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"Don't be a pussy. Scrub that shit. I want to see my beautiful face every time I look down."
Juice stood up and away from the exposed car engine and looked behind him to see Tig taunting Dan. For obvious reasons, the entire club was rather peeved at Dan, particularly Tig. Tig was making him clean the garage floor with a dish sponge and counteracting the process by throwing food, grease and beer on the ground every time Dan got it somewhat clean.
He rubbed his tired eyes. If he wasn't working, he was trying to dig up the rapist. If he wasn't doing that, he was doing club business. If he wasn't doing club business, he was trying to steal a few moments alone with Ally. He tried to make a point to see her every night. Him being there seemed to be the only thing making her relaxed enough to sleep.
She looked terrible. It had only been a few days, but her cheeks seemed sunken in and the bags around her eyes made her injuries look even worse on her pale, papery skin. She was scared to sleep. Even with sleeping pills, she woke up screaming during the night. It killed him to see her like that.
The previous night Ally had told him the only time she slept somewhat well was when he was with her. With Clay needing Juice to find intel on top of the garage and club responsibilities, it left only the tiniest of windows to be with her and help her sleep.
The sound of a car pulling it caught Juice's attention as a white Camry parked in front of the bay. Cho stepped out and headed to the office. Tig hopped off the tool chest he was perched on and followed her.
"Hi Mrs. Morrow," Cho greeted Gemma tentatively. "Is Ally here?"
Gemma flicked her two toned hair out of her face. "Uh, no. She's not. She's sick."
"Oh," Cho's eyes flickered nervously to the photos of scantily clad women crudely taped to the walls. "Well, I've called and gone by her house and nobody was ever there."
"She's not there," Tig answered smoothly from behind Cho. She jumped and looked around her shoulder, eyes wide.
"Um, sorry Mr. Trager. I didn't see you there. What's wrong with her?"
"Mono. She'll be out for at least two weeks," he lied easily. "Can't talk. Contagious. I took her to my mom's so someone would be with her during the day. I'll tell her you're asking about her, though."
Cho nodded, a weak smile on her face. "Okay. Thanks. It's just, like, we haven't talked since Saturday and we usually talk everyday so, you know, I was worried. She is okay, isn't she?"
Tig cocked his head to the side while Gemma raised an eyebrow. "She's fine," Gemma answered. "Once she gets her voice back, she'll call you. Okay?"
Cho nodded, a sad look on her face. "Okay. Um, just tell her I came by and I hope she feels better and I miss her." She looked at Tig as she spoke and he shook his head in understanding. "Thanks."
"Sure," Tig replied. "Hey Cho," he called after her when she got a few steps towards her car. She turned with a questioning look on her face. "How's your back?"
Something uncomfortable flashed over Cho's face. "Okay. It's not going to scar except for one spot on my shoulder blade. That's good." Tig nodded and Cho hurried to her car.
"Think that little eggroll's going to ask too many questions to the wrong people?"
Tig eyed Gemma, who moved to stand next to him as they watched Cho drive away. He shook his head. "No. I think she's genuinely concerned about Al. She knows Ally's a little different from her. When Ally can talk she can call her. Think she misses her anyway."
"How's her throat?"
Tig shrugged. "Okay. She's starting to talk a little bit, not much. It's only been a week. A week," he repeated darkly. The club was no closer to finding the guy now than they were a week ago. Every lead they thought they had had had been a bust. Nobody knew or was talking. The car tag was a fake. Ally couldn't figure out where she had heard that voice, but had confided in Juice and Tig that it was haunting her in her dreams.
He pushed off the wall he was leaning against as the office door opened and a delivery man came in with a bouquet of daisies. "I have a delivery for a Miss Trager," he announced, setting the vase on the desk.
Gemma and Tig eyed the arrangement. "I'm her father," Tig muttered, signing the man's form while Gemma quickly dug for the card.
"Shit," she murmured, handing the card to him. "That Patrick prick. Second arrangement he's sent this week. Can't take a hint, can he?"
