With their union solidified and their structure finally on its feet, Sydney and Tig direct their attention to the more pressing matters that have rippled through the pillars SAMCRO.
General trigger warnings for this story: Language, smut, mentions of rape, abuse, drug use/overdose, violence/death, racism/gang activity.
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CHAPTER 11: AFTERMATH
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Wendy stomped frantically through the house as a cigarette hung out of her mouth, telling herself over and over that it wasn't worth it; that it could kill her baby - just as she had every other time before the unfightable cravings had swept her back into the depths. She shook her head as she tried desperately to disconnect her sober mind from her withdrawing body as it carried her down the hallway and into the kitchen - tripping over the extra long pants of Jax's that she'd been wearing. She caught herself on the wall before she could fall, but the frustration was enough to kick her into gear - a recurring situation that she still had half of a brain enough to wonder if she had subconsciously been doing on purpose.
But she didn't care as she yanked the utensil draw open, violently flicking through the stacks of silverware before she pulled the entire drawer out and shook the contents onto the floor. Not a spoon in sight.
She looked around the kitchen, her breathing picking up before her pin-holed eyes landed on the refrigerator. "Yes." She breathed out as she practically ran across the room and yanked the freezer open, swiping the open gallon of cookies and cream ice cream that had a shining, silver spoon sticking right out of it. She took one last drag of her cigarette as she briefly contemplated what she was about to do, shaking the guilt away as she tossed the roach into the container of confection, and scraped the spoon clean with her teeth.
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"Alright, I'm gonna go check on Wendy." Gemma sighed.
"Oh?" Sydney scowled. She had been shocked to have found out that Jax had once been married, let alone that he had a baby on the way with his soon-to-be ex-wife. What she hadn't been shocked by, however, was to learn what type of woman he had married. Wendy was a typical croweater; she hung off of any man who would let her, and partied far too hard for her age, which had ultimately been the demise of their short union - something that Gemma had openly expressed her gratitude for.
"Jax says he hasn't seen a doctor bill in weeks, won't answer his calls... I wanna make sure she's keeping up with her appointments." She explained as she gathered her things off of her desk.
"I thought you said that Wendy was crazy about him?" Sydney's scowl deepened.
"She is... That's why I'm worried." Gemma mused as she headed for the door.
"I still don't know how she managed to get the coveted 'Gemma stamp of approval'." Sydney smirked knowingly.
"Well, apparently it's real easy when Gemma wants grandkids mothered by somebody other than that bitch - even junkies." She snorted, a trace of regret stinging in the back of her throat. She had been more than happy to see that Wendy - a hate driven mistake - was finally backing off of her son, until she realized that the only reason she was backing off was cause for great concern.
"Good luck." Sydney called after her, returning to the order sheet that she had been filling out before she snuck a glance out the window at Tig as he stood with a hand on his hip while he examined an engine with a sexy squint of pure concentration. She felt her stomach - and heart - flutter, sucking her lip in between her teeth. It had barely been two days since they had made their relationship official, and they hadn't exactly considered coming out and announcing it, but most of the guys had come to the conclusion after the scene that they had caused before they went back to Tig's dorm and spent the night thoroughly christening the room of their new relationship. Sydney was sure tell Gemma though - she wasn't stupid enough to keep such news from The Matriarch.
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Jax scowled from where he stood hunched over an oil pan as a frantic honking filled his ears, looking over his shoulder to see Gemma tearing through the lot, wailing on the horn.
"Shit." He abandoned his wrench, making a beeline towards his mother's speeding car.
"I- I tried to call you." She shook her head as she practically leapt from the car.
"What is it?" He shook his head as he scanned over her to make sure that she was okay.
"It's Wendy..."
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Clay stalked through the hospital between his raging stepson, and frantic wife as they made their way to the emergency room. "I found these next to a bunch of her empty thumb bags..." Gemma explained as she handed him a white book of matches.
"Hairy Dog..." He sighed as he examined the packet. He knew exactly what this meant.
Jax paid no mind to the detective work of his parents as he kept his gaze fixed on the bed where he could see Wendy being tended to - but his attention was quickly stolen from her when the dark-haired woman adjusting her IV turned to face him. He felt his heart stop, and he could sense that Gemma's did too - shaking his head as he continued his strides of determination.
Gemma felt her jaw clench when she saw her. Of course this would happen. She was finally getting rid of the second one, just to have the first one come running back...
Tara rushed out of the room and slid the glass door shut once she saw them - the encounter that she had been anticipating since the second that she'd seen Wendy being rolled in. She was grateful to see that Jax wasn't alone - and neither was Gemma as Clay, Bobby, and Chibs lingered behind; making it much easier for her to treat this as any other case.
"What the hell happened?" Jax asked immediately.
"When was the last time you saw her?" Tara crossed her arms.
"Couple of weeks." He shook his head.
"Her hands and feet were full of tracks... The toxicology reports aren't back yet, but it's most likely crank." She tried to keep the hint of smugness out of her voice as she eyed Gemma.
Jax looked back at where she laid, nearly lifeless across the bed, when he noticed that something was off. "The baby." He realized, whipping his head back as he became filled with more dread that he ever thought possible.
"We had to do an emergency c-section." Tara's voice lowered as she strained it to hide the emotion. "He's ten weeks premature."
"Holy shit..." His painful blue eyes widened in a way that shattered her heart far more intensely than she could've prepared for.
"He's got a congenital heart defect, and gastroschisis - a tear in his abdomen." She explained regrettably. "The gastro and the early birth are from the drugs, but the CHD is probably-"
"The family flaw..." Gemma's lips trembled. This was her fault. And now she was going to pay for it, again.
