Clarence Morrow didn't know what to make of his daughter's homecoming. Hadn't since she rolled into the clubhouse two days prior. Was he happy to see her? Hell yeah! She was his baby girl, his pride and joy. But he was still weary of what her return meant. That was the thing about Veronica, she over thought everything, girl didn't know the meaning of spontaneity. So the fact that she had finally shown up held a deeper significance than just a friendly visit; there was no way she just randomly decided to pop in after six years of secrecy, no matter how much he wished that were the case.

He didn't want to press the issue, figured she'd tell him in her own time when she was good and ready. That, and he didn't want her to feel unwanted or unwelcome by all his questioning. The last thing he needed was to run her off before he even really got a chance to see her.

However, it would seem Jax had taken it upon himself to do that anyway, if last night had been any indication.

Clay wasn't a moron, he knew Ronnie spending the night in a hotel had been a Jax thing. Hell, with that girl everything was a Jax thing. Anytime there had been tears when she was growing up, Jax had been to blame. And then strangely enough, when she got older, anytime you saw her smile Jax had been to blame for that as well. To say Clay disliked the dynamic didn't quite capture the depth of his feelings on the matter. As a father, a man hates his little girl being with any man. But as the president of SAMCRO, knowing full well what happens on runs and what type of man it takes to thrive in the MC world, the thought of his precious little girl being with a Son drove him insane. Multiply that feeling by 10K when he found out she had not only chosen a Son, but his step-son, the spoiled prince who had no problem hitting any pass around within reach. Although admittedly, Clay probably should have seen it coming, everyone else seemed to. Yet he'd somehow managed to miss the transition from her kicking the little asshole into his momma's rose bush and her deciding to give him her heart. Then again, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe the both moments weren't one in the same .

Thinking about it, he absentmindedly clenched his arthritic right fist and rubbed the knuckles. Call him crazy, but he could almost feel the beating they took from repeatedly colliding with Jax's face the night the boy finally fessed up to sleeping with his daughter. Clay honestly thought he was going to kill him after that, he had been so livid. He had to commend the little shit though, both for telling him the truth and for taking his punishment like a man; Jax never once raised his hands in response, thereby proving to Clay that he was almost worthy of his little girl. Of course, that half notion had all gone to shit a year and a half later when he ran Ronnie straight out of Charming.

Letting out a sigh, he prayed that his daughter's long await return hadn't been for Jax. That bridge was already so burned that attempting to repair it might break her. He didn't know what kind of state his daughter was in these days, but he knew Jax wasn't in a good place. Sick kid, junkie ex-wife, boy's head was a mess and Ronnie didn't need to be stepping anywhere near that, not when she had such a bright future ahead of her.

Obviously, he knew that his always meddling wife thought otherwise, that she was pushing the two of them together. He didn't know where she got the idea, but Gemma somehow had it in her head that Ronnie was going to be the one to pull Jax back from whatever ledge she was so afraid he was staring down. But after an abortion and six years of silence, Clay had a bad feeling that his little girl being here might actually inadvertently push the boy off the metaphorical cliff instead. And knowing Jax, he'd take Veronica right down with him if she'd let him.

Jesus Christ, if ever there was a sordid past, those two could write a god damn book. Although he supposed he could as well, given his own history. He couldn't even blame his daughter for bowing out the way she did six years ago, even if it had been sudden and hurtful to everyone she left behind. After all, he'd done the same thing when he wasn't all that much older than her.

Her mother, Lynn, had been a sweet-butt, a Nevada pass-around he had taken a particular liking to one summer. Lynn had been pretty enough, great in the sack, and surprisingly, a pretty decent friend. He knew it wasn't love, that part of his heart had always belonged to Gemma, but seeing as she was happily married to his best friend at the time he figured he'd give Lynn a shot. They could at least hold a decent conversation together and he had fun when he was with her so, he'd thought, what was the harm? He quickly got his answer when she announced that she was pregnant. After that all he could see were exit signs; there was no way in hell he was ready to be tied down to a woman and a kid, that shit just wasn't him.

