I decided I would go along with however Jax and Chibs wanted to handle the situation. Waiting for things to be set in motion was nerve racking. I had a knot in my stomach the size of a softball, and had to keep reminding myself not to pull my hair out. I headed for the club, eager for a drink to settle my nerves. After a few shots, I made my way back out to the garage. As I got close, I could see Jax talking to the members of the crew that were present. When I walked in, they all stopped and looked at me like I was crazy. Oh shit. Jax had set the wheels in motion. Suddenly, Piney, who was sitting a few feet away, got up and grunted something that sounded like 'it's about time'. He motioned at Jax and then me. "You two. Follow me."

I shared a confused look with Jax, but did as the old man said. I followed Piney as he made his way to his bike. He motioned us towards Jax's bike, prompting us to get on, then walked over to Chib's bike and pulled my helmet off one of the handlebars. I tried to read his face as he handed me the helmet. He looked like he was…smiling.

He got on his bike and cranked it up. "Follow me."

Jax swung his leg over his bike and waited for me to do the same. Piney's bike roared through the parking lot, and Jax followed. Before it was too late, I glanced back at the shop, searching for Chibs. Every eye met mine with a confused look. I found Chibs and shrugged my shoulders then blew him a quick kiss. We drove for a while without knowing where we were being led, but Jax and I came to the same realization at once. I could tell by the direction that we were going now that we were out of town. There was only one good reason to come this way. Jax's tense shoulders relaxed and I realized mine did the same. "Otto." We said simultaneously.

I gave Otto a warm hug. I felt considerably guilty, since this was the first time I had come to see him since I had been back. "I'm sorry I haven't been here before now. I'm not going to make any excuses, I should have been here."

"It's okay sweetheart, I understand. You're going through a lot right now." Otto smiled as he took his seat.

"Well, thank you. But that doesn't make me feel any less guilty. You're goin through shit too." For a second, I had forgotten about Piney.

That was until he spoke. "Otto, our girl here has something to say that you might want to hear." Piney looked at me and nodded while Otto waited expectantly.

"Umm." I hesitated and glanced at Jax. He just smiled and nodded as well. "Otto, I was thinking maybe, it wouldn't be such a bad idea if I was allowed to prospect for SAMCRO."

Otto grinned, then that grin turned into a full-blown smile, then a laugh. "Your dad knew this would happen one day."

In my head, my chin dropped to the floor, as did Jax's. At least, I think I didn't imagine it. It was weird, that twin thing, knowing what the other was thinking or feeling sometimes could become confusing. You didn't always know if you were really inside their head, or if you just knew them so well that you imagined that was what they were thinking.

"He did what?" I asked, drawing myself up closer to the table. Jax really did do the same this time.

Otto smiled and went into story telling mode. "You remember that time, the two of you were teenagers…and there was a guy that was messin with you, and he showed up at the garage one day while Jax and your dad were gone. You laid into him, and none of us knew why. And a few minutes after he ran out of there with his head tucked between his legs, Jax came barreling back into the parking lot, mad as hell, with your dad in tow, who had no idea what was going other than it must be something to do with you since Jax had just freaked out all of a sudden and took off like a bat outta hell. Anyway, Jax was ready to go find the guy and finish him off for, as we soon found out, trying to rape you. You and Jax were the only people who knew their heads from their asses at the time cause of that weird twin thing, so your dad got everybody to step back and let you talk to Jax and get him settled down like you were trying to do. Jax didn't want to listen, he wanted to go kill the guy right on main street if he had to. He was gonna go off, half cocked, without having a plan. And you told him no, he needed to think about what he was doing. You said that that guy was probably in the ER right then, and would be there for awhile. And that deputies would also be there since it was an obvious assault. If the guy told the cops about what happened, they would be headed over soon, and Jax needed to be there, instead of out assaulting someone that the cops would know he had a problem with."

