Sons of Anarchy has finally ended. I'm still not over it. I would like to think the ending satisfied me only because I don't have any other option other than to just accept it. No spoilers here, but UUUUUGGGGHHHHH. The second to last episode killed me. To everyone who has seen it, you know why. And of course the finale just hit me really hard. I cried throughout the entire episode.
No more rambling about the series finale because I can go on and on and on... I feel like I'm going to cry just thinking about it.
Please enjoy this new chapter, leave a review, and Happy New Year!
Title I've chosen for this chapter is "Survival" by Muse
Disclaimer: I do not own SOA.
It had only been a few short weeks since Kim left back to Tacoma, but Emily missed her terribly. She had driven her to the airport, said her goodbyes, and that was it. Her friend was heading back home. Emily hadn't realized how much she had missed her until she was gone.
Instead of sulking around, Emily decided to stay busy. She would work around the garage, take care of Ellie and Kenny, help Jax with Abel, go apartment hunting, and hang around with Juice. She certainly enjoyed his company a lot more now that they had decided to be open about how they felt for each other. They didn't want anyone to know what was going on between the two of them. Who knows what Piney, Opie and the rest of the club might do to them. To Juice. They didn't want to risk it. Whatever it was.
Emily would usually be cooped up in the office until the end of the day or whenever Gemma showed up to take over.
But today was different.
Tara had managed to set up Emily with an interview with one of St. Thomas' administrators. Sort of like a meeting before she is considered for a position at St. Thomas. Nothing too big, but Emily was starting to get nervous. Knowing Gemma had a busy with Tara, Emily spent her morning organizing files to kill time. It was a slow morning, which only bored her more.
Emily spotted a hybrid making it's way into the lot. That's odd. They rarely did services on hybrids. She saw her brother walk out to meet the owner of the busted car. Emily automatically recognized the beautiful blonde woman. Lyla? She couldn't help but to stare out the door, watching as her brother exchange words with the porn actress. Opie walked out of Emily's sight for just a second before returning back to Lyla, a smile spread across her face.
Lyla helped a young boy out of her car, handed her keys over to Opie, then followed Dog to the tow truck. Emily guessed her brother must have asked him to give them a ride to wherever it was that she was heading off to.
"You busy?" Opie emerged from the garage and stepped into the office.
"No, not really." She shoved aside the files she had just completed. "What do you need?"
Opie frowned at her. "Where the hell are you heading off to dressed like that?" Instead of the usual jeans and tshirt, Emily wore a white button-up shirt, black pencil skirt with black pumps. Why do you have to say it with THAT attitude?
"Today's my interview at St. Thomas. You forgot, didn't you?" Opie merely shrugged his shoulders, making Emily pout. "Thanks for remembering, big brother." She shook her head. He probably doesnt care. Emily peered through the door that connects the office to the garage, taking a look at the hybrid. "I didn't know Lyla had a kid."
His frown stayed on his face. "You know her?"
"I met her at the wrap party. She's nice." Opie stayed silent for a second, staring down at the set of keys in the palm of his hands. "Really pretty, too."
He snapped out of it, clearing his throat. "I need a couple of parts. Think you can order them for me? Need them by this afternoon." He tossed the keys onto the desk.
"Yeah, I'll make the calls before I head out." Opie jotted down all the parts on a piece of paper, including the numbers she would need to call. When he finished he handed it over to his sister. She scanned the list before nodding her head. Easy enough. "Anything else?"
"I need you here when Lyla gets back to do her paperwork."
"Aren't you going to be around to do that? I'm sure she would like to see you again." He stepped out of the room, completely ignoring Emily's comment. You're no fun. Emily looked down at her outfit. Is it THAT bad? Sure, it was something a lot more dressier than what she would usually wear, but she liked it.
