Thank you to all of you who Favorited and Alerted my story! It means so much to me! I love you all for reading!

This chapter's a little longer, just for you guys. Sorry it took me a while to post this, I got a little writer's block…

-Jennifer11

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.

Kozik's POV

Charlotte had fallen asleep, easing my mind a little bit. Without moving my body much, I reached for the remote and turned off the TV. I shut my eyes for what felt like five minutes, waking up to the sound of the door opening. I opened one eye and looked over Charlotte's body to the door, seeing the new prospect Tony holding the door open for a male doctor I didn't know. What the hell is this and why is the prospect disturbing us?

I lifted my head and gave him a look to let him know he fucked up. I kept my voice low as I growled, "Get out." The prospect froze but the doctor kept walking slowly into the room. "I said get the fuck out of here."

He stopped, "But I have to check…"

After glancing down at Charlotte, who was still curled against me sleeping, I glared back up at him, "She's fine. The only doctor we want to see is Dr. Knowles." My eyes went to the prospect, "Get him out of here. Where the fuck is Happy?"

The prospect looked like he was about to piss his pants he was so nervous and was intimidated by me. "He uh… he uh…" I scowled at him.

"Just go." I told him quietly, checking to make sure Charlotte was still doing okay. I looked over my shoulder, out of the window, and saw the sky just starting to get light. I must have slept for a couple of hours. That's still not enough time for her. I'm gonna hurt those little pricks if she wakes up. It's not Happy's fault but that damn prospect shouldn't have let the doc in.

After making sure they were leaving and just as I was about to settle back into the bed to get some more sleep, the door squeaked causing Charlotte to tense and open her eyes. Shit. She needs all the rest she can get and these assholes aren't makin' it easy for her. I tried to keep her calm, holding her to me and murmuring soothing words to her.

She took a few deep breaths as she buried her head into my chest. I ran my fingers through her hair, "Wanna go back to sleep, babe?" She shook her head, "Want me to turn on the Sopranos?" She shook her head again, "You want some food?" She shook her head again, "What can I do for you?" I asked her, kissing her forehead lightly.

"I just want to get out of here." She whispered.

I gently caressed her cheek, "I know, baby. And we will soon. We just gotta wait for Tara to get here."

She nodded but looked up at me with her intense blue eyes, "What if she says I can't leave?"

"Then I'll bust you out of here myself." She smiled at me and then shifted to kiss my lips. It was the sweetest kiss we've shared.

When Charlotte pulled away, I searched her face for any signs of tiredness or concern, but she seemed happy and content. "Koz? I guess I could use some food."

"Of course, babe." I kissed her again before calling out, "Yo, prospect!"

Tony burst through the door and skidded into the room, "Kozik, I'm s-s-sorry about…"

I held up my hand to get him to stop, "Just go get us some food. Like toast, eggs, some cereal, water. And don't let it be crappy by the time you get back like Rat did yesterday. Do a good job and I'll forget about earlier." He nodded and took off, sprinting to get us the food. I smiled down at Charlotte, "See? That's how it's done."

Charlotte's POV

My eyes snapped open at the sound of the door creaking. While I was asleep Kozik had turned onto his side and curled himself around me. I felt startled but he kissed my forehead and whispered, "Don't worry baby, I'm here."

He offered to do whatever he could to make me feel better but I couldn't think about them at the moment. I just want to get out of this cold, sterile place and feel back to normal again. After all the trips I've taken to the hospital, this trip was best one yet and that was because of Kozik but it still brought up the horrible memories. I remember that the first time James put me in the hospital, he didn't bother visiting and my mother was in the bed next to me. The only thing she talked about was not pressing charges against him because he loved us and wanted to take care of us. Yeah, right.

Kozik squeezed my shoulder to make sure I believed his words. He brought me back to reality and I realized I was hungry. After last night, I wasn't too sure about eating but my stomach disagreed with me. Kozik got a guy to go get us something to eat and the kid looked scared. It was funny to watch but I wasn't sure I could do it too.

We weren't alone more than ten minutes when Tig opened the door, "Hey man, sorry about what happened earlier. Happy went to take a piss, then Clay called him to TM and sent me."

