Thank you to all of my readers who come back to finish this story, I realize it has been a very long time. Hopefully you will understand that real life comes before fanfiction.

A huge, huge, thanks to my beta and friend EmeraldJewelSparkle. Thank you for being there for me this past year, for being my sounding board and my support, and for convincing me to continue writing, and to finish this story. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.

Disclaimer: I do not have the rights to SOA and make no profit off my writing. Anything you don't recognize from the show I have created.

Content Warning: This fanfiction is rated M. Please respect that warning and do not read this if you do not want to read M rated material.

Chapter 31

Age 30

2022

Set the Wednesday after the end of the lockdown

Casper sat down in his tech corner defeated. Church had been a bust. No one had found, heard from, or gotten a hint as to Salus' whereabouts. Casper had found a couple more leads to give the men to go on but he truly felt like he should have more after four days of nonstop hacking.

The rest of the men spread out in the bar as well. Though the lockdown had ended it was now Wednesday and life had certainly not gotten back to normal. Vin had sent the nonpatched employees to the construction site to finish their last job, but the rest of the men were still going full force on club business. It was exhausting. Casper would give anything to be changing the oil in some stranger's car.

"You don't look happy." Vivica greeted him with a cup of coffee on his desk.

"No…thanks." He immediately took the coffee and started drinking.

"Where's Hap?" She asked, knowing better than to ask about club business.

"Still in church with Vin and Frankie." Casper answered. "You need him?" He started to get up.

"I'll wait. I'm sure they have lots to talk about." Viv smiled and let him get to work on his computer. She sat on one of the couches, getting smiles and nods from several of the guys while waiting for the doors to open.

"Hey Viv." Frankie greeted her as soon as he opened the church doors.

"Hey Frankie, Vin." She greeted the men. "Hey Hap, can I talk to you for a second?"

Happy looked at her slightly surprised. "Sure Viv." He shrugged and went to sit on the couch Viv had been on.

"In the office?" Vivica asked. Happy froze.

"Okay." He said after a second and swept over Vivica, looking for a clue as to what may have been wrong.

"Hey." Shark gently knocked Casper on the side of the head with a beer bottle.

"What's up?" Casper asked.

"I'm on my way out on another lead."

"Okay…" Casper trailed off.

"Kristen asked me for an ipad, is that okay?" Shark cut to the chase.

"What?" Casper asked confused.

"For her birthday, bro. I figured I should clear it with you first. I found this one that is totally kid friendly and you can limit app downloads and time allotments. Anyway, that cool?"

"Oh, holy shit!" Casper stood up and started digging in his pocket for his phone.

Shark started laughing. "You forgot your kid's birthday?"

"I'VE BEEN BUSY!" Casper yelled as he walked away and started dialing his wife.

Happy closed the office door behind him and stood pensively against it. A million things were going through his head. What could Vivica need to tell him? Ask him? Need from him? Did she know something he didn't about Gabby? About the kids?

He cleared his throat as Vivica pulled a file folder out of her bag and sat on the couch. Obviously she wanted him to join her, or she would have chosen to sit at the desk.

"I need to go over some business stuff with you." Vivica explained and held up the file folder. Happy blew out a breath and walked to the couch. He calmly took a seat. Vivica took care of everything for the guys related to work. Payroll, health insurance, 4O1K's; he probably just needed to sign something.

"Okay, what's up?"

Vivica cleared her throat this time. "I want to sell you Chris' share in the construction business."

"Wait, you what?"

"The whole idea of this place was for the guys to live off of it. I know your finances, I know you can afford the share, and before you say anything, I have a lot of money saved up, and I'll have the money from this sale to add to it."

"Vivica…I mean, why me?" Happy searched her face. "Why not one of the younger guys? Casper could use this, put in less hours, spend more time with his kids. Or Tom Tom, he's got an insta-family waiting for him."

"Happy…" She took his hand and squeezed it. "Whether you want to admit it or not, you're getting up there in years. You're not gonna be putting in the time you used to. You shouldn't be pushing yourself, you should be enjoying your grandkids and kicking it with Harry." She chuckled at his look of disgust at being the old man drinking in the corner skipping runs.

"Besides, when the time comes, you can leave your share to Casper. It'll stay in the club, and the family that way. I had a lawyer draw up a contract, I can go over it with you, or you can meet with the lawyer. It's a fair price, I'm not trying to play you."

"Viv." Happy interrupted her and placed a large calloused hand on one of hers. "I trust you. I don't need this explained to me by some lawyer. I'm just curious as to why you want to do this now, it hasn't been that long."