After ordering the parts for Lyla's car, Emily decided to leave for St. Thomas. She felt completely fine until she walked into the hospital. The knots in her stomach grew tighter and tighter as she walked down the hallways. As she turned the corner, she came to a halt. She had never met the hospital's administrator before, but Emily knew exactly who she was the second she saw her standing by one of the information desks. Red hair, glasses, stern look. That's gotta be her. Tara's description of her was very on point.
Emily took a slow step toward her. "Mrs. Margaret Murphy?" The red haired woman looked up from the file.
"You must be Emily Winston." Emily nodded her head, faking a smile. "It's nice to meet you." They shook hands. She had a strong grip for someone so weak looking. "Please, take a seat." They both sat down on the closest set of chairs up against the wall. Emily was glad they didn't go into an office. Sitting out in the open hallway made her feel a bit more at ease.
"Thank you for taking your time to have a sit down with me. I know you must be extremely busy."
"It's my pleasure. With a resume like yours, how could I not make time to sit down and meet with you." She glanced down at the open file in her hands, giving an approving nod. "Immediately started to work in a top rated hospital after graduating at the top of your class. No vacations or sick days. Perfect attendance. Recommendations from all of your supervisors, including one from our very own Dr. Knowles. Very impressive."
"Thank you, ma'am. I try my best to deliver great service."
"I could see that." She closed the file and smiled at Emily. "Dr. Knowles wouldn't have gone through so much trouble setting up this meeting for us if she didn't think you were suited for this hospital. How is it that you know her?"
She's dating SAMCRO's Vice President, which so happens to be my brother's best friend. "I've known her since childhood. I grew up in Charming, moved to Washington to pursue my career in nursing, and just recently moved back here to be with my family. Dr. Knowles and I share a lot of similarities in our background." Margaret seemed satisfied with Emily's response; she merely nodded her head and continued to smile.
"I would have to talk with the rest of the administrators and staff here at the hospital but I have a good feeling about you. It might take some time for us to receive your final transcripts from Washington but as soon as they come in, when would you be able to start?"
Emily sat there with her mouth gaped open. Was this really happening? She was speechless, making Margaret laugh. "We would be honored to have you work with us. St. Thomas will surely benefit from your services."
"T-Thank you, ma'am." Emily had to take a second to recollect her thoughts. "I would be able to start as soon as possible!"
"That's the type of attitude I like to see." She chuckled. "I have to get going now. It's going to be a long day." They both stood up and shook eachother's hand. "I'll keep in touch." And with that, she excused herself and walked down the hallway.
Emily couldn't help but sigh in relief. Was that really it? For such a short meeting, she felt good about it. Seems like her file showed her full potential and the administrator didn't need any more convincing. Emily was thankful for that.
She made her way to the hospital's entrance, eager to leave the building, when she bumped into Tara. "Hey, Tara-" Emily's jaw dropped. "What the hell happened to you?"
Tara had a small bandage around her swollen, now bruised nose. A deep purple bruise was starting to form underneath her right eye, too. "I snuck up behind Gemma and startled her. It was an accident."
"Is it broken?"
"Unfortunately." She shifted her weight, looking very hesitant. She glanced around them before speaking in a low voice. "Do you know a girl with short, blonde hair? Around your age?"
"No. Not that I can recall." She eyed Tara, giving her a weary look. "Why?"
She sighed, taking a second to respond. "Gemma was running after this girl before I caught up to her. The girl hopped in a truck before I could get a good look at her."
Emily shrugged. "Maybe you should ask her?"
Tara scoffed. "Yeah. How hard could that be?" She shook her head gently, lifting her hand to touch her sensitive nose. "Have you talked to Margaret yet?"
"Just finished up the interview actually." Emily smirked. "She said I can start as soon as she receives my transcripts."
"Congratulations! I knew you could do it!" Tara smiled at her "She'd be proud of you, ya know."
Emily automatically knew who she was referring to. Donna. "Yeah. I think so, too."
