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General trigger warnings for this story: Language, smut, mentions of rape, abuse, drug use/overdose, violence/death.
CHAPTER 20: RED, WHITE, AND BLUES
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"Well don't you look like a slice of cherry pie." Gemma narrowed her eyes as she slid her glasses down the bridge of her nose to get a good look at the slender blonde standing in the doorway of the office.
"Good enough to eat, I hope." Sydney smirked as she crossed the threshold.
"Uh… Ya." Gemma scoffed with widened eyes that only further emphasized her point. "Shut the door, sweetheart."
Sydney's heart rate picked up as the request hit her ears. Gemma scared her almost as much as Clay did, but in a different way - she didn't so much worry about the matriarch ripping her to shreds physically as much as she did verbally, the former of which she almost would've preferred because then at least she would have a fighting chance at defending herself.
She did as she was told, sliding off her sunglasses and sitting down on the couch with her eyes widened theatrically - hoping that the light-hearted humor would get Gemma to ease up on whatever interrogation she had planned.
"What happened yesterday?"
Sydney tipped her head back, exhaling dramatically while she rolled her eyes. "What'd the prospect tell you happened yesterday?"
"Nothin, that's why I'm asking you." Gemma scoffed playfully enough for her to know that this wasn't an interrogation. As nosey as she was - she was genuinely concerned about the young girl that she had taken under her wing.
Sydney chuckled humorlessly, shocked that Kip had managed to keep his mouth shut - even if it was only because he didn't actually know what it was that had bothered her. "Just had a moment, it was nothing." She shrugged.
"Well you might wanna tell Tig that." Gemma nodded towards the garage where Tig was sluggishly working, exhausted from the sleepless night.
"You talked to Tig?" Sydney's relaxed demeanor instantly tightened up. "Gemma..." She whined.
"Well no one else was tellin me anything." She defended.
"I was just being stupid, it's no big deal. I didn't want him thinking that it was something more than it was." She shrugged again.
"You better go tell him that, cause I think he already does..." Sydney fought off her irritation as Gemma advised her in her motherly tone. She knew that the communication issues were her fault, but she still pulled a face - letting the older woman know that she was less than pleased with the situation as she pushed herself off of the couch. "Uh, where do you think you're going?" Gemma raised a brow.
"To talk to him?" Sydney looked back incredulously when she was questioned for trying to do the very thing that she had been told to do.
"Nah-ah. You still haven't told me what happened." Sydney flopped back down onto the couch with a groan. "You really are my daughter." Gemma scoffed with a chuckle.
"Just getting into character, mom." Sydney chuckled back.
"You remember what I told you?" Sydney's mind drifted back to the conversation she'd had with Gemma the night that Tig had officially asked her to be his girlfriend - when the wise woman had told her that somebody would end up hurt if they continued on their communication-less path. "That doesn't just apply to Tig, it's everyone here. You can't be part of the brotherhood if they don't feel like they know you." She knew that Gemma was pulling out all of the stops to get the information that she desired - the woman didn't have a reputation as a mastermind for nothing. "Look, I get being closed off; cold, mysterious - it makes you strong. But if you want a permanent spot at that table - and in his heart - you have to be okay with transparency."
Sydney heaved a heavy sigh, even if Gemma was just saying what she had to say to get what she wanted. it didn't mean that the words didn't hold true.
"It was stupid, that's why I didn't bother saying anything. I knew it was stupid… I knew it would make me look weak and irrational and insane and like I'm overthinking everything-" She sighed again when she caught herself beginning to vent, avoiding Gemma's knowing smirk.
"I get that you need them to see you as a force to be reckoned with, but sweetheart, they are human too. If you get that kutte - you become a brother, and it is okay to be weak when it comes to family."
"That's not what they think about Jax." She shook her head. "His weakness worries them."
Gemma was taken aback by the way that Sydney so boldly flipped the situation onto her son, but she couldn't help the smirk that found itself on her face - she liked the spunky little blonde. "Jax's weakness is distraction… Not good for the club."
"So you see it too?" Sydney looked for confirmation, ready to check the box that had been lingering on her to-do list
"Careful." Gemma narrowed her eyes warningly.
"You wanna know my secrets, I wanna know yours." Sydney shrugged smugly.
"This is why mothers should drown baby girls." Gemma joked. "Jax found an old box of JT's things in storage just before Abel was born… Since then he's been asking questions. Second guessing Clay, the club, the vision - everything."
"Could whatever he found potentially be harmful to the club?" Sydney asked cautiously, not wanting Gemma to think that she was making assumptions where they shouldn't be made.
"I don't know - been tryin to find out but he's keeping it to himself and Clay's in denial."
"No he's not." Sydney shook her head with a hardened expression as she began rifling through all of the information in her mind as if it was a rubik's cube - trying to line everything up.
"What?" Gemma scrunched up her face.
"I heard him talking to Tig." She clarified before any more detrimental assumptions could be made. "He sees it and he's worried about it - I just don't think he wants you to worry. If he convinces you that everything is fine then maybe it'll go away." Her tone was stone cold as she went into full business mode to explain her analysis of the situation.
Gemma chewed her lip with a creased brow - she knew that she hadn't been overreacting about this like Clay had tried to convince her that she was.
