She was determined to avoid Jax at all costs today, so when she heard someone in her kitchen, she wasn't worried that it was an intruder and was worried that it was Jax. They had said some horrible things to each other. Horrible but true. She wasn't comfortable being Jax's old lady but she hadn't said anything because she didn't want to hurt him. She wasn't ready to face him but knew she had to go see who was in her kitchen. She reluctantly hopped out from under her covers and walked out to the kitchen, to see her Scarecrow in her kitchen.

"Hi!"

"Morning"

"This is a surprise"

"What? I've cooked you breakfast before"

"Honey, that last time you cooked me breakfast. I had to go with Koz to see Marcus and I ended up getting slapped"

"Oh yeah"

"What are you doing here?"

"Just checking in"

"Coffee?" she asked sweetly. He handed her a cup before he sat down at the table.

The truth was that Tig hated this day and he was worried about how his Princess was going to handle it. It was the anniversary of the day Savannah died twenty four years ago. He didn't want to mention it, in case Stella hadn't realized or she didn't want to talk about it but he did want to know if she was okay and if she was going to be okay. He wasn't he's usual devil-may-care self, he had a lot on his mind.

"You okay?"

He looked back at her and gave her a wicked smile

"Always. You get any sleep last night?"

"More than the night before"

She wanted to tell him everything that was wrong, she wanted to tell him about the fight she had with Jax but she had told him they were even together. It seemed pointless now that they were over for good. There was no coming back from the night before. Not coming back from what they had said to each other, not even if she wanted too.

"That's not what I asked"

"Alex. I'm fine"

"Why don't I believe you? And I know you're not telling me something"

She looked up from her cup of coffee and frowned at him, not that she should have been surprised. She never could keep a secret from him.

"I don't know what you're..." she started to say before he stopped her with a look because he knew she was lying " He visits me"

"What are you talking about?"

She tried to think of a way to tell him without sound crazy, think of a way that wouldn't make him worry about her. She watched him walk over and sit opposite her crossed his arm.

"Okay, um. I had this dream a few months back. Me and Kozik were in Washington. Somewhere we went when we were together. He told me that my family loved me and that they did things to protect me. People were coming but I didn't have to worry. I thought nothing of it, until Steve rode in and I found out that you buried Koz in Charming. I thought it was odd but when there was another dream and we were at the Millar property and he told me to remember where we were , then the next day"

"We needed to get in there"

"Exactly"

"First time conquincidence, second time, okay weird. Only been twice"

She sadly shook her head and looked up at him

"Last time was a couple of days ago. He said he didn't need me to go after Darby. He was a rat and he got what he deserved and he needed me to be safe. Which is weird because I mean, I am with you guys, so why wouldn't I be safe?"

"You are going for Darby pretty relentlessly Sweetheart. Might be what he is going on about"

"You don't think I am a mental patient"

"I got a dream from your mom"

"Really? What about?"

"You" he said hopping up from the table.

"That's all you're giving me? My Mama giving you messages from beyond the grave and you're not telling me what they were? I shared mine with you. You're mean"

"I don't know it was stuff like marshmallows are not a breakfast food. Mom stuff"

"But I used to have marshmallows all the time for breakfast all the time. In my cereal, in fact"

"Aren't you glad I never listened?"

He told her to say home for the day. Catch up on some sleep, she was weird about Gemma working by herself all day but agreed anyhow. Tig didn't think she remembered what today was and if that was so that was the way he wanted to keep it and it also made it easier for her too avoid Jax. She only had to make an appearance at one of Gemma's dinners that night.

Stella was actually looking forward to family dinner. Stella heard her phone start to ring, she was running late and knew it would be her Scarecrow to ask her where the heck she was. She didn't even say hello when she asked

"I'm leaving now. I am on my way"

"Good, because I am starving and I want to eat but can't until you get here because you're late because you spend two hours trying to figure out what shoes to wear"

"Oh my god, heaven forbid you have to wait ten minutes longer then you have too, for food. You're such a caveman"

"And you're such a girl"

They kept playfully insulting each other as Stella drove over to Gemma and Clay's place. She looked out the rear view mirror and saw a black sedan following her and had been for a past few blocks.

"Babe, I think I am being followed"

"What? By who?"

"Black sedan. Tinted windows, a couple of cars back. Might just be paranoid since Vegas"

"We'll see, just get here quick okay"

"Yep"

"Stel?"

"Yeah"

"Be careful"

"Always. Piece of cake, right?"

Tig and Opie were waiting for her out the front of Gemma and Clay's place. She could almost see the relief on their faces when she pulled into the driveway. She hopped out of the car all smiles.

