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The song Marci's singing is called The Skye Boat Song.
If you ever listen to a traditional version of it, you'll find that it's a very lovely tune.

Chapter 9:
"He who defends with love will be secure; Heaven will save him, and protect him with love."
―Lao Tzu

"Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing
Onward, the sailors cry
Carry the lad that's born to be king
Over the sea to Skye"

As a habit, I was mumbling that old Folk song when I had nothing to preoccupy me. Once Dad taught me it, I'd be humming it whenever my hands weren't busy doing something or my mind wasn't overthinking everything. I remembered the night he sang it to me. For some illogical reason, Sweet Afton wasn't cutting it that night and Dad was trying to put me down, but I didn't want to go to sleep because I had a bad case of 'There's a monster under my bed and a boogeyman in the closet' that night. He started singing that song and I stopped my fussing, but I just stared at him like he was a goddamn angel before finally dozing off.

We were still driving, but the sky was dark and starry now. I was sitting in the backseat and my back was pressed against my door. Kip and Juice managed to roll the walrus into the trunk with the other 2 corpses to make room for us to sit, but Juice must've gotten comfortable back there with the trio of bodies because Kip was sharing the backseats with me. Miles back, he pulled my legs over his lap and he kept his hands over my ankles. I could feel the warmth of them through my jeans.

Jax was on the phone with someone and I think he was talking to Tig. The blond refused to let him talk to be because of 'the incident' as he calls it, aka Tig running over my goddamn cat. That's another reason why I was humming that tune, it always cleared my head and stopped my thoughts. The last thing I wanted to think about was how lonely I was going to be without Melinoë, but I still had Jasmine and she was going attach to me like a leech. We did have a lot to catch up on and I wanted to know everything about Damien. Something was telling me they were going to get back together or that Savannah girl was going to stir up more trouble.

"Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar
Thunderclaps rend the air
Baffled, our foes stand on the shore
Follow, they will not dare

Though the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep
Ocean's a royal bed
Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep
Watch by your weary head"

"Many's the lad fought on that day
Well the claymore could wield
When the night came, silently lay
Dead on Culloden's field"

I took my eyes off my fingers that were fiddling with one of the tears in my jeans when I heard someone sing the next verse. Kip wasn't looking at me, but he's been glancing at me throughout the ride. Jax was still preoccupied with his conversation, Juice was stuck back there with the dead guys, so that left the one person in the car who had a brogue. Smiling, I gently took my legs off Kip's lap and leaned forward, setting my chin on the side of Dad's seat.

I could hear him humming and I wrapped my arms around Dad's seat and him, bringing his attention from the side mirror to me. He smiled and tenderly squeezed my wrist, chuckling.

"Burned are our homes, exile and death
Scatter the loyal men
Yet, e'er the sword cool in the sheath,
Charlie will come again"

Dad and I shared a tender laugh and it made my heart melt.

"You guys are over there laughing and smiling at a hymn about death and burning buildings." Jax said from my left and I glanced at him with Dad.

"It wasn't a hymn. That was a history lesson on the Battle of Culloden. It's a Scottish thing, Jackie Boy, ya' wouldn't understand." Dad winked at Jax, who just rolled his eyes, while we laughed again.

"Why don't you guys sing The Parting Glass like normal potato people?"

"Nobody's certain on nationality of that song." I explained. "It could be Irish, could be Scottish, nobody knows for sure."

"I say it belongs to those fuckin' greens." Dad jabbed a finger in Jax's direction and I sighed.

I slumped back into my seat because Dad was probably about to start a 12-day-long rant about that goddamn song. I never knew why he got so fired up when it was brought up. Thankfully, Dad's ranting simmered down just as quickly as it started and everyone in the car was spared the torment of hearing him jabber on like a madman.

"Lookie what we got here." Jax drawled and I recognized the hidden hostility in his voice as the same one he used that night he almost beat that man to death for grabbing me. Interested, I leaned forward to look out the front window and Kip was leaning up too. We were about to pull into a gas station with a 7-Eleven, but my eyes landed on the red muscle car in the parking lot. "I think I need a pack of smokes."

"Aye. Think I could use another beer too." Dad chimed in, but they both looked like they were plotting something.

