Every morning that spring before work started, there was the daily briefing, then the safety meeting, and before the crew arrived at the work site, there was the equipment safety check. Two crew members checked the operation of each vehicle , including the chipper, making sure each functioned properly. Tommy suddenly remembered his older brother would make a point announcing "Safety meeting " to him whenever he wanted to go get a few hits off of his stash. At first, he was subtle, but the past six months there were safety meetings after work, in Abels' ugly Corolla, or after dinner, leaving Jax and Tara to look at each other bewildered. before meeting Their girlfriends at the Diner.

Skillet, however, began to see thru this, after Thomas "called " another meeting that night. Shaking her head, she leaned down and whispered " You be careful those deputies out there cross the street don't smell your meetings, or your Daddy is liable t have his own with both you idiots !

At the diner tonight his phone pinged, and there was his brothers unmistakably nude rear end.

"That's gross, I don't want to look an my brother's naked ass!"

"Come on, Tommy, look, I think its ...well, kinda hot ..."

"Get it outta my face "

Thomas elbowed the phone away from his eyes, and Zenith, tho disappointed, scrolled through them again. Feeling safe in the diner booth, she enlarged a couple. She had heard of threesomes , but closer looks informed her this was what an orgy looked like. Feeling a little flushed, her hand went to his inner thigh and squeezed. Knowing they were both out of view, Tommy returned the move, remembering his dad's suggestion to let her be in control, and happily he thought " Mom and dad were right !"

But he was adamant about even glancing at the pics...

"What on EARTH are you two doing ? What kinda trashy things is that on your phone ? Is this what I'm supposed to tell your moms ? " Skillet threw a red basket of fries onto the table .

Abel felt the hair on his neck go cold. Why was this place familiar? They past a huge development called Charming Heights, a few shopping centers, and now, Historical Charming main street. At least that's what he thought it read. Sitting at the light, he saw a barber shop, a candy store, a book store...

"Hey , are you ok ?" Lauren knew something was off.

"I used to have dreams of this ...just like a video clip, here an there ,when I was younger...and now it's right in front of me...like I know I'm supposed to turn up there, and I don't know why"

She gently stroked his neck. "You're ok, baby. We all have dejavu moments.."

Spider shook his head. "No, not like this...and I was scared in this ...dream, or video...like I am now, and its kicking my ass !" Pedestrians had just about cleared the crosswalk, when he noticed a rather proud elegant woman walk in front of the car. She had large sunglasses, carried a few small gift bags, her huge purse, and a large package that had Almas' Toy Shop printed on it. Before he recognized the Star Wars logo, Lauren yelled out her window.

"Hey, Girrrl, look at the toy I brought back..!"

Venus turned to see Lauren, and wondered why she was a passenger. Then she looked at the driver, took off her glasses in disbelief, and stared . Her ...toy , was Abel Teller, and why the hell was he with THIS croweater? Venus stared , and walked slowly up on the curb, as the light turned green, the Chevy quickly leaving.

"See ya later! Woo hoo !" Lauren called. She was unaware of Spiders sudden discomfort, but wondered why he turned up the next street. " Hey, babe, it's two more blocks up. Turn left up here !"

Abel recognized another street, and turned automatically. Why he made the choice, he had no idea, but sensing something, a destination of sorts ahead waited for him. The residential portion gave way to some older warehouses, and industrialized places, which seemed to beckon . Searching for something unknown, he slowed down. Then he noticed Lauren staring at him.

"Are you going to the clubhouse ? I want to go by my place first, turn left !" She wanted to avoid Rat, who was expecting her return a day earlier. He'd been a total shit over the phone, and she hadn't answered his last dozen or so attempts to reach her.

Abel pulled up to an entrance, fenced off partially, with a small sign that instructed " Please do not block entrance! ", and pulling thru, remembering a tall older woman with very dark hair and leather ..."Grandma" a name lit up in his mind. "What the fuck ?" He mumbled, and the Chevy stopped in front of an office .

