A/N - I am away at the moment but squeezed in a little of the lockdown for you guys! European SOA fans, let me know if you're coming to the Reapercon in Paris in the Spring, would be lovely to meet you all!

The club was already buzzing with people by the time Happy arrived with Natasha. He kept his hand clamped on hers, he wasn't letting go for love nor money. For the first time as she walked into that clubhouse, Tash felt like a grown up, able to hold her own. It was as if she belonged here now. Maybe it was what had happened with Tig, or what Happy had said, what they had nearly done... but Natasha was an adult now, and part of the SAMCRO family.

"Thank you," Chibs called out, coming over and slapping Happy across the back as he moved to tilt Natasha's chin up to see the patch work. "Clear?"

"Should be fine, Prez," Happy said, nodding as he squeezed Natasha's fingers in his own. Chibs glanced down at their entwined hands for a moment and pursed his lips, he didn't want his Natasha to just be one of Happy's passing fancies but right now, he barely had the time to argue. He gave Happy one look, one warning look that said everything else be needed to, and walked away. Natasha felt herself audibly exhaling as she glanced at Hap, like they had won some sort of secret battle.

"You think he knows?" she whispered, tiptoeing up to reach his ear. The naughtiest of smiles crossed Happy's lips for a brief second.

"He'd kill me if he did, we're okay." Happy gave her a squeeze. "We'll be here a while, you want a drink?"

Natasha shook her head and looked around the bar. She could see Tara with Abel and Sully with her. Gemma seemed to be downloading on Jax while Thomas stood by, keeping a watchful eye on his family and a hand on Emily's shoulder. Natasha paused as she looked at her sister, she seemed a mess. Her eyes, usually so full of flirtatious mischief, seemed dull and dark, and Tash motioned to her. Happy nodded and let her go, with a quiet warning of 'be careful' as she went.

Natasha pulled up a stool and set it in front of Emily as she sat down. It took Emily a moment to focus on her face, to recognise her in her state, but when she did, her pupils dilated wide as she studied her. "Fuck." She didn't move to touch her, or comfort her, Emily simply stared. Her eyes rolled from bandage to bandage, the bruises were already beginning to stain Natasha's skin. "Dad did that?"

"I'm worried about him," Natasha said, her tone perfectly reasonable as she spoke. Emily's nostrils flared and she glanced accusingly towards Happy.

"He's not your father, you don't need to worry about him. It's your fault anyway," she said dismissively, waving her hand in Natasha's face. "You shouldn't have been encouraging Mom with Chibs, that was a shitty thing to do. Everything Tig's ever done for you? Your cushy life in Belfast?" She rolled her eyes dramatically. "So much for, like, honour, Tash."

Natasha bristled, uncomfortable at such an accusation. "Don't say that," she said with a frown. "I just want Ma to be happy."

Emily's expression furrowed. "Yeah, well, now my Dad's in hospital, so thanks a lot."

She got up and stomped away to the apartment, irritated by even such a brief conversation. Just great, Natasha sighed, Emily was already enough of a bitch without this to hold over her head. She pinched the bridge of her nose and started away when Thomas stepped in.

"Hey." He caught the crook of her elbow gently in his hand and smiled, setting her at ease straight away. "Just ignore her, she doesn't mean to be like that, she's had a rough day." Natasha laughed a little and Thomas turned red. "Not that yours hasn't been equally... I mean, Chibs told us what happened and- ah, shit." He looked bashfully at his feet, his skin flooding with a deep blush. "I'm just glad you're okay, Tash."

"Don't be too nice, you'll upset Her Majesty," Natasha chuckled, motioning to the apartment door. "But thank you." Thomas gave her a wink.

"We're family, right?"

They both looked up as the front door was knocked open and Nero came in, Nina draped carefully over his arms. Chibs bustled forward to take her, but Nero shook his head. "All this moving her, mano, you're gonna hurt her worse inside."

"Aye, this should be the last one until I get her home," Chibs promised, guiding Nero over to the couch and shooing away the Teller family to allow him to lie Nina down. Nero leaned carefully over to deposit her and sighed with a sense of relief as Gemma rested her hands on him. "Just need everyone here."

