Holy shit, I have no words for that episode last night expect Poor Juice! lol And damn, Happy's an animal! Course, we all already knew that lol. Big thanks to Kupkakes for betaing this chapter, as always. I do not own anything in this chapter, besides Sav, everything else belongs to their rightful owners.
Chapter 17
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Going home wasn't as easy as Savannah thought it was going to be. After acing her finals, she'd boarded a plan to head back to Cali. She landed in Bakersfield, where her ma told her Jax and Opie were picking her up. As much as she was going miss New York, she couldn't wait to see her big brother and his best friend again.
Waiting outside with her bags, she looked around with a bored sigh. Jax and Opie were running late, something she should have expected. She was left with her thoughts now. She missed her friends back at the city already. Even Sky. Truthfully, they hadn't really hung out since that last night in the club, but they'd go to class together. Things were stressed, she didn't trust the blonde as far as she could throw her.
She especially missed the Perelli's. Mrs. P had said her job would be waiting for her when she got back after break, but she'd definitely miss having her brownies after a long shift. She found that she liked working, at least at the diner. It had it's moments, but over all she hadn't minded it.
And then there was Juice.
She avoided him the last couple of days before she left. She didn't want to have the 'what are we now?' conversation before she left for two months. If he still wanted her when she got back, they could go from there. She told him as much before she left. She wasn't going to think about the kiss they shared after, and she definitely wasn't going to remember him telling her not to forget him for some surfer.
If only he knew she was more into bikers.
Juice had mentioned to her once that he'd had a bike before he came to New York, but he had to trade it in to help pay for class stuff. Somehow, she couldn't find it hard to imagine him as a biker. He looked like he could pull it off. That definitely didn't hurt her image of him, if anything, it just made her more attracted to him.
She wondered if he'd try to stay in contact during break. A bitter part of her wondered if he'd go back to that cougar while she was in Charming. The thought left a sour taste in her mouth. She hadn't asked him about her; she didn't want to ruin the moment, but she was curious about her. Who she was, how Juice got involved with her. She didn't seem the type to hang out in clubs or at diners like the Perelli's.
She was high middle class at best. So that left the question of how she and Juice even met, or how he was even attracted to her. Sure, she had nice curves, Savannah wasn't blind, but they didn't mix. Juice hated privileged people. He nearly chewed her head off the night she got her first check. She couldn't imagine why he'd be with someone who screamed everything he hated.
Frowning, she knew she needed to stop over thinking it. She needed to stop thinking about it completely. Letting out a loud sigh, she tried to think about something else. Would it be strange coming back to the club life? Things were so different outside of the club. It was out there that she realized how old fashioned the club really was.
Juice didn't expect her to cook for him or do whatever he wanted her to do, like one of the guys at the club would. With them, it was do as your told and suck dick. Granted, being the princess, so to speak, it wasn't really mandatory that she do the latter. She didn't have an old man, and she didn't plan on being an old lady for a good while.
The only two that weren't old enough to be her father, were Opie and Kyle, and neither were a good option for her. Opie was like her big brother, it would just be weird, and Kyle was a creep. She still didn't know how he got patched in sometimes. He had followed Opie and Jax around all through high school. Being the fifth wheel, they often got stuck together when the whole group went out, Tara and Opie's girlfriend turned wife Donna.
The sound of a motorcycle rumble caught her attention. A smile spread across her face as she spotted a familiar bike, followed by a beat up van, driving up beside her. Jax climbed off his bike, taking off his helmet as he flashed her that familiar million dollar smile. His hair had started to grow up since the last time she saw him. "You're late, Jackson." She teased before letting him pick her up on a big hug.
A squeal might have even left her lips when he squeezed her tight. He'd grown a few inches too, she realized when her feet no longer touched the ground. Jax had a good foot of height on her, if she didn't know any better, she'd have thought she'd shrunk. "Good to see you too, baby girl." He said, breathing her in before he finally put her down.
Now it her turn to take in the giant behind him. Opie had always been huge compared to her, hell she wouldn't be surprised if he was giant when he was born too. She could tell he was trying to grow out a beard now, she liked it. Facial hair looked good on her old friend. "Nice of you to show up too, Winston. I hear I have a nephew I have yet to meet." She laughed, embracing him in a hug much like she'd done with her brother.
He chuckled, his scruff tickling her neck as he grinned at her. It'd been too long since the three of them had been together. Hell, even just talked on the phone. She'd call Jax occasionally, but even those calls had gotten further apart the longer she was away. They both knew she was going to do well in New York though. Away from getting stuck as an old lady, making a life for herself out there.
