A/N: So I know that this update is long overdue. I'm not even going to try and explain why you've all been waiting this long. Because that story would be about as long as this update ( which is pretty long, I'd say ) and about a million times less entertaining. I will say sorry though! I never intended to drop the story and I have every intention of continuing it. I have it planned out almost entirely in my head, now I just need to put it into words. I'm in the process of updating a lot of my fics and I'm also participating in NaNoWriMo. Not to mention in the process of drafting 2-3 fanficsfor The Walking Dead and Sons of Anarchy. So I'm keeping myself busy. Anyways! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I needed to slowly introduce Maddison to the MC, so she's inching her way into the pool in a sense. I didn't feel like tossing her right in would be a good fit for the story. I know we haven't seen a lot of Tig yet, or anyone, but I promise you we're getting there.

I want to thank you all again for everyone who has taken the time to read this story, or review it, or even send me PM's. Your continuous support ( even through this update drought ) means a lot to me! I love all my readers and reviewers. You guys are brilliant :)


Gemma called Unser the next morning. She didn't know how to get a hold of Maddison. After giving her the letter the girl made a quick escape. Wayne had probably dropped her off wherever she was staying and even if he hadn't, it would have been easy enough for him to give her an address. At first he seemed a little hesitant when she asked where the girl was staying – but she got it. After a few minutes of assuring him that all she wanted to do was talk to her, he gave her a motel name.

She had some shit to do at the garage but she was done before noon. She gave herself the rest of the day off to 'prep'. Gemma had to make a meal. That was a shitload of food. Not just any food, good food. The type of stuff that would make any normal man pass out after a plate. Occasionally she'd task one of the other women with bringing a dish or something, but since those women seemed to change from week to week – potluck wasn't usually the safest bet. Luann was leaving the studio early to help her out, between the two of them they could get plenty done before Teller-Morrow closed for the night.

First order of business was the groceries. She'd gotten most of those when she'd left the garage. Luann arrived at the house shortly after she did. Gemma started laying out the plan. Cooked chicken and ham, greens, biscuits, about a dozen other things. Once the meat was in the oven and Luann was busy with one of the million other tasks still to be completed. Gemma headed back into town. The only reasoning she gave was that she had something that she needed to do.

The Cadillac slowed to a stop in the near empty motel lot. Wayne hadn't given her a number but she got that easily enough from the woman in the office. When she'd finally looked up from her damn magazine and saw who she was talking to, she couldn't have pointed her in the right direction fast enough.

According to the woman, she didn't know whether or not Maddison was still there. That didn't come as much of a shock to her. The place was hardly a five star resort, and in a little town like Charming? People came and went – but more people went.

If Maddison was gone then she was gone. Gemma would walk away much the same was as she had arrived. Her world wasn't about to stop turning to for this.

At some point the previous night she had decided to extend a dinner invitation to the young woman. It seemed as though the more she read, the more it seemed like a better idea. She wasn't trying to add to the family, she also didn't necessarily want to sit down and listen to the girl tell her life story. Gemma was just…curious. It sounded like Karen ended up turning into their mother. It resonated in the writing; she could practically hear Rose's voice reading each line in her head. What type of person stayed around? Maddison had been kicked out at eighteen. She didn't leave like Gemma herself had, she'd been tossed out. The fact that she'd hit puberty and managed to survive her mother was mildly impressive.

Her fist met with the door once, then she waited. She didn't hear anything but she tried once more. Almost as soon as she stepped back she could hear a distinct 'thud' and a slew of curse words being thrown around on the other side. "Hold on a second!"

The door jerked open and Maddison hung in the doorway.

"When was the last time you had a good meal, home cooked and all?" Maddison was confused. Gemma didn't' say hi, or offer a good morning. Nothing like that. What did her eating habits have to do with anything anyways? Gemma crossed her arms over top of her chest. "Well?"

