Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from "Sons of Anarchy." They are the property of Kurt Sutter and Fox Network. No money is changing hands in the writing, reading or distribution of this story.

Chapter 25

God damn this was harder than it had ever been before! There was hardly anything that Tig wouldn't have given to be able to throw Joss on the back of his bike and take her with him, but no, this wasn't that kind of a run; she could only ride with him when it was some fucking charity thing, or just out with the club, terrorizing the highways. But this was business, and it could get ugly, and he wasn't about to put her anywhere she could get hurt, even if Clay would have allowed her to come along. Nope, he had to go, and she had to stay…and just why the fuck was this so fucking hard? They'd been apart before…a lot…they'd spent more time apart than they had spent together, and he used to like being apart! Shit…this was way more than drugs could handle…he needed an exorcist or something!

He sat on his bike, Joss next to him, both of them watching everyone else's preparations, putting on cuts, giving bikes a once over, snapping on helmets…fucking helmets…but that was an entirely different complaint of his. It was him, Clay, Bobby, Jax and Opie rolling down to Indio, momentarily delayed by Clay's bike not having proper pressure in the rear tire for such a long haul, and Jax and his doctor bitch had taken that opportunity to get all kissy again…disgusting shit…Tig hated seeing that, who wanted to see that?

He turned to Joss, who was doing her best to be strong…they hadn't discussed what it would be like to be apart like this…and she was feeling it now…really feeling it. So was he, but then how could anyone blame him for that given what the night before had been like? Fuck, he didn't want to leave her! He wanted to just lay in bed with her this morning…it was Saturday, he didn't have to work, they could've stayed locked in their room all day, her fingers touching parts of him that he forgot he had, and just re-write the book on what he'd decided was pleasure, and the pursuit of it…Joss wanted him, his cock, his chest, his body, she didn't fuck him just because she had to. It was such a strange concept, but one Tig was so eager to explore further now that he realized it. Shit, all this time, he really thought he'd been…"inflicting" himself on her, and she just got into it because she really didn't have any other choice. But nope…Joss wanted him…and it wasn't about killing anyone for her now, it wasn't about being some kind of safe harbor for her…it was about him as her lov—Whoa, back the fuck up! He wasn't anyone's lover! Was he? Nope…lovers embraced, wrapped their arms around each other and held one another tightly…they called out stupid fucking romantic shit to each other like "I'll love you 'til the cows come back to Capistrano…" while they were making it… and there was usually some kind of…rolling around on the sheets bit that he vaguely remembered…or had seen in movies…and he didn't do any of that shit! He took a deep breath…okay…that was close. What? Why the fuck were cows going to Capistrano? He'd fucked that one up somehow. Oh well, not important.

"Joss," this was obviously going to be awhile, Clay was still fumbling with the valve on the air pump, Tig grimacing a bit as he watched, afraid for the fate of Clay's arthritic hands, then grimaced again when he saw Jax and his doctor bitch still swapping spit…they were lovers, they probably did all that rolling around on the bed, "love you 'til the cows…" did whatever the fucking cows were supposed to do, kind of shit. What the hell…was this Oregon all over again? Why was he so obsessed with cows? Tig shook his head, but then looked at his sweet, dark, perfect little seraph, who stood there quietly beside him, her hands behind her back to no doubt keep herself from clinging to him, her pretty green eyes, so piercing with that lovely black liner, were looking down, hiding so much that Tig could feel despite her efforts; she didn't want him to go. "You okay?"

She nodded, but didn't look up. "Yeah."

"Joss?" He said again, chuckling a little bit as he did, knowing she was lying for his own sake, and he shouldn't have done it, but he reached out and took her under the chin, lifting her eyes up to his.

She sighed, her eyes watery. "No!" she half moaned, her voice failing her before she could even get the whole word out.

