Last chapter we got a glimpse of Sydney's past, now we get the full story.
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General trigger warnings for this story: Language, smut, mentions of rape, abuse, drug use/overdose, violence/death.
CHAPTER 16: THE RISE OF THE QUEEN
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As the afternoon finally rolled in, Sydney made her way to the chapel for church, having taken the liberty of bringing in a beer and a pack of smokes - knowing that planning a Mayan ambush wouldn't be a quick conversation.
"Alright, we gotta figure out the best way to do this. With the Mayans and Nords, we're gonna be outnumbered." Clay shook his head.
"If we pull this off we only have to worry about the Mayans tailing us back, Nords don't care enough to fight a battle that ain't their own - especially for brown." Tig added.
Clay began explaining his plan for what would undoubtedly be an all out warfare: The Sons would ambush just after 9:00P.M., interrupt the handoff with guns drawn and load the AKs into the van. The plan was smart, but Sydney didn't know if it would be smart enough to avoid a possible casualty by going in blind with bullets flying.
"You need me on the inside." She decided, explaining herself before Clay could protest. "You have no idea where the guns will be or when they'll get there. If I'm on the inside with a gun to Marcus' head we can secure a safe exit."
"And how do you plan on getting a gun in wearing one of your tight little whore dresses?" Bobby mused.
Sydney smirked, pulling her shirt down to reveal a tiny Colt Pony stuffed deep in her cleavage - silently thanking the puberty gods as the guys faces dropped and eyes widened while Tig laughed proudly.
"Didn't see that comin, did ya, old man?" She teased Bobby, tossing a wink to Tig. "And neither will they."
"Darby and some of his guys know what you look like. So does that Mayan we set free." Jax stated.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head, VP. I got that covered." She cooed with a theatrical shrug.
"Juice - in the van. As soon as you roll up, you pull in front of the bikes - they're gonna start firing right away." Juice nodded. "Sack, you're in the van with Chibs - you two are in charge of transport." The Scot gave a curt nod while Sydney smiled at Half-Sack across the room as Clay assigned him his first major role on a job.
"I'll get Jess to drop me off just before 9:00 P.M., I'll text all updates to Juice." Sydney nodded.
The meeting dragged on with the boring details of where the rendezvous points were, how to get there, and what weapons would be best. When it finally wrapped up, Sydney made her way back to Tig's dorm to gather some of the things that she intended on taking home with her before the ambush.
"This ain't gonna be like anything you've done before." A voice came from behind her, the worry in the tone for a split second had her wondering who was speaking. She looked over her shoulder with care - she wasn't scared, but she knew that going undercover in what would end in a shower of bullets was something that for once, warranted the worry of her best friend.
"Don't think I can handle it?" She teased lightly.
"If anyone can, it's you, mi sol." He sauntered into the room. "But bullets... They don't care how good you are. Anyone can get hit."
Sydney smiled to herself. She knew how to get under Happy's skin, but he wasn't completely unaware of how to get under hers - the praise and pet names always did something to her when they rolled off of his tongue, the roughness of his gravelly voice emphasizing the soft words that were so hard to earn from him; making them that much more infectious.
"Guess I'll just have to aim for a flesh wound." She smirked.
"Just don't wanna see anything happen to you. Old man would roll over in his grave and kick my ass." They both shared a chuckle before her smile faltered, feeling the anger bubble in her blood as her emotions began to take over. Her dad's death had thrown her for a loop - made her lose all control over herself, made her act like everything she was against. She hated that her throat stung and her eyes burned with tears every time he was mentioned.
"It's okay to cry." He noticed the change in her stance, walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I miss him too."
Her eyes refocused and her head snapped up from the hung position it had fallen into. "No." She snarled, shaking her head angrily.
"Syd... If it was Ma who died, I woul-"
"Enough." She clenched her jaw, her face hot with anger and unshed tears. "I'm fine."
Happy's chest rumbled with a chuckle as he pulled her against it. "Too much like me, little girl."
Sydney chortled, feeling the tightness in her chest begin to subside. She took a deep breath, finding comfort in his familiar scent of cheap soap and pine needles.
"You need to be careful, too... I don't know what I'd do without you." She said softly.
Happy stared ahead blankly, mindlessly stroking her hair to show his affection rather than responding verbally. "C'mon." He pulled away. "Show these fuckers what I taught you." He spoke with a smirk that her lips curled up to mimic, following him out the door.
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Sydney approached her house on the back of Tig's bike as he pulled into the driveway, turning to unclip her helmet for her.
"You be careful tonight, kitten." He took off his sunglasses to look her in the eyes.
"Of course." She said sweetly while looking up at him, smiling when he threw an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a sweet kiss.
"You better take a long look at me, Sergeant... Cause later tonight you won't have any idea who I am." She mused.
"Don't get me excited like that, pussycat." He growled playfully against her ear.
"You better stay whole for me tonight, I still have to show you what I learned today." She said against his ear this time, smirking as she pulled away.
"Hey, since when do I gotta be whole for that?" He teased as she dismounted his machine.
"You stayin at the clubhouse tonight?"
"Yeah, Clay's gonna need me close after this shit goes down - who knows what it's gonna stir up." Sydney nodded her agreement. "You are too." Her brow creased in confusion. "I don't want you alone tonight." She playfully rolled her eyes when he explained. "I mean it, baby." She chuckled before wrapping her arms around his neck, leaning into his mouth.