"I gotta get going. I have to start my shift soon. I'll see you later?" Emily nodded her head and they both went their separate ways.
Emily resisted the urge to skip her way to her car. After months of not working, she was finally going to get back to the field. No more playing babysitter or maid or secretary! Sure, this meant less time at the clubhouse and around the guys, but it was for her own good. She would soon be able to rent her own apartment and get off of Opie's couch. It was starting to get uncomfortable.
Her phone started to ring and she quickly grabbed it from her shoulder bag. "What's up, Old Man?" she answered.
"Just uh...doing my part time job." Piney had been hired to be 'Security' at Cara Cara. That's right. Very dedicated to his work. "Are you done with your interview?"
At least my dad remembered. "Yeah, it went well. I have to wait for some papers to come in from Tacoma but I'm good to go. I even bumped into Tara." She hopped into car, slamming the door shut. "Does Jax know Gemma busted Tara's nose?"
"She did what?" Piney chuckled. She could imagine him pouring some more tequila into a shot glass. "That woman sure knows how to leave a mark."
"She sure does. Well, I'll let you get back to your 'security' job. See you back at TM."
"Sounds good, sweetheart." She could hear the shrieks and moaning of the Cara Cara girl in the background. Emily tried not to groan. "Bye."
Emily started the engine and made her way back to the garage. On her way there she passed by Chibs, who was driving the tow truck. He gave her a wide, cheesy smile, making her laugh. She simply sent him a small wave and continued to drive down the road.
She pulled into TM, seeing two bikes in the lot. One of them belonged to Chibs, and the other?
"Hey, Dog!" she called out to the mechanic who was working on Lyla's hybrid. "Have you seen Juice around here?"
"Yeah, he's in the clubhouse!" the man shouted out before focusing back on his work.
Emily debated whether or not she should bother him. Gemma was nowhere to be seen so maybe she get a head start on Lyla's paperwork? She looked over to the closed office door. Fuck that. She turned her heel and headed to the clubhouse.
As she walked in, she saw Juice hunched over some half empty beer cases. Emily quietly sat down on one of the stools and leaned on the bar top. "Mind if I have one?"
"Shit!" He jumped when her heard her voice, obviously surprised to see her there. "You can't sneak up on me like that." He popped off the lid on one of the beers, handing it over to her.
"Shouldn't the prospect be doing this?" She smirked, taking a sip.
He finished storing away the beer and shoved the two empty cases to the floor. "I don't have anything better to do. Have to hang around here till church so I might as well stay busy."
"How considerate of you." Emily traced the rim of the bottle with her finger, watching Juice pop open a beer for himself. He leaned forward on his elbows and finally looked up at her. She continued to stare at him, his dark eyes staring right back at her. It sort of turned into a staring contest.
Juice gave up and chuckled. "What is it?"
"Can't I admire your brown eyes without being questioned?" He gave her a 'don't bullshit me' look. Emily looked down at her hands and continued to play with her beer bottle. "I'm going to start working at St. Thomas soon."
"No shit?" Juice let out a goofy smile. Emily couldn't help but laugh, nodding her head. "That's great, Em! When do you start?"
"Not sure. Maybe in a few weeks? If everything goes well, maybe even in a couple of days."
His grin slowly began to fall. "That means you won't be hanging around here anymore, right?"
"Less time in the office, more time making money so I can rent my own place. I'm not gonna disappear on everyone. I'll still be around."
Juice shrugged his shoulders, lightly nodding his head. Emily could tell he wanted to say something but he stayed quiet after that. Emily was about to say something when he stood upright. He absentmindedly kicked the empty boxed out from behind the bar. "I should uhh..." He cleared his throat, chugging the rest of his beer down. "I should throw these out."
"Let me help you." Emily stood from her stool, leaning down to grab a crate.
"No, I got it. It's oka-" He stopped in his tracks. Emily stared at him, waiting for him to continue, but he simply stared back at her. Stared at her body. Oh. Right.
