A/N: So a few of you have mentioned that you would like me to speed up the story, and I am planning on doing that but I am setting the ground work for later chapters. After this chapter I hope you'll understand why I'm going at this pace.
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"Have a good day at school sweetie." Her mother called after her as she ran into the classroom door painted with a giant four with colorful swirls all around it.
Turning back around quickly she waved to her mother and Tommy before turning back around to find a seat. Finding one at the very front which was conveniently next to Donna's she hurried over and shrugged off her backpack.
"I'M SO EXCITED!" Donna squealed once she had sat down and looked around the room once or twice.
"I know me too!" She agreed before the school bell rung and a swarm of students entered into the class at breakneck speed to be seated before the teacher took attendance.
A boy with short chocolate brown hair sat to the right of her, hanging up his bag on his chair before he turned to her. She smiled at him as she introduced herself before he could get a word out.
"My name's Tara and this is my best friend Donna." She said pointing to her friend who waved at the boy.
"I know who you are, I'm David." The young boy said before nodding his head at Donna before turning around as the teacher called the class to attention to begin the day.
She looked over at Donna as David's name was called and he called out present as him and a few boys were making paper airplanes.
Donna's eyes went wide as her own as she realized her new classmate was none other than the bully and tormentor Jacob Hale's younger brother.
After attendance was taken the rest of the class went on without a hitch and she was happy to be learning new things. It was a good day until the recess bell rang all the kids scurried out the door with snacks in hand.
"Do you want one?" David asked as he held out the bag just as Tara and Donna were exiting the door.
She looked at him for a moment then a Donna and then at the bag of snacks before her stomach decided to make the decision for her.
"Sure." She said smiling over at him before she plunged her hand in and grabbed a chip. Munching on it she continued to walk toward the playground, already seeing Jax and Opie hanging by the basketball courts.
Of course she didn't get that far because as soon as she made it out from under the overhang of the roof Jacob stepped in front of her causing her to stop in her tracks causing Donna to collide into her.
"What are you doing hanging around my brother?" Jacob demanded looking between her and David.
"I-I am" She started before David cut her off and told his brother to back off and not be mean to his friends or he would tell dad.
Jacob through once last withering glance her way before stomping back to the courts, bypassing Jax and Opie on his way.
Just as she thanked David, Jax and Opie sidled up to her and demanded to know if Jacob was being mean to her. Letting them know she was fine she introduced them to David who smiled at Jax and Opie before asking if they wanted any of his chips. Opie never being one to deny food grabbed a handful and stuffed them in his mouth.
Before they could really do any playing the bell rang again and she said goodbye to her two older friends before the three of them walked back to class. As she sat down she realized that David Hale was nothing like his meanie of a brother and he had good snacks, to boot. She thought that perhaps David could be her friend just like Donna, Jax, Opie and even little Tommy.
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As the first day of being a fourth grader came to a close; she met the boys at the flag pole outside of their class. Saying goodbye to David as he tried to catch up with his brother she told him she'd see him tomorrow.
"Ready to go?" Opie asked looking between her and Donna.
"Don't we have to pick up Tommy?" Donna asked Jax.
He simply shrugged his backpack over one shoulder and shook his head no before walking out to the sidewalk to trudge to the Garage.
She was so excited, it was her first time walking home from school without an adult and she felt like such a big kid. She and Donna stopped to pick flowers at every bush they came to collecting them as they went. By the time they made it to the Garage her legs were tired and all she wanted was a tall glass of Lemonade and one of Uncle Bobby's famous sandwiches. As they crossed the threshold into the garage her flowers were limp. Just as she was about to take off her backpack and sit down Aunt Mary burst through the door to the clubhouse screaming bad words as Uncle Piney rushed after her.
"I thought you would be able to keep your dick where it belonged and not in some tramp who wants to take a walk on the wild side. I honestly-" She screamed at him as she spun around to face him.
"Mary its not-" Uncle Piney tried to explain.
"Don't you dare try and explain it to me." She bellowed stomping up him, "Honestly I don't know how Gemma handles it. All the fucking around and trips to god knows where." She said out loud gaining the attention of a few her other Uncles.
"Mary will you calm down." Piney said grabbing ahold of her Aunt's flailing hand.
"NO! Maybe Kat had the right idea, get out of the club while she still could. Before she died of heartbreak or given the SON's track record, a deadly disease." She screamed into his face before yanking her arm out of his before turning to head toward her car, until she reared back noticing all of us sitting at a table.
"Opie." Aunt Mary said as the anger dissipated and was overcome by sadness.
She looked over at her friend, who took one look at his father and mother before high-tailing into the club house despite his parents' attempts to talk to him.
She waited until Aunt Mary gave up and drove away before she walked over to Uncle Piney and gave him a hug, which he returned ten-fold.
After the screaming had ended and there was nothing to see the workers, or as Aunt Gemma called them Prospects got back to work and they all headed inside for a sandwich.

