Walk Away from the Son
Parker Sister Saga continues - Season 2 of SoA
LOCKDOWN
By BG (with some last little bits of Reapergirl)
Note: This chapter's been WAY too long coming and I am very sorry for that. My aim was to have it completed 18 months ago! As I said in my last post, life has changed in big ways for both myself and Reapergirl and writing has been put on the back burner. But now here we are and things are going to be a little different. Reapergirl has officially bowed out as my writing partner. Her love for Juice died in Season 4 and could never be resurrected no matter how hard she tried. Couple that hurdle with some medical issues and she had to step aside. I thank her deeply for the hundreds of pages, laughs and tears we have created and shared and wish her well!
I am 1000% commitment to finishing Season 2 and hopefully will have the final chapter up in a few weeks. Most of Jaci's bits are complete but I have to go back and try to bring the notes on Vix to life. Then I need to figure out how best to continue the Parker saga, what time jumps to make, what bits of the real show to include and just what to do with Vix now that I will be fully responsible for her! We've had futures sketched out for the girls for a very long time and I really want you guys to get to enjoy all of that!
I just want to thank everyone that commented on the Stay or Go Poll. Your comments and encouragements were very much appreciated and I will do my best to keep you all as happy readers! Please over look any typos or sneaky grammatical errors. I am my own beta and honestly I got tired of reading these 22 pages over and over!
~BG
XXX
It's times like these you learn to live again
It's times like these you give and give again
It's times like these you learn to love again
It's times like these time and time again
~Times Like These, Foo Fighters
(try the acoustic version, very fitting)
Bobby knocked on Jaci's front door at 7am. Normally she would have been at work already but she was running late from hitting the snooze button one too many times that morning. Not that she was actually getting any zzz's, she had lain awake all night, tossing and turning, thinking about the harsh truth Tig had told her about Donna's murder. She was still in her sleep uniform of lounge pants and tank top when she answered the door cautiously.
"Bobby? What're you doing here?"
"Mornin' sunshine." He replied with a weak smile. "Need to talk to ya, J." She frowned but let him inside, shut the door behind them and walked into the living room. Turning, she faced him, giving him all her attention. He scratched at his beard and winced slightly. "Look, I'm just going to cut right to the chase here…I know what Tig told you yesterday…about Donna."
Silence hung in the air for a long moment as she stared at him with a blank face. He was secretly proud that she held a poker face and didn't give anything away immediately. She was waiting for him to prove his knowledge with something more than a vague statement.
He cleared his throat. "I was there…when he told Op he was the one that shot her, not the Niners or the Mayans or whoever it was blamed it on."
"What'd Op do?"
"Beat the shit out of him then went after Stahl. He didn't hurt her though."
Jaci only gave a slight nod, she was too numb to feel relief that Tig's life had been spared, probably would have felt guilty for that sentiment anyway. Bobby gave her a soft look. "We're trying to contain this shit…keep it to only the few people that know. I don't have to tell you what news like this could do to a charter."
"Tig told you that he told me?" Jaci asked with concern rising in her voice. "Who else knows about me?"
"Op, Jax, Piney….and Clay."
"Shit, way to put a target on my back, asshole." Jaci mumbled as if Tig was standing in the room and crossed her arms.
Bobby shrugged. "Actually, he might have taken it off your back. Since more people know about you than just Clay, nothing can happen to you without looking suspicious. But of course…you have to…" He winced, hating the next words that were going to come out of his mouth because they were insulting. "We need you to keep your mouth shut…to anyone and everyone…forever."
She stared hard at her so called friend. "Or what? Is there a threat at the end of that little request?"
"No, goddamnit, I'm not here to threaten you, Jaci. Hell, I know I don't even have to say anything. You of all people know how important this is, but you know… for formality's sake."
She sighed and sat down on the sofa. "Bobby…the truth about Donna is the LAST thing I ever want to talk about. I want to forget I even know it. Trust me, if you had one of those Men in Black flash memory eraser things, I'd totally let you zap me."
"I know, darlin'. He was wrong to tell you that shit."
She shrugged. "He thought he was going to die, that Op would kill him. He wanted me to know that he deserved it."
Bobby shook his head at the total cluster fuck their lives had become. He let out a breath and waved his hand around. "Enough about that shit; that's not the only reason I came by. Vix tell you about the lockdown at the clubhouse?" He watched her nod slowly. "Well…revenge is coming for what was done to Gemma. We want to limit the options for retaliation. I need you to lockdown with everyone else."
"No…no way." Jaci spat. "I've been trying to steer clear of SAMCRO and now you're asking me to drag my ass right in the big middle of it all?"
"I'm not askin', J…I'm tellin' ya." He corrected. "Look, I get the separation you've been trying, I'm all for it and as soon as all this shit blows over you can go right back to it. But for now…you know you and your little sister have made some serious enemies in this damn town. Darby and the Nords hate you and now you're on LOAN's radar too. Shit's about to hit the fan with those assholes and the only thing better in their eyes than killing a Son is going to be taking out an Old Lady."
"I'm not an Old…"
Bobby raised his hand, cutting her off. "Don't argue schematics with me. Your sister, Tara, Abel, Moby, etc etc are all going to be at the clubhouse. They're going to need you…Gemma's going to need you." He watched her roll her eyes and process the gravity of what he was saying. He tried to head off any waffling. "No one's going to say shit to you about the Donna stuff or anything else. Tig will steer clear of you, no problems from him, I promise you that. It's just a couple of days, J. And before you tell me to fuck off, I'm NOT taking no for an answer."
She sighed. Being at the clubhouse was the LAST place she wanted to be but if things were going to get rough, she wanted to be by her family. Hell her sister and her nephew were the only people she completely trusted at the moment. BB's words of advice from the previous night rang in her ears. She was to stay calm, help out as much as she could, wait for things to settle then get the hell out of Dodge. She nodded her head slowly, caving into an ingrained habit of lending a hand then her mind leapt to her busy schedule for the day. "Ok…but what about work? I've got appointments I can't break today. I can push them back a few hours but that's it."
"You can go to work if you want, but someone WILL be sitting in the office with you all day."
"Is that really necessary? I mean, who's going to bust into an office complex?"
