Hey, all! It's been a while since I last updated. I wanted to apologize for that. Life has been very hectic for me as of late, and, unfortunately, I think it is going to continue to be a bit hectic. I am going to try my best to continue updating though. I'm not sure if my updates will be weekly like they used to; I'm thinking that every other week might be a bit more doable. But I do intend to keep updating this story. Anyway, a big thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story! I hope that you enjoy this chapter, and don't be afraid to leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Three weeks went by since Donna's funeral. As promised, Opie disappeared for a while, taking some time to clear his head. With him gone and the ATF out of town, things slowly returned to normal. Cora was beginning to settle back into her life in Charming again, things growing simple, nothing out of the usual.

She buried herself in her work to pass the time, and she was actually quite enjoying it; working alongside Dr. Emilia Reid was proving to be a fun time. The pharmacist was quite the character, goofy, with a love for video games, yet also extremely smart and professional. Talking with her between patients always brought a smile to Cora's face. It was nice having a friend outside of the club; it really helped her establish a sense of normalcy in Charming, and to truly accept and find some sense of contentment with her new life.

On the morning which marked exactly three weeks since the funeral, Opie finally returned home, coming back just in time for Bobby's welcome home party. All of the Elvis impersonator's murder charges had been dropped somehow, and he was finally getting released from police custody. The whole club was celebrating the news; even some of the other charters were going to be making an appearance.

Cora was glad that Opie was back, and she was happy to know that Bobby was out, and that the club was finally done with the ATF, yet she couldn't help but worry that things were going to heat up again. She had a feeling of dread inside her the whole morning as she thought about the party and going to see SAMCRO.

She had been avoiding the clubhouse ever since the funeral, mostly because she didn't want to face Tig or Clay on her own. She wasn't sure that she would be able to control herself if she crossed paths with the President or his Sergeant-at-Arms. All it would take was one glare from her and they would know that she knew the truth; there was no telling what they would do if they were aware of her knowledge. She had been checking in on Jax, Gemma, and Tara though; they were her true tie to the club, and so she still wanted to be around them as much as she could, just in a calmer, less risky setting.

Yet, after weeks of avoiding them, she was finally going to walk into the lion's den. However, she wasn't going to be alone, and she trusted that she would be able to distract herself from the two men. Cath was going to be at the party, as always, and Cora had recently learned that both Happy and Kozik would be there too. And there was nothing that Kozik was better at than keeping Tig far away.

Cora sat in her hospital office as she continued to mull through her thoughts regarding the party. She just wanted everything to go well, to be peaceful and relaxing. She hadn't seen Kozik since a few days after the funeral when he had left to go on a run with another charter, so she was eager to see him. In a way, he had become a close friend, someone that she trusted; he was fun to be around, and she missed their conversations.

She was quickly wrenched from her thoughts by the sound of a knock at the door. She looked up from her desk, mumbling "come in," and then watched as her twin entered into the room, Unser trailing behind her.

"Hey, sis," Cath waved, grinning.

Instantly, Cora stood up, heading across the room to hug both visitors. "What are you two doing here?" she wondered once she pulled back, raising a brow.

"Thought we'd stop in and say hi now that dad's appointment is done," Cath explained.

"How'd it go?" Cora looked to her father, slightly concerned. She had been checking in regularly, either calling him or Cath every night to hear about how he was doing. She had come to Charming to support her father, and so she was doing just that.

"Everything's fine," he assured her, trying to seem nonchalant. He knew how worried she got about the situation. "Cancer's contained to my bladder, which is good." He managed a smile, patting her arm comfortingly.

"I'm glad to hear that," she replied.

A beat of silence passed over everyone as they all stood looking one another over. Finally, Cath was the one to break the peace. "Do you need a ride to Bobby's party tonight?" she asked.

Cora swallowed nervously at the mention of the party, yet nodded all the same. "Yeah, I'll need a ride there," she replied. "A ride back might be nice too."

Her twin snorted, shaking her head at the suggestion. "I doubt it'll be safe for me to drive you home." She paused, smirking at the sudden thought that popped into her mind. "Besides, Kozik'll be there to take you home."

"True," Cora remarked. She noticed the teasing look that was still plastered to Cath's face, and opened her mouth to address it, yet was cut short by the sound of the door opening. Cora looked around her sister and father, watching as a familiar redhead with glasses popped her head in: Dr. Emilia Reed.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, eyes going wide. "I didn't realize you had company."

Cora shook her hands, brushing aside the pharmacist's apology. "It's alright, Emilia," she responded with a smile. "What do you need?"

"Got a patient on the third floor that they want you to assess," she explained.

The young counselor glanced back to her family, frowning. "I have to go," she lamented.

"That's okay, sweetheart," Unser responded. "We have to get going anyway."