Tig ground his teeth. "No, he can't. He goes to Berkley, right?"
"I think so."
Tig's eyes wandered over to Juice through the window as he worked on a car engine. Gemma followed his gaze.
"Thinkin' he needs a message?"
Tig cut hit eyes to her. "What do you know?"
Gemma matched his looked, closing the blinds. "Probably the same you do. They're keeping quiet about it."
"Too quiet," Tig murmured. "They're hiding. Ally doesn't hide from me. Never has. If it's bullshit fucking, whatever. It needs to end and he needs to be a brother. If it's not," Tig shook his head as Clay came in.
"Who died?" Clay nodded to the flowers.
"That rich shit sent them for Ally," Gemma answered. "He's not big on taking a hint."
Clay looked to Tig. "Well, SA, what do you think of this?"
"I think it's bullshit," Tig spat. "He needs to get the message. It ain't gonna happen."
Clay nodded. "I'll take care of that. Get out of here and go see Ally. Piney called earlier. Apparently she's not very happy today."
"Oh, yay," Tig replied dryly with a roll of his eyes. "She's probably on her period. Oh, shit, Gem, what if she's on her period?"
"I stocked the bathroom, she's fine," Gemma pacified. "I'll come bring her some more soup later. Go."
Clay went into the garage as Tig headed towards his bike. "Juice, Jax, Op. Get over here." He waited until the three young men were in front of him. "Patrick sent Ally flowers again. I'm tired of my garage looking like a funeral home. Let him know I don't want to see another pussy flower from him to her again." He eyed Juice. "Bug him. I want to know if he's the one who we're looking for. Got me?"
The trio nodded.
"Get out of here. Let me know when it's done." He looked out past the bay to see Tig with a younger man. Tig had his hands on his hips with his feet planted in an aggressive stance. "Shit. What's the problem?"
The ginger haired man sighed roughly. "I'm Brad Martin, Allison's teacher. I was discussing with Mr. Trager Allison's absence this week."
"She's sick," Clay snapped. "And I'm getting tired of you coming to my garage grinding your academic ax. His kid's got mono and got a doctor's excuse. There's nothing you can do about it." Clay stepped forward. "Have a nice day. Get the hell out of my garage."
They both glared at his retreating back as Juice, Jax and Opie rolled out. "I'm gonna kill him he keeps on," Tig muttered lowly so only Clay could hear. Clay simply nodded and clapped Tig on the shoulder.
"Get out of here. Check on your girl."
With a curt nod, Tig got on his bike and drove away. Once he got to the cabin, he sent a haggard Piney on his way. This was the first time he and Ally had been alone together since it happened. "How're you feeling?"
Ally shrugged. "Fine," she whispered. That was the loudest her voice had been all week. Doctor White wasn't too concerned and assured them it would come back soon and not to rush it. She looked terrible. Her skin had taken on an ashy pallor and the bags under her eyes were nearly as dark as her yellowing face bruises from lack of sleep. The upside was that the swelling had gone down enough that she could see properly out of both eyes now.
Tig narrowed his eyes at her. "No talking." He started to hand her the notebook she had been using to write her words down and noticed it was covered in pencil drawings. He tapped a particular piece. "This is good, baby. Really good. This what you're thinking for you first tattoo?"
Ally shrugged again, a shy smile on her face. In truth, the soaring phoenix design was what she had in mind for her first tattoo. It felt right.
"Where?"
Ally couldn't help but grin wider as she slid her finger around the curve of her side and up her back. She lifted her eyebrows in a silent request for approval.
"Kind of big for your first, isn't it?" Tig smirked as Ally continued to hold her facial position. "I like it. Think it's perfect for you. Want Hap to do it or,"
He didn't finish as Ally nodded in agreement. She had never even considered someone else giving her her first tattoo other than Happy. "I'll talk to him about it," he muttered as Ally laid down, her head in his lap. His hand instinctively began stroking her hair like he did when she was little.