Bobby shrugged, "I dunno...but it's a question I don't want answered the hard way."
"Ok, ok." Jaci answered and stood up. "We seem to operate on Murphy's Law around here so I guess I see your point."
Bobby smiled. "That's my girl." He nodded down the hallway. "Go pack. I'll escort you in. Vix should be on her way there now." As she walked away from him, he called after her. "Hey…I can't promise you a flash bang memory break…but I can whip up a shot for you when we hit the clubhouse. Called a Mind Eraser, got a shit load of alcohol in it, pretty good at shutting your brain down."
XXX
The chick stepped out of a 70s vintage car clad in a pair of shit kicker boot and camo pants, a black t-shirt layered over a thermal long sleeve and a bright orange hoodie with the word 'Juicy' in scrawling hot pink script across the back. Her face was dominated by big sunglasses that made her look not unlike an insect. The color nightmare didn't stop with her wardrobe – her short, messy, spiked in places hair was bleached blonde with very light random pink tips. Tommy Kozik blinked from his post in front of the clubhouse and suddenly found himself wondering two things, just who in the hell was this Punky Brewster-wannabe and did she dye the carpet to match the curtains?
Half Sack walked out to meet Vix. "Hey…driving Miss Ruby's car huh?"
"She don't need it right now; her and Henry are headed out of town to see his family."
"Need help with that?" Half Sack asked as they neared the door.
Vix had been carrying her school backpack, a duffle bag of clothes for her and Juice, and a bag of foodstuffs. She shrugged and slipped the backpack off her shoulder and over to him. The Prospect got a hand on it but it thudded to the floor a second later, the sheer weight of it surprising him. He recovered quickly and rushed further inside, following her. Kozik, who had been watching the pair unnoticed, followed as well. Vix stowed her stuff in a back room and quickly returned, walking across the crowded room to where Juice was standing with Happy, Halfsack and a tall blonde guy. She smirked as the Prospect. "Wuss."
The guys chuckled and he blushed. "What are you carrying around in that thing?"
Vix ignored him and rolled her eyes as she slid up next to Juice. She gave an upnod to the Nomad, "Hey Hap."
Hap's mouth twitched, his equivalent of a smile. "How you doin' sweetheart?" He watched as she eyed Kozik, reading his Tacoma and SAA patches. He got her attention and advised, "Koz."
"Don't you look wilder than an eight second ride." Vix purred with a cocked eyebrow.
"Holy shit." Hap mumbled.
Juice could only shake his head and grin at his secret fiancée. By way of an explanation he dipped his head toward Koz. "This is Vix…she's very Southern."
"Nice." Koz grinned and eyed Vix right back. "You look like Tinker Bell."
Vix snorted but didn't retort. She kissed Juice on the cheek and started away, "I'm gonna go wait for J outside."
XXX
"Alright, chickenshit. Buck up and let's get this over with." Jaci muttered to herself as she stepped out her car and onto the TM lot. How many times had she had to give herself a pep talk at this very place? She up-nodded to Bobby has he dismounted his bike and waited for her closer to the clubhouse door. Grabbing her duffle bag from the trunk, she slung it over her shoulder and began to walk.
XXX
Tig stood with his back to the Chapel doors, arms crossed, scanning the crowded clubhouse. The place was nearing madhouse status with associates from town and guys from other charters milling around talking. There were an alarming number of kids in the room and Tig cringed as one actually put her hand on the stripper pole that resided toward the front corner. The phrase 'don't touch that, you don't know where it's been' came to his mind. He grunted and kept looking for one person in particular, Jaci. The clubhouse door opened yet again and there she was.
His heart seemed to stop for a moment as he watched her and Vix walk through the door. The Parker sisters both looked bright and alert and no matter what they might have been when they rolled into town a year ago, they were 100% hardened badasses now. They had been through a load of shit, battered and bruised and he knew at least where Jaci was concerned, he had been the cause of most of it. Vix fit in, wearing one of her stock funky outfits and a smartass smirk. Jaci looked like a lawyer here to represent the rift raft against the Supreme Court if need be…maybe she had missed her calling.
His focused attention on Jaci wasn't a form of pining so much as he was honestly nervous as fuck about her being there. His concern was mostly self-preservation. It was simple, he had made a murder confession to a chick that seemingly hated himand now she was standing in a room full of his brothers and everyone important to the Club. If she decided to have a vengeful moment, he was fucked. Add to the mix, the fact that he made out with his best friend's wife the morning before...he was praying that everyone remembered the code of KEEP YOUR FUCKING MOUTH SHUT.
The first person to approach the girls was Gemma. She hugged them fiercely, getting return hugs back just as tight. He could read the whispers of 'I'm so sorry' and watched as Gemma waved them off, surely telling them how thankful she was to have them here. As Jax came to the girls next, Tig stood up a bit straighter. This was a defining moment. Jax hugged his sis-in-laws but lingered a moment longer with Jaci, whispering something in her ear. Tig's paranoia flared as Jaci listened and then nodded. What the hell did he say?
As the girls wandered through the crowd in search of their little nephew, Tig relaxed slightly. Of course, deep down he knew Gemma wouldn't say anything because she had as much to lose, her life included. Clay was about to go to war defending her honor, he wouldn't take kindly to knowing she had nearly cheated on him, no matter what the reason. And deeper down still, he knew he wouldn't have confessed to Jaci unless he thought it was safe. As pissed as she may be, Jaci had club blood running through her veins. She'd keep a secret no matter how dirty. But the paranoid side of his brain was ansty and just hoped everything and everyone held their shit together.
XXX
As Jaci held Abel in her arms and made idle chit chat with Tara, she did her share of looking around the room, not wanting to have a surprise run in with Opie, Piney or worst of all Tig. She was trying to play it cool but wasn't calmed down enough yet to trust her ability to form an intelligent sentence if she bumped into one of them so she kept track of where they were at all times. Happily, she hadn't even seen Tig yet…maybe he was being kept out of sight on purpose which was fine by her.
"I feel a little overdressed for this." Jaci commented as she noticed a woman she had never seen before walk past in a jean mini skirt with a split white tank top that had her boobs straining to break free.