"Yes, Sergeant." She kissed him, having absolutely no problem with the excuse to spend another night with him - she just liked giving him a hard time.
"That's my girl." He hummed in approval, grabbing a handful of her ass before she broke away.
A few hours later, Sydney was almost ready with her makeup caked into oblivion, her wig glue in place, brown contacts settled against her green eyes, and temporary tattoos powdered to satisfaction. She slid into the skin tight satin dress when she saw Jessica's red Volkswagen pull up in front of her house - pulling on her cheap hooker heels and spraying the knock-off version of her favourite perfume before she headed out the door.
The brunette didn't notice Sydney walking out the door as she sat playing games on her phone while she waited, looking up when a mysterious woman opened the passenger door and slid in.
"Uh, I think you have the wrong car-" Her brows were furrowed in confusion before she recognized her passenger. "Holy fuck... Sydney?" She exclaimed in shock with her jaw on the floor, making Sydney cackle.
"Not too shabby, huh?"
"How the fuck did you do that? Oh my god... Where were you when I was using other people's IDs?" Sydney laughed again before they headed off to Pope.
Her and Jessica had a fun ride laughing, talking, and singing along to the radio. Sydney saw the wild brunette as a genuine friend, not just a whore who was to obey her commands. The two drove slowly along the dirt road until they saw the old farmhouse which was a much smaller residence for the large gathering than Sydney had expected. She scanned the property, seeing a few old pickups and trucks until her eyes ghosted over them; like a bunch of diamonds - the gleaming Softails.
"Bingo." Sydney smirked. "Thanks, Jess. See you later." She kissed her chauffeur on the cheek, texting Juice to let him know that she was heading in as she strutted up the steps to the farmhouse, entering the rickety structure where she was hit with the strong scent of marijuana and chemicals.
She glanced around, eyeing mostly Nords before she spotted the woman who had given her the address standing with Darby and the man that she had seen with him at the diner - assuming he had to be his new second hand since they'd killed Whistler. She made her way over, standing just close enough that she could catch the end of their conversation - knowing that they would surely be discussing what was about to go down. She served herself a drink while she listened to Darby relay the details of the drop which would be taking place around the side of the house shortly. Once satisfied with the information, she grabbed her drink and headed off to the bathroom - locating the side door on her way, texting Juice with the instructions once she was safely concealed behind the locked door.
Juice and the rest of the Sons were parked on an access road off of the highway a few miles away, awaiting Sydney's final signal to set the plan fully in motion. The group was antsy, but Clay noticed that Tig was squirming on his bike in a way that wasn't his usual 'lets fuck shit up' kind of squirming before a job - this was anxious.
"She's gonna be fine, brother." The President assured him.
"Oh, yeah... I know." He tried to play it off with a casual nod.
"Now." Juice called out, snapping his phone shut.
Tig was grateful for the distraction from his worry, the nerves fueling his actions as he sped off down the road - everyone behind him with their guns in hand.
Sydney had her escape perfectly planned. She snuck out the side door just before Alvarez arrived, rounding the back of the house and standing with her back against the worn wood. Finally, she heard the door creak open, peering around the corner slightly to see Darby, his bitch boy, and two other men exiting as Alvarez pulled up on his bike with a black Impala in tow.
The Mayan President dismounted his bike and shook Darby's hand while his men popped the trunk. The two men walked over to check out the guns, Darby nodding a few seconds later before motioning to one of his guys who then handed Alvarez an envelope. At the last possible second, Sydney heard it - the rumbling of the Harleys. Showtime.
Shots began ringing out as soon as the Mayans realized what was happening - bullets hitting the side of the van where Juice came to a screeching halt in front of the Sons. Sydney grinned as the Niners emerged from the property line behind the trees with guns in hand, successfully giving Half-Sack and Chibs a clear path to unload the crate of AKs as everyone scrambled to find cover.
Sydney was in pure shock as she watched Half-Sack fearlessly walking straight into open fire with his gun drawn, seamlessly taking down one of Darby's guys as Alvarez and another Mayan ran back in her direction - clearly trying to keep the President whole. They rounded the side of the house, which landed them face to face with the barrel of her gun.
"Ay, ese." She greeted the President with a smile. "Mind telling your mano here to pass me his gun?" She nodded to the trembling man who stood behind him.
"And who the hell are you?" Alvarez said with a snicker.
"Oh, sweetie... You gonna make me say the magic words?" She cocked her gun and pressed it harder against his forehead.
"Give it to her, Esai." Alvarez laughed again with a nod before the other man reluctantly placed his gun into her unoccupied hand.
"Gracias, amigo." She thanked seductively, winking at the younger man. "On the ground, hands behind your head. You behave and I'll let your pretty face go without a scratch." She ordered as she stroked the tip of his gun over his face. Esai Alvarez was a beautiful man, it would be a shame to have to carve him up - plus Sydney knew that harming the President's son would likely cause more problems than it was worth.
Esai slowly began to sink to his knees before her, stopping when she snickered and brushed her bare knee against his cheek. "No, sweetheart. Over there." She nodded across the yard, giggling sadistically as he stood shakily and backed away. "Great bodyguard you got yourself, Pres.
"I like this one, Mijo." Marcus laughed to his son
"Call your men off. Now." She ordered, nudging him forward with her gun.
Alvarez surrendered, slowly turning against the barrel so that it was now positioned at the back of his head as the little brunette walked him out into the open where the Mayan gunfire immediately stopped once they saw the predicament that their President was in.
"Guns on the ground." He ordered, the Mayans all dropping their weapons.