"You bought a pack when we went to St. Thomas and you haven't finished it." I reminded Jax, but he and Dad were still intently watching the store. I don't think they were paying me any mind. "Jax, don't go starting trouble. Let's just get back to Charming."

"Juice, Prospect, 10 minutes." Dad instructed and he looked at his Vice President with a grin that was just full of mischief before they got out. I stuck my head out the window and he shut the door, but looked back at me while Jax was making his way to the mini-mart. "Stay in the car, Marci."

"But Dad-"

"Stay. In. This. Car." He pointed a finger at me, his voice stern with an eyebrow cocked, and I groaned, slumping back into the seat.

Dad knocked on the door and held his hand out. I didn't know what he wanted at first, but he made a gun with his fingers and I reluctantly handed mine over. Dad tucked my gun into the waistband of his jeans, smiled at me, then went stalking to the small store after Jax. Juice and Kip climbed up into the front and were occupying the seats, reducing me to sit in the middle of them.

My fingers were drumming a rhythm on my knee and I was straining to see Dad or Jax, but I still couldn't. They must've gone to the back of the store. I knew they were in there 'talking' to the asshole that was driving that red car earlier, but I think they were blowing this situation way out of proportion.

"Is it bad that I really want a Slurpee right now?" Juice broke the silence and I didn't acknowledge his question, but Kip chuckled. "A large Blue Raspberry-Wild Cherry with a buffalo chicken taquito would do me all kinds of good right now."

"Kiwi Strawberry-Watermelon and the cheesiest pretzel on the rack." Kip agreed and Juice groaned in hungry approval. I didn't understand how they could have their minds set on food while Jax and Dad were causing Hell 15 feet away.

"One of you got a cigarette?" I asked, but I was already digging through the glove compartment, hoping that Jax left his pack behind.

Kip tapped my shoulder and had a pack extended to me with a stick waiting to be plucked out. I took it and he gave me a lighter. I just put the cigarette between my lips and was already starting to calm down just being in the presence of nicotine, but screaming made my blood run cold. Something was wrong and Dad and Jax were probably hurt or bleeding out or dead.

I threw the lighter down and crawled over, and partially into, Kip's lap to get out of the car via the window. I stumbled when I was finally on my feet outside, but was already starting to run to the doors, disregarding Juice and Kip telling me to come back. I got to the doors of the mini mart and staggered to a stop, but managed to rip one door open. The blinding florescent lights made me think I just walked into the gates of Heaven, but they started to dim as my vision started to focus.

The small market's shelves were pushed out of place and the snacks they were stocked with were littering the floor. Dad was a few feet from the door on the floor, but he had a woman in his arms, who was quietly whimpering and trying to hide her eyes into his arm. I saw Jax on the ground too and his back was against a row of refrigerators. His eyes were a bit wide and they were locked on something at his feet. I followed where they went and all I saw was a growing puddle of maroon staining the grimy tiled floor before everything went black.

I didn't know what happened. At first, I thought I had the quickest, most uncontrollable Anxiety Attack in my life and fainted, proving that the Librium I was taking didn't help at all. Everything was still black, but I could still feel my body and my heart was normally beating. All my senses were still intact and there was a smell in the air that wouldn't go away. It was airy and fresh and clean, but not an 'I just got out of the shower' or Doctor's office smell. It had some kind of alcohol to it, maybe Rum, with a hint of vanilla.

Whatever the scent was, it was very calming and I liked it. I noticed something else, pressure on my shoulders and the back of my head. It wasn't forceful or painful, but the weight was keeping me in place. I familiarized the pressure, it was an arm. One arm was across the backs of my shoulders and a hand was gently clutching my right one. Another hand was resting on the back of my head, fingers weaved through my hair, and keeping pressed into that relaxing scent.

I tried to pull my head back and the light came through, but the first thing I saw was Kip. His ocean-blue eyes were stern, but cautious and he looked a bit worried. I felt my entire body get coated in goosebumps then. The man was trying to mold me into his very being because, other than our clothes, there was nothing separating our bodies from pressing against each others. I watched his pupils dilate and that had me hooked, unable to think about anything that made sense anymore. Nothing seemed like it was logical, like how his eyes were burning a perfect goddamned hole through me.