Tig felt himself swallow hard, took off his helmet because it seemed like it might prolong this delay in departing even more…somehow. "C'mon baby, you know I always come back to you." Did he just say that? Damn it! Why couldn't he just let sniffling, sad faced dogs lie? Fuck…this all sucked! Not just the distance this run was going to cover and the fact that it wouldn't be done until it was done, but all of this…stuff…between he and Joss…Jesus Christ, he was excited because she wanted him sexually? Why did he care about that? Hell, dead women had been "attractive" because they didn't want/touch/move/talk or even know he was there! It didn't matter to him who wanted him, or how; it only mattered what he got from them…and now he was sitting there thinking about how great it would have been to just stay in bed with her all day! Shit…and if only that were it…it wasn't, he had a house now, a fucking house! And a fucking old lady, living in the fucking house, with him! And she…touched him…and he liked it…God damn it…this was like stepping in dog shit, and that shit was getting everywhere he went, and everyone could smell it, wouldn't be long now before they were coming up to him going, "Hey, you've got lov—shit, on your boot!"

But one heavy sigh from Joss and flick of her black eyelashes as she batted away a tear, and he was helplessly back with her…for at least a little while longer. "I know," she said, nodding emphatically like she was trying to convince herself now. "I'll miss you though," she said to him, looking away again, clearly not sure about how that comment would be received.

Tig closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head, not liking that she'd gone and said that…was she trying to make this worse? "I know," he said, but then took her hand, swallowed hard again and decided they'd better talk about something else now. "Look, everything I told you, you do it, got it? Anything happens that you need help with, Gemma's in charge, okay?" Joss nodded, looking back at him, paying absolute attention to something that Tig already knew she was going to remember him saying for the rest of her life anyway. "You can't get Gemma, you get Happy; I asked him to check up on you, he'll be there for you, and he'll be taking you back home for me." Tig looked up, meaning to indicate who Happy was, even though he knew Joss knew him, but Happy wasn't standing where he had been just a few minutes ago. Tig scowled a little at the spot Happy had been, where the fuck had he gone…oh shit…oh no…what was happening to this club? There was Happy, who wasn't even about to roll out of here on the Indio run, in the arms of a girl Tig remembered seeing him talking to at last night's party. Damn! Jax and his doctor bitch on one side of him, and Happy and that girl on the other…there really was shit everywhere…everyone was stepping in it! "Hey!" Tig yelled at Happy, sounding almost insulted as he stood up on the foot pegs of his bike and waved a middle finger at him, Happy smiling and returning the salute, but not leaving the backpack like hold the arms of that girl had on him. "Fuck!" Tig groaned, not really to Joss, but she was there to hear him. "I think he's serious about that girl!"

Joss shrugged, but looked over at what Tig was objecting to. She smiled some now, looked back at him. "Well, I guess it happens to the best of you."

Tig hadn't even really heard what she'd said; he just kept watching Happy and that…girl…touching each other, hugging, kissing, smiling, laughing…and all out in the open like that? Really? Happy? His boy? Happy's fingers brushed through the girl's hair now, then traced the shape of her cheek, and he kissed her again…oh c'mon…not Happy too! "Lauren!" Tig suddenly blurted out, so troubled by what he was watching. "Why in hell do I remember that? Fuck, he IS serious about that girl!" He turned back to Joss, like he wanted her to say it wasn't so, then immediately began to argue with her before she even said anything. "No, if I remember that girl's name, it's because he's been fucking saying it A LOT…He's fucking serious about her!"

"Tig?" Joss looked at him strangely now, laughing a little, but there was something that was bothering her about his reaction…but why? Oh shit!

"No no no, baby, it's not like that," he immediately started to explain. "Me and her? No, never…well, maybe…I can't remember," he admitted, but then looked up at her, taking her by the chin again and making sure her eyes were on his, knowing he better explain this one as plainly as he could. "There's only one you, Joss. That's what I'm saying." He told her, paused a moment deepened his gaze. "I can't think of you being anything other than mine."

