Tig surprises Sydney with a comforting piece of home, and in turn she surprises him with a comforting piece of hope as the change in scenery has her more willing to open up.

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 21: OCEAN EYES

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Sydney trotted across the concrete of her garage with a pep in her step, and a smile on her face as she practically skipped over to her Ninja. After a brutally long week of anticipation, it was finally time to confront Elliot Oswald and secure their new warehouse in preparation for the shipment of guns that was due to arrive from Ireland any day now - thanks to Cameron Hayes.

She threw her leg over her bike, guiding the short key into the ignition where she felt a premature rumbling below her, pulling away with a scowl as she realized that it was her phone vibrating in her pocket. She chortled as she reached behind her, tugging her iPhone out of the back pocket of her tight jeans where she'd struggled to fit it in the first place - thankful for the sleek design the made the job a tiny bit easier.

Happy Feet: U good?

She smiled, thumbing a quick response to the Tacoma Killer who had departed the state the day after the big party to visit his namesake and work on getting more Glocks for SAMCRO.

Syd: Si hermano ❤️

She appreciated that he cared to check on her since he wasn't around to keep an eye on her - or lend an ear to her -in the couple of days that had passed since the Fourth of July, but thankfully the watchful eye, and the open ear were no longer necessary.

To say that Tig's demonic thoughts had been laid to rest would've been an overstatement, but at the very least they had been silenced, and he was glad to be feeling more like the version of himself that he didn't despise. And some time alone to reflect on her emotions without the embarrassment of showing vulnerability had done Sydney some good of her own. She'd managed to conclude what Gemma had been trying to tell her all along - that she'd gotten a little too used to the idea that her only task was to prove herself, thinking that any display of emotion or irrational behaviour would immediately strike her from the roster. Yes, being a woman meant that she would need to work a little harder, but The Matriarch had helped her realize that she'd lost sight of the fact that overall, this was a family.

The other thing that Sydney had come to terms with, was that the reason she struggled with her vulnerability was because no matter how much she hated the way that she reacted, it made sense to her - she could rationalize it. She had always been the kind of person who had unconventional thinking, but as long as she could make sense of it, she didn't care. She knew that her issues were all in her head, but she felt that they were justified, which was why she'd had such a hard time pushing them away. The realizations were a step in the right direction that she had never known she'd needed to take until recently; allowing herself to remove the mental block, and accept the weakness that she had - at least when she was alone with nobody to witness it.

Happy nodded at his flip phone, satisfied with her response before stuffing the device back into the deep pocket of his jeans - dropping it down into the bottomless pit of denim right as it vibrated again. He grunted in frustration, fishing it back out and whipping it open.

Syd: Tell D he better come visit me soon 😇

Happy Feet: K

Sydney laughed at his short response - he hated texting almost as much as he hated her double replies. She placed her phone into the pocket of her leather jacket, not bothering with the restricting denim that was already struggling to cover her ass, firing up her engine and speeding towards the highway with a grin on her face - the week had been full of unwanted confrontation, she was bursting with excitement over a desired one.

;

Clay, Tig, Juice, and Sydney all climbed off of their bikes after parking on the Oswald's acreage that was even more impressive than any of them could've expected, looking around the substantial estate in various states of disdain, but Sydney was beaming. She was thrilled that she had been recruited for the blackmail, and she was even more thrilled that Jax hadn't been - finding endless amusement in the insult to injury that Clay had thrown in by allowing Juice of all people to tag along.

The quartet strolled up the dirt path and around the back of the glass-panelled mansion where the horse stables were located, their boots kicking up dust as they hunted down their target before he could have them escorted off of the property by the security team that he unironically had posted at the entrance - finding him brushing the mane of a brown mare.

"Clay." Oswald said shakily by way of a greeting as he turned around, unsettled but unsurprised to see the outlaws at his home. "How did you get in here?"

Clay lit a cigar as they approached; tall, threatening, and dressed head to toe in black leather."I told the guard at the gate that we were here to fix your cars." He spoke casually. "I guess we look like the help." He laughed, grinning menacingly around his cigar.

Sydney somehow found herself in admiration of Clay every time that he handled business, entranced by the friendly approach that he often chose when it was public knowledge how dangerous he was - which made him all the more intimidating.