For some reason, I thought about that theory that when 2 people look at each other without blinking for about 6 seconds, they either want to straight up murder whomever they're staring at or they desire to have sex with them. The only thing I could murder was a courageous bug that decided to crawl too close to me, so that left the latter of the options...and I didn't have a problem with that...

"You okay, Jackie Boy?" I heard Dad's voice and Kip's eyes left mine to look behind me. When I didn't hear Jax say anything, I tried to turn around, but Kip just tightened his hold on me and prevented me from moving. "Prospect."

"C'mon, Marci." Kip sweetly cooed and tugged me forward, leading me outside and back to the car. I leaned on the door and he stood in front of me, probably prepared to box me in his arms if I tried to run. "You didn't see...did you see anything?"

"Blood...it was near Jax's feet. I didn't see who it was coming from, thank Christ." I explained and he shortly sighed, looking relieved.

Kip looked over his shoulder at the mini-mart that Juice, Dad and Kip were starting to pile out of, but set his eyes back on me. He tugged my arm forward and opened the car door, motioning for me to get inside. I took my spot in the backseat and waited for the Sons to pile in. They were quietly talking for a second, then they got in the car and Dad asked me if I was alright. I told him I was fine and he gave my my pistol back.

The drive continued in silence for a few minutes. None of the men said a word to each other and everyone seemed to have their attention out of the closest window. Dad was driving, Jax was in the passenger seat now, Juice was on the far side of the backseat and Kip was in the middle of us. I was curled up on my side and leaning on the door, unsure if I wanted to go to sleep. I didn't see anything gory in that quickie-mart, but the blood puddle could morph into a sadist's best dream once my imagination got a hold of it. Then again, I saw Rose's bloody corpse and I didn't get traumatized by it. I had a few nightmares, but they left as quickly as they came.

I tried going with the positive outlook. I've seen some pretty fucked up horror movies and a little splat of blood shouldn't give me nightmares. Besides, I was close to Kip and I could smell whatever soap or cologne that was sticking to his skin. I inhaled a big whiff of that soothing scent and let it sink into my system before my eyes fluttered shut.

~.~.~.~.

I flinched a bit when I felt one of the car doors shut and my eyes were already open, adjusting to the darkness of the car. Dad wasn't in his seat and the car wasn't moving anymore. As I sat up, I felt something start to slide off my shoulder and caught it before it did. There was leather between my fingers, a kutte. Looking to the side, I noticed Juice and Kip were missing too.

Where the hell did everyone run off to?

I looked out the front window and saw that we were parked somewhere. It looked like the back of a building was in front of us and I had a feeling that's where the Sons went. I pulled at the handle on my door, but it didn't open. Looking through the window, a form moved and the door was pulled open. Kip was there and he just threw his cigarette to the ground, stubbing it out with his boot. The first thing I noticed was the missing leather from his torso and I peeled his kutte off my shoulders, handing it out to him.

"You looked a little cold." He briefly explained and I nodded, smiling a little as he tugged the leather on. "You were out for a few hours, we got some stuff done. Everyone's inside, including Tig."

"Why is he here?" I asked and Kip started smiling, probably at my scowl.

He didn't answer me, but he started walking to the back door of the building and I followed behind him. I almost thought we were in a clinic or something due to the long, white hall with a few doors, but I heard the loud scraping of metal and when we rounded a corner, I found where the guys were hiding. Jax and Dad were leaning on a wall away from the other 2 Sons that were in front of some kind of machine that looked like a big furnace. Tig was standing at the mouth of it with Happy at one side and another man was on his other.

The unknown guy had his arms in the opening of the machine, but pulled them out and told Happy to hit a button on the side to get everything started. He came our way and was untying the apron around his waist, but stopped to stare at me. He looked like a goddamn creep and his weird gaze wasn't helping. He looked like already undressed me in his mind and wanted to start licking my face. I edged behind Kip, using his arm as a shield.

"Keep movin', Skeeter." I heard Happy snarl and the man, Skeeter, blinked a billion times before he quickly scurried down the hall.

Kip and I joined the crowd and I finally got to see what the big machine was, a cremation chamber. There were 2 cardboard boxes inside and Tig had another one sitting in his hands...a brown shoebox.

