I went back into the office with mom. She could tell that I didn't want to talk about it, so we sat and did paperwork. It was a comfortable silence. We finally got caught up on all of the piles of work backlogged from the past few months. The only thing that broke the silence was Gemma's stomach growling.

"Someone needs lunch." I said, laughing.

"Well, by the looks of the sky I'd say dinner."

"Oh, damn." It was pitch black outside. "At least we got all this paperwork done."

"Yeah."

I looked over and saw the guys coming out of the clubhouse. "Looks like the guys are leaving. Vote's over."

"Jax went through with it?"

"Yeah. I tried but he didn't want to hear it."

I got up and walked outside. I saw Wayne walking over to me.

"What're you doing here?"

"Shifts over so I thought I'd come over and get some air in my tires."

"Hey Juice!" I hollered at him and he ran over. "Can you put some air in Unser's tires?"

"You got it."

"Hey, wait." I grabbed his arm. "Tell me it didn't pass."

"I'm sorry."

"Damn it. Go." I said when he hovered around. "The club's gonna need your help, Wayne."

"With what?"

"I need you to protect them."

"Why do they need protection? What're they gonna do?"

I gave him a sad smile and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"Okay." He nodded.

"Okay."

Jax was getting on his bike with Tara when I walked over. "I need you to come to the house. You too doc."

"Amelia-"

"Please Jax. There's something I need to tell you. All of you."

"We'll be there." Tara said.

I walked back into the office and told mom to get her stuff.

"Why?"

"We're going home. It's time I fix this."

"Dad!" He walked over to us. "Come to the house, now. I need to talk to you guys about something."

"Is everything okay?"

"No. Everything is not okay, but it will be."

Mom rode on the bike with dad, so I walked over to my car. As I opened the door, I looked up and saw Tig. He walked over to me.

"I didn't know you got released."

"This morning."

"Good. I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm whole if that's what you mean. Dawn said you were good to her."

"Oh, I just took her home and was gonna have her for dinner, but it turned into a disaster." I laughed.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about Luann."

"Yeah, me too."

"Look Amelia, I'm sorry about what happened between us."

"You mean when you left me or when you kicked me out of your hospital room, which I practically lived in for days by the way."

"It's not all on me."

"I know that."

"Hell, I'm trying to apologize here."

"Well, you're doing a hell of a job." He let out a breath and backed up. "I gotta go Tig."

"Wait, I don't wanna leave this like it is."

"Well then say something. I can't keep going around in circles."

"I forgive you."

"Excuse me?"

"I forgive you for pushing me away."

"You forgive me?"

"Yeah. Can we please go back to the way things were?"

"You need to really think about how this conversation just went and then maybe try a different approach." I said, getting into my car.

"Amelia." He grabbed my door.

"You need to let go."

"No, I'm not done talking to you."

"Tough shit. Now let go of my door, now." He just stood there. "Alexander Trager I swear to God. My Martha Stewart's wearin' real thin right now."

"Fine." He backed up and closed the door.

I looked at him for a minute before starting the car and heading home. I lit a joint on my way. This was going to suck.

When I got to the house, Jax and Tara were still outside, but mom and dad were inside already.

"Hey." I said, walking towards the door. "You comin in?"

"What's this about Amelia. The vote's over, it's done."

"This isn't about you going Nomad. Come inside."

I walked in and saw mom and dad sitting at their spots at the table. Dad at the head and mom on his left. I sat next to her and waited for Jax and Tara to sit across from us.

"I have something to tell you all and I need you to just sit and listen." Dad and Jax nodded when I looked at them. I looked at Tara and took a deep breath. "The night of Bobby's party. I wasn't in a car accident. I was attacked." I looked up and mom and she looked confused, a look that was mirrored around the table. "A girl pulls up behind me, she says her baby's choking. She was hysterical and very convincing, but… it was a goddamn doll in the car seat. She hit me over the back of the head with a… a um, a blackjack or somethin." I stopped to take a breath and light a cigarette from my pack on the table. "When I came to, I was handcuffed to a chain link in a warehouse off Route 10." I looked at Tara and she nodded at me. "I saw these guys. They had masks so I couldn't see his face… but when he spoke, I knew his voice, the tat on his neck. It was Weston. Zobelle sent him."

Jax was getting angry. He let go of Tara's hand and squirmed in his seat. "He had a message for you." I looked at dad. "Stop selling guns to color. Said if you didn't he'd find me and do it again." I dropped my head for the last part and got quieter. I refused to look at my mother. I couldn't stand the heartbreak I knew would be in her eyes. "They raped me. All three of them. More than once."

I just sat with my hands on the table, waiting for their response. Jax was squirming again and he slammed his hand down on the table, making me, mom, and Tara jump. He looked so apologetic when I met his eyes. He got up from the table and walked around to me. He grabbed my hands and kissed my knuckles.

"I'm so so sorry."

I just lowered my head. For once in my life, I didn't know what to say. He put a hand on mom's shoulder for a minute before moving on to dad. He put one hand on his shoulder and dad laid his on top, then Jax put both hands on his shoulders and squeezed. I finally looked over at mom and she had tears in her eyes, but she hadn't let them fall. She grabbed my hands and I pulled her into a hug. I finally realized how hurt I was and I cried. I finally let my walls down and felt safe in my mother's arms.

I heard the door open but I didn't care enough to look up, I knew it was Jax leaving. My dad came over and sat on my other side. He put his hand on my back and I raised up. He was crying too; I had never seen my dad cry before. He reached his arms out so he could pull us both to him. We sat with each other and were content for the first time in a long time. We all cried for hours.

Eventually, I got up and got a drink, lighting another cigarette. I came back to the table and dad got up to get him and mom a drink, bringing back the bottles. We sat at the table drinking, smoking, occasionally crying, all night long. Before we knew it, the sun was up and mom's birds were chirping.

"Well, I need a shower." Mom said, standing.

She looked at me with love, not pity like I thought she would. "I'm okay." I said. She kissed us both and went upstairs.

"We've gotta tell the guys." Dad said with his eyes down.

"I know. Could you do it? I don't think I can."

"Of course. Do you want to tell Tig first?"

"No, that's okay. I have a feeling he and I are done."

"Do you remember what we talked about last month?"

"Gonna need more details there, pop."

"When I told you I thought you two were good for each other. I meant that, baby. Talk to him. Tell him what's been going on. Don't give up on what you have. Real love is rare, you have to hold on to it." He said, looking towards the stairs.

"Tig's never gonna want to be inside something that's been ripped up like me."

"Jesus, okay. I'm gonna put the fact that I'm your father to the side for a minute. Tig loves you."

"Love don't mean shit. You know that as well as I do." I lit another smoke. "Men need to own their pussy. His has been violated. He'll find another. It's what you all do." I said, getting up and going upstairs.