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General trigger warnings for this story: Language, smut, mentions of rape, abuse, drug use/overdose, violence/death.

CHAPTER 21: OCEAN EYES

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Sydney trotted across the concrete in her garage and over to her Ninja with a smile on her face, after a week of anticipation it was finally time to confront Elliot Oswald and secure their new warehouse in preparation for the shipment of guns from McKeevy which was due to arrive from Ireland any day now. Just as she threw her leg over her bike, she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket - pulling it out to see a text from Happy.

Happy Feet: U good?

She smiled, thumbing a quick response to the Tacoma Killer who had left with Kozik the day after the big party to visit his namesake and work on getting in more glocks for SAMCRO.

S: Si hermano ❤️

She genuinely appreciated that he cared to check on her since he wasn't around to keep an eye on her in the couple of days that had passed since the Fourth of July party, but thankfully the watchful eye wasn't necessary.

To say that Tig's demonic thoughts had been laid to rest would be an overstatement, but at the very least they had been silenced and he was glad to be feeling more like the version of himself that he didn't despise. And some time alone to reflect on her emotions without the embarrassment of showing vulnerability had done Sydney some good. She'd managed to conclude what Gemma had been trying to tell her all along - that she'd gotten a little too used to the idea that her only task was to prove herself and thinking that any display of emotion or irrational behaviour would immediately strike her from the roster; forgetting that she was allowed to be human. Yes, being a woman meant that she needed to work a little harder, but the matriarch had helped her realize that she'd lost sight of the fact that this was a family overall. The other thing that she had come to terms with was that the reason she struggled with her vulnerability so much was because no matter how much she hated the way that she reacted - it made sense to her, she could rationalize it. She had always been the kind of person who had unconventional thinking - a different way of doing things, but as long as she could make sense of it, she didn't care. She knew that her issues were all in her head, but she felt that they were justified, which was why she'd had such a hard time pushing them away. The realizations were a step in the right direction, allowing herself to remove the mental block and accept the weakness that she had - at least when she was alone with nobody to witness it.

Happy nodded at his flip phone, satisfied with her response before stuffing the device back into the deep pocket of his jeans until it vibrated again. He grunted in frustration, fishing it back out of the seat of denim and whipping it open.

S: Tell D he better come visit me soon ?

Happy Feet: K

Sydney laughed at his short response - knowing that he hated texting almost as much as he hated her double replies. She tucked her phone away, firing up her engine and speeding towards the highway with a grin on her face - the week had been full of unwanted confrontation, she was bursting with excitement over a desired one.

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Clay, Tig, Juice, and Sydney all climbed off of their bikes once they parked on the Oswald's acreage. Sydney was beaming, she was thrilled that she'd been recruited for this blackmail and even more thrilled that Jax hadn't been - finding even more amusement in the insult to injury that Clay had thrown in by allowing Juice of all people to tag along.

The quartet strolled up the dirt path around to the back of the property where the horse stables were located, their boots kicking up dirt as they looked around the substantial estate in various states of disdain before finally locating their target who was brushing the mane of a brown mare. Clay lit a cigar as they approached - tall, threatening, and dressed head to toe in black leather.

"Clay." Oswald said shakily by way of a greeting as he turned around, unsettled but not surprised to see the outlaw at his home. "How did you get in here?"

"I told the guard at the gate that we were here to fix your cars." He spoke casually with the cigar between his teeth. "I guess we look like the help." He laughed with a giant grin.

Sydney found herself in admiration of Clay every time that he handled business, there was something about him that was just so intimidating in the most casual way - maybe it was the friendly approach that he often chose when it was public knowledge how dangerous he was.

"What's this about?"

"This is a great lookin horse man." Tig stated menacingly as he rounded the beautiful - and surely expensive - animal and stroked its mane. Sydney smirked, she knew exactly what Tig was doing as Oswald stared at him with a slight scowl in a mixture of confusion and discomfort.

"I assume that you got that uh, special delivery I sent ya." Clay cocked his brow, referring to the balls that had been sawed off of the clown and gift wrapped before they were mailed directly to the wealthy man's home.

"Yeah. I got it." He shuddered at the memory. "You made your point - I reneged on our deal."

The statement sparked Sydney's memory of Tristen Oswald and how she'd promised to visit the young girl, distantly hoping that she would be able to follow through on her word while they were on the property.

"The knife." Clay nodded to Tig who pulled the bagged, bloodied knife out of his kutte. "It's still got your prints all over it. The nutless clown that raped your daughter? Well, he's buried in Macon woods. Dead body, muder weapon, motive - the three things a guy needs for a homicide conviction."

"Jesus Christ... You're insane." The petrified look that Oswald had the night of Tristen's rape washed over his face once again.