"Yes, it's genetic." Tara nodded, avoiding the eyes of the older woman before she could manage to make her feel bad for her - because she would. "Either one would be serious, but not life-threatening - however, the two of them together..." She shook her head. "Dr. Namid gives him a twenty-percent chance, and I'm afraid that's being optimistic." Her voice finally cracked. "I'm sorry Jax."
"Oh my god..." Gemma shook her head, uttering the words that nobody else could form as they took in the devastating news.
"I didn't know..." Jax whispered shakily. But he should've.
"Her O.B. said that she missed her last three appointments - no one knew." Tara tried to assure him before quickly returning to the group as a whole. "Dr. Namid wants to fix his belly first. Then, if he stabilizes, he'll go in and try to repair the heart..." She watched as they tried to digest the wealth of awful news. "I can take you to see him." She offered.
Jax peered over to his mother where she gave him a side-eye, sighing as he followed her down the hallway. "Tara." He called after her. "Look, you don't have to do this." he shook his head. "I'm sure you've got other patients-"
"I asked Dr. Namid if I could assist." She cut him off with a gentle nod. "I want to help your son."
Jax forced a smile. His son. Not their son. "His name is Abel."
"It's a good name." She nodded awkwardly, clearly picking up on exactly what he was thinking before he turned away from her. "Jax..." She called after him.
"Jackson..." Gemma sighed as she watched her son walk out on his sick child, just as his father had.
"Go with Tara." Jax shook his head. "I got somethin' to do."
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Sydney anxiously tapped her foot against the floor where she and Tig sat on the couch in the office, waiting for some kind of update.
"Hey..." Tig squeezed her knee as her felt her grip getting tighter around his hand. "It's gonna be okay..."
"Gemma is going to be a mess." She shook her head as her heart broke for The Matriarch. "Because of some stupid fucking junkie whore." She spit out bitterly.
"Don't hold back." Tig smirked. "Tell me how you really feel." He jostled her leg, quickly getting to his feet once Clay stalked into the office. "What's going on, man?"
"Kid's going into surgery... Found out that one of Darby's guys sold Wendy the crank." He sighed.
"Jesus Christ..." Tig shook his head. "Nazi shithead didn't take our messages too seriously after all..."
"Or maybe he's answering them..." Sydney suggested worriedly.
"Church as soon as the other's get back, let everyone know." Clay told Sydney as he shook his head, turning his attention back towards his Sergeant. "Call Trammel - see what he's got on Darby and the Nords."
"On it." The pair nodded in unison as they pulled out their burners and got to work.
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Jax stalked into the The Hairy Dog without a drop of fear as red clouded every pixel of his sight. He made his way across the Nord-filled room with Chibs and Bobby in tow, walking up to the first guy that he could find - a bald man wearing a white wife-beater as he shot pool with another bald man. He grabbed a pool cue from against the wall as he walked up on the unsuspecting man, winding up and whacking him square in the jaw with the wooden stick while Chibs and Bobby held off anybody that tried to stop him.
"Sell crank to my pregnant ex-wife?" Jax sneered as he slammed his fist into the bloodied man's face, over and over again before he took the pool cue and jammed it into his crotch.
"Easy, boys..." Bobby warned as more Nords began to close in while their brother howled in pain.
Jax didn't stop after that, stomping his boot into the man's teeth before Chibs eventually pulled him off. "I think you made your point." He tried to calm him down before things could get too ugly - pushing the man who was now spitting down onto his victim, out the door.
"Stupid peckerwood shithead!" Jax yelled, allowing himself to be dragged outside.
"Enjoy your lunch..." Bobby told the rest of the men as he kept his gun pointed in their direction while he backed out behind his VP. "Shish-ka-balls are on me." He smirked.
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An hour later, Sydney was seated at a full table - Piney and Opie included. Both men had been hesitant over the phone, but ultimately had decided that anything involving Abel was serious enough to make the trip. She knew that something was up with them, but she figured that it had to just be Opie's continuous family problems, and Piney struggling to choose between his son, and the legacy that he helped build.
"So, uh... What's the Nords roster looking like these days?" Clay began with a heavy sigh.
"Fourteen, fifteen guys - few new kids breaking in." Juice shrugged.
"Still got meth labs outta Lodi - selling mostly to truckers, some Mexi-gangs." Tig added. "Trammel's got a couple of sites on lookout and one of 'em looks like a lab for sure' barn on some secluded land on the outskirts of Pope, dirt road access. They've been out there a few times, but don't got shit for a warrant."
On any other day, Sydney wouldn't have been able to take her eyes off of Tig in the tight black shirt that he wore under his kutte - but for the sake of the bleak atmosphere, she kept her ogling to herself.
"Call that Nazi Prick and set a meet." Clay ordered Juice. "How's his guy doin'?
"Cheek bone fractured, broken nose, left nut swingin' solo." Bobby laughed while Half-Sack shifted uncomfortably in his seat along the back wall.
"Yes, it was beautiful! That's my boy!" Chibs hollered as he slammed his fist against the table.
"Shot or stabbed?" Sydney asked, taking a drag off of her cigarette while her eyes glimmered at the thought.
"Pool cue..." Jax told her while everyone laughed around him, but he didn't join them. "He's lucky he's still breathing." He huffed.
"I, uh..." Piney began. "I wanna say to Jackson, on a club level - the Sons of Anarchy Redwood Original is here for you." The older man nodded to his son's best friend - and his best friend's son. "Your father would be proud of the man that you've become, you know? Every time I see you sittin' at this table, I do a double take."
Sydney tried not to be insensitive as she listened to the sentiments around the table, but she could tell by looks on Tig's and Clay's faces that they too were fighting the urge to gag.
"Any luck up north?" Clay nodded to Happy, eager for a subject change as the worries that Gemma had put in his head began to get louder. "Meetin' with Cameron on Friday to see what we can do about getting some more AKs in directly with the oil drums, but with those heroin shipments comin' in more regularly? Laroy ain't gonna wait on us much longer..."