"You're fine...completely fine." Tara replied and then snorted a short laugh, neither one of them buying it. "You should have known biker causal is the dress code of choice around here."
Jaci shook her head. "I have to go to work for a couple of hours. This shit was short notice, I couldn't cancel some things. Believe me, I packed to blend for later."
She watched as Jax scanned the room and nodded, checking that everyone was accounted for. He nodded to someone over her shoulder and made a cutting gesture across his neck. A ear piercing whistle ripped through the clubhouse making Jaci jump and whip her around just in time to see and hear Tig yell, "Everybody! Listen up!" She gave Tig a half second look of annoyance and then held Abel tighter, kissing the top of his head as she turn to watch Clay step to the front of the room a moment later. It was speech time.
Clay raised his hand in a wave. "I want to welcome you all to Club Reaper. Glad you made your reservations early because as you can see, we are booked to capacity. You're here because you're family and because SAMCRO takes care of its own. Next couple of days… we've got some business to handle that could put our members and people connected to us in dangerous situations. Now chances are nothing is going to happen but people have already been hurt on my watch and that ain't ever going to happen again." He paused long enough to look protectively at Gemma. "No one gets in, no one leaves. You got a security concern, you talk to Piney. You got a comfort concern, you talk to my queen. Under this roof, you will all be safe. Make yourself at home. I love all of you."
The crowd erupted in loud applause. Jaci mused to herself that the speech sounded good but it was hard to believe it word for word with all the bullshit she knew. She raised her eyebrows as she watched Jax and Clay hug fiercely in front of her. Everyone's general attitude had been unsettling to her and that move had solidified it. She had expected angst and accusing looks but everyone was really pushing the brotherhood thing. Bobby had told her that everything had been put on hold, that the main focus was avenging Gemma and putting Zobelle and his crew down but she had thought that to just be lip service. Turned out he was telling the truth. Maybe this lockdown wouldn't be as awkward as she had feared.
XXX
As soon as the speech was over, Jax made a beeline to Jaci and grabbed the duffel she had laid at her feet. He nodded toward the back, "I'll show ya where you're bunkin'." A little look told her it was time to talk and she followed without a word. Of course, they were being watched and seeing that particular pair walking off together put Tig's head on a swivel and made his stomach clench.
Jax opened the dorm room door, "VIP suite...figured you and Vix could room in with Tara and Abel. Lyla will be in here too with her kid and Op's two."
Jaci nodded along and glanced at his VP patch on, "So I take it the Nomad idea is on ice?"
"Yeah, you can deep six those guardian papers if you want."
"Well...this is probably better for everybody. People need you around here...obviously more than you realized." She took a deep breath, not sure how to approach the 500lb gorilla in the room with them. "But...I understand why you wanted to leave now. Why you thought some things were un-fixable...why you've been so anti-certain people."
"He should have kept his mouth shut."
"Yeah, I wish he had too. That shit certainly colors your opinion of some people, doesn't it?" She paused. "So now what?"
Jax looked around the room and shrugged. "Some shit takes a backseat for a while."
Jaci nodded in agreement and understanding and couldn't help but think about how bad she wanted away from the club and even the whole damn town but had to wait to put together an exit plan. Her brow creased as she got lost in thought.
"You ok?" Jax asked with concern.
She blinked out of her revelry. "Yeah…I couldn't agree more. Shelve some shit for now, worry about it later."
"Good. It's gonna be ok, J." Jax replied and pulled her into a quick hug.
Just as they pulled apart, Chibs stuck his head in the doorway. "Jackie-Boy, table in five."
"Alright man, thanks."
Chibs upnodded at Jaci. "And Gemma's lookin' for you, said she wants to PLAN some shit." He gave her a wink and disappeared.
Jax and Jaci shared a look and deep breath before heading back into the madness. She did a mental count in her head. '"You know Moby will want to stay in here with all the other kids...gonna be a little packed."
He smirked, "You can crash in a sleeping bag out in the common room if you want..."
"Funny...I'll make due in here, thanks."
XXX
As a crowd of Sons stood outside the Chapel doors, gathering before entering, Juice glanced over at Vix. "Hey, we never discussed what you were going to do all day today."
Vix sighed and shrugged. "I'll just take the Prospect or one of the outta towners and go to Twisted. J was just bitching that my salon was never open. Guess I'll make an effort."
His protectiveness of her and their unborn baby bloomed to life instantly. "One more day won't kill your bottom line so unless you can cut hair wearing full body armor and a helmet your ass ain't leaving this compound."
She considered his blunt words for a moment and simply replied, "Okay". She walked over the sofa against the wall and sat down, popping in her earplugs and messing with her iPhone. Juice walked inside the Chapel.
Bobby cocked his head. He and Happy had been standing just inside the Chapel doors and had heard the entire exchange between SAMCRO's resident love birds. "What was that? Cause whatever that was… it wasn't normal Vix never just complies." He glanced at Hap incredously. "And what happened to Juicy? They give him a dose of dominance with his plasma for all those stab wounds?"
Hap shrugged and stuck his head outside the door. "Vix! You a'ight?"
Vix pulled out her ear buds and raised her eyebrows. "Huh?"
Bobby pushed in front of Happy. "Your old man says jump and you say how high? What's up with that, Sweetheart?"
"I'm sick of almost dying lately." She replied then shrugged. "Gonna try something new. If that don't work, I can always go back to the way I was before."
XXX
In the Chapel, the members of SAMCRO plus Kozik had just finished talking about the education of Weston concerning Zobelle's wetback connection. Plans and assignments were made for the day but before he banged the gavel, Clay looked to Piney, "Ok, security concerns…we lacking coverage anywhere?"
"All the kids are staying home from school. Gemma and Tara should be here most of the day; if they leave The Prospect is with them. Vix is staying in…Bobby, didn't you say something about Jaci needing out?"
Bobby nodded, "Yeah…needs a half day at work, has appointments she can't cancel."
"Kozik you up for some babysitting?" Clay smirked and asked without missing a beat.
"The lawyer chick?" Kozik asked with raised eyebrows.
"Accountant." Bobby corrected automatically.
"My sister in law." Jax chimed in to clarify the real relation.
"Sure, no problem." Koz shrugged.
