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 60

"Are you coming?" Joss's back was to him once more as she tried to walk off towards the woods, hoping he'd follow her again, but Tig wasn't ready to, there were a lot things to be said still. That walk from the fucking police station over to the bike had been long and silent enough, Tig walking aimlessly, trying to get his thoughts together, reconcile what he felt with what he'd seen and what he would do next, while Joss followed behind him. The only one of them to speak had been her, and when she did, it was obvious that she had a plan.

"Opie said there's lots of underbrush, lots of briars and brambles over there," she looked towards the woods then looked back at Tig who listened like this was all a dream. "It's not a place where people are likely to go hiking and stumble across anything you'd rather keep hidden, and the brush itself keeps secrets." He saw her tremble as she finished that sentence, closing her clear green tearful eyes and swallowing hard, then shoved the Glock into his hand. "Come on." But Tig had been too…astonished to move, and still was. She was right, this was it, everything that needed to happen had happened and the setting was perfect.

"Joss," he stood there in a state of controlled and calm agitation that was so bizarre for anyone, particularly him. Was he really going to do this? Opie kissed Tig's property, and that was grounds, man…he'd earned a bullet now, fair and square; and so had Joss. She wanted this over with, he knew she could feel all of what he'd witnessed between her and Ope simmering under the surface of his staggering emotions; how could she not? He and that damn girl were so close, that if someone tapped her on the shoulder, Tig turned around. And Joss was trying anything she could to get the anger and the hurt and the betrayal to burst out of him so they could have this ordeal come to an end and be done, so she didn't have to anticipate it any longer…the anticipation likely was far worse than the dying. But she couldn't die…or was it only that Tig couldn't kill her? Fuck, she was making it easy enough for him. But he loved her…and there was so much he still needed to know before he would pull any trigger. "Tell me why you didn't shoot him."

She couldn't know what it was that staggered inside him, because Tig didn't understand it himself. She had absolutely no concept of why he wasn't following her…again. But Tig was slowly turning this over in his quake-ravaged mind, and it kept turning into his past…he'd earned a bullet…one misplaced kiss, that hadn't been rebuffed, one odd, half opened mouth bit of contact when all he'd meant to do was lend a little comfort to Gemma…following her back to her bedroom closet to get that hat box full of guns off the top shelf had been stupid, he knew it when he'd done it, but it was the first conscious decision he'd made up to that point that morning, knowing full well where it might lead…and it had…he'd never quite understood how he'd gone from kissing Gemma so wantonly, like she was the stuff of dreams, which for Tig at the time, she was; but despite that, he'd grabbed her shoulder and roughly flipped her against the wall where she couldn't see him and he couldn't see her. With the feelings he'd suspected he had for her, he'd always imagined facing her if they ever fucked…but no, when the chance to was there, he'd turned her away from him…like he did with all the others, except Joss.

Joss turned back again, but she didn't move towards him, trying so hard to get him to follow her into the trees, deep into the trees. "It doesn't matter why I didn't shoot him, and you know it," she said almost as if she wasn't as heartbroken and frenzied as he knew she was. "The sun'll be coming up soon, come on. You're losing your darkness."

Fuck…was he? "Joss, I want a God damn answer!" Tig let some of the anger that was pushing out from the inside show as he growled, but he didn't move. If he moved towards her, she'd only continue on into the woods, and he'd do anything to not have to go in there with her, not ever. "Get fucking back here, now!"

"Tig! Please!" She stood there like she was angry now, and maybe she was, he was prolonging this…and he wasn't even sure about doing it. He loved her, and so much inside of him kept telling him that this didn't have to happen, that she'd done nothing to deserve this. She still loved him, she was still his, she wouldn't be submitting like this if she didn't still love him, and if she didn't still see herself as his…it was his right to take her out if she messed with another man…she wasn't denying it…she was about to accept the punishment she knew she was due…if she didn't love him, why would else would she be trusting him enough…to kill her? No…he had to know, she had to tell him "why" so he didn't have to do this. He had no idea, and didn't want to, if Gemma had ever 'fessed up to Clay about what happened between her and Tig…he doubted it, Clay would have killed him; as far as Clay saw it, loyalty was loyalty, brotherhood was brotherhood, but betrayal was betrayal.