As good as the club was, Jax wanted Savannah to at least have a chance to breathe in a normal life before she was thrown into the real mc world . Seeing his sister now, he could tell the city had changed her. She looked . . . older. More mature. Her hair was shorter since he last saw her, and she was actually wearing something that resembled fashionable. Before she'd just wear a pair of sweats and a tank top and called it a day.
"You ready to ditch this shit hole, Savvy?" He asked out, getting her attention from whatever she and Opie were talking about.
Savannah looked relieved, finally happy for the suggestion of leaving. She wanted to be home, sleep in her old room and have one of her ma's big dinners. Boy, did she miss those, it wasn't even funny. "Do you even have to ask? I'll ride in the van with Ope though, I'm beat. Never dawned on me to sleep on the flight back." She said, adjusting her duffle bag on her shoulder.
Jax chuckled, nodding, as he motioned for Opie to help him with her bags. It didn't take long for them to get her stuff into the back, but she definitely had more than she left with. Climbing into the passenger seat, Savannah wasted no time in getting as comfortable as she could and falling asleep. She definitely needed to be on her best when she got home. She still had her ma to deal with.
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Pulling into the lot, Savannah took it all in. She didn't realize how much she'd missed this place until she was here again. Not a lot had changed, but it didn't make her miss it any less. As Opie pulled the van into a spot, she opened the door and hopped down. She couldn't hide the grin that appeared on her lips as she surveyed the lot.
There was a line of bikes across from her, meaning at least a good amount of the guys were here. She was both excited and nervous to see them all. It'd only been a few months, but it felt like forever.
"It's about time you got here."
Looking over, she saw her mother coming toward her from the office next to the garage. Holding her arms open, she embraced Savannah without a thought. It felt nice to be in her ma's arms again. "I missed you, baby." She said, giving her a quick squeeze before letting her go so she could get a better look at her.
Smiling, Savannah really did miss her mom while she was away. She'd been so use to Gemma doing everything for her. Cooking, cleaning, hell, even doing her shopping for her. New York was good for her though. She'd learned how to survive on her own. She matured, and she was hoping coming home for break didn't screw that up.
"Jesus, did you eat at all while you were there? And look at your hair, it's shorter. You look so grown up, Savvy." She cooed, not believing her little baby was growing up.
Savannah should have expected this from her ma. Gemma wasn't use to one of her kids doing something on their own. Jax had never went to college, he stayed here and joined the club. She didn't have to worry about him not needing her, but Savannah was different. She'd left, and she did alright for herself. "I missed you too, ma." Savannah laughed, hoping Gemma was alright with the fact she'd done okay on her own.
Gemma paused, taking the moment to really take her in, before patting her cheek. "I know, baby. Come on, the boys will want to see you."
Heading inside, the first thing to hit her were the familiar smells of beer, smoke, and sex. Things really hadn't changed that much, she realized. It was her who'd changed. Looking around, she smiled at the sight of favorite men lazing around. Happy and Chibs were playing pool, who were now joined by Jax and Opie, while Bobby talked to old Piney Winston at the bar.
There were a couple missing, but she knew they were around here somewhere. Her eyes were searching for another familiar head of blonde hair. When she didn't see him, she didn't dwell on it. Things were different since she left. More complicated since before. A part of her was glad she didn't see him now that she really thought about it.
"No calls, no visits, no letters, if I didn't know any better, I'd say none of you old fucks missed me at all." Savannah called out, getting their attention.
"Savvy girl!" The Scot cheered when they realized she was here.
A surprised squeak left her mouth when Chibs lifted her up in a bone crushing hug, swinging her around some before putting her down. Laughter filled the room as the others took their turns welcoming her back. Even the grouch Piney was happy to see her. She's always had a soft spot for the old man. He always let her get away with stuff when she was little.
Hearing doors open, she looked over to see Clay coming out of the chapel with Kozik and Kyle following behind him. Savannah felt her heart tighten for a moment, holding her breath as she watched them. Before she could do anything, Clay's voice broke through her trance like state. "It's about time you got here. Your ma's been bugging the shit out of me for weeks." He chuckled, welcoming his step daughter in a hug.
Clay and her had never been as close as she'd been with her real father, John Teller, before he died. She'd been his princess. He didn't ignore her because she was a girl. He loved her, just like he'd loved Jax and Thomas. When Thomas died, John had attached himself to her. Took her out for daddy and Savvy days, took her for rides on his bike. He'd even taken her to Ireland once.
That had been their last trip before he got into an accident. After that, Clay started to hang out more at the house, spend the night occasionally with her mom. Jax didn't mind after a while, he'd accepted him as his step father, but it was different for Savannah. Clay most definitely wasn't John. He loved Jax like a son, loved Gemma like a wife, but her? She was just the bitchy teenager who wanted to play with the big boys once she was old enough.