TELFORD AUTOMOTIVE

Please come in !

Rat watched as the Chevy rolled through the gate. Who the fuk is driving , he wondered. Lauren caught his angry glare.

"Shit ! " she muttered. He was expecting her return a day earlier, and was a bit more difficult to manage when he was in one of his moods.

Abel parked near the office entrance, and took in surroundings that seemed so familiar. Its like I just left here yesterday, he thought. Sounds of an impact wrench, a radio, and an motorcycle growling reminded him of his Dads garage, except this place was larger and busier. He counted four bays, and noticed a line of motorcycles off to the side, all Harley Davidson, each uniquely built. (Not overly dressed or chrome plated, he thought...nice bikes!)

Off towards what looked like a picnic table, and a boxing ring stood a group of guys, in something like his dad wore in that wasn't ready to admit it on a conscious level, but he actually missed having Abel around.

"What ...? " Abel shrugged. He kept looking around , dazed , wondering why this place was so familiar. He also thought about an older woman, dressed in tight clothes, and being picked up by her when he was Very young. Sometimes her eyes flashed anger, but mostly there was love and safety in her arms. But why was this place connected with the memory? And who is this dude he thought, as Rat caught his glance. Abel immediately tensed up, and without thinking, glared back at the asshole as he sauntered over to Lauren.

"Hey..." he spoke up, casually, leaning one hand on the door. "Who's this you're babysitting ?"

"Go into the office, and ask for Brooke...say Bobby sent you for the job that Dent left..." Lauren was ignoring Rat deliberately. " The rollback should be here soon, so you can wait...well, get goin! " she gave Abel a gentle shove.

Finally looking up at Rat, she felt irritated. "What ?"

"Been waiting for you, that's all. I have another delivery I wanted to get out yesterday. "

"Oh..." she had forgotten that, and quickly covered her tracks with "Mother Mucca wasn't feeling well...I was worried..."

That seems to smooth him out she grinned inwardly.

Rat accepted the excuse. "Meet me later, I got a few ideas t bounce off you." His eyes had that hungry pleading look, and she knew he was back where she wanted him. Even so, Brooke and the two kids presented challenges. She watched his eyes follow Spider, and recognized puzzlement.

"Where did he come from ? Why'd you bring him here?"

Abel walked quietly into the small office.

"Are you Brooke ?"

The petite woman turned to face a scruffy blonde man, probably in his twenties. She glanced down at her shirt.

"Ok, I got it " Abel grinned sheepishly.

"How can I help you ?" Her smile emerged softly.

She's pretty, he noted. "Uh...Bobby sent me about a job ? Something about a dent ?"

Brook laughed quietly. "No, you mean the job Dent left. You said Bobby referred you ? He's away right now...you want to leave your name ?"

She watched Abel as he took in his surroundings

"No, no, he's back, I came with him. That's my car on your rollback. " he pointed towards the window, as the rollback pulled around the corner, with only Bobby at the wheel, followed up by Booter on his bike . On the deck was an older car, well used, and painted randomly in flat red, black, and primer gray.

She was hoping to distract Rat, and got out the car to face him, up close...

"He's some stray that ran outta gas near the place. He did some quick work on the truck and Bobby thinks he might make a nice addition to the garage. Fishnuts stayed with Mother... he makes a good bitch ! "

Rat stared hard at Lauren. "That's all ?"

"Oh, he cleaned up the wall...patched it and painted it... tell the boys that last job made a mess. Mother Mucca actually wanted him to stay there..."she trailed off, remembering him in the shower.

He sensed there was more between her and the stray.

"Yea, why ?" She squared her shoulders. Thats when he grabbed her throat.

As Rat maintained his grip, Lauren struggled harder with little success, and began to wonder if he intended to seal the deal between the two vehicles. His free hand had popped the button on her jeans and began to force its way further when she saw Spider burst out of the office , coming towards them with a stoney expression. Brooke was trotting behind a few paces, imploring him not to get involved.

"Church, now...can you two go get a room?" Bobby hopped out of the cab.