I felt Kozik tighten his arm around me but replied to him, "It's cool. Can you just make sure Tony gets back here quick?" Tig nodded and left the room without another word. There's something about the man that gives me the creeps. I didn't realize I was gripping Kozik's sleeve and cut until he pressed his lips to my temple and looked at me with question written on his face, "You ok?"

I must have jumped slightly because when I looked into his eyes he looked worried, "I'm ok. He just…" I replied quietly.

Kozik seemed to know what I was thinking, "Creepy, right?"

Before I answered, the door banged open and the younger man from earlier entered, panting. He was holding a tray of food and looked like he was trying very hard not to drop anything. "Uh… uh… I'm…" He seemed to be nervous and anxious, his eyes fixated me.

Kozik rolled his eyes at me, "Prospect, just put the tray down and go."

I playfully swatted at Kozik's arm, "Leave him alone. He's just uncomfortable." I smiled at the guy, "You can just put that down on the table, um…" I paused and gestured for his name.

"Tony." He mumbled as he set the tray on the raised table next to the bed.

"Thank you, Tony." I said as he awkwardly exited the room.

Kozik's POV

Of course Charlotte felt weirded out by Tig. He's just so bizarre and can terrorize anyone and everyone. He was helpful when we were looking for her and has been getting better but I'm still not sure that his motives are pure. I can't help but to feel protective of her.

Tony came bursting into the room carrying as much food as he could. He started stuttering and eyeing Charlotte, like he had never seen a woman before. This asswipe better keep his eyes to himself and on the floor. I felt myself getting heated and I was about to get up and do something when Charlotte slapped my arm. I saw her smile and encourage him to relax and put down what he brought.

I can't believe she just did that; no one ever treats the prospects like equals. She is such a kind woman. It's hard to believe that anyone would ever want to hurt someone so wholesome and innocent. I hope she stays this way because she's amazing. I'm never going to let her go. I know for sure she's "the one".

I pulled the high table towards us and smiled at Charlotte, "So, what would you like to eat first?"

She shrugged and picked up a piece of toast. She started nibbling and slowly ate her way through some of the food. I watched her, still fascinated by how nice she was to Tony. She must have felt my eyes on her because she looked up, smiling, "Eat something. Stop staring at me."

I picked up the plate of eggs and started eating. In between bites, I asked her, "So what do you want to do when you get out of here?" I studied her face for any sign of distress.

She shrugged, "I haven't really thought about it. I know I need a job…"

I wish she'd never want to work. Just let me take care of everything. But if this is what she wants… I nodded and smiled, "Why don't you ask Gemma for a job? I know she'd love to have you help out around the garage. Plus you could always bartender at the clubhouse."

"I guess that might work." She said.

Before I could say another word, Tig opened the door. "What, you don't knock?" I grumbled at him.

He rolled his eyes, "Just thought I'd come in and let you know Tara ain't gonna be coming in today. Something about Abel or Thomas. I dunno but I got the head doctor to come get release papers started for your girl." His gaze shifted to Charlotte and he winked at her.

Charlotte's POV

I agreed with Kozik when he suggested I work at the garage and clubhouse. At least everything that happened in the past couple of weeks wouldn't happen again, right? It just seems like the best idea right now. Who else can I trust beside this new family?

Tig came into the room and it made me feel uneasy. It must have made Kozik feel even worse because his mood changed instantly. While Tig had decent news, telling us that we can get out of here soon, his eyes were eerily intense and cold and were trained on me. I saw him wink and then all hell broke loose.

Kozik jumped off the bed and charged at Tig, pushing them both into the hallway. Before the door closed, I saw the prospects try to stop them and pull them apart. I gripped the blanket as I waited for Koz to come back. I felt alone and I got the chills as I tried to imagine what was happening on the other side of the door.

Twenty minutes after they rolled into the hall, Happy opened the door, "You doin' ok, princess?" He asked me.

I looked up at him, "Happy, what's going on?"

His eyes went straight to the ground, "Just some old shit. It'll be ok." There was a knock on the door and Happy went to answer it. He stared down the woman standing outside for a moment before letting her in.