She honestly couldn't remember. Her mother could cook, but she was never home. Which meant that Maddison for the most part had to fend for herself. Dinner had often come in a fast food bag or some sort of microwaveable package. She had had dinner with Richard and his wife once, shortly after she'd started working at the parlour. Even that was years ago. She looked down at the dirty carpet beneath her feet, feeling like a lot like a child.

"You cook?" This time, Maddison took the liberty to answer. There was something imposing about Gemma. Like she could snap her neck like a twig if she wanted to. She put on her best poker face and tried not to cringe as she responded.

"Not really."

Gemma nodded. "That's what I thought. I'm hosting a dinner tonight. There's room for one more. Unless you've gotten a better offer." Maddison didn't respond. Gemma only smirked at her. She'd just planned to hike to that diner she'd seen when Chief Unser had taken her to the garage. She had a nice offer here. She wasn't sure why Gemma was offering – it felt more than a little strange. The suspicious look was something that the older woman must have picked up on, because she let out a low laugh and rolled her eyes. "No one there is gonna bite."

"Alright." Maddison finally said.

"Good. Let's go."

"Wait…now?" Maddison didn't follow Gemma to the door. "Should I change or something?"

Gemma gave her a quick once over. She was wearing a pair of worn denim blues and a form fitting blue plaid shirt with a white wife beater underneath. She had said dinner, hadn't she? A home cooked meal, not a five course sit down at some posh restaurant. "What you've got is fine." She pulled open the door and stepped out. Maddison, still a little lost, paused to grab her wallet and room key off of the end table. Stuffing the items into the pocket of the coat she'd picked up off the bed before following Gemma out to the parking lot.


The ride was quiet, neither spoke much. Maddison noticed Gemma looking over at her ever so often. She might have asked what was so interesting about her, but she had a feeling that Gemma wasn't one who liked airing stupid ass questions. Thankfully they weren't in the car long. It couldn't have been more than ten minutes before they pulled into the driveway. Gemma had instructed her to grab some of the bags from the back and take them into the house. Maddison did so. Though she waited by the door until Gemma was there to open it, pathetic as it was.

The kitchen was warm and flooded with the smell of whatever was in the oven - and it was good. There was only one other woman there when they'd arrived. A blonde, who looked like she was about Gemma's age. She was eager to take the bags from Maddison's hands and introduce herself. The blonde's name was Luann. Maddison didn't catch her last name, probably because it wasn't given. Once the introductions were out of the way Gemma put her to work. There was about a million things in the kitchen that needed to be washed, skinned, or cut and it was clear that she was expected to pull her weight.

That was what Maddison did. At least, she attempted to. She couldn't remember the last time she had helped prepare a meal. When she lived with her mother, her mother had always been the one who did it. Maddison might have offered to help if the two of them had been able to stay in the same room together for any length of time. Once she had left home almost all of her meals had come from a microwaveable packet, a quaint little diner with reasonable prices, or a greasy fast food joint. To say she was out of her element didn't really begin to describe it. Thankfully the art of chopping up potatoes and carrots wasn't a delicate one.

Maddison stood by silently as Gemma and Luann talked about what was happening at the garage, how 'the boys' were doing, and how Luann's business was. Maddison wasn't sure if her mind was just filling in the blanks, but she could have sworn that Luann ran her own sort of adult business. It sounded like porn, the bits and pieces she caught up on. Not that Maddison was eavesdropping.

For the most part she managed to keep to herself. The other women were busy chatting, and the most attention she got was when Gemma turned her watchful eye towards her. It was almost two hours of work in the kitchen before the main course was finished and in either a pot or a pan, cooking on a low heat. It was two hours before someone else appeared. There was some more women, two of them. Obviously more familiar with Gemma and Luann then she was. There was a taller blond, her name was Crystal - then a shorter brunette who introduced herself as Tanya. They apologized profusely for being late, and wanted to know when everyone else would get there. Much like she had with Maddison, Gemma put their asses to work.