"Tacoma can help with the Glocks, but there's no M4s anywhere, man." Happy reported regrettably.
"We'll have the intel from Darby by tomorrow." Jax nodded. "We will get the rest of our guns back." The determination in his voice was almost enough to cover how naive he sounded.
"You really think that Darby is just gonna hand us back our hardware as a gesture of good faith after we killed his right hand, and speared his left?" Sydney spat out, not able to contain herself. She knew that he was just angry over the baby - and she genuinely felt bad for him. But she also knew the dangers of allowing emotions to come with him through that door if they weren't in the best interest of the club.
Jax whipped his head towards her, but before he could say anything, the smack of the gavel ended both the session, and the tension in the room.
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Clay sat in the office with Gemma, leaning against her desk as they stared out the window at Jax who furiously tightened a bolt for the fifth time. He shook his head as he turned his attention to his wife, his face falling as he watched her lips tremble.
"Ah..." He smiled sympathetically, rounding the desk where he took her hand. "All this stuff with Abel's pushin' some old buttons, huh?"
"It's not my buttons that I'm worried about..." She stared out the door pointedly.
Clay nodded, knowing that this would only send her into overdrive - and he couldn't have that. He brought her knuckles to his lips, brushing his thumb over the wedding band on her dainty finger before he made his way over to Jax.
"Not goin' to the hospital?" He questioned as he entered the cold, dingy room that had been enveloped by the night.
Jax ignored his step-father, continuing to tighten the bolt that threatened to break.
"Hey." Clay's hand came down on his sore shoulder, pulling him up gently. "Don't worry about this Nord shit - you need to focus on your family."
"Come on, man..." Jax shook his head. "Don't push me off this."
"Look." Clay stopped him. "I know you're all spun out over Wendy and the kid - understandable. It's awful shit." He nodded, looking back to Gemma. "But your father and I - we worked hard to create this business." He nodded as sincerely as a lying man could. "We served time. We lost bothers. We spilled a lot of blood. And you're gonna need this now, more than ever." He narrowed his eyes. "A sick kid is an expensive burden." Your father would know that. "You wanna do the right thing by your family, don't you?" He gripped the back of his neck.
Jax nodded slowly at first, but his willingness to hear out the man before him dwindled with each stomach-knotting word that left his lips in a tone that was just a tad too convenient for him to take seriously.
"Yeah... Of course." He nodded.
"Well then go and see your son."
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Wendy awoke to a tingling beneath her skin - a feeling that she was far too familiar with. It was time to start the day with the same routine - piss, cramps, denial, persuasion, and failure. But something unfamiliar coaxed her out of her sleep that was usually much heavier, and it was the sound of a steady beeping beside her. Her eyes flew open, Jax's face being the first thing that she saw as it all came back to her - realizing that it wasn't just a bad trip, after all.
"I-I didn't think you'd wanna see me." She whispered, looking up at where he stared down at her blankly. "Everyone must hate me." She shook her head, instantly beginning to sob. "I'm sorry, Jax... I'm so sorry." She covered her puffy face with her shaky hand that was ironically full of needles. "Please don't hate me..."
"You need to get help, Wendy." He nodded firmly. He was serious this time. Not like all of the other times when he hadn't cared what she was doing, or who she was doing it with - because it wasn't just about them anymore.
"I know, I know." She nodded rapidly. "I will, I promise. This time? I promise." But she had promised all of the other times too, and it wouldn't be the first time that her baby wasn't enough to save her... "The doctor." She sniffled. "The doctor said that the first surgery went well. They fixed his belly, if he keeps getting stronger then they said maybe they would fix his heart tomorrow, maybe tomorrow morning." She nodded hopefully.
"They'll do everything that they can." Jax nodded while she cried.
"My lawyer said that they might file criminal charges... Fetal abuse." She shook her head. "I got some stuff back at the house... In the stash drawer."
"Jesus Christ." Jax shook his head.
"Just." She tried to stop him before he could get angry. "If they find that shit, they're gonna put me away. You own the house, Jax. I'd hate to see this blow back on you..."
"Yeah, of course." He scoffed, shoving the door open and storming out of the room.
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Gemma frantically moved around Jax's living room, doing her best to tidy the remnants of hurricane Wendy. She puffed on what had to be her twentieth cigarette as she anxiously waited for news on her grandson, not bothering to look up when she heard the door opening.
"It's almost midnight." Jax shook his head as he walked in to see his mother, running herself dry for him - just as she always had.
"This place is a goddamn pigsty." She winced as she searched through her bucket of cleaning supplies for a rag.
"Cleaning was never her strong suit." Jax mused as he sat himself down on the edge of the couch.
"What are you doing here?" She raised a brow.
"It's my house." He rolled his eyes.
"You know what I mean." She shook her head. "I don't want you to see it this way..."
"Mom, you don't have to do this."
"I just wanna get it liveable; buy you some decent carpet - there's cigarette burns everywhere."
"Mom..." He tried to stop her as she began scrubbing harshly at the alcohol-stained coffee table.
"Get you out of that dorm room and back home with your son."
"Mom, for Christ's sake!" He sprung to his feet, sharing a sorrowful look with his teary-eyed mother as she finally straightened up. "He's not gonna make it."
"W- what are you- What are you talking about? What happened?"
"He was born with half a fucking stomach and a hole in his goddamn heart! He's gonna die."
Gemma used all of her might as she swung her palm against her son's cheek - her only son's cheek. "Don't you say that! You are the only one that boy's got. You don't believe he's gonna live? You might as well go down there and kill him yourself. You sound just like your father." She sneered, stalking into the kitchen where she lit another cigarette.
