aravenamongcrows on Tumblr (ask and submissions are open!)

General trigger warnings for this story: Language, smut, mentions of rape, abuse, drug use/overdose, violence/death.

CHAPTER 38 - RIDE

It'd been a couple of days since the finding of Lowell Sr.'s body had unearthed a lot more than just old bones. Sydney and Tig had successfully gotten Lowell Jr. off to Oregon where he would receive some good old fashioned M.C. rehab, but that only took care of one of Clay's many worries. Weighing in at the top of the list today was how they were going to get enough cash to pay McKeevy after the bust at the fights. Their chances to come up with $45k in two days were looking slim while they had the feds up their asses, and no alternative earning tactics.

Jax was on his way to the clubhouse from the hospital. Lately, he'd found that the combination of seeing his son and the peaceful ride had helped to calm the raging storms of confusion that clouded his mind. Everything just felt wrong these days. If things were quiet in the club, they were loud somewhere else. He just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something around the corner, something lurking in the shadows, something waiting to be uncovered…

The VP's brow creased when he rounded a bend to see a truck pulled to the side of the road. He stood as he rode closer, trying to get a look at what was going on when he realized that there had been a bad accident with one of Oswald's drivers.

He screeched to a stop next to the tanker, ripping off his helmet and searching the small group of onlookers for someone who could help him with the driver who was laid across the hood of the truck, impaled on the broken glass of the windshield.

Once Jax found a suitable assistant, he climbed into the driver's seat where he lifted the injured man's leg, helping get him down to the EMT's who had just arrived on the scene. He grimaced as he watched the trucker squeal in pain as his leg squirted blood, looking away from the gruesome sight. He pulled off his sunglasses to wipe them clean on the seat next to him, making to slide them back on when he saw what likely caused the crash… A bag of crystal laying by the brake pedal. He looked around, being sure that no one had seen it before he swiped it. He knew that this could only mean one thing.

"This is definitely Darby's shit." Juice nodded as he held up the bag to everyone who stood around the bar while Jax stood in his wifebeater, washing his hands free of the blood from the accident. "This rock's been stepped on so many times, it's barely a narcotic."

"See. Darby's making his move into Charming." Tig tried once again to convince his crew that Darby needed to be handled, and not in the pussy way that Jax had convinced them of before. "Clay, we need to send this Nazi asshole a clear message now."

"Alright." Jax interrupted the impulsive Sergeant before he could send everybody into a tirade without knowing all of the facts. "Why don't we just go talk to the driver. Ask him where he bought the meth."

Tig looked over his shoulder incredulously from where he leant on the bartop, he couldn't believe that the pretty little prince was really going to try and play the 'good cop' angle once again when it had so clearly backfired the last time.

Clay looked between his left and right hand. "Go." He nodded to Jax before hanging his head in disapproval.

Jax looked smugly at Tig when he got his way, sharing his smirk with Opie before yanking his kutte out from under Tig's arm, waltzing out while the Sergeant stared him down.

"Check your fucking attitude." He heard from behind him, recognizing the cocky voice all too well...

Sydney couldn't help herself. She knew that she was playing with fire - calling him out over something seemingly so small, but the list of times that the VP blatantly disrespected anyone who didn't share in his opinion was growing far longer than her ability to bite her tongue could handle, and that wasn't what this club was about.

"Excuse me?" Jax puffed out his chest, handing his kutte to Opie whose smirk fell as he watched his friend walk up on the little girl.

"I said," She walked up to him with the same confidence. "When your bullshit plan landed us here in the first place, we have the right to tell you to sit the fuck down. This is a democracy, decisions affect all of us. If you want something done your way, call a vote" They stood toe to toe, her white cork wedges bringing her to a height that almost had their noses touching.

"Those are some big words from a little girl with nothing more than a dead daddy to vouch for her." Jax surprised himself with the vile words, realizing that the cost of acting without violence was apparently his common decency.

"And those are some low blows from a little boy who doesn't realize that he aint so different…" She shook her head slowly, speaking in a raspy mock-pout before tilting her head to the side. "Do you hear how you sound when you speak to people, Jackson?" She quirked a brow, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Because they do…" She nodded to the group of silent men behind her. "You might wanna think about that." She cocked her brows.

He glared at her with his chest heaving, wrestling with what his instinct was telling him to do, and what his father would do in the same situation - the two were complete opposites. He told himself over and over that she just wanted a reaction, that she wanted him to hit her in front of everyone - which was the only thing that stopped him.