"What about Tara... You think it could be her?" Sydney didn't necessarily think that Tara herself was the problem - she hadn't experienced anything but politeness and aid to the club from the brunette doctor - but she wondered if perhaps the old flame had reminded Jax of the hole that she'd left his heart and had him second guessing everything that he'd used to plaster over it.
"That little bitch isn't any good for him, but this began before he started dipping into that again."
"You worried she's gonna make it worse?"
"Not if I can help it…" She assured her. "Now enough about me!" She widened her eyes as she reached over and smacked Sydney's knee with a rolled up tire catalog.
Sydney giggled, deciding that Gemma had proved her point by opening up to her about her fears. "After we saw Donna I just got a little too in my head... I would've had her exiled for disrespecting the club in front of me, but you…" She spoke with intense admiration for the woman sitting next to her. "You were able to put that aside and see the bigger picture - continue to extend the olive branch even after she takes a chainsaw to it. And I never realized until that moment that what you did is what good old ladies do… I just worried that I wouldn't be able to do the same."
Gemma smiled sympathetically as she stood from her seat, gently sitting herself next to Sydney where she took the younger woman's hands in hers. "Your heart is in the right place, baby. If you're protective of them, that is what's best for the club." She nodded reassuringly. "You think I haven't had my days? Look at me and Tara."
Sydney snorted, her forehead creasing as the shock set in after her initial reaction faded - how had she not considered Gemma's undying vendetta against Jax's high school sweetheart? "Yeah, I guess you're right." She smiled, wishing that she would've thought to talk to Gemma before she blew things out of proportion. She should've known that the matriarch would have experienced the same doubt and would be able to offer her some sound advice in a way that she knew she would understand.
"I know I am." She winked. "Now you go talk to Tigger." She nodded, kissing her on the cheek and pulling her up from the couch.
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Tig had retired to the clubhouse after finishing his first car of the day, feeling that he deserved a much needed break after a long forty-five minutes of work. He was exhausted after a night of doubts, sitting himself down at the tall table with a glass of whiskey in hand as he laid his head against the worn wood.
"What's the matter? Kicked out of The Jelly Bean again?" He heard a hint of playfulness in Opie's typical monotone as he entered the clubhouse, earning laughs from Piney, Half-Sack, and Chibs who were all scattered amongst the empty bar. Tig chuckled along with them to avoid suspicion before returning to his previous position only to be pulled from his thoughts yet again when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck.
"You need some cheerin up, Tiggy?" Tig scowled, recoiling immediately when he realized that it wasn't Sydney's voice - turning to see Cheryl standing behind him with a smirk on her face, clearly pleased with herself after she'd managed to catch him off guard.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Tig seethed, his already tainted state of mind allowing him to get angry with the croweater even quicker than he usually would allow himself to.
"Mary mother o' Christ." Their confrontation was interrupted by an outburst from Chibs as he dropped his arms to his sides and stared out the front door.
Tig's eyes followed the Scotsman's to where he was watching Sydney walk up, looking like five and a half feet of pure American dream. His eyes widened and his jaw went slack, a steady buzz beginning to ripple under his skin as he took her in. He didn't give a shit about the issue anymore - he needed to chase this high as long as he could.
Cheryl scoffed in defeat when Tig's attention drifted from her, taking off down the hallway in search of a willing patch to validate her until her next opportunity.
Sydney felt every ounce of her doubt wash away when she saw Tig looking at her like that - her confidence instantly restored. She bit her lip as she continued her strut over to him, letting him bask in the glory of everybody staring at his girl before he got to show them yet again that she was his, and only his.
"Hey, Sergeant." She grinned as she approached.
Tig reached out and stroked her arm, tracing all the way down to her hand before snaking his arm around her waist. "Hi, baby." If he thought that he had been confused before, he was as good as brain dead now as he became completely entranced by her beauty - his lips finding hers before he could even comprehend what he was doing.
Sydney sighed when they made contact, beyond thrilled that her outfit had the desired effect as she melted in his arms - wondering if she would even have to address the issue with how well this was going. She reached up, holding the sides of his face and gripping the back of his neck as she revelled in how right everything felt when they were like this. After some time she pulled away, looking up at him with those angelic green eyes that had the power to destroy him in seconds.
"Gemma said I could come see you for a minute, I have to get back to work…" She whispered innocently, apologetically - letting him know just how much she wished that she could stay to enjoy the moment.
"That's okay." He said a little too quickly, shaking his head and picking her up before reattaching his lips to hers.
She giggled against his mouth and wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her body completely against his - addicted to the way his closeness erased her fears. He set her down on the pool table with one hand clutching her waist and the other sliding over her shirt with no regard for the fact that they had an audience. She dug her nails into his skin more aggressively as the embrace heated up - allowing the public display to turn her on ever more.
Tig was thrilled when she pulled him closer instead of pushing him away. He grinned against her lips as he pulled her down off of the table, wanting her body as close as possible if all he was going to get for now was a little dry humping. He gripped her ass with both hands, pulling her against his crotch while his hands slid under the little shorts that she was wearing, going for as much as he could get in their short rendezvous.
