You will never grow older:

"No! Please? PLEASE! Just let me… please?"

Opie froze mid-motion, so I took that as my cue to turn on the water works. I tilted my chin down so that I was looking up at him through the fringe of my bangs and gave him my best innocent, doe-eyed look. When I saw him take half a step back, I sniffled in a breath and conjured up some crocodile tears.

"Please? I had to miss the last couple of visitations. California Corrections doesn't care about inmates seeing people unless they're married or blood related. Please, let me go with you guys."

"Drea, if it was up to me, you could come. But I'm not President… Hell, I'm not even the VP, so I don't make the rules. I'm sorry, but it isn't my decision to make. Please, can I just have it?"

I pulled Happy's cut out of his reach and tried a new tactic. If tears wouldn't work, then I would pull out the new argument I had formulated. "But you said the other guys from the garage are driving their bikes out for them to ride home. Why can't I ride Happy's bike out to Stockton and then come home in the in the van with the other guys? Please? I don't think that's too much to ask."

"Alright…" Opie conceded as he stood up tall and crossed his arms over his chest.

FUCK. I screwed up. How did I fuck this up? I had been practicing this argument pretty much since the day I learned the guys' release date. I had this down. I had this… Well I THOUGHT I had it totally figured out.

"Fine. Sure… You can ride his bike up to Stockton."

I took a step back, hugging Happy's cut tightly into my chest in a death grip and let my suspicion be heard when I asked, "Why are you agreeing with me? We've been arguing for almost an hour, why are you conceding, now?"

"It's like you said… If you want to ride his bike and be… ONE OF THE GUYS… far be it from me to stop you. But we should get going so we aren't late. Go grab his keys."

"NO!" I practically growled out. "Explain your one eighty… please?"

He smiled softly and thankfully didn't draw out my torment. "You're more than welcome to ride with us and drive back with the guys. But if you do… well… Drea… You know what that means, right?"

He gave me a second to think it over. Then… when he thought I wasn't quite getting it, he raised an eyebrow and gave me a shit-eating grin. THAT'S when I FINALLY figured it out.

"It… it means that I'm one of the guys and… not… not his Old Lady." Opie's laughter was thankfully muffled by Happy's cut that I threw over his head. "Fine! Just fucking take it and go!"

"Drea…" Opie started until I turned my angry, tear filled eyes up to glare at him.

"I mean it, Opie. Just go. I don't need you to make fun of me for being stupid."

"You're not stupid… and I'm not making fun…"

"HARRY…"

"DREA! I'm not…" He quickly folded Happy's cut in half and placed it on the kitchen table. "I swear to you I'm not. You're trying… and learning… THAT'S what counts."

"But I'm not learning fast enough. I'm going to fuck this up, especially now that he's coming home, aren't I?"

Opie came over and wrapped me in a hug. I hated not being sure of myself or how I should behave. It didn't take me long after the majority of the club was locked up for me to come to the realization that that was the exact reason why I had stayed away from the club and Charming for so long. I had wanted to be my own person and I knew that wouldn't happen under the watchful eyes of the members of SAMCRO or (as much as I hated to think it) Gemma.

But then I met Happy. He liked that I was stubborn. He liked that I was outspoken. Hell, he even liked that I was a Tomboy that could pass myself off as one of the guys if I wanted to or I could be so feminine that I could make a Disney Princess look butch. He liked that he could be himself with me and that I would so the same… Even if that man that I would ramble out some random thoughts and talk his ear off sometimes. (But in all honesty, my verbal diarrhea happened less frequently with him. There was something about him being completely at ease in silence that help me to start to find comfort in it as well.)

"No, you aren't. And before you ask how I know…" He pushed me to arm's length so that he could look me in the eye while he finished his thought. "It's because I know you, Drea. You NEVER fail if you put your mind to it."

"Opie…" I countered weakly with a very audible whine.

"What? You wanted to go to college, so you got yourself a scholarship to one of the best colleges in the country. Then you came back to town and blew everyone out of the water by opening the best damn bar in town. EVERYONE loves your place; cops, civilians, MCs… everyone flocks to the Buffalo Bar for amazing food and great drinks. And it's the one place everyone behaves because they consider it neutral ground. Running a place like that… especially successfully enough to open your own restaurant… it isn't easy, but YOU did it. Drea, you did it. So, if you want to make your relationship with Happy work, you'll be able to do it."

I couldn't maintain our steady eye contact as I asked, "But what if he's changed his mind? What if he doesn't want me to be his Old Lady anymore?"