Tig lived, so did Gemma…Gemma who hadn't stopped him, Gemma who had turned around and grasped at the shirt she'd torn open the instant Tig had backed off, Tig who had remembered what Gemma was, knowing what she had to remain, and feeling all of his faithfulness and love for Clay in one instant detonation that killed every ounce of desire in him for Gemma on the spot. He had been the one who stopped, it was the most conscious decision he'd made that morning, more conscious and more prominent than his decision to follow her into the bedroom…Gemma hadn't stopped him, he'd stopped, and if he hadn't, it would have happened…Gemma…he didn't love her, never did. But Joss, she'd turned away from Opie, he'd seen her do it, whipping her head away so wildly and suddenly that it had likely tweaked something in her neck. She'd told Ope everything she should have said, she needed Tig, she "couldn't," because she loved Tig…she'd stopped…and after Opie had told her everything about Donna, laid what in Joss's mind would have been some kind of major league guilt trip on her that she'd have blamed herself for…she'd tried to kill Ope herself, that couldn't have helped that over developed sense of conscience she had either, and she should have been too weak with her want to make it right by giving into Opie, by putting her arms around him, by doing what Gemma had done, and been willing to do.

Jesus fucking Christ, Tig had always warned Joss about "doing that shit she always did," he knew it would only get her into trouble, but he'd never predicted it could have been like this, with Ope…but that was where it had taken her…she'd pulled herself away from the blame of the doctor bitch situation, and God fucking damn it if she hadn't done the same here…she cried for Ope over Donna tonight, but she gave him nothing for his pain. Tig's little angel had stood strong, and faithfully, even in the face of Tig's own demon. Fuck…an awesome dizziness descended upon Tig as he realized something he was never prepared to even consider, but his world was changing and so were his perceptions of the people in it. Joss had done what Gemma had failed to; there was a woman in the world fiercer, stronger and more loyal than Gemma…and she was his Joss! Fuck! Gemma had faced her test and failed, late in this life Gemma'd been faced with it, with decades of experience in her blood and her soul, and she'd failed! But Joss…fuck, the word "teen" still appeared in the age she was, but she'd passed that test! What would Joss be in ten more years; in twenty? If Clay meant it, if this club was Tig's when he was out…shit…then Tig had a queen behind him so much more powerful than her legendary predecessor.

Before Tig knew it he was walking towards Joss, which of course had Joss walking too, even faster now towards the fucking woods. She was ready…she'd fucked up, she knew the game, she knew the penalty, and she wouldn't argue it or expect that Tig would see her as anything other than the property she was…she'd fucked up, she wasn't special any longer, she'd hurt him, and she wanted him to hurt her. But no, none of that could have been further from the truth, or from Tig's thoughts. She was running now, nearly to the edge of the damn woods, stopping and looking into them, shivering with a chill that wasn't in the air. "God damn it! Joss! Stop!"

She remained still, looking back over her shoulder briefly, likely surprised that he wasn't yelling and shouting more than he was. But then she looked back at the woods again…like trying to find the best way into them through all the sticker bushes and downed limbs and fallen dead trees…looking for a place she'd like to lay down, forever. "He's in here, somewhere, too." She said, looking over her shoulder at Tig again, and starting to cry a little more. "I just don't want to be next him, okay?"

Jesus Christ…Tig couldn't even speak…as if he'd even think of putting her anywhere near some fucking wannabe; Joss was royalty of royalty in this life, and for the rest of Tig's life he'd be keeping shit like that away from her. He'd always protect her, from everything, including himself; he'd made himself promise not to give into the storms of avarice that were forever forming within him. He'd made himself swear he wouldn't jump to conclusions without hearing her out first, no matter how something may have looked. He'd upheld that promise to himself this time, and at the moment when he'd have needed no more provocation to drag her deep into those woods…and walk out alone. But no, he'd held back, held off, held himself together, Joss the one who was willingly kneeling down in front of him, putting that gun to her head…she was sorry, she wasn't begging for another chance, she'd considered what she'd done unforgiveable, and she was doing the only thing she knew how to save face for him. That she was so willingly submitting to her own death…fuck…it just made Tig want to protect her more, and his blood spread through his veins with the fire of any other battle, despite how he'd meant to prevent harm, not cause it. "Sit down, and shut the fuck up!" He ordered sternly, standing still, about ten feet from her, but knowing if he tried to close the distance between them, she'd only go further into the God damn woods.

Joss complied, facing him even as she collapsed against the ground, but then she looked down. Tig stumbled forward a bit; the closer he came to her, the more afraid of what he could have done to her, of what the code of this life had procured him the right to perpetrate. He fell to his knees in front of her, sliding the Glock into the waistband of his jeans. "Look at me," he told her, and this time reached out and grabbed her black fringe bangs, pulling them back and forcing her head up. "Why didn't you shoot him?" He asked again. "Answer me!"

He'd expected her next words to be turned on herself, that it was her fault; that would have been Joss's logic; she couldn't shoot Opie for something she'd allowed him to do, even though it had been evident to Tig that she hadn't invited such liberties to be taken. "I belong to you," she said. "It's not my place. It wasn't my place before, either."