Or at least he didn't think it was at the time. It wasn't until six years later when his daughter ended up on his doorstep that he regretted how he handled things. Seeing Ronnie's little face staring up at him with those big, sorrow-filled eyes, scared out of her mind, that shit broke his heart. Meeting her for the first time changed everything and even though he had no idea where to start, he swore to himself he would make it up to her.

If he had it to do over, he would have taken Ronnie from Lynn the second after she was born, spared her the pain the alcoholic bitch managed to inflict in such a relatively short period of time. But he hadn't known he wanted to be a father then, that he actually enjoyed it. Hindsight and all that shit, he supposed.

Perhaps knowing all this was what made him a little more understanding than Jax or Gem had been when Ronnie fled. He understood things they just didn't about Veronica's trust issues because he had been the one to cause them. And, although it killed him to think that he might be the very reason she was so skeptical about love, he was proud that she stepped up and did what was right for her in the end, that she hadn't let anyone talk her into something she wasn't ready to do. However, had he been in Jax's shoes, he could see how it would have been harder to feel that way.

Actually, now that he thought about it, he had been in Jax's shoes, standing in exactly the same spot. He had chosen the wrong path while Jax had every intention of manning up. The real difference between them lied in the fact that Jax had actually been very much in love with his daughter. And because of that love, he had been willing to dive in head first and do the family man thing despite his apprehensions. Clay, on the other hand, didn't have those deep feelings keeping him with Lynn, making it easier for him to run. So once again, he found himself owing Jax some credit for acting like a real man when it came to his Ronnie.

That was what made everything regarding the two all so complicated for him to wrap his head around. The respect he had for Jax clashed with the support he felt he had to give his baby girl. He knew both sides, had pretty much lived them, and that gave him a very unique and rare point of view. The fault and blame didn't lie on a specific side but on both at the same time. Ronnie had a right to be scared and to do what was best for her, but that didn't mean she should have automatically shut the boy out. She should have had a bit more faith in the man she claimed to love, even if the only manly figure in her life prior had left her with trust issues the size of Texas. And Jax, well Jax had been a 22 year old kid himself, so thinking about having a kid of his own rightfully should have scared the shit out of him and been the last thing on his mind. However, from what little Clay actually knew of the conversation that had occurred between them before Ronnie's departure, well, he couldn't see how else Veronica was supposed to feel about Jax's true feelings and intentions.

Then again, maybe neither one of them was really to blame at all. Perhaps most of the blame was on him, for being a shitty father for all those years. He hadn't meant to do it, but by hurting Lynn he'd hurt Ronnie in the process. Maybe if Clay had been a good man, Veronica would have known one when she saw it. Clay sure as hell realized that Jax, despite his stupidity and reputation, was a much better man than he had been when he stood at the same crossroads 20 years prior. Had Veronica known that, maybe, just maybe, they could have made it work. Clay didn't know that they would have had a happy ending, but at least they might have had a shot.

Unfortunately though, the damage had been done, and the last thing he wanted was for the wound to be reopened. It would be better for both of them to steer clear of one another, no matter what his old lady thought. That was why he needed to talk to Veronica and get to the bottom of her return. He had to convince her to stop before what he feared might be the inevitable happened. Before she went running back to Jax.

Growing up in a motorcycle gang, Veronica knew the roar of a Harley from a mile away. So when the unmistakable sound of one pulling in outside her hotel room reached her ears, panic began to wash over her. She wasn't ready to see Jax yet, wasn't up for another knockdown, drag out fight so soon. There was no way in hell he'd even begun to calm down at this point, so that was all she had to look forward to if it was, in fact, him on the other side of the wall.

When knuckles wrapped lightly against her door, she pulled her knees up to her chest where she was perched on the bed and buried her face in her arms. It was childish, she knew, to hide, to pretend she wasn't there when her car was so clearly parked out front. But if it was Jax out there, she knew nothing good was waiting for her and she needed some more time to lick her wounds before she came back in swinging.