The Sons emerged from behind the van when they heard the gunfire cease, Chibs and Half-Sack taking the opportunity to hurriedly get the guns safely into the van while the Niners moved in.
"I think you have something for me, Papi." Sydney cooed into the short man's ear, feeling him tense when he realized that this had all been perfectly set up by the Sons. He exhaled sharply, placing the envelope between her fingers - glancing at the gun in her hand. "Try it, see what happens." She coaxed with a smirk, ripping the envelope out of his grasp. "We'll consider this a finders fee." She taunted loudly enough for the rest of the men to hear, nudging Alvarez again as she continued her strut. "Always a pleasure, Ernie." She winked to Darby as he and his men stood stiffly on the sidelines, unwilling to shed more blood over a Mexican beef.
"You gotta be shittin me..." Darby groaned once he realized who the leggy brunette was.
"Nice car." She cooed before she shot out a tire, the rest of the Sons following suit as they opened fire on all vehicles that could be used to follow them.
"Pleasure doin business." Clay called out with a wave.
The Niners held all of the Mayans and Nords at gunpoint while Sydney safely walked Alvarez over to the van as her crew got ready to make their escape. She nodded to Jax once who took the signal and hightailed it out of there with the rest of the mounted Sons in tow while she kept her gun on Alvarez as she led him around to the sliding door of the van, pushing him to sit as Chibs grabbed her hand to help her up before Juice backed the van into a circle and took off down the road.
"Since when are the Sons recruiting putas?" Alvarez asked with a smug smile.
"Since the Nords started recruiting wetbacks." Sydney retorted, leaning into his face. "Thanks for the cooperation, Marcy - now don't do anything stupid." She said sweetly, kissing him on the cheek before pushing him out of the moving vehicle with her foot. Chibs slid the door shut once their hostage was unloaded, everybody screaming in victory as Juice floored it down the dirt road where they headed to the meeting point.
"Kip!" Sydney gave the prospect a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "What the fuck was that? You were amazing!" She screeched, finally able to express her excitement.
"Ah, it was nothin." He blushed bashfully.
"That was some rambo shit, that was not nothing! Where the fuck did it come from?" She shook her head in shock with the shyness of the young man.
"Dunno, I was in the army so I guess it just comes naturally." He shrugged.
"Ah..." She squinted. "Now I see why they let you prospect." She nodded smugly in realization.
"Aye! I told you I wasn't crazy to sponsor him! I think you two are gonna be up for MVP tonight!" Chibs yelled.
Half-Sack's nerves jolted when he felt Sydney's hand grab his and he looked up to see her beaming with pride - he couldn't believe that he had managed to take her by surprise.
"Doesn't look like they're followin." Juice hollered from the front.
"Good. Maybe they aren't as stupid as they look." Sydney laughed.
Ten minutes later the van rolled to a stop on the opposite side of the access road where the farmhouse was where they were to wait for Laroy and the rest of the Niners so that they could hand off the AKs - complete the order that never should have been interrupted in the first place.
"Hi boys." Sydney called seductively when the door slid open from where she was sitting on the gun crates with a grin on her face and her legs crossed.
The Oakland gang leader's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he was greeted with such an unexpected scene - holding out his hand to help the mystery woman down. She winked at him as soon as her feet hit the ground, strutting over to her crew to exchange victory cheers.
While Clay and Jax handled business, Sydney eyed Tig who was still on his bike a few yards away, keeping watch down the road. She blushed when he looked over and winked at her, looking down to the ground bashfully before a shrill whistle brought her attention right back. She watched as Half-Sack perked up, following the Sergeant's nod as he motioned him over. She chuckled, propping an elbow against the side of the van as she watched the eager kid take his place as lookout.
"Hey, Sergeant." She cooed as he walked over, swaying side to side slowly as she twirled the fake hair around her finger.
"Who is that." Laroy hummed, licking his lips as he raked over Sydney's figure from behind.
"Hey there, darlin." Tig greeted, his lusty eyes giving her a once over before he looked over his shoulder and moved his hands to her waist. "You know, we should probably get outta here before my old lady sees us..." He crashed his lips into hers and shoved her against the van before either of them had time to laugh at his joke, tightening his grip against her as she moaned. His tongue dominated her mouth almost immediately as her hands moved up to his neck, pulling him in further without a care in the world for the audience as the post-heist adrenaline pumping through their veins.
"Wait wait wait.." Laroy winced at the atrocious sight before him. "You aint bouta tell me that she... Is with him?"
"We don't get it either, man." Jax chuckled.
They were standing close enough to be able to hear Laroy's comment, but Sydney was too wrapped up in her man to care. Her man, however, felt anger bubbling within him as he turned so that he could look at Laroy as she moved down to suck and kiss his neck - grinning in satisfaction when the younger man quickly looked away.
"Good, kitten." He purred in her ear as he grasped her hair.
"Think we have time?" She whispered with an evil smile that he quickly returned as she glanced to the van.
"We better wrap this up before they start fuckin right here." Clay announced, shaking Laroy's hand.
Sydney and Tig finally pulled away from each other to retreat to their separate modes of transportation as the handoff was completed. Juice pulled the van into the TM lot, but before Sydney could even step foot on solid ground, Tig was right there waiting for her. He wrapped his arms around her legs and slung her over his shoulder, carrying her into the clubhouse while she freely laughed this time as the whistles began.
"Church!" Clay called as Tig passed him.