With most of the food in the oven the women went about setting the table, bringing in the booze. Maddison was tasked with the former. Gemma carefully stacked a set of plates and napkins into her arms, directing her towards the dining room. As Maddison set the plates down on top of the barren table a there was a distinct grumbling noise outside, getting louder and closer by the second. She had almost thought it was thunder - if it weren't for the fact there wasn't a damn cloud in the sky. The roar became louder and louder until all the sudden, it stopped. Right in front of the house. The sound cut out after a few seconds and not long after that, she heard the sound of voices laughing, and arguing. The door opened and a crowd of men appeared in the doorway. She could barely even see outside now. "Never seen bikers before, doll?" Gemma was hovering over her shoulder, a little too close. Maddison all but jumped out of her skin.

"No I just…" Fuck, she sounded like an idiot. Of course she'd seen bikers before. "They're family?" Gemma had said family get together. If you were in good with them, you were generally considered part of the MC family. Which was what every MC was at its core, no matter how violent or corrupt – and some were. She'd heard stories. Gemma didn't humor her with an answer.

The men poured into the room but didn't seem to notice her at first, which was fine. If any of them decided to suddenly become aware of their surroundings they'd find a strange woman staring a little too intently. Her eyes were drawn to the cuts. The man at the head of the crew with the grey hair and wide jaw, he had a president's patch. She had seen the bike at the garage…and the reaper. Big and imposing up there by one of the doors but she hadn't stopped for a second to think. Gemma…and an MC? Well, that made some sense.

There were seven in total, laughing and talking amongst themselves. A couple were still outside, since the others weren't moving. No one seemed to be in a rush. Suddenly she felt like she needed to disappear, like there was no more room in the dining area for her.

Maddison put the remaining dinnerware onto the table as quickly as she could without breaking the plates and swiftly turned on her heel, praying that she could make it back into the kitchen without anyone noticing. Last time she had been around an MC she'd almost died in a clubhouse shootout. She'd lost the only people who had ever been there for her, one had died and the other she had been forced to break contact with. In case those sons of bitches ever tried to track any of the 'civilian' survivors down. Last time she'd been around a club, she'd lost everything.

Maddison saw her opening and Christ, was she going to take it. At least, that had been the idea.

"She's new, ain't she?" The voice wasn't loud, but it was noticeable. The accent stood out like a nun in a whorehouse. Maddison froze, right hand on the doorway. Maybe they weren't talking about her. Maybe they were talking about…someone else.

"Kid, come here. Meet the guys." Gemma beckoned for her.

Shit.

Gemma ushered her over and the very loud conversation all but stopped right there. "So, that's our guest?" Gemma now stood beside one of the men, arm wrapping around his waist. Maddison stole a quick glance at his patches. President being the most outstanding.

Gemma took the liberty of introducing her to the men. "This is Maddison." One by one, the men standing in the dining room turned their head to look at her. One she recognized instantly, and when their eyes met he quickly bowed his head, like he was embarrassed hoer something. "So you're the girl who came by TM yesterday." One of the younger men said with a chuckle. He had long, dirty blond hair and a shit-eating grin. "Heard all about you." And suddenly she felt uncomfortable all over again. Had Gemma said something? The other woman patted her hand against the chest of the man she'd wrapped her arms around. "This is Clay, that's Jax, you met Juice at the garage, that's Chibs." As she introduced the men, they gave her a small nod and a smile then took a seat at the table. The three other who had been standing outside slowly came in "And that's Bobby, Piney, and Tig."

Maddison had to admit, she was slightly thrown off by the noticeable oxygen line and tank that one of the men had on their person. At the same time, it was pretty impressive. Good for him to keep up with a club. That guy had to have some stories. Bobby winked at her as he passed by, but she found herself staring at the final man. The other one she'd seen at the garage. He was wearing sunglasses, but took them off as soon as he was in the doorway. There were those eyes again. They were so…God, she didn't even have a word for them. They were so beautiful but at the same time they looked so threatening. Tig gave her the same nod of acknowledgement as the others had.