"Ronnie," a muffle voice called out just before another knock sounded. "It's Dad."

Hearing her father's voice, she quickly unfolded herself and let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Not bothering to really take her time, she threw open the door and wrapped herself around her old papa bear. She had promised herself there would be absolutely no more tears, but as usual with such promises, that shit went straight out the window the moment she saw the only true rock in her life standing before her.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy," she mumbled into his kutte.

He returned the hug, wrapping his big arms around her. "For what, baby?" he asked in that deep gravelly voice of his.

She pulled back and removed the moisture from her cheek with the swipe of one manicured hand. "For everything," she replied simply, "for leaving, for not calling you more, for not coming to see you sooner, for lying to you all these years…"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, the confusion written all over his face.

"Hannah," she answered.

His brows scrunched. "Who the hell is Hannah?"

Oddly enough, Veronica's expression quickly morphed to match her fathers. "Gemma didn't tell you?"

Clay gently placed his large hands on her shoulders and maneuvered her slightly so that he could shut the door behind him. "Tell me what?"

V's breath hitched in her throat and she almost choked. She'd assumed Gemma had already spilled the beans about her web of lies and secrets. However, the man looking at her like she had suddenly sprouted a second head suggested that she had blabbed on herself. And now that she realized her mistake, she was fidgeting with her hands nervously and suddenly having a real hard time looking her father in the eye.

"Veronica," he prodded, "tell me what?"

"Umm," she uttered, taking a deep breath and pacing the length of the bed. "God, I don't know how to tell you this. Uh…you may want to sit down."

"Okay," Clay said hesitantly, taking a seat in one the little chairs over by the table in the corner.

Veronica stared out the window for a minute, grasping at straws for the best way to lay it out there for her father. "I didn't have an abortion six years ago," she blurted after a beat, deciding to rip off the proverbial Band-Aid. "I lied. The appointment was scheduled for the morning I left, but when I went to the clinic I freaked and ran. I…I just couldn't do it," she admitted, wiping another damn tear from her face. "So I took all my shit and drove North, settled in Seattle, carried the baby to term and gave her up for adoption. That's why I didn't call for so long, why I couldn't take a chance on anyone coming after me. I didn't want anyone to know."

At first Clay didn't say anything, he sat there, elbows perched on his knees, eyes cast to the floor. Then he leaned back in his chair, a chair that Veronica couldn't help but think looked odd supporting his large frame. He sat like that for a moment, hand over mouth, looking out the window as if deep in thought. The silence was a killer, and V could feel her insides squirming as she awaited the response she wasn't sure was ever going to come.

Eventually though, Clay returned to his original position and stared up at her. "Okay," he replied calmly and evenly.

"Okay?" she questioned in disbelief.

He shrugged. "Okay."

"You're not mad?"

"Well there's really no point is there?" he countered. "That was your decision to make and I figure you did what you felt needed to be done. I wish you would have confided in me sooner but I don't much see the point in being mad about it."

"So… you don't hate me?"

She watched as her father's face twisted with a mix of anger and sadness. "Of course not, you're my little girl, I could never hate you," he said, getting up and pulling her into a hug. "Hell, I don't even blame you for what you did."

"How can you not?" She asked shakily, pulling away from him to hide her shame.

He pulled her gently by the shoulders and sat her in his chair before taking a seat across from her in the other one. Grabbing her hands he gave them a small squeeze and let out another heavy sigh.

"Veronica," he began. "There are a lot of things I haven't said to you over the years because I wasn't ready to own up to my own shit. But I think I've only continued to do more damage by not saying anything. I know things I did when you were growing up affected you in a lot of ways that I never saw coming. And I want you to know I'm truly sorry for all of it, but especially for running out on your mom when you were born."

"Daddy, I don't..." She tried, turning her head away. She didn't want to hear what he had to say, didn't want him to know how broken she really was from his actions. Didn't want him to shoulder all the blame because he was still her father and she loved him.