"I need to talk to you about something," Tig started, knowing it was now or never. "You know I love you and I love the club, right?" He waited until she nodded her head. "I'm pretty set in my ways and this life is what I live and die for. But, when it comes to you, Ally, I don't . . . I don't want this life for you."
Ally lifted up with a confused expression on her face. "What?"
Tig leaned on his knees and shook his head. "I don't want you in this life. It's gonna get you killed, baby. I can't handle that. You sticking around Charming and staying around the club and becoming an Old Lady is probably my worst nightmare."
"But, but," Ally sputtered. "That's my choice, Dad," she squeaked.
Tig shook his head. "No. No, it's not. Look at what's all ready happened to you. And that's just from being my kid. After you graduate, pick somewhere to go. Anywhere. I don't care where as long as it's outside of Charming. Pack your shit and go. I'll send you as much money as you need until you get settled, get a job, move on from this. Find a half ass decent guy. One that won't spend half his time in jail and will take care of you."
Ally's fists balled up at her sides during his spill and she began vibrating with anger. She knew he knew about her and Juice. He had always kept her close so this curveball was an indication of something more. She shook her head. "No! Fuck, no Dad. You can't do this. Just say it. I know you know."
With an eerie calm Tig pulled out Juice's necklace and set it on the coffee table in front of them. "This. Ends. Now." His pointer finger hit the table with every word.
Ally stood up, her body visibly trembling with anger. "You can't tell me who I can or can't be with." She was struggling to keep her voice somewhat calm.
"Yes, I can," Tig snapped, standing up as well, his angry eyes locking with her equally angry eyes. "Either you end this, little girl, or I will."
"No," Ally shouted the best she could, her voice cracking. "I won't and neither will you! Why is it such a big fucking deal?"
"Because you deserve fucking better," Tig yelled back.
Angry tears of frustration filled Ally's eyes, but she refused to cry in front of Tig over this. "I'm not."
"You are."
Ally grabbed the ends of her hair that had cascaded over her shoulders and pulled in aggravation while she attempted to gather her thoughts.
"Juice is your brother, right."
"Yeah."
"You'd take a bullet for him, right?"
"Right."
"He'd take one for you, right?"
"And?"
Ally sniffed, her voice raspy and weak. "Why can't I have that? Shouldn't you want me to be with somebody who would kill for for me? Die for me? You think an outsider in, like, fucking Kentucky will do that better than a Son? Better than your brother? Tried that last week. Didn't work out so hot!"
Her logic was sound and Tig knew that. Didn't mean he had to listen to it. "The goddamn answer is no! You're fucking jailbait to him. It's a game. Every guy wants to fuck the little minor girl."
After a moment of stiff silence, Ally let out the loudest and most bloodcurdling scream she could muster and stomped towards her room.
"Go," Tig yelled after her. "And start picking a new fucking home!"
A slammed door was his response. He kicked the coffee table, causing it to tumble over and stomped outside, slamming the door behind him. He and Ally didn't fight often, but when they did, it got loud and they could hold a grudge against the other for days.
He sat down heavily on one of the porch chairs and lit a cigarette. He had just flicked the finished butt over the rail when Clay rode up, Gemma following in her Cadillac. "You don't want to go in there," he warned, lighting another cigarette.
"What happened?"
Tig looked up at Gemma's question. "We got into it," he replied simply without elaborating.
"Shit," Gemma muttered. Ally didn't need to get worked up in her state. "I'm gonna check on her." She walked past the men and into the house. There had obviously been a classic Trager argument by evidence of the overturned coffee table. "Ally." She knocked on the door before opening it.
Ally wasn't sitting on the bed like she had expected, but knew where to find her. She opened the door to the small closet to find Ally curled up on the floor, her head on her knees, dry sobs shaking her shoulders.
"Oh, baby. What happened?" Gemma knelt down and put an arm around the girl's shaking shoulders.
"He . . . he knows about Juice," Ally gasped, a hiccup accenting her distress. "Wants me to leave. I don't want to leave, Gemma. This is my home. Don't let him make me leave." She looked up at Gemma with her puffy eyes and red nose.
