said before making his exit. The knowledge that Tig was on his way really help with that decision. Stella breathed a sigh of relief once he was gone.
Clay and Tig marched done the dock looking for any sign of her but there was nothing unusual. They reached a crossroad of the dock and Tig didn't know which way to go. Should he feel it? Should it be natural for him to know where she was? He always knew when she walked into a room. Why was this different
"Which way?" Clay asked
"I have no idea, man"
They both looked around, it wasn't like they were hoping for a neon arrow that pointed them in the right direction but a sign might have been nice right now. Suddenly Clay saw a glint of something, a shimmer. The sun had just hit it right. He walked down the dock a little and picked up a ring.
"Stella?"
Tig took the ring from Clay's finger tips and closed his eye and took a deep breath
"Her engagement ring"
She was showing them the way; they took off in right direction looking for anything else she might have left them. In what seemed like an lifetime Tig saw a piece a thin black leather, when he picked it he saw it was Kozik wedding ring. There was no way that Stella would have let these things go if she was terrified that no one would find her.
"She's close" he said " What's close by?"
They both looked around and only saw a lone, washed out and beaten up boat shed. They both ran as fast as they could and ripped open the doors. Stella was sitting on top of the work bench waiting for them.
"Oh, my heroes" she said with a chuckle "Always wanted to say that"
"Where is he?" Clay asked her as Tig checked the damage on her face. She was pretty battered with a giant egg on her cheek.
"Scampered away. You guys are going to have to buy me a new knife, mine is handle deep in his thigh"
Both the guys chuckled and helped her off the bench and she whimpered when they wrapped their arms around her waist.
"Let get you to the hospital" Tig told her. She opened her mouth to protest but he got in first "If you don't go I'm tossing your new car into a compactor and selling it for scrap"
She smiled because she was throwing Stella own words back at her " Go ahead, I haven't had time to bound with her yet"
"Princess, you could have internal bleeding, cracked ribs or a number of other things. Plus if I don't take you, Gemma will have my balls"
Stella laughed but stopped quickly because of the pain that ripped through her body. Clay quickly picked her up off the ground before they walked to the car. She rested her head of his shoulder and never let go of Tig's hand.