"What's this about?" The wealthy man widened his down-turned eyes.

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

"I assume that you got that, uh, special delivery." Clay cocked his brow.

"Yeah. I got it." Oswald shuddered at the memory of the gift-wrapped testicles that had almost sent him into cardiac arrest when he'd absently opened them at the breakfast table a few days after the attack. "You made your point." He ground his teeth. "I reneged on our deal."

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

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

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

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

"A warehouse - access road, somethin' off the radar." Clay listed his credentials.

"Guns?" The land owner shuddered.

"You don't ever need to know." Clay shook his head.

Oswald took a final look around him to be sure that he had no way out. He didn't verbally agree - not wanting to say the words out loud and soil that white collar of his - instead simply nodding before scrawling down the address of one of his currently vacant warehouses off of highway 17 that he'd planned on selling to Kessler Builders for a pretty penny, but his freedom - and his reputation - were worth far more than that. "Get Rosen to draw up lease papers, I'll sign them." He told Clay bitterly as he handed him the piece of paper.

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

"The hell do you want with my daughter?" He growled.

"Just checking on a neighbour." She shrugged.

"No. She isn't here." Sydney knew that he was lying, but she also knew that there was no use trying to make good on her promise to visit the young girl while her extra overprotective father was around.

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

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

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

Tig smiled when he saw the thought process on her face clear as day, relieved that she wasn't angry, but also that she was making a conscious effort to be more open for him. "Okay, baby." He nodded, taking her face into his hands where he tipped her face up towards his, bringing his lips down onto hers as he poured as much emotion as he could into the embrace in an attempt to lift her spirits.

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

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

"Race ya!' She called before yanking her black helmet down over her curls, cracking the throttle and sending rocks spewing behind her.

Tig chortled as she left a cloud of dust in her wake, glad that she didn't seem to be too fazed by the injustice as he peeled out after her.

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

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

"Stopped off for gas a couple miles back." Clay reported before he made his way into the clubhouse.

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

"We take possession tomorrow morning." Clay nodded curtly. "Where's the prospect?" He looked around impatiently once he realized that a cold beer wasn't being immediately placed into his hand.

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

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

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

"Mhmm." She nodded amusedly, clearly unconvinced as she leaned up to peck his lips.

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

"Hey, babe." Tig asked Sydney quietly. "Can you go grab my sunglasses?" He nodded down the hall.

"Yeah." She nodded happily. "The new ones?" He nodded, giving her a swat on the butt as she made off towards his dorm.

Sydney smiled as the buckles on her combat boots rattled with each step that she took after a quick trip down the hall, a sound that she was coming to recognize over the signature clacking of her stilettos, these days - re-entering the bar where Tig abruptly stopped his conversation with Clay, looking over at her with wide eyes as she furrowed her brows in question.

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

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

Sydney's brows remained creased, but she took his hand anyways, following him out to his bike where he handed her his spare helmet. "Scared I'd beat ya if you let me ride alone?" She taunted with a grin as she pulled the helmet down over her already flattened curls.

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

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

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

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

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

Sydney was almost screeching with excitement as they dismounted the bike, but her state of awe kept things silent between them as her widened green eyes took in the beautiful sight of the white sand beach, clear blue water, and twinkling boardwalk lights. "Thank you, Tiggy!" She squealed before launching her arms back around him.

"You like it?" She nodded with her nose buried in his chest, looking up with a giddy grin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Go change, I'll get towels and meet ya out there." He squinted in the sun as he nodded towards the open beach. Sydney nodded, pulling him down for a peck before she bounded off to the change rooms with a bashful smile.

As Tig predicted; he had changed into the black swim trunks that he'd acquired from the convenience store on the way back from Oswald's, much quicker than Sydney. He'd managed to secure them a spot in a more secluded area of the beach, laying out the blue and white striped beach towels next to the section of cliff-like rocks where nobody else seemed to want to be - which was fine by him. He slid his sunglasses back up the bridge of his nose, sighing as he sat himself down in the sand while keeping his eyes trained on the doors of the facility while he waited for her to emerge, but even with the anticipation, he couldn't have prepared himself for the sight that made his heart stop, and his jaw drop as the doors flew open; his girl, strutting out in the tiny bikini with her hair blowing in the wind like she was on the runway of a lifetime. He groaned at the sight, palming himself over his shorts as his eyes ate up the white suit that made her tan pop and eyes sparkle even from all the way across the sand.

