Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from "Sons of Anarchy." They are the property of Kurt Sutter and Fox Network. No money is changing hands in the writing, reading or distribution of this story.

Chapter 31

Joss had always loved riding with Tig. Not only was it the most obvious sign to all that she was his, but it was also the only time that she could put her arms around him, lock her hands together above his waist and lay her head on his back. It was the first touch of physical intimacy they'd ever shared, though one that Tig never once seemed to give any thought to and still didn't. Except that now, every so often, his hand would leave the brake and move back to squeeze her thigh, giving it a pat or rubbing it suggestively. The only thing that came close to a true embrace was shared at sixty miles an hour or more, where it was much more exhilarating anyway, and it was enough for Joss. But that was not the only reason she loved being on the back of Tig's bike.

From the very first time she'd climbed on this bike behind him, to heading home from the garage now, it had always made her feel like she could fly, far away from anything that troubled her. And today had been troubling! She'd been swamped, so many people and so many vehicles and so many repairs and paperwork…but at least the vehicles and the paperwork didn't give her every last "why do I need to know this" type of detail about their life. Is this what Gemma put up with day in and day out? How did she do it? There was nothing about this job that was difficult or even challenging as far as intellect went, but just the managing of…everything…was exhausting. And poor Tara…she'd really picked the wrong time to call today…Joss really did owe her for listening…

"Hey, I was calling to let you know that I picked you up some vitamin B-12," Tara had started to say, "Vegetarians really should take one every day." She concluded, obviously trying to make up for not having Joss's back at dinner a few nights ago, and show her support now, but Joss was so fed up with so many things that Tara's regret and feeling didn't penetrate where it should have. "So, how's it going over there today?"

"How's it going?" Joss had repeated, without even thanking Tara for the vitamins, and her thoughtfulness, something she lamented furiously now as she and Tig drove home. "Fan-fucking-tastic! I've got more cars and trucks and bikes over here for more repairs than there are mechanics, everyone needs theirs back in an hour or less to get to some embarrassing personal appointment, and then I married Tig mid morning, but forgot to tell him about it! I am so lucky I'm not dead right now!"

Yeah…that didn't sound good as it replayed in Joss's head now…she did owe Tara! As soon as Joss's stint in the garage was over, she'd bake her some chocolate cherry brownies or something…as long as Tig didn't eat them. Actually, Joss felt guilty enough that it may have taken more than just chocolate cherry brownies…which she'd just decided to make two batches of, knowing Tig would eat one of them…even though he maintained that he "hated shit like that." Whatever, if he wanted to hate it, and eat it too, that was certainly his prerogative, and far from the weirdest shit he'd ever done, as well.

But what else could Joss do for Tara? The more she thought about it, the more she began to realize that it wasn't actually "guilty" that she was feeling about their phone conversation. She was worried about Tara. Everything had sounded fine with her, and her friend wasn't angry at her for the tirade that had launched after just a simple "how are things," but it worried Joss how she'd had to explain the whole last name mishap to Tara, and even after she had, she could tell Tara still didn't understand what had happened or why Tig's reaction was so…extraordinary. Tara would likely never get Joss and Tig's relationship, and she'd also likely never get Tig either…but this was more than just that. Tara didn't get MC life. So, how could she live it? Joss had seen this a time or two before in other clubs, there was always some member who was recruited out of some professional field to either improve the public image of the club, or just to supply them with something tangible they needed. But even if that one guy worked out well and found a niche in the club life, his old lady, his wife, never ever seemed to make that transition…it lead to a lot of divorces, disappearances…and suicides.

Tig…Joss was lucky to have him; he never left her guessing about what she was and what was expected of her, and because of that, there had been no issues between her and Tig's brothers…except for the obvious…but Joss immediately evicted those thoughts from her mind. Enough was enough right now. She'd been able to get a good deal of Wednesday's schedule made up before she and Tig left the garage today, and damn if it wasn't shaping up to be another day like today had been! Yeah, she was so lucky to have Tig; she'd really need him to get through this week without falling on her face. She tightened her hold on him and nuzzled her cheek against his back. He'd been the day's only real bright spot, shrugging off and laughing at the way she'd fucked up today with his name. She'd been beaten by other men for doing much less than that, but Tig…he was so insanely violent and yet so sweetly unpredictable at times. Hmm…three miles from home now, and while that meant she'd soon have to take her arms from around her man for the day, it also meant that there was a bathtub to fill with hot water and exotic musky and spicy Moroccan bath oils…and maybe, just maybe, she could get Tig to join her?