The woman seemed nice enough but I couldn't be sure. At least Happy is here, I thought. She smiled kindly at me, "Hello, my name is Margaret, I'm the hospital administrator. Dr. Knowles asked me to come here and check on you before filling out some forms to get you on your way." I nodded and smiled back at her while she looked over my vitals and wrote some things down on her clipboard. She glanced at me then at Happy. "You know, honey, you need to keep yourself safe. Especially around…" She cleared her throat, "All this stress will make your recovery more challenging."

I look at her confused and then at Happy. What was this lady talking about? This is my family. I feel like the world is trying to pull us apart but how can I just let them go? Happy didn't look happy, which was supposedly normal, but at this moment, he looked even more cross as he folded his arms. I didn't say anything as the woman finished her work and had me sign a form. "Ok Ms. Smith, you can get changed and we'll send you home."

I winced at the sound of my last name. I was never a Smith. I'm a Winston. Now and forever. She left and I could feel Happy staring at me. He was clearly waiting for me to say something but I didn't know how to word what was going through my mind.

The door opened again, this time it was Gemma. She looked around the room and nodded to Happy before she focused her attention on me, "Hey baby girl. How you feeling?" I looked down at my lap, unsure of what to tell her. I knew she could tell something was wrong. "Happy, where's Kozik? What happened here?" She set down the bag she was carrying and put her hands on her hips.

He spoke in a low voice, "Tara's boss came by. Warned her about us. Told her she could leave. Charlotte's been upset since."

"That bitch." Gemma muttered under her breath.

Gemma's POV

Tara had called me early this morning to tell me that Abel had a fever and she couldn't make it to the hospital. She said I should go check on Charlotte and make sure things were going smoothly so she could get out of there.

I stopped by the clubhouse to grab some comfortable clothes for the poor girl before heading over to St. Thomas. I saw that Happy's bike was sitting on the lot. I thought he was with Koz and Charlotte, what's he doing here? I saw him talking to Clay, so I went over to find out what was going on. Apparently in the middle of the night, Clay needed Happy to take care of some 'club business'. Of course he did. I wonder who is there instead? Since Happy was done, he decided to follow me over to the hospital.

Pulling up to St. Thomas, I saw Tig's bike was there. He better not be causing problems again. We walked towards the room and I didn't see Tig but Phil and Ratboy were outside with a new prospect. Phil was looking at his feet and I could tell he wanted to tell me something. "Where's Tig, Phil?"

"Him and Kozik got in a fight. Full-blown. They're both in the waiting room talking to hospital security."

"Oh great." I said, "Hey Hap, why don't you make sure Charlotte's alright. I'm gonna find them."

I walked down the hall and found the two sitting on opposite sides of the room with security guards standing next to them. They both looked bruised and slightly bloody. One of the guards stopped me, "Excuse me ma'am, this is a restricted area right now."

"I understand but I know these men."

He looked me up and down, "How so?"

"I'm like their mother." Both Kozik and Tig looked up at me and then back at the ground, knowing they were in trouble now. The guard looked at me like he wasn't sure but then let me through. I pointed at Tig to get up and sit next to Kozik. "What in the hell were you two thinking?" The avoided looking at me, they knew they were wrong. "You can't keep letting your old shit come up and affect everyone else. Especially that girl in there, she needs you Kozik. Tig, I want you to back off. No more, you hear me?" They both nodded and mumbled in agreement. "Good. Now go clean yourselves up and meet me in her room."

I glared at them as I left the room to go see Charlotte. Just as I rounded the corner I saw Margaret Murphy leaving the room. Shit, that cunt better not have done anything to hurt Charlotte. I waited for the woman to be out of eyesight before going to the room. Happy looked heated while Charlotte looked bothered by something. Why couldn't that judgmental bitch mind her own business? God, I have to fix everything around here.

I picked up the bag I was carrying and set it on the bed. "Well, Charlotte, I've brought you some clothes to wear. Why don't we get you changed and out of this hell hole?" Once she nodded, I turned to Happy, "Why don't you give us a few minutes. Oh and Hap? Send the prospects to find Tig and Koz but don't let them in."