"You two are soooooo paranoid" she called out, teasing them

She had only just made it to the front door when bullets started flying out of the windows of the very same black sedan that had been following her. They all took cover until the street was deadly quiet. Everything had stopped, everyone was silent. Tig and Opie stood up and looked down the street for the car, which had long since disappeared. Suddenly Tig felt someone touch his back lightly before he heard her say

"Alex?"

He turned to see Stella look up at him, all the color had drained out of her face and her eyes wide with terror and shock. He looked down at her hand which was holding the right side of her stomach. She moved her hand and Opie saw the blood before Tig did.

"Chibs!" he yelled inside the house before rushing to her side, by then Tig mind had clicked into gear.

"Sweetheart, we going to lay you down okay?"

"Mmm-hmm"

Opie and Tig helped Stella on to the ground. She gasped, they guessed in pain, lord knew how much pain she was in right now but they couldn't tell because she was stony faced. Chibs rushed outside and saw what had happened. He yelled inside for someone to call an ambulance.

"Honey. I need to stop the bleeding, it's going to hurt like hell"

"Do it"

Stella pressed her lips together and her head fell back. She refused to scream but couldn't help it when a whimper escaped her lips and her tightened around Tig's hand. He took that as a good sign, if she could grip his hand that tight, she's got a fighting chance. She gasped for air and her breathing started to change. Her left hand had felt the concrete path, it had been rough but she could feel something sticky running under her fingers. She rubbed her fingertips together and lifted her hand up to see all the blood.

"Exit wound?" she asked

"Maybe" Opie said picking up her free hand out of the blood and holding it tight " Keep holding on, they're on their way. Stella you hear me?"

Neither of the guys holding her hand wanted to say it out loud and even admit it to themselves but the grip on their hands were becoming less and less every second this went on. She was fighting to keep her eyes open and fighting to breathe through the pain.

"Stay with us, Sweetheart" Tig said brushing the hair out of her face. The blood had soaked through the towel that Chibs had been using. She was losing blood too way for him to stop it. Suddenly Stella saw something at the corner of her eye. She moved her head to the side and saw a little girl long blonde hair, she looked familiar but Stella had never seen her before. She turned look at Stella and Stella saw her eyes, Stella knew those green eyes. They were Stella's eyes. It was her daughter. She ran past Stella and to her father. Stella chuckled and smiled. Tig looked in the same direction but didn't see anything "What are you looking at?"

"My daughter and her Dad"

The three guys exchanged looks and knew if help didn't get there fast, they were going to lose her. Tig moved so he was in front of her "Look at me, Sweetheart. You have to keep fighting. You have to hold on, you hear me?"

"Getting tired"

"I know you are, Baby. You have to stay here with me, okay?"

The pain was getting to be too much for her to handle. Chibs placed more pressure on the wound, Stella couldn't help it, and she let out a scream. A tear rolled down her cheeks and she closed her eyes and rested her head back on the ground before it rolled to the side.

When she opened her eyes again Opie was gone and Gemma was in his place.

"Open your eyes, Baby" Gemma told her. Brushing her hair, back

"Let them take me"

"You don't get off that easy. You know why you have to stay here, for them. You gotta be strong"

She couldn't be strong anymore Stella was ready to go be with her family, she needed to be with her family. It was what she had wanted for a long time. Her breathing was getting steadily worse. Short and sharp. There was a metallic taste in her mouth. Stella took a hold of Tig's hand and look over at him.

"I love you. Always have"

"Don't do this, Sweetheart. Not today of all days"

"You'll be okay"

"Hold on just a little longer"

She didn't have any longer, she wasn't even in pain anymore. Stella couldn't keep her eyes open and she didn't want to either. Her breathing was slowing down. Her eyelids closed and she fell into darkness again.

They heard the sirens before they saw the paramedics. They had actually made it in record time even those it seemed like forever to everyone at the house. Chibs checked her pulse it was still there but very weak. They lifted her up on to the gurney and wheel her off to the ambulance.

"Call Tara" Tig told Gemma "Tell her Stella's on the way. She needs all the time she can get"

"I'm coming with you"

"Let's go"

They followed as close to the ambulance as they could until they got to the hospital and rushed in behind the paramedics and as far as they could, until a nurse stopped them. There was truly nothing they could do. Tara followed the gurney and ordered as much O neg blood as they could possibly give her.

"Blood pressure is dropping, fast" one of the nurses told Tara

Tara really needed Stella to start fight again, right this very second. It was now or never and Tara really didn't want to tell everything that she couldn't save their Princess. Suddenly there was a deafening long beep that echoed through the operating theatre.