Chapter 25; Part 2

Joss tried not to smile too much, knew not to give away how happy and how unique Tig had just made her feel, but oh God, it was just what she'd needed to hear him say in the moments before he left her! He hadn't planned it of course, but on some level Tig what to say to her and when to say it though, because seconds after saying it he'd hooked his arm around her hips and pulled her as much against him as he could get her while he sat on his bike…his arm then sinking lower until it was around her ass, just to keep this from looking too respectful. Bobby and Jax were over lending Clay a hand with the air now; Tig wouldn't hold her like this for very much longer. But at least she wasn't on the verge of tears anymore; Tig only had one old lady, he'd only given his patch to one girl; what happened on a run was just that, Joss knew not to expect Tig to stop being Tig, but it would be okay; he'd been quick to put right what he'd meant about the girl Happy seemed to be with, acknowledging that Joss was the only one who was special to him, but he hadn't just acknowledged it to her, he'd acknowledged it to himself…and the best part was, Joss hadn't been that concerned about "Lauren!" She'd only been curious to see what Tig's answer would be if she implied something about what he was protesting and why…and he'd more than made her day with his answer! Playing him like that was maybe a little bit evil…but he was leaving her for however long…she had to be forgiven for wanting some kind of…something, to remember him saying to her as he rode off. Okay, she better stop looking at him all dreamy eyed like she was…because Tig was beginning to look at her the same way, and once he realized it, it would really fuck him up.

"I hope you got enough sleep last night, Indio's a long way away," Joss said, and couldn't help but smile devilishly as she did, both her hands resting safely on Tig's knee, not threatening to wrap him up in something he'd treat like an anaconda trying to swallow him whole.

Tig smiled back at her and groaned a little bit, giving her a slap on the ass, but stopping before he got too into it all. "I got meth." He answered, with a casual shrug of his shoulders, and Joss wasn't surprised; meth had been the most cooked drug in any MC, a few hits and the entire club could drive for days without needing to sleep.

"Good," she nodded, and then started to laugh, imagining if this conversation were being had by Jax and Tara, instead of her and Tig. She loved Tara, she truly did, but if Jax remarked that he had meth in so matter a fact of way, Tara would have had a shit fit. No, Jax and Tara would never understand her and Tig.

Tig looked at Joss like he wanted to know what was so funny. "Are you laughing at me just before I have to leave you, not knowing when we'll be together again?" He asked, and for a moment it made pain erupt deep inside her heart, until she realized Tig was smirking at her. "This is how you send me off into battle?"

"Tig!" She huffed and made a fist and pounded him lightly on the knee, but then laughed, wanting to say something about how she was saving the best stuff for when she got to welcome him home again, but Clay was now on his bike, starting his Dyna up and then gave a yell to everyone that they were about to roll onto Indio. Joss sighed, this had come up so quickly, and out of nowhere it seemed. What to say now? Her smile was fading little by little; Tig was only seconds away from being gone.

"Hey," he said, shaking his head again, revving his throttle with one hand and cupping her cheek with the other. "C'mon, I got a lotta miles to cover out there, don't make me do 'em all thinking about how I left you standing here crying."

He was right, and Clay was coming up behind them both on his bike, Tig's assigned post immediately to his right, he had to go, there was a formation to be maintained. Joss sighed, but quickly smiled, "I love you!" she said to him over the din of the Harley's dual cam, and her words motivated her smile to be even brighter.

Tig snapped his helmet closed, slid his sunglasses on, giving Clay a nod as he rode passed then quickly looked at Joss, put his hand on the back of her head, pulled her down and kissed her, his tongue just barely touching hers before he flipped the kickstand up and took his feet from the ground. "I know," he said to her. "That's what makes you mine!" And then he rode off, falling in behind Clay without another word…but Joss could see him looking at her in rearview. She waved, still smiling for him, but the further away he got, the more it faded.

The rest of the bikes roared passed her, first Jax, then Bobby, Joss feeling like she was going to cry again and trying to make herself stop. She had to ride home with Happy, and she wouldn't embarrass Tig by sobbing all over the back of Happy's cut. She looked up, hoping to keep the tears forming in her eyes from rolling downwards, only she'd managed to look directly at Opie as he drove passed. He looked like the monster in the Frankenstein movies, his face held together by a big, winding bunch of sutures that looked like some kind of snake tattoo, and his eye was swollen shut. Joss began to wonder how was he going to make it to Indio, and almost in response to that thought, Opie looked at her, gave her some kind of nod, then made a fist with his right hand and double tapped his chest, over his heart, and then drove passed, saying nothing. Her blood turned to ice; this wasn't over.