I am so happy to be back to this story. I missed all of you so much!

MamaBearMayhem- It absolutely is difficult to write with little ones but all of it is so worth it! Thank you for commenting and i'm glad you loved it ^.^

I could hear the rumbling of voices in the living room the next morning. I could recognize the different tones being Opie and Chibs talking. Every now and then a higher voice, Gemma, would chime in and I thought I could hear Jax. I felt like a child listening to my parents discuss my future. I laughed at myself even thinking that. I had never even gone through that experience, not with Luanne being her and Otto being in jail.

I had always wondered why Luanne never really had maternal instincts when it came to me. The only time she seemed to really understand me or try to protect me was when I was going in front of a camera. I know that it's easier to understand someone when you have things in common, but I was supposed to be her daughter. I always felt so much pain seeing her care more for the girls that worked for her.

Otto had been a different story. The only time he really left my side was for club business, but even then, I usually went to the clubhouse with him. I was expected to grow up in the life just as much as Jax and Opie. It didn't matter that I was a girl, it only mattered that I was protected by every member of the club. I was entwined even more than I ever thought, but Otto never made me feel like I didn't belong. I was always daddy's little girl.

It crossed my mind that if he hadn't gone to jail, I may never have found out my true past. I wondered if he would have told me if he had still been around. He knew how close Chibs and I were, but he never commented on it. It had to have been hard for him to see me connect with the man who actually was my father. Just like it had to have been hell for Chibs to see me love Otto as my father.

I shook my head. I knew that I was delving too far into stuff far too soon. I would tell my client to take it a day at a time. Don't take on everything at once. Just learn to accept what is and then move forward from there.

What an impossible thing to do.

My truth was that my birth name was Aingeal Faelinn Telford. I had been born in Ireland to a woman that was killed just because she gave birth to me. Chibs saved me and wears the scars on his face every day. He had been hurt so much just for loving.

My truth also meant that I had overcome everything. I escaped a country where I would have died or been used to hurt Chibs. I came to another one where I was raised around criminals, but I was safer than I ever would have been anywhere else. I worked my way through school and found my way back to the family that raised me. They were the only people who cared about me.

No matter how twisted things became, the truths of my life could keep me grounded. My past didn't define me, but it did add a new component to my life. I lost one father to the system but gained another. He was someone who had always been there regardless of how much it hurt him. He loved me fiercely and if that meant he couldn't show his love the way a father should, he would do it. I wasn't sure that I had ever seen a love like that before, let alone feel it.

Opie.

Opie was the only person who came close to that level of love. He had always protected me. He knocked out anyone who messed with me and even stood back when it hurt him. He watched me almost ruin my life when I twisted my life around Ima. He was mad, but he always did whatever he needed to do to make me happy.

I didn't think I deserved that kind of love, especially when I had hurt him so badly. It was true that I took a bullet because I was in his truck. Someone was targeting him and I took the hit, literally. I did have a right to be upset, but maybe I had wrongly taken it out on him.

The only reason I had survived that attack was because I had dropped my phone. If I hadn't been looking at messages I would have been sitting up. I could have died.

Opie could have died.

He never checked his phone while he was driving, unless it was ringing for a call. He would have been sitting up straight thinking about anything other than the idea that someone could be pulling up to shoot him. It was his truck, but he would have died if he were driving it.

My heart sank in my chest at the idea of him being dead. I didn't ever show much emotion in my life, but knowing that just one small change could have ripped him from my life was terrifying. I'm not sure that I could say I couldn't live without him, but it would have destroyed me. I don't think I could have ever recovered from a loss like that.

I wrapped my arms around myself, taking in the comfort his hoodie was giving me. He always had a distinct smell. It was something that comforted me no matter how I was feeling. I smiled into my shoulder, remembering how significant it was that he ever let me wear it.

Opie had walked into the clubhouse, pissed as hell. I was sitting on one of the couches reading a book for school, even though it was almost putting me to sleep. Gemma had to do some work in the office, so I had been sitting there since I walked out after fighting with a teacher.

"What the hell crawled up your ass?"

"Donna broke up with me."

"What? Why? I thought things were going well?"

Our relationship had always been odd. When we were together it was intense and all consuming. However, when we were split, we were able to talk to each other about anything, including our relationships. There was always a part of me that wanted to push back into a relationship with him whenever he had a girlfriend, but that was more jealousy than anything else. And I sure as fuck didn't do jealousy.

"Yeah, well it wasn't."

He flopped down next to me, putting his feet up on the table in front of us. Even at sixteen he was still tall as hell. I put my book on my lap and crossed my legs as I turned to face him.

"What happened?"

"You."

"What?"

He sighed and rubbed his temples.

"She knew you had one of my hoodies."

"I've had it for like a year and a half. It's basically mine now."

"Well, I know that. She got pissed though. She asked me for one of mine and I wouldn't give it to her. I hate that possessive shit."

"You let me take yours."

"You're.. well.. you."

"I'm not sure that kind of explanation would ever make much sense to anyone else that isn't part of this life."

"It just pissed her off more. She accused me of still fucking you."