Jax sighed, his eyes falling closed as he realized how ignorant he had been in thinking that he was the only one effected by this. "I'm sorry..." He slowly made his way over to where she stood at the table with her hand on her forehead.
"You gotta go and see him, Jax." She told him. She was not going to let him follow in his father's footsteps - repeat the same mistakes that drove him to the grave.
"I can't." He shook his head.
"Why? Because he'll break your heart? It's called being a parent."
"For how long? A day? A week?"
"You look me right in the eye Jackson, and you tell me that I wasn't a mother because that little boy died."
Jax exhaled sharply. "Mom, you know that's not what I mean..."
"Don't matter. That's what it means to be a parent." She nodded as her voice began to shake. "I may be your mom, but I was his mother too. And I always will be, whether he's here or not."
Jax nodded, sitting himself down at the table as he reached for his own cigarette.
"You know?" Gemma took a seat as well. "You were born with that exact same heart defect." She reached over with a small smile as she patted his chest. "Seem pretty sturdy to me." He smiled softly. "I came through hell... Landed on my feet. Your father was hit by a goddamn semi - dragged a hundred and seventy-eight yards, and that bastard still lived for two more days." She mused. "Tellers do not die easy."
"No. We just die bloody." He chuckled.
Gemma smiled as she shook her head. "That's the Irish in us."
Jax nodded as the air went silent once again. "You should get home, mom. Finish cleanin' tomorrow. I'll lock up."
"Okay, darling." She nodded softly, placing a kiss against his stubbled lips. "Night, baby."
"Night, mom." He smiled, watching as she pulled her Caddy out of the driveway before he made his way down the hall and into the bedroom, yanking open the drawer that he flipped open once more to reveal the secret compartment that held a revolver, and the drugs that Wendy had told him about. He sighed, shaking his head in disgust as he stalked into the bathroom and dropped them into the toilet, flushing them away before they could taint any more of his life.
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"It's gonna be fine, Gem." Sydney grabbed Gemma's trembling hand as she drove them down Main Street to St. Thomas hospital where Abel had been placed into an incubator after his successful stomach surgery the day prior, but the likelihood of the baby surviving was still up in the air as the agonizing hours of anticipation had turned to days. "From what I've seen, Tellers don't go down easy."
Gemma chuckled, squeezing Sydney's hand - grateful for the young woman who somehow seemed to know exactly what to say.
Sydney smiled, but she knew that this had to be hard on her - the fresh reminder of the death of her youngest son - of her first husband. She'd heard through the grapevine that Thomas' death was what drove John Teller over the edge fifteen years ago, and based on Gemma's brief stories about the clearly troubled man, it seemed like maybe it wasn't as black and white as a simple run-in with a semi-truck, which surely didn't resonate well with Jax over the years - whether he knew it or not. She could tell that it was killing him too; whatever shit he was harbouring with Clay, and now this - but she now worried that the tumultuous headspace would only cause him to be even more reckless in a time where they needed most to be smart and calculated.
The two made it to the hospital quickly, making their way to the neonatal unit where they were greeted by Tara. "Abel's stomach surgery went well." The brunette began from across the room as she watched Gemma practically leap from her chair, trying to be as professional as possible as she looked over the tramp that she'd brought with her who had to be either a croweater, an old lady in training, or worse - Jax's new girlfriend.
Sydney gave the doctor an obvious once over. Tara was a beautiful woman, but in a very different way than typical women in the club like her and Gemma were considered to be - she didn't look confident, or sexy, but rather soft, and natural.
"Hi, I'm Sydney." She stuck her hand out, meeting Tara's with a firm grip.
Gemma had told Sydney all about Tara; Jax's first love - the reckless bitch who had left him heartbroken and fled for Chicago when they were still teenagers. She was able to sympathize with Gemma's motherly instincts, but she had a feeling that she may have been acting a bit unfavorably, so she decided that she was going to judge Tara on her own - not on the stories that she'd heard from the overprotective Matriarch. She liked, and respected Gemma, but she didn't let respect and fondness blind her to the facts - especially when the facts were that Tara was a good doctor that was helping to save her grandson's life.
Tara cowered a bit under Sydney's striking green gaze and firm handshake, falling back on her professional duties as a safety net. "His system is strained from the recovery, and Dr. Namid doesn't want to wait - he thinks that we should do the heart surgery now."
"Well that's good, right? That they don't wanna wait?"
"It's the best choice, yes." Tara nodded.
Gemma nodded, not wanting to give the younger woman the satisfaction that she knew she had put herself into a position to get from her. "Thanks." She nodded curtly, turning back towards her seat.
"Can we talk?" Tara stopped her. "About Wendy..."
"What about her?" Gemma scoffed.
"She's still detoxing - won't stop crying..."
"And?" Gemma raised a brow.
"I was hoping maybe you could talk to her - just let her know that she's not alone."
Sydney snorted, earning an approving half-smirk from Gemma. "Trust me, nothing that I say to that crank whore is going to make her feel loved."
"You're right. I forgot just how forthright you can be." Tara snarked.
"Seem to have forgotten a lot of things, sweetheart."
"If you have a problem with me assisting on Abel's case, just say so." Tara stepped up to the older woman for the first time in ten years.
"You a good doctor?"
"Yes."
"Then I don't have a problem." She nodded.
"Good." Tara nodded back. "You know, people change. I'm not that same girl that I was when I was nineteen."
"I am." Gemma smirked.
Tara fought the urge to roll her eyes, turning to walk away when she felt a tugging at the shirt of her scrubs, whirling around where she smacked Gemma's hand away from the tramp stamp that she wished she could forget about...
Sydney's eyes widened as they landed on the giant crow that Tara had tattooed for Jax - the same crow that Gemma had tattooed on her chest for John.
"I guess there are some things that you can't change..." Gemma bit her lip.