"You like it?"
He looked her up and down, a smirk on his lips. "I like it." He dropped the cardboard boxes he was holding and edged her towards the bar, pinning her up against it. "I really like it."
She scoffed, trying to mask how embarrassed she felt. "I look like a secretary."
"A sexy secretary." Juice wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her up against him. Emily gasped, earning a grin from Juice. "Or a hot substitute teacher."
Emily laughed. "Substitute teacher? Really?"
"Yeah." He placed his hands on her hips. "I'm ready for some extra credit." Did he really just say that? Instead of waiting to see what other cheesy line he could come up with, she kept him quiet the only she knew how to; she kissed him. It was the best distraction. One of his hands left her hip and made its way down to her thigh, then up to her ass. Emily was fine with letting Juice get away with second base, but when he gave her a tight squeeze, she yelped in surprise. He brought down his other hand to keep her still as she tried to shy away from him.
"Juice!" She pulled away from the kiss, unable to stop laughing. "Stop it!" He just laughed and gave her a playful kiss, his hands still on her ass.
The sound of the clubhouse door being thrashed open startled them. "Juice!" They heard Tig call out. Juice quickly backed off and tripped over the empty carts. He quickly picked himself up and practically ran behind the bar. Emily turned around and grabbed her beer, hoping to look as casual as possible.
Tig looked surprised to see Emily but he quickly looked over to his brother. "W-what's up?" Juice was out of breath. Emily tried not to smirk.
Tig looked over to Emily again, his piercing blue eyes staring directly into her own. "Give us a second." He wasn't asking; he was telling her. She had forgotten how scary he could be at times.
Must be club business. "Yeah, sure." She tried to look unfazed. She exchanged a quick glance at Juice, who looked confused as to why Tig wanted to speak with him alone. Emily grabbed her beer and walked out of the clubhouse without saying another word.
Thanks for ruining my mood, Tiggy. Emily sighed, walking toward the garage. She finished the rest of her beer while talking to Dog about all the different parts Hybrids needed. When auto parts started getting boring, Emily ended up in the office again.
One by one, the rest of the guys stared showing up, including her father. Taking some time out of your part time job, huh? He didn't walk into the office to greet her like he usually would. He simply got off of his bike, readjusted his oxygen tank, and walked inside the clubhouse to join the rest of his brothers. Club vote?
After a short while, Emily finished putting away all the files before Chibs strolled into the room. He let himself fall on the couch, letting out a loud sigh.
"What's up with you?"
"Tough day, darlin'." He rested his head on one of the pillows. "Things aren't going too well for us. Zobelle is up to no good."
"What did he do this time?" She asked, not expecting an answer.
"He got Otto jumped in Stockton. Lost his good eye."
Emily eyes widened. "What?" The second Zobelle and his crew showed up and crashed Bobby's Homecoming party, Emily knew that suit was just for show. "What's the club going to do?" She knew she shouldn't have asked because she didn't have the right to know, but Chibs went along with it.
"No retaliation. Not yet, anyway." He stretched his body across the couch, trying to get comfortable. "Clay wants immediate action. Jax wants us to slow down, take one step at a time." Emily looked out the door to see Jax sitting down next to her father. Piney patted him on the back, his way of trying to comfort him. "Zobelle is a smart bastard. Can't make a wrong move around him."
A soft knock came from the door, making both Chibs and Emily look up. "Oh, hi Lyla!"
Lyla was surprised to see Emily sitting behind the desk. Chibs stood up from the couch and walked over to the door that led to the garage. "Let me know when you've printed those papers, Em. I'll finish them off for you." Emily thanked him before he disappeared into the garage.
"I didn't know you worked here!" Lyla walked into office, a pearly white smile on her face. She was too gorgeous.
"Just a temporary thing. I'm helping out while I get my real job up and going."