Sydney blinked in surprise when he abruptly pulled away after a crashing sound from behind the bar interrupted them - both turning to see Half-Sack stumbling while trying to lean over the bar.
"Eh!" Tig snapped his fingers, the wildly terrifying look coming to his eye when he caught the prospect trying to get a look at his woman.
Sydney chuckled, taking this as a sign that their mid-morning quarrel was over for now. She leaned up, licking her lips and attaching them to his neck, grazing her teeth along the vein. She hadn't missed Cheryl lurking in the shadows when she'd entered the clubhouse, so she was sure to mark her territory with a bright red lip print - grinning evilly when she heard him whimper in pleasure before looking down at her with desperate eyes.
"I'll see you later." She said seductively and winked as she pulled away, walking past the spectators with an innocent smile before returning to the office to continue with the day's work. As soon as she crossed the threshold, a giant grin formed on her face - mission accomplished.
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After working through the lunch break, Gemma and Sydney made the trek across the lot to the clubhouse kitchen to begin prepping for the massive Fourth of July feast that would be taking place in just a few short hours.
"You get things smoothed over with Tigger?" Gemma asked as she mixed hamburger meat with her hands.
"You could say that." Sydney stated cryptically with her back to the older woman as she chopped away at the never ending mountain of vegetables, impressed that the notoriously nosey queen was able to hold off on questioning her about it for a whole four hours - even if it had only been because she was busy on the phone.
Gemma raised a brow but said nothing more, knowing after this morning that it would be more work than it was worth - she would find out from a more willing source.
6:00 P.M. rolled around quickly and the clubhouse was bustling as the SAMCRO women got everything in order for the hoards of bikers that were already starting to trickle in for the celebration of independence.
When Sydney was finally relieved of her duties in the kitchen, she made her way outside where her face lit up as she took in the scene before her. Like many parties before, there were leather-covered men and scantily clad women everywhere - but the long performance tracks, huge bonfires, and heavily crowded fighting ring set this party far apart from the others that she'd attended.
Tig sat quietly sipping a beer with Clay, Bobby, Piney, and Jax at a picnic table as they discussed the details of the rebuild while watching a couple of Vegas guys going at it in the ring. Tig was exhausted and would've much rather been in bed, but knew it was important to make his presence known in support of the club on such an important day. He remained silent as he continued to try and recover from the toll that his self loathing had taken the night before, coupled with the fact that he still didn't know what had been wrong with Sydney - if anything even was wrong.
"What would happen if we didn't rebuild?" Jax floated the idea during the busy party when the backlash wouldn't be nearly as bad, but as the time to approach Elliot Oswald with the blackmail neared and the closer it got, the more uncomfortable he became.
Tig scowled while Bobby and Piney acted as if they were too engrossed in the fight to have heard the bogus words coming from the younger man's mouth while Clay tried to keep his expression as casual as possible.
"Wadda ya mean?" The President succeeded in sounding genuinely interested in the opinion of his VP, but Tig knew that it was bullshit by the blatant disapproval behind his eyes.
"Take the land profit and put it in somethin else." Jax shrugged, seeing Clay looking more and more unamused by the second. "Hey, I'm just thinkin about what's best long-term. We got heat with the Mayans, Nords, Hale crawlin up our asses - might be time to look at other ways to earn."
"Yeah, well there's a lot of shit up in the air right now. We'll figure out what the next move is." Clay dismissed his stepson wanting to avoid a fight on the celebratory evening - but it wasn't easy to keep himself from smacking the smug look off his face.
Sydney had spent most of the evening with Half-Sack by her side. She had to admit, she had grown extremely fond of the young prospect; he was easy to talk to, and she hadn't realized at first but the two had more in common than she thought as they both worked towards a seat at the table while learning how to navigate SAMCRO.
Tig was surprisingly thankful that the prospect got along with his girlfriend so well, letting the exhausted Sergeant off the hook for the evening; after getting a warning about getting too close, of course - there was no way that he was going to allow her to stand alone in the middle of a crowded party when she didn't wear his crow, looking like that.
"I bet I could do that." Half-Sack feigned as much smugness as he could as they watched a Rogue River member burning rubber as he rode his Harley in a wheelie down the entire length of the performance track.
"Yeah… I'm sure." Sydney teased with a raised brow, wishing that she had ridden her bike so that she could participate in the stunting. "Do you even have a real bike?" She scowled.
"Well… I've ridden one before." He blinked a few times.
The blonde girl stared at him blankly for a solid ten seconds before they both laughed. "Get me another drink prospect, I need to keep this buzz going." She playfully punched him in the arm.
Half-Sack scurried away in search of something stronger than beer while Sydney walked over to the food tables where Gemma was topping up the buffet. "No Ope?" She asked, not surprised that Donna hadn't let up on her stance against the club.
"Nope, thank god Bobby can handle the fireworks or Opie would be in trouble with a lot more than just Donna." Gemma scoffed.
Sydney felt arms around her before she could respond, shivering as the warmth under her skin from the alcohol only intensifying the contrast of the cold rings on the hands that had snaked around her waist.
"Hey, baby." Tig said distantly in his gravelly voice, now stewing with the impending doom of his relationship and the bullshit from Jax - he didn't have the energy to try and sound chipper.