"Later." He replied simply with a low growl in his voice.
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Everybody sat around the table in silence, listening to the muffled screams that were audible even from across the clubhouse and behind multiple closed doors.
"Is anyone else getting hard?" Juice asked, causing an uproar of laughter.
"How long d'you give it?" Chibs asked with a grin.
"Thirty seconds." Jax scoffed, everyone erupted with laughter again.
Sydney stayed on her arms and knees for a few seconds after Tig had pulled out, collecting herself before standing up and straightening her dress. When he emerged from the bathroom a few seconds later, he briskly walked towards her, taking her face in his hands and kissing her as soon as she turned to face him. Her body gave into his as she leaned back, pressing herself completely against him - craving the intimacy that the first round had lacked.
"I'll take care of my princess later." He promised tenderly with his lips against her neck, exciting her all over again. She smiled and nodded before he grabbed her hand and led her down the hallway to the chapel where she smiled bashfully and rolled her eyes when they entered to a round of hassling.
"Now that is how we get shit done." Clay stated as the stragglers took their seats, bringing on a new round of cheers. "Laroy's happy, business resumes as usual, gonna set up that new warehouse with Elliot."
"What kinda discount did Laroy get out of us?" Sydney grimaced in anticipation for the blow.
"Only thirty... Wanted fifty but a certain brunette changed his mind." Jax shot her a knowing grin.
"You saved our asses Princess. We owe this shit to you." Clay nodded as he tossed an envelope across the table - the envelope that Laroy had given Clay in payment for the crate of AKs. "Laroy was pure profit. You got our money from Alvarez… You deserve that."
"Wow... A week with you guys and I've managed my whole salary back in San Bern." She mused as she thumbed through the $20K with a genuine smile in response to the first real bit of praise that the VP had shown her.
Clay smiled softly, his eyes falling downwards before he was startled by a breeze - looking up to see that she had tossed the envelope back to him. He scowled deeply while Tig looked at her questioningly, the other men knitting their brows when she passed up the hefty payday.
"The club is a team, not a dictatorship." She shook her head. "Split it the same way you did the thirty five we got from Alvarez… Like you said, business as usual. You wanna cut me in a little extra? I won't complain." She shrugged with a smirk. "But I want a share given to the prospect." Half-Sack's head shot up at the unexpected request.
"You know what you're doin here, princess?" Clay looked for further confirmation, shocked that she was passing up the money, but even more shocked that she was riding this hard for the club.
"Yes, sir." She stated confidently with a nod.
Clay clearly didn't understand, but he nodded haphazardly, respecting her wishes and handing Bobby the envelope to divy up. "We head out tomorrow at noon."
"Police scanner software is downloading now." Juice reported to his President before he concluded the meeting.
Most of the guys headed home after church except for Juice who sat at the bar finishing up his installation, and Jax who headed to the dorm that he had claimed as his over the last few months - still not ready to move back to his own house after what had happened there with Wendy and the baby.
"So... Doesn't look like anyone's too worried about retaliation tonight." Sydney mused as she closed the door to Tig's dorm, shooting him a discerning look with a raised brow.
"You never know, doll." He shook his head while squinting in an attempt to appear concerned as he sat on the edge of his bed untying his boots.
"You sure you just didn't want me to stay with you again?" She teased, walking towards him and placing her hands on his shoulders, smirking down at him. He said nothing as he grinned up at her while his hands trailed up the back of her thighs. She laughed before pulling away, retreating to the bathroom to begin the process of transforming back into herself.
She was about to start the shower once her wig was off and her contacts were out when she realized something she hadn't realized before - his shower was actually a bathtub. She felt her body filling with excitement - she loved baths, and her new house didn't have one. She leaned out the doorway to see Tig lounging back on the bed, watching TV with his arms behind his head and his feet up. Seeing him like this made her smile, he looked so casual and at peace - she rarely got to see him distracted by something other than herself. But the giddy smile on her face reignited the yearning that she felt for his touch - still feeling deprived from earlier, deciding that she would use this opportunity to try and get the intimacy that she desired.
"Babe!" She called, leaning against the sink as she wiped the fake tattoo off of her arm. It didn't take long until she was face to face with him in the mirror, unable to help but smile before turning around to face him where he quickly cupped her face with one hand and cradled the back of her head with the other.
"There's my sweet girl." He grinned, running his fingers through the pale hair that he was used to while he pulled her face to meet his lips.
Sydney smiled against his mouth, scooting to sit on the sink without breaking the kiss. She placed her hands on his sides, clutching his hips between her knees as she continued moving her lips against his, her tongue quickly finding its way into his mouth as she moaned - turning the sweet kiss into a sensual makeout session.
"What'd you want, kitten?" He pulled away, still holding her close.
"Can I have a bath?" She smiled up at him.
"Of course, baby." He chuckled. "But if you need bubblebath, I'm afraid you're out of luck."
"Well..." She smirked, walking her fingers up his chest. "I need my old man." She draped her other arm over his shoulder as her hand trailed back down his chest and up under his shirt. "Your kitten's had a long day without her Tiger." She mock-pouted as she spoke at his lips, feeling him hardening against her thigh.
Tig bit his lip, breaking eye contact as he tried to contain himself. He had his own plan for how their night was going to go, and he wanted it to be more than just another bout of exhibitionism.
"Later." He looked back down at her, dropping his hands from her head to her waist. "Got some shit I need to do." He bit his lip again, growing impatient as she jutted out those pouty lips - tightening his grip on her waist and moving a hand to clamp the back of her neck, pressing his forehead against hers. "No attitude. Have your bath, relax. I'll fuck you when you're done."