They said their goodbyes, hugging one another before Cora bolted from the room, following Emilia to the third floor, burying herself into her work and shoving the party out of her mind for the time being.

David stood outside the diner, his blood boiling with anger. Just moments before, he had been inside with his brother, Jacob, conversing with Ethan Zobelle and A.J. Weston, two members of the League of American Nationalists, a group of white separatists. They had come to town, looking to set up a cigar business, and to also establish a deal with Jacob. They wanted to help him crush SAMCRO, all because they were angry that the club was dealing guns to the Mayans and the One-Niners.

While David did want the MC gone, he didn't want the League to be the ones to take them out. If they did, then they would just take SAMCRO's place. He didn't want to just swap one outlaw group out for another, especially a racist one.

After hearing the two businessmen try and justify their hateful beliefs, David finally had enough and stormed out. Now outside, he took a moment to catch his breath, trying to decompress, only to notice Jacob walking up behind him.

Before he could say anything, David spoke, scowling at his older brother. "Do you know what those guys do?" he seethed. "Since when do you smoke up with neo-Nazis?"

"I know who they are," he shot back. "I'm not an idiot." He paused, sighing before looking to his brother, trying to muster up the skill to persuade him. "This is our chance to get Charming back. They'll help us push SAMCRO out."

"Yeah; they'll get them out and then replace them," David remarked. "I'm not just going to stand by while another outlaw group takes over."

But Jacob was unrelenting; he continued to debate, set on winning his brother over. "The League's got no interest in Charming," he assured. "For them it's about race."

The Deputy Chief shook his head disappointedly at his brother. "And that makes it okay?" He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Jacob's mouth. He understood that he wanted SAMCRO gone, but going about it in this way was just uncalled for.

Jacob frowned at David's response, staring him down. "Grow up, little brother," he grumbled. "We've got a real shot at regaining our town once and for all; don't just throw it all away."

"This isn't the way to do it," he argued. "It's not right. Charming is no place for white hate."

Jacob studied the Deputy Chief's expression further, staring into his eyes; he was struck with a sudden thought that he had never considered before. "This is about Cora, isn't it?" he sighed.

At the mention of Cora, David felt himself grow even angrier. He hadn't actually considered her until that moment, but once the thought of her was in his mind, he couldn't get it out. Thinking about how she would react to the League being around and how they would treat her just made him feel even more opposed to their presence.

"I don't want them in this town," he muttered finally. His tone was serious and firm, enough so to stun Jacob for a few moments.

And before Jacob could regain his composure and continue the conversation, David turned, opened the door to his jeep, and hopped in. Then, he promptly shut the door to his jeep and started the car engine before driving off, leaving his brother alone on the sidewalk.

It was hours later, and Cora and Cath were both at the clubhouse for the party. When they arrived, they had found Gemma holding Abel while trying to help set up before everyone else showed up.

The instant that Cath spotted Gemma with the baby, she headed over and graciously took him from her. She had been working as his nanny for three weeks already, and had been enjoying it thoroughly, so taking him off the matriarch's hands for a little while was no problem at all.

Now, Cath sat with him at a picnic table, clutching him close to her chest as she rocked him back and forth. Cora sat by her side, watching inquisitively. "You're really good with him," she admitted.

Cath smirked, looking over at her sister. "Thanks." She paused a moment, snorting as she thought back to her time spent as a waitress. "Glad to know that I'm finally succeeding at something."

She continued rocking Abel in her arms, smiling down at him until her attention was suddenly stolen away by the sound of approaching motorcycles. She looked up from Abel, turning her head, watching as a group of Sons rode in.

Most of the guys were unrecognizable; people from all charters were coming down to welcome Bobby home. But two Sons were unmistakable: Happy and Kozik. Both twins watched as the two bikers parked their motorcycles and got off, making their way over.

Cora immediately stood up, smiling as they approached, looking specifically at Kozik. "Welcome back," she grinned.

They stopped before her, Kozik meeting her gaze; he was instantly captivated. "Good to see you again," he greeted. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his feelings under control as she motioned for him to sit down at the picnic table with her and her twin.

This always seemed to happen after her went away for a few weeks; he would visit another charter for a while and his thoughts of her would subside. Yet, the moment that he would return to Charming and come in contact with her again, every little feeling would resurface. He would be utterly overwhelmed by her, every fiber of his being screaming at him to make a move.

Happy watched as his friend joined Cath and Cora at the table, hiding his smirk with his cigarette, exhaling a stream of smoke. It was so obvious to him that Kozik was interested in Cora; how she herself didn't see it amused him. Kozik was a tough son of a bitch, but he let his emotions rule him more than most, especially in comparison to the Tacoma Killer.