Gemma was at a loss for words. Apparently some shit had gone down between Tig and Ally that was bigger than her fling with Juice. "Come here, Ally." She pulled Ally into an embrace. "Calm down. You don't need to get so worked up." She rubbed circles on her back and Gemma could feel the bumps of Ally's spine under her palm. "Let's get some food in you, baby."
"I'm not hungry," Ally argued, shaking her head.
"I don't care," Gemma replied, standing and pulling Ally with her. "You need to eat. Come on." She physically steered her to the kitchen and made her take a seat. As she warmed up some more soup for Ally, Ally glared out the window where she could see the back of Tig's head.
"Stop," Gemma warned, placing a steaming bowl of tomato soup in front of her. "You're gonna eat all of this. Got me?"
At Ally's sullen nod, Gemma stepped outside. Ally glared at the soup and pushed it away. She was so sick of soup and pudding and ice cream and everything soft and stupid. She looked around the room and saw the table was still overturned. Rolling her eyes at her dad's handy work, she went to fix it. As she picked up the paper and empty glasses to put back on the table, she spied Juice's necklace in the rubble.
She slipped it on and tucked it under her shirt. She knew she was more than jailbait or a game to Juice. The way he looked at her told her that. The way he has taken care of her told her that.
Someone came in through the door and Ally quickly stood up from her crouch. Tig was standing in front of the door. "We gotta ride. Gemma's staying with you for a bit."
Ally nodded and crossed her arms over herself.
"Not talking to me?"
Her responding glare gave him his answer. His jaw ticked and turned on his heel to leave. "I'll be back," he called over his shoulder. Gemma slipped in before he closed the door and crossed her arms when she saw Ally not eating.
"Do I have to force feed you?"
Ally ground her teeth and managed to eat the majority of the soup before her stomach started to churn. She managed to beg off the rest and went back into her room to lay down. She wrapped Juice's jacket around herself and curled around Henry.
She was sick and tired of being in this cabin and being treated like a fragile little girl. In just two short weeks, she was going to be 18. A legal adult. In just a few months, she wasn't going to be a high school student anymore. She was going to start learning and apprenticing for her career after graduation. She was going to be open with her relationship with Juice.
Nothing about her future was complete without Juice. She wasn't going to leave Charming. She was going to become a townie with her biker boyfriend and be able to see her dad whenever she wanted, whenever her kids wanted.
That's what she wanted.
Tig was not going to push her out. Not when her life was so crystal clear before her. She heard motorcycles pulling up outside and groaned inwardly. She had hoped Tig would be gone for at least a few hours so they could both cool down from their spat.
She wiped her face and got up. She was going to be the bigger person. She wasn't going to hide like a child. When she got into the living room, however, it was not Tig like she had expected. It was Opie, Jax and Juice.
Juice was a sight for sore eyes. His lip was split and there was a starting bruise on his jaw, but he looked so welcome and so perfect to her. She looked around and saw Jax and Opie were sporting similar scrapes. "What happened?"
Opie shrugged and took a drink of his beer. "Nothing really. Just had a little chat with little Patrick and some of his fratty patty bros were there too."
"Why with Patrick?"
"Keeps sending you flowers and calling," Juice answered, his grip hard on the counter. "Needed to let him know he couldn't do that anymore." He felt his pride swell at the sweetest expression of awe passed over Ally's face.
"Thanks." She kept her eyes on Juice, even though her gratitude went to all three of them. "It was a bad idea with him. From top to bottom. Bad, bad, bad." Jax handed her a beer and they got comfortable in the living room after Gemma bowed out for the night.
"Where'd my dad go?"
The three Sons exchanged a look with one another.
"Probably best if he told you when we gets back," Jax answered cryptically, picking up the phoenix design. "Is this it? This is gonna be your first ink?"
Ally nodded, a little proud of the admiration of her work. "Thought it was appropriate." They talked for a bit until Jax got a call from Chibs and had to leave.
"I'm gonna crash," Ally told Opie and Juice, letting her eyes flit to Juice's for a fraction of a moment. "Good night."
