The house was full of sweetbutts. Some of them Amber had met only briefly, the others she didn't know at all. They all looked at her and whispered to each other, she heard her name and Tig's along with the word "rat" and "betrayed".

"Amber, hey," Tara walked into the kitchen "Jax said you were heading our way. How are you?"

Amber offered a weak smile, "not going to lie doc, I've had better days but I've had worse ones so I can't complain."

"Jax said they had a bit of an issue with you," she stopped and looked round the kitchen, no one was looking at them but she knew they were all listening. "Come with me," Tara walked out the back door shutting it behind her before taking a seat at a table in the middle of the back garden.

"I don't think you are what they think you might be. I'd warn you away from here, tell you to get as far away from Tig and the sons as you can but I know you won't so I won't bother. I will tell you that things are messed up around here right now and you're not safe, I don't think any of us are."

"Is it always this messed up? I mean, they seem like the kind of guys who deal with trouble all the time but ... why can't they handle Zobelle and Weston?" They were both leaning on the table, neither one of them relaxed enough to sit back in their chairs.

"They have to be smart," at some point Gemma had joined them outback but neither of them had noticed.

"Rushing in, not thinking things through, gets people killed, gets our boys prison time," naturally she sat down with them, her eyes on Amber the whole time.

"Why didn't you tell us you had links to Zobelle and Weston?" Gemma asked.

"I didn't know Zobelle and his daughter were in Charming, and I told Tig all about my history with the League and that I had met Weston at conventions when I was little. I can't explain why Tig didn't tell the others, you would have to ask him."

"Tig knows everything?" Gemma seemed disbelieving.

"Not that I had a history with the Zobelles, like I said, I didn't know they were involved in any of this but he knew I had seen Weston around town and that I had met him before, at conventions my Uncle forced me to go to. I've never lied to him about anything to do with my life, I've had no reason to hide my past from him."

"Did you ask him to keep the club in the dark," Gemma leaned closer in.

God, Amber thought this woman is fucking persistent. "No. I guess he thought he was protecting me or something, shit, I don't know."

Gemma stared. "Go get in the kitchen with the others," she ordered.

"Jesus Gemma, she's hardly on the same level as them," Tara protested.

"She's not on our level either, God knows Tig's never going to make her an old lady," she replied.

"It's fine, I have no problem doing my bit," said Amber as she stood. If she was a weaker person Gemma's words might have hurt her but Gemma didn't know anything about her relationship with Tig. No matter what Gemma thought or believed Tig was a different person with her whether she was his old lady or not.

In the kitchen she didn't know what to do. When asked what needed doing she was told it was all under control that she should go relax.

Great, she thought, the old ladies treat me like a sweetbutt and the sweetbutts treat me like an old lady.

She ended up playing with Tara and Jax's son Abel. She had heard him cry from his cot and with Tara still outside she figured she was more useful to him than anyone else.

"That doesn't look like the kitchen," came Gemma's voice.

"Oh give it a rest Gemma," said Tara to both Gemma and Amber's surprise.

"I'm going out," said Gemma and stormed off towards the front door.

"Sorry, they wouldn't let me do anything in there and he cried so.." she shrugged.

"It's fine, rather you than any of the others looking after him. He seems to like you," Tara smiled.

"God knows why, he's probably the first baby I've ever been around. If I was him I'd be terrified," she laughed a little, it sounded a bit nervous.

"He's use to being handed around all the different people, he has a big family."

"No offence but he doesn't look much like you, I think he's going to grow up and look just like Jax," Amber stood and handed Abel to Tara.

"Oh, he's not mine. Well he is, I love him as if he were my own but he's not biologically," Tara's eyes were on Abel, she almost seemed sad.

"Oh, sorry, I just assumed that he was, I thought you and Jax were high school sweethearts," Amber felt a bit embarrassed.

"It's okay, we were but..." Tara shrugged, "I left Charming, and Jax and went to college out of state. I was too young, too scared to live the outlaw life back then."

"And now?"

Tara smiled, "as Gemma would say, you love the man, you love the club. I don't like his life style but I do love Jax and that's what counts I guess."

Amber wasn't one for girl chats but she had to admit this little bonding time with Tara felt important, "what about Dona, she love the club?"

Tara sighed, "she loved Opie, Jax and Piney too, but no, she didn't love the club. In the end she was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"And Luanne?"

"You're full of questions today huh," Tara stood and put Abel in his little play pen. "I think Luanne's death was something to do with the porn biz, ironically the clubs legal organization. But yeah, she loved Otto from what I've heard and he loved her and they both loved the club."

They sat in silence for a bit, just watching Abel before Amber spoke again, "I love Chibs and Juice... like a father and brother and they love the club so I guess I would do anything to support or protect the club."

This shocked Tara slightly, "what about Tig?"

Amber laughed a little and then sighed, "Tig... Tig is Tig," she looked at Tara, "at the moment he's whats keeping me in Charming but my gut tells me he will be the very thing that makes me leave it."

Tara just stared a moment, "are you sure you're only nineteen?"

It took Amber back to her morning conversation with Tig, "I'm just an old soul I guess."

Once Gemma returned from where ever it was she went Amber didn't get a moments rest. She went to the supermarket five times as Gemma would casually remember things that were needed. She was back and forth between the club house, Gemma's house and the porn studio dropping off and picking up pointless items. She did it all without question and without thanks from Gemma.

While Amber was off god knows where doing something for Gemma, Tara decided to speak up.

"Gemma, this is ridiculous. It's not her fault Tig didn't pass on her history with Weston and co. she didn't hide her history or lie about it, she just didn't share it with everybody. Give the poor girl a break."

"How do we know she's not making all that shit up to get a bit of sympathy? I don't trust her," Gemma said.

They were sitting in the table with a coffee each.

"Oh please, you don't trust anyone. Do you really think anyone who was trying to get to the club, trying to hurt the club would do it by going through a crazy son of a bitch like Tig. Really? If she had tried to latch on to Juice or Halfs then maybe but I honestly think she can be trusted. You just have to be willing to give someone a god damned chance for once."

She stood and left the room leaving Gemma to contemplate all the bad juju around at the moment. She tried not to think of the idea of new women coming into the club and threatening her position, it was easier said than done.

I love me some reviews so keep them rolling in and tell me if you like / don't like how this is going.