"I leave it there, so I remember that all that shit's behind me." Tara sneered as convincingly as she could.
"I forgot just how clever you could be." Gemma mock-pouted before turning around and stomping off towards Abel's room, leaving Sydney standing alone with Tara.
"Well that was awkward." Sydney smiled with a tut of her tongue.
"Well if she's not going to talk to Wendy, I'm sure you could." Tara scoffed.
"Why would I wanna do that?" Sydney scowled.
"Strike some fear into the competition." She shrugged.
"Oh." Sydney laughed as she realized who Tara thought she was. "Nah, don't worry. I'm not coming for your man." She winked.
"Gemma's told you about us then, huh?" She shifted uncomfortably as the memories that she had been keeping contained since she'd returned to her hometown began to seep through the flood gates. "More than you just saw, at least." She chuckled humourlessly as she felt tears pricking at her eyes.
"Bits and pieces." Sydney shrugged. "I'm helping out the club."
"I-I didn't know that women were allowed." Tara stammered. That was the last thing that she had expected from the little blonde's presence.
"They aren't." Sydney smirked before she heard Gemma's heels nearing. "See you around, Doc." She waved goodbye to the meek woman, starting down the hallway to meet up with The Matriarch.
"Are you going to help her feel less alone?" Sydney mock-pouted as she rounded the corner.
"Let's just say that she won't be fighting for custody by the time that I do..." Gemma smirked.
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"Come on, doll." Sydney looked up from her computer screen in the office to see Tig motioning out the door.
"I get to come?" She was a little surprised. She knew that the whole crew was going to the meet with Darby in support of Jax, but just like she hadn't been invited to the hospital the day prior, she hadn't completely expected to be part of the entourage.
"After what you did to him last time? We'd be stupid not to bring ya." He smirked.
"Well." She cocked an eyebrow. "Let me get changed and grab my shiv, and I'll be right there." She mused with a chuckle as she followed him out the door.
Sydney grabbed the black leather duffel bag that held multiple changes of clothing, from the trunk of her car - she always knew to keep some practical items close in case of a spontaneous job.
"You can go change in my room... Leave some stuff there if you want." Tig said quietly against her neck as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
Sydney blushed, biting her lip as she felt bubbles rise in her stomach. "You sure you want that?" She tilted her head all the way back, her forehead almost touching his chest as she smiled coyly.
"Yeah." He chuckled, kissing her on the forehead and closing the trunk for her. "Now hurry up." He slapped her ass with a grin.
Sydney giggled as she ran off to his dorm where she changed out of her denim mini skirt and into a pair of black jeans - throwing a leather jacket over her white tube top before racing back out of the clubhouse where he was waiting for her by the door. She slowed down, smiling when she saw him before she regained her composure and skipped out past him.
"You forgettin' somethin', pussycat?" He grabbed her hand, stopping her cheerful stride with a smugly raised brow.
"What?" She looked confused.
He tugged on her hand, bringing her crashing into his arms where he kissed her sweetly. She smiled against his mouth - a gesture he mimicked - as she steadied herself against his chest while her body buzzed with a euphoria that was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.
Half-Sack awkwardly stood in front of the entangled pair, attempting to make his move for a clear path out the door, but hesitating each time. Eventually he saw his window, making a break for it as he sped past the two in the middle of their embrace where they snickered before following him out.
Tig guided Sydney towards his bike with his hand on the small of her back, smiling as she climbed on eagerly - looking forward to the ride because it meant that she got to shamelessly inhale his scent.
"Damn, babe." He stopped, lowering his sunglasses so that he could properly eye the leather-clad hottie sitting atop his Dyna. "Gonna have to get your own bike..."
"You gonna buy me one, Sergeant?" She mused with a tilt of her head as she leaned back.
"Might have to." He bit his lip and nodded slowly, looking her up and down.
Juice fake gagged, but stopped immediately as Sydney and Tig both whipped their heads around and shot him the exact same threatening look. "Jesus." He muttered.
The crew took off minutes later towards Darby's meeting spot: the diner in Pope where Clay had met with him just days earlier. Upon arrival, Sydney unclipped her helmet and shook out her hair while everybody backed their bikes into formation outside of the establishment before beginning to file in, earning some dirty looks from the quiet suburban customers.
Darby was seated on the outside of a booth with one of his guys on the inside - their backs to SAMCRO while another guy stood beside the table, facing the entrance. Sydney snickered at the way that they all looked just the same as Darby - same beady eyes, and same bald head. She walked ahead of Clay, wanting to be the first one to greet him.
The man standing guard at the table took a step forward to stop her, standing down when Clay put his hand up. She stopped just behind Darby, removing her sunglasses and running a hand over his shoulder. "Nice to see ya again, Ernie." She cooed.
Darby flinched when he looked up to see her face. "What the hell is she doing he-"
"Ah-ah" She pressed her sunglasses to his lips, stopping him mid-protest. "Remember what I told you about talking to a lady." She ran the frame of her shades along the gash on his chest. "Mmm good, she's healing up nicely."
Clay chuckled, sliding into the empty bench in Darby's booth - Jax settling next to him. Sydney slid into the booth behind Darby, Tig sitting next to her while Chibs, Juice, Opie, and Happy sat in an adjacent booth, and Bobby sat behind Jax and Clay while Half-Sack stood by the door, and Piney watched the bikes outside.
Tig gripped Sydney's thigh firmly while she rested her palm on his shoulder and twirled her fingers gently around the curls at the nape of his neck - soaking up the excitement that she felt as their hands stayed on one-another, no matter what the situation was.
"A little get well present for your guy." Clay said as he slid a wooden box across the table.
Darby opened the 'gift' wearily, revealing a white .357 Magnum revolver. "That's some serious iron." He nodded. "Izzy'll like that, thank you." He smiled sarcastically, knowing that this gesture was one of anything but good faith.