All through the little exchange, Tig clenched his jaw so hard his teeth threaten to crumble but he managed to keep his mouth shut and just stared down at the table. In his head he was screaming, ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!
The gavel banged down and the room cleared quickly with everyone off to their task for the day. Tig glared at Clay, "Was that on purpose?"
Clay couldn't help but smile and play innocent, "Was what on purpose?"
Kozik waited outside the Chapel doors and as Clay and Tig approached, he tapped Clay on the shoulder. "Hey…if there's anything else Tacoma can do, just let me know."
"I will…we're glad you're here." Clay replied.
"You ok with this, Tiggy?" Kozik asked as he stared at Tig with smirk.
Tig shot a glare back at his ex-best friend but acted nonchalant. "Yeah, it's great." When Kozik didn't immediately back off and leave, the pissing contest began. A disgusted look bloomed on Tig's face and he cocked his head. "What? You want a kiss or something?"
Kozik smirked and walked off…right over to where Bobby stood with Jaci by the clubhouse door.
"I am NOT ok with this." Tig seethed as he whirled to face Clay. He hated Kozik being here at all but his irritation had just hit a new peak knowing that little punk Ken doll looking motherfucker would be with his ex all goddamn day.
"Really? I couldn't tell." Clay replied with a grin then added seriously, "Tough. Suck it up."
Bobby made quick introductions between Koz to Jaci but as they walked out of the front door he hollered at the Tacoma SAA. "Kozik!" Bobby waved him back for a minute and looked around before he said anything to him. "Look, she's aVIP… Jax's sister in law, her uncle's a charter President down South…but she used to be important to one of the guys here too, so just…mind your manners, ok? Behave yourself."
"She somebody's Old Lady?" Koz asked and watched Bobby shake his head.
"Not exactly…and she's an EX whatever at any rate. Don't worry about it. Shit, forget I even brought it up."
Koz could sense Bobby was hiding something, something good. He smiled, "Dude…was she with YOU?"
"What?! No!" Bobby waved him off and lowered his voice. "It was Tig, ok? She and Tig have history…might wanna tread lightly. Don't ask any questions."
"Ooooh." Koz replied with a smirk.
"No…that's exactly what I'm talking about. I don't need him trying to beat your ass for something so…"
"No problem, my man. I'll be saint." Koz put his hands up. "You know, Bob…you shouldn't even have said anything."
XXX
As Jaci settled in behind her desk, Kozik walked around her office getting a feel for the place he would be confined to for the next four hours. He was bored beyond belief in 15 minutes, that's when the questions started. He had the voracity of a 5 year old in that respect. Every response from Jaci was met with another question, "How come? Why? What's that mean?"
"Why is the sky blue?" Jaci replied in a mocking tone.
Koz frowned at her. "Don't get snippy. I'm just trying to pass the time."
"Can you pass it by sitting in that chair being quiet?"
"Nope…like a shark, gotta keep moving."
Jaci replied with a curt, "mmmph" as she briefly pictured duct taping him to the chair and watching to see if the shark comment held true and he would in fact die if he were stationary.
He studied a collage frame full of photos as he rolled the Magic 8 ball from her desk in his hands. Dude, woman, baby, ahhh Tinkerbell. "So that Vix chick is your sister?" He heard a grunt from Jaci he took to be affirmative. "Which one of you is adopted?"
"You're not the first to make that assumption."
"You got any coffee? This is an office, you gotta have coffee right?"
Jaci sighed. "In the hallway…try not to scare the shit out of anyone."
He returned a few minutes later, sipping from a Styrofoam cup. "Your sister…that's Juice's Old Lady right? He was at our clubhouse when they broke up a while back. Godddamn he was a sad sack. He showed me a picture of her…her hair's way different now."
"It changes with the weather."
"What's she do? You're a bean counter and all…can't imagine her sitting in a box all day."
"Beautician, she owns a salon downtown."
He rubbed his hand over his messy hair. "No shit. She cut dudes' hair?"
"Yep."
Koz finally sat down but only to mess with the small Zen garden Jaci kept on the side table. He picked up the little rake and began sweeping the sand around the stones. She thought she would finally have peace and quiet but after a few moments he snorted out a loud laugh.
She dropped her pen on the desk in frustration. "Ok, what's so funny?"
He grinned at her. "I totally just got the mental picture of a teeny tiny cat taking a shit in this thing. You know like it's a litter box?" He kept grinning and then squinted up his face like he was straining. "Meow!"
She didn't want to laugh but she couldn't help it. His grin was infectious. They shared a long laugh and she threw her head back. "Kozik…Tommy…whatever the hell you go by, you're killing me!"
"Koz." He corrected.
"This shit I'm working on is complicated. I really need you to chill out. Please. If you can just be quiet for a little bit more, I will totally let you copy your ass on the copier when we leave."
His eyebrows shot up. "Really…I've always wanted to do that."
"Every man has always wanted to do that."
"Ok, deal." He retorted but then held up the tiny rake. "One more question though…what's up with you and Tig?" The smile immediately fell from Jaci's face and he knew he had hit a very serious nerve. "I heard you and him have history."
"Who told you that?"
Koz shrugged. "Just heard it. So what happened…he fuck you and then not call you or something? One night stand break your heart?"
Jaci averted her eyes and went back to her work. She was uncomfortable talking about Tig in general, let alone with a stranger. But that stranger was here to save her life if need be, it was probably best not to piss him off. She awarded him a vague answer. "Worse than that…the night lasted for a YEAR."
"No shit?" Koz was intrigued. "That's sort of amazing. You're not really Tiggy's type."
"Yeah, I think we've all figured that out now." Jaci replied quietly then frowned. "Tiggy? You call him that?"
"Yep."
"To his face?"
"Oh yeah, he fuckin' hates it." Koz grinned. "Well, he used to tolerate it…now not so much."
Jaci picked up on the change in tone. He was making a joke but the grin didn't go all the way to his eyes. "Sounds like you two have a little history of your own. What happened?"
"Stuff…things." Koz replied and went back to messing with the Zen garden. His endless line of questions stopped as well.
