I do not own any characters from Sons of Anarchy. I own Sara and any other original characters.

November 2007

Happy awoke sharply when a car alarm outside went off. He tensed; hand at the ready to reach for his gun until someone clicked the alarm off. He reminded himself he was in Charming, not in Tacoma where his apartment was in a rougher area. With a sigh, he relaxed back into the bed. Based on the dim light coming through the blinds he figured it was probably around five or six in the morning. He finally looked down at Sara's sleeping face nestled on his shoulder.

After they had showered—and fucked again—they had passed out on opposite sides of the bed. Apparently, in the middle of the night she had made her way over and now had a leg thrown over his thigh and her naked body was pressed into his side. His fingers absently found her bare hip and drew shapes as he watched her sleep; her blonde hair wavy and messy behind her.

Now, in the first light of the morning when he didn't have the energy or motivation to lie to himself, he genuinely felt bad now for how he had treated her last time they had hooked up. Really he had just been trying to put a little distance between them—especially since he had just gotten a club call and was about to walk into a situation where he might be on the receiving end of some heat. She had an uncanny way of getting in his head and the last thing he wanted was muddled thoughts of Sara distracting him when he was walking into a life or death situation. He wasn't good with emotions or, well, people but even he knew he had been a dick to her.

Thing was, he shouldn't care. How many times had he kicked sweetbutts out in the past and never batted an eye? What about her made her different? Why was she always getting in his fucking head?

Hell, she'd only been around for a few weeks now but he felt like she had wiggled her way into his life again like she had the first time he met her a year ago. The same way she had snuck over to him in the night, she was sneaking into his life more and more. He found himself thinking about her across the day; wondering what she was up to, what she was doing, who she was talking to. He found himself hoping she would come to parties and automatically searching for her in the crowds; getting jealous whenever she paid any attention to other guys and seeing red any time a guy thought he could push up on her.

Despite all of this, he couldn't bring himself to stake claim on her publicly. He couldn't bring himself declare her unavailable to his brothers, even though the thought of any them with her made his blood run cold. How could he?

Happy couldn't even remember the last time he had a girlfriend—a real girlfriend. Sure he had favorite girls to fuck and sometimes he even let a girl call herself his 'girlfriend', but Sara was the first girl in a long time that he actually wanted to spend time with beyond the occasional screw. The word sounded so fucking stupid to him: girlfriend… like they were a bunch of teenagers. How was he supposed to say that and not sound like a complete fucking idiot? 'Hey, this is my girlfriend.' No, fuck that.

The life of secrets and chaos that he led simply didn't cater to the American Dream. There wasn't gonna be some white picket fence and a big house at the end of this. His life was the club. Hell, his life was in Tacoma. More and more lately he was needed to remind himself that at any point he could be sent back up north. He had nothing to offer her.

Except she already understood the club and knew what she would be getting herself into… if she wanted in, that is. He glanced under the blanket at her bare back and resentfully saw her tattoo. She had already been one man's Old Lady. Something about dating another brother's inked woman didn't sit right, even if her man had supposedly released her from it.

Sara shifted further into his side as he set the blanket back over her. He kissed her forehead gently and sighed, staring at the ceiling. Fuck.

As much as it didn't sit right to be with her while she was marked by another, it bothered him more to be reminded of what it really symbolized: her commitment to another man. He had been serious in his offer to cover it up but it been more selfish than he had let onto. He didn't want to keep fucking her from behind and have that reaper mocking him; reminding him that she wasn't his, not really. Some of the guys didn't care, but that shit meant something to him. It was part of the code. Either way, it wasn't like he wanted to ink her. A girlfriend? Maybe. An Old Lady? Just wasn't his thing; too hard to be tied to one state, one city, one woman. The thought alone made his skin itch with anxiety.

After some time he pried his arm out from under her and got up, smiling faintly at the irritated noise she made before burrowing into his pillow. He pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and grabbed his hamper, intent on getting some laundry done before the club inevitably called him in.

He had been an early riser for as long as he could remember—barring of course a rough night of heavy drinking; it seemed that Sara was not. By the time she emerged from his room in a black Reaper Crew shirt it was a little after ten and he was sitting on the couch with a mug of coffee watching TV.