Opie rolled his eyes and then turned to pick up Happy's cut without saying a word. I just stared at him in silence as he started making his way to the front door. Because his gait was twice as long as mine, I had to run to catch up with him as he was about to make his final exit from Happy's house.

The indignant "OPIE!" I wanted to issue was silenced by him turning to level me with a steely glare. "I am not joining your pity party. If he didn't want you to be his Old Lady, he wouldn't have left you the keys to his house. That's all I'm going to say on that topic. So… ANDREA… it's up to you now. Either we'll see you at TM with everyone or we won't. You have a couple of hours to decide."

He then turned to leave. At the door he paused just long enough to give me a point look. Fuck… He had me there.

I nodded then turned to walk to the bedroom as I called out over my shoulder, "I'll see you back at TM."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A lot can chance in nearly a year and a half. People, places, families can all transform or morph into something you don't recognize. Jax had a new son. SAMCRO had two new Sons. Hell, even Opie had a new son… Well, stepson once Lyla and Piper moved in with him and the kids.

I took the last year to turn myself into a new version of myself. Now that I owned two businesses and was dating an outlaw biker, I felt like it was time for me to update my look. I ended up growing my hair out. It now fell just past my shoulder with bangs that were just shy of reaching my eyebrows. Since I went to a salon and not Floyd's Barbershop for the updated hairdo, I had also updated the color of my now long mane. For the most part, I kept my natural looking dark brown locks, but the stylist had scattered a healthy amount of vibrant red highlights throughout my head that became more visible depending on how I styled it. Today, I kept it down, but I used a curling iron to add some body in the form of bouncy, oversized ringlet curls. It paired well with the tight black tank top with a faded-out sugar skull on the front and black skinny jeans I was wearing today.

After going to the salon, I had stopped in at Sephora to see if a makeup expert could suggest the best colors for me to wear. That turned into a full-on makeup tutorial, so even my cosmetics routine had been given an upgrade. Okay, not completely. I still kept my makeup to a minimum on the days I worked at TM and when I was at my restaurant. The new, more dramatic look I had learned to perfect was now what I wore when I worked at the bar or the rare occasion what I went out on the town. (If I went out for dinner and drinks, it was usually with Lyla and her coworkers, so I felt like I had to put in a bit more effort than I normally would to keep up with them. What can I say? She was basically my sister in law and a pretty amazing mother to my niece and nephew, so wanted to do everything I could to get along with her.) Today would be the first day that Happy would get to see the new and improved me. At least, I hoped he thought this was an improvement.

Since I didn't want to wreck my hair and makeup (FUCK! Did I just say that?) I drove my Yukon out to TM. Before leaving the house, I had texted Opie to check on the guys' ETA, so I had reassurances that I would make it there with time to spare. YAY! Just what I needed, time alone with the Crow Eaters and friends of SAMCRO. BUT! Best of all! (Yes, sarcasm IS fun.) I'd get to spend some angsty, tension filled minutes with Tara… and Gemma. Who wouldn't want to be at the receiving end of their disdainful glares?

Like I said, a LOT can change in a year and a half. But that's a story for another day… Or never… We'll just have to see which one comes first.

So, I sat in my truck until I saw the first motorcycle pull into the driveway. Yes, I know I was being a coward, but I couldn't find it in me to care. Today was a day of celebration, one to welcome the guys home. I didn't want to risk anyone or anything happening to dampen that spirt. If that meant that I kept as many bodies between Gemma and Tara and myself as humanly possible, so be it. I could suck up my pride for a day.

The first Son I saw was Opie. He was walking over to Lyla to give her a kiss to say 'Hello'. When he pulled away from her, he noticed me approaching and let out a low whistle. Lyla frowned but didn't say anything while she turned to see who had caught Opie's attentions. Once her eyes landed on me, she smiled and then she too let out her own version of a wolf whistle.

Great. I knew I had to be blushing a nice dark shade of red right now. But I tried to ignore it and smiled through my embarrassment when I heard Opie say, "Wow… Drea… I knew you had it in you, but… WOW."

Before I could reply, Lyla hugged me saying, "I second your brother's sentiment. You really have outdone yourself, Andie."

"Thanks, Lyla," I replied as I hugged her tightly.

"You're…"

"Andie?" I heard someone call out over Lyla's words. "Where our Little Andie?" I gave Lyla another tight squeeze before I let her go to step around her. Clay let out a soft gasp as he took a tentative step forward. "I'm… I'm sorry Andie, but… Is…? Is that really you?"

I felt my cheeks heat up again. GREAT. At this point my face would never go back to being its natural shade again. Fun.