"Hi, Tiggy. Where've you been?" Sydney pouted, the intoxication allowing her not to take his distance so seriously.
"Not really in a party mood." He refused to look her in the eye, choosing to stare out into the crowd instead.
"Are you gonna stay for the fireworks?" She looked up at him hopefully.
So much for not fucking looking her in the eye, Tig thought as his gaze was immediately pulled down to her eyes which were dark green from the low light, peppered with specks of flickering jade as they reflected the flames scattered amongst the compound. As much as he'd been anticipating an early night, he knew how much she loved fireworks - and he was no match for that angelic face.
"Yeah… Yeah of course I am, doll." He nodded, ironing out the crease in his brow as his expression softened and he kissed her on the forehead.
"Okay." She grinned up at him as Half-Sack returned with a bottle of coconut rum.
"This is all I could find to bring out here, you know, other than beer. I could get the whiskey but I thought since you're a girl and all…" Sydney giggled at the painfully shy kid, pulling him into a hug as she hung off his shoulders much longer than usual.
Half-Sack nearly pissed himself when he saw it… The look that everybody talked about; the crazy, murderous look that inhabited Tig's eyes as he watched his girlfriend in the arms of another man - a man that he had already warned about getting too close.
"Let's go over there." The prospect grabbed her arms and pulled her along as he ran to the picnic table where Jessica and Juice were sitting with Jax, looking for any excuse to get away from the crazy-eyed Sergeant at Arms. "He's gonna kill me." He gulped, looking over his shoulder to see Tig snarling before returning to his post, surveilling the party near Clay.
"Nah, I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you… Too badly." She laughed.
"Why you gotta do this shit?" He whined, knowing by the smirk on her face that her actions had been purposeful. "This because of what happened yesterday?"
Sydney raised a brow as an amused look formed on her face. "You're gettin real bold around here, prospect." She nodded slowly before joining the younger group at the picnic table.
After about an hour of passing multiple bottles around the table, Sydney realized just how desperately she needed to pee. She got up from the picnic table, wobbling on her unsteady feet before falling right back into her seat - laughing as she realized just how drunk she was. Her group at the table - as well as some stragglers that had joined throughout the night - all laughed, watching in anticipation as she tried again.
"I'm good." She put a hand up and laughed once she was confident that her feet were firmly planted this time.
Half-Sack looked around nervously as Sydney got up to make her way to the bathroom, but his uncertainty didn't last long as he caught Tig's narrowing eyes across the compound - nodding frantically before getting up to follow.
"I'll come with you." He attempted to say casually but as usual, he failed.
Sydney scowled dramatically, her facial expressions a little more enhanced thanks to her intoxication. "You know the rule only applies to girls going to the bathroom together… Right?"
"Well… I need to pee too." He drew out his words before landing on the poor excuse.
Sydney rolled her eyes at his inability to lie even half-decent, coming up with an idea or two about why he had been attached to her hip all night. But as much as she wanted to press him for the truth, her bladder hadn't scheduled any time for that.
"Come on then." She said impatiently as she grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the clubhouse before coming to a screeching halt once they entered the main room where he almost ran into her.
"What?" He asked with a scowl.
"You can wait here for me."
"Um… But like, what if somethin like, happens… You know."
Sydney rolled her eyes, feeling her frustration budding as he continued to lie to her. "I'm gonna give you one chance to try and come up with an excuse as to why you're following me now and not at every other party before, and why you suddenly seem to think I need a guard dog to take a piss. Come on, let me hear what ya got." He stared at her with wide eyes as she called his bluff. "That's what I thought." She scoffed. "I know that Tig put you up to this, so consider yourself lucky that I let you follow me in here and look like a good little errand boy for the big bad Sergeant." She mocked before slowly walking up and pressing her body against his harshly, making him wince. "Keep shit like this from me again, and you'll be seeing firsthand that I don't need a protector." She whispered in his ear with gritted teeth, the anger effectively tabling her buzz. As she turned dramatically and took off once again towards her destination.
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Herman Kozik had been invited down from Tacoma to participate in the SAMCRO Fourth of July celebration by his longtime friend, Happy Lowman. The two had been Tacoma brothers before Happy had officially gone Nomad over a decade ago, but he had managed to earn himself a spot on the exclusive roster of people that the bald man actually kept in contact with.
The Tacoma resident was more than familiar with SAMCRO - having been a former member of the mother chapter himself after serving in the Marines alongside Tig when the two were young. The dark haired man had been the one who had convinced him to join the Sons in the first place to try and help him kick the drug habit that was taking him down the path to an early grave as a result of the mental toll that combat had taken on him, The two had a falling out a few years later, leading to his decision to transfer to Tacoma where he eventually met Happy.
Kozik was enjoying the conversation with his California brothers - and the fact that he had successfully been able to stay out of Tig's path thus far - when a gorgeous blonde girl strutted past him.
Sydney nodded to Clay and Happy on her way to the bathroom where they sat at the bar with a tall, broad man who had spiked blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked like he had been plucked straight off of the beaches in Malibu, but the hollows of his face and the tattoo on his neck proved that he was pure outlaw
Kozik's small eyes widened, craning his neck to stare as she walked away from him - wondering what the hell was in the water if their club whores looked like that. But he was startled when his action earned him a hard punch from Happy, looking up to see those dark eyes glaring at him.