They almost made it to the end of the scheduled work day when Jaci's phone rang. It was Gemma wanting ideas on feeding the hungry hoard of people at the clubhouse. They decided on spaghetti, quick, easy and cheap. Koz and Jaci were to grab the particulars from the store and haul ass home. Jaci hung up the phone and smiled at Koz. "Good news, you got your wish. Work day is over. I've got to help cook dinner for the masses."
He stood up and stretched his long body. "Thank God...this office is like bein' in a goddamn jail cell. I don't know how you do this shit." He was halfway out her door when he stopped and turned back around, "Hey, where's the copier?"
XXX
After he finished giving his eye witness report concerning the Cara Cara fire at the police station, Chucky returned to the SAMCRO clubhouse. He hoped he would still have some sort of a home with the outlaw bikers. Even though they had originally handed him over to Lin, he had liked a few of the guys in the short time he had interacted with them. He never cared very much for Tig but would have to work on that since the cranky biker had saved his life.
He walked around the clubhouse, which had quieted down considerably. He didn't see anyone he really knew until he spotted the blonde girl seated at a table. She was the one whose dog had been killed at Cara Cara. Awkward. He started to just walk past her without saying anything but happened to glance down and noticed she was doing some sort of math and reading out of a text book. She didn't look like much of a student; his curiosity was peeked. "What…whatchya studying?"
Vix glanced up, not recognizing the voice that was speaking to her. Her eyes landed on Chucky, the Handless Wonder. She frowned and waved a finger to his wrapped hands. "You…with the hands again."
"I got burned…in that fire at the porn place." He replied and then blurted. "Speaking of that place…I'm sorry about your dog."
"Zip it!" Vix snapped and shook a finger at him. "I don't talk about that."
"Oh…sorry." Chucky shuffled his feet. Change the subject! "So…your book there…"
"I have an economics final to pass in 12 hours." She then added sarcastically. "Know anything 'bout that?"
Chucky grinned. "Oh yeah…actually…I'm sort of an accountant…good with money. I can teach Economics to a monkey in 12 hours."
"No shit?"
"You're probably a lot smarter than a monkey. Just gotta find a way to relate in the information to you."
Vix grinned. "You're my new best friend...sit your ass down."
XXX
Dinner went surprisingly smooth considering the sheer number and mix of people to feed. The women who weren't seeing over the kids were in clean up mode. On her way back from the restroom, Jaci spotted Opie sitting alone at the bar. He was staring off behind the bar with his plate half empty in front of him. She felt more in control of herself after having spent several hours at the clubhouse without incident and against what might be deemed sane judgment, she wanted to talk to Op. She walked over, careful not to startle him completely. "You finished with that?"
Op stared down at his plate like he was seeing for the first time, not even really remembering eating any of it. He then slowly turned his head to Jaci for a moment then looked away. "Yeah, I guess so."
She took the plate but remained by his side. He swiveled on the bar stool and looked out across the clubhouse and spied Vix and Chucky huddled together at a table, looking at a text book. "Your sister has a new buddy."
"What happened to his hands?"
Op told her the harsh truth. "Lin cut his fingers off for stealing from him...and for…whacking off too much." Jaci's eyes widened a bit. He gave her a warning look, "You should stay away from that place."
She nodded and thought that Tig's warning to stay clear of Oakland and Lin made more sense than just jealous ramblings.
Op turned his attention back to the bar but said quietly, "You're not here to talk about the freak though."
"No...I…" She didn't know exactly how to say what needed to be said. "I am SO sorry, Op. I can't...Tig should have never…"
He shook his head. "Not your fault...you're not responsible for the shit he does."
"No...but I think I might have lit the match on all of it. I need to own my part of it." He frowned at her, not understanding. She stepped closer to him and leaned against the bar. "I sat down to work on your finance stuff...and I saw that all your debt was gone. I tried to find you but this was right when you got hauled in. It was a red flag. I didn't know what to do…so I told Tig, who must have told Clay."
Op closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. She started to apologize again but he was so tired of hearing those words from everyone. I'm sorry…Op, I'm so sorry. Yeah well, who gives a fuck? That sorry's not fixing anything. He waved her off. "Doesn't matter, Jaci. They would have found out about all that anyway. Stahl painted a pretty convincing goddamn picture."
Jaci shrugged, ashamed. Hindsight was 20/20 and they all did what they thought was right at the time but that didn't make her feel any better.
He pushed away from the bar and stood. He took a step away but then turned, "Let me ask you something though...if Tig hadn't screwed up, if he'd popped me instead of killing my wife and then you found out I wasn't a rat…would you be standing here explaining yourself to her?"
Jaci thought about his what if for a second and then shook her no.
"Didn't think so." Op replied and walked off.
The guys knew what they signed up for in the Club. They knew the risks and what could happen. The wives…well they knew but prayed for the best or ended up leaving. And maybe that was the part that bothered Jaci the most. Donna wanted to leave; she had wanted a new life…but would never get it. And maybe that was what bothered Opie too.
XXX
As a few guys broke down extra tables that had been set up in the extra front room for dinner, Jaci cleared away the serving items. She knew it was mostly pointless to put it all up only to have to get it all back out for breakfast in the morning but cleaning was helping her nerves. Besides, there were too many people in too small of a space and just a little mess from everyone would soon amount to a pig sty situation. Who knew how long they would be all crammed under the same roof.
She walked past the wall of mug shots and took a moment to look them over. Seeing everyone in their younger years used to be funny, but now it just seemed sad. They weren't badasses to be admired, they were idiots that were fucking around and got sent to jail. They left their families in a pinch and some of them never came back.
Her eyes land on the picture of Tig. It was from years earlier, he looked much younger, clean shaven, short hair, seemed to be a totally different person. That glint of mischief was still in his eyes but seemed more subdued. She wondered how he was back then? If she would have gotten to him back then would things have been different? Her inner self snorted. He's holding a jail placard, how different do you really think it would be? Idiot.
Besides Jaci knew she wouldn't have looked his way years ago. She was busy finishing college, building her career, thinking about her future ...too busy/too focused to get sidetracked by the likes of him. That time was before Dean had ripped her heart out, before she had to face facts that doing things the RIGHT way doesn't always net you the fairytale life you planned. Her and Tig both were worse for wear these days. She shook her head and walked off.