"Get outta here!" Clay hollered when he saw the confrontation rolling steadily down the clear path of escalation. "Go!"

Opie grabbed Jax's arm, yanking him away from Sydney who stood her ground with a smirk. The VP shook his head as he pulled himself from his best friend's grasp and stalked out of the clubhouse, ignoring Tig's icy eyes on him.

Sydney took a deep breath, composing herself as she turned around with a cheerful smile and returned to her spot at the bar between Clay and Tig as everyone stared at her with furrowed brows.

"Why're you letting him go, Clay?" Tig squinted and shook his head in confusion.

"I got other shit to worry about. If he wants to play boy scout, let him!" The President yelled.

"That stupid bitch." Jax spit onto the pavement as soon as they stepped out of the clubhouse.

"She's just trying to earn her way in, man. Prove that she has the balls."

"Yeah well, questioning and officer aint the way to do that." Jax chewed the inside of his cheek as he strapped his helmet.

"I don't need to tell you how that sounds..."

"You think I'm trying to go against Clay?" The angry VP seethed at the indirect accusation.

"Just calling it like I see it, brother." He shrugged. The fact that the shorter man had come to the conclusion on his own, had told Opie everything that he needed to know.

"She give you a taste of that pussy too?" Jax scoffed, surprised that Opie of all people would be the one to defend them, firing up his bike and driving off towards the hospital - not caring if his partner followed him or not.

Sydney and Tig spent the busy Friday at work before the day finally came to a close. They'd been anticipating a night of partying, but after this morning they figured that wouldn't be happening. So instead they sat at a picnic table on the compound in the warm summer air with a bowl of strawberries and a bottle of tequila, trying to ignore the frustrations of the club.

"You're not fooling me, you know." Sydney looked at Tig from across the table with a raised brow and a small smirk.

"What d'ya mean?" He feigned innocence as she looked between him and his untouched berries.

"You need to eat something without an alcohol percentage." She chortled, taking her bare feet off of his lap from under the table.

"I did eat, babe." He nodded, knowing full well that he hadn't eaten a damn thing today.

"You said you liked strawberries." She pouted before wrapping her lips around a berry, sinking her teeth into it and letting the juice dribble down her chin.

"No, I said I like that you taste like strawberries." He shot her a wolfish grin. "Come here." He nodded to his side of the table.

"Nu-uh…" She caught the stray drip with her thumb, shaking her head with a devious smile as she sucked on her digit.

"Okay, okay fine. You come sit with me, I'll eat."

Sydney bit her lip and squinted, reluctantly getting up and making her way over to where he sat sideways with his arms out. She didn't sit down though, grabbing a strawberry and holding it to his mouth.

"Come on-"

"Nope." She cut off his whining. "You said you would eat. Open up."

Tig sighed, opening his mouth so that she could feed him, almost choking when she shoved her fingers down his throat in the process.

She cackled when his eyes widened in surprise, waiting until she was satisfied that he had swallowed to sit sideways on his lap, taking a swig of tequila.

Tig felt relief wash over him once she was close; her warm skin soothing his boiling blood and her sweet scent calming his racing mind. He wrapped his arm around her waist, squeezing her hip appreciatively while his other hand rested between her thighs underneath her peach coloured dress.

Sydney's body tingled under his strong hands holding her protectively. She slid another strawberry into her mouth before resting her head against his chest, looking up at him as her lazy eyes roamed over his neck, his jaw, his mouth - seeing him grinding his teeth and staring off in the distance.

"Cheer up, Tiggy." She pouted, caressing his neck with her fingertips as she inhaled his scent.

Tig snapped out of it, looking down to see her moistened lips in a frown. "I'm sorry baby." He shook his head and tightened his grip on her. He felt bad to be taking a moment like this for granted: a moment where she was in his lap, gawking at him with his hand under her dress - a moment he would've only dreamt of a few months ago, a moment that his mind wouldn't let him enjoy.

"I think I can forgive you." She spoke against his neck, dragging her tongue over the vein and lightly nipping at his skin before moving her lips to his ear. "Now eat." She grinned before biting his ear lobe.

Tig felt a smile pulling at his lips and his dick twitching in his pants when her cold lips grazed his skin. "Gimme one." He nodded to the bowl and reached for the bottle of tequila.