Tig nodded. "You're right about that," he said, though until now, he hadn't fully considered it…Joss had no right to decide to kill Opie when she'd decided to weeks ago…that damn girl was more than capable of taking care of herself, Tig no longer doubted that, but in the eyes of the club, in the eyes of the life, it was his obligation to protect what they had and what they were, as well as her honor…not Joss's. Shooting Ope tonight would have vindicated her of any cooperation with him, but it would have left Tig looking derelict in his responsibilities. Joss…even at eighteen years old, she knew this life forwards and backwards, and she was growing and learning within it, realizing what was her shit and what was his. Isn't that what he'd tried to explain to her earlier today? "You think I should kill you?"

"I think too much," she said, looking at his face, but not at his eyes, and Tig didn't make her, not yet. "Isn't that what you told me once?"

"You love him?" Tig asked next, calmly, even though he already knew her answer. He let go of her hair and moved his hand down around to her chin, and this time did lift her head up until her eyes were on his.

"Of course not," she said, plainly, no emphasis, no attitude, nothing that revealed anything about how she was trying to "make" him believe it because it wasn't a true statement. She was shaking, he could feel her doing so, but she wasn't scared, was holding up to this in a way he'd never really seen before, though she knew she had no hopes of changing the outcome she'd predicted. "But there's another reason I didn't pull the trigger."

There was more? About Opie? No! Tig hadn't expected there to be more, and he was afraid to ask, but he knew he had to. "Why?" Jesus fucking Christ, if she thought she was going to die before the sun rose in the next few minutes, why didn't she just take a few secrets with her? But she didn't love Ope, where the hell could she be going with this? Donna…she'd let Opie live so he could forever be around to remind Tig of Donna? "Please, little girl…" Tig suddenly realized he was speaking. "Don't tell me—"

"You need to know," she said, shaking her head, and her tears had diminished, she sat there in front of him so sturdily it made Tig sickeningly curious. "I promised Clay I'd say nothing, and I won't, not even now. But, Opie loves this club, and he's got a place in its future, he's an honorable man; he's not Jax, no matter how much Jax may try to make him look like he is. Ope sees things a little differently from the way you do, but that's exactly what you're going to need one day, Tig."

Chapter 60; Part 2

"Oh shit!" Joss awoke to the sound of the tent flap zipping open, then zipping furiously closed as someone ducked back out of it again in some major rush. "Oh man…I'm really sorry!" Sack stood outside now, averting his eyes. "Fuck…why does this always happen to me?"

She wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but just the way Sack had reacted to walking in on her lying naked in Tig's arms was enough to make her laugh. She and Tig weren't supposed to have been there, but they'd never made it home last night. Last night…she'd always known Tig wouldn't hurt her, not even when he should have and he didn't, not even after she'd tried to make him do so. She'd never loved a man more than she loved him, and no man had ever loved her more either.

They'd gotten as far as the tent, after they'd left the tree line…the tree line that Joss never wished to see again, and before she knew it, she and Tig were inside the black and silver tent, and he was kissing her with no end in sight…the sun rising outside as he…made love to her like he'd been on the verge of losing her forever...which she thought he had…but Tig, true to form, just when he seemed to become predictable, did the unthinkable. He loved her, enough to believe her, enough to forgive her, enough to want to be with her forever, and as Joss began to understand now, he loved her too much to even tell her; words just wouldn't be enough, and so he'd showed her, in the only way he really knew how. There had been a few sleeping bags in the tent, incase anyone had decided to stay overnight, but no one had, Lodi being so close to home that no one had really been willing to waste a night sleeping on the ground, in a tent…except for she and Tig…but that was purely accidental…and though they'd both curled up together in the same sleeping bag, there hadn't been a lot of sleeping.

Tig's love was so physical…loving her was wanting her, and Joss hadn't been in any stronger a state of mind, or heart, when he'd carried her in here, pulling off her clothes as he kissed her, letting her do the same to him, and for the longest time, they only kissed, naked body to naked body, every want and desire clear between them both, but it hadn't been about cumming or even fucking…it was about them and what each meant to the other, and what it did to them to be together. She'd been the first to experience that, in the chapel, astride Tig in Clay's chair, kissing him, feeling him, letting him flow through her veins, the man she loved, the man that loved her…and it happened again as this day had dawned, wrapped in Tig's arms, and his kiss, feeling herself shudder and buck against him as another climax wracked her body. It hadn't been long after that when her man had shuddered, kissed her with a locked jaw to prevent biting her harder than he ever had before, and let her close her arms over him and hold tightly, kissing his neck and tense jaw and lips, telling him she loved him, until she felt his cum christening her belly in hot, hard, spurts.

