AN: Won't be posting again for a week or so so tonight you're getting 3 chapters as an apology. Real lift shit has me down at the moment and I don't have the inspiration to write.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile.

The guys manage to get everything from the U-Haul into the storage without breaking a single thing. There are a few curious glances at some of the things they are moving, several enormous and very heavy, hope chests, a large solid wood case that could almost be a coffin, except that it's only 3 foot high and one travelling trunk, about the size of a TV cabinet. None of them ask which I'm glad about; I don't want to have to explain some of the contents yet.

The beds are leaned against the wall with the 2 dining tables that have made the journey propping them upright. That's it for the big furniture; thanks to small Manhattan apartments none of us gathered much furniture. The lounge suites Cam obviously decided to leave behind. The boxes marked 'electronics – break and we break you' are placed carefully on top of the tables and the remaining boxes of things, marked with who's they are and what room they are for are placed in whatever space they can find.

By the time we're done the single sized garage unit I rented temporarily is full, and the door only just clears the boxes. I didn't realise that we had that much to be boxed. But I guess the 3 of us have had a habit of hoarding framed photos, books, CD's and clothes. The bulk of the boxes in one half seem to be labelled 'Clothes - C', 'Clothes - A' or 'Clothes – S'.

The three boxes that have been clearly marked as things Al and Cam will want in a hurry and the 2 boxes they have labelled 'Sarah, take me, you need me.' are tucked into the back of the truck as we head back to the garage so that Chibs can go back to whatever it is he normally does on a Sunday when he's not babysitting.

Heading straight to the hotel where Al and Cam are I knock on the door and make them get their own shit from the truck, I've been lugging boxes for over an hour and that has not helped the mood I was in at all.

Spending a few minutes with them, promising they can come with me tomorrow to look at the 2 houses seems to placate them, that I've also promised they can join Donna and I in San Francisco shopping and that seems to have done a better job though and I wonder how much trouble my bank balance will be in, and how much of the none existent space in the garage the things I decide I have to have will take up.

Heading back to Donna and Opie's house I take one of the boxes inside, Donna is sitting at the table painting with the kids; she clears a space at one end for me to deposit the burden. I cut the tape and open the box; the first thing I see is my laptop bag. I'm kind of annoyed it got put in a box, but then I see below it is only clothes and shoes so that relaxes me, remembering the rush that Cam and Al were in to pack also makes me realise I'm lucky it's not in the bottom of a box of pots.

I set it beside me on the table, I know that Gemma wanted me to pass a photo to the club as soon as possible and there are probably hundreds on the hard drive.

The rest of the box gets nothing more than a quick shuffle through, but I was right it's only clothes and shoes, apart from down the very bottom of the box my friends have hidden my jewellery case, the black velvet cover is soft against my hand when I brush it, but I leave it in the box. I don't want to dive into those memories just yet.

The other box proves to have more of the things I missed cooking in Donna's kitchen. The basics of my baking equipment, cups, spoons and a few tins that I've used so many times the outside of them is slightly discoloured, and the inside has a permanent non-stick coating. I put those on the bench and reach the bottom of the box where the only other things I was really worried about are, the old battered ammo case looks completely innocent sitting in the box, but I'm surprised they managed to shoehorn it in, but I am happy they did. It meant that there were no questions regarding why I had an ammo tin and what was in it.

I close the box and tuck it in the closet of the room I'm staying in, putting the other one on top and head back to the kitchen. After plugging in my laptop I turn it on just as Opie comes in from the lounge.

"Do you want to see a photo of Craig now, or shall I find a few and come to the clubhouse with you so everyone can see?" I ask, pulling up my photo file to make sure that Craig didn't get into the computer and erase the contents, sighing as I see that the thousands of photos are still there, and still ordered just as I left them...in the 'anal retentive' folder system Al and Cam have always harassed me about.

"Show us all at the same time, we have Church in about 30 minutes, I was just going to get something to eat then head over." Opie tosses over his shoulder as he walks past the table and into the kitchen.

I follow him and package up some of the baking I did on Friday to take in with us. One of the 2 cakes I made. The devil's food can go, the vanilla with fudge frosting can stay I decide, taking cake to a bunch of bikers being something that makes me giggle, but being Devil's Food Cake makes it a little better...maybe?

I toss in a couple of dozen of the sugar cookies I made as well, leaving plenty sitting in the gigantic Tupperware container I unearthed from Donna's cupboard.

20 minutes later Opie is ready to go so I pick up the containers, load them in the back of my truck with my laptop and follow him over to the garage.

After parking by the office I follow Opie into the Clubhouse where they guys are just settling down. Juice comes over, runs some weird contraption over the case after assuring me it won't do any damage to it, he flicks open the laptop and goes disables the modem, I'm not surprised about that. They want to make sure nothing can transmit from inside the room. I was only going to show them a couple of photos then leave again, but Clay decides it's easier if they come and look at the photos in the main room. The hang-arounds that are still there are ordered out and the 4 sweet butts in the corner are told to go home.

5 minutes later the room is empty apart from me and the Sons. I open the file with the photos, click on the first one and let them tell me when they want another shot.

We get through about 15 photos, none of them saying a word, before Clay tells me they've seen enough to recognise him if they see him, carefully not using any names. I head back out to the car with my laptop and return with the baked goods which the guys almost fall on in their happiness. I leave them on the bar and head back to Donna's. I feel like I need a bath, or a shower that lasts for days.

When I get back to the Winston's house the kids are having a nap and Donna is puttering round in the kitchen. She nods absently when I ask if I can use the bath so I take a book and disappear for a while.