Sydney grabbed a strawberry and fed it to him nicely this time, hooking her fingers onto his lip as she slid them out of his mouth before placing them into her own, peering at him through her eyelashes as she licked them clean.

Tig growled at the erotic sight, taking a swig from the bottle before he tilted her head back and spat it into her mouth, letting her swallow before he descended his lips on hers, stroking her jaw while his tongue devoured her fruity, tequila flavoured mouth.

"You're so fucking sexy." Sydney moaned, feeling her intoxication level double when he kissed her so slowly and sensually, holding onto his neck while his hand returned between her thighs, his fingertips just barely grazing against her panties.

"I love you." He whispered against her lips.

"I love you." She nodded, staring dreamily into that crystal blue abyss before he pulled her back upright to rest against his chest.

"Mmm, I should've got some champagne." She joked as she picked up another berry, realizing that alcohol was the only way to get him to eat some damn fruit.

"There's not much to celebrate right now, doll." He spoke dismally with a grimace, picking at the peeling paint on the picnic table.

"Looks like that's about to change…" She drew out as she watched Half-Sack driving onto the lot in his new ride with Juice trailing behind in the tow, sharing a look of confusion before going to investigate.

"So you stole an ambulance?" Juice was startled by Tig's voice, turning around to see the Sergeant looking at him incredulously as he closed the bay doors to the garage, concealing the stolen vehicle.

"I had nothing to do with this." The Puerto Rican man shook his head rapidly and pointed the blame to the prospect.

"Yeah." Half-Sack nodded smugly, leaning against his prize.

Sydney snickered at his obliviousness from where she sat by the row of toolboxes. If there was anything that could be said about Kip, it was that he was amusing.

"These things are worth like, a hundred grand, easy."

"Yeah, they are." Clay entered the garage. "That's why the people who buy them are like… Federal agencies and shit."

"Okay." Half-Sack nodded, glad that Clay knew the kind of market to sell one of these things, that crossed the next thing off of his to-do list.

"So… You want him to sell a stolen vehicle to the government?" Sydney surmised with a smirk, making everybody laugh as Half-Sack's face fell.

"Oh. Uh, just like… Sell it to a small hospital or somethin then." He tried to remain composed, sure that this could still be favorable for the club.

"Oh like uh… Uncle Freddy's infirmary? Or what?"

"Why don't you steal a fire engine? And then we could have our own rescue center!" Tig mocked him.

"Okay, okay. I get it. I was just tryin to, you know… Show a little initiative."

"Hey Chibs." Clay laughed along with everyone else. He hadn't been able to grin this big in a while, and for that he was thankful. "Drive this around back as soon as it gets dark."

"You got it." Chibs snickered, turning towards the bay door as it slid up, revealing Jax.

"What the hell is this?" The VP scowled when he saw an ambulance taking up half of the garage.

"My prospect." Chibs beamed with his arm around Half-Sack's shoulders.

"Just, you know, thinking outside of the box."

"You get a chance to talk to that tanker driver?" Clay asked.

"Yeah, Nords aren't dealing in town." He stared at Sydney and Tig as he spoke smugly. "Driver bought the crank up in Pope, that's where he filled his tanker up with diesel." Tig ground his teeth while Sydney stood, unblinking. "That I just sold to Unser for $15k." The VP pulled a stack of cash out of his pocket, provoking a round of applause.

"My brother." Clay hugged his VP gratefully while Tig looked away bitterly and took a swig of beer.

Happy woke up in an unfamiliar room the next day, taking a minute to recognize his surroundings. Since Sydney and Tig had made up, the ravenous couple had made the last few nights in his dorm unbearable. He'd made the impulse decision in the middle of the night to move into Jax's old dorm down the hall - leaving his usual one vacant next to Tig's.

The bald man emerged in search of some much needed coffee. He completed the shorter walk from the new room to the kitchen where he crossed the threshold, scratching his head before he looked up to see Sydney standing by the coffee pot in her pyjamas, a sight he used to wake up to every day.

"Mornin." She greeted with a smirk as she looked at him where he stood shirtless and barefoot, clothed in only a pair of basketball shorts.

"Didn't think you'd be up." He grunted.

"Why'd you move dorms?" She asked with a slight pout in her voice.

"Same reason I didn't think you'd be up." He pushed past her and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"I thought you'd be happy for me." She jutted out her lower lip and widened her eyes, swaying in her pink fuzzy slippers.