"What? She one of your favorites or somethin?" He was confused as to why his younger brother cared who he was checking out. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that the young girl was every ounce the Tacoma Killer's type - blonde, slim, and a great rack - causing him to briefly wonder if someone had actually been able to tie down the Nomad.
"It aint what you're thinkin." Happy rasped with an upturned lip before turning to order another beer.
"So she's single?" Kozik surmised with a shit-eating grin.
"Trust me." Clay snorted. "She's very taken." He widened his eyes, warning the Tacoma Sergeant of his Redwood counterpart.
Kozik scowled. He hadn't seen a crow on the little blonde, and she was walking through the clubhouse alone, dressed like a sweetbutt. But he decided not to question any further, he would find out for himself eventually. Besides - there was plenty of pussy to go around tonight.
Sydney giggled as she heard Happy shove the man who had been gawking at her. Blondes weren't usually her type, but had she been single, she might've actually given the burly man a chance - maybe it was just the Sergeant patch…
After taking her time in the bathroom and marinating in the buzz that she managed to channel back, Sydney sauntered back out to the party to meet back up with her security guard.
"Well, if it aint my Cali Queen."
Sydney froze when she heard the familiar voice. It couldn't be? "Uncle Les!" She lit up when she turned to see her godfather, squealed as she lit up as she jumped into his arms. She'd had no idea that anybody from home would be making the trip for the holiday.
"Woah, woah, woah." The San Bernardino President huffed. "Careful now, I'm an old man these days." He chuckled as he lowered her to the ground.
"You? No way." She joked.
"Hey, Syd." Yates nodded cautiously.
Sydney's excitement turned to disappointment as her lip turned up at the black haired man. "Why couldn't you have brought Tank?" She pouted to her godfather with those wide doe eyes that had caused him so much trouble over the last twenty-two years.
"Nice to see you too." Yates deadpanned before making off to the bar.
Les laughed as he put an arm around his goddaughter's shoulders. "So, Clay tells me someone's managed to steal the heart of my Princess." He lowered his voice as if the conversation was top secret, making Sydney giggle. "Tacoma Killer?" He figured it was the only viable option, still unable to believe that she had actually let someone in - let alone somebody new.
"Redwood Sergeant." She replied bashfully, looking to the ground as her cheeks began to pinken.
Packer raised his eyebrows - he was familiar with Tig; the Northern Cali Sergeant was ruthless, loud, and a little insane… Just like Sydney.
"Yeah, yeah." She groaned, rolling her eyes with a smile.
"How you doin here? You haven't called..." He steered the conversation elsewhere.
"I love it." She gushed with bright eyes. "It feels like home… Like I belong here." She briefly feltguilty for not reaching out to anyone back home, but she hoped that this explanation would help him understand.
"I'm glad to hear that, sweetheart. Your daddy would be real happy." He squeezed her shoulder.
"He would." Sydney nodded with a genuine smile - knowing how proud her dad would be that all of his hard work had paid off, that she was doing okay without him…
Packer gave her another smile as he began to pull away, leaving her to mingle with her new family. He was thrilled to see the progress that she was making in the new town when the mention of her father brought a twinkle to her eye rather than a tear - remembering that only a few short months ago, the subject had been completely unmentionable.
"Les?" She stopped him, watching as he turned back to face her with soft, caring eyes. She smiled, the amount of attention he paid to her wasn't lost on her - he'd always made her feel like her words had such purpose. Truth be told, the SAMDINO President would've patched his goddaughter in a second, but he knew that his crew didn't feel the same way - and the hardly outlaw Southern Cali M.C. slapping their rocker on her back would've been an insult to her capabilities.
"Do you really think they'd let me patch?" She asked quietly, feeling more comfortable with her vulnerability around the man she'd known for the entirety of her life.
"I wouldn't have chosen here for you to go if I didn't think they would." He stated reassuringly with a nod. Things seemed to be playing out exactly as he'd hoped - she was thriving in Charming without the reminder of her dad's death at every turn she took.
She nodded back with a smile before she tossed a glance at Half-Sack, letting him know she would be going back outside now but she made no move to speak to him. She found an empty picnic table by the garage and sat down, sparking up a cigarette. Even though the conversation with Packer had been reassuring in some areas, it had given her a lot to think about in others. Weakness was never something that she handled well - it was something she'd managed to track down and chase out of most areas for her life, but like Happy had said the day prior; between her dad's death, her transfer to Charming and her new relationship - her unspent emotions were putting her through the ringer.
She watched Tig longingly across the lot as he chatted with Bobby, unsure about whether or not to address the shit from the day before - especially after things had seemed fine this morning, but then there was the issue of him having the prospect spy on her… She wondered if it was because he didn't trust her, or if he had simply just been looking out for her in the crowded party - but even then, wasn't that his job as her old man? She racked her brain for the right answer, the right move - something she could always come up with on the fly but for some reason blanked on when it came to him.
"Get the fuck outta your head." She was shaken from her thoughts by a raspy voice, whirling around to see Happy stepping up onto the picnic table and taking a seat beside her.
She chortled - he always knew what she was thinking. "You didn't tell me Packer was coming." She brought the cigarette up to her lips.