Jaci wasn't exactly watching where she was going as she headed to the clubhouse's back hallway. Her mind was racing as always with other things she needed to do and physically she had her arms stacked up with a huge box of plastic forks and two bundles of napkins. She rounded to the left at JT's bike, a storage closet being her destination. She was walking full blast when she ran into a brick wall that sent the items in her arms flying.
"SHIT!" Tig yelled as he smacked into something. He had been headed to the front of the clubhouse, head down, trying to find a number on his phone then the next thing he knew he was trying to keep from hitting the floor. His phone went flying and he blindly grabbed for anything. He managed to stay on his feet but was hunched over someone with his boot on their foot and their arm in his hand. "Watch where the fuck you're…"
The words clogged in his throat as he looked down into Jaci's eyes. He took a step back and pulled her completely upright. "Shit." It wasn't the most eloquent response ever but it's the only word that managed to come loose. He blinked as she frowned at him and stepped away to retrieve his phone.
Jaci took a second to attempt composing herself and then bent down to pick up the mess that littered the floor. "Damnit." She muttered as her hands shook from the surprise and embarrassment of the hit and just WHO she had run into. A pair of boots moved into her line of vision. She refused to look up, couldn't look up. "I got it."
He stood with his hands on his hips for a moment, not sure what to do. Of course he had received firm instructions to stay the hell away from her during the lockdown, no contact, no talking, no anything. But he hadn't meant to plow her the fuck down, it seemed cold to just walk away. He glanced around the hall to make sure they were alone. "I didn't see ya." Tig mumbled. He finally bent over to help her but that move was not received well.
"I GOT it. Keep walking." Jaci hissed. He ignored her and bent down, grabbing rogue forks. One was immediately snatched from him. "I said I GOT IT." She finally ventured a glare in his direction and had to clench her teeth to keep from commenting on his appearance. His face was wrecked; a set of butterfly stiches held together the deepest cut with black bruises covering his nose and right side of his face. Opie had worked him over good, Tig was lucky nothing was broken, well at least not physically. Relationships, emotions…all that shit was good and busted.
He silently stood above her as she gathered up the last of the mess and stepped back slightly when she stood up. As she took off toward the closet without so much as a glance in his direction, he absently tapped the plastic fork in his left hand against his leg…then snapped it in half, dropping it to the floor as he continued on his way outside.
XXX
The time quickly came for the guys to load up and leave for the violent rendezvous with Weston's crew. There was no big announcement, just a simple look between Jax and Clay, a glancing of watches and a nod toward the front door. Some of the adults knew what was going on and trailed outside to give a supportive send off. The kids were oblivious and kept running around playing and chattering.
Opie, in an as of late uncharacteristic loving gesture, interrupted the paper airplane construction war that Kenny and Ellie were involved in long enough to hug and kiss them both on the top of their heads. "Be back in a little bit." Lyla watched the moment a few feet away while tying her son's shoe and smiled slightly then made her way out front.
Vix felt Juice's hands squeeze her shoulders from behind and laid her pencil down. "Let's take a break, Chuck." The odd trio walked outside together with Juice holding Vix's hand and Chucky following behind them.
From her perch on the couch, Jaci noticed the quiet exodus and handed her phone over to Moby who was sitting beside her. They had been playing a game involving volcanoes and angry Tiki island people. "Keep playing…see if you can beat my high score." She pulled playfully on the tips of his spiky hair and ended up meeting Bobby on his way outside. He gave her a warm smile and a hug. She looked at him seriously and said quietly, "Kick ass and come back." He nodded, "Yes, ma'am."
Outside everyone was exchanging handshakes or hugs and well wishes for the impending fight and had formed a sort of tunnel for the guys to walk through before reaching their bikes. It should have been a solemn time but everyone was getting amped up on the possibility…the damn near certainty of revenge against the LOAN set. Jaci found her sister and Juice and gave him a playful slug on the arm before finding a spot along the tunnel to stand. She snuck a peek back at them and smiled. Those goofballs are so damn good together. She watched as Juice wrapped Vix in a hug. What she couldn't hear was her sister telling Juice to be careful and hurry his ass back to "us", nor could she see Juice ghosting his hand over her sister's belly. That was a secret that wouldn't be revealed to the public for a few more weeks.
One by one the guys made their way through the crowd. Jaci gave a smile to Chibs while tapping her finger on her temple, silently telling him to be careful with his head. A low five was given to Half Sack, an up nod went to Op and Hap. When Kozik walked by, she said, "Watch your back, babysitter." He gave a cocky smirk and replied, "Will do, bean counter." The exchange was fun but not flirty. Neither one had an interest in the other but they had oddly enjoyed their partial day together. She found him to be a good natured guy with a fun sense of humor and he thought she was pretty cool, although initially he had thought she looked like she could be a little bitchy.
Jaci suddenly noticed Tig was the next one coming down the pipe With all the rowdy chaos around them, they managed to lock eyes for a second. In their prime, they could read each other perfectly with a glance but now the messages being sent were hazy as hell. Worry, love and hate were all wrapped up in uneasy ambivalence. At that point, neither one of them really knew how they felt about the other or how they should feel. Jaci did feel compelled to say something given the brotherhoody, everyone is together on this vibe that was in the air but was drawing a blank on verbalization. A moment later some out of town Son pushed in front of her to shout well wishes at Tig, albeit covered in obscenities. She was relieved for the interruption…all she could think to possibly say to her ex was "Don't die" and that wasn't very encouraging.
She watched as Clay embraced Gemma for a long moment and Jax gave a kiss to Tara. She ducked out of the line and looped around the back of it to stand next to the SAMCRO inner circle of women along with her sister. Clay spotted the Parkers and gave them a nod. Jax gave a fist bump to his sister in laws and Jaci knew exactly what to say to the SAMCRO President and VP, "Be vicious."
Clay smirked and called over his shoulder as he walked away, "Absofuckinglutely."
The women stood, along with Chucky, and watched as the guys roared out of the lot on their bikes. Everyone was putting on a good front but they were all nervous with worry. Gemma finally broke the silence and put her arms around Tara and Vix while Lyla and Jaci stood close. "They'll be ok. It'll all be alright. Let's go inside, see what the little hellions are up to." Gemma reached a hand out to Chucky, "Come on…you're with us now." He grinned and followed behind her like a puppy.
