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