What it was that they felt for one another was never to likely be defined, and Joss didn't wish for it to be. It would lose its wildness and its freedom if it ever was named…it was like the life; seductive, but hard to handle, amazing, but dangerous, and beckoning, but it would tear the wrong people to tatters. The energy, the entity, the love…whatever it was, all Joss knew was that it was equal and balanced and yet, barely contained, between her and Tig, and it couldn't exist without them, just as they couldn't exist without it. That's all she had to know.

Despite the noises of the little tent city around them coming alive, and Sack's intrustion, Tig was still out, his arm around her shoulders, his big hand over her head, keeping her in place against his broad chest where he wanted her. But she had to get up…she was a mess after all the crying last night…fuck…was there maybe time to go home, shower and change her clothes before having to be out there, looking stunning and being sweet, one more time? Besides, if Sack were here, the rest certainly would be soon as well.

"Good morning, Half-Sack," Joss quietly called with a smile, looking at him through the screen of the tent flap. "What time is it?"

"It's around eight-thirty," He answered, still careful not to look into the tent. "Clay said to start setting up the chairs and put beer on ice…and the cooler's…uh…in with you guys."

"Oh, okay, don't worry about it." She said, relieved that there was indeed time to get home, get cleaned up and changed, and get back out here by the start of things at ten o'clock…well…maybe there was…if she could get Tig awake. "Tig," she said softly, but loudly enough to make him stir as she snuggled into him and kissed his chest. She loved this man so much…and he loved her…his love for her was stronger than his jealousy, and his need to appear a certain way to his brothers…but then, unless Opie talked, which she doubted he did, who knew anything had happened last night? Tig…she and he were safe, and solid. "Baby, wake up."

The only part of him that moved was his fingers, stroking through her hair. "Joss," he groaned, eyes still closed. "Baby, go back to sleep." He sort of mimicked, and when Joss glanced up, he was smirking a little.

"No, Tig come on…take me home so I can get ready to be out here again, please?" She asked, but lay her head back down against him again, listening to his heart and closing her eyes. He loved her…he'd never say it…but he loved her as much as she loved him. Whatever they were, it was going to withstand anything.

"Why?" He lay there asking, eyes never opening, but both his arms surrounding her now and squeezing tightly and moaning a little as her body pressed more and more into his. "I hate the fucking CBA's, Joss." He said, like it was the first time he'd announced it.

"Yeah? Well I hate not having a shower," she replied, and dragged her fingers through his chest hair, fighting the urge to trace his nipple with her fingertip; if she started touching what she knew now were trigger spots, she'd never get him out of this sleeping bag, or get out herself either. Hmm…another good toss with him sounded good though! But, so did a shower. "Particularly when I've got your…goo all over me," she giggled against his chest.

Tig's eye finally opened and he stretched and laughed. "You're hurtin' my feelings," he said to her with that same simpering grin. "That was some of my best stuff, little girl."

"Oooh man…" Sack was groaning outside the tent flap. "Look, you all just finish up with…with…just…hey, I'll be back later, alright?" Both Tig and Joss burst out laughing as they listened to Sack walking further and further away, but all of sudden, Sack turned and ran back to the tent, bending down against the tent flap again, but still so careful to not see anything inside. "'Scuse me, it's, uh, Sack again," he said, making Tig and Joss laugh some more. "I just thought I'd let you know that, well, uh, Joss, there's like some moist towelettes in there over by the grill stuff."

Joss looked at Tig, who looked back at her and again they both burst out laughing. "Sack!" Joss yelled, "The thoughts you're connecting are kinda obscene!" Tig snickered and pulled her head downwards and kissed her cheek.

"Sorry, ma'am, I didn't mean nothing by it, I was just trying—" Sack was stammering.

"Would you just go fuck yourself, prospect?" Tig yelled over Sack's floundering apology, and with a quivering "yes sir," Sack literally ran off, which again made Tig and Joss laugh, laying together, naked within the sleeping bag still. "'Moist towelette'," Tig repeated then sighed, glancing down at Joss. "Not a word you hear a whole lot of in our community, huh?"