I waved awkwardly as I replied, "Hey… yeah… it's me. Welcome home, Clay."

"Hey yourself." He then pulled me into a hug. "And congratulations to you, Sweetheart. I can't wait to see your new restaurant."

"You…?" I pulled back to give him a confuse, somewhat worried look. "You've actually heard about it?"

He now looked as confused as I felt as he replied, "Of course I have. Gemma told me all about it the first time she visited after it opened."

"She did?"

"Of course, she did. You do know that we're all beyond proud of you and everything you've done, right?"

"I… I…"

XXXX MEANWHILE XXXX

Happy hugged a couple of the friends of the club before he finally saw Opie. He then said a quick 'hello' to a few people he passed as he made his way to Opie's side. His Brother was watching Clay while he was talking with one of the Crow Eaters, so Happy wasn't surprised that it looked like he had startled Opie when he tapped the taller man's shoulder.

"Andie wasn't able to make it?" Happy asked Opie once they finally made eye contact.

Opie frowned hen answered, "Of course she did."

"She…?" Happy looked around and lost his words when he finally found Andie's truck parked in the lot. "Alright… Then where is she?" Opie simply gestured towards Clay as if that answered the question. Happy turned to face their President, but he still couldn't see his pixie haired girlfriend, so he said, "Okay, I see Clay, but I don't see your sister."

Opie forced himself not to laugh as he commented, "Take a closer look at the woman he's chatting up." He then patted Happy on the shoulder with a quiet, "Good luck" before he turned to rejoin the mass of people celebrating the club being whole again.

I watched my twin walk away, chuckling silently so that Happy wouldn't hear him. What the hell did he find so funny? Shit… Since it was Opie, I was sure it would be one of a thousand reasons and NONE of them would be as funny to me as they were to my brother.

While Clay continued talking, my eyes instinctively found Happy's wandering gaze. I could feel a relieved smile spread across my face once I saw recognition light up in his eyes. Clay must have noticed the shift in my demeanor because he paused, mid-sentence, to turn and follow my eye-line to see what so engaged. Once his eyes found Happy, he smiled then said, "We can talk later about all of that. Have fun, Sweetheart."

I think I replied. At least I'm pretty certain I said 'Thanks' at the very least, but in all honesty I'm not sure. All of my attention suddenly became laser focused on Happy and no one or nothing in TM's parking lot seemed to be able to distract me from him.

Without thinking about it. Hell, without even noticing it was happening, I started walking towards Happy. Thankfully, his feet started moving him towards me until suddenly we were close enough to touch. But, for some reason, we didn't reach out to each other just yet.

"Andie?" He questioned softly as he reached out a hand to brush the hair off my shoulder.

I took instinctively took a step forward so that it would be easier for him to wrap his hand around the back of my neck. "I decided to grow it out."

"You are so beautiful."

"Tha—"

The rest of my words were swallowed by the enthusiastic kiss he placed on my lips. His left arm wrapped itself around my torso, just under my armpit so that his hand could press against the spot between my shoulder blades where my tattoo laid to anchor me against his chest. He walked us, with him moving backwards, until he hit the side of my truck. He then released my lips just long enough to flip our positions and press my back into the side of my Yukon. Thankfully, that slight pause gave us a chance to catch our breath.

He smoothed his hands down either side of my head and reverently stated, "You are absolutely beautiful."

"Thank. I… I know I…"

I quickly lost that train of thought when he very deliberately shook his head. "Doesn't matter if you keep your hair long or short, you are a goddess."

"Okay… I think THAT has something to do with you being in an all men's prison for over a year."

"Andie…" He cautioned as he crowded into me.

I smiled demurely then said, "I mean… Thank you… That's very sweet."

I leaned up to kiss him and quickly relinquished control when I felt his hands tighten their hold in my hair. I swear I even felt him growl against my lips as he deepened our embrace. And I swear I forgot we were in a crowded parking lot because my hands moved without any conscious thought to undo his belt before I deafly moved to undo his fly.

"CHAPEL IN TEN MINUTES!"

We instantly separated and Happy let out a very UNhappy sound. I pet his cheek and tried my best not to laugh as I said, "We'll pick this up later."

"Promise?"

"Absolutely. Plus, I should finish getting Opie and Lyla's present together." He opened his mouth, so I placed two fingers to his lips to keep him quiet. "I told you, I've got this. You go take care of club business and ride safe. I'll see you back at your place later."

He kissed the pads of my fingers then took a step back. "Okay… I'll see you back at home."