"Dinner's about done." Gemma announced "Sit your asses down." Maddison turned from the table, following Luann into the kitchen. Gemma stopped her with a gentle hand "You can help with the dishes, go make yourself comfortable." Gemma slowly turned her around, steering her back towards the table. The younger blond man, Jax, gave her a quick wave and pushed out the empty seat beside him. Maddison uttered a small thank you as she sat down. She hadn't expected that.

There was light conversation, but everyone's eyes kept coming back to her. Never in a million years would she have thought that she'd be surrounded by cuts again, but here she was.

"So, you from Charming? I don't think I've seen you around." Jax turned in his chair, elbow hanging over the back. The other guys seemed to quiet down when he asked.

She shook her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. "You wouldn't have," She responded with a small smile "I'm just passing through."

He seemed to understand that. "Are you from around here?" Maddison asked

"Born and raised." and to his credit, Jax sounded damn proud about the fact.

"What are you in town for?" Jax inquired. At that moment she remembered that there were actually other people in the dining room. Juice was sitting across from her, all awkward smiles. It reminded her of high school.

"Had to deliver something." Maddison said simply. He seemed content with his answer.

"Ye left quite the impression on 'im yesterday." The man on Chibs' left gave him a hard thump on the back. "Think he's in love." Maddison wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. His accent grabbed her, but something else did as well. She only just noticed the two thin yet prominent scars stretching from either side of his mouth. As if someone had tried to carve out some sort of twisted jack o'lantern smile on his face.

"I didn't talk about her." Juice groaned, rolling his eyes defensively.

From her side of the table, Bobby spoke up. "Yeah, not much!" and they all laughed at that. The poor kid looked like he wanted to curl up in a hole and die. It was kind of cute. How old was he? He looked like the youngest person at the table, save for maybe Madds herself.

Before anyone could get another word in edgewise, Gemma, Luann, and one of the other girls started to bring out the food. Soon the entire surface was covered by a plate, a bowl, or a bottle of beer.

Everything tasted as good as it looked ( and smelt ) and for a little while she was more concerned with the food than the people around her. Most of the conversation was about the garage, Teller-Morrow Automotive. She wasn't exactly paying attention. She didn't know much about cars, or bikes. Besides it really wasn't any of her business. They drank and laughed while she ate and watched.

Everyone around the table seemed so at home, as if the gathering were a completely normal occurrence. To someone totally oblivious to even the most basic of MC dynamics, the scene playing out before her eyes would be strange. A group of men who, had they not been laughing and drinking, would look like they would beat the ever-loving crap out of the first person who looked at them the wrong way.

Maddison spent most of the dinner picked at her plate, accepting more food or a drink when it came her way. She was trying to stay under the radar as much as possible, not wanting to draw any attention to herself. Every once and awhile she'd catch someone looking her way. She'd smile, then bow her bed slightly. Juice was the biggest culprit, second only to Gemma. From her place at the head of the table she kept a close eye on Maddison. The girl could practically feel her eyes burning into her skin. Madds wasn't sure what made her feel more uneasy. The bikers, or Gemma herself. It was sort of an even split between the two.

"Hey, doll. Mind passing this down?" Jax asked as he handed her a half empty plate of rolls. Maddison took it, shifting slightly to pass it off to her side. When she did so, her sleeves hiked up ever so slightly. Just enough to flash the black ink that was hidden beneath them.

It hadn't gone unnoticed by everyone. "Whatcha got there?" Juice craned his neck as she rolled up her sleeves, revealing her cuffs. Hesitantly, she held up her wrists so that he and the others could get a better look. A couple of the guys nodded approvingly at the sight. "Those look cool. How long have you had them?" She wasn't sure if he was genuinely interested in her tattoos, or he was just looking for an excuse to talk to her.