"Figured you could use a surprise."
"I'm not wounded, Hap." She rolled her eyes.
"Never said you were." He challenged, initiating a staredown which she was the first to break - turning her attention back to her cigarette. "Got a smoke?"
She snorted, laughing before handing him her pack out of her back pocket - trying her hardest to refrain from making a joke. "Is D coming?" She asked with deflated hope in her tone - she knew that she would've seen Donut with the other Tacoma Sons if he was coming tonight, but she didn't want the conversation to revert back to its origin.
"Nah, Lee's got him on a run."
"Well, fuck Lee." She pouted as she spoke of the SAMTAC President.
"Watch your mouth." Happy warned, but the smirk on his lips showed he was being facetious.
"He can send Malibu Barbie down but he can't send my Donut?" She whined at the narrowly missed opportunity to see one of the only other people on the planet that she genuinely loved to be around.
Happy chuckled when she described Kozik. "Yates is here."
"Yates is a bitch." She scoffed with a grimace.
Happy chuckled - she wasn't wrong. "You'll see him again soon." He nodded formally before ashing out his cigarette on the table, sticking the roach in his pocket, and pushing himself to his feet.
Sydney laughed loudly. "Okay, I was really trying not to make cheap jokes but Hap… You make it so hard. There's like three puffs left on that!" She spoke incredulously, waving her hands about.
Happy just smirked, glad that his tactic had worked in cheering her up. "So you saw Kozik?"
Sydney became intrigued once she realized who the Tacoma Sergeant was… Happy hadn't ever spoken extensively of Kozik, but he'd let on enough for her to know that the two were good friends with good history together.
"I always knew you liked blondes." She grinned, nudging him with her foot.
"Fuck off." Happy grunted before striding back towards the clubhouse.
Sydney was feeling uplifted after her conversation with Happy - albeit a short one where he mainly swore at her, but uplifted nonetheless. She dragged Half-Sack to the bar for a couple of shots, heightening her level of intoxication that had begun to fade before she finally returned to the drunken group at the picnic table.
About an hour later, music was blaring from every corner of the compound after the fights and stunt track had wrapped up. Sydney found herself on top of a picnic table, dancing with Jessica - enjoying putting on a show for the spectators. They danced until the music was cut off in preparation for the fireworks, looking around the compound as everybody began to pair off for the evening. Sydney began scanning the crowd for Tig from where she stood on the picnic table - a shock running through her as she picked his blue eyes out of the masses where he was walking towards her.
A smile spread across Tig's face as he watched her light up when she saw him. He reached up, grabbing her waist to bring her to the ground but she wrapped her legs around his waist instead. He chuckled, nuzzling the crook of her neck and breathing in her familiar scent that had been mixed with liquor. He was surprised to be relatively sober, especially on such a big party night for the club - especially when he was dealing with demons. He usually turned to alcohol when his mind was weighing on him, but something had given him the belief that he possessed the strength to combat them on his own.
"You have fun dancin with your boyfriends?" He teased as he turned around, sitting on the picnic table with her in his lap
"Mhmm." She hummed as she rested her head on his shoulder with an amused smile as she closed her eyes peacefully, thankful to hear the playful banter. "I sure did."
After a couple of heavenly minutes of inhaling his cologne, Sydney pried herself off of him and turned to look towards the sky as the loud booming began. She watched the exploding lights in the sky in awe with a grin plastered on her face - she'd loved fireworks since she was a little girl, and the SAMCRO Fourth of July display was anything but disappointing.
Tig knew that he needed to ask the question - he would continue to let it eat him alive if he didn't - and he figured that now, while she was drunk and in a good mood would be the best time to do it.
"Hey, what was goin on yesterday?" He nudged her arm, asking as gently and casually as possible - giving her an unbiased chance to clear the air.
Sydney's joyful expression fell before she could catch it when his words in her ear somehow sounded louder than the popping noises that echoed around them. She contemplated telling him the truth for a split second, but why ruin the mood? She was far past what the issue itself was and the only thing that kept nagging her about it was the way that she'd handled it. She knew what she needed to do in the future to ensure that didn't happen again, so she'd deemed it pointless to talk about.
"Oh, nothing!" She perked up. "I was just tired… Gemma dragged me to the grocery store with her to get shit for tonight. I'm sure you know how that can be." She chuckled, adding a light roll of her eyes for believability. "I was just so eager to get home and pass out - figured I wouldn't hassle you for a ride while you were doing the same thing."
Tig had to give it to her, she was a good liar. If it wasn't for the alcohol that had provided a slight delay in her initial reaction, he might've believed her. He nodded, pulling her out of his lap and guiding her onto the table next to him as he got up, grabbing her elbow lightly once he was on his feet and turning his body to face her before leaning down to whisper in her ear. "I know you're lyin to me." He said coldly before kissing her temple and pulling away. "Prospect will take you home." He stated, nodding to Half-Sack before walking off to his dorm.
Half-Sack approached cautiously once he got the signal from Tig where he noticed Sydney sitting frozen with a pained look on her face as her eyes glossed over. "Syd..." He said softly, reaching out to brush his fingers over her forearm.