"Night," Opie drawled as she headed down the hall. He looked to Juice, who was unabashedly watching someone he considered his younger sister walk away. When the hell did Ally get hips and that ass, anyway? "Hey." He shoved Juice's shoulder. "Go deal with her. I'll keep a lookout for you."
"Wait, what?"
"You heard me," Opie replied. "Al told me. She could do better, but she could do worse. She has done worse. Go. I got your back, brother."
"Thanks Ope." Juice dashed down the hall and let himself into Ally's pseudo bedroom. "Babe?"
Ally was sitting on the bed, her octopus in her lap, fingers absentmindedly playing with its tentacles. "What are you doing in here?"
"Came to see you. Thought we could have a little time together." He sat on the bed and positioned himself behind her. Ally leaned into him and reveled in the smell of leather, smoke and something that was distinctively Juice.
"Got into it with my dad today," she confessed lowly, her voice gravelly and raspy.
"About what?"
"You." She felt Juice tense behind her. "He knows Juice and he wants me to end it with you. Then he wants me to move far, far away after graduation and never come back."
"Wait, what? No. No, you're not going anywhere. I'm not going to fucking allow that shit." Juice held her tighter and her arms clasped on top of his.
"I honestly don't think he could ever send me away, but he made it clear that he doesn't want me being a SAMCRO Old Lady."
"Why?"
Ally shrugged. "Probably because of the way his generation of the club is. That old mentality that women are there for cooking, cleaning and fucking. I don't think you or Ope or Jax feel that way. Maybe a little, since it was drilled into those two, but overall I think you see me as more than a sexy maid doll. Like, look at Opie and Donna. He sees her as more than just a play thing. They're partners. He sees her as an equal and treats her like such. I don't think my dad wants that old way for me."
"I want to take care of you," Juice whispered, kissing her neck. "And I want you to take care of me."
Ally nodded in agreement. "He'll come around. Right?"
Juice didn't respond. He didn't know how to. He kissed the side of her head and buried his nose in her hair. It smelled like apples. "Ally?"
"Yeah?"
Juice paused and his arms tightened around her waist. "I love you."
He noticed Ally didn't respond right away and the air seemed to catch in her throat. "You don't have to say it back. I know it's fast. It's . . . it's just how I feel and I need you to know it."
Ally turned so she could look into his eyes. Blue to brown. "I love you too Juan Carlos."
Juice's grin could have lit up the entire cabin. His finger hooked under her chin as their mouths descended for a kiss. Ally tilted her head to deepen it and her hands went under his shirt.
Juice broke the kiss and pulled her hands out from his shirt. "Easy tiger. You're still hurt." He swiftly kissed her pouting lips. "And, I want to make sure you are completely ready to do that. And the first thing you need to do is sleep, baby."
"Stay with me?"
"Always baby."
Ally settled into him as his fingers traced up and down her spine. It wasn't long before she was completely asleep. Shortly afterward Juice was asleep himself, trying to exhume some of the exhaustion from his own body. He was awaken roughly when Opie was shaking his shoulder.
"Get up. Tig's on his way."
Juice rubbed his eyes and detangled himself from Ally's relatively strong grip. He made it to the living room and sat on the couch moments before the door opened and Tig strode through. His eyes settled on Opie and Juice. "Get out. I'll take it from here."
Opie's eyes connected with Juice's and subtly moved his head towards the door. No need to fester what was all ready inflamed. They both nodded and stood to leave, but screechy screams came from down the hall. Ally was dreaming again.
"Shit." At Tig's curse all three of them barreled down the hall. Tig got to her first and grabbed her flaying limbs. "Ally? Ally! Wake up. Allison!" He shook her, which caused her to awaken and looked around the room in a panic. When her sights landed on Juice, who was standing on the other side of the bed, she launched away from Tig and wrapped her arms around Juice's shoulders while she sobbed.
Juice could feel the flaming glare coming from Tig from the fact his daughter was finding comfort in someone else's arms. Juice didn't acknowledge it, instead he turned so he was whispering soothing things into her ear.