Sydney felt a heat radiate through her entire body as she listened to his commands - his dominant actions but sweet tone - biting her lip and nodding slowly with a feverish look on her face until he gave her a curt nod and started out the bathroom door.
"One more thing."
"Mmm?" He hummed inquisitively as he turned back, hanging onto the door frame in anticipation for her request. She smiled devilishly and turned around, moving her hair over her shoulder before peering back at him. His breath caught in his throat, hesitating for a second before he briskly walked over and began to tug the zipper down as fast as possible.
"Careful." She whirled around and smacked his hand. "You'll break it and have to buy me a new one." She teased with a smirk, turning back around while he bit his lip and kept his stoic expression. He started again, carefully pulling the zipper down the length of her spine.
His body betrayed him when she pressed herself back against him, closing her eyes as she hummed quietly - his hands went on autopilot, smoothing up her sides as his lips went to the crook of her neck.
Sydney shivered, whimpering as his lips grazed her skin. She reached up behind her to grasp the back of his neck - still needing more contact. Every single thing about him set her body on fire; his scent, his warmth, his breath.
"My needy little girl." He chuckled against her neck.
"It's not my fault you showed me what I was missing all this time." She responded innocently.
Tig spun her around and roughly reclaimed her lips, pulling away to lift her by the waist before placing her back on the counter. She smiled evilly as she pulled him back to her, his grip on her waist tightening as one of his hands moved down to her ass where he pulled her body flush against his when all of a sudden, his lips abruptly left hers.
"Bath. Now." He commanded, the sternness of his voice reminding her that she was not to give him attitude.
Sydney nodded reluctantly, huffing in defeat and rolling her eyes once he slipped out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. She shook it off - starting the bath where she ran the water as hot as she could before she finally sunk into it, sighing as the instant wave of comfort flowed over her body. She took her time bathing, deciding that she was grateful for the solitude - but she wasn't going to tell him that. Once she was completely relaxed and feeling refreshed she pulled the plug, towelled off, and slipped into a pair of black shorts and one of Tig's t-shirts - leaving her wet hair down to try. She exited the bathroom, steam billowing out behind her where she found that the room was empty. She looked around, confused - his kutte was on the armchair, his boots were by the bed where he took them off, and the TV was still on. She willed herself to ignore her detective alter-ego, crawling into bed instead to wait for him, but she only grew increasingly more impatient when time passed and he didn't return.
Eventually she couldn't take it anymore - patience had never been a strong suit of hers. She sighed dramatically and threw the blankets off of her before stalking out into the clubhouse in search of him; he wasn't in the kitchen, wasn't at the bar, and his bike was still in the lot. She stood in the doorway with a crease in her forehead, wondering where the hell else he could be when suddenly her thoughts were interrupted.
"Roof."
"Jesus." She gasped, looking up to see Juice sitting on the couch with his laptop. "I didn't know you were still here."
"I'm almost done." He chuckled. "He went up to the roof." She scowled. "I don't know." He put his hands up and shook his head before she could question him. "He told me to tell you when you came out." Sydney was really confused now but she headed down the hall to ladder anyways, beginning her ascent to the rooftop. Once she made it through the hatch she was immediately captivated by the night sky - clearer than she had ever seen it before. She twirled around with a huge smile as she admired the scene above her where every single star was visible - not snuffed out by the big city lights like they were back home. She finally stopped her spinning when her eyes fell on Tig who had walked out from around the side of the chimney and was watching her with a grin on his face.
"C'mere, babe." He motioned for her to follow him.
"What's going on?" She asked with excitement evident in her voice.
"Just come here." He shook his head, holding out his hand before she ran over and took it, allowing him to lead her around the chimney to the second level.
"You aint gonna propose to me are you?" She joked.
"Nah, figured I'd save that for next week." They both chuckled as she climbed the short ladder after him, grabbing his extended hand where he lifted her up the last two rungs.
Once Sydney was over the ledge, she saw multiple sleeping bags laid out with pillows and blankets atop them in a makeshift bed. She grinned up at him with her eyes sparkling just as the stars did above them.
Tig smiled back and led her over where he sat them both down on the surprisingly comfortable surface, laying back to look at the stars. On the ride back from the job he'd found himself drawn to the clear night sky - a habit he'd undoubtedly picked up from her. He knew how upset she would've been having to ride in the back of the van if she'd known how beautiful the stars were, and when she said she wanted to have a bath he realized the opportunity to surprise her.
"And to think that people say you don't do romance..." She mused playfully.
"A month ago they were right." He chuckled.
"All those other girls are missin out." She teased with a toothy smile, looking over at him. He smiled softly and returned his gaze up to the abyss above before lighting the blunt that he'd rolled for them to share, taking a puff and passing it to her.
Sydney inhaled the marijuana, feeling the relaxation instantly coursing through her veins - a peaceful stillness rushing over her already soothed muscles. She let the smoke lazily escape her lips as she stared at the perfectly clear night sky.
"You actually know any constellations?" Tig asked, taking the blunt back from between her fingers.
"Only a few." She chuckled. "The stars don't look like this back home."
"You probably can't see Orion from home, huh?" He laced his fingers in hers, bringing her hand up in his as he pointed to the cluster of stars that resembled something of an hourglass.
"That's the belt one right? Those three right there?" She moved their hands around as she traced the three stars.