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

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

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

"I should've booked us a private cabana." He raised a brow as he lifted his sunglasses, eating her up with his eyes in the way that she had expected.

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

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

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

"Now you're gettin' greedy." Tig chuckled as his hand ricocheted off of her ass with a loud clap, thankful for her ability to bring him back down to earth, rather than scold him for wandering off.

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

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

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

Tig grimaced as her eyes propositioned him in the way that he'd became all too familiar with, the look telling him that she may have been serious about that public indecency charge...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Or what?" She challenged playfully.

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

"Yes!" She laughed hysterically as she kicked her feet in the air.

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

"You're gonna regret that!" She shook her head.

"No, no, no, no, no." He laughed, ungracefully dropping her down to her feet when she shook her head, coating his exposed top half with cold water.

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

Tig chuckled, but his face fell when he saw the seriousness in her expression, quickly turning and making a run for it the best that he could in the water, forgoing his legs all together and diving beneath the surface.

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

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

Tig really started panicking now - which is exactly what Sydney wanted. She smirked, waiting until she was sure that each one of his senses had peaked before she launched herself off of the giant rock, landing inches away from him with a giant crash into the water. Even far beneath the surface, she could hear him scream when she successfully startled him - racing back up before the bubbling laugh could escape her.

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

"Scare ya?" She asked with a grin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tig tightened his grip on her thighs, the temptation to fully give in growing as she began to grind herself against him beneath the water, but he managed to pull himself away. "And you ain't gonna get onto me." He winked before pushing off of her and swimming towards the shore.

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

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

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

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

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

"I love you." He nodded, staring off into the same vastness that for once didn't make him seem small.

"Water's always made me feel better." Sydney nodded as the words began rolling off of her tongue with an ease that she didn't bother to fight. "My parents used to take me to the beach everyday when I was little, before everything..." She trailed off. "It's some of the only stuff I remember about her. Not her directly, just memories that I know she was a part of…"

There was a note of melancholy in her tone as she reminisced, but Tig couldn't help but notice the lack of hostility as she willingly opened up about her past, this time. "Tell me." He nodded encouragingly. All of the memories that he had of his parents were of the vile, horrible, unthinkable things that took place in their home - he wanted to be able to help her remember the good.

She smiled in appreciation for the man behind her; the man who had brought her to her favorite place, the man who wanted nothing more than to see her happy. She sighed contently as she rested her head back against his chest, digging deep into her psyche where she began to recount the happier memories of her childhood.

"My grandpa had a cabin on Huntington Beach that me and my mom would go to every weekend. My dad would come when he could get away from the club, but a lot of the time it was just us back when he was VP."

Huntington, Tig's brain ticked, realizing that must have been where she had been before her attack, but he didn't bring it up.

"I don't remember a lot about back then… But I always remember being by the water." She paused, feeling the overwhelming discomfort that always accompanied the happy memories - which was why she never bothered reliving them. She clutched onto her necklace, forcing herself to let the words flow freely without altering them. "She was a good mom… She was so good at making things seem normal; like we were a normal family doing normal things, like she was a normal wife. We looked like the American dream… People never would've guessed the kind of life that we lived at home..."

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

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

Tig chuckled along with her. He could see exactly how it would've gone down with the way that Sydney still had him so tightly wrapped around her finger. "You ever get caught?"

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

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

Sydney giggled through the smile that found its way onto her lips, she loved the sound of his laugh. "Once I got my license I would drive out there almost every night. I didn't give a shit how much gas or sleep I lost doing it." She smiled sadly as she inadvertently confirmed his suspicions - the ones that she feared would never leave her subconscious after tainting the route to her favorite place. "My favorite time of day was just before sun down… When the air starts to cool and everyone goes inside for dinner. I'd go sit on the beach and watch the sunset while listening to the waves with my feet in the sand, and the smell of a home cooked meal... There's nothing in this world that beats that." She fought the sadness of nostalgia. "That's the only thing I miss about home." She concluded her session of divulgence, noting that the way that he listened to her so intently and allowed her to speak freely without interrupting had made it much easier to get through.

