Something has been up with my account...or this past week and I was unable to view my reviews except on mobile for a few days. And I got no guest reviews, I don't know if that's accurate or if it was also a glitch. Either way, thank you everybody who is reading and especially to those of you who are reviewing. I put A LOT of time into writing these chapters, tying things in from the past, foreshadowing for the future, keeping track of all the characters and their back stories and what I have in mind for them in the future. And on top of all that, editing my word document and then editing again when my chapter is in the doc manager. So please, if you don't mind, spend 30 seconds in the review box and let me know you like my work, or tell me something I missed, something you want to see, make a guess as to the future, or just drop a smiley face :)

Disclaimer: I do not have the rights to SOA and make no profit from 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.

I no longer have a beta, so all mistakes are my own.

2022

Age 30

Set one week after the last chapter

Casper set down his lunch tray across from Happy. "Talked to Sieben this morning. He said he's seeing you this afternoon." Happy nodded his head. "We're being transferred to Mendota."

Happy nodded again. "That's a good thing. Lenard's there. Safety in numbers."

"Yeah, and he said once we're there he can arrange for visitation." Casper seemed a little more upbeat then he had in the past several days.

"That'll take some time."

"Only a few days, maybe a week, he said."

Happy nodded again and continued to eat. He watched his son in law play with his food. He wasn't adjusting well to being locked up.

"Eat it Casper, it don't get better the longer you stir it."

"What is it?"

Happy shrugged. "Tastes alright."

Casper took a bite and cringed. He knew there was no choice but to eat it. "Hap…"

"Don't Casper." Happy warned.

"I know…I just…I miss my fucking family."

"I know son."

Gabby sat down in the hospital bed next to Harry. She had been called by the staff, having been made his emergency contact a long time ago.

"How long have you known Harry?" She sighed.

"OH, a while now. I was doing alright, but the damn buggers are spreading."

"Those damn buggers are cancer Harry, and they're in your liver."

"I know where they are. And they're gonna go in and cut them out."

"Yeah…you know if you lose half your liver you have to stop drinking."

"The liver grows back." He defended.

"Not at your age, old man." Gabby lightened the mood.

"Listen Gabby, I don't want the other men to know. Just let these doctors do the surgery. I don't need a bunch of men filling the waiting room when there's so much else to be done."

"They deserve to know Harry. They would want to see you."

"You mean they want the chance to say goodbye."

"Harry, you're gonna make it through this surgery."

"I know what the doctors told you. 70% success rate. I'm old Gabby, and I haven't taken very good care of myself. I don't want to be a burden on anyone. Especially not you, not now. So, you listen to me. If I don't make it, if something goes wrong, I don't you fussing over a big funeral. As far as I'm concerned cancer's the same as old age. It's the natural order of things."

"You're gonna be FIINE Harry." Gabby took his hand. "I'm not losing anyone else. You have to be fine."

Harry squeezed her hand. They're gonna be here soon. Take me in…you don't need to stay."

"The kids are home with Trisha, I told her I'd be late. I'm staying."

Harry nodded his head. "Got any big plans with the kids for summer break?"

Gabby sighed and sat back in her chair, if he didn't want to think about the surgery, she could indulge him. "Casper and I had talked about Disney, or the San Diego zoo."

"Sounds fun."

"I guess. I don't know, I never liked zoos. All those animals behind bars makes me sad."

"You've got a soft heart Gabby."

"Maybe too soft."

"No such thing."

Shark and Tig sat at the bar together. Gabby had told Shark she was getting a sitter and getting out of the house for the day. He was thrilled. But it meant he had nowhere to go.

"You gonna be staying here long?" He asked Tig.

Tig spun his glass on the bar. "You're down a lot of men."

"Things have calmed down. Taking down D-27 really stuck it home for a lot of the dealers around here that we aren't playing around."

"Yeah, but Frankie lost 2 mechanics, 3 if you count losing Lance to the plethora of prospect work he's on now. He needs to hire some more men on."

"Yeah he does, he's gonna lose another soon."

Tig froze, thinking Shark meant he was leaving, but remembered he worked for the construction company. "Who's that then?"