XXX
The Parker sisters started to trail inside when Vix pulled up short. A wave of nausea had just hit and she suddenly couldn't stand the thought of being cooped up inside with so many people. "Hey...let's just get some more fresh air, ok?"
Jaci shrugged, "Fine by me." She walked to the picnic table and climbed up to sit atop of it. She glanced at her little sister who sat down on one of the benches. "You ok?"
"Yep." Vix lied and leaned her back against the table, staring up at the metal roof covering them. She took several deep breathes and hoped the icky feeling would pass soon.
Comfortable silence passed between them, each off in their own world. Randomly, Jaci began clicking the heels of her flip flopped feet together. "There's no place like home, there's no place like home."
Vix couldn't help but smirk, "You missin Bama, Dorothy?"
A sigh escaped from Jaci. "You have to admit… shit like this never happened down South."
"Yeah...but it COULD." Vix replied. "Klan ever get their nut up, it'll get just as bad down there."
"Mmm." Jaci thought on the subject for a moment. "I hear Wyoming's nice."
"Too much snow."
"True."
Jaci might have been off her game with Tig and unclear on what was going on in his head but she could damn near FEEL Vix thinking and worrying about something They were sisters and knew each other's moods and vibes perfectly. Both of them had been chewing on some important stuff and holding back info and they could both tell it. But even though they could feel the secrets in the air, they weren't about to show their cards. Vix wasn't ready to share her big secret of an impending marriage and baby and Jaci couldn't share her newfound knowledge concerning her ex and their beloved SAMCRO.
Vix craned her neck and looked up at her older sister who sat above her on the table. "As much as we know...do you get the feeling there's a shit ton more that we DON'T know?"
Any sliver of humor Jaci had going disappeared. "It's better to be in the dark, Vix. Some shit you don't want in your head… trust me." She stood up, not wanting to talk anymore. "Besides, knowing everything just makes you a liability."
A concerned frown creased Vix's face. Her news was big but overall it was happy…but whatever Jaci was withholding…it wasn't very happy at all. She didn't get a chance to press her sister. The clubhouse door pushed open and Gemma stuck her head outside.
"Ok, you two…get your asses back in here. These kids are in serious need of distraction. They're starting to ask where the guys went."
The girls trailed inside with Vix finding Chucky to restart their study session. Jaci stood next to Gemma and looked over the room scattered with kids and other women she didn't know. Jaci blew out a deep breath. "I really should have thought ahead, we could have had movie night."
Gemma smirked, "There's DVDs under the tv over there but you're probably only going to find porn."
Jaci shrugged and headed to the small entertainment center, figuring she'd take a stab at searching anyway. She set to flipping through dvd cases and found that there was in fact a great deal of porn, an impressive amount really but there were a few real movies sprinkled randomly. She spotted a possible winner and studied the dvd's cover intently. It SAID The Goonies which would be perfect but she worried there was a catch. "Jesus…One Eyed Willie would have a TOTALLY different meaning here."
She popped the dvd free and into the player. She got Tara's attention and waved her over, thinking it was best to hide the screen just in case the movie turned out to be something nasty. Tara and her stood side by side as the movie started to play. Please be the real deal, please do NOT be a porn! For whatever odd reason, the 80s movie had made its way into the clubhouse and was actually legit. Jaci grinned and hollered for the kids and whoever else wanted to watch to pile in.
As the movie played, Chucky kept craning his neck to try and catch a glimpse. After a few times, he noticed that Vix was doing the same thing while she was supposed to be working on a practice test. He grinned sheepishly, "I love that movie."
Vix grinned back. "Me too." She cocked an eyebrow and her oddball movie soul mate, "Wanna watch?"
Chucky tried to be stern. "Finish your test."
"Hardass." Vix mumbled and frowned at her teacher but knew she needed all the help she could get with passing her final. "Fine damnit…I'll be down in 30 minutes tops. We won't miss anything too good."
XXX
It was only 10:15 but Jaci was asleep. After the movie, all the kids had been put to bed in various places around the clubhouse. Abel had been asleep before the guys left for the fight but had woken up so she had volunteered to rock him back to sleep by swaying in an old chair in the dorm room. She had gotten him back down in his pack and play when she had decided to rest her own eyes and of course that just one minute had been long enough for her to conk out. She had a myriad of hectic dreams but the last one was the worse, it was short but it was brutal.
It was dark, late at night. Jaci sat in her car with a man in the parking to a crowded bar. It had been raining outside; the bar's neon lights were reflected colorfully in the puddles of the parking lot. The guy in the driver seat was upset and she was too but didn't look over at him. Instead she alternated from staring straight ahead at the dash to staring at the row of bikes parked in front of her car. To her left, a row of cars and trucks were parked next to a long beat-down privacy fence. He's pulled her car up in front of the bikes so that they aren't really in a parking spot at all, just sort of in the middle of the lot.
They argued for a moment and finally he said, "Gimme your gun." Before she could protest, he reached across her into the glove box and pulled out her black Berretta 9mm handgun. He shoved the gun outside the rolled down driver side window.
"What are you doing?!" Jaci yelled and a second later that question was answered with action. He started shooting at the tire of one of the bikes. "Holy shit! Are you crazy?!"Jaci half threw herself across the console into the driver and tried to pull at his arm that held the gun but he kept her at bay from him with his other arm.
"We'll fucking end this shit right now." He growled and kept shooting…only he must be drunk because he wasn't hitting anything. After the third shot, Jaci sat back in her seat, too dumbstruck to doing anything. She was utterly shocked at his behavior and feared the wrath of the bike's owner.
Sure enough after a few shots, the door to the bar swung open and out came Jax along with some of the SAMCRO guys but she didn't get a good look at them because the moment Jax cleared the door, the yelling started. Jax and his crew were screaming and as she started to turn her head toward them, the muzzle of her own gun was shoved against her temple. She immediately froze and asked in a whisper, "What are you doing?"