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

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

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

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

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

Sydney stretched out across the fluffy blue and white towel, enjoying the warm sun on her chilled skin where the droplets of salt water quickly evaporated. "I'm gonna have to thank you real good for this..." She spoke with her eyes closed and her face tilted towards the sky.

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

;

Jax sighed as he moved around his dorm room, swiping various items of discarded clothing off of the carpeted floor and tossing them into the laundry hamper that Gemma would surely be by to collect any minute now. He straightened up once the room was clean, taking a deep breath of the musty air that he had gotten a little too used to in the however many months that he had spent in the dorm that was only supposed to be a temporary solution, but as the time to move back into his house neared, part of him wished that it could be permanent.

He'd never cared for the idea of being a bachelor the way that most guys in the life did, but somewhere along the bumpy road of heartbreak, marriage, and divorce, the idea of returning to the empty house where he would be forced to face the reality of what his choices had cost him, became much more daunting than resigning himself to inhabiting a building full of people who shared in the weight of them.

He blew a heavy breath over his lips as he ran his hands through his hair that was days away from needing a cut, his tired eyes landing on the black binder that sat in the top of his closet... He shook his head, tearing his gaze away where he did everything that he could to extinguish the spark in the pit of his stomach that he could feel growing wider as he pondered the temptation.

He bit his tongue, shaking his head in frustration as his feet carried him closer to the one thing that he knew had caused all of the problems that he'd had lately - and he hadn't even finished it yet. He had managed to hold himself back the past few days, allowing himself to live in the moment with Clay, rather than in the past with his father, and miraculously, things between the contemporary pair had been better. But there was something in those pages - between those lines - that had him unable to choose peace as he reached for the manuscript. He needed answers, whether they were to questions that he knew that he had, or not.

;

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

Tig opened his eyes, blinking a few times as his head lifted from where it had been resting on his folded hands, staring at her blankly. "Oh, yeah." He blinked once realized what she was talking about. "Yeah, it was." He nodded quickly.

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

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

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

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

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

Tig blinked up at her as he nearly choked on his saliva. Now she was pulling out all the stops to get him hot and bothered; sitting in his lap, tickling the sensitive skin of his neck, telling him he didn't have to sit through a fancy dinner? Maybe he would give in after all...

"That's all you gotta tell me as a thank you for today." He chuckled. "Wanna get dressed and see what they got on the boardwalk? I'm starving."

Sydney smiled and nodded, grabbing her clothes and making her way back to the changing rooms where she moved much quicker this time - her empty stomach serving as motivation. She slipped her sun-warmed clothes over her tanned skin, and fluffed her sea-dried hair with her fingers before walking back out to meet Tig where the pair walked hand in hand as they set off towards the bike to drop off their damp bathing suits.

"Haven't they seen beauty and the beast?" Tig asked in her ear as they continued to earn scowls from passersby along the way.

"I guess not." Sydney joked back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sydney smiled and nodded as a bashful flush came to her cheeks as he did the best that he could to recreate the blissful scene that she'd described to him.

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

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

"Thanks, dad." Sydney turned to Tig.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For the sake of the good day, Sydney decided to swallow the instinctive rebuttal about how she didn't need his pity after the Oswald incident, choosing to nod in agreement, instead.

Her slight tense likely would've gone unnoticed by anyone else, but Tig had gotten very familiar with her body over the past weeks - he could sense even the smallest change. "You ain't as good at hiding your feelings from me as you think you are." He narrowed his eyes as a discerning smirk graced his lips.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You ain't wrong." She smirked. "But I don't know... Something about it just fucks with me." She tensed up again.

"How so?" He squeezed her tighter, hoping to loosen her back up.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I love you too." She replied just as sincerely, almost in a state of awe as the permanent smile refused to fade from her face.

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

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

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

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

;

Si hermano - "Yes, brother"

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

Songs for this chapter

ocean eyes - Billie Eilish

Video Games - Lana Del Rey