Otto paused to take a breath. I had forgotten about the first guy that had tried to rape me. That made three times now. What was it about me? I had dated this guy Jason for a short time, and one night while we were out, things went a little farther than I was comfortable with. I told him to quit, but he started saying things like if I loved him I would let him, and that I had started it, now I had to finish it. I never felt worried with the guy, I knew I could take him, so I didn't send up any red flags. He kept on though, and eventually got forceful with me. Next thing I know, Opie's pulling me out of the back of the guys truck, and threatening him within an inch of his life. Jax had been nowhere in sight, so he didn't know anything about it until a few days later, when Jason came to the shop, smarting off about how I couldn't fight my own battles, and one day he'd see me without the boys around. Why his dumbass came to the clubhouse to say all that was beyond me. But I, never one to let someone tell me I can't handle myself…well, in short, I beat the hell out of him. The emotion and adrenaline rush I felt while kicking his ass had been absent the night he tried to get in my pants. Jax and I get in each other's heads easily when one of us is really emotional. He saw enough to know why I was pounding on the guy, and my anger had only made his that much stronger.

I felt Jax tensing up beside me, not only because of the memory of another guy who had tried to hurt me, but also because of the way he had acted that day. He had been foolish and reckless, blinded by rage. If I had let him leave, he would still be in prison. I knew that thought seriously affected him. He reached under the table and squeezed my hand in a gesture of appreciation, but didn't let go.

"That way,' Otto continued, 'everyone would have been accounted for when the cops showed up, and you didn't really want Jax going after him anyway. You figured you'd done enough damage to his head as it was. If something else needed to be done, then it needed to be talked through, with the whole club, since he wasn't the only one that wore that patch, and he represented everyone in the club, not just himself. He could have done a lot of damage to the club that day if he had done it his way. Your dad just stood back with me, Piney, Clay and your mom and calmly said, "That's gonna be the first female member of the club, right there." And he nodded at you. Clay didn't take it too seriously, and I don't know how Piney took it at the time, but I knew. I saw the same thing in you as your dad did. A strong heart, a brilliant mind, and a perfect addition to the club. The way you protected the club, putting it before your own vendetta, is something you don't see often. You proved yourself that day. He knew then, by the way you talked about the club like it was your own flesh and blood, like your own child, that you deserved a spot, just as much, or more, than any man. And that one day, you would be exactly what this club needed. Your dad saw the direction the club was heading, and he knew that one day, you would be able to help set it right. Both of you." Otto said as he nodded at Jax and I.

Otto picked back up again. "And it's fitting, that you're going after this now, when the club is being torn apart from the inside out. It seems like bad timing, but really, it's perfect timing. I wondered when you'd buck up and push for this."

I looked at Jax. "Did you know about this?" I knew the answer but I had to ask anyway.

"No. I had no idea. But dad was right. You do deserve this, and if the rest of the guys, or Clay can't see that, then they don't deserve their spot in the club." Jax's expression was growing evermore determined.

Piney stood up. "Alright Otto. I'll see you soon. Come on boy." He nodded for Jax to follow him out.

"Thank you, Piney." Otto said as they walked away.

Otto reached across the table for my hands. "Kid. I know you can do this. If anybody can, you can. I'm proud of you, and know that your dad would be so proud of you right now. He wanted this for you, and Clay knows that. He may not want to admit it, but he's known all along."

I felt tears well up in my eyes and I squeezed Otto's hands in reaction to the emotion. I had had no idea that my dad would actually allow me to be a part of the club. He had always encouraged me to be as involved in the club as I thought I could be. He loved the club, and wanted me to marry into it if that's what I wanted, and have kids that would join the club and leave a Teller legacy. He never said anything about me specifically joining the club though…

"Otto, why didn't he tell me any of this? If that's what he wanted for me, then why wasn't he pushing for it all along?"

"He didn't know until that day that it might even be something you wanted. Even then, he knew it was something you needed come to on your own terms. He knew you would speak up when the time was right. He didn't want to get you all hyped up for something that you weren't completely ready for." Otto held up a hand when I started to cut him off. "Yes, if you were any other guy, you would have been ready then, but more is going to be required out of you because you're a woman, it's going to be harder for you, no matter what. Only you could know when you were ready, and now, that time has come. Piney's gonna take you to by my house next, there's something there you need to see there. You'll know what to do when you get there. When everything's said and done, come see me, I want to find out from you what happens."