"I assure you, Elliot." Clay stalked closer to the man. "I'm saner than I've ever been." Oswald looked behind him for a way out as the outlaw got closer, turning to see Tig breathing down his neck. "I need your help, Elliot. And if you refuse? I'm gonna turn all three of those items over to Unser." He stated as he too began petting the horse.

"What do you want?" He sighed, knowing that he was trapped - figuratively and literally - looking over his shoulder at the Sergeant once again.

"Warehouse... Access road, somethin off the radar." Clay listed his credentials.

"Guns?" The land owner shuddered.

"You don't ever need to know."

Oswald took a final look around him as if to be sure that he had no way out of the situation. He didn't verbally agree - not wanting to say the words out loud and soil that white collar of his - instead he simply nodded and provided the address of a vacant warehouse.

"Get Rosen to draw up lease papers… I'll sign them." He told Clay bitterly.

"Your daughter here?" Sydney asked with a little too much menace in her tone considering the unfortunate situation regarding the young girl, but she was desperate for some compensation for the backseat that she'd been forced to take on the matter.

"The hell do you want with my daughter?"

"Just checking on a neighbour." She shrugged.

"No. She isn't here." Sydney knew that he was lying, but she also knew that there was no use trying to see the girl while her undoubtedly overprotective father was around.

The outlaws made their way back down the path to their bikes with smirks on their faces after completing the uneventful coup. Engines were started and kickstands were raised, but Sydney noticed Tig giving her a look and a slight nod that told her to hang back. She nodded, allowing Clay to take off with Juice in tow before she removed her helmet and turned her attention to her man. Her eyebrows raised in question as he dismounted his bike and approached hers, leaning his weight against one of her handlebars.

"You okay with how that went down?" He grimaced.

As much as Sydney appreciated Tig's concern, as well as the reassurance from him that this was supposed to be her deal - the rush of defence still sparked in her nerves. "Yeah, I'm good." She exhaled, fighting it off. "I can tell that Clay's got some shit with Oswald." She answered sincerely. Usually she would've been more bitter over somebody taking the lead on a blackmail that was only possible because of something that was her idea in the first place, but she could sense that there was history between the two older men and that it meant something to Clay to prove a point to his wealthier and seemingly more successful colleague. So for the morale of the club, she'd decided to keep her mouth shut.

Tig smiled when he saw the thought process on her face clear as day - as well as the way that she was making a conscious effort to be more open for him. He nodded approvingly before taking her face in his hands. "Okay, baby." He tipped her face up towards his, his lips meeting hers as he poured as much emotion as he could into the kiss in an attempt to make her feel better.

Sydney smiled into the kiss, feeling the underlying bitterness beginning to melt away as she brought her hands up to the leather cuffs arounds his wrists, holding his hands in place. Maybe opening up wasn't so bad after all.

"I'll meet you back there." He squeezed her arm with a smile before climbing back on his bike.

"Race ya!' She called before yanking her black helmet down over her curls, her tires spitting up rocks and leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. Tig chortled, glad that she didn't seem to be too fazed as he peeled out after her.

Sydney had easily passed Clay and Juice on her hasty ride back and was currently leant against her Ninja in the TM lot, admiring her manicure. She'd just gotten a fresh set done by Luann's girl at Cara Cara and she had to admit that despite her worry that the small town women might not be able to achieve her standard, they looked great - a long coffin shape and cherry red in colour.

She finally turned her head towards the gate when she heard the approaching Harleys. "There you boys are! I was beginnin to think that somethin happened." She taunted as the men grumbled and dismounted their bikes, realizing that the Sergeant wasn't among them. "Where's Tig?"

"Stopped off for gas a couple miles back." Clay reported before he followed the other men into the clubhouse.

"Aye, McKeevy'll be here tomorrow." Chibs held up his burner from a barstool as his President entered.

"We take possession tomorrow morning." Clay nodded curtly. "Where's the prospect?" He looked around impatiently when he realized that a cold beer wasn't being immediately brought to him.

"Ran out after gettin a call." Chibs shook his head in confusion, having assumed that the call he'd gotten earlier had been from Clay.

"Hey! Bartender! Beer over here, stat." Sydney yelled to Clay from down the bar, grinning as he chuckled and rolled his eyes before sliding a Corona across the glossy surface of the bar top when Tig finally walked in.

"Don't even start." He began with a hand up to silence the trash talk that Sydney was surely about to berate him with. "It wasn't an even playing field."

"Mhmm." She nodded with a smile of amusement - clearly unconvinced as she leaned up to kiss his lips briefly.

"You know where Sack is?" Clay nodded to his Sergeant.

"Hey, babe - can you go grab my sunglasses?" Tig asked Sydney quietly, who nodded happily. He smirked in approval, giving her a swat on the butt as she made off towards his dorm.

When Sydney returned from the short task, she noticed Tig abruptly stop his conversation with Clay and look over to her with wide eyes, furrowing her brows in question.