After he left, I started pulling clothes out of the bag to help her get changed. She quietly asked me, "Gemma, do you think you could help me with something?"

"With what, sweetheart?"

"I want to legally change my name. I don't want to be a Smith any more."

"Of course. I'll do whatever it takes to help you." I smiled at her. Good for her. Wanting to move on and get her life back. "Let's get you out of here." I sat and watched her go to the bathroom to change into some undergarments, yoga pants, and an old SAMCRO shirt and wash her face and brush her teeth. Charlotte didn't say anything when she came back to pull on a pair of sneakers; she seemed lost in her thoughts. I gotta get to the bottom of this before she leaves the room. "Is something else bothering you, baby girl?"

"No, I'm just really tired and everything…" Her voice trailed off a little bit.

"I hope that woman didn't say anything to rattle you. Lord knows you don't need it. Well, if you ever need anything, I'm here for you."

Charlotte's POV

After asking Gemma to help me, I started feeling better but the words of that lady were ringing in my head. "You need to keep yourself safe". Who can keep me safer than my family and the guy I'm falling for? Why am I letting this throw me off? I tried to shake the thoughts from my head, only to wonder where Kozik went.

I felt Gemma eyes watching me carefully. She asked me if something was wrong. I didn't lie to her, I really was tired. Something told me that she didn't like the administrator and was worried I would be too freaked out about what the woman said to go home with her. I was very grateful that Gemma was being so nice to me, treating me like I was her daughter.

I sat back down on the bed and sighed, "Gemma, I just want to thank you for everything you've done for me. It means so much to me." I paused and looked at her, trying to find the words to express myself. "I know what the hospital administrator was trying to do and I want to let you know, it's not going to stop me from wanting to be a part of the family. Your family."

Gemma got up and walked over to me, wrapping me in a hug, "Oh sweetheart, this is your family too. And we'd love to have you." She patted my back lightly, "C'mon, let's get you home."

Gemma went towards the door, Happy opening it before she even tried to reach for the handle. He looked me over quickly, as if to make sure I wasn't hurting before moving out of the way to let a male nurse bring a wheelchair into the room. I hesitantly sat down, only to watch the nurse running down the hall. I looked up at Gemma to see she was holding back laughter and Happy half smiled at me. What just happened?

"Gemma? Where's Kozik?" I asked her, trying to sort everything out.

"Oh don't worry about him… he'll catch up to us." She nodded at Happy who started pushing me down the hallway.

We took the elevator down to the first floor and as soon as we got off, Tig was standing there, leaning against a wall. I gripped the armrests and felt frozen. A low, soft whimper must have escaped my lips because Happy put his hand gently on my shoulder. "Don't worry princess, he won't hurt you." I hear him whisper almost inaudibly to me. I still hadn't seen Kozik but Happy being so close made me relax a little bit.

Tig didn't make eye contact as we passed him, but I peeked over my shoulder and saw him, the prospects, and Gemma following Happy. Happy wheeled me out of the hospital and towards Gemma's SVU. Ratboy reached out to pull me up while Phil opened the door. I frowned and pulled away from the younger man. Happy growled out, "Don't." as he slapped Rat's hands away and shoved him back.

Gemma started to chuckle as Happy gently eased me out of the chair and hugged me to his chest. I clung to him and gripped his cut as he placed me into the front seat. He squeezed my shoulder in a reassuring gesture before shutting the door. He stood there and waited for the others to get on their bikes and Gemma to get in the driver's seat before going towards his bike.

I finally saw Kozik walk out of the hospital and look around wildly. His eyes settled on me in the car. His face was swollen, he was going to have a black eye, and he had a small cut above his right eyebrow.

I smiled and rolled down the window as he made his way towards me. "You ok babe?" He asked as he got beside the car. His eyes searched mine for any sign of pain or discomfort. "Sorry about earlier." He said, cupping my face tenderly with both hands. "I'll see you at the clubhouse." He leaned in and kissed my lips lightly.

With that, he turned and went to his motorcycle. Gemma started her car and pulled out of the parking lot, heading towards Teller-Morrow.