"A couple of years. The work was a birthday present from a friend." She glanced down – as if attempting to hide the look of sadness that was ghosting across her face. "Yours look cool, too." Maddison said as she looked back up – trying to distract herself from thoughts of Richard. "Haven't seen many placements like that before."

When she'd said it, she was being nice. Not to mention honest. The Mohawk with the tribal tattoos adorning either side was still a new one for her. However, she'd tried to be nice and return the compliments…something had to have gotten lost in translation. The Scotsman's eyebrows shot up and he let out a low whistle. "Here that, lad? Pretty sure that's girl for 'looks like shite.' " As soon as Chibs said it, the color began to drain from her face. She'd spent the entire time trying to go unnoticed, now every set of eyes were on her.

"No! I like them." Maddison quickly jumped on the defensive. The last thing you wanted to do, was insult someone's ink. That was bad. Very, very bad. Even if the tattoo was crap, you kept that to yourself.

For the first time since the dinner started, Tig spoke up. "Nah, man. I'm with Chibs on this one. She doesn't like 'em." Some of the others were smirking, and the boyish smile that had been on Juice's face was now long gone. Her face felt as if it were on fire. She was getting more flustered by the second. You didn't insult someone's ink, and you didn't argue with members. The more Maddison tried to hide it, the worse it got.

She was at a loss, she couldn't think of what to say. Maddison knew she looked like an idiot, and she'd obviously sounded like one. Was she just supposed to say they'd taken it the wrong way? It was Gemma who finally came to her rescue…sort of. "Come on boys, play nice." The woman said with a smirk as she got up from her seat. "Why don't you grab some dishes, taken them into the kitchen." Whether it was a suggestion or an order, Maddison didn't care. She couldn't have gotten up fast enough. She gathered the empty plates within arms reach and quickly fled the room. Behind her, she could hear the not-so-muffled laughter from the guys.
Luann was already in the kitchen, rinsing off dishes and loading them into the dishwasher. Maddison only felt mildly better now that she wasn't the direct center of attention. "They're just screwing with you, y'know." The blond spoke knowingly. "Wanna give me a hand here?" Maddison nodded, depositing her dishes onto the pile and taking the wet ones as Luann passed them to her, carefully placing them in the dishwasher drawer.

Gemma was in the kitchen now. She paused to watch the girl for a few moments, noticing that she no longer looked as mortified as she had around the table. She could have said something else, but she chose not to. Maddison was trying, she'd settled down nicely and she was helping Luann. "Did you put the dessert in?"

"Of course!" Luann replied with a smile. "Pies are in the oven. Should be about done, too." Maddison looked over her shoulder – uncertainty glinting in her eyes. She'd reacted as well as any new chick did to the guys' hazing.

"Hey, kid. You want me to take you back to the motel?" Gemma asked as Maddison placed one of the last dishes from the sink into the washer. Gemma looked at her expectantly. She looked like a startled animal, one who wasn't sure whether or not to bolt or stay in place. At this point, Gemma fully expected her to take her up on the offer and head right to the door.

She shook her head, a flurry of wavy locks whipping at the air. "Thanks, but I'll stay." Gemma gave her a pointed look, as if to silently ask if she was sure. "I like pie." Maddison said with a shrug. She was playing it cool, Gemma could she her change before her eyes again. Her shoulders squared, she was being completely serious. She wondered if that was the old Madock trait, an infallible stubbornness.

Alright then. "Your call." Was all Gemma could say. She turned to the oven, grabbing an abandoned pair of gloves off the counter top. She carefully pulled the three pies out one by one. Giving them a quick once over, she deemed them appropriate. "Take these out." Gemma carefully placed two of the pies on a large serving tray "They'll forgive you if you've got food." The two older women smirked, but Maddison didn't see the humor in it. She did however leave the room with the pies. Gemma followed close behind her with the last dessert. By the time Maddison had set the pies down on the crowded dinner table, she had done her best to put a poker face on. Even with the guys leering and smirking, she only smiled back. It wasn't entirely genuine, and it was obvious she wasn't completely comfortable but Gemma could tell she was trying.