"Figured we'd give him something that had some balls." Jax sneered.
Sydney chuckled before Clay interjected, trying to keep the peace. "Look, I know what it's like running a crew... Sometimes, you do shit without thinking things through." He nodded understandingly, but much like everything Clay said - there was an underlying passiveness.
"Me and my guys are thinking just fine."
"You thinkin' fine when you sold crank in Charming, to my pregnant ex?" Jax spat.
Darby inhaled sharply before cocking his head. "That was unfortunate, how is your little family doing anyways?" He shot back, barely giving himself enough time to jump out of the way as Jax leapt across the table at him.
Sydney immediately grabbed Darby's guy into a chokehold, keeping him from Jax before Tig could move from his seat while the man who was standing by Bobby's table put his hand on his gun.
"Alright, alright! Everybody contain your shit." Clay ordered as drinks began flying, and people began panicking - nodding to Sydney who released her grip on the Nord.
Jax hesitated before begrudgingly sitting back down while the Nord turned around to see who had grabbed him - scowling in confusion when he realized that the tight grip on his neck had been from the little blonde, and not from the man sitting next to her. She tipped her chin and winked at him before he spun back around, making her and Tig chuckle to each other as they returned to their original position.
"Sorry folks, go back to your corn dogs. Won't happen again." Clay called out to the startled customers with a raised hand before putting his head back down. "We know about your hook-up with the Mayans - I'm guessing you and Ope weren't the only ones who got cozy in Chino." He raised his brows.
"I'm just trying to learn how to get along with my brothers of colour - opening my mind to bigger possibilities." He smiled sarcastically.
"Yeah, well... Don't think too big - a small mind suits you." Clay winked, leaning in closer. "You know the drill. You can cook all the crank that you want along the border, but you do not deal in Charming." He sneered.
"We ain't the only cook shop in town." Darby shrugged. "If the devil wants in, he'll get in."
"Well then I guess you got your work cut out for you." Clay nodded. "Because the next time the devil crosses the border? I'm coming after you. And next time? I'm not gonna be using a .357 as a 'get well' present."
"Hey, where's Whistler? I don't see him around much anymore." Tig piped up.
Darby shot him a look. "No need to be making threats." He remembered just how sensitive of a position he was in. "Me and my boys have always managed to make things work with SAMCRO."
"Good." Clay stood to leave.
Tig got up and offered Sydney his hand, pulling her across the slippery plastic seat of the booth. As she passed Darby, she caressed his right cheek - her fingertips rounding the back of his head to his left cheek where she slapped it lightly with a laugh before she walked away.
Tig wrapped his arm around her shoulders, yanking her into him. "You have me so hard right now." He whispered into her ear through gritted teeth.
Sydney glanced down towards his crotch - the prominent bulge beneath the dark denim telling her that he was telling every ounce of the truth. "Looks like you're gonna have to learn some self control, Sergeant." She grazed it with the back of her hand before breaking free of his grip with a grin.
"So, where are our guns at, VP?" Sydney called over to Jax as everyone mounted their bikes, raising her brow as he stayed silent - giving her nothing but a cold stare before hastily taking off.
Clay chuckled, taking off after his stepson. Tig turned around, giving Sydney a discerning look of his own, which she met with a devilish smirk - squeezing him tight as he took off after his superiors.
Sydney changed back into her day clothes when they arrived back at the clubhouse, carefully looking around Tig's room for the perfect spot to make her own. She finally decided on one of the smaller drawers in his dresser, opening them up one by one in hopes of finding an empty one - pulling on the very last one which was completely free of clothing, except for a single pink thong; the pink thong that she had given him in the bathroom after their first time. She chuckled to herself, placing her pants beside it before waltzing back to the office where she carried on with the day's work before her shift at the bar was to begin.
"Bother you?" She heard from across the room as she stared blankly out the window, watching the guys drive cars in and out of the garage.
"Huh?" She came back to earth, blinking a few times.
"Shit with Wendy..." Gemma nodded to the usually perky woman. "Remind you of your mom?"
"Oh..." She contemplated the answer that she hadn't even considered. "Not as much as you might think, I guess." She shrugged.
"Well what does that mean?"
"Doesn't make me miss her, if that's what you're asking." She was technically telling the truth. She wasn't uncomfortable, and she hadn't even thought to connect the two scenarios - but she supposed that the deep hate that she felt towards Wendy was stronger than it should've been.
;
Tara clenched her jaw, gritting her teeth so hard behind her surgical mask that she worried they may crack as she willed herself not to panic. This was just another patient. She tried to tell herself as the tiny baby's blood pressure began to drop.
"Get the paddles." Dr. Namid ordered as the machine began to beep more rapidly, and her heart dropped. Because this wasn't just another patient. This was the son of the man that she'd loved.
;
It was a quiet evening around the bar while Sydney worked her shift as the day came to a close. Tig and Half-Sack were working late to get a bike finished for a Nomad passing through, and Juice was sitting at the bar on his laptop where he tried to gather as much intel as possible on the Mayan/Nord union.
Sydney looked up from behind the bar where she was playing Candy Crush on her phone, to see Jax passing by - giving her a dirty look. She scoffed, rolling her eyes at he petty man who was clearly still upset about her simple statement of fact earlier.
Jax exhaled sharply as he heard the smug little bitch behind him, feeling himself being pushed over the edge for a second time today. "Do you need a reminder that you're talking to a Son?" He turned around, walking up on her.
"Yeah, I'm talking to a Son..." She scoffed again as she stood completely still. "A son of a bitch." She couldn't stop herself from letting a smirk loose as she heard Juice's laughing across the bar, which only served to piss Jax off even more. "Speaking of sons... Shouldn't you be with yours?"