Kozik's POV

After Gemma got us out of deep shit with the hospital security, I went to the stairwell to calm down. After running a couple of flights then sitting on a step for twenty minutes, I went to the closest bathroom to clean myself up. I kept staring at myself in the mirror.

I gotta keep this shit between me and Tig to a minimum. We can't keep going on like this, Gemma's right. Charlotte doesn't deserve it and deep down, I know it. She deserves the world. I'm going to single-handedly make her life better from now on. I'm going to make her smile everyday and I'm going to marry her some day.

I finished wiping away the sweat and blood from my face. Making sure my features weren't too bad and wouldn't freak Charlotte out. I knew I was going to need to put some ice on my eye when I had a chance.

I walked out into the hall and saw the prospect, Tony, waiting for me. "They released Charlotte, Gemma's getting her ready to leave." I nodded and started towards the room. "I think they're outside." He said behind me.

I turned and headed towards the elevator to get to the ground floor and out to meet them. By the time I made it outside, Charlotte was sitting in the front seat of Gemma's SUV and Happy was glaring down the other guys. Good ole Happy, having my back and protecting my lady.

I went to Charlotte to double-check she wasn't hurt or frightened before getting on my bike and following them to the clubhouse. Happy was the first one off his bike, quickly making sure that no one else approached the vehicle. I got off mine and went over to open Charlotte's door and help her out.

She smiled at me as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and guided her into the clubhouse. "What do you wanna do, baby?" I asked her.

She sleepily looked up at me, "I think I need a nap."

I nodded to her, after all it was barely eight in the morning and she hadn't gotten much sleep. "You got it. Then we'll get some lunch. How 'bout that?"

"Sounds great. But after that, Gemma promised she'd help me with something."

"With what?" I asked, her confused.

"It's a surprise." I could see the mischievous twinkle in her eye. I wonder what she's up to. Knowing Gemma, it's gonna be one hell of a surprise.

I led Charlotte to my room, "I'm gonna go take care of some business but I'll be back later. You're safe in here, ok?" I said as I got her settled in, waiting for her to climb into bed before kissing her forehead and leaving her to catch some shuteye.

I walked back into the clubhouse, grabbed an ice pack, and went out to the garage to get to work on some cars and motorcycles. I was trying to take my mind off of what had happened and relax a bit before going back to her. Suddenly I came up with a great idea, "Yo, prospect!" I yelled across the lot to Tony.

He rushed over, "Yeah?"

I got out some cash and pressed it into his hand, "Around noon, go to the diner and grab burgers and fries for me, Charlotte, and Happy. You can get yourself one too. But they better not be cold by the time you get back." I slapped him hard on the back to convince him to do what I said. "You better not forget or else I'll send Happy after ya." He nodded and took off to get back to his prospect duties.

Gemma's POV

As soon as we got back to the lot, Kozik took Charlotte to his room. The poor girl looked exhausted and she almost fell asleep during the ten-minute ride back to TM. Something must have happened last night because she and Kozik looked tired, Tig looked guilty, and Happy looked pissed.

I watched the guys moving around, getting ready for work or doing random chores, mostly drinking coffees and eating breakfast. I spotted Juice going into the clubhouse after tossing his cigarette to the ground. I followed him, "Hey, Juice!" I called out before he disappeared.

He stopped and turned, "Yeah, Gemma?"

I caught up to him and smiled, "I need a favor."

"Yeah, anything."

I made sure no one was close enough to hear. "This stays between you and I. It's a surprise. Alright?" He nodded, looking around nervously. "Charlotte wants to change her name, will you help me get the forms?"

"Of course, I'll get right on it after I take care of a couple cars…"

I stopped him, "No, I want you to do this now. I'll get Tig to work on those cars." When Juice gave me a look, I smiled, "Trust me. He'll do it. Now go."

I smirked as Juice ran off to his laptop to do whatever he normally does. Tig walked past me just as I turned to go to the office. I grabbed his arm, "Hey, Tig? Wanna tell me what happened at the hospital?" When he hesitated and looked anywhere but me, I kept going. "Juice is gonna be a little busy this morning, can you take over the cars in the garage for him? Thanks." I stalked off before he could question or argue with me.