On the road up ahead of them was the flatbed truck from Teller-Morrow, pulled to the shoulder in front of a stranded vehicle. Joss's heart rate sped up, driving that truck could only be Juice, or Opie, but she knew she'd seen Opie's name by the flatbed on the sign out sheet for the keys this morning and Juice had taken the tow truck. She felt Tig applying a little bit of brake as they approached, but not so much that Joss feared they'd be stopping. Opie was outside of the truck, attaching tow chains to the frame of the mini-van that sat on the side of the road, looking up when he'd recognized the engine noise of one of the dyna's. He shot Tig an affirming glance, but Tig sped up again, looked ahead at the road, then gave Opie a nod that was all brotherhood and nothing more than MC obligatory respect…but the way Opie's eyes came to rest on Joss and absorb every detail of her, was not.

Chapter 31; Part 2

"What the flaming hell is that?" Tig's face was contorted in pure disgust as he sat across from Joss at the old, warped picnic table outside of the back entrance to the garage, eating lunch with her, Happy, Juice and Sack. The day had been exactly the same as yesterday…crazier than Tig was, and maybe she owed Tig a 'thank you' for being crazy, because Joss had adjusted to the hectic pace and all now and was handling everything in stride. She was no less busy and pulled in a million directions, though…not to mention getting chills and heart palpitations every time the flatbed pulled into the garage to unload a vehicle, but so far, Opie hadn't even so much as looked up at her through the office window. The little bit she had talked to him…well that he'd talked "at" her, he hadn't left her with the impression that he was some kind of villain, but God…what was his game? What did he want? And why didn't he just…do something?

Around eleven o'clock, she'd been hit with another task though that was just in time to push away her Opie anxieties. The guys were ordering lunch, did she want anything, and could she call it in, figure out the tip, collect all the money, pay for it when it arrived and then let them all know when it was here. Ordinarily on a day like this, if Tig had come in and added this to everything else she was under, it would have been more than tough to just nod her head and say "yes" the way she was supposed to, without huffing at him and narrowing her eyes. But she hadn't done that at all, had excitedly taken the menu from him and nearly hugged it to her body, so relieved that she had something else to think about, and also that he was here, really making any thoughts about Opie and his…whatever he was doing, go away. "I brought something," she'd reported to Tig concerning lunch, and he continued to look strangely at her in regards to how happy she seemed to be ordering food then.

And now he was looking at her strangely again as they ate at the old table, but it had nothing to do with the way she was acting. Opie was gone from her mind; her man was with her, though he wasn't exactly charmed by her at the moment. Tig was looking at the food she'd unpacked from the insulated, zippered bag that she'd carried with her to work this morning. The look on his face and tone of his voice had everyone else looking at her food now too. "It's a sandwich!" Joss replied as if revealing some state of the art invention.

Tig wasn't impressed, or satisfied with the information. "That's raisin bread!" He pointed out, as if it wasn't really meant to be consumed, and Happy nodded in some kind of 'back having' agreement with Tig.

"Yeah," Joss shrugged. "With some peanut butter on each side and sliced Granny Smith apples rings in the middle."

Tig groaned like he wished he hadn't asked now, and Joss noticed that Juice and Sack were leaning over her shoulder on either side of where she sat between them, playing looky-lou with her lunch. It was a far cry from the burgers and fried chicken that dominated the table. Tig reached out and tapped a little plastic container that she hadn't open yet. "And what's that?"

"Cubed animal rennet free Cheddar and pickled jalapenos," she knew there'd be no making him happy with the lunch she'd packed for herself, so she might as well just eat it and deal, picking up half of her sandwich and taking a bite.

