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.

Three Princes

A sequel to "Intended"

Chapter 26

"What's 'Evermore?'" Joss's question startled Tig, he of course could hear every word that she and Chucky shared over there at their little nacho table, but it for some reason hadn't quite dawned on Tig that she could hear what he and the guys talked about too, shit! And now he didn't know what to tell her, and it was clear that his brothers were clamoring for an answer themselves. Tig had just told them not to make Joss aware of what was being schemed between them, and it was good to see that they all respected his orders…yeah, the club was going to be his someday!

When no answer was forthcoming from the table of Tig and his brethren, Joss turned back to Chucky. "Do you know?" She asked, and Tig felt himself feel a little bit proud and happy that he'd introduced her to someone she felt so strongly would help her, but also couldn't help that bit of jealous cringe…Joss was Tig's through and through, dyed in the wool and dissolved in the blood; she needed help, her old man should be the first one she turned to…of course, she sorta had…but he'd sat there like a fucking mute. Shit…it was for her own good though!

Chucky sat thinking, tapping his chin with one of his remaining fingers. "Evermore?" He said, repeating it quietly a few times, then to Tig's disdain, looked alertly at Joss with a smile of happy servitude. "Hey! Yeah, it's that old—"

Tig's glare stopped Chucky cold…yeah…the deviant, two fingered, little freak might have been all about skipping around 'the rosy' with Joss and tracing those stupid Thanksgiving Turkey drawings that kids made in school with their hands and laughing at how stressed out and bedraggled his looked with only one fucking feather, but Chucky still took his orders from Tig…smart one feathered, stressed out turkey, little freak! Tig hadn't figured that Chucky'd know about Evermore…Chucky was Jewish for fuck-sake…why'd he care about it? Okay, so yeah…they had shot that zombie movie there a few years ago…but still, it wasn't a Jewish place…but then, Bobby knew about Evermore…hmm…Bobby…Chucky…they both fucking loved Joss…what the hell was she? The Pied Piper of Jews? Chucky was still thinking, and Tig wasn't liking the look that was coming over his face, "Hey man," he said, grinning over at Tig. "You need anything, you just ask!" he smiled, trying to hide it from Joss, but failing, she could see and hear everything…God fucking damn it! "I'd love to be there!" Chucky sighed, and then winked.

Joss's brow furrowed and she looked back at Tig, cocking her head as her eyes shifted back and forth between Chucky and her old man. "Tig," she said as if she hadn't already asked this question and furthermore, didn't really want to. That look of foreboding she got when she just knew she wasn't going to like the answer to something was shining in her pretty, green eyes. "Is Evermore some kind of…old stomping grounds of yours? Like a…funeral home…or something?"

Holy fuck! Now she had a completely unnecessary image in her head, and so did everyone else! Well…shit…that was his fault too, really. "No!" Tig barked, but it was too late, there was already a mix of groaning and laughing around him at the table…and yeah…that was pretty much his fault too.

"Shit," Hap sighed, still laughing as he clapped Tig on the shoulder, but then shot a brief glance at Joss. "Don't worry," he told her and then looked back at Tig. "We've all but broke him of that 'stoppin' in for a cold one' habit." He laughed, and then so did everyone.

"Believe me," Clay said, looking at Joss and shaking his head. "That's not something we'd all be turning out to see," he swore and then couldn't help the shiver that overcame him…making some of the guys laugh and some just groan a little more…but sorta made Tig feel…pretty fucking awesome!

Joss sighed, looking relieved, but still perplexed and now a little bit frustrated as well. "So then what's the big secret with Evermore?" She said, and looked at Tig again, smiling just a little bit in a way that he didn't understand, but then Tig realized, he was smiling a little himself…always so happy to be chilling someone to the bone, and Joss knew that…she knew so much about him…and none of it scared her. Those pretty, green eyes fell solely upon her old man. "What's Evermore?"

"You know, that poem," Juice suddenly said, answering for the group and immediately earning a cockeyed look from everyone at both the picnic tables. Juice sighed and glanced at everyone who was eyeing him. "No one here has ever read 'The Tell Tale Heart?'" He asked, and Chibs, Bobby and Clay immediately groaned as Joss giggled across from Chucky, who was also laughing like some little…creepy, little, icky, two fingered, crony of hers…not that Chucky wasn't a good guy…even if he was annoying.

"Tha was 'The Raven,'" Chibs corrected Juice, "And it was "Nehverrmorre!'"

"Oh yeah," Juice grimaced then looked down the table at Tig who shook his head at what an obvious attempt to cover things up that had been and certainly was now. Not only had Juice botched the poem, but he'd also expected Joss to believe that they were all sitting around discussing a poem? Really? "Sorry bro, guess I don't know my Poe too well." Juice said with a shrug of his shoulders that helped nothing about this situation. This sorta was Hob-bitch's fault…Hob-bitch…English major…she read all the time, and Juice probably attempted that himself to impress her…or maybe Hob-bitch usually tied Juice to a chair and stuck him in the corner with a book…not that Hob-bitch was sadistic like that, but it just sounded like the kinda stupid shit that happened to Juice…like when the club had to pull him out of that "Dungeons and Dragons" tournament to save face…

"Anyone wanna try telling her it's a mountain next?" Bobby jibed, still shaking his head at Juice like he was so ashamed to be associated with him…which wasn't really right…Juice was…well…Juice was a brother, damn it! And that's all that mattered…yeah, this club was going to be Tig's one day.