About an hour later, Juice came into the office, smiling his usual goofy smile. "Here ya go, Gemma." He said as he handed me a stack of papers. "She just has to fill these out and I'll take care of the rest. Should be official next month."

"Thanks Juicey. Good work. Remember, don't tell anyone." I gave him a pat on the back before sending him out the door.

Happy's POV

Charlotte was shaken up by the mere sight of Tig. I could understand that, he frightens a lot of women. It nearly breaks my cold heart to see her this fragile. No woman should feel this way. Especially one related to the club.

After everything that happened to this girl, I didn't trust anyone with her except Kozik, an old lady, or myself. I don't know what it is, but I feel like a protective brother with her. I know Opie was her real brother but who can intimidate other people better than me? I made sure that Tig kept his distance and that none of the prospects touched her as I took her to Gemma's Escalade. Charlotte seemed to appreciate what I was doing for her and didn't get startled when I helped her.

I was drained when we got back to the clubhouse. After being up all night and the bastard Clay had me take care of, all I needed was my bed. Good thing it's next to Kozik's so I can keep an ear on Charlotte. I scanned the rooms for Tig or any other threats to her before going into my room. I left the door cracked and hit the sack, hoping to catch up on sleep before the club needed me again.

Two and a half hours later, I snapped awake when I heard a feminine sounding yell from next door and then a door creak open. I hurdled myself out of bed and ripped open my door, to see a prospect at Kozik's door looking in.

"Get the fuck away." I snarled at him. "Where's Kozik?"

The prospect looked like he was about to shit his pants, "He uh… He's um… He's in the garage."

"Go get him." My eyes narrowed as I watched him dash out of the hallway. I opened Kozik's door, scanned the room, and saw Charlotte, alone, sitting up in bed with her head in her hands.

She looked up and saw me, "Happy…I dreamt that…" She looked terrified.

"Don't worry princess, Kozik's on his way. No one's going to hurt you. It was just a dream." I tried to comfort her but honestly, I have no idea how to talk a woman down from the edge. She seemed to respond to my words and calmed down a little. I stood in the doorway as we waited for Kozik.

Charlotte's Dream

I was walking through a park, late at night and it was a little foggy. I was wearing one of those frilly, girly dresses and heels, like I had just come from a high school prom. I looked around and saw a man on the other side of the field and started walking towards him. His back was to me and I couldn't tell who it was, but he was doing something. The fog seemed to be getting thicker as I trekked across the tall grass.

"Hello?" I called out, trying to catch his attention. He looked over his shoulder, clearly noticing me. He turned back around and started sprinting away from me, to a sketchy looking van.

I felt someone starting at me and turned to see these intense, blue eyes, glaring at me through the fog. I shrieked and ran away. I was five feet away from the man in the van when he pulled out a large gun. He pointed it at me and before I could move another muscle, he pulled the trigger. I felt the warm liquid drip down from my shoulder. I dropped to my knees…

Charlotte's POV

I gasped and shot out of bed, covered in sweat and shaking. The door scraped against the ground and I saw a man looking at me. I yelped, startled that he was there. I buried my face in my hands, embarrassed that I was such a wimp. I heard someone's raspy voice and through my teary eyes, I saw Happy. He told me that Kozik was going to be here soon, but I felt a little better knowing that Happy would ward off any other dangers.

Kozik appeared and handed Happy a bag, "Thanks Bro. I got you lunch." Happy gave him a half smiled and left. Kozik shut the door behind him, "Hey, baby, you ok? Wanna tell me what your dream was about?" He asked as he sat down on the bed next to me and pulled me into him.

I gripped his shirt tightly and twisted it in my hands. "It was horrible…" I told him what I could from my nightmare. He held me close to him and stroked my back caringly. "I never thought I'd be that petrified from dreams. I thought I was dead." I whispered.

"It's ok, it was just a dream, I'd never let anyone come remotely close to point any weapon at you." He pressed his lips to my forehead, "Do you want something to eat?" I nodded and he handed me a bag just like the one he handed to Happy.