"7:00 P.M. tomorrow." Clay nodded to the Sergeant.

"You got it man." Tig nodded, looking out the door to see Half-Sack walking up. "Come on, doll." The dark haired man nodded eagerly as he rounded the bar, holding his hand. There were still several hours of daylight left to pull off what he had planned, but they would have to get on the road quickly to make the most of it.

Sydney's brows remained creased but she took his hand and followed him out to his bike where he handed her his spare helmet. "Scared I'd beat ya if you let me ride alone?" She taunted with a grin.

He looked back at her with his lips pursed and an unamused look on his face, saying nothing as he fired up his bike and drove them out of the lot. Sydney held on tight as they roared down the highway, she had no idea where it was that they were going and as soon as she found herself inhaling the sweet smell of the tall redwood trees along the scenic route, she didn't care - she was too busy enjoying the air rushing over her face and her hair blowing freely in the wind.

Tig didn't have to turn around to know that she was greatly enjoying herself, he could feel her buzzing as she held onto him which had him sporting a grin almost as big as hers. He reached down off of the handlebar, trailing his hand up her calf.

Even through her black jeans, his touch gave her goosebumps - widening the smile that was already on her face as she continued to scan the scene around them and try to figure out where it was that he was taking her.

After a glorious two-hour ride, Tig veered onto an off ramp - but unfortunately for Sydney, she had been too busy admiring the shapes of the clouds in the sky to have seen the landmark sign. She knew that they were in a city on the coast, but it hadn't quite occurred to her yet just what he was planning - that was, until she saw a break in the buildings and the glimmering sea water in the direction that they were headed. She lit up as she recognized the Santa Cruz boardwalk, bouncing on the leather seat behind Tig as she tightened her arms in appreciation.

Tig chuckled while she squeezed him as they neared the gorgeous California coastline where he parked along the beach, confirming that this was their final destination. She'd mentioned missing the beach back home, but he hadn't expected her to have missed it this much.

Sydney was almost screeching with excitement as they dismounted the bike, but her state of awe kept things silent between them - her green eyes wide as she took in the beautiful sight of the white sand beach, clear blue water, and twinkling boardwalk lights. She looked up to Tig with a giddy grin, expecting him to be canvassing the area as well, but instead she saw that he was looking at her. "Thank you, Tiggy!" She squealed before launching her arms around him.

"You like it?" She nodded with her nose buried in his chest.

Tig was glad that his impulsive idea had the desired effect on both her and him - realizing that maybe this wasn't just about cheering her up, but that it was also his way of making up for the awful things that had crossed his mind in the past week; a suspicion that was only confirmed as he felt his guilt fading further and further into the back of his mind as each second that she remained tightly wrapped around him passed. Regardless of his subconscious motives in an attempt to erase the thoughts that she was all too unaware of, he was glad that he'd been able to pull this off in the first place - having to collect both of their belongings for the trip and get the go ahead from Clay all in the short time that she wasn't in his direct company. And now that he could be sure that his efforts had paid off in both areas, he had to admit - he was excited too. Happy being in town more these days meant that the Sergeant was finally getting some much needed time off - real time off, not just getting to get drunk for free while sitting around the clubhouse in case something came up and Clay needed his most ruthless soldier by his side.

"I got Half-Sack to stop at your house..." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he popped open the storage compartment on the side of his bike to see what the clueless kid had packed for her - hoping that his faith in him had not been horribly misplaced. "Uh... Is this- Is this okay?" He pulled out the white bikini that the prospect had chosen. "We can go buy you somethin if not…"

"Damn... You must really love me if you let the prospect rifle through my panty drawer." She spoke with a grin. "You know, I'm happy just seeing the beach again if you don't wanna..." She looked towards the water. She was more than satisfied with what he'd managed to bring for her - being a little unprepared had never fazed the resourceful woman anyway - but she hadn't exactly pegged him to be much of a beach-goer.

"And miss out on showin this whole beach what a hot body your old man has? No way." He winked. "Wanna leave your jacket?" He looked to her thoughtfully as he stuffed his kutte into the storage compartment.

Sydney nodded, shrugging out of the leather jacket that she wore over her white tube top - it had been a mild day in Charming, but here in Santa Cruz the unforgiving sun was beating down hard.

After the storage compartment was locked, Tig held out his hand to her before they began their stroll along the paved pathway that ran parallel to the shoreline leading up to the entrance to the beach, letting Sydney go first only so that he could slap her ass when she passed by - earning some concerned looks from offended bystanders.

"Go change, I'll get towels and meet ya out there." Tig squinted in the sun as he nodded towards the open beach as they approached the building on the edge of the sand which contained changing rooms, bathrooms, and showers.

Sydney nodded, pulling him down for a peck before she bounded off to the change rooms with a bashful smile.

