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

Content Warning: Language, references to death and grief

December 2008

"Babe?" Sara's voice echoed off the barren apartment walls as she dragged herself into their apartment with her duffel over her shoulder. It was late, nearly midnight.

Happy had been on the road back from Bakersfield so it was Kozik who picked her up from the airport, but Hap likely had beaten her home since they'd stopped for dinner and a NA meeting—she was grateful for the opportunity to check in with him. Kozik was still solid, but it was good to spend some one-on-one time with him just to be sure, and to accompany him to a meeting. Kozik often came off as carefree and unaffected, but he had some dark ghosts that stalked him from the shadows of his past. Sara knew how easily Kozik could slip back into old habits if left to his own devices for too long, and Christmas was a particularly hard time of the year for him.

She'd spent the holidays in Reno with her family. Jason still wasn't awake, but that hadn't stopped them from sitting around his hospital bed and telling stories and opening small gifts. Her stepfather Joe came down, who Sara had only met when she ran to Nebraska and he had made himself scarce during that visit. He was a real dad-type, full of lame puns and clever jokes. He was a huge departure from the firm hand of her father, but it was a change for the better. Sara loved how her mother lit up in his presence. She couldn't remember if her mother ever looked happy with her father—she assumed they had been happy at some point in their marriage—but she didn't doubt she would have had a happier childhood if Joe had been the man to raise her.

"In here," Happy's gruff voice from the bedroom cut through her drifting thoughts. She tiredly tossed her bag on the floor, earning her a glare that went noticed but unacknowledged.

"You just get in too?" she asked around a yawn. Happy nodded, moving to kiss her swiftly before continuing to unpack his own bag.

"Flight good?" he inquired as he meticulously went about putting his belongings away. She rolled her eyes. She'd never met someone who unpacked immediately when they got home; she'd always assumed anyone who did was probably a sociopath… frankly, seeing Happy unpacking now didn't change her opinion.

"Uneventful," Sara shrugged, flopping onto their bed, "How was the ride?"

"Long," he stated, stretching his neck for emphasis. She winced hearing the audible cracks as his joints settled.

"I can rub your shoulders when you're done," she offered, yawning and watching him move about through drowsy eyes. He shot her a pointed look and she sent a quizzical one back, "What?"

Happy gestured to her bag on the floor. Sara groaned.

"No way, I'm too tired. I'll do it tomorrow."

"Like how you unpacked your shit from Charming?" he asked sarcastically, knowing full well her things were still boxed up in the living room. His comment grated her nerves, but she pushed the annoyance away, blaming her day of air travel. Her bottom lip petulantly shaped into a pout which seemed to have no effect on the tough biker before her. Maybe she was losing her edge.

"Hey, that's not fair… I stacked them out of the way," she grumbled defensively, "Besides, there's nowhere to put my stuff and you told me we were going to move. There's no reason to unpack everything just to repack it again in a month."

"We haven't even looked for a new place," he pointed out smugly as she groaned again, "and if you had less shit then you'd have room to unpack it all."

"Sorry I have more than five shirts…" she grumbled sarcastically under her breath. His expression was unimpressed. Time to try a new tactic.

"C'mere, tough guy," she requested, holding out a hand in invitation. He sucked his teeth and shook his head.

"I know your games, woman," he scoffed, "If I get on that bed with you, ain't no way this is getting done tonight."

"That's the point," she glumly responded, "You're no fun. Fine, these legs are closed for business."

The cocky, tempted look he shot in her direction should've annoyed her, but it didn't. Of course he knew she was bluffing; if he really tried, they both knew she'd give in.

Her eyes followed him as he placed the last bit of his laundry in the hamper and the neatly fold his bag in the bottom of the closet. He exited the room briefly to place his toiletries back in the bathroom and when he came back Sara was already dozing off.

"You gotta shower 'fore you pass out," he grumbled, nudging her. The thought of all the airport filth in their bed made him ill.