"Jesus Christ, Joss! Why don't you fucking eat real food?" Tig sighed, despite that she was eating it, right there, in front of him, and again, there was Happy nodding with Tig in some kind of commiserating concurrence. "You heard what Jax's doc—Tara, said. This stuff is going to kill you!"

"That is not what she said!" Joss sighed back and then sighed again. "Tig, you eat all of these things, I've seen you do it!" She countered then took another bite of her sandwich, undeterred by her man's issues, knowing he just had to complain enough to make himself happy that he'd attempted to "save" her. Oh well, she had gotten him to throw away that "X," turn about was fair play.

"You've never seen me eat them all mashed together and calling them 'lunch!'" He replied self righteously, Happy chiming in with a quick, "that's right" that won a 'thank you' nod from Tig. "That is just wrong and unhealthy, and goes against the grain of what's decent in the world."

Joss swallowed, still undaunted, but looked back at him. "Well, I guess you'd be the authority there." She kind of smirked, then grabbed a plastic knife from the lunch order and cut the other half of her sandwich in half again. "It's not so bad," she said to Tig, and Happy, then looked at Juice and Sack on either side of her. "Go ahead, show him. Try it." She encouraged.

Juice, her buddy, could always be counted on, dropping the grease soaked chicken breast he'd been devouring and thanking her for her offer as he grabbed the quarter of her strange sandwich without hesitation, apparently evoking enough curiosity and daring in Sack that he reached for the other part of it too, but Tig glared at him, and he pulled his hand back. "Go ahead," Joss laughed at Sack. "He owns me, not you." She reminded, laughing a little more at how scary Tig was to everyone else, noticing though that Sack was reaching for the little triangle of apples, peanut butter and raisin bread again.

But Tig still pinned him with his now ferocious blue eyes. "Is that so, prospect?"

"No," Sack sighed, but answered immediately and dropped his hand back down into his lap, Tig and Happy looking at each other and laughing on the other side of the table, but it didn't last very long when Joss picked up the quarter of her sandwich that Sack had been willing to give a chance, and dropped it in front of Happy.

"Hey," Happy looked up abruptly at her and sounded like she'd just laid a dead rat in front of him. "That's girl food!"

"Oh, and what…" Joss asked, trying not to smile, because this wouldn't sound like a challenge if she did. "You don't like girls now, Hap?"

Happy's eyes came alive in much the way Tig's did when he was confronted with something concerning his masculinity. "Fuck that bullshit!" He exclaimed, then picked up the quartered sandwich and shoved the whole thing into his mouth.

"Oh man," Tig groaned again, looking at him. "You fell for that? Really?" It was hard not to laugh at how flabbergasted Tig was, "Wow, this love shit is making you soft."

Joss was about to say something, partially to save Happy's rep in Tig's eyes, and also soothe Tig, but Juice spoke before she had a chance too, half of the part of the raisin bread, apple and peanut butter sandwich gone. "It's pretty good, actually!" He reported to the table, everyone but Joss looking at him like it was such an inappropriate time to say something really inappropriate.

Joss smiled at Juice though, ignoring Happy and Tig's dismay. "Thank you, it's really good if you cook it on a griddle like grilled cheese!"

Juice was nodding his head excitedly as he ate the other half. "Hey, think you could do it with a travel iron, too?"

Joss laughed, obviously Juice had no culinary skills. "Yeah, I guess," she said. "No steam setting, though!" And she and Juice burst out laughing together.

"Alright," Tig grunted, looking over at the joyous side of the table. "Enough Home Ec over there!"

Joss sighed, she hadn't expected any less, but now she kinda felt sorry for Tig, who was still looking at his boy Happy like he'd lost him forever. "I'm sorry," she said to Tig, then looked to Happy. "And thank you, Hap. I owe you one!"