"Is that my cat?" I asked and he slowly nodded, which made my eyes narrow in outrage. It was bad enough he ran her over, but he wanted to drag her around like she was a goddamn trophy or something. "Where do you get off, dude?"

"I'm trying to make amends." He answered and his voice was gravely calm, as if he were a mortician or something. I was definitely starting to feel the creepiness Kip was talking about before.

"By walking around with my dead cat in a box."

"I put her in the freezer when you left."

"Oh, that makes everything better. Thank you so much for doing that compassionate deed, Tig."

"It would've decomposed faster if he kept it out in the heat, would've smelled like overcooked shit." Eyebrow cocked, I glared over my shoulder at Dad, Jax and Kip. They all pointed to the other side of the room and I set my scowl on Happy. Of course, he didn't look the least bit disturbed or uncomfortable as he leaned against the huge furnace. "He wanted to give it a proper service."

"She wasn't an it." I corrected and Happy partially raised an eyebrow. "Her name was Melinoë."

I turned around and Tig didn't move from the mouth of the furnace. He was standing stiffly and when I went to his side, I saw that he had his eyes closed. I gently took the box from him and was a little surprised to feel that it still had a chill to it. I didn't bother opening the lid to give Melinoë a parting glance because I knew that crybaby shit was going to start up again. I've cried enough.

I tucked Melinoë's smaller box in the space between the larger boxes and stepped back. Happy never left his spot at the controls, but Jax, Dad and Kip came to converge around the furnace. Happy hit a button and I heard the machine start to power up, then a huge swoosh of orange flooded the inside. The boxes on the sides started burning first, but Melinoë's box caught and hers started burning too.

"Should someone say a prayer or something?" I heard Jax whisper.

"You gotta Bible passage about lost semen and flattened cats?" I tried to ignore Happy's input and kept my eyes focused on the burning process. He did get me thinking though and I bowed my head, closing my eyes.

"Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen."

With a small sigh, I opened my eyes and brought my head back up. Melinoë's box was charred and black now, but the bigger ones were still charring. At least she went first. A hand went to my shoulder and I looked up to see Dad. He gave me a grateful look, proud even.

"Can you say something for the 2 women?" Jax asked. "They were Tig's Mexi-whores, but they were casualties. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a holy bone in his body, but I think he feels responsible for their deaths."

"Fine, bow your heads."

"Do we have to join hands? 'Cause I'm not holding Tig's hand. I know where that thing's been."

"You don't have to hold hands, just shut up and bow your stupid head."

As instructed, the Sons set their eyes on the burning machine before us, closed their eyes and bowed their heads. I was between Kip and Dad now and I felt Dad hold my hand as I thought of something to say to the unknown women. There weren't any scriptures on the death of scandalous women of the night, but like Jax said, they weren't supposed to die and I was sympathetic for them.

"All-powerful and merciful God, we commend to you and your servant." I started. "In your mercy and love, blot out the sins they have committed through human weakness. Let them live with you forever through Christ, our Lord. May they live in peace this day. May their home be with God in Zion, with Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, with Joseph and all the Angels and Saints. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace."

After a heartbeat's silence to let the holiness sink in, we all gave a synchronous 'Amen' and most of the Sons started leaving. I stayed back, a bit hypnotized by the fires, and Tig was still with me. He had his hands together like he was about to start praying and his eyes were still shut, so maybe he was.

"...and let perpetual light shine upon them..." Tig added his own contribution to the discreetly unofficial funeral being hosted and I smiled at the dark-haired man. Maybe he had some faith in him.

There was a husky musk in the air and it was making it humid. I started to smell the end product of burning flesh and coughed, putting my hand over my nose. I hoped the miasma of burning death wouldn't sink into my clothes. Blindly, Tig's arm reached over to the side of the machine and he pushed a button that made the flames simmer down, but they were still burning the corpses.

I couldn't take the smell anymore, so I turned around and followed Happy's leather clad back outside. The night air cooled me down and was blowing away the stench of death from my scenes. Since Happy was in front of me, I could see the pack of cigarettes sticking out of his back pocket and using all my swiftness, I tugged it out. He didn't look back or scold me, so I think I got away with it. I went to the station wagon and felt around the floor to find the lighter I dropped before. Once I got it, I sat sideways in the driver's seat with the door open and lit one of the cigarettes.