"You first," she mumbled back with closed eyes. Sara lips curled up when she heard his huff, but he didn't snipe back, and she heard the shower distantly hiss to life. She was just resting her eyes for a moment, that was all…

"Sare, you're up," his gruff voice snapped her awake and her eyes snapped open just in time to catch the sight of him entering the room with a towel slung low around his hips. She was bone-tired but couldn't help but ogle him a moment. Droplets softly crawled down the planes of his abdomen, following the valleys that cut through bundles of muscle and glistening in the dim light before disappearing with a sweep of the towel. His brow raised when he caught her staring and he jerked his chin toward the bathroom in silent command.

"Fine," she responded crankily before hauling herself out of bed. She showered quickly, self-admittedly feeling much fresher. Despite her best attempt to towel dry, wet hair clung around her shoulders, dampening a spot down the back of her tank top as she padded softly back into their bedroom. The room was dark, and he was already under the covers, snoring softly. Climbing into their bed, she scooted over to huddle next to Happy. Sure, her wet hair combined with the cold-ass apartment was giving her a chill and she wanted his warmth, but she'd also been in Reno for a week; she simply missed him. Club business was slower due to the holiday season, and she was keenly aware it was only a matter of time before he was called back for lengthy runs. He'd be back on the road before she knew it, and her classes were starting the following week: she needed to maximize their limited time together.

A low grumble of annoyance emanated from his chest as she shifted repeatedly before settling on her side next to him. As she closed her heavy eyelids, he stirred beside her, tucking her to spoon against his body. With a practiced sweep of her hand, she moved her wet hair up and over the pillow, so it wasn't piled in his face. Gentle, affectionate lips pressed to the back of her neck as his large hand softly swept down the length of her side, as if checking to make sure all was as he remembered.

"Missed you," she mumbled. His fingers squeezed her hip in agreement before his breathing shallowed.

January 2009

"How's school, kid?" Kozik teased as Sara walked into the Tacoma clubhouse.

"Educational," she flippantly retorted, softening her tone with a smile.

"I'd love to see ya in a little plaid skirt," Kozik whistle lowly, brows waggling flirtatiously.

"It's not that kind of school, Koz," she responded with an eyeroll, knowing he was just being a goof.

"Oh, yea? Then what am I thinking of?"

"Probably porn," Sara teased, "Hap around?"

"Meeting with Lee and Donut about runs coming up," Kozik dismissed without interest, holding up an empty glass to her in question.

"I have class in an hour," Sara hummed shaking her head.

"Your loss," Kozik shrugged and dispensed an amber draught into the empty glass, taking a sip before the foam settled, "All your classes this late?"

"I'm only taking two at a time, but no. One is three days a week in the evening and one is two days in the morning. Then I have practicum on Fridays."

"I can help ya practice cummin' if Hap ain't getting the job done." Kozik snickered immaturely. Sara rolled her eyes.

"Clever," Sara flatly responded, "I'll make sure to tell him you offered." Kozik made a playful face before shrugging, still smiling at his own joke. Sometimes he was so easily entertained.

"Well, well, well…" Bowie teased as he walked in, seeing Sara next to Kozik, "What's our little academic doing here?"

Sara huffed with another eyeroll, but the term of endearment made her smile. The SAMTAC guys had been ribbing her about her schooling since Happy mentioned it at the Christmas party. She was interpreting the jest as a sign of acceptance, which felt really fucking good after how nervous she'd been to move up to Tacoma.

"Stopped in to say 'hi' to Hap and let him know there's dinner in the fridge and that I'll be home late from class."

"I think he'll be out late too," Bowie vaguely informed. Sara nodded, not surprised. The holidays were over, and she knew they were expecting some big gun deliveries. Happy hadn't outright told her—because he never did— but he hadn't guarded the information and she'd made an educated guess. She assumed his loose defense was so she couldn't complain about being in the dark on club business. He wasn't forthcoming in any sense of the word, but his lack of denials and breadcrumbs of info were enough to satiate her for now. His tight lips regarding what happened to Donna had left her little choice other than sit and wait to hear something.