Jax was getting closer to the car. Anyone else would have run or stayed inside the bar, but his cocky ass had to meet the drama head on and she's actually thankful for his fearless attitude since now she's in dire straits. The driver starts yelling at Jax while pushing the gun harder against her temple. She stupidly thinks to herself, that's going to leave a mark. She can't really make out what they are arguing about cause she's a little too terrified and apparently her ears have stopped working. All she can hear clearly is the pounding of her heart. Her left hand is clamped onto the driver's upper thigh with a death grip. She stares his black jeans. She's trying not to move but her body is starting to shake and her heart is pounding so hard she's beginning to fear a heart attack.
Jaci keeps her eyes glued on the dash of the car and occasionally slides a glance to the parking lot a little to the right. Time has slowed down to a snail's pace. The driver and Jax are continuing to scream at each other and she squeezes his knee hard and shuts her eyes, waiting for the bullet to hit her skull. She's afraid he's going to be so mad that he accidentally pulls the trigger and she'll end up like that kid in Pulp Fiction that John Travolta shoots because they hit a speed bump.
After a few moments, she can no longer stand to be in the car, the urge to get out is overwhelming. She swallows hard and starts trying to think about how many bullets might be left in the gun. She honestly thinks it's empty but math under pressure isn't really anyone's forte.
She takes a few deep breaths, feeling secondary to the conversation that is happening between the driver and Jax, who is now leaning partially into the driver side door. Something softens in the driver's voice and she knows it's a good time to make her move. She starts leaning her head down toward her right shoulder; the driver doesn't seem to notice too much so she slowly starts leaning her entire body that way.
After a moment she's entirely to the right and the gun is no longer against her head, its just pointing where her head used to be. She stays frozen like that for a moment and then glances at the gun while bringing her left hand up to grab it. Jax sees the move and the second she grabs the gun, the driver lets go of it; mostly due to a punch in the face from Jax. Nice distraction. She hears a ruckus between them as she fumbles for the door handle and pops the door open.
Nerves and intense fear have fried her body and she sort of tumbles out of the door, her feet barely landing solidly on the pavement. She pushes the door shut and collapses into a sitting position on the wet pavement, just missing a big puddle. She can hear the driver and Jax talking, no more anger, they are working something out though. Suddenly she can't catch her breath and starts to cry from the intensity of what just happened. She sits with her knees up and her hands over her face. Holy shit that was close…too fucking close.
A moment later she hears Jax suddenly yelling, "NO NO…DON'T DON'T!" She looks up and realizes she doesn't have the gun from the car. She had grabbed it but must have dropped it on the passenger seat on her way out. A split second later a gunshot blasts from inside the car. She ducks instinctively but is no longer scared for herself…she knows without a doubt what has just happened.
She bolts to her feet and looks inside the car. Her heart breaks. "Tig! Nonononono!" She tries to get to him but someone is trying to pull her back. She fights them off and manages to open the car door. Tig's body is slumped forward against the steering wheel. A spray of blood covers the interior of the car but she doesn't care. She climbs through the muck on her hands and knees and ends up nearly in his lap. She grabs his face in her hands, mumbling "please please please" the whole time, praying that by some miracle he's still alive. "Tig, please!" His eyes are partially open but they're hazy, no longer the sharp blue she loved. The light has left them.
Jaci awoke with a sharp gasp and looked at her hands that were slightly outstretched before her. The dream's terror swirled in her head as she sucked down deep breaths. It took a moment for her to realize she had been crying and she wiped away a few stray tears from her face. A feeling of dread bubbled up from within her and she stood, her eyes scanning the dark room, trying to figure out what to do. If something was wrong, someone would have said something…they would have woken me up, right? Surely someone would have said something. She headed to the door and padded quickly down the hall.
She heard a scattering of voices coming from the main room and knew that the fight with Weston's crew must be over. As she reached the doorway, she scanned the few people milling around, disappointed to not find HIM. She turned her attention to the bar and felt stupid…he had been sitting in front of her the whole time. His back was to her as he was leaned forward on the bar on his elbows, holding a cold beer bottle to his forehead.
She stood staring at his back and found herself utterly stuck. She hated him but didn't want him dead by any means. Maybe just seeing that he was alive and ok was enough but just as soon as that thought left her head, other thoughts popped up. Jesus Christ, just SAY something! You just woke up crying thinking he'd offed himself! It's ok to say something! Everybody else is putting shit on hold, you do it too!
A deep breath from her got his attention and he turned slightly on his seat to face her, bottle still held to his head. It was another deer in headlights moment for both of them. She swallowed hard and finally managed to up nod to the bottle he's holding, "You ok?"
Tig pulled the beer from his head and looked at the reddish residue his blood had left on the wet label. He shrugged then answered her, "Yeah. I'm ok." He looked her over from head to toe and then frowned slightly. "Where's your shoes?"
Before she could answer, Chibs came walking up from behind her and squeeze past. He slapped Tig on the shoulders, "You good, brother?"
"Yeah." Tig straightened on his stool and rolled his shoulders then added with a smirk. "Hey…saw you head butt that guy..."
Chibs grinned wide. "Broke his nose I'm pretty sure."
Jaci frowned at him, "Chibs...your HEAD."
"Me head's FINE."
"Your head is BROKEN." She countered but he seemed to ignore her chiding.
Chibs nodded toward the front door. "You ready?" Tig gave a curt nod in return, downed the last bit of beer that had been in his 'ice pack' bottle and started to walk away. As Chibs followed, he called back over his shoulder, "Put on some damn shoes, J! This floor's nasty."
Vix smiled at the guys as they left and stood in front of her sister only to be assaulted by a barrage of questions. "Where are they going? How did the fight go? Everybody's ok right?"
"Whoa! Chill. Here's the scoop." Vix replied and quickly recalled the night's events of the cops breaking up the fight mid-stream and hauling off Weston and Zobelle. "The guys are going to wait it out. Be there when those shit bags get released."
Vix paused for a moment as Gemma walked up to them. "I'm sure Clay told you through the grapevine to stay put. Soooo, you wanna go wait with them?"
Gemma gave her a smirk in response. "What do you think, darling?"
"I think we need coffee…and lots of it." Vix replied then looked at her sister. "You staying here? Try to sleep?"
"Oh no. I'm done with that." Jaci said with a shake of her head. "No, I'll go…moral support, right? Ya'll go ahead…I'll work up a coffee supply and met you there."