"Think I liked it better when you were fighting." He scoffed, his expression staying in the same hard-set grimace as he stared into the cup of steaming black liquid.

Sydney chortled and sipped the last of her coffee before placing her mug in the sink and turning to leave, sensing that he wasn't in the mood for her shit so early in the morning after being kept up all night.

"Shouldn't wear shit like that around here if you want them to take you seriously." Happy nodded to her tiny black shorts and a tank top before turning back to his coffee.

Sydney rolled her eyes, she didn't think that her and Tig had been nearly loud enough for him to be taking such cheap shots.

She sauntered up to where he stood bracing himself on the countertop, pressing herself against his side as her fingertips danced over his chest, turning him to face her. "You take me seriously though, don't you Hap?" She rasped, dragging her thumb across the word 'FAMILY' tattooed on his chest - if he wanted to play dirty, she was game.

Happy recoiled harshly from her gentle touch which he knew to be anything but, knocking over his coffee in frustration. He didn't bother cleaning up his mess before storming out of the kitchen. He would be getting his coffee from the diner today.

Even after Sydney had gone above and beyond to distract Tig from Jax's bullshit for the night, he was still pissed as he walked through the chapel doors, not eager to face whatever bullshit the VP would ruin his morning with today.

Clay had managed to pick up a job for the club from Trammel for some extra cash during their pinch for McKeevy: destroy a Mayans heroin packing site just outside of Lodi.

"Is this gonna set off shit with the Mayans?" Sydney questioned, this was not a no-name independent cooker - this was their biggest rival who they currently had unsettled beef with.

"Not as long as we do it right." Clay smirked.

"And what does that mean?" His gaze snapped towards Jax, but Tig answered before he could.

"It means that we leave no witnesses."

Clay took a deep breath when the table fell silent and he watched Tig and Jax stare each other down. He didn't have the strength to indulge Jax's doubts and worries anymore - he had his own to think about.

"Monday morning when the place is empty, before you two drive the guns up." He looked between Tig and Juice, hoping that the anticipation of an empty building would keep Jax quiet so that he could relay the rest of the intel. "Trammel's gonna front us the cash, $5k. We still need twenty-five more… That's twenty-five that we would've had if it weren't for Jury!" He slammed his fist against the table.

"This aint Jury's fault." Jax shook his head.

"You're right. If you woulda managed to get up there the first time, we would already have that cash!"

"It was never my idea to sell him guns." Jax looked right at Sydney. "So how about you start lookin around the table for someone to blame who aint me." He snarled, turning his attention back to his stepfather. "What about your little fighting gig? You never told us what happened with that."

Jax had been suspicious of the incident ever since Lowell took off after the fights. All he could think about was that conversation he'd witnessed in the garage, and then Lowell being picked up by the feds for whatever reason…

"Lowell was a junkie!"

"He was doing good." Jax shook his head. "Showing up to work, taking care of Moby… He wouldn't throw that away just to go back to the needle without a good reason."

"Lowell's always had issues." Bobby tried to calm him.

"A grilling from the feds on a recovering addict is a pretty damn good reason to me." Sydney shook her head.

"You know what they say; like father, like son." Tig agreed.

"Yeah… I guess you'd know all about that." Jax looked between Sydney, Tig, and Clay before he stormed out, leaving a table of nervous brothers in his wake.

"That for Clay?" Bobby nodded to the Budweiser and plate of nachos in Sydney's hand.

"Yeah. Figured he might be getting bored of me riding his cock. Gotta switch it up a little." She shrugged with a smile before Bobby began laughing huskily, passing him and heading to the chapel.

Clay was sitting at the head of the empty table with his head hung and the gavel in his hand. "Hey." He looked up at the sound of the perky voice, unable to keep the smile off of his face when he looked up to see Sydney slipping through the doors.

"Hey, Princess." He smiled.

"You okay?" She set the peace offering down on the table in front of him.

"Ah." He shrugged. "Just a rough patch, we'll come out on the other side."

"Damn right we will." She nodded with a small smile. "Do you think I could borrow Tig for the day? I promise it'll be worth your while."

"And how exactly will you getting that tight little pussy pounded all day long, be worth my while?"

"I guess you're just gonna have to find out." She mused with a playful smile.

"This what you're buttering me up for?"

"My daddy always taught me not to beg empty handed." She winked.

"Smart man." He chuckled.

"We can consider it payback for the other day." Clay raised a brow when she got testy, only to be met by her devilish smirk as she stood from the table.