I laughed and shook my head.

"If we wanted to, we wouldn't hide it. Never have."

"Yeah that didn't really fly with her either."

I laughed again and rolled my eyes.

"I can give you back the hoodie if it would get her off your back."

He looked at me and put his hand on my knee.

"No. That's yours. Our relationship or lack of one doesn't change what we mean to each other."

"If you keep that up, you're never going to find a girl that is going to stick around."

"Not sure any of them would ever chalk up to how I feel about you, Angel. You've always been part of my life and you can't just stop loving someone like that."

I smiled and put my hand on his, wrapping my fingers around the side of his hand.

"The feeling is mutual. I can't ever see my life without you in it."

"Guess I better just give up on girls then."

I smirked back at him. His eyes were holding nothing but trouble and I loved it.

"Yeah, guess you better give up."

We fell into a comfortable silence as the rest of the clubhouse kept buzzing around us. I propped my legs up across him as I leaned back and went back to reading. His hands rested on my thigh, just like they always did. Being close to him was natural. It didn't matter what title we did or didn't have.

Nothing had really changed when it came to the two of us. Even though I left he had welcomed me back with open arms. He had his heart broken and his kids taken away by Donna, yet he still wanted me around. I had seen Jax shut down for less. Opie was one of kind. Our lives had always been intertwined and I wondered if they always would be. I did know that if I were to stay in Charming, there was no way I could stay away from him. No matter what happened, he was my past and my future.

After a while, I hopped out of bed and changed into a tank top and a pair of shorts. As comfortable as I was, daytime in California was not going to be comfortable in yoga pants and a hoodie. I decided then that I wasn't going to let it tear me down. My life had changed, that was for sure, but I had already been through so much. I couldn't let something like finding out I had more family destroy me. I walked out into the living room to see some of my favorite people sitting at the table talking.

"Morning, lovies. Any coffee left?"

They all fell silent, but Opie gave me his signature smile. I smiled back at him as Chibs hopped up and went to get me a cup of coffee. He put a few spoonful's of sugar in and way too much creamer, just like I liked it. He handed it to me as I sat down across from his seat, right next to Opie.

"Thanks, Chibs."

"No problem, sweetheart."

"Don't know how you can drink that shit."

I took a sip as I looked at Jax and smirked. He looked completely disgusted.

"Have to get sweetness somewhere, surrounded by all you jackasses."

"Ouch. You wound me, Fae."

"Damn, I must have been slacking if me saying thatwounded you."

Jax laughed and grinned at me. I glanced over at Opie when I felt his hand on my thigh. I gave him a little smile before turning to Gemma.

"Do you need any help around the clubhouse today?"

"I thought you had to work?"

"I really only have paperwork to do right now. They moved all my patients over to the therapists when I was shot. I don't really want to go into the office today. Besides, all the paperwork was digitized so I can sign off on it from anywhere."

"Why don't we go up to the cabin for a bit?"

I looked up at Opie and squint my eyes.

"Isn't Piney living up there?"

"I already talked to him. He was the one who offered it."

I looked back at Jax and crossed my arms.

"What are you guys hiding from me."

"Bigger deal with the Irish, lass. Now that you know our history, they can't know you're here."

"The man on the table."

"Aye. He knew your ma. Ya look just like her."

"We need time to convince him you're just an old lady. You're healed up now. It would be normal for you and your old man to get out of town for a while together."

"Business as usual."

Jax nodded and sighed.

"Kind of expected you to blow a gasket, Fae."

"I just found out I'm not who I thought I was. Asking me to split from town for a bit is nothing."

"Just ta keep ya safe."

Gemma finally sat forward and took my right hand.

"You know, this might be good for you anyway. You went right from healing to back to work."

"I'm still going to need to work. That doesn't end."

"I know baby. Just want you to take care of yourself."

I started feeling uncomfortable with how everyone was looking at me so I sat back and laughed.

"Take care of myself? Why do that when I have all these tough guys looking out for me."

None of them fell for my shit but they let it drop. Jax and Chibs left after letting Opie know they would be outside. Gemma excused herself to her room to take care of the birds, leaving me alone with Ope.

"So, when do we head out then?"

"You sure you're good with it?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean better than being locked up in an apartment because someone is breathing down our necks."

"So, your options are being locked up alone or locked up with me in the cabin?"

"That's not what I meant. I'm glad that you're going with me. I know you guys could have just sent a prospect or called one of the guys from Tacoma."

"They would send Kozic or Happy and I'm pretty sure you'd kill both of them."

"So, your options are me killing a patched member or you being stuck with me in the cabin?"

He smirked and kissed me.

"I want to spend time with you. I think we need it."

"Yeah we probably do."

"Good. Go pack some clothes then. I need to go do some shit with the guys but I'll be back."

"How am I getting my stuff up there?"

"Gemma is gonna take it up when she goes up to clean and stock the fridge. Swing over to work and get what you need. Then i'll pick you up. We can take the long way up."

I smiled at him and nodded. After kissing him I went into the spare bedroom and felt myself grinning. Maybe a weekend in the cabin was exactly what I needed.