"Okay, well I gotta go. Pass on my message?" she asked, pointedly looking at both men for confirmation.

"Wanna grab something to eat?" Happy asked shrugging off his kutte a week later. Sara was cross-legged on the couch with open books scattered around her. Her golden locks were piled in a messy bun with an abandoned pencil peeking out and her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Dunno if I can tonight; I have a ton I need to read for tomorrow," she mumbled around the pen between her teeth as she skimmed back over the sentence she'd been reading when he interrupted.

"Already? Isn't it like… only the third week of school?" he asked quizzically.

"Uh-huh," she answered, only half-listening before adding, "There's some leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry now."

Happy huffed to himself and grabbed a beer before walking to the couch and gingerly tried to move her books to make room. As he flipped on the TV, she glared at him.

"What?" he asked brusquely.

"I'm studying…" her tone was annoyed, and her statement was slow, like he was fucking stupid or something.

"So?" he snapped, not liking her attitude. He'd had a long-ass day and she'd had all day to study. Wasn't like she was working.

"Nevermind," she grumbled, gathering up her books and supplies in her arms and stalking off to the bedroom with a huff. Whatever. If she was gonna be a bitch, then she could sulk in the bedroom all she wanted.

A few hours later and in a better mood, he padded softly into the bedroom. She was slumped over, one book laid open in her lap and others littered the bed around her. A quiet snort escaped him, and a small smile shaped his lips; she really was cute sometimes. He gently pulled the books off the bed, plucking the pencil from her hair to hold the page of the book in her lap, and placed them in a tidy stack on the small dresser.

"Hey, you're Sara, right?" a small girl asked, scurrying behind as Sara exited the lecture hall. She slowed her pace to allow the petite girl to catch up.

"Yes…" Sara answered hesitantly, trying to remember when or if she'd ever even spoken to the other woman.

"I remember your name from the first class. I heard you say it to someone else. I was a row behind you—" the woman responded. Quickly, the blood seemed to drain from her face as she realized what she was saying, "Oh gosh that sounds so creepy! No, I'm sorry. I just have a really good memory, I promise."

"It's fine," Sara acknowledged with an encouraging smile, letting the other woman off the hook as they walked out of the building, "Did you need something?"

"Uhh, well, I was hoping to put together a study group and wanted to know if you were interested," the girl stated, though it was clearly question. Seeing Sara's confused features, she continued, "There's a test in a few weeks, but I saw it on the syllabus, and I like to plan ahead."

Sara eyed the woman as she reflected on her impression. The girl seemed nice, clearly the studious type, but she seemed genuinely sweet. She had dark features, so maybe she was Indian or Pakistani, and was a tiny thing standing a few inches shorter than Sara. She had a well-loved and over-stuffed maroon Jansport hanging over her shoulders and her arms tightly clutched a binder—no doubt perfectly organized.

"Sure," Sara finally stated, and the petite woman beamed.

"Ok great! Thank you! It's such a relief to have these things figured out now, you know?"

Sara bit back a laugh at the woman's academic enthusiasm. The first word that came to mind was, 'precious' but that felt too condescending. Inimitable maybe.

"What's your name?" Sara finally asked, realizing the other woman hadn't offered that information.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Rhiannon. Like the song," she stated, and Sara couldn't help but think the girl before her was quite possibly the diametric opposite of the whimsical-free-spirit energy in the Fleetwood Mac song.

"Hey, do you wanna grab a coffee or something?" Rhiannon asked hopefully. Sara wanted to decline but knew she should get to know this girl a little before they were expected to study together.

"Sure."

After a coffee and casual conversation, the jury was in: she liked Rhiannon. She was different than any girl she'd met in Tacoma, but that was refreshing. She tended to ramble, overshare, and had large, dark eyes brimming with innocence and determination. For everything she lacked in physical size, she made up for in energy and conviction. She volunteered at a crisis hotline, was the middle child of five, and her parents had wanted her to go to medical or law school. It was very evident that going to graduate school for any other vocation was a huge act of insurrection that she wore as a badge of pride.