Jax clenched his fist, feeling each one of his knuckles crack. "You know what, Princess? If you know so fucking much, you find the goddamn guns." He thrusted his finger in her face.
Sydney's eyes followed his scolding digit before she swiftly grabbed his wrist, holding his hand in place as she traced her tongue along the length. "Alright, Jaxy." She released her grip. "I will."
Jax shook his head before storming out of the bar and peeling out of the parking lot. Sydney chuckled, shaking her head before she noticed Juice looking worriedly at her from across the room. "Oh calm down, Juicey." She rolled her eyes - heading down the hallway and into Tig's room where she pulled out her phone and dialled the number that she had quickly memorized, holding it to her ear while she waited for an answer.
"Hey Gem, sorry to bother you..." She winced as she remembered that she was at the hospital. "Do you have any news?"
"Yeah." Gemma nodded with a smile as tears filled her eyes. "Surgery went well."
"That's great." Sydney smiled. And it was - the faster Abel recovered, the sooner Jax could get his head out of his ass.
"What's up, sweetheart?"
"Um, would it be okay if I had tomorrow off? Club business."
"Of course." Gemma nodded. "But, uh... Is everything okay? Clay didn't say anything." She scowled as she peered into the waiting room where Clay was sitting in front of the TV hanging from the ceiling.
"Oh yeah, everything's fine - kind of a last minute gig. You know how they are." She mused.
"I sure do." Gemma snickered, ducking back into the private room. "I'll see you later."
"Thanks, see ya." Sydney smiled deviously as she walked back out to the bar to see that Juice was now joined by Tig and Half-Sack who had finally finished up.
"You can get goin', babe" Tig nodded out the door.
"You sure? I don't mind."
"I think I got it covered." Half-Sack glanced around the empty bar.
"Okay." Sydney snickered, grabbing her purse from behind the bar. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." She pulled out her pack of cigarettes, offering the carton to Tig, but pulling it away from his hands before he could grab one - slowly walking backwards so that he would get the hint to follow her outside.
When Tig got outside after handing the Nomad off to Half-Sack to deal with, he found Sydney straddling his bike backwards - leaning against the handlebars as she sat with her legs spread, blowing ribbons of smoke into the night sky.
"I'm definitely buyin' you a bike..." He groaned as he smoothed a hand through his curls before swinging a leg over the Harley, immediately pulling her into his lap and tossing her unfinished cigarette onto the ground.
"Maybe that was my plan all along." She breathed into his mouth, those pouty lips ghosting over his as she curled her fingers into the front of his kutte.
He pushed her back, leaning down to meet her lips with force - grabbing a handlebar behind her to steady himself while his other hand trailed up her thigh. She clutched onto him tighter, grinding against him where she could feel herself getting wet as she moaned into his mouth while her tongue danced with his. Her lips moved from his mouth to his neck, sinking her teeth into her favorite vein while gripping his shoulders, feeling him shuddering under her touch.
The whimpering that Tig allowed to escape from his lips had successfully distracted her and before she knew it - he'd managed to wrap the chain on his belt around her wrists, and secure them to the stem of the handlebars.
Sydney flinched when the cold metal touched her skin, grinning wildly when she realized what he had done - tossing a glance over to Half-Sack and the Nomad across the lot.
Tig smirked, slowly snaking his hands up her thighs and under her skirt while she couldn't move, kissing her neck softly. She went to wrap her hand around his shoulders, but was quickly reminded that it wasn't an option as the chain rattled and she was jerked back. He snickered sadistically before watching as her expression change as her legs untangling from his, leaning back and sliding down the seat towards him.
"You like me like this don't you, Sergeant?" She cooed, biting her lip and narrowing her eyes as she stroked her foot up his leg.
His gaze immediately fell to her open legs where she completely exposed herself to him. "I love you like this, babygirl." He drawled as he gently slid her panties down her legs and tucked them into the pocket of his kutte.
"Gonna add those to your collection?" She teased.
His head shot up, meeting her eyes where she winked. Using this opportunity while he was distracted, she swung her leg up and wrapped it around his waist, pulling him into her. "Now, Sergeant... Are you just gonna sit there and look pretty? Or are you gonna fuck me before I start screaming for help because the big, scary biker chained me to his ride." She growled into his mouth.
Tig was beyond thrilled by her reaction to his risky public sex proposal, immediately undoing his belt buckle and hoisting her back up onto his lap, pushing into her wetness. "Always ready for me aren't you, babe?" He gazed up at her with a cocky smirk as he slid inside of her with ease.
Sydney's eyes rolled back as he lowered her down onto his cock - biting her lip with a squeak as he went balls deep. She rolled her hips as her breathing hitched, unable to leverage herself on anything as she sat impaled with her hands restrained, and her feet dangling off of the ground.
Tig took control of the predicament that he had her in as he placed his hands on her ass and began to bounce her on his cock at whatever speed he saw fit. "Let me hear you, baby." He coaxed her with a harsh squeeze to the plush skin before picking up the rhythm.
Sydney smirked, pressing her lips against his ear so that only he could hear her - her soft mewls turning to full blown moans as he took her further.
Tig pressed his forehead into her chest as he felt her tightening around him as she came, following soon after. He moved his arms up her waist, wrapping her up in them as they both panted heavily - moaning and groaning between staggered breaths. He eased her back down onto the seat once they had both calmed down, leaning over to undo her restraints where he pressed his lips to hers. "Mmm, I love fucking you." He mumbled against her lips with a lazy grin.
"I love you fucking me." She replied with a grin of her own as he straightened her skirt for her.
"You headin' home?"
"Was planning on it..." She drawled out while looking at him expectantly.
"Eat yet?"
"Nah, not all day actually." She replied, just now realizing that her empty stomach had been sustained by butterflies since she'd woken up this morning.