"I've been going over Chris' will. All the finances, paperwork, everything that goes along with death that no one ever talks about. You getting the business was Chris' suggestion a while back. I just want to get all this done so I can stop thinking about it."

Happy squeezed her hand and nodded. "Alright, show me where to sign."

Gabby parked in Vivica's driveway and made her way to the front door. She hadn't seen her since they were let out of the clubhouse, and even though it had only been four days, she missed her friend.

She knocked and waited, Vivica opened the door quite surprised.

"Hi…Gabby, what are you doing here?" She questioned, but still in a pleasant manner.

"Just thought I'd check in on you, haven't heard from you in a few days." Gabby smiled back.

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that, you did call didn't you?" Vivica pretended to remember the call that she had ignored two days earlier.

"Yeah, but that's alright, figured you were busy."

"Yes actually, I have been very busy lately." Vivica stepped out the door and kissed Gabby on the cheek finally as a greeting. "Where's Tony?"

Gabby glanced behind her absently. "At home with the kids. I'm not gonna lie, I kinda like having him around. He's so eager to please. He knows he's close to his vote in, he's doing everything possible to get in." Gabby chuckled. "Especially being in a patch's house. Casper, Hap, Shark, they're all riding him about taking care of the kids, cleaning up after himself, not getting in my way, not being annoying. I feel sorry for the guy."

Vivica chuckled a bit at that and let her guard down a bit more. She sighed and opened the door, waving Gabby in. "Come in, we need to talk, and you're not gonna like this."

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Gabby looked around at the piles of boxes both filled and empty in Vivica's house.

"I mean just that. I sold the house. I'm moving to Santa Barbara to be with my sister." Vivica said frankly still wrapping her collection of Cherubs in bubble wrap.

"You sold the house?! Already?" Gabby had to sit down, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"It's the gem of the neighborhood, especially after Chris bought and tore down the place next door. Huge yard, three car garage, in-ground pool, I got what I was asking for it."

"Jesus, I mean, I understand but still, I…I don't…the club. It's been your life, your family. You take care of all the guys like they're your own. Who's gonna take over? None of the men have old ladies." She looked up pleadingly. "Vivica you've been like a mom to me, please don't leave."

Vivica set down her roll of bubble wrap and sat next to Gabby on the couch. "Honey, you don't need me to take care of you. You're a great old lady and a great mom. You're gonna take charge of Fresno, you'll be queen. These guys already turn to you and depend on you."

"I'm not a queen. My old man's not even an officer. I'm young, I can't play mom to those guys. I feed them, I don't take care of them." Gabby shook her head.

"Gabby, do you know why you're here, in Fresno?" Vivica asked.

Gabby gave Vivica a strange look. "Because Casper…"

"No. Not because of Casper. You're here because Chris wanted you here. My old man saw something in you. He saw a woman, a strong independent woman, with undeniable ties to the club. You know how it all works. You know what to expect. Chris wanted you in Fresno to take over one day. He has always recognized the important role women play in the success of a club."

"So Casper just…"

"No no baby. Casper loves you. He didn't marry you for Chris. Fresno made eight trips to Charming in three years. He always brought the younger men with him and he always went out of his way to make you feel comfortable with all the guys. Fresno hadn't made a trip to Charming in two years before he met you."

"So Chris and Hap were both playing matchmaker." Gabby sighed and fell against the back of the couch. "Did Happy know Chris' plan for me?"

"No, Happy wanted to see you settle down in a different charter, fresh start. Chris was simply more than thrilled to help him out with that."

"But you knew? I mean, I'm basically your replacement. Were you okay with that?" Gabby turned to Vivica.

"Oh honey, I was thrilled! As you said none of the other guys have old ladies. A few of the younger ones might settle down but who knows if they'll stay. I needed the help, and I was subtly grooming you. It was nice to know the guys would be taken care of when Chris retired…when I stepped down as queen." Vivica sniffed a tear away at her old plans with her husband and patted her hand and stood up. "Just you wait and see. The minute I'm gone those guys are gonna be running to you. No vote or decision or discussion needed. Just you watch."

"You're gonna come back to visit, right?"

"Absolutely."

"When are you gonna tell the guys?"

"As soon as I wrap up and pack away my breakables. Don't trust those guys with my little angles." Vivica held up a rather chubby Cherub angle. "I trust you though." She hinted and threw a new roll of bubble wrap at Gabby.