As Tig predicted; he had changed into the black swim trunks that he'd acquired from the convenience store on the way back from Oswald's much quicker than Sydney. He'd managed to secure them a more secluded area of the beach which was next to a section of cliff-like rocks where he was sitting on the blue and white striped beach towel with his sun-shielded eyes trained on the doors of the facility while he waited for her to emerge. But even with the anticipation, he couldn't have prepared himself for the sight that made his heart stop and his jaw drop as the doors flew open - his girl, strutting out in the tiny bikini with her hair blowing in the wind like she was on the runway of a lifetime. He groaned at the sight, the white suit made her tan pop and eyes sparkle even from all the way across the sand.

Sydney bit her lip when she saw him staring, knowing that even behind the dark sunglasses he wore, his blue eyes were glossed over. But their moment was cut short as a loud whistle penetrated the heavy air between them. Sydney looked over at the source of the noise, smirking in the direction of the two toned frat boys who were throwing a football back and forth as they so blatantly drooled over her.

Tig grimaced, immediately regretting the bathing suit decision - it was one thing for his brothers to stare at her when they knew that she was his, but it was another when the stares were from cocky men who had no idea who he was. He shuddered at the thought, feeling naked and vulnerable without his kutte - if he had been wearing it, there was no way the group of pussies would've cat-called his woman in front of him like that. He'd never thought of himself as a man who hid behind the patch, but maybe that was because the item had become a like second skin to him - never having any occasions or outings that provided an opportunity for it to be left behind. He gulped, swallowing the bile rising in his throat as he tried to remind himself that she was his, and he would gladly show everyone on the beach just that.

"Hey, Sergeant." Sydney cooed seductively as she approached the towels and sat down beside him.

"I shoulda booked us a private cabana." He raised a brow and lifted his sunglasses, eating her up with his eyes.

"What's the fun in that?" She slowly climbed over him and straddled his waist. "I was hoping for at least public indecency, maybe even assault." She glanced in the direction of the men who were still staring her down.

"Might just get what you're askin for..." He gripped her thighs tightly as he spoke - his gaze following hers.

Sydney smirked before leaning down to kiss him, bringing his attention back to her. "Mmm we should just go to a motel." She purred against his lips.

"Now you're gettin greedy." Tig chuckled as his hand ricocheted off of her ass with a loud clap.

A light gasp left her lips as she fought off the moan that threatened to follow. "I have to admit..." She sat up with a grin. "This is not a sight I expected to see..." She ran her hands down his exposed chest.

"Don't get used to it." He scoffed.

"What if I wanna get used to it..." She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth as that wild look took over her - she could definitely get used to her lethal Sergeant laid up in the sand and a pair of swim trunks.

Tig grimaced as her eyes propositioned him like that - the look telling him that she may have been serious about that public indecency charge...

"Y'aint used to it, are ya?" She grinned when he couldn't keep the look off of his face long enough to even try to perform the mock scolding that he'd intended on giving her - knowing that it was completely hypocritical.

"No." He shook his head with a bashful grin - he never thought he'd see the day where he would meet a woman that could keep up with his vulgarity.

Sydney smiled, leaning in for another kiss before finally making to get up off of his lap when she froze - her eyes going wide. "What?" Tig's face fell in concern.

"My top came undone..." She leaned back in, whispering in his ear before pulling back with innocent eyes - gauging his reaction before she pushed further, letting the top slowly start to slide off of her body.

Tig moved faster than Sydney had ever seen him move before - quickly covering her tits with his hands and holding the top in place once he realized what she was doing. "You bad girl." He growled.

"You gonna take me to fix it?" She asked with the same innocent tone that made him weak in the knees - and dick - smirking when he roughly pulled her against his chest and tied the top back up, pushing her back just as roughly to adjust the front so that she was properly covered once again.

"Can't take you anywhere, can I? Huh, doll?"

"Baby... You could take me anywhere." She winked before getting up out of his lap and walking towards the blue sea in front of them, swinging her hips as she gathered her long hair into a messy bun on the top of her head. "You comin?" She turned back to Tig who was sitting in awe with his sunglasses off and his mouth agape - quickly getting up to follow her.

"Jesus." He shivered once his feet hit the cold water.

"Water's too hot, water's too cold... I'm beginning to think you might be hiding behind that Sergeant's patch." She teased, turning around and grabbing his hand to pull him out further into the water.

"Better watch that mouth, princess." He warned.

"Or what?" She challenged playfully.

"Or this." He growled, lunging for her legs and slinging her up over his shoulder before taking off into deeper water as she squealed. "You done?" He asked once he was waist deep with her head hovering just above sea level.

"Yes!" She laughed hysterically.

"Okay then." He nodded, faking her out as he started swinging her down before crouching quickly and dunking her head under the water, bringing her back up and properly swinging her down where he wrapped her legs around his waist - letting out a loud laugh when she saw the shock on her face.

"You're gonna regret that!"