"I'll bring him back in a better mood." She called over her shoulder, not waiting for an answer as she went to collect Tig from where he sat brooding at the bar with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other.

"You're comin with me, I got an idea." She grabbed his hand and dragged him out the door before he could protest.

Jax found himself getting more and more engrossed in his father's manuscript. He couldn't tell if it was the disconnect from the club pushing him closer to his father's concerns for the legacy that he built, or his father's concerns for the legacy that he built, disconnecting him from the club.

Einstein said that any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. But it takes a touch of genius and lots of courage to move something in the opposite direction. I'm realizing that my touch of genius, and my courage are coming too little, too late. And I fear that for SAMCRO… There may be no opposite direction.

He nodded as he read the words, soaking up their true meaning, understanding exactly what his dad was talking about, because nothing had changed since he wrote these words. He had been right, because if there was an opposite direction for SAMCRO, they would've found it already.

"Come on Tiggy, at least pretend you're interested in where we're going." Sydney pouted as Tig begrudgingly sat in the passenger seat with a permanent frown as they rolled through the hills of Northern Cali. He hadn't said a word since they'd begun the drive almost an hour ago.

"Sorry." He apologized half-heartedly, looking out the window as they passed a welcome sign for Roseville, his mind reverting back to Jax.

"You gotta ditch that attitude for what I got in store." She warned.

Tig turned to her with a raised brow. "What are we-" He trailed off once he caught sight of where they were going.

The giant race track of the All American Speedway spilled out before their eyes as Sydney drove up to the admissions booth, the smell of burning rubber and the sound of cheering crowds filling the car.

"Sydney Harding." She reported to the track worker sweetly, looking at Tig with a giddy smile while they waited for their instructions.

"Alright, you're booked in at the blue track for two hours. I can get the car in for the first race on that track if you wanna give me your entry fee here, or you can try out some of the other ones - just have to wait in line." The overweight man explained, pointing out the separate drag strips around the grounds opposite to the NASCAR track.

"Nah, we'll start at the blue." Sydney pulled a wad of cash out of her pocket and handed it to the man, driving over to the track where they were expected once she received her number for the dashboard.

"We're racing?" Tig's face lit up like a christmas tree before reality hit him, trying to maintain his expression long enough for it to fall naturally so that she wouldn't question it. Never in a million years would he have guessed that this was what she'd planned for the day, and it made him feel like the biggest piece of shit on the planet for letting her treat him like a king when he hadn't been able to appreciate any of it.

"Nope." She pulled up the parking brake and took the keys out of the ignition, tossing them to Tig who had a look of confusion on his face. "You are." She cocked a brow and smiled as she got out of the car and pulled the red bandana out of her hair, letting her long locks cascade down her back as she strutted towards the starting line.

Tig grinned as he watched her walk to the middle of the race track with her bandana in hand, realizing what it was that she was doing with her legs on display in the tiny denim shorts and her tits out in the black top - a sight that was enough to silence his conscience for now. He shook his head, unable to stop smiling as he moved to the driver's seat and rolled up to the starting line.

Sydney grinned at Tig from where she stood between the two cars, signalling for the racers to drive up, waving the bandana above her head when they came to a stop and began revving their engines. She tossed Tig a wink right before she dropped to her knees, signaling the start of the race.

Tig took off half a second late, being too distracted by Sydney but he quickly recovered, maneuvering through the gears and taking over the stock Nissan GTR that he was racing against with ease. He grinned when he crossed the finish line after the quarter-mile, smacking the top of the steering wheel as a rush of adrenaline hit him.

Sydney spent her two hours as the flag girl while Tig raced, watching him with pride. Once she was relieved of her duties, the pair spent the remainder of the afternoon dominating the All American Speedway. They'd lost a few, but Sydney's hefty pile of SAMCRO earnings from the last two months had made it easy for them to recover. By the end of the day, they had managed to quadruple the amount of money they'd come with, including her payout for directing the racers.

"I believe that we are," Sydney announced as she counted the cash, dramatically placing the final bill into the pile while the sun set behind the Roseville hills and her and Tig sat on the hood of her car on a dirt road not far from the race track. "Flush for the Irish." She grinned.

"You did this for the club…" Tig's brows knit when he realized not only how much they'd made, but that she had risked thousands of her own dollars for this - which made him feel a little better about being so distracted from her efforts, knowing that this was to help the club and wasn't just about him.