"Mitch. Vin and Frankie asked me about prospecting him. Like you said, we need more man power."

"I like Mitch, he put himself in charge of keeping the hang arounds busy on the lockdown."

"Yeah, he's good like that. Not afraid to stand up to the biggest or meanest of them. He was a drill sergeant you know."

"I had only heard he served."

"I like him, he's older than Tony or Lance. More mature. He hasn't been around long, hasn't been out of the service long so I can't really hold it against him. We're gonna wait it out a little longer, but he's next up."

"It's good to think ahead." Tig nodded his head. "You've got an admirer." Tig motioned with his glass to the end of the bar.

Kaye was wiping down the already clean bar, watching Shark.

"You know she showed up at my house? Said she missed me."

"Oh, the horror." Tig mocked.

Shark chuckled. "She's a real pistol, can't seem to shake the need for her."

"Everyone needs someone. There's nothing wrong with it."

"I just don't want to give her the wrong idea."

"You think she's only in it for the crow?"

"I don't know, I don't think she's thought that far ahead. Maybe I should trade off for a few weeks, let her know she's not special."

Tig smirked. "I think maybe she is special Shark."

Shark ran his hand up Kaye's smooth leg, kissing his way up the other. Her hands were clutching the sheets and she was letting out the most delicious moans. He suckled her inner thigh, putting out of his mind the stress of the past few weeks. He moved up to her sex, giving her one teasing lick before moving up to her hip bone. He latched on and sucked on the corner of bone while he pressed his thumb to her clit. She wrapped a leg around his back, urging him closer to her. He wasn't ready yet. He needed it slow, he needed to feel, for just an hour, like he was in bed with someone he loved. Someone who was the mother of his children. Someone who would be cooking dinner when he got home from work, leave her perfume smell on his pillow.

He slowly kissed his way up her body, finally latching on to her lips, plunging his tongue in as his thumb drew circles on her clit. She was panting, as much as she could, with him firmly attached to her lips. He wanted her helpless, sated in pleasure, brain fuzzy, when he finally plunged into her. He continued to go slow, his mouth moving to the pulse point on her neck. She ran her hands up his back into his hair and chanted his name over and over again in breathy whispers.

He moved his mouth to her collar bone and his hands to her hips, shifting her just slightly so he could slide in deeper. It wasn't her face he saw when he came. It wasn't any face at all. It was a feeling, a warm and fuzzy feeling of love.

Trisha had just texted Gabby that the kids were in bed when the surgeon walked towards her. She stared at his face. It was bad news. They couldn't get all the cancer. It had spread somewhere else. Nothing more could be done; it was all about making him comfortable now.

"Mrs. Russo?" He asked politely.

"Yes sir, how he is."

"As you know Mrs. Russo, the odds of the surgery-"

"Please, doc, I know the odds, just tell me how he is."

"I'm so sorry Mrs. Russo. Your friend didn't make it through surgery."

Gabby numbly nodded her head and worried the strap of her purse. That had not been on her list of possibilities. Not getting rid of the cancer had been her expectation. The cancer spreading had been her worst-case scenario. Harry was gone. She listened silently as the doctor explained who to go to for instructions on what to do next. Nodding her head again when appropriate.

When the doctor walked away Gabby sat down again. She slowly pulled out her phone.

"Hey Gabs," Vin answered on the third ring.

"Vin…" He sat up straight at the sound of her voice. It sounded like she had been crying.

"What is it sugar? Do you want me to come over?"

"No, I'm not at home…I'm at the hospital."

"The kids-"

"Fine, we're fine Vin. It's Harry."

Becky let herself into Gabby's house 2 days later. The sitter would be here any minute. Harry's funeral would be quick and small, like he had requested. No showing at the clubhouse, no brothers from out of town. No parade of bikes through the streets.

The men had taken Harry's passing hard. Vin especially. He was the only original member of the charter left in the clubhouse. His family of so long was gone.

Gabby came down the stairs in a black blouse. Still smoothing her hair into a bun. Becky urged Suzie into the family room where the sound of the other kids could be heard.

Becky hugged Gabby tightly. "I'm so sorry Gabs."

"Thanks Becky, me too. When it rains it pours I guess."