"Yeah," Happy kind of laughed, now reacting to the taste of what he'd put in his mouth as though it had been something poisonous. Whether he truly hadn't liked the sandwich, or whether it was just for show, Joss wasn't sure, and didn't really care. She'd made her point…and now poor Tig looked lost and mopey, like someone had moved his food bowl. She shouldn't feel sorry for him, he'd started this and she'd finished it…but there was no victory in making someone she loved as much as she loved Tig feel the way he looked like he felt. Oh…he wasn't alone, just because Happy had a girlfriend now…and he'd always have her…damn, why'd it have to be so busy again today? A blowjob would have made her man feel better, but there was no time to go mess around in the dorms today. Joss sighed, searching for something to say to Tig that would lift him up a little, but also not sound too sappy in front of his brothers, but Happy was talking again. "And since you do owe me," Happy continued, "what kind of flowers do girls like? I'm trying to surprise Lauren with something."

"Ohhh Fuck me!" Tig groaned so loudly and suddenly it was like he'd been shot as he doubled over, clutching his gut. This had clearly not been what he wanted to hear coming out of Happy's mouth, the same way he hadn't wanted to see vegetarian vittles going into it.

"Tig!" Joss half shouted…she felt badly for him, but Jesus, he could be so mellow dramatic! But she also felt the urge to be there for him, like she should catch him or something, though he wasn't really falling. But there was a way to be there for him, even though it wasn't really something she wanted to do. She reached across the table and tore off a piece of the beef patty from his bacon double cheeseburger, preparing herself for the taste and popping it into her mouth, chewing it up and swallowing it hurriedly. Ick…it hadn't only been a love of animals that had pushed her to being vegetarian, but also that she really didn't like meat. "There," she said to him, pretending that the greasy, tire-like taste wasn't still in her mouth. "Better?"

He was quiet a minute, studying the path from his burger to her mouth as if making sure there was no way she could have palmed it, or made it otherwise disappear before it actually was inside her mouth. "A little," he said, sitting there stiffly, but his blue eyes reflected how he was relaxing into the knowledge that she'd submitted, that she cared about him enough to not need to win…that all she did need was him.

In the background Joss heard the flatbed rumbling onto the lot once more, off loading the third vehicle of the day. She told herself to only think about the paperwork that was coming her way, and to be worried only about that, but there was more than paperwork being brought to her by that truck, and she couldn't get the band-aid, the double tap of the fist to the chest, or the stare that had taken in everything she had, out of her mind. Oh God, what would be next? She'd realized that she'd closed her eyes and must have been trying to block out the sounds of the truck when all of a sudden she could see again, and Tig was looking at her the same way he had when he'd come into the office to ask her about ordering lunch and she'd reacted like he was the first human being she'd seen in years. She couldn't let him know anything pertaining to Opie was bothering her, for his own good she couldn't do that, but she also couldn't sit here and worry him into destroying himself either. "Baby," she sighed and looked across the table at him, jerking her head in the direction of the sounds of the flatbed. Towed and impounded vehicles required lots of phone calls and even more paperwork, everyone knew that. "It sounds like I may have to work late tonight." She said apologetically.

"Okay," he shrugged, like it was no big deal, going back to his lunch again. "I can help you with stuff." He added, sounding more like himself, and Joss prayed that Happy wouldn't start talking about Lauren, or that Juice wouldn't start talking about his Lauren, and that Sack wouldn't bring up…whomever he might be with…poor Tig, he'd had more than his fill of love lives today. "I guess I should see about getting you a car, huh?" He suddenly said, surprising Joss, for she'd often thought of how much easier that would make things…it wasn't easy being a one bike family, but there was on other little obstacle to clear on that front.

"And a driver's license would be good too." She said, hoping it wasn't going to set him off on some other new tantrum.

Tig stopped eating again and stared bemusedly at her. "Seriously?"

"Well, when would I have gotten it?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows. "You know what I've been through…"

Tig nodded, yeah, he understood, he just wasn't going to elaborate on it. "We can handle that," he said calmly, then reached across the table, opening her little plastic container of cubed cheese and pickled jalapenos, and then set it in front of her, handing her a fork…but he wasn't done, the evil gears were turning in his evil mind…he was going to somehow make her suffer for making Happy eat vegetarian cuisine, and for never mentioning she didn't have a license…then he picked up his burger again and tore off a big hunk of the beef and some bacon, depositing it on top of her cheese and peppers, sort of like a cherry atop a sundae. He smiled at her, knowing he had her. "Eat!"