Slightly confused about what was at Otto's house, but going with it anyway, I squeezed Otto's hands once again then let them go, getting up to give him a goodbye hug. "Thank you Otto, you have no idea what this means to me. Hell, just having your support means the world to me."

"You're welcome, and if it ever gets hard to handle, and you need some advice, you know where I'm at." Otto smiled as I stepped back from our hug.

"I'll be back soon, no matter what. See you later." Otto, having been so close to my father and our family, knew that 'see you later' meant a lot more than what it sounded like. For one thing, my dad never liked telling my mom, me or Jax, 'goodbye,' he always said it sounded too final. Another meaning for 'see you later' in our family was 'I love you.' When dad felt all macho around the guys, and didn't feel like saying, 'love you' he would just tell us he'd see us later, and we knew what he meant. Otto would hopefully remember and catch the double meaning in my choice of words.

I headed outside and found Jax and Piney next to their bikes. "Otto said next stop is his house."

Piney nodded and climbed on his bike while Jax and I did the same and soon we were on our way. I took my time during the drive to reflect on what I had just learned. Dad wanted me to be in the club? It felt good to learn that bit of information. Well, it wasn't exactly a bit, to me, it was huge. For the first time in a long time, everything felt right in the world. I forgot about all the club troubles and just basked in the joy of the moment. For the first time ever, I felt like nothing could stop me from being SAMCRO. Didn't what the founding father, my father, feel about the situation bear a lot of weight? It definitely should. I couldn't wait to tell Chibs of my revelation, I wasn't sure what he'd think, or what any of the guys would think, but I still couldn't wait to tell them.

Jax slowed as we neared Otto's. Piney pulled in the yard and parked. Jax and I followed Piney out back to Otto's old garage, where he pulled out a key and opened the door before looking back at me. "Come on, you're gonna like this."

I followed him inside, my eyes adjusting to the light. I glanced around, seeing the familiar set up of tools, motorcycle parts, and plastic ashtrays. In the middle of the room were two motorcycles, both covered. Piney walked over to one and leaned down, pulling up the cover a short way to peek at the bike underneath. "Oh, that's Otto's."

My heart skipped a beat. A motorcycle? For me? That was what Otto said was waiting at his house for me? My legs almost gave out. Even though I didn't falter an inch, Jax's hand almost involuntarily shout out towards me, ready to catch me if I fell. He was good at sensing my emotions. Piney walked over to the other bike and raised the cover, pulling it completely off. My legs really almost gave out then. It was the prettiest bike I had ever seen. It was a '96 Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide, shiny black and chrome all over, all except the eye-popping cherry red fuel tank and a few other red touches, like in the wheels, to keep the color balanced.

"It was your dad's at one time. It's a great bike, always was. She needed a little work, but Otto fixed her up for you a long time ago. He repainted her, to what he thought would be your liking." Piney stepped back so I could get a closer look at the bike.

The bike felt familiar, but if it hadn't been sitting in front of me I wouldn't have remembered it. There was an amazing hand drawn club reaper on the fuel tank, obvious in black against the glossy red background. If you bent down eye level with the bike, you could see the name Teller, written in a beautiful cursive hand, right underneath the reaper. My heart swelled so big I thought it would burst. A single tear slipped down my cheek as I ran a finger across my name on the bike. Jax crouched down beside me to see what had me all choked up. As soon as he saw it, he put a comforting hand over my shoulders. "Come here." He said.

We both stood up and fell into each other's arms. "I can't believe this is actually happening, Jax. This is too perfect, all of it. And who knew? Not us, that's for sure. Oh God I can't believe all of this. I never imagined…"

I could hear the laughter in his voice as he replied. "Well, it is happening, your dream is coming true, finally. And I hate to burst your bubble, but there's still at least one more hurdle we have to get through. But, you have every right to celebrate right now. So go for it."