He humored her with letting her hang around the garage, but she was actually good at fixing the cars. Tig had been the one to help her out, surprisingly. Regardless of how she felt about Clay, he was still family. "Missed you too, old man." She smiled, hugging him back before pulling back. A quick hug was good enough for her.
Having sensed the awkwardness, Jax dropped his arm around her and pulled her through the small crowd. "I'd say we found our reason to party tonight, boys." He cheered, grinning at the sounds of agreement.
Looking around, Savannah smiled at the rowdy boys. This was home. This is where she belonged in the long run. No boy in New York could change that.
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When night fell, the Samcro party was in full swing. Savannah sat on the picnic table nursing a beer Jax had given her. She had taken to watching Happy in the ring. She always loved watching him fight. Not because of him, exactly, but because it was better than watching the others grope and get head from the sweet butts walking around this place.
"Why am I not surprised to find you out here?"
Looking over, she saw Opie sitting beside her now. The gentle giant gave her a small smile, tipping his beer to her. "Hey, when you guys decide not to hook up in broad daylight during parties, I'll go inside. Watching Happy beat the crap out of the poor suckers is much more entertaining." She laughed.
Opie chuckled, nodding in agreement. He'd cut himself off from the sweet butts years ago when he got serious with Donna. Now he had a wife and two kids. Kenny was only a couple months old, but he couldn't wait to raise him. "Donna and the kids send their love." He said, taking a sip of his beer before sparing her a glance. "You meet anyone in the city?" He asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.
Savannah tensed, not knowing how to answer that. Did she want the guys to know about her . . . whatever it was, with Juice? She wasn't even sure what it was going on with them, or if it'd even still be going on when she got back to school. For all she knew, he'd go back to his cougar and forget all about her. Bitterness hit her with that thought. She didn't want to think about that woman being all over him.
"There, uh, might have been someone. It's complicated though, and it's not gonna last. He's not part of this life, Ope, and I am. I knew I was gonna be an old lady some day, not a mechanic's wife. I've accepted that." She said, making it clear she knew her place.
Gemma had drilled it into her head all these years. She was gonna be someone's old lady, and she'd be his alone. She'd cook and clean and take care of which ever Son she ended up with. Juice didn't fit into that plan, she knew that. He wasn't a Son, and she couldn't see him as one either. He was too . . . innocent. He had a good heart, he wasn't cold and heartless like some of the guys around here.
Guys like Juice got eaten for breakfast here. Her father being the prime example. Good guys didn't last. They ended up cowards and either broke or just left. Her father did both. Looking beside her, she knew some day this club would break Opie, and maybe even Jax. She didn't want that for them, but it was too late. It wasn't too late for Juice. He didn't even know about the club, and she wanted to keep it that way as long as possible.
Opie could see the conflict in Savannah's eyes. A conflict he'd never seen before. She'd always loved the thought of being an old lady, but now she looked like it was some kind of curse. If he was being honest, he was glad she'd gone to college. It was good for her to see more than Charming. Be able to do something for herself.
"He must be pretty special to make you make that face. You always dreamed of being someone's old lady." He chuckled, though he was serious.
The brother side of him wanted names so he could track this fucker down, get a good feel of him. He had no doubt Jax would come with him. The Son side of him wanted to remind her of her place here. Outsiders didn't fit. Granted this kid had a chance, being a mechanic and all, but there would still be times it wouldn't.
Savannah smiled weakly, even if Juice wasn't made for the club life, that didn't mean he wasn't a good guy. He was sweet, she'd learned over the semester. He was loyal and kind to the ones he cared about. Even when she was a bitch to him, he still looked out for her, and he wasn't bad on the eyes either. "Yeah, um, he was pretty different. Like I said though, I know it's not gonna work out. So what's the point?" She asked, giving him a sad look.
He wanted to tell her there was a point. There was a chance this guy was for her, whether he was in the club or not. He was about to tell her as much when a sudden call of her name cut him off. "Savvy! Babe, I knew you couldn't stay away!" Looking over, Savannah saw Kozik heading over to her.
Flashing him a smile, she could tell he was already pretty tipsy. Getting down from the picnic bench, she figured she'd meet him half way. "Nice to see you too, Koz." She smiled, letting him pick her up as he hugged her.
He held on tight, nuzzling her neck discretely. He was wasted, he could get away with it as long as she didn't slap him. "Tig's sleeping here. How 'bout you and me head back to my place? Get reacquainted." He slurred into her ear, his cologne heavy in the air.
Savannah tensed, pulling back slightly to see he was really serious. Oh shit.