CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

After the knowledge bombshell that was dinner at Gemma's we all left fairly quietly, I showed my friends to their hotel, leaving them my Challenger and taking the Nitro home with Doj hanging his head out the window as I drove, escorted by Happy and Opie the whole way back.

Pulling into the driveway of the Winston's house I can't help but be thankful for the friends I have, both the ones from Charming who haven't abandoned me like I feared and the ones from New York who loved me enough to drive cross country for me.

Opie stands by the back door of the car, waiting for me to get out, knowing he'll need to help me carry in the massive bag of food that my dog will easily go through in a week. Hoping out of the driver's seat I thank the stars that I insisted on behaviour training for Doj, without it he would have run and tackled Opie for the food by now.

I can't help it, when Opie effortlessly picks up Doj's food in one arm and his bed in the other I call over his shoulder to Donna, who had just opened the door for us, "I'm going to steal him. I need his muscles."

Donna just laughs and kisses him as he walks past, "You're welcome to try."

"Pfttttttt like I'd stand a shot." The derisive noise comes out of me like a balloon that's been let go mid inflation.

Opie drops the dog's bed into the middle of the kitchen floor, "Will he sleep here okay?"

I look at both my friends standing in their kitchen and decide I have to tell them why my dog's name is what it is, but I need to settle him first.

"Yup, he'll be fine as long as he can get his water bowl and on his bed okay." I drop the stand for his food and water bowls beside the fridge and retrieve some biscuits before Opie tucks the bag into the laundry and locks the door.

Doj looks happily at his stand, obviously feeling if it's up then he's home again. I know it must have been hard for him in the car for as long as he's been there, and it would have been hard without me.

I collect a beer for Opie and a bottle of water for both Donna and myself, funnily I know that her reason for no wine at Gemma's was probably the same as mine, we're both aware of Friday night party night the following night and that there will be liquor flowing freely.

Plopping down on the floor I wait till Doj has finished his biscuits and he comes and curls beside me, resting his massive head on my lap.

I absently start stroking his ears and before I can start talking he's sleeping soundly, his head heavier in my lap.

"Right, you guys know his names' Doj right?"

They both nod, "Well, he was named that very carefully. I tossed several ideas for names around before it was eventually settled on."

Opie makes the universal 'come on' gesture and I know he wants to know why they need this information.

"The third party that should be here for this isn't. Hopefully one day he'll let me tell him. Anyway, Doj. D O J Named for the 3 most important people in my life, the ones that I thought about every single day while I was away, but when the mess with Craig started I just couldn't bring him here to your life, it was bad enough he'd destroyed mine, I wanted to know that you three were all happy."

I can't get out anything else; the tears that seem to have been lingering behind my eyelids almost the whole day have finally decided to be released.

Donna and Opie look stunned, like they can't believe that I would name an animal after them, but I'm surprised at that. Maybe I'm reading their expressions wrong. I sniff loudly and Doj's head snaps up, he's been startled awake by my sudden movement and when he smells the salt on my face he starts frantically trying to lick it away.

I can't help but laugh and when I finally get control of my emotions again Opie is sitting there, but Donna has gone. I really hope I haven't insulted her by adding her name to the name of my pet.

Opie has always been able to read me fairly well, and even now after a separation of years it seems to still linger, I vaguely realise I can still read the people I used to be able to. He opens his mouth, and I'm prepared for something deep and meaningful to come out but all he does is burp, which lands him with a lap full of excited dog amazed at the loud noise that's just erupted from this person.

"Doj, down." But the giggles make the command useless as Doj continues to try and climb on Opie's lap. I gasp for breath and as I do I hear a giggle from behind me as well, turning my head I see Donna in the doorway, her eyes are slightly red and she has tear tracks down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry; I'll change his name if you want me too." I start to stutter out, wondering how hard it will be after 3 years to get my dog to answer to something else.

Donna shakes her head and drops herself beside me on the floor; wrapping an arm round my neck she squeezes me into a hug that really does rival the strength of her Old Man. "You will not change his name. You will tell that stupid stubborn Asshole what you just told us the next time you see him. You will not leave again." I nod, obviously Donna is still feeling a little concerned I'll disappear, but she's not done yet. "You will buy a house; in fact you will buy the house down the road. I will help you make it habitable, so will the rest of the club. We will get rid of Tara, once and for all. But the most important thing of all Sarah is if you do leave again, whatever reason you think of I will ignore and I will drag you back to Charming by your foot."

I laugh at the sternness in her voice as she spoke, but then realise all bar the foot part she is completely serious about everything she's just told me.

I nod again, and continue nodding till I hear Opie's strangled voice, "Little help please."

Donna and I both end up almost in tears when we look at her poor husband and find that somehow my 100+ pound dog has managed to not only get on his lap, but is currently licking the side of his neck like it's been covered in minced beef.

"Doj, down." I command again, thankfully this time the giant animal listens and Opie breaths a massive sign of relief. We all stand up to head towards bed, but putting Doj in the kitchen proves problematic, the second I'm out of sight he whines After trying to work out if I can sleep on the sofa Opie solves the problem by collecting Doj's bed and dropping it on the floor in the room I'm sleeping in.

"There, that will save the noises from him, will stop the kids from thinking he's a horse and trying to ride his back, will stop me tripping over him in the morning, and will stop Sarah from thinking about sleeping on the couch."

I grin again; give both of them a huge hug and climb into bed, dropping an arm out so that I can stroke Doj's head as he sleeps. Something that relaxes us both, he's sleeping within minutes and I'm not far behind.