Rat suddenly removed his hand, and stepped back. " I'm gonna be back later, so be ready...and find Heather, or Tina, I feel like a sandwich or two." He shoved her back against the car as she struggled to pull her jeans up. Over Rats shoulder, she saw Brooke pulling on Spiders arm, tugging him back towards the office. Catching his glance she nodded her head , and smiled slightly. Rat turned just in time and caught it, then looked towards the stray. Brooke had led him back to the door.

"Its ok, don't get involved..." Brooke managed to drag Abel back inside the office and push him down onto one of the waiting seats.

"Who the fuk is that ?" He stood back up , watching out the window. He sensed something between Lauren and himself, and instinctively felt territorial. Adrenaline was still flowing in his body, and Brooke managed to distract him once again.

"Sit the hell down and listen ! " she forced him back down. " I'm telling you don't get involved with that croweater, she's trying to fuk her way up the ranks! Now take these -look at ME !" She had a grip on his shoulders, "take these papers and answer the questions. Its a skills test we screen applicants with. When your finished, I'm gonna send you out to that guy ..." she pointed to a big dude out in one of the bay's. "That's Broan...he'll do a follow up"

Abel sank into his seat, with a sigh. This would take a while, with his limited ability to read, but if this was about anything mechanical, it would be interesting. His thoughts were interrupted with the sound of a car suddenly screeching, and managed to catch glimpse of the Chevy swerving out of the lot. The dude she called Rat stood watching it, and suddenly Abel realized the "vest " he wore was exactly what he saw in that pic. Who were the SONS OF ANARCHY?"Yo, Broan !" Nert shouted across the lot. " We still goin ?"

Rat watched the stray as Brooke pulled him inside."What's that about ?" asked

"I guess he knows how to treat a lady "

"Yea ? Well, we can teach the mutt how to treat Croweaters too...after a few beatdowns. Maybe you can watch, and I'll fuk you after !" His face contorted and she felt a bit scared when he got this way.

"Get to church, we can talk later..." she managed to respond coolly.

Broan sat across from Spider, the skills test finished.

"This isn't the first time I've read it through for someone , and I gotta say you know your shit" he grinned .

Abel breathed a sigh of relief. Most of the questions were pretty basic, but he excelled in diesel mechanics, and motorcycles. He hadn't much experience with some modern technologies on cars, but Broan reassured him that would come with time.

Brook appeared with some other forms and handing them to Spider, asked " So, are you good ?"

He glanced at the large biker across the table questioningly .

"Yea, lets get some uniforms for em. Where u staying ?"

Abel floundered for a few moments before answering .His ultimate destination was Meagan, but she was just outside of San Francisco, a place called Marin he remembered. But the plan was to stop at his ...well, he couldn't call her Mom, after not even knowing her for 15 years...at Wendy and Neros' ranch, in Gilroy. So, if he took the job here, where would he stay ?

"I could see if there's a room over the clubhouse " Broan watched as Abel emptied a five gallon can into the Corolla. "Dude, this is a sick whip, you do all this yourself ?"

"Pretty much...my dad has a good shop back home, so that helped."

Funny thing, this shit happening for me, n nobody on my back or over my shoulder..." he grinned to himself. He had also chosen to use his new name and faked the rest of the info on the application. This was gonna be a fresh start, with out anyone breathing down his neck, and he liked the exhilaration it gave him.

The disappointment came when he started his car, and loud clanking sounds came from under it, then silence.

" Looks like I'm here for awhile..." he sighed.

Broan tried not to laugh ..."Lets push it over there, and then work on finding someplace for you to crash..." and as they pushed it into a space, the blue Chevy reappeared.

"What the hell happened? " she called out.

Spider grinned and shrugged " Its kinda d.o.a. right now."

Hopping out of the car, he noticed she had changed into a very tight skirt, and small leather top. " Hey !" She greeted both , and gently touched his cheek. "Hi sweetie " she whispered.

"What's goin on ?" She asked