"Good." He nodded, passing her the spare helmet.
;
"Hi..." Wendy looked up from the dinner that had been sitting on the tray in front of her, over her hospital bed for the last three hours.
"H-Hey." She stuttered when she saw Gemma - the last person that she wanted to see right now.
Gemma closed the door behind her, turning around with a smile. "Looks like the boy might actually see his first birthday."
Wendy's eyes widened as they filled with tears - soaking her already tear-stained face. "H-He made it?" Gemma nodded. "Oh, Abel... Thank God." She sobbed into her shaky hands.
"Yes..." Gemma nodded as she entered the room. "Thank you, God."She made her way over to the bed where she spotted a Bible sitting on the table. "Maybe, we should say a little prayer..."
"Uh, okay." Wendy nodded. Gemma had always been very against religion, but she wasn't going to damped her spirits after what she had done to get them so down in the first place. "That'd be good." She nodded.
"Dear, God." Gemma began as she took Wendy's hands in hers and placed them on top of the Bible. "Thank you for saving this little boy from his murderous junkie mom, who cared more about a forty-dollar rush than she did her own flesh and blood-"
"Don't you dare." Wendy pulled her hands away.
"Don't I dare?" Gemma scoffed. "You pathetic whore." She yanked the holy book away. "Guess the DA was impressed with your Bible studies... Because I hear they're not gonna press charges."
Wendy should've been glad to hear that, but all that she felt was guilt. She didn't want to go to jail, but jail would hold her accountable, jail would keep her clean... "When I check out of here, I'm going to rehab. I promise."
"Oh yeah!" Gemma nodded studiously. "Let's just throw money at those twelve-step freaks." She rolled her eyes as she turned around. "How long's it gonna last this time? Six months? Three? A couple of weeks?"
"It's gonna be different this time." She shook her head. "This time I have my baby to live for." She barely uttered the lie that she had tried desperately to fall back on over the past few weeks, but it had never caught her.
"That's where you're wrong." Gemma turned back around to face her. "You have no baby. You lost that privilege." She slowly approached the bed before she lunged down, wrapping her hand around Wendy's throat and shoving her against the mattress. "You so much as cast a shadow on that kid?" She whispered shakily through her rage as Wendy struggled in her grip. "Try to turn some legal screw and get custody? I will finish this job." She nodded. "He will never call you 'mommy'." She threw the gargling woman out of her grasp, tossing the Bible back down onto her lap. "I suggest you turn to Jesus."
Wendy coughed violently until her gasps for air turned to sobs rippling through her chest, but suddenly she saw a beacon of light - something stuffed within the pages of the Bible; the exact same thing that had cast so much darkness on her life...
;
Tig pulled his bike up outside of Pizza Paul's - the pizza parlour tucked away behind Main Street.
"I thought that wining and dining came before putting out?" Sydney joked as she hooked her helmet over the bitch bar.
"Guess you'll just have fuck me after then too." He grinned as he killed the engine and removed his own helmet, grabbing her hand and leading her inside.
"I think I can arrange something." She winked as they approached the hostess counter.
Tig made sure that he got them a table outside under the string lights so they could enjoy the warm summer air while they ate the pizza that he ordered with extra olives. Afterwards, he drove them around town - the sky was clear, and he knew how much she loved to look at the stars. He smiled the entire ride, feeling a surge of warmth every time that he felt her head tilting up towards the sky while she clutched onto him just a little tighter.
When they finally pulled back onto the compound, he took her helmet from her before leading her to her car by her hand. She stood on her tiptoes on they reached the Dogdge - thanks to her white converse - and wrapped both of her arms around his neck in a giant hug.
"Thank you for tonight, baby." She whispered into his neck.
"Anything for my girl." He kissed the top of her head.
Sydney felt her knees go weak. Who knew that Tig Trager was this capable of romance?
Her response to his words wasn't lost on him - he pulled away, ghosting his fingers across her collarbone. "Big, bad Tigger's romantic... That's new." He chuckled as he brushed her long hair over her shoulder, curling his fingers at the nape of her neck.
Sydney laughed before his lips caught hers in a deep kiss that left her breathless. He pulled away, but suddenly her need for oxygen was the least of her concerns as she quickly pulled him back, peppering his lips with kisses - finally breaking away when she reached the brink of passing out.
"I'll see you tomorrow." She blushed, smiling nervously at the ground as Tig helped her into her car before closing the door with a smile.
;
Tara stopped dead in her tracks where she'd been descending the dim hallway at the late hour when she saw Jax.
"Is he..." He couldn't make himself say the words, but the smile that came to her face told him that he didn't have to. He grinned, rushing over where he wrapped her in his arms in an embrace that felt all too familiar.
Tara's rigid body instantly melted in his arms, just as it always had. She rested her head against his shoulder before she tried to pull away, but he didn't let go. She sighed, trying to tell herself that he was just emotionally distraught and in need of the comfort, and that it would be wrong of her to deny him that - but as she wove her fingers into the long hair that hung down his back, she knew that she was lying to herself.
Jax shivered as he felt her fingertips on the back of his neck, inhaling her fresh scent one last time as he made to pull away, but he couldn't make himself completely cut off the contact as his face dragged alongside hers - his lips inching closer and closer.
Tara whimpered as his moustache tickled her lips, shaking her head as she pulled away. "I'll take you to see him." She nodded, leading him down the hallway.
;
Gemma came up behind her son as he peered down at his where he sat in the incubator where he would remain until he made a full recovery - something that she was now confident he would do. She placed her hand on his shoulder, nodding proudly as tears poured down his face. "He's perfect." She nodded as a group of nurses rushed down the hallway behind them, and into Wendy's room.
;
Songs for this chapter
Problem - Natalia Kills
Come Thru - Summer Walker