"Don't touch me." She snapped, smacking his hand away and pushing off the table where she made a beeline for the van.
"Uh… We- We're taking the truck!" He awkwardly tried to call after her. "Come on..." He mumbled with a grimace as he made the decision to follow her - fully aware that he was playing with fire.
Sydney's chest heaved as she held back tears of frustration - frustration over being caught off guard, over being weak, over Half-Sack spying on her for him, but most of all; over her inability to properly open up, which is what started this mess in the first place.
Half-Sack almost tripped over his own feet when he found Sydney standing with her back against the van and her head towards the sky, praying for both of their sakes that he didn't ask any questions. "Uh, we have to go in the tow…" She nodded once, glad to see that he was respecting her boundaries by keeping his distance as she turned to follow him to the other side of the lot where she climbed into the tow truck without a word, crossing her arms and looking out the window at the dwindling party.
Half-Sack completed the short drive silently - violently fighting the urge to try to ease some of the tension as it clawed under his skin - making him twitch while he drove.
"Do you want to come up and make sure I get tucked into bed okay so you can report back to him?" Sydney asked sarcastically when they pulled up in front of her house, slamming the door before he could answer.
Half-Sack threw his fears out the window, jumping out of the truck and running after her. "Syd it wasn't like that!" He couldn't let his friend think that he had just been spending time with her because he was told to, or that her confidence in him had been misplaced.
"Then what was it like?" She screamed, whipping around to face him as she stood on the stoop with her chest heaving.
The horrified look on the poor kid's face was what finally sent her over the edge in her inebriated state after an overwhelming night, sending tears tumbling down her cheeks and sobs rippling through her chest.
To say that Half-Sack was shocked to see her breaking down in front of him was an understatement, but he'd seen enough out of her tonight to know that whatever was going on wouldn't be helped by him emphasizing this weakness that she was clearly unhappy about showing - let alone feeling. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, trying to calm her down as she shook violently. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt her hugging back rather than laying him out as he'd half expected.
"I wasn't spying on you." He guided her down to sit.
"I know that you were just doing what you were told-" Sydney began by way of an apology, shaking her head before she was cut off.
"No. I mean like, he didn't want me to spy on you." He clarified. "Look… They don't really give me a lot of details when they tell me to do shit, but he said that he had shit to take care of and he didn't want you to be alone tonight. I mean, you know… Not in that many words cause like, he doesn't talk to me like he talks to you, but…"
Sydney smiled lightly when Tig's true intentions were revealed - finding it sweet that even when he was upset with her, he still wanted her to have a good time. This had all just been one big misunderstanding - one big misunderstanding that she needed to clear up.
;
Tig was finally in the comfort of his own dorm and away from the crowd when he heard an angry knock at the door. He groaned as he rolled out of bed - he recognized that incessant rapping anywhere, and it wasn't one that he could ignore.
"What?" He whined like a teenager as he opened the door for Gemma.
"Where's Sydney?" He stiffened up when he heard the tone in her voice, realizing that she wasn't feeling nearly as patient as she had been the day before.
"Prospect took her home." He nodded curtly.
"Without saying goodbye?" The queen crinkled her brows. "I thought you two worked your shit out today?"
"Wasn't any shit to work out. She won't talk to me." He shrugged bitterly.
"Did you give her a chance to?" She widened her eyes accusingly.
He shook his head when Gemma jumped to conclusions, clearly assuming that he was the one fucking things up - an assumption that he wished he could blame. "Yep." He kept his answers short, hoping that if he didn't give her the information she wanted, she would leave him alone so that maybe he wouldn't feel like such an asshole.
Gemma sighed and sat down on his bed once she noticed the change in his demeanor - feeling a tad remorseful for placing the blame on him once she realized how truly bothered he was by the situation. "She's struggling, baby..." She started gently. "Doesn't know how to deal with these feelings she has for you."
"She wouldn't have to if she would just tell me what the fuck I did so that I can fix it."
"You really love her, don't you?" She smirked, catching the way he referred to himself fixing the problem rather than her getting over it - a quality she hadn't seen from Tig Trager in decades.
"I do." He sighed with an almost shameful shake of his head, cursing himself for going down this path again - the path that had tried to divert him so many times.
"It wasn't anything you did." He looked to Gemma in surprise - and a little resentment - when he heard that Sydney apparently had no problem telling everybody else what it was that she was upset about, but couldn't tell him. But Gemma held her hand to silence him, shutting down those thoughts before they could expand. "I had to rip that shit out of her - took time and telling her some secrets of my own. That girl is one tough cookie." She nodded with a proud smile. "We ran into Donna yesterday at the store, she saw how I handled it and got spooked - didn't think she'd be able to rise to the task of being a proper old lady."
"But I'm not looking for a-" Tig shook his head incredulously.
"Believe me." Gemma cut him off again. "I know, I tried to tell her. She's just stuck in her head, sweetheart. But you are doing fantastic… I think that's why she didn't want to say anything - knows it's her own shit." She advised the confused Sergeant in the comforting, motherly tone that she knew he silently craved.
Tig took in what she was saying, and as easy as it was to listen to the demons in the back of his mind saying that it was because he didn't deserve something as pure as the love that Sydney made him feel - Gemma's words made sense. "Thanks, Gem." He nodded, deciding that he would wait for the prospect to return before going to her house to plead his case.