'No no no no no." He laughed, trying to get away before she shook her head where the cold water coated his exposed top half as he recoiled, ungracefully dropping her down to her feet.

"I'll give you a ten second head start." She nodded toward the deeper water.

Tig chuckled but his face fell when he saw the seriousness in her expression - quickly turning and making a run for it as best as he could in the water.

Once Tig was out deep enough that he actually had to swim, he realized that it had definitely been longer than ten seconds, and he didn't hear her splashing behind him. His forehead creased in confusion when he finally turned around to see no sign of her - no kicks, splashes, or bubbles to indicate that she was below the surface and heading towards him. He scanned the surface for a couple of minutes, squinting from the glare of the sun that bounced off the rippling sea, his confusion only deepening when she didn't resurface. He began to worry, frantically scanning the rocky ledge only a few metres away. The waves were about as calm as they could get in the ocean - not strong enough to do any real damage, but it was the only conclusion that he could draw. The seconds felt like hours as he continued surveilling the rocks until he couldn't take it anymore, swimming towards the jagged ledge.

Sydney giggled as she peeked out from behind a rock, watching him searching for her - easily falling for the bait she'd set. She waited patiently for him to swim close enough that he could begin combing through the rocky ledge so that she could begin her ascent up onto the low cliff - climbing higher as he focused his attention lower.

Tig really started panicking now - which is exactly what Sydney wanted. She smirked, knowing that his senses were peaking before she launched herself off of the giant rock, landing inches away from him with a giant crash into the water. Even far below the water, she could hear him scream when she successfully startled him, racing to the surface before the bubbling laugh escaped her.

Tig whipped around to see that she was the cause of the nerve-frying crash into the water, the worry in his crystal blue eyes trickling away when he finally realized that she was safe and sound and had been planning this the whole time as she laughed hysterically.

"Scare ya?" She asked with a grin.

"You know how close these rocks are?" He looked around incredulously as his mounting heart attack continued to decline. "You could've sliced your leg right open!" He reprimanded, hoping to cover up the fact that he'd been worried that she'd fallen victim to a shark attack and her splashing into the water next to him had meant that he was next.

"Fuck matching tattoos, we would have matching scars." She brushed her foot along his leg which had healed up nicely over the past week.

"You are somethin else." He scoffed as she swam up to him, widening her eyes innocently. He'd planned on continuing his facetious scolding, but his train of thought was lost before he could even board it as he stared at her blankly - a stare that she still hadn't quite gotten used to.

"What?" She questioned bashfully, looking down from his eyes.

Tig blinked and shook his head, coming back from his short visit to heaven. "Uh, your eyes." He pulled her body against his, wrapping her legs around his waist as he slowly swam backwards with her, but he quickly felt himself falling right back into the trance that he had just pulled himself out of as he stared into the stunning seafoam green colour of her eyes being brought to life by the sun and surrounding water.

"Oh..." She smiled as her cheeks turned pink.

"You're gorgeous." He spoke with a strong sincerity that she also still hadn't gotten used to.

"So are you." Her tone was just as dreamy as his was as she let herself gaze upon her man - his dark curls wet from the salt water, his eyes lighter than ever, and his strong body glistening in the sun.

"Think you're gonna get far with flattery?" He joked with a raised brow.

"I have a feeling I might..." She bit her lip.

"You just wanted to get me out here so you could take advantage of me, didn't ya?"

"You're onto me." She whispered with a grin as she leaned towards his lips, capturing them before biting down on the bottom one and pulling away as she stared into his eyes seductively.

Tig tightened his grip on her thighs before leaning in - the temptation to fully give in was growing as she began to grind herself against him beneath the water, but he managed to pull himself away. "And you aint gonna get onto me." He winked before pushing off of her and swimming towards the shore.

Sydney smiled and rolled her eyes before following after him, letting her body glide through the water. She truly did miss the beach; the water, the calmness that she felt when she was around it, but this outing had shown her that it really wasn't as far away as it seemed.

Tig turned to grab her hand once he was out of the water and on the sand where the waves rolled over his feet, but he realized that she wasn't behind him - she was still a few feet out, floating on her back. He smiled, beyond pleased that he had managed to come up with a day that she seemed to be enjoying so thoroughly - especially given his limited experience.

Sydney's peace as she stared off into the sky and listened to the rolling went undisturbed when Tig slowly drifted up, kneeling behind her in the more shallow water. She knew that he was looking at her, but she didn't move, smiling to acknowledge him instead - she wanted to soak up as much of the euphoria as she could.

He smiled in return even though she couldn't see, absorbing the light sense of relief that she was radiating. He sat back where the water gathered at his chest, gently guiding her to float in front of him where they sat in silence for a while - both engulfed in their own peaceful trances as the waves gently swayed them around.

"I love you." Sydney broke the silence, a small smile on her face and she stared across the horizon where the water went on forever.