Maddison didn't change her mind, either. She helped dish the pie and then sat back down. She was just as quiet as she had been before, and Gemma saw she tried to avoid eye contact with certain members. Mainly those who had decided to poke fun at her, but she sucked it up. She replied when spoken to, she didn't take a tone with any of the guys. She suspected the beer might have helped her keep her calm, but Gemma wasn't one to judge. Besides watching her was interesting.

From where she was sitting, Maddison looked like a good kid. She was smart enough to be respectful; she seemed to choose her words carefully. She wasn't out to impress anyone, she wasn't making herself look like a jackass. Gemma didn't see an ounce of hellion in the girl. Of course that didn't mean it wasn't there. It just made her all the more curious about the young woman. What had her crazy bitch of a sister found undesirable enough to kick her out for?

Two hours and twice as many beers later, Clay announced that they needed to get back to the clubhouse. He offered no explanation but she already knew why. Fight night. A fairly regular occurrence. Though she wasn't sure how fast any of them would be eating after that meal, but that was their problem. It was about the time where the crowd would start gathering at the TM gates waiting for entry, and her Old Man wasn't one to let the people down.

As they were cleaning up and getting ready to push off. She spotted Maddison heading towards the door. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Back to the motel." She said quietly.

Gemma let out a sigh. "You planning on walking?"

"Well…yeah." Sure,t he walk back to the motel would take her awhile. Maddison had a few beers in her. Gemma was sure she could handle herself, but on the off chance that she couldn't…she didn't want to open the papers tomorrow to find out that someone had to scrape the girl up off the side of the road.

"Hey, Jax? You mind giving her a lift?" Gemma asked her son strode up to them.

"Where are we going?" Jax asked.

Maddison looked unsure but Jax looked as if he were expecting an answer "Just to the motel."

Jax nodded, giving Maddison a reassuring – and somewhat goofy smile. "Wont be a problem. Come on." Jax turned to leave, and Maddison went to follow. Before she could get two steps away she turned back to Gemma.

For a moment all she did was stare. It looked like she wanted to say something, but just couldn't spit the words out. Finally, the third time her lips move sound actually made it out. "Thanks for um…this. Inviting me to dinner." Maddison paused, averting her gaze. This time, in an even quieter voice she finished off. "You didn't have to."

Gemma rolled her eyes. "I know. Get going before your ride leaves without you."

"Yes ma'm." Maddison replied reluctantly.


Maddison slowly pulled on her coat, cutting through the dining room and heading towards the open door - attempting to follow in Jax's footsteps. In the dimming light the bikes still gleamed. Harley's lined the the curb, some of the guys were already parked on theirs. Having a laugh and a smoke. Jax stopped at one of the last bikes in the row, picking up the black helmet off the handle bars and holding it out for her. "I just gotta make a stop first, that alright with you?" Maddison was barely paying attention, she was fiddling with the straps on the helmet, undoing the buckle.

"Nope." She shook her head. It was a free ride, and what was she going to do? Order him to take her back to the motel first?

He grinned at her again. Maybe it was the beer talking, and she considered it - but he looked so boyish. It was actually kind of cute. "You ever been on a bike before?" He asked as she finally placed the helmet on her head, carefully snapping the buckle underneath her chin. Had she? Yes. That was awhile ago, in another life. All Maddison did was nod, a pathetic non-verbal response. Jax didn't seem to care much either way. "So," he said as he sat down. "You know you gotta hold on tight then."

And that was exactly what she did.


A/N: Ah...good to be back. So what do you guys think? Looking forward to another chapter?