"You watch the local news?" She asked in sleepy amusement as she went into the kitchen. He heard her rustling around before she emerged with her own steaming mug. His chest tightened slightly at her obvious comfort in his space and he distantly heard the word 'girlfriend' ringing in the back of his mind. He pushed it away.

"It's important to stay abreast of current events." He quipped smartly watching the screen.

"You just wanted to say 'breast'." She teased sitting beside him, curling her legs up.

"Are you wearing my underwear?" He asked lifting the edge of the shirt and catching a peek of dark fabric. She swatted his hand away but grinned broadly.

"Yep. I figured it wouldn't behoove me to walk around without any and it appears mine are missing."

"I'll behoove you right here either way." He teased suggestively trying to reach between her legs. She shrieked loudly in laughter and pushed him away, holding her mug out away from them.

"Stop, you are gonna make me spill!" He grunted in response and gave her thigh a squeeze before turning back to the TV. A curious expression blossomed on her face.

He was so relaxed, sitting bare-chested and ankles crossed on the coffee table. She wondered if his brothers ever saw him like this. She knew that many of them were terrified of him—she was sure Hap had given them good reason—but it was hard to be terrified of someone who drank coffee and watched the local news in the morning. He had lightness in him that she was sure they rarely ever saw and it pulled on her heart that she was bearing witness to it.

"What're you up to today?" She asked carefully. He shrugged but didn't respond.

"Right…" She answered awkwardly, chewing on the inside of her lip. He glanced over at her to catch her staring at him.

"What?" He asked after a moment.

"I think I'm gonna look for a job in Charming." She responded hesitantly. Her blue eyes watched him closely for his response and she huffed a little in frustration when his stoic face remained unchanged.

"So you are planning on staying?" He asked slowly, his expression guarded and unyielding.

"I don't know; depends on how everything goes when the guys get the news, but I don't know if I still want to live in San Bernardino if no one else is there. I figured its worth taking a look and seeing what jobs—if any—are available here."

"What'd you have in mind?" He asked. She shrugged.

"There are a few clinics around that might need addiction specialists. I figured I'd give them a call and check." She responded nervously. "Charming isn't really much a drug town though. Can't imagine why that is." She added pointedly, knowing fully-well that the Sons kept the drugs out. He smirked in response and took a sip of coffee.

"Well?" She pressed after a moment.

"What?" He asked confused. She rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration.

"Ugh, nevermind. Forget it." She said shaking her head moodily and looking at the TV. He looked at her in annoyance.

"Sara." He pressed with an eye roll.

"Nothing, I'm fine." Ah yes. This was why he didn't have girlfriends.

"Sara, stop it. What?" He chided.

"I just wanted to know what you think of me getting a job… but I don't know… maybe I'm just being stupid." She breathed out her response suddenly self-conscious. She picked at a string on the hem of the shirt she was wearing.

"I think its… fine. I don't really care." He said with a shrug and dread filled him as her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed on him. "I mean, I think it's great if that's what you want to do. I just thought you were going to go back to Berdoo so I'm surprised." He added quickly and released a breath when she seemed pleased with his answer.

"Well I have nowhere else to go and someone told me I should stay in Charming." She said smiling into her coffee. The dryer buzzed loudly from the hall closet and he got up quickly to get it.

"Jesus." He whispered to himself. "Chicks are fucking nuts."

Sara was flipping through the newspaper circling a few things when her phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered absently, taking a bite of an apple. She was sitting in Gemma and Clay's kitchen looking for jobs and an apartment.

"Sare?" Jason's broken voice cut right through her happy bubble and she set the newspaper down and closed her eyes. Her stomach rolled with sinking dread. He knew.

"I'm here, Jase." She would have appreciated a little warning. Annoyance bubbled up within her. Happy could have at least mentioned something earlier.

"They shut it down. They closed the chapter." He mumbled sadly.

"I know. They told me." She stated as her own voice unexpectedly cracked. She cleared her throat.

"What am I gonna do?" Her brother begged.

"Anything you want." She stated, finding herself echoing Happy's words.