Uncle Piney drove them to their prospective houses after they had had their fill of bologna sandwiches and stale crackers, Uncle Bobby wasn't there.
She was the last one to be dropped off considering her house was right across the street from them and she kissed her Uncle on the cheek because he looked mighty sad and gave Opie her last handful of candy corn from lunch she was saving for tomorrow. She slide of the truck just as her mother was coming up the walk from Uncle Piney's house.
"You talkin' to Mary?" He asked her gruffly as she passed his open window.
Her mother brushed back her hair before she gave him a sad look, "You need to talk to her Piney." Her mother said sagely before grabbing her hand and walking into the house.
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A day turned into a week and a week turned into two as Thanksgiving arrived in a flurry of baking and roasting at the Knowles household. It was her Mother's turn to host thanksgiving and considering her daddy proudly told her that since her mother was Six months and a whole two days pregnant she would have to help out more because she was a big girl now, and honestly she didn't mind because whenever her mother was busying fussing with something she would eat the pie filling and nibble of fingers overflowing with mashed potatoes. It was the best job ever, and she told her daddy so as he checked in on them from time to time.
At three o'clock Aunt Mary came over with Opie and Uncle Piney in tow, who threw his wife a mean look as she let the screen door close after her in his face.
Sometimes at night after she was tucked into bed and the house was quiet she could her Aunt Mary yelling at her Uncle across the street, she had mentioned it to her mommy once but she said it wasn't any of my business.
Opie ambled into the kitchen and took a seat beside her as she took a finger full of potato before popping it in her mouth.
"Want some?" She asked holding out her finger as mashed potato dripped onto the table.
Opie didn't have to be asked twice as he dug right in.
"TARA ELIZABETH KNOWLES AND HARRY JAMES WINSTON WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING?" Her mother shrieked at them, causing them both to jump and the bowl of mashed potatoes to fall to the floor.
She licked her finger before smiling sweetly over at her mom and the other adults as they came running into the kitchen to see what the commotion was all about.
"Go to your room right now!" she yelled shooing her out of the kitchen and Opie followed as Uncle Piney gave them a look that could scare Uncle Happy.
"Those were really good potatoes." Opie whispered to her as they skulked down the hallway towards her room.
As her other Aunt and Uncles greeted her she couldn't help but notice that Aunt Mary and Uncle Piney never talked to each other. She decided to make everyone a place card while the adults ate tiny food and drinks that she was no way allowed to have. She roped the three boys into helping her so they would be done when everyone sat down for dinner.
After an hour of coloring and Jax and Opie complaining about how coloring was for girls they finally finished and set them at the table just as her Daddy brought out the turkey.
"All right everybody find your places." Hugh called as he noticed his name card at the head of the table decorated in little turkeys.
All the adults found their seats with little to no trouble that is until Aunt Mary realized she was next to her husband. She looked over at her and then to Opie before she sat down with a scowl and arms crossed.
"I would like to thank all of my family for spending this holiday with me and I just wanted to say that I'm thankful for all of you." Her father said before cutting into the bird amidst applause.
"How is it that I always get seated next to you, I thought I put my name card two seats down from you?" Opie said annoyance seeping into his voice as he realized he was sitting next to her.
She simply smirked at him before she poured a spoonful of peas on his plate.
"Where are the potatoes? Chibs hollered over the noise, which caused her and Opie to giggle and her mother to give her a stern look.
Thanksgiving dinner was fun as Tig and Happy made silly faces with their uneaten food, yet something was wrong as a section of the table was completely silent, Aunt Mary and Uncle Piney to be exact.
"I'd like to let all my brothers, and the lovely ladies seated around this table that I'm so grateful for my family that I chose." Uncle Piney said as he stood up from his chair with beer glass in hand.
His toast was met by a grumble from her Aunt who set down her napkin and shot up out of her seat.
"Piney." She said with barely concealed rage before she exited the house, not sparing a single person at the table a glance.
Her uncle shot them all a sheepish smile before following after his wife.
The hushed attempt at yelling could be heard through the screen door as they ate away at the last bits of scrap on their plates.
"THE SONS THINK THEY ARE SO HIGH AND MIGHTY THAT A PIECE ON THE SIDE IS AN HONOR, BUT I CAN'T TAKE AND I WON'T STAND FOR IT." Aunt Mary yelled, not even trying to have a sense of decorum for the fellow guests just inside the house.
"Who wants pie?" Her mother asked drawing everyone's attention from the scene going on outside.
A chorus of yes's and want me some pie drowned out the rest of the conversation floating in from the chilly night air.
As the pie was sliced and handed out Uncle Piney walked back into the house, alone looking sadder then she had ever seen him. She grabbed her plate of pumpkin pie and held it out to him as she came to stand in front of him.
"Thank you little Tara, you're the best girl a guy could ever ask for." He told her before giving a small smile.
She thought to herself as she looked at her Uncle that He was right, Family is the definitely something to be thankful for and looking around at hers she couldn't be more thankful.

However not everyone felt that way considering Aunt Mary was up at daylight the next morning seen packing up the family car and leaving without a word to her son, all the while as her Uncle stood in the doorway to their home with Opie beside him.

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So what do you think? Theories anyone? Please review it makes me write faster.