Nero looked skeptically around, with a club full like this? It only meant one thing. "So, uh, you expecting some trouble, ese?" He crossed his arms as he looked at Chibs, his black cardigan pulling tighter around him. "I mean, getting them all in..." Chucky swung past him with a bottle of beer and pushed it into his hand. "Everybody getting... comfortable? We expected here for long?"

Chibs didn't know the answer to that. He twisted the hair on his beard between his fingertips, looking longingly towards Nina. He could really do with her right now, reminding him that he had this job because he was good at it. She had always been his cheerleader, so supportive. Chibs could just do with her reassurance right now, but instead she was passed out, a serene, sleepy look on her face.

"Just waiting to hear from someone," he said as assertively as he could. "As soon as I've got that, I can give you more."

Nero gave him a skeptical frown. "Sounds... ominous, Prez. My girls going to be okay?" He gestured behind him to Natasha, who was talking quietly with Tara about medication for Nina. Chibs nodded and patted his arms.

"You got my word, Nero." He glanced up to see Emily slinking sulkily to the bar to get herself another drink. "Maybe you could talk to your grandkid, though. I lashed out a bit, gave her a, uh, history lesson, about her Da." Nero cringed, Emily was a madam at the best of times but being put in her place by the man who had been her so fatherly to her as a child was probably crushing. He nodded and patted Chibs' arm as he crossed to join Em.

Bumping her with his elbow, he reached over the bar to get himself a drink. Emily ignored him, and Nero, after a moment, dropped his arm around her shoulders.

"What's up, little mama?"

"I don't know," Emily scowled. "My Dad's on the critical list and my slutty Mom's passed out on the couch?"

Nero had to bite back his annoyance at her, Emily was just striking out, that was just her way. "Bit harsh, don't you think? Your Mom, been a fucked up kinda day." Emily frowned and pointed at Chibs.

"Don't think I don't know he sent you. Too fucking scared to talk to me himself?" She furrowed her eyebrows. "You're all a joke. Dad's the only one with any conviction."

Nero couldn't believe what was coming out of her mouth. He shook his head. "Conviction? Christ, Emmy, what conviction is there in stabbing someone? Your Dad, he's not well. Up here." He tapped his temple with his two fingers. "He needs help, we all need help sometimes, he-"

"No offence?" Emily frowned, her tone clearly one meaning to offend. "But you used to be head of a gang, and now you run a whorehouse. I don't think you can lecture me on needing help, Grandpa."

She snatched her drink away and walked away, slamming the door of the apartment behind her. Nero put his hands on the back of his head as he watched her go. God, she was as stubborn as both of her folks combined. Emily Padilla was always going to be a force to be reckoned with, but she was much, much worse than he had ever thought.

"You get put in your place, sweetheart?"

Gemma pushed a kiss onto Nero's cheek as she came up to him, and he smiled bashfully. "Just forgot what teenage girls are like, mama," he chuckled. "She's as bad as my babygirl was at that age." He motioned to Nina, sitting beside her for a moment on the couch and stroking her hair. "At least she can't run away to her mother this time."

Gemma paused for a moment, rubbing her fingers over her lips. "But she could run to Dad." God, if Emily were to take her father's side on all this, who knew what would happen? It was a risk they couldn't take. "We have to get Tig back on side, Nero. The shit he could drop the club in? Nina? We need his loyalty."

Nero was already too aware of it. He glanced at Chibs, who was briefing Happy, Juice and Jax on something in an intense, quiet discussion.

"You know there's only one person he'll talk to and she's not exactly chatty right now," he murmured, patting Nina's shoulder. "And your Prez, he's not exactly going to allow it. Me neither, Tig even looks at her again, I'll kill him."

"You'd be joining a long queue," Gemma smiled, trying to relax Nero as she caressed his shoulder. "Your Tig problem's under control until he's awake and focused. The rest..." Gemma trailed off, realising she was saying too much, and Nero drew her aside.

"Why are we here, mama?" he asked quietly. "The lock in? Seems a bit much for a madman who's in the hospital."

Gemma glanced around, leaning closer. "It's not the madman as much as his friends," she warned. Her eyes rested on Chibs as he continued his talk, concerned. He was the focus of Emily's loathing right now. "Both outside this building and... in." Her eyes settled on the apartment door, worried about Emily's loyalties. Maybe she should get Thomas in there to settle her, try and help her find her focus again. "Just, let's try and keep everyone here in one piece, okay? At least until Mrs Trager wakes up."