"I want my fucking chapter!" He snapped and she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I know. But you can transfer or go Nomad or something. It'll be okay. You'll figure it out."

"What do you mean 'you'll'? Don't you mean 'we'll'?" He asked confused. She was silent, fingers fiddling with pen on the table before her.

"Sara… what's going on?" He asked cautiously. She winced and took a shaky breath before answering.

"I'm just—I think—I think I'm gonna stay in Charming for a while. See if I can get a job." She whispered chewing her lip.

"What they have a whorehouse that needs a madam up there?" He spat and she closed her eyes and rested her forehead in her palm as she took a deep breath, trying to ignore the sting of his words.

"No, I mean a real job, Jason. Not related to the club." She finally responded desperate to keep an even voice. Silence filled the line and she checked her phone to see if the call dropped.

"Jason?" She asked confused.

"Why can't you get a job here?" He asked, ignoring her.

"Jason, you might not even stay in San Bernardino. And without the club there, I don't really have a purpose."

"This is your home!" He argued.

"Yeah, my home where my father literally ruined my life. There's nothing for me there without the club." She responded, trying not to get upset.

"Stop being so fucking dramatic. We all took a hit with that, and you're the only one gung-ho to leave." He grumbled. "I fucking knew sending you to Charming was a bad idea. What? Did one of them get you on your back and now you don't want to leave?" He hissed. She winced. Well, fuck. She'd have been pissed if he hadn't hit the nail on the head.

"Real nice, Jason." She scoffed, not acknowledging his words. He was just lashing out, she knew that.

"I thought you didn't want to be associated with the club anymore. How are you going to get a job in goddamn Charming not associated with the club?" He argued out sharply. He had a point there.

"I don't know, Jase. Nothing is even set in stone. I just figured its worth taking a look at least, Jesus Christ." She responded, exasperated.

"So you're just gonna up and leave me too?" He shot back and she flinched. It was a low blow.

"Maybe you can transfer to Charming?" She suggested softly.

"Charming can go fuck itself. I can't sit at a table with those guys!" He snarled.

"Ok, well you're not even really listening to me right now. Look, I'm sorry. I really am. They're my family too. Call me when you can think clearly, okay?" She paused and waited for his response but all she could hear was his ragged breathing. "I love you." She added. Silence. "Okay. Bye, Jase." She hung up with a sigh and tossed her phone on the counter, resting her head in her hands.

"What was all that about, sweetheart?" Gemma asked coming into the kitchen.

"The guys broke the news to Jason. He's torn up pretty bad." She responded distantly, chewing her cheek.

"Well, he'll be okay. Clay'll straighten everything out." Gemma answered before gesturing to the newspaper. "What's all this?" Sara paused a moment before sighing.

"I was looking for a job in Charming." She couldn't help but smile a little as Gemma lit up. Still, her thoughts of Jason and her club weighed on her heart. "But now I don't know." She added without even thinking about it. Gemma made a dismissive sound.

"Don't you worry about your boys. They're men. They'll rally and figure out their own shit. There's nothing you can do there. You gotta look out for you." Gemma advised and grabbed the paper, looking at the circled items.

"Jobs and apartments it would seem." Gemma added, eying Sara over the edge. Sara shrugged.

"No offense but if I'm gonna be settled here for a while, I'm gonna move out of your guest room." Gemma nodded in understanding.

"Well. Let's go check them out then." She said with conviction.

"But I don't even have a job yet." Sara sputtered in confusion.

"Nonsense. I told you SAMCRO would help you get yourself set up. Now I'm gonna make some calls while you go get changed." Sara watched her in awe. "Well, hurry up!" Gemma chided and she hopped off the stool to go get ready.

Author's Note: Hi all, sorry if there are a bunch of typos in this chapter, I made some last minute edits just couldn't bring myself to read it again for proofreading- I've already done 24 revisions of this chapter (fun fact, originally written in April 2015). Anyway. I've had a recent flood of really phenomenal reviews and I'm just so incredibly grateful for all of the readers' support. Honestly, it really it such a rewarding feeling every time I get an email with a review. I love knowing that people love Sara and are really into her and Hap's story. There is still a long ways to go just events should pick up a little soon, promise. :) Thanks to all and enjoy!