Joss laughed and shook her head against his broad chest, "when you guys patch him in, change his name to that…you can call him 'MT' for short." Tig chuckled, then wrapped his arms around her again and hugged her to him, groaning again as he did, his hand on the back of her head beginning to stroke her long black hair, further and further down her back, into the sleeping bag, slowly over her rounded buttocks, finally cupping one firmly, then sitting up and leaning down enough to kiss her, sucking at her upper lip, then her lower, finally knotting her tongue with his. Joss closed her eyes and willed his fingers between her legs, about to shift her weight so that she could feel his dick harden against her ribs…but now wasn't the time…and it really did suck! "Tig," she said, a bit out of breath from the kiss she'd broken. "We have to get going," she said disappointedly. "I love your body, and I love you, but, come on," she knew she had to be the one to move, the one to start to sit up, even though there was a very good chance that Tig would pull her back down again and roll on top of her, but still, there were a lot of reasons they couldn't start going at it in the tent again, the first of which being that Sack would be returning. She lifted her head away from his and pushed off his chest a bit, trying to sit up, but as soon as she'd moved, she'd felt like something hooked her to him, and Tig immediately let out a bellowing "ow!"

"What the fuck?" He looked at her confusedly and accusingly as Joss looked downwards, trying to figure it out as well…noticing at once what it was…the adhesive tape holding the gauze pad on over her new tattoo…it must have come unpeeled enough last night while they were…all over each other…and as she'd lay against him, it had stuck itself to the hair on his chest.

"I'm sorry!" Joss tried to sound like she was, but she started laughing instead as she pointed to the tape, which now bore a small number of dark curly hairs on it. "I didn't realize—"

"Hey!" Tig laughed a bit too, but sort of whined, reaching out and pulling off a few of the hairs that were stuck there on the adhesive tape, then held them up to her. "Now put 'em back!" He loudly ordered, but couldn't exactly stop laughing.

Joss laughed even more, ending up leaning over him some as she tried to stop, Tig laughing also, but grabbing her as predicted, and tucking her beneath him as he got above her, laughing less as he began to kiss her neck, one arm around her, and the other clutching and squeezing her full breast.

Jesus…last night…only a few hours ago really, she'd been set to be shot in the head by him; and now, here they were…God, they were so fucked up! But it worked for them, and she dared anyone else to try it! "I really do love you," she said as he'd raised his head from her neck, having meant to kiss her mouth next.

"Then fuck me," he encouraged, smirking a little again and moving above her in even more encouragement, his big, hard cock jabbing at her thighs.

"You're not supposed to pressure me into proving my feelings for you," she jokingly admonished, both her hands on his shoulders and waiting to know where he wanted to be touched. "I saw it on an 'After School Special' once!" She giggled.

Tig laughed, but it gradually tapered off into an endearing look of adoration that Joss wasn't accustomed to, his hand leaving her breast to stroke her softly over her face. "You know you're something special, don't you?"

Joss smiled, feeling a little embarrassed, he'd never quite given her that kind of look, or compliment before. "I know I am to you," she answered, looking up at his eyes as his fingers traced her ear, then along her cheek.

"No," Tig shook his head, "I mean, you are, you definitely are," he said then kissed her softly lightly, but like he might not stop, tongue so soft and so gentle against hers, pulling away just when Joss was beginning to get into it, and continuing his thought. "But more than only that, Joss," he said, then sighed again and shook his head, that adoration still in his ice blue eyes. "You're…meant to be here," he said, though he looked disappointed with his words. "Shit," he half muttered, "just sometimes, I think you really are a fucking angel."

What? Did he know what he was saying, because he'd never said it before? "Let's hope not," Jesus…if she was angel then Heaven was one fucked up mental ward, or God was like some…really bad HR director.

Tig grimaced a bit then kissed her again, slowly, gently and still not long enough. "Look," he said, slipping both his arms around her to hold her even closer to his body. "I don't know how, I don't know when, but this thing with me and Ope," he paused like even though he was the one bringing it up, he still didn't want to discuss it, but he was, for her. "It'll be okay."

Author's Note: Hello, thank you for reading! I thought I should let you all know that we are quickly coming to a close with this story, and I thank all of you who have been reading! And all of you who have been brave enough, and kind enough, to comment, you are all my "angels!" To: Bad Company, Detzer, Fanficfan4Ever, FunnyMick, Cariad46, Phoenix1972, LiveFreeDieWell, Ozlady80, PeaceMusic71, Griftergirl7, Missiemeghan, Tie228, AlyKat4Life, RayRox, ., and Angel N Darkness, thank you all for making this story what it has been! You will never know to what depths you have inspired me to write this piece and make it become! I am thinking of doing a sequel to this story, and I welcome and encourage you to share any thoughts on that you may have. I am eager to try to show you my "thanks" in not only the writing of a sequel, but also by taking your "requests." If there is anything you would like to see happen in another "Tijo" story, please indicate whatever your idea or wish is in a review so I will know! Thank you again, and it has been a wonderful experience entertaining you all!