Opie pulled on Tig's arm, jerking his head towards the door to give them some privacy. If looks could kill, the one Tig sent Opie would make him a very dead man. With a final glare at the couple, Tig followed Opie out.
"You knew," he sneered.
Opie nodded and looked back at him. "Yeah. She told me."
"Why was she lying to me?"
"Because you'd act like that," Opie snapped back. "Don't push her. He may be an idiot, but she's not." With that, Opie left. He hadn't liked leaving Donna at home alone at night lately. Tig threw a partially drunk beer bottle at the wall and let it shatter. He was supposed to be the center of her world. Not Juice.
He sat heavily on the couch and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The sun was starting to rise and Juice had yet to come out of Ally's room. Tig was dozing off, but did register that Ally hadn't screamed or fallen out of the bed once since he was back there.
Ally awoke before Juice and laid there watching him for a few minutes. His lips were parted slightly and his soft snores made her smile. This was the first time they had actually slept in the same bed all night. Then Ally realized the potential cost of this sleepover and the smile that was on her face waned.
Quietly, Ally got out of bed and padded down the hall, unsure if Tig had stayed or not. He had and was asleep on the couch, his head resting on the back, which Ally knew was going to make him stiff and cranky when he woke up.
She put her hand on his shoulder and shook. "Dad. Wake up."
Tig awoke with a half snore, grunt. He blinked and his vision landed on Ally. She smiled softly at him.
"Go lay down in the other room. It's early."
Tig shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "We need to talk."
Ally nodded and went into the kitchen. "Coffee first. Then we can talk." The fact that they were speaking calmly to one another less than a full day since an explosion was something unexpected. They were both silent as the coffee brewed and when it was finished Ally fixed them both a cup and brought them back to the couch where Tig was still sitting.
"I'm sorry," Ally started quietly, looking at her milky brown coffee.
Tig shook his head. "No you're not. You shouldn't be. I hate that you lied to me and snuck around, but I guess I get it. I don't like this Ally, I'll be honest. I don't like it at all. But," he paused and put a hand on her knee so she would look at him, "I'm not going to stop you." Ally arched her eyebrow in response. "Seriously. I won't. I promise. You've always been a good girl, Ally. I trust your judgement, most of the time."
Ally's jaw dropped at the insinuation of poor judgement.
"Preston, baby. That's all I'm going to say on that one."
Ally closed her mouth and shrugged.
"And," Tig continued carefully, "I need to come clean about something, baby. I pushed those skanks on him to drive you away from him. I never thought it would," he trailed off and rubbed his face with his hand.
Ally knew where he was going with this. She shook her head and rested her head on his shoulder. "None of us did, Dad. I'm not mad at you and this isn't your fault. Well, I am mad you pushed the skank sisters on him just to hurt me. That's kind of cold. But I did the rest. I basically invited Patrick between my legs and didn't know how to get out of the mess I made."
"We made," Tig corrected dryly. "Jesus," he sighed. "This is why I never needed a paternity test. You're like a clone of me. Grow out of that shit, Al. Please."
Ally smiled softly while Tig put a comforting arm around her shoulders.
"But, you're not moving out until your 20. End of story. No negotiations. Period. Now that that's out of the way, I need to tell you what went down last night." Tig set his cup on the table and shifted so he was looking directly at her. "Zac Wells got out Monday." He watched as Ally's face went blank.
"Stay with me baby," he murmured as he took her mug away from her and set it on the table before taking her hand in his. "He's not going to hurt anyone anymore."
"You killed him."
Tig nodded slowly at her statement. "I did. I didn't want to tell you before because I didn't want to upset you. Juice had tracked him down and we got him last night. He was in Oakland. I'm not gonna tell you all the details, but he died a very slow, painful death. And I made sure he knew who I was and why."
Ally pulled her knees up to her chest. "Wow. I didn't know he was getting out."
"Good behavior," Tig responded, carefully putting an arm around her. "He's gone, baby. He's gone."