We ate and talked a little bit, he kept me feeling comfortable and it felt easy to be with him. Once we finished, he balled up the trash and threw it across the room. I giggled at him, "Thank you, for everything." I kissed him lightly. He didn't push the boundaries, I was thankful that he didn't try to force me, letting me make the first move meant so much to me. I'm really starting to trust him and fall for him. I got off the bed and grabbed a change of clothes, going into the bathroom to change quickly. I rejoined Kozik on the bed, now wearing a pair of jean shorts and a different, smaller SAMCRO shirt.

There was a knock on the door, Gemma poked her head in, "Hey you two love birds. I got something for you." She handed me a legal sized envelope. I slowly opened it and found a stack of forms. "Juice said to fill it out and he'll take care of the rest for you."

Kozik looked at me, confused, "What is this?"

I smiled at him, "Name change papers. I'm going to be a Winston." He grinned at me and chuckled, wrapping his arms tightly around me. "As long as it's alright with Piney and Opie…"

"Well, let's ask them, then." Gemma interrupted and led the way out of the room.

I hesitated but Kozik picked me up and slung me over his shoulder to carry me to the clubhouse. I kicked and swore softly at him but he kept going. He plunked me down on a bar stool in front of everyone. He winked at me, "Go ahead, ask."

Opie and Piney were standing in front of me but I saw the other guys standing around behind them. I gulped, nervously, "I just wanted to ask…" I paused and gathered my courage, "If it was alright to fill out these forms to become a Winston, officially, again." I looked at their faces for any sign of negativity.

I saw the complete opposite. Cheers erupted and the prospects got out glasses for celebratory shots. Piney held open his arms for me and I tentatively got up and hugged him. He picked me up and swung me around, "Of course it's alright. We'd love to have you!" He roared in my ear.

"C'mon, old man, let her go." Opie laughed and patted his shoulder. He quickly enveloped me in his arms and lifted me off the floor. "We're so glad to have you in our family!"

Kozik's POV

I was in the middle of working on my bike when Tony started hollering for me. He had just come back from getting the food I asked him to buy and now apparently there was a problem in the clubhouse. I got up and hurried across the lot to the dorms. I grabbed the bags and brushed past him. I found Happy standing outside my door, blocking the room off from the world, and handed him a bag before checking on Charlotte.

She looked afraid and wounded. It nearly broke me. I took her in my arms, trying to chase away all the thoughts that caused her more pain. She told me about her dream and all I could think was that the man that shot at her was Tig. Goddamnit. This shit with Tig is serious. Charlotte can't be dreaming about him or thinking he would hurt her. I shouldn't have left her alone to sleep. I tried not to kick myself while we ate lunch. After I got rid of the bags, Charlotte kissed me then got up to change. She came back wearing the simplest, cutest outfit. God, she's perfect. Even in plain, not-trying-to-be-sexy clothing.

Gemma picked this moment to stop by to give Charlotte an envelope. I was clueless and wondering what was in it when she told me what the surprise was. I was ecstatic but I knew Piney and Opie would be more thrilled when they heard. As soon as Charlotte started doubting her idea, Gemma and I shared a look. We should get her to tell them now. I thought. Gemma was obviously thinking the same thing because she winked and left the room.

Charlotte didn't budge so I carefully took her and carried her over my shoulder to the main room. I dropped her onto a bar stool gently and stepped back while Gemma got Piney and Opie to stand in front of her. After she told her of her plan, everyone seemed to be excited and ready to party. I motioned for the guys to grab shots so we could toast and celebrate Charlotte joining the SAMCRO family.

Once Piney and Opie had their turns hugging her, the other guys came up to hug or kiss her cheek. Happy appeared next to her and made sure no one lingered for too long. With Happy on her right and me on her left, the other guys were careful while touching her and wishing her well. I noticed that Tig didn't even try to come over. Charlotte was smiling and didn't cringe once, while everyone came up to her. It was like she knew with Happy and me next to her no one would hurt her.

I'm so proud of her. She wants to be a part of SAMCRO. My family. Her family. Our family. This is amazing. She is so beautiful and I'm so lucky to have her in my life.