Clay wasn't having any of it though, and quickly jumped back in. "Don't deny it, Ron, you and I both know it's true. If I had been a better father, all this shit between you and Jax wouldn't be an issue. As much as I hate the little prick sometimes," he said with a half-hearted laugh, "you and I both know he is a good man who just has the poor misfortune of sticking his foot in his mouth from time to time. Your trust issues, those are on me."

Veronica went to open her mouth, to tell him that she was okay, but he continued his speech before she got the chance. "When you ran, I knew I was partially to blame, everyone did. But you need to know me leaving your mom, it wasn't really about you. I don't care what that alcoholic bitch has told you over the years, you are not at fault for what she did to herself or anything else involving me and her. I jumped into a relationship when I knew there was no love there. I ran scared when it got way too serious for me to handle. And baby, if I could take it all back and be there for the first six years of your life, I'd do it in a heartbeat. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I love you more than anything."

Veronica's lip started trembling uncontrollably as she was trying so hard not to cry. She'd known all these things for a long time, but there was something about hearing it out loud that made it sink in. And what made it even more real was the fact that she could see water pooling in her father's blue eyes, the same ones that mirrored her own. She couldn't remember ever seeing him cry, and for now to be the first time, when he was sitting there telling her he was sorry...well, it was all just a little too overwhelming. Clay Morrow was many things: SAMCRO president and one of the founding nine, a cut-throat and sharp business man, and even a petty criminal. But first and foremost he was her father, and though he hadn't always been the best, that didn't affect how she felt about him.

"I love you, Daddy," she said, smiling through her tears.

His smile matched her own as he pulled her into another hug. "I love you too, princess."

They stayed like that for a moment, Veronica forgetting that she was an adult and reverting back to her childhood self. It had been a simpler time, when tears and any hurts and fears bubbling deep within her could be fixed with a simple hug from her father. She knew she unconsciously held a lot of anger against him in the past, anger that sometimes made her forget just how much he'd turned things around. But in moments like these, she remembered and knew that it didn't matter what he missed. All that mattered was that he was here now.

Just as she was relaxing in his embrace, the moment came to a screeching halt with the simple ring of a cell let go of her with an apologetic smile, pulled out his prepay, and quickly explained it was business and he had to take it. V took the moment to wipe her eyes for the millionth time, watching as he paced the short length of the room and spoke to whoever was on the other side of the line. She noted the "oh shit," even though he was doing his best to stay quiet, and knew that he would be leaving after the call ended. No doubt, something bad had gone down.

Hanging up the phone, he turned back to her. "Sorry baby, duty calls."

She nodded, inwardly noting that she had, in fact, been correct. It was funny how some things seemed to change and others stayed the same. Club business hadn't been part of her life in a long time, but it was still easy to fall back into the old habits, to slip into autopilot and know what was coming next.

"Before I go," her father said, standing by the door. "I need to know something."

"Okay," Veronica agreed hesitantly, having a distinct feeling deep in her gut that she knew exactly what he was about to ask.

"I'm glad you're here," he started. "And your reasoning doesn't really matter."

Yep, she thought, as he beat around the bush. She knew exactly where he was going.

"I don't want to pry, and I know you'll tell me in your own good time..."

"Daddy, just ask me already," she said growing slightly agitated.

"Are you here for Jax?"

"No," she replied with her head held high.

And she was telling the truth. Or at least she hoped was.

Jax couldn't look away from the crinkled picture in his hand.

He'd done his best to avoid it all day, shoved it in his back pocket right after Half-Sack had given it to him and tried to forget. Tried, of course, being the operative word. It had all but burned a hole right through the denim the entire time he was meeting with Piney's war buddies. It was like the damn thing was begging for him to look at it, calling his name and tugging at his curiosity. He hadn't given in though, he'd used every ounce of his will power not to. Instead, he vowed to wait, convinced himself that business and the club had to come first.