"Nevermore…" Joss half sighed as if remembering something fondly, and Tig wasn't sure what the fuck anyone was talking about anymore, but one thing was for certain, Joss wasn't satisfied with the…whatever that was she'd received in answer about Evermore, and she was about to ask again about it, but she stopped suddenly, gasped and started laughing like something had just really struck her funny. "Oh my God!" She clapped her hand over her mouth a moment and had to settle herself and the giggling before she could continue, but she was looking at Tig in a way that soon had everyone looking at him…shit…and then she stood up from her table and came over to stand in front of Tig, still trying not to laugh as she cupped her hand over his chin, covering his goatee, suddenly shrieking with laughter. Everyone was looking on with creased brows and Tig had enough, was about to pull away, when Joss smiled sweetly down at him. "I love you," she said as if trying to make whatever it was up to him.

"Uh-huh, what are you doin'?" Tig grunted in reply and grabbed the forearm of the hand that still hid his goatee, wanting to yank free of her touch, but at the same time, he was as curious as everyone else at the table was…what the fuck was she doing?

"Tig," Joss's smile spread even further, "Oh God, this is just so…perfect!" she giggled again as she looked at him with some odd new liking sparkling in those lucid green eyes. "I just realized you look like Edgar Allan Poe!"

What? God damn…the girl was losing it, she really really was…okay, yeah, she'd had some undeniable need to be close to her old man and Gemma had succeeded in making that difficult, but had her mind been sacrificed in that struggle? Edgar Allan Poe…whatever, Joss! But, shit…fuck…there had been a sudden silence around Tig at both tables that was now dissolving into some amazed kind of laughter.

"Holy shit!" naturally it was Chucky who spoke first, pointing one of his only two fingers at Tig. "I never noticed that before!" He laughed, and then so did everyone else, but worst of all was Opie's chuckling.

"Yeah," Happy was chuckling beside Tig and elbowed him. "Imagine the shit you could write, bro! Beatings, maulings…funeral homes…you'd blow Poe away!"

"Didn't he have syphilis?" Opie asked smugly and Tig felt his Chewbadooba eyes on him even before Tig jerked around and snarled, but Opie only leaned away a touch, then added, "and was married to his cousin?"

"Shut up!" Tig growled at Ope, just as Clay shot a silencing glance in Opie's direction, and when Tig looked back at Joss, she was even scowling over at Opie a little herself, Chucky taking notice of her sharp expression as well.

Chucky stood, looking over towards Ope, fingers raised. "You want me to poke his eyes out?" He asked, wiggling the only fingers he had, and then suddenly realizing what kind of a threat he'd made and to whom…quickly becoming reticent and sinking back onto the bench as Joss snickered a bit and shook her head.

"No," she said and patted Chucky's arm. "But, thanks! I appreciate it!" She smiled, but also shot some weird, "touché" kind of glance at Ope, who nodded back, but once again she reminded Ope that she didn't appreciate what he'd said with what remained of her initial scowl...Joss…her loyalty would always be to her old man…made Tig's heart beat with a fury…but she'd given Ope the fuel though! "Thank you!" Tig said facetiously at her, and pulled her hand away from his chin but kept hold of it. Edgar shithole Allan fucking Poe…fantastic!

"Tig!" She complained, held firmly in his grasp, but laughing a bit even now…oh but those beautiful, emerald eyes weren't laughing…Tig knew that look…but where the fuck had it come from? She was all thinking about and…funeral homes a second ago! "I meant it in a good way!" Joss smiled, and stared down at him endearingly, resting her other hand on his shoulder and leaning towards him like she wanted to be closer to him than she was, unembarrassed by how her breasts rose and fell so close to his face as her hand crept from his shoulder to the back of his neck, suggesting much and offering all. "Read 'Annabelle Lee' sometime soon…you'll see!" She promised; her voice a bit husky and lovely, peridot eyes darkening with her dilating pupils…shit…that must have been some book…or whatever…did Poe write books? Whatever, it fuckin' turned Joss on...Tig felt himself flinch to an alertness that went far beyond shrouding Evermore from Joss's knowledge. This had seemed so sudden on Joss's part, but it was also very explainable. She'd missed him, despite all Tig's efforts to be with her, it just wasn't enough, and she wanted her old man…now…and he was so there for her! "Poe was the Master of Horror," Joss smiled sweetly, as sweetly as any dark, little, perfect angel could, and Tig felt everything powerful and wanton harden within him, but Joss still wasn't done. She stepped closer; straddling the bench Tig sat on just enough…God fucking damn it! She was practically spreading her legs standing up! She smiled even broader, "If 'Master of Horror' isn't you, then who is it?"