"Mind putting that out?" Cath asked, breaking through Happy's thoughts. He turned, looking to her, raising a brow. She pointed to the cigarette in his hand before clarifying, "It's not good for the baby."

Happy grumbled but didn't argue, tossing the cigarette to the ground and snuffing the flame out with his shoe. He then decided to join her and the two unrequited lovers at the table, taking a seat beside her and looking down at Abel. "Why do you have the kid?" he inquired, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"I'm his nanny, remember?" she remarked. "So I'm watching him til Gemma's ready to take him home."

"Right," Happy snorted, thinking back to when she had made mention of the news at Abel's homecoming party a few weeks prior. Of all people for Jax to ask to be Abel's nanny, he had chosen her, the girl that everyone always characterized as an utter train wreck. It was equally odd and amusing. "So you've given up on bein' a waitress for good, huh, Cat?"

"I was a bad waitress," she muttered, shaking her head at the memory of her job at the diner; it all felt like one bad nightmare. "But I'm a hell of a lot better at this."

"I'd sure hope so," he snickered.

Cath playfully rolled her eyes at his comment, though she said nothing else. Instead, she shifted her attention back to the baby on her lap, cooing at him. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Happy observing her with Abel; she thought she saw the slightest hint of a smile on his face as he watched. She considered making a snide comment, but decided against it.

So she merely let the silence take over as she focused solely on Abel. Happy lingered for a while longer before losing interest and getting up to greet more bikers as they arrived. Night was quickly creeping in, the sky darkening as the time for Bobby's arrival drew nearer.

Soon, all the guests were there, a large crowd accumulating outside as they waited for the ATF to drop off Bobby. With the party ready to start at any moment, Gemma came over to get Abel. Cath smiled at her as she approached, and then gingerly handed him over to his grandmother.

"Thanks for watching him," Gemma grinned.

Cath gave a small nod. "It's no problem at all," she shrugged. "He's a sweet kid; I love being his nanny."

Gemma smirked. "Told you it wasn't hard." She opened her mouth to say more, but was abruptly cut off by the sound of a car pulling in.

Both women turned, looking at the car confusedly. Cath frowned, "That doesn't look like the ATF."

They watched as four men got out of the vehicle. They were all dressed rather nicely and quite business-like, and they walked in a pack towards Clay and Tig, who were standing in the middle of the parking lot. As the strangers approached, all of the Sons made their way out of the crowd, gathering behind Clay as back-up; even Kozik, who had been deeply immersed in conversation with Cora, got up and joined his brothers.

"Who are those guys?" Cath asked. Something about the men seemed off-putting, and it was clear that the Sons viewed them as some kind of threat.

Gemma maintained a cool composure though, merely shrugging in response, displaying no fear. "I'm sure they're no one important," she replied smoothly. "Clay'll scare them off. Don't worry."

They watched in silence as the leader of the group handed over a box of something to Clay. Then they talked for a while; a few of the Sons laughed at some of the comments that were made, though their laughter seemed more mocking than friendly. After a few minutes, the men finally turned around and made their way back to their car.

The instant they started walking off, Gemma looked to Cath, "Now that that's over, I'm gonna go say goodbye to Clay. Then I'm getting this little guy to bed." She paused for a moment before adding, "Have fun. Don't do anything stupid."

Cath rolled her eyes. "Don't do anything stupid" seemed to be everyone's advice to her before a big party. "Thanks, Gem," she snorted. "I'll do my best."

She watched as Gemma took off towards Clay, Abel still nestled in her arms. As she neared Clay, one of the unfamiliar men passed by her. He didn't touch her though; instead, he swerved out of the way, avoiding bumping into her and the baby, and then made it back to his car.

Whoever they were, Cath was glad that they were gone. Something seemed off about the men; she made a mental note to ask someone about the situation later.

For now, she was going to go find herself a beer. She was officially baby-free and able to really kick back and enjoy the party that was about to unfold.

After a little while longer, Bobby finally arrived, Agent Stahl dropping him off. The instant he got out of the car, he was swallowed up by the crowd, the party coming right to life.

As usual, Cath found Tig during the festivities, engaging in their usual drinking games. They didn't last nearly as long as normal though, but she was still grateful to do them with him. He was one of her best friends; being around him was always a good time.

Then, once they were done with their games and Tig lost his attention to some blonde croweater, Cath made her way inside. She had no idea where Cora was, though she figured that she was with Kozik, probably talking his ear off.

After just walking around for a bit, mingling with anyone and everyone she recognized, she found herself in the hallway to the dorms, leaning against the wall. She was beginning to feel a little unsteady from all the alcohol she had consumed, and she needed a moment away from the crowd and the noise, though she knew she wouldn't need to rest for long. She had been partying for years now; she had trained herself to last all night without crashing and burning.