The second he returned to the clubhouse, he realized that resistance was truly futile. So he'd climbed up to his favorite spot, making damn sure he had his good friend Jack by his side. It was pathetic really, he couldn't even face a photo without some liquid courage. He had to take three large swigs before he could muster up enough of a makeshift emotional wall to actually look at his daughter's face. But since pulling the picture out, he couldn't help but stare.

She was absolutely beautiful, the most adorable little girl he'd ever seen. Then again, he was probably a tad bit biased seeing as she definitely received his striking Teller genes. There was no denying she was his, the resemblance was uncanny. Yet, when he really looked at her, he could see she already had Veronica's unique feminine beauty too. The kind that only got better with time. A dynamite combo, if he did say so himself; V and him might not have gotten a lot of things right, and they sure as hell had issues out the yin yang, but they were pretty damn good at making children.

Yeah, there was no doubt in his mind that his little girl was going to be a total knock out when she got older. Just like her momma. And if she was anything like him at all, she was going to make for one hell of a heartbreaker. He could only imagine the boys he would have to threaten once she became a teenager...

But he wouldn't be doing that, would he? He was going to miss it all, braces, first dates, graduations. Not to mention what he'd already missed, like first steps, first words, first day of school. Veronica had made sure he wouldn't see any of those things, stolen those precious memories and given them to some stranger. Damn nice of her, selfish bitch.

Taking another swig of Jack, his eyes scanned the girl's face for the millionth time. He wasn't sure what he was looking for exactly. Obviously he could see the physical attributes, but he wanted to find something deeper. It was stupid, he knew, there was no way he could see anything more than what was right in front of him, but he hoped that maybe if he studied hard enough he'd at least get a glimpse into his daughter's life. The life he was missing out on.

Jax wanted to know her. Wanted to know what kind of personality she had. Whether she was wild and outgoing like him, or reserved and too smart for her own good like her mother. Whether she was a bike riding, ball playing tomboy, or more of the frilly dress wearing, girly girl type. He didn't really care one way or the other, he just wanted to know. Wanted to know what she liked, what she disliked, her favorite color…everything. He wanted to know who she was. And damnit if he didn't want to watch her grow up and become the person she was meant to be.

There had to be some way he could find her. Clearly V knew exactly where she was, and was in some sort of contact with the adoptive parents, seeing as she had managed to acquire the picture that was currently in his hand. However, he knew there was no way in hell she would give him any information, if for no other reason than because she probably knew what he would do with it once he got it.

Without V though, it seemed a little too hopeless. He didn't even know the girl's last name, and adoption records, he would imagine, were hard as hell to get your hands on, even if you did know a pretty damn good hacker. And then there was the issue of having no idea where in the hell the legal proceedings took place. Washington, California, any of the other 48 fucking states? V could have gone anywhere.

With another swig, Jax accepted that finding out even the minutest of details regarding his child was going to be a bitch. No doubt V had, and would continue making sure of that. He didn't like the odds, not one bit. But that didn't mean he was going to let them hinder him in anyway. If seeing Abel make a miraculous recovery had taught him anything, it was that odds were meant to be broken. And having Abel also made him realize that he very much wanted to be a father, even if the idea of it still scared the absolute shit out of him. It didn't matter what obstacle he might face, he was going to be there for both his children and no one was going to stop him.

Hearing the gate open to his right, Jax spotted one of Unser's trucks pulling in and quickly shoved the picture back in his pocket. It would seem that his boy Juice had returned from his latest run to Nevada and Jax wanted a word. He'd made up his mind on how he was going to proceed and the quicker that little computer nerd did his research, the sooner Jax could contact Rosen and start working on getting his little girl back.

He figured he would start with the legal route, even if it hadn't exactly been on his side in the past. There had to be some kind of law out there regarding mothers giving up children without the father's consent. Better to see where he could get with that first, do it all on the up and up like a good father should. And if that didn't work...well he'd worry about that if/when he had to.

When he made it down to the lot, Jax noticed Clay also pulling in. As his step-father pulled off his helmet, his face contorted into a look Jax knew well. Heated rage.