"You guys own a crematorium?" I asked and blew out a gust of smoke, looking up at Kip. He was leaning on the side of the car while Dad, Jax and Happy were sitting on the hood.

"That'd be a good investment, but we just rent it when needed."

"Too many shallow graves getting dug up?" I quipped and he chuckled, but his smile started to inch away until he was serious.

"You sure you're okay, after what happened earlier?"

"I'm fine, really." I tried to reassure him and he nodded, but it didn't seem like he was convinced. He looked like he was about to ask me something else, but he turned forward to look at Tig finally coming out of the building.

When Tig was about halfway to the car, he jerked his head to the left and without a word, Kip went to the front of the car with the other Sons. Tig stopped in front of me and he didn't look tough and menacing anymore. I think he just tore down his tough guy exterior and let me see the kindhearted man I saw the morning we went to Fun Town. He looked a bit scared though, not nervous, but anxious of me?

"You okay?" I asked, confused at why he seemed like he'd rather be anywhere else.

At the simple sound of my voice, Tig looked like he reminded himself to stand straighter, but he held open one side of his kutte to dig in the pocket, his aquamarine eyes still full of uncertainty. He pulled something from his leather and hid it in the ball of his fist. Timidly, he brought his arm out until his fist was in front of me and I stuck my cigarette between my lips. I put my opened hand under his fist and he something dropped into it. When Tig moved his hand away, I saw the pile of silver he gave me and I hooked one end of it on my finger to dangle it before my eyes.

My cigarette almost fell from my lips when I saw what it was, but I caught the stick with my free hand. Glimmering in the milky moonlight was the lavender trinket I made for Melinoë's collar, but it was altered a bit. Attached to the last letter of her name, that now had an diaeresis 'e', was a little black cat charm with a curled tail and 2 peridot gems were used as twinkling eyes. It's been turned into a necklace.

"I know a guy and his wife makes stuff like that, so I cashed in a favor." Tig mumbled and I glanced at him, but my attention was pulled back to the jewelry. "I didn't purposelessly run her over. I never properly said I was sorry either, but...I'm really sorry, Marceline. I know you probably loved Melinoë to de- pieces and considered her more than just a pet, she was family."

Tig went quiet wile I was still hypnotized by what he gave me and I couldn't believe how kind he was. He was seriously making me rethink how a Sergeant-At-Arms was, personality wise.

I set my half-smoked cigarette in the car's ashtray and stepped out of the car. I gave Tig the necklace back and he looked crestfallen, but I turned my back to him. I grabbed my hair and kept it over my shoulder, but I didn't feel him doing anything, so I looked back at him.

"You gonna put it on or what?" I asked with a small smile and after blankly staring at me, Tig smiled too. The necklace dangled before my eyes and was lowered to my collar, clasping. I ran my fingers over the charms and smiled. I turned around and hugged Tig, quietly giggling into his navy shirt. "Thank you, Tig."

"Anything you for you, darlin'." I heard him chuckle and he pat me on the back, so I pulled away. "Your Dad ever tell you the good news?"

"No, what's up?"

"You've got a roof over your heads now, thanks to Gem. There's only one rule about the house though. It's in the lease and everything, so we couldn't change it."

"What is it?" Tig sighed and took his arms from around me to set them on my shoulders, looking at me with the utmost seriousness in his eyes.

"Under the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original, article 4, subsection 7, there are to be no unknown or disliked boys allowed in your room or on the property."

"You've got to be kidding." I scoffed and Tig simply raised an eyebrow, turning me to face the front of the car where the rest of the Sons were leaning against the hood, already looking at me.

"All together now, boys." Tig prompted.

"Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again." All the Sons spoke in tune and they laughed when they were finished.

One by one, the Sons came over to give me a pat on the head or a peck on the cheek, but I was glaring at all of them for treating me like a child. They got in the car and Kip was the last one waiting. I distinctly remembered hearing his voice when the Sons forbid any guy from coming within 10 feet of our new house and he was smugly smiling at me now, despite my glower. Of course, my glare immediately went away when he gave me a peck on the cheek and it was replaced with blushing smile.

Kip took my hand and led me to the backdoor of the station wagon. We had the backseats to ourselves and I got in first. Happy and Tig were in front of the car on their motorcycles and they were leading the way home.