She stood, watching the sea of bikers and croweaters as they danced around and made out to their hearts' content. Yet, her attention peaked when she spotted a certain someone weave his way past everyone, heading towards her: Happy.

"Hey, Cat," he smirked, stopping in front of her.

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest at his greeting. "You're never going to drop that stupid nickname, are you?" It seemed that he always found a way to incorporate it into any interaction he had with her.

"Nah," he mused gruffly, shaking his head. "I'm not." He paused briefly, a devilish look crossing over his face, "Not unless you can make me."

Cath stared up at him, meeting his playful gaze. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol screwing with her brain, but for the first time, Happy appeared to be brutishly handsome; just looking at him set her aflame.

She had always considered him to be good looking, but as she stood before him in the moment, he seemed to be especially irresistible. There was something that was attractive about his mysterious and foreboding nature; even his constant teasing made him more desirable. She didn't know why, but it was true all the same.

As she stood, looking at him, pondering what to say to counter his comment, a sudden thought popped into her mind. Had she been sober, she likely wouldn't have even considered the idea, thinking it to be too bold of a move to make on someone like Happy. But she wasn't the least bit sober, and she was looking for a way to shut him up, as challenged. So, without taking time to consider her actions, she acted on her sudden attraction to the Tacoma Killer, and kissed him.

One moment, she was standing, looking up at him, and the next, she was pulling him down by his kutte, crushing her lips against his, adrenaline coursing through her veins. For a split second, he didn't do anything, standing quite motionless; she wondered if his lack of a reaction was a bad sign, perhaps an indication that she had overstepped somehow. But she was quickly proven wrong.

Happy wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, holding her close as he returned the kiss. His lips were strong, demanding; he dominated over her, kissing her with an urgency and ferocity that took her breath away. Passion flooded her, her heart racing and blood pumping quicker than ever before. She felt an intense desire to take things further, wanting his hands to be all over her.

He pulled back abruptly, leaving her gasping for breath. She looked up at him, gazing into his dark eyes, wide and filled with lust. This was the most emotion, aside from amusement and annoyance, that she'd ever seen him display before.

He didn't say anything at first as he stared down back at her; but then, out of nowhere, he kissed her again, pushing her up against the wall, pressing his body against hers. She heard him growl out something about her tattoo.

She pulled away for a brief moment, breathless, filled with desire, craving his touch. "You still wanna see my tattoo?"

Within an instant, he picked her up and carried her into the nearest dorm room, ready to tear her clothes off.

It seemed that she had her answer.

After about an hour or so, Cora started to get tired of the party. She had work in the morning and wanted to get home and go to sleep, to be far away from all of the loud, drunken people around her.

She weaved her way through the crowd, trying to locate Kozik amongst the sea of people. They had been hanging out for most of the night, though he had left to use the bathroom. It had a been a little bit since he had disappeared, and he had yet to return, which Cora found odd. She headed for the bar, wondering if maybe he had gone to get a drink. Only, she didn't see him there.

Cora furrowed her eyebrows, confusion and slight panic flooding her. Usually, Kozik was easy to find in a crowd, mostly because he intentionally tried to make himself known to her. He always wanted to be around her, to talk about anything and everything. It wasn't like him to just disappear, to abandon her in the middle of pure chaos.

A sudden thought popped into her mind, an explanation regarding his absence. What if he was hooking up with someone?

The idea left her feeling oddly upset, though she couldn't place why. There was just something that didn't sit right with her as she considered the possibility that he could be sleeping with another woman. The more she thought about it, the more envious she became, though her jealousy was unexplainable to her. Why should she be upset about his love life? It wasn't like they were together; she didn't even want romance. Or did she?

Cora froze up the instant the question entered her mind. "No, I do not like him," she mumbled under her breath. There was no room in her life for romance; it just wasn't something she was meant to have. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the thought from her head and rid herself of it.

Sighing, Cora pulled out her phone, pushing away all thoughts regarding the blonde biker, and dialing the only number she could think to call. She knew that asking Cath would be pointless. Her sister was probably passed out drunk somewhere, incapable of driving. Either that or there was a chance that she was hooking up with someone too. So, now, Cora was down to her last option: her father. She just hoped that he'd answer this late at night.

She held the phone up to her ear, listening as it rang a few times. When it seemed like the call was going to run out of time, she finally heard a click on the other end, followed by the concerned voice of her father. "Coralie?"

"Hey, dad," she replied, relieved to hear his voice. "Do you think you can pick me up from the clubhouse? I need to get home and don't have anyone to take me."

Her father's response was quick. "Whatever you need, sweetheart."

Cora couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, dad," she murmured. "Just meet me out front." Unser agreed and then said a quick goodbye before hanging up the phone.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Cora pocketed her phone and headed straight for the exit. Her father was coming to her rescue.