"That's good. At least you'll be surrounded by good looking men." She looked through the window and into the garage, gazing at Opie as he prepared to drive her car onto the lot. "Have you ever tried to cozy up to them? To him?" She nodded her head toward Opie.
When she peered into the garage, Emily's mouth dropped open. "Him?" She busted out laughing. "Oh god, no! That's my brother!"
Lyla's big blue eyes widened even more. "He is your brother?" She did a double take, trying to see the resemblance. "When you said you were a friend of the club, I-I thought..."
"That I was sleeping with one of them?"
Lyla just gave her an apologetic smile and a quick shrug. "I just assumed that Juice was your guy for that night at the wrap party. I've heard girls that hang around the club tend to jump from one guy to the other..." When Emily raised an eyebrow, Lyla's face began to turn pink. "Oh, no! I'm not saying I thought you were one of them!"
"I'm not a crow eater." Emily laughed, shaking her head. With just a few clicks on the keyboard, Emily had Lyla's paperwork printed out and attached it to a clipboard. "C'mon. Let's get you outta here. Have to get back to your kid, right?"
"His name is Piper." She smiled at mentioning his name.
They walked out of the office and walked towards Chibs. Emily handed him the clipboard as he scanned the sheet for whatever information it was that needed to be filled out.
"Thanks for everything. I'll see you later?" Lyla asked.
"Yeah, sounds good." Lyla flashed a flawless smile before signing the last of her paperwork.
Chibs grabbed the pen from her hand, giving her a quick nod. "Thank you. Bye-bye."
"Bye." Lyla walked off toward Opie, who had jumped out of her hybrid. He held out the set of keys to her, and from Emily's distance, she saw Lyla slip something else into Opie's hand before she hopped back into her car.
"Did you just see that?" Emily grabbed onto Chibs, shaking him with excitement. "She gave him her number! SHE GAVE HIM HER NUMBER!" She tried to keep her voice low, but she was too happy. It hadn't drawn any attention.
"Aye. The boy is getting lucky soon." Emily made a face of disgust, making him laugh. "Fill the hole, Marty!"
"Got one in the back!" The man mentioned to Chibs.
"Just my luck." he groaned, looking back down at the paperwork one last time.
"Get to it, Scotty." She bumped his shoulder, giving him a wink. "I like hard working men." Chibs let out a chuckle and handed her the clipboard before walking away.
Emily walked back into the office to dump the paperwork on the desk and walked back out. Opie was talking to Tig as she passed by. She raised her eyebrow at Opie.
"What?" Her brother glared at her, crossing his arms over his chest. Trying to act tough now, huh?
"You know what." She smirked as she walked past him, leaning on the handlebars of Opie's bike. "I saw Lyla slip you that piece of paper." When he didn't respond, she pressed on. "So when are you going to call her?"
"Get off my bike!" He growled. Emily backed away from the bike, hands up, and turned around to continue walking.
"Hey, Pops." She gave Piney a quick kiss on the cheek before walking passed him to get to Juice. He sat on top of the table, drinking another beer.
"So..." He bent over, leaning his elbows on his knees. "Did I earn an A?" That grin of his returned. He was referring to their little handsy make out session in the clubhouse. Emily groaned.
"Stop." She hid behind her hair. Everyone, including her father, were only a few feet away from them. They could've easily overheard. She knew she was blushing. "I can't take you seriously when you talk like that."
"So I guess you're going to wear a sexy nurse outfit next?" He whispered to her, that grin still plastered on his face.
"Only if you consider scrubs sexy."
A loud explosion shook the ground, the sudden blast forcing everyone to flinch away from the sudden blast. Juice had jumped off the table and managed to pull Emily closer to him to shield her from whatever it was that had exploded. Everybody had regained their senses and looked up. "Shit!" Juice rushed passed her and Piney, running toward the minivan that was now on fire.
And that's when Emily saw Chibs lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood where his head had slammed hard against the pavement.