"I love you." He nodded, staring into the same vastness.

"Water's always made me feel better." The words began rolling off of her tongue easily. "My parents used to take me to the beach everyday when I was little, before everything... It's some of the only stuff I remember about her… Not her directly, just memories that I know she was a part of…"

There was a note of melancholy in her tone as she reminisced, but Tig couldn't help from noticing the air of peace as she willingly opened up this time. "Tell me." He encouraged - all of the memories that he had of his parents were of the vile, horrible, unthinkable things that took place in their home, he wanted to be able to help her remember the good.

She smiled in appreciation for the man behind her - the man who had brought her to her favorite place, the man who wanted nothing but to see her happy. She sighed contently as she rested her head back against his chest as she recounted the happier memories from her childhood.

"My grandpa had a beach house on Huntington Beach that me and my mom would go to every weekend. My dad would come when he could get away but a lot of the time it was just us. I don't remember a lot about back then… But I always remember being by the water." She paused, feeling the overwhelming discomfort that always accompanied the happy memories - which was why she never bothered reliving them. She clutched onto her necklace, forcing herself to let the words flow freely without altering them. "She was a good mom… She was so good at making things seem normal - like we were a normal family doing normal things, like she was a normal wife. We looked like the American dream… People never would've guessed the kind of lifestyle that we lived at home."

It was clear to Tig from her tone that she was still hurt and confused immensely by her mother choosing drugs and abuse over a happy family, rubbing his thumbs down her arms as she spoke.

Sydney felt the tightening in her throat and decided that she had done good enough - taking a sharp turn off of memory lane. "I wasn't allowed there after everything, but I would make Happy take me back every chance that I got." She chuckled at the happier memory of the grumbling Tacoma Killer being guilted by the little girl on a weekly basis.

Tig chuckled along with her at the thought of Happy being ruled by a child. He could see exactly how it would go down with the way that Sydney still had him so tightly wrapped around her finger. "You ever get caught?"

"No." Sydney smiled, gently caressing his hands. Even after she was banned from her personal slice of heaven, she always managed to make it there undetected - always feeling like it was a sign from whatever God existed that it was where the universe intended for her to be; the one place where she was allowed peace. "I'd make Hap sit there for hours… He couldn't wear his kutte and sometimes he'd have to pose as a kid to blend in."

Tig cackled loudly at the idea of Happy trying to look like a normal beach dweller and fit in with the types of guys that had been hassling Sydney just minutes before.

Sydney giggled, she loved the sound of his laugh. "Once I got my license I would drive out there almost every night. I didn't give a shit how much gas or sleep I lost doing it." She smiled sadly. "My favorite time of day was just before sunset… When the air starts to cool down and everyone goes inside for dinner. I'd go sit on the beach and watch the sunset while listening to the sound of the waves with my feet in the sand and the smell of a home cooked meal... There's nothing in this world that beats that." She fought the sadness of nostalgia. "That's the only thing I miss about home." She concluded her session of divulgence - the way he listened to her so intently and allowed her to speak making it much easier to get through.

"You should show me one day... Sounds like I could use a place like that." Tig nodded. He'd never been lucky enough to find a location like Sydney described, but what he had found was a peace similar to the one that she'd described, in her.

Sydney looked up at him for the first time since he'd come back into the water with her, her eyes bright and hopeful. "I'd really like that." She smiled.

He returned her smile, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "You about ready to head back to shore, Captain?" He smirked as he sat back up.

"Only if you promise there will be lots of seamen there." She raised a brow.

Tig chewed his tongue, holding back his laugh at her clever response before pulling her to her feet and walking her towards their beach towels.

Sydney stretched out across the fluffy blue and white towel, enjoying the warm sun on her wet, chilled skin. Coincidentally, another one of her favorite things to do was suntan - Tig had really hit a homerun. "I'm gonna have to thank you real good for this..." She spoke with her eyes closed and her face tilted towards the sky.

"You're really pullin out all the stops to get me naked, aren't ya?" She smirked but kept her eyes closed, seeing that he was carrying on with his prude act, but that was okay - she would crack him eventually.

"This what you were talking to Clay about?" She opened her eyes as she broke the silence after quite some time in the sun, turning over onto her stomach.

Tig opened his eyes and blinked a few times as his head lifted from where it had been resting on his hands, staring at her blankly. "Oh, yeah. Yeah it was." He nodded quickly when he realized what she'd meant.

Something ticked in her brain briefly - something telling her that his answer didn't seem as sincere as it should've, but she brushed it off. Maybe he didn't realize what she meant at first - especially since it was sprung on him so suddenly.

"We could go grab some dinner at one of the restaurants after this." Tig changed the subject, knowing that she would surely sniff him out if he didn't.