"Yeah, the three are his belt." He smiled. "But the other four are his shoulders and legs, then the little ones in-between connect his body." Sydney smiled dreamily as he guided her finger around, drawing the constellation in the sky.
"I've never seen all of it before." She grinned, captivated. "What about the bears?"
"Ursa Minor and Major?" He smiled at her excitement while he moved her hand up in his, pointing to the spoon-like shapes.
"Isn't that the Big Dipper?" She shook her head in confusion.
"They're the same thing, darlin." He chuckled. "You probably never seen the whole thing at home, but look - all these little ones make it more than that." Her eyes widened as the image of the bear came finally into view with his help.
"Wow... I've been gawkin over the city-slicker version of all this." They both chuckled. "Do you believe in aliens?" She asked casually as the weed started to take effect.
Tig barked out a laugh. "I've seen Bobby get laid, that's enough to make a man believe just about anything." Sydney cackled. "You like this stuff, huh?" He asked as he snubbed out the roach.
She looked at him and nodded, smiling sincerely. "I've always liked nature shit. My dad got me a big telescope for Christmas one year so that we could look at the stars together."
"He give you this?" His hand folded over hers - the one that had instinctively clamped onto the gold necklace as she spoke of her father.
Sydney was a little taken aback by his observation - the observation that she'd never made herself. She nodded slowly as he examined the gold pendant that she religiously wore around her neck, leaning in to press a delicate kiss to her lips while clutching her hands in his before rolling onto his back and pulling her across his chest.
Hours passed as they talked, laughed, and shared stories from the past. They spent their time opening up to each other - breaking down the walls and peeling back the layers. Tig told her stories of Dawn and Fawn from when they were young, how he wished that he could've been a better father for them before Colleen had kicked him out of their lives and corrupted their view of him. She also learned that, unsurprisingly, his father was abusive and had killed his mother when he was young - although she hadn't been much better. He finally got away when he was eighteen - all on his own with no siblings or relatives, which had sent him straight to the marines.
"It makes sense..." She nodded with a soft smile from her position on her stomach, propped up on her elbows while she absorbed each one of his gentle words. "Why you are, the way you are."
"You mean fucked up?" He scoffed from where he laid on his back.
"We're all a little fucked up, Tiggy." She laughed.
"What about you?" He nodded. "How did you get so fucked up?"
"Hey! I prefer the term 'unique'." She mused theatrically, both laughing before he brought the seriousness back to the conversation by staring at her with a depth behind those gorgeous blue eyes that shone just for her.
"How did you become this?" He asked almost dreamily.
"You really wanna know? From the beginning?" She asked sincerely. She would tell him if he wanted to know; she wasn't a total stonewall, but she rarely met people that she cared enough about - or that cared enough about her - to talk to about her past.
"I wanna know, baby." He nodded with just as much sincerity in his eyes, kissing her forehead.
Sydney nodded softly, settling back onto his chest and closing her eyes where she inhaled deeply as she recounted her life story.
"My dad was VP until I was six... On the weekend of my fifth birthday, my mom walked out - took my dog, whatever money was around the house, and disappeared. My dad was worried sick… Thought that the club had pissed off the wrong people. He sent out search parties everywhere that he could; club, family, fuck even the police." She scoffed. "After a couple of days the club found her in a meth house with some dude - said she was done with us."
"She ever pull shit like that before?" Tig's brows furrowed. Hit and run parents weren't exactly a shocking thing to come by in the life that they lived - but rarely did he find that it was the mother doing the hitting and running.
"No." Sydney replied with the disbelief still heavy in her tone, even all these years later. "She disappeared for months... Eventually we found out from the hospital when she came in battered by the guy, that she was using. After that she came back - said she was better and wanted to fix things. My dad was still heartbroken so he let her back in." She felt her chest tightening as the harder parts of the story began to near. "She managed to keep the act up for a few days before stealing everything that she could get her hands on and taking off again - racked up my dad's credit cards, defaulted on all of the loans that he'd co-signed… We almost lost our house."
"The club didn't help out?" Tig shook his head in shock.
"SAMDINO aint outlaw... They don't earn like you guys do." She explained. They helped as much as they could, but we were eating from a food bank while she was spending my college money on crank." She chuckled humorlessly. "Then one day the spending stopped, and we stopped hearing from anyone who had contact with her. We just assumed that she was dead... Beaten to death or finally pushed her limit too far."
Tig nodded, tightening his warm and comforting grip on her arm - rubbing lightly as he listened to what he assumed would be the end of the story.
"Then a few months later, in the spring of first grade, there she was, picking me up from school - standing with all of the other moms who were waiting for their little girls as if it was where she had been the whole time." She continued, her eyes glossing over as she thought back to one of the only vivid memories that she had left of her mother. "God, I was so excited." She shook her head. "We went home… I thought her and my dad had gotten back together, but I was wrong. He was there." Her tone changed from bitter nostalgia to pure hate. "I wasn't a sheltered kid - I knew exactly who he was and what he did. I don't remember them ever threatening me, but I remember being scared and knowing that I couldn't tell my dad that he was ever in the house - so I'm sure you can put those pieces together." She scoffed. "Eventually my dad came home and by then my mom had already changed the locks - told him that she was taking the house. I remember screaming and crying behind the door while she told him that he wouldn't see me again if he called the cops. That vindictive bitch was a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them… She knew that they would never give sole custody to a Son, and he would die before he saw me go into the system."
"Didn't give him much choice…" Tig surmised regretfully.