"You didn't think it was just about havin fun, did ya?" She grinned as she hopped off of the car, leaning into her open window where she stored the two rolls of cash in the cupholders and pulled a joint from the glovebox.

"Here I was thinkin you just wanted to spoil me." Tig winked, leaning back against the windshield.

"Well, that was just a bonus." She smiled, settling against his side and sparking up the marijuana, watching the smoke drift into the darkening sky.

"You're amazing… Thank you." Tig spoke in awe. He'd needed this: a day away, but he knew that the club needed him more - Sydney had somehow managed to find a way to let him have both.

"You're welcome baby." She smiled, handing over the joint where she watched him bring it to his lips, inhaling and squinting as the wave of relaxation rolled over him. "Can I ask you something?"

If it weren't for the effects of the weed, Tig likely would've gone into panic mode over that question. He looked down at her and nodded wearily, tracing her collarbone with his fingertips as if his touch would've stopped her from asking whatever dreaded question she had for him.

"Why didn't Clay kill Lowell?" She asked gently. She'd been wondering ever since they saw him lying in the back of the van. He was a liability, possibly even more than his father had been - who'd been killed for the simple fact. She couldn't understand why Clay would risk keeping him alive to rat to the feds, or worse - the club.

Tig felt relief wash over him even though he hadn't realized he had tensed up, taking another hit before he had to answer. "Couldn't do it I guess…" He'd been wondering the same thing, although he obviously knew the situation better than Sydney, knew that Clay harboured guilt over why Lowell Sr. was really killed, which was why he'd taken Lowell in as his own after it happened.

"That doesn't sound like Clay." Sydney's brows knit.

"When Lowell found out his dad was… Gone." Tig chose his words in a way that made the memory less uncomfortable. "Clay took him in. Taught him how to turn wrenches, gave him a job at TM, got him through school."

"I guess Clay never had any of his own kids." She surmised, the reasoning for his mercy making more sense now.

"Jax never really accepted him as a father." He nodded. "I remember one time, we took Lowell out to learn to drive. Neither of us had anything to teach him in and Gemma wouldn't let us use her car, so Clay had to teach him in the El Camino." Tig laughed at the memory of the scrawny teeanger behind the wheel of Clay's beloved car. The President had looked more terrified that day than Tig had ever seen him. "We used to race that car actually, back in the day. Me, Clay, JT…" He trailed off.

Sydney smiled as he recited the happy memory, but her smile began to fade when a wave of sadness punched her in the heart. He had so many memories, happy and sad, that she would never be a part of.

"You've lived a whole life without me." She stated glumly, looking down at his hand with a sad smile where she was tracing his silver cross ring.

"And you haven't without me?"

"Only half as long." She remarked with a playful smile.

"You sayin you wish you were my age?" He teased with a raised brow.

"No." She chuckled. "Just that we'd met sooner…"

"If we met any sooner, I'd have gotten myself a death wish, and an orange jumpsuit." He kept the mood light. Of course he wished that she'd been a larger part of his life, but letting himself think about that would've been the real death wish.

"Woulda been worth it…" She smirked.

"Hell yeah it would've" He laughed, bringing her closer and leaning down to kiss her.

Tig laid with his hands folded behind his head which rested against the headboard of his bed, staring blankly at the TV.

"You gonna turn that on?" Sydney looked at the black screen with a raised brow as she stood next to the bed, removing her necklace.

"Nah, tired." He explained, blinking a few times for believability before she climbed into bed and he pulled her to lay across his chest, reaching over and turning the lamp off.

Tig lay awake, staring at the ceiling fan as Sydney's words from earlier played over and over in his mind in a melody that his demons couldn't get enough of. You've lived a whole life without me. You've lived a whole life without me. You've lived a whole life witho-. The rhythm was cut off by her stirring against his chest.

"You okay baby?" He whispered, brushing her hair behind her ear so that he could see her face.

"Mhmm." She hummed in content, inhaling the soothing scent of rain - a rare bliss in California. "It's raining." She smiled without opening her eyes, listening to the peaceful drizzle outside the window at the early hour.

"Yeah, it is." Tig nodded, feeling his heart shrinking in his chest. He tightened his fist around her hair, trying so desperately to fight off tears, using up all of his strength until he eventually fell asleep.

Songs for this chapter:

You Shook Me All Night Long - ACDC

Cola - Lana Del Rey