"Well thank you for your permission, Obi Wan." But I did jump up and down a little and squeal a bit, just a small bit, letting the girl come out in me. "Oh my God I can't believe this is my bike!" I ran over to Piney and hugged him fiercely. "Thank you Piney."

"For what? I didn't do it." But he laughed as he said it.

I was so overwhelmed with emotion. My dad, Otto, and Piney had been conspiring behind my back all this time. "But you knew about it, and you took me to see Otto, which means, in short, that you support me."

"Well yes, all that's true. I do support you, and I want to talk to you about that, both of you." Piney leaned against the drawers that went all along the left wall.

I abandoned my bike for a second, knowing that I needed to show Piney full respect while he spoke. He looked at me with sad and tired eyes. "I'm assuming you know?"

I dropped my eyes to the ground before answering. He was talking about Donna. I nodded. "I know."

He took a deep breath before continuing. "I think you could do a lot of good for this club. Clay has got to go. I don't care how. And I'm sure, with the two of you, you can figure something out that's easiest on the club. I don't care too much anymore about what hurts it and what doesn't, but I know you do. And Jax, I know you're worried about protecting Opie right now, but you need to figure something out. Soon."

Jax let his irritation color his voice. "Give me time, Piney. I told you, it's going to take time. I can't rush this right now."

"I'm just sayin-"

Jax cut Piney off before he could finish his sentence. "Can we please not talk about this in front of the prospect, huh?" He was just trying to change the subject.

Piney let out an odd laugh. "The prospect, haha, that's a good one Jax, way to dodge a conversation you don't want to have. And don't ever make the mistake of fooling yourself into believing that everybody's gonna look at her like a normal prospect."

"No, way to dodge a conversation you've had before." Jax sighed and hooked his thumbs in his front pockets. "Look, Piney, I appreciate all of this, taking us to see Otto, coming out here…I know you want justice. I know Clay needs to be replaced, but we've had this conversation before, and I know it sounds selfish, but today is a really big day for Ace, and I would appreciate it if we could leave all the gloom and doom out of it. For her."

Piney looked incredulous. "Jax, are you forgetting what this is all about? She wants to be a part of the club. That means she's gonna have to deal with shit she doesn't want to deal with at the worst possible time. Call it initiation. Whatever." Piney turned around and opened the drawer he had been leaning against. He reached all the way to the back and rummaged around for a while before pulling out a metal lock box and then his keys. He unlocked and opened the box and pulled out a set of keys before closing and relocking the box, then hiding it at the back of the drawer again. He turned around and threw me the keys before turning and walking out of the shop. "She's all yours. Good luck."

Jax and I shared a look as Piney headed for the door. I watched him go around the front of the house, and when I heard his bike roar to life, I turned around and sighed as I touched one of the handlebars of my new bike. My bike. I swung my leg over the bike and settled in. It was perfect. Beyond perfect. Jax just stood there and let me enjoy the moment. I had never had my own bike, as bikes were pretty much special privileges for members only. But I had always loved them. I remember always helping dad work on his. When I was a kid, I couldn't wait to grow up and get my own. However, as I grew older I quickly came to the realization that I would never get my own bike. Until now, that was. I got off the bike, pulled the kickstand up, and began walking it out of the garage. When I was completely outside, Jax locked the door then pushed it shut. I got on the bike, anxious to crank her up.

She purred to life like a house cat that hadn't gotten any attention in awhile. I looked up at Jax, who was standing in front of me now, smiling. I just smiled back from ear to ear, not believing that I had my own bike. Even if Clay didn't let me prospect, this was still my bike, and at the least, my new way to work every morning. "Come on. I wanna get back to the clubhouse."

Jax laughed as he replied, "No. You just wanna ride it."

I just smiled and rode the bike into the front yard, pausing by Jax's bike to get my helmet. Once Jax was on his bike and pulling out of the yard, I followed, anxious to put some miles on my new baby.

Once out on the road, I felt like nothing could stop me. The wind whipping around my body felt more like a hug from God. The road in front of me more like the streets of gold in heaven.