At first he figured it was aimed at him, seeing as he had a pretty good idea where Clay was coming from, and god only knew what kind of jacked up conclusions the guy had jumped to after talking to Veronica. Fortunately for him though, Clay's lazer focus didn't land on his back, but instead on the scene to his left. Turning to see the source of his the anger, Jax noticed the Nevada sweetbutt Clay had tapped a few days ago climbing out of the passenger side of the truck. No wonder the man was pissed, what happened on a run had fucked up and followed the poor bastard home.

"Shit," he muttered to himself, picking up the pace.

"As if I don't have enough shit on my plate already, you show up with the Sweetbutt," Clay stated harshly when he caught up with Juice. "Get her out of here."

Clay then turned and noted Jax behind him, the look of rage only flaring when he noted who it was. "And you," he said pointing a crooked finger in Jax's face. "You and me got some serious shit to deal with. Everyone, clubhouse, five minutes."

Jax nodded, wondering what was going on. Surely Clay wasn't going to lay him out flat over his precious little girl in front of the entire club. That shit was strictly family business, and Jax sure as hell was not in the mood for any of it. He was already itching for a fight, so the old man better watch his step.

Shaking it off, Jax approached Juice. "Come on man, what were you thinking?" He asked, slapping him playfully in the back of his Mohawked head.

"What was I supposed to do, throw her out of the cab?" Juice countered, sounding kind of flustered as he grabbed the girl's arm. "Come on, let's go."

"Juice hold up," Jax jumped in before he could get to far. "I need you to do some digging for me."

Juice shrugged. "Sure man, what do you need?"

Jax stepped in close, glaring at the skinny chick, whose name he thought was Cherry but couldn't quite recall, before looking at Juice. "I need you to find all the legal info you can about the rights of birth fathers in adoptions," he said under his breath.

Juice raised an eyebrow at that. "Okaaayyy, can I asked why?" he asked with a confused grin.

"No," Jax replied, already beginning his trek back to the clubhouse. "Just do it."

Walking through the door, Jax saw Clay, Bobby, Tig, Chibs, and Piney staring up at the TV in the corner. On the screen was a scene that looked vaguely familiar, a street corner on the other side of town. Right off 44 if it was the one he thought it was. It was hard to tell though, as it was taped off as a crime scene and cop cars were everywhere. Underneath the scene, the running banner at the bottom of the screen read "Police Officer and two civilians killed in shooting, prisoner escaped."

"You know anything about this?" Clay barked at him.

"No, should I?"

"Well considering you and the old man here sold the AKs used in this shit just this morning, yeah, I'd say maybe you should."

"Shit," he muttered for the second time today.

"Shit is right," Clay agreed. "As in you guys better hope you covered your tracks or we're going to be in for some major shit."

"Man, they're not going to trace this back to us," Jax reassured him, hoping he sounded much more certain than he actually was. "We cleared the serials, did the deal under the table, and as far as I know there is no real connection between Samcro and those idiots that anyone could possibly use to pin this on us."

Clay nodded. "What about these guys talking? Any chance they might sell us out."

"I've known Nate since Nam, he ain't no rat. We're going to be fi..."

Before Piney could finish his sentence Juice came bounding in, slightly out of breath. "We got cops pulling in," he announced before turning on his heel and heading back out.

Clay looked over at Jax with a glare that could melt metal. "What was that you were saying about being untraceable?"

So I thought it was about time we heard from Clay, because why not? I've alluded to the fact that he was an absentee father for a good chunk of V's life and I kind of wanted to give a little glimpse of his perspective on the matter. Also, even though he turns out to be a right ass on the show, I feel like he originally had some redeeming qualities and would've have probably been a pretty decent father in the early years at least. Plus I think it's about damn time someone really takes V's side, and who better than her old papa bear? Hope you enjoyed that little father/daughter heartfelt moment.

Oh and as for Jax...well we'll just have to wait and see what exactly he decides to do.

Until next time.