"She told him that her junkie boyfriend was gone and she was clean - he couldn't do much else but choose to believe her and hope that I would tell him if anything happened." She shrugged. "He made sure that some of the guys kept an eye on the house for the first little bit, until they convinced me to tell him that things were okay..."
Tig nodded along while she spoke, adjusting his grip accordingly as he felt her muscles tense and relax during different parts of the story that he knew was only going to get worse.
"My daddy did everything that he could to make sure that I was happy when I was with him..." She smiled softly as she recounted the few happier memories from that time. "It went on for a few months before the guy started coming around once the heat was off. He never touched me, but he made sure that I knew he would… He made sure that I watched while he hurt my mom. Made me watch him beat my dog to death so that I would know 'that's what disobedient bitches got'."
"Jesus." Tig winced, his own muscles tensing this time.
"I was so scared to tell my dad that he was back... They did such a good job at making me feel like what was happening was my fault... And that feeling is something that a child that young shouldn't even be able to comprehend." She closed her eyes as she felt them filling with tears of regret. "I didn't know she was still using..." She explained as her voice dropped to a whisper. "If I did, I never would've lied about it-"
"Sydney." Tig hushed her, stilling her rapidly shaking head. "This was not your fault." He shook his head slowly, speaking with more sincerity than he'd ever spoken with in his entire life.
Sydney blinked a few times, taking a deep breath and collecting herself before she continued. "One night I went into the bathroom to look for her when she didn't put me to bed... She was in the bathtub. I didn't even have to touch her to know." Tig swore he could feel her blood going cold under her trembling skin. "I don't remember feeling anything… But what I do remember is the sick fucking smile that the bastard gave me when he found me standing over her body."
"I'm so sorry, angel." Tig said softly as he held her close.
"I don't miss her." She said a little too abruptly, sitting up from his chest - softening immediately when she caught herself, keeping her anger in check as she rolled onto her elbows. "I've taken all of the good out of it. I'm grateful. If she lived, she would've fucked my life up much worse. She chose to put me in danger. I would've been tortured by him the way that she was, and I don't even want to think about the kind of shit that would've happened as I got older." She looked back into Tig's eyes - feeling the uncomfortable wave of vulnerability again. She took another deep breath, willing herself to understand that this was part of a relationship. "After it happened, I spent a few days at my grandpa's house while they sweeped for drugs and evidence. Apparently I wouldn't come out of the closet - crying and saying I was scared, but I don't remember it at all. My dad came back home, gave up the VP patch to raise me full-time." She smiled fondly. "I guess the reason that I never really missed her was because I didn't remember anything about her… There was nothing there to miss. Throughout school sometimes I would miss what could've been, but none of it was realistic. I was missing ideas, not her."
"What about the rest of your family?" Tig asked gently as he trailed a finger down her arm.
"My grandpa helped a bit when my mom left and then again when she passed, but no one in that family ever looked at us the same. Always blamed my dad for driving her into his arms - which seems a little ironic if you ask me, but grief is a fickle thing I guess." She chuckled genuinely this time. "My dad left home when he was fifteen, so I'm not joking when I say that I got jack shit for family." Another chuckle. "The club became my family after that. My dad knew that there was no way he could raise me without the help of the club, and he knew that with the club came danger - so he decided to teach me how to handle it, raise me into it instead of keep me away from it."
"Smart man." Tig nodded thoughtfully, wishing that he'd been able to have taken the same stance with his daughters - maybe then he would actually be able to call himself a father.
"Nobody in SAMDINO ever took me seriously... No matter how much of their dirty work I did or how well I did it. They'd never let me patch." Bitterness found its way in again. "They were great to me." She assured. "But the brotherhood isn't strong there… They aren't doing anything like the shit that you guys do here. They get more time with their families, time to have totally separate lives from the club - something that I never had, which is why I think SAMCRO feels so normal to me." She paused again, smiling softly. "Happy spent a lot of time in San Bern. for his mom. He helped train me, taught me how to fight, how to kill - saw what the others couldn't force themselves to see." Tig's eyes widened as the pieces all started to fit together. "I always knew I had something different in me... A rage. The club never tried to push it out of me but they didn't understand it the way that Happy did."
"That's why you love him." Tig nodded, finally able to fully understand the odd bond between his girlfriend and brother.
Sydney nodded appreciatively. "He helped me track down my mom's ex. I never blamed him for what my mom did - that shit was on her, they were her choices. But the anger that I felt towards him never went away. I needed to get it out. Happy saw it as an opportunity for practice - a pussy who'd never hit anything more than a few feet off the ground." She snorted. "Showed me how to bind, how to torture - get past the mental block of it all. He let me do it all by myself... Didn't try to stop me or get scared that I was going too far." A wistful smile came to her face "He let me kill him. And that piece of shit got to see my twisted fucking smile before he died - the same way that I had to see his."
"How old were you?" Tig tried to process all of the information as she divulged a story almost completely identical to his own.
"Seventeen."
"I killed my old man the day that I turned eighteen." He nodded.
Sydney's eyes widened, she wasn't necessarily surprised - but she was surprised at just how similarly they'd grown up. "Good. He deserved it." She nodded curtly.
"Yeah, he did." Tig held back the bite in his tone. "So that's where this is from, huh?" He nudged the happy face tattoo on the top of her foot - effectively reverting the attention back to her.
She nodded with a snicker. "I think letting me start early taught me how to control it... How to harvest it when I need to and be rational."
