The day had started early for the both Jax and Opie, they had been trying to fix a bike that had been brought in for a complete overhaul and both men worked silently as they thought about what had gone down a few days before. Jax reached into a drawer pulling out a spanner and moving back to the bike.

"When's Donna getting back?" he asked his oldest friend.

"This morning."

Opie confirmed as he tried to unscrew a nut that seemed to be soldered to the machine itself. He carried on working for a moment, grunting as the nut gradually unscrewed, pausing for a moment before speaking to Jax again.

"You haven't said much to since Oakland."

"I ain't got much to say I guess."

Jax worked on removing the bolts that kept the engine in place on the other side of the bike.

"It's done bro."

Both men carried on working as they both considered the events of the past few days, finally they were able to lift the engine off and while Jax went to deal with some paperwork in the office, Opie headed for the clubhouse to take a break.

Inside the clubhouse Bobby and Clay were sat relaxing at a table, taking a break also from the strains of the day. Opie sat down on one of the other tables as he considered how he was going to ask Clay for the money for the Heffner job, he really needed the money, he was already two payments behind on the mortgage and there were other bills that really needed to be paid, like yesterday.

"Hey Clay, is there any chance I can get paid for the Heffner job, I'm kinda behind on two of the house payments?"

"Of course you can, waiting for the money was not mandatory you know. You should have said."

Opie shrugged as if it was not as important as it was for him to get the money today, he was worried about the bank repossessing the house and the last thing he wanted was for his family to be out on the streets because he had not been able to provide for them.

"I didn't want to press for it, was thinking about the club, supporting it an all."

Bobby was sat astride one of the chairs, leaning on the back of the chair.

"I'll get the money out of the petty cash."

"Thanks Bobby…Clay."

Having got Clay to agree to pay him his cut for the job and the concerns about the house being reprocessed finally being put to rest he hoped, he went back to work, feeling a little better than he had when he had arrived at work that morning.

XXx

Later that day when Opie finally got home, the payment in his pocket he found Donna placing one of the kid's toys in a box packing up the house, he watched from the door as she continued to pack away not just their processions but their life together. He could not believe that Donna was carrying out the threat that she had made to him just before she had left to go visit her mother with the children a week before.

He felt angry that she would not support him and his need to continue being in the club, she didn't understand he knew but this was the only life he knew and he tried real hard to go straight, just as he had promised Donna that he would do but it was not working out, he knew that. He was not the old boy who could cut wood all day like Donna's dad or brother. He could and would not be happy with an everyday nine to five existence.

Placing the envelope containing the much needed money on the coffee table, he told Donna that finally they could get rid of some of the debt's they had hanging over them but he could see that it was not cutting it with her. He could see it in her eyes, she wanted to leave and he doubted that anything he could say could stop her. Glancing around him noticed that he could not see or hear his kids in the house.

"Where are the kids?"

"Next door with the neighbour."

Opie turned and walked towards the door.

"I had some ATF bitch here today, sticking her nose into our business and your association with the club."

"What did you tell her?"

"Nothing, I ain't no rat but you need to get out of the club, we need to get away from here."

"I ain't going anywhere Donna and if you can't get behind me and behind the club, then just go, leave because I have had enough of this bullshit."

Turning in disgust and this time heading straight for the door, Opie had his hand on the door when Donna called out to him.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see my kids."

Slamming the door behind he headed towards their neighbours house across the street but as he got to the house he saw that the kids were playing happily in the back yard and he knew that the mood he was in was not a good one to see the kids. Although his relations with them had improved over the last few months they were still a little weary around him.

Opie looked longingly towards his kids for a moment and then changed his mind; he headed back to his house pulling his keys out of his pocket as he swung his leg over his bike. Gunning the engine he took off down the road.

A/N: Small chapter this time but the next one hopefully will be longer.