"Is that what you wanna do?" She asked gently with a raised eyebrow, knowing full well that the Sergeant at Arms likely wasn't a 'napkin on the lap with a glass of red wine' kind of guy - which was exactly what all of the fancy seaside restaurants were full of.

"I wanna do whatever will make you happy, baby." Tig didn't mind sucking it up if it was what she wanted - he'd figured that having a girlfriend meant he would have to succumb to domestic activity sooner or later, it may as well be when he was ready and willing.

"What I want." She smirked, climbing into his lap. "Is for you to remember that I am biker trash just as much as you are, Sergeant." She whispered in his ear.

Now she was pulling out all the stops to get him hot and bothered - sitting in his lap, tickling the sensitive skin of his neck, telling him he didn't have to sit through a fancy dinner? Maybe he would give in after all... "That's all you gotta tell me as a thank you for today." He chuckled. "Wanna get dressed and see what they got on the boardwalk? I'm starving."

Sydney smiled and nodded, grabbing her clothes and making her way to the changing rooms where she changed much quicker this time - her empty stomach serving as motivation. She slipped her clothes back on and fluffed her sun-dried hair with her fingers before walking back out to meet Tig.

The pair walked hand in hand as they set off towards the bike to drop off their damp bathing suits, still earning scowls from passersby along the way.

"Haven't they seen beauty and the beast?" Tig asked in her ear.

"I guess not." Sydney joked back.

"Doesn't bother ya?" He couldn't help but ask - knowing that she was the one being judged much more-so than he was.

"The stares? Fuck no. We should turn it into a drinking game." She was completely unfazed by the dirty looks - if anything, they amused her.

Tig grinned, never failing to feel like he had hit the jackpot when he scored the San Bernardino girl. "What d'ya feel like eatin?" He asked once they approached the boardwalk, the wood clunking beneath their boots.

Sydney just looked him up and down in response with a dirty smirk on her face, making him smile demurely and shake his head as he continued to refuse to give in to her antics. "How about-" He began.

"I want a corndog." She cut him off when the brilliant idea came to her, watching his eyes widen.

"You gotta be kidding me..." She shook her head, looking up at him with those innocent eyes. He snarled, leading her to one of the food trucks and ordering her damn corndog - knowing that he would regret it.

"Lets get some ice cream and go sit on the beach?" He suggested with a nod towards the slowly setting sun as he acquired his own food.

Sydney smiled and nodded gratefully - knowing that he was doing the best he could to recreate the blissful scene that she'd described to him.

"I don't think they got any of your Half Baked shit here." Tig teased as they approached the ice cream truck, ordering chocolate for himself as the limited selection also excluded his first choice.

The older woman scooping the ice cream looked to Sydney, impatiently waiting for her order. "Strawberry, please - in a waffle cone." She asked sweetly, unable to help but notice the wandering eyes of the hairnet-wearing woman while she got their order together - clearly trying to figure out what the relationship was between the young girl and older man. She finally handed the cones over, looking between the pair disapprovingly.

"Thanks, dad." Sydney turned to Tig.

Tig's brow began to crease but he quickly caught on. "You're welcome, babygirl." He husked, leaning down to kiss her briefly on the lips - lingering just long enough for it to confuse the woman even more.

Sydney cackled as the wince of disgust spread across the worker's face - Tig joining in and shaking his head as they took off towards the sand. "You dirty girl." He purred in her ear with a smirk.

"You gonna punish me, daddy?" She asked with a smirk as she sat down.

Before Tig could answer, Sydney wrapped her lips around the corndog - looking up at him with those wide, expectant eyes. "Might have to..." He couldn't help the groan that escaped his lips as his pants tightened.

Sydney smiled and bit down, snapping the corndog and winking before she began chewing. Tig just chuckled and shook his head, turning his attention to the box full of shrimp tacos he'd ordered.

"Want one?" He offered the box to her once she was finished eating, purposely having ordered more than he could eat - knowing that she'd ordered the single corndog just to fuck with him and that it would not satisfy her appetite.

"Mhmm." She nodded, reaching for a taco. "That corndog wasn't big enough... I need something bigger to fill me." She pouted, jutting out her lips and peering up at him through her lashes.

Tig stared at her knowingly, chewing on his lips as he grumbled to himself - refusing to give in even as she pushed harder and harder.

The sun began to set lower and lower as they ate, creating the peaceful haze that Sydney had spent the last month and a half dreaming of. She felt the tears coming to her eyes in a mix of immense joy, and bitter nostalgia. "Thank you." She choked out.

"You're welcome, baby." Tig spoke full of care, wrapping his arm around her and bringing her closer. "Figured you deserved a good day."

Sydney decided to swallow the instinctive comment about not needing pity after the Oswald incident for the sake of the good day, nodding instead.

Her slight tense likely would've gone unnoticed by anyone else, but Tig had gotten very familiar with her body over the past weeks - he could sense even the smallest change. "Y'aint as good at hiding your feelings from me as you think you are." He narrowed his eyes as a discerning smirk graced his lips.