"I guess going to gradschool isn't exactly rebellious for most people…" Rhiannon acknowledged reticently before taking a large bite of her muffin.

"Hey, no one in my family went to college –in fact, they actively told me I shouldn't go— so I guess I'm a rebel too," Sara commiserated.

"What does your family do?

"A mix of blue-collar jobs mostly…" Sara vaguely responding before changing the subject, "Have you finished the reading for next class?"

Rhiannon simply blushed. Of course, she had.

"Yes, but I'll probably read it again before class on Wednesday. Just to review," Rhiannon said as if it were as easy as breathing. Meanwhile, Sara had been forcing the dense content down like swallowing salt water.

"Jesus, when do you find the time to get all of this done? My boyfriend thinks I'm crazy with all the reading I've been doing already; I can hardly get through it once," Sara sighed, rubbing her temple.

"You can borrow my notes if you'd like."

"… you take notes on the reading?" Sara asked as if the thought had never occurred to her.

"You don't?" Rhiannon asked quizzically and Sara blushed. Fortunately, Rhiannon changed the topic and released Sara from academic shame, "So tell me about your boyfriend? Is he a student too?"

Sara snorted at the thought.

"No, he's not. He's a mechanic. We live about 45 minutes from here," Sara informed, still amused by the thought of Happy taking classes.

"How long have you been together?" Rhiannon asked excitedly. Sara got the feeling the woman didn't date much, which was a pity because she was smart, kind, and pretty. She'd be prettier if she put more effort in—immediately, Sara knew that was an incredibly shallow thought. Growing up around women who were always over-the-top dressed to the nines skewed her perception, and she was embarrassed by the thought alone. Christ, she really needed to make some friends outside of the Club.

"We've been together for over a year, but I just moved up to Tacoma in December. I'm from California."

"Wow that's awesome. Does he have any cute friends?" Rhiannon asked with a joking tone but followed by leaning forward with rapt attention. Sara had to cough to cover up her laugh.

"Uhh, I'm not sure... They're real rough-neck types..." Sara delicately answered. Rhiannon looked crestfallen and Sara winced, adding, "I'll think about it for a while though and let you know if I come up with anything."

They chatted for a bit longer before Rhiannon excused herself to head to her crisis hotline gig. They exchange numbers and Sara made her way back to her car.

Thoughts of a new friend instinctively made her think of the other women she was friends with. Ally, more recently Clara, and then, of course Donna. She frowned as she unlocked her car. Guilt was flooding her. Rationally she knew she was allowed to make friends after Donna, but it still felt like she was trying to fill the hole the woman had left in her heart. She still had nightmares, although they were fewer and farther.

She'd called Kenny and Ellie on Christmas and could tell from their tones that Mary's attempt to make the holiday special wasn't enough to lift their spirits. If anything, the first Christmas without their mother was another blow. They'd spent five years with just their mother headlining Christmas. She'd made it magical for them even though they hadn't much money to get fancy presents. They didn't mention their father and Sara got the feeling that Opie wasn't home much. Her heart broke for the kids, knowing that the only thing worse than losing a parent was losing both. Happy told her to give it time; Opie was grieving too.

Pushing the dark thoughts as far away as she could, she went through the motions of starting her car, cranking the heat, and navigating out of the student lot. It was late, but she was getting used to driving in Tacoma—although her school was closer to Seattle than Tacoma. She spent her commute complaining to herself about winter, and cold, and the obnoxiously long time required to heat her car up, and how stupid the layout of the area was. It wasn't that she hated Tacoma, not anymore really; it just wasn't home yet. It was still inconvenient and so fucking cold. Everything was gray. Daylight only lasted like 8 hours. Both Happy and Kozik told her to withhold her judgement until winter was over, but that wouldn't be until like March.

What the fuck was she supposed to do until March?

A/N: Let me know your thoughts in a review! Hope you are safe and healthy. -L