"Yeah, I think I'm still learnin that..." Tig chuckled.
Sydney giggled. "I don't hate that part of me." She chose her words carefully - knowing what it was that he meant, hoping to show him that she knew how he felt. "For a while, I did. I was disgusted by what I was capable of. But I stopped fighting it. It's who I am now, and I love it."
Tig grasped her face and nodded reassuringly. "Why don't any of us know about you, darlin? Half of the charters in the states have heard about what you've done here by now... I mean we've all heard a few things about the Cali Queen but we always just assumed it was a cartel play - never knew you were associated with an M.C." She smiled half-heartedly.
"My dad always knew I wanted to patch. He knew that the only way I would be able to was if I became some kind of secret weapon - made the DINO guys keep me under wraps while I earned a reputation under a different name. He knew that club recommendation would be enough to get my foot in the door, but not enough to keep it open. If people knew my reputation then I would have club recommendation and backup - might actually stand a chance."
"You do shit a lot of shit for the club back home?"
"I got to do shit when they needed it, or for training." She snorted. "Their own personal mercenary." She mused. "But I wasn't privy like I am here. I was more of an... advanced Gemma." She mused, both chuckling. "I was allowed to know more than most associates of the club, but I also was kept in the dark about a lot. They never saw me as an equal, but I guess that's what happens when one day the little girl that they once knew is now a twenty-two year woman trying to sit at their table." She pursed her lips knowingly. "Happy didn't look at me like they did, and Les always knew that I was much more than what they needed."
"Cares about you a lot…" Tig nodded. "I've known Hap a long time, never really seen him close to anyone outside of the club and his family."
"He's protective but he knows I can handle myself. As much as he hates to admit it, he always knew I'd end up with a Son." She shot him a sly look.
"You're incredible, baby." He smiled dreamily.
"Yeah... It's not all it cracks up to be." She chuckled softly. "Nightmares have been a bitch for as long as I can remember."
Tig knew the feeling all too well; the feeling of guilt and embarrassment. He pulled her into his chest, hugging her close while his chest ached pleasantly with appreciation for the fact that he was the one who she'd chosen to share her life with - that she trusted him with her darkest memories.
"I get them too, doll." He whispered while he stroked her wavy hair. He had known that she was a hurricane from the second that he met her; powerful, dangerous, complex - but tonight he realized by looking into the eye of the storm that she was so much more.
Sydney shivered with a wave of emotion as she laid there in his arms - completely and utterly at his mercy - and before she knew it, her teeth were chattering and she was violently shaking. The way that he had held and listened to had been so natural - she knew that he would've laid for hours in any uncomfortable position just to listen to what she had to say.
Tig sat up without a second thought, pulling the blanket over top of her and rubbing her arms to help warm her up.
Her glossy eyes shone up at him, deep with emotion as she allowed the stinging in her throat to give way, pushing streams of hot tears out of her eyes as she realized in that moment that she was completely screwed. She'd fallen for him hard. She loved him with everything that she had - the kind of love that made her chest ache, her stomach flip, her mind race. She finally understood why love made people do such crazy things.
"Oh, baby." Tig said quietly, his hands running over her face as concern washed over his when she began fully crying. "I'm sorry that I asked… Made you relive that." He shook his head as he began cursing himself for crossing that line so early on - hoping that it wouldn't push her away in the way that he'd let it push himself away so many times in the past.
"It's not that." She whispered. "I love you." She looked deep into his eyes as tears continued to spill from hers. "Tig, I really fucking love you." He wiped the tears from her eyes as pools formed within his own - he never thought that he would experience someone getting emotional over their feelings for him again.
"Ah fuck." He tilted his head towards the sky while they both chuckled at their collective softness.
She pulled the blanket on top of him, snuggling against the warmth of his body with her arm pressed against his chest and her hand lightly caressing his neck while his arm was wrapped around her waist and his hand was rubbing her back.
"I love you so much." He murmured against her scalp as he pressed a kiss against it before closing his eyes.
;
At some point in the early hours of the morning, Sydney and Tig had both fallen asleep before he was coaxed awake by the sound of morning traffic on the road below. He smiled, burying his face in her neck, causing her to wake with a giggle as his mustache tickled her skin.
"Let's get to bed, babe." He whispered, lightly kissing her neck before he sat upright and led her back into the clubhouse - leaving the blankets for Half-Sack to tidy. Once they were back inside, he let her lead him - grasping her outstretched hand lightly with a smile at her constant need for his touch.
Once they got to his dorm, he closed the door and turned off the light - sauntering over to where she stood by the bed. He brought her lips to his, her small hands covering his that laid on the edges of her face before he pulled away, striping down to his boxers before lifting her shirt - well, his shirt - over her head. He took a step back to admire her body, somehow even more perfect in his groggy state.
"Baby." He said dreamily as his eyes roamed every inch before he reached back out for her, lifting her into his arms and reattaching his lips to hers sweetly as he laid down with her on top of him before covering them up with the blanket.
Sydney revelled in the comfortable silence for a few minutes, stretching as she snuggled against him while recounting the events of the night with a chuckle.
"Hmm?" He questioned lazily.
"I guess we don't gotta worry about the whole in-law thing, huh?" She looked up with a raised brow and a playful smile.
Tig laughed, hugging her tight before drifting back off to sleep.
;
Future me reading this back and seeing how much foreshadowing there is in this chapter like 👀
Song for the chapter
Campfire - Amine ft. Injury Reserve