"I know." She scoffed. "Why do you think it pisses me off so much?" She gave a watery laugh. Tig laughed too, he was glad that they were at least laughing about their issues rather than ignoring them altogether and allowing them to eat their relationship alive as they had been just days ago.

Sydney snuggled closer into his side as the light breeze rolled off of the sea - carrying the cooler temperature of the water along with it as it cut through the warm air. Tig smiled and pulled her in tighter as they stared into the distance, the sky quickly changing from orange and pink to blue and purple as the sun made its final descent.

Sydney pulled her boots off, sinking her freshly pedicured, red toes into the cool sand as she closed her eyes and inhaled the salty air as it lightly blew her hair back.

"This is it, isn't it?" Tig knew by the way her body relaxed instantly as the relief washed over her small frame.

"Almost." She smiled with her eyes closed, savoring the moment as long as she could.

Tig closed his eyes, realizing for himself why she missed home so much as the euphoria of summer dusk at the beach coupled with her in his arms brought him to the same heavenly trance that she was in.

"What happened to it? Your grandpa's place." He asked after a few peaceful, silent minutes.

"He still owns it. Once I started making real money I kept an eye on it - hoping it would go up for sale but it never did... I know it'll stay in the family forever, probably go to my douchebag private school cousins." She explained sadly.

"I bet you could convince em to give it to ya." Tig winked. He knew how easily she scared grown men - some pretty frat boys would be a piece of cake.

"Y'aint wrong." She smirked. "But I don't know... Something about it just fucks with me."

"How so?"

"I guess it's just one of the few things that I'd rather do the right way… Go through an anonymous buyer or something if it ever goes up for sale. I don't want to taint one of the last purities that I have."

Tig nodded, understanding all too well that no matter how fearless someone was - family would always challenge that. He hugged her close to his side before finally pulling away to get a start on his ice cream.

"Been spending too much time with me, huh?" She smirked as she looked into the soup-filled plastic dish.

"You're rubbin off on me." He chuckled as he tipped the dish back, pouring the melted treat into his mouth Sydney-style. "Soon I'm gonna start doin cartwheels."

She laughed. "I'll get ya nice and flexible for me." She winked before licking a long stripe along her dripping ice cream cone.

"You really gonna pick now to start eating it normally?" He winced, this girl seemed to have never-ending tricks up her sleeve.

"What's the matter, Tiggy? I thought you would be proud of me." She pouted, swirling her tongue over the barely frozen treat where he didn't speak, just stared at her with wide eyes.

After the pair had finished their ice cream, the sun had fully set and the flashing lights lit up the strip while the moon reflected off of the sea. They strolled along the boardwalk, soaking up the last bit of the perfect day. Tig smiled as he took a moment to enjoy what exactly was happening: him, walking through Santa Cruz with the perfect girl on his arm, the warm air laced with the sweet smell of carnival food and the colourful lights surrounding them. He stopped, yanking her arm towards him where he brought her in for a kiss as he engulfed her with his arms.

Sydney smiled against his mouth once she realized what was happening, feeling every bit of emotion that he was pouring into the embrace as she locked her arms around her neck and returned the favor.

"I love you." He nodded sincerely after pulling away, holding her face in his hands as he stared at her with those crystal blue eyes while lights bouncing off of them.

"I love you too." She replied just as sincerely - almost in a state of awe with a permanent smile on her face.

Tig wished that all days could be like today where the stress of the club was the second thing on his mind instead of the first. He loved the club, loved being a Son - but when shit got heavy, being a member of substantial ranking meant that the burden fell on his shoulders. He briefly wondered what kind of problems that would pose between him and Sydney down the road - especially since she was so deep within the club, herself. Since the day that they'd met, they had been the other's escape from the heavy shit - but if they were both dealing with it… He shoved the worry into the back of his mind - today was a good day.

"We can stay and get a hotel if you want? Or head back if you don't wanna wear the same clothes tomorrow." Tig was happy to do whatever she wanted, but he much preferred the idea of spending the night - he was in no rush to return to the chaos back home.

"You think too highly of me." Sydney chuckled, not caring about something as trivial as having to wear the same clothes two days in a row. Despite how she looked, she could get down and dirty with the boys - there wasn't much that would faze her. "I'd love to, but you've spoiled me so much already..." She trailed off bashfully. She didn't mind him spending his money on her - she wasn't one of those shy girls who declined chivalrous acts; he was a grown man and he could decide what he wanted to spend his money on, she just wanted him to know that it wasn't a requirement for being with her.

"You kiddin, baby? I'm spoilin myself." He smirked at her, making her smile just as genuinely and whole-heartedly as she had been all day.

;

A fluffy chapter? Is one of my favourites? Where they don't have sex? Shocking.