Gemma stood and brought Tig in for a hug, kissing him on the cheek. "You're welcome, baby." She nodded approvingly before slipping out the door.
Within thirty seconds of Gemma leaving, Tig was being summoned yet again by another knock. He groaned as he heaved himself out of bed again - fighting the urge to begin cussing out whoever it was behind the door but holding back, as he was anticipating Half-Sack's return. What he wasn't anticipating however, was to see Sydney standing before him.
"You were right."
"What?" He stared at her blankly as he slipped under the spell of her mere presence. He'd heard what she said and he'd known what she meant, but the surprise over her being there had made him unable to utter anything else.
"You were right. I was lying earlier and I shouldn't have-" Sydney was cut off by his lips crashing hard into hers and sending her mind into an overwhelming state of desire. When he pulled away she looked up at him; flustered, dizzy and with pink cheeks - unable to pick up where she left off while he stared at her with that needy gaze.
She reached up, grabbing his neck and yanking him back down to her lips where he reacted instantly - grabbing her thighs to lift her up before kicking the door shut behind him and backing over to the bed, let himself fall backwards with her in his lap as they bit each other's lips and began to hastily rid each other of clothing. If there was anything to be said about their relationship; it was that they were much better at showing how much they cared rather than telling - worshipping each other physically rather than verbally.
Once Tig had gotten her top off and she had pushed his kutte off of his shoulders, his lips found her neck. She tipped her head back to give him as much access as possible, pressing her chest against him and grinding her hips against his as he sucked greedily at her sensitive skin - leaving fresh marks over the ones that had faded. He got her bra undone, ravishing her chest the same way that he did her neck before flipping so that she was on her back and he was kneeling between her legs.
She leaned up and began working on his belt buckle while he ripped his shirt off, finding her lips again while her hands were still at work. As soon as his pants were undone he leaned down, forcing her onto her back again as their lips remained connected, pulling away once again to unbutton her shorts and pull them off. Once the denim left her legs, his hand was cupping her between her thighs and over her panties, massaging her slowly. She leaned up again, desperate for his lips where she pulled him down on top of her and wrapped her legs around his waist to keep him close - somehow managing to drag his pants down his knees.
The air around them was electric and their movements were greedy as Sydney reached down to grasp him where he was hot and hard under the thin fabric of his boxers. She finally knew what people meant when they said that make up sex was the best kind of sex - never having stuck around any of her conquests long enough to ever have anything to make up for and find out.
Tig whimpered when she gripped his dick, not realizing just how badly he had been needing the contact after their tangle this morning and scuffle this evening. He quickly pulled her red, lacey thong to the side - running his fingers through her folds a few times before sliding a finger into her dripping wet slit. She whimpered against his lips now, but the whimpers quickly turned to low moans as he added another digit and began pumping them into her in his perfectly mastered technique while his thumb rubbed her clit. She pulled away from his lips, moaning as she looked into his eyes with an erotic haze in hers - making him even harder than he already was.
"You're so fucking sexy." He drawled dreamily as his eyes roamed her body - the moment making him realize why he loved foreplay with her so much; being able to physically see her getting more and more turned on by him and him alone.
"For you." She kissed him again, stroking his tongue with her own as the bliss of proper foreplay after a few days without it took her to a whole new level of aroused. She let her hand travel inside of his boxers, moaning even louder when she felt how unbelievably hard he was in her grasp - gripping the curls at the back of his neck with her other hand as she felt a shiver run through her, her senses heightened to the max as her body begged for him.
Tig ripped his fingers from her when he felt her inner muscles massaging them, knowing what her body was asking for. He pulled away from her mouth once again, his dick twitching when he heard her whimper at the loss of contact. He slid her panties down her legs as quickly as possible and returned to her mouth as he hovered over her with one hand propping him up while the other slowly guided his cock into her.
"Oh god!" The prolonged sensation of overwhelming pleasure had Sydney crying out and clutching to him desperately.
Tig let her adjust, taking the few seconds to marinate in his own pleasure as she gripped down on his dick like a vice. Once he felt her inner muscles relax, he began thrusting slow and deep - watching her eyes roll back each time that he retracted just enough so that she would feel every inch when pushed back in.
Even though he was literally inside of her, Tig needed more contact after the emotionally trying couple of days that their relationship had faced. He scooped her up into his arms, bringing her into his lap to face him - his cock never leaving her.
Sydney gasped at the new angle, letting her body relax as she pressed herself against him - the two thrusting against each other violently while his lips alternated between her mouth, jaw and neck.
After climaxing together, Sydney laid on Tig's chest - the pair tangled in the sheets as they soaked up the blissful afterglow. He was holding her tightly with his lips against her forehead and her hand in his, glad that his doubts had been silenced - for now.
"I'm not good at this." Sydney whispered apologetically as she drew circles on his bare chest with her finger.
"I'm not either. We'll learn together." He assured her before bringing her hand to his lips.
;
MR. KOZIK HAS ENTERED THE BUILDING👀
Songs for this chapter
Cherry Pie - Warrant (of course lol)
Country Girl - Luke Bryan
The Dark - Jocelyn Alice