"You knew? For a while now?"

"He told me in the very beginning that he had been diagnosed. He didn't keep me up to speed. When he started skipping church, I knew things must have gotten worse, but I had no idea-" She stopped abruptly to stop a sob from coming out.

"What can I do Gabby? I feel helpless here."

"Just do what you're doing. The club suffered another loss. Nothing they haven't gotten used to in the past months. We're all going back to the clubhouse after…no visitors, but the guys will be there, and…I guess we should be too."

"Okay." Becky rubbed her friends back. "Trisha doesn't mind watching Suzie too?" She heard the sitter pulling into the drive.

"No, of course not. It'll make things easier. Kristen will be entertained." The women walked towards the family room to say good bye to the kids.

The men sat around the table in the chapel. It hadn't felt right to do anything after Harry's funeral, but it had been 2 weeks and they were voting on making Mitch a prospect. Vin sat, still in his VP chair, with the gavel in front of him. Frankie sat across the table from him. Shark next to Frankie, Tom Tom 2 empty seats down from Vin, Happy and Casper's chairs empty. Bull and Tony across from each other. Tig sat across from Harry's old seat, respectively a chair down from the rest, having no vote in the matter.

They voted, and Tony, low man on the totem pole went out to fetch Mitch and bring him in. The men went through their usual banter without much enthusiasm. Dues, here's your cut, don't get yourself killed, get out, shut the door.

"Lenard got a court date for the first week of November. No word on Happy and Casper yet. I expect everyone to be there to show solidarity. Viv is coming in to testify. I'll be on the stand too, and Frankie. We've known him the longest, we were officers with him and Chris. Any questions?" Vin asked. He got silence in return.

Vin struck the gavel and the men all stood up. "Shark, Tom Tom, stay for a minute." Frankie sat as well; hands clasped on the table. Tony left dutifully; Bull glared at the men before mumbling as he stormed out. Tig left with the nod of the head. He thought he knew what was about to happen.

"Boys, Frankie and I have been talking." Vin started.

"Mother charter is putting some pressure on us to sure up SAMFRES." Frankie continued when Vin stopped.

"They want the officers positions filled. Trials or no trials." Tom Tom looked at Shark and swallowed. Everyone knew Shark was being groomed as the next SAA. But Tom Tom had no illusions about becoming an officer. He saw Casper following that path.

"I need you to say yes to this request. And I want you both to understand that ALL these positions are going to be interim only, until after everyone has been through trial. When they get out, and they WILL get out, Lenard and Happy will be taking back their positions." Vin explained.

Shark nodded his head. Tom Tom did as well, his left foot nervously tapping the floor.

"Vin's going to take the president's chair, as expected from him." Frankie stated.

"I'm making Frankie my VP. Shark, I want you to hold the SAA position for now. And Tom Tom, I want to put you in as the secretary. I don't want you boys to take what I'm about to say the wrong way but listen. This isn't what was supposed to happen. I have a small pool to choose from, and I don't want to transfer a stranger in here from another charter to be an officer. That's not Fresno's style. So we're keeping it all in the family. Tony is green. And Bull…is Bull." Vin looked at Frankie.

"You boys should know; the officers had planned to drive Bull out. He's a liability. But we can't afford to do that anymore." Frankie went on.

"Hammer, Happy's old riding partner from the nomads is going to be coming here. He's getting on in years and wants to settle down. He's gonna give us a test run, see if this is the right charter for him. Tig is tied to Charming. Jax has lent him to us without any restrictions. He's got strong ties to Charming, but one very strong tie here as well. Frankie and I are hoping we can convince him to stay."

Shark nodded his head. "I like having a plan in place, and I'd be honored to hold Happy's place as long as I'm needed."

"Yeah," Tom Tom cleared his throat. "I'm here to do whatever the club needs of me. Temporary or not."

"So that's our set up then? Us 4 as officers. Tony and Bull. And Tig and Hammer as fill ins for now?" Shark reiterated.

"Hammer will be here in 2 days, Friday night we're going to hold church and make all this official." Vin picked up the gavel and held it a moment. He looked the other 3 men in the eye, got a nod from each, and banged the gavel.

Thank you!