The house was empty by the time she left her room, she secretly hopped that her non forgot the whole prospect going with her. Grabbing her purse, she went out the door, planning on stopping at the diner on Main street for breakfast. Sitting in a corner booth, she was trying to remember if Happy's three am confession was actual or a figment of her imagination.
She remembered him crawling in her window, and having a conversation with him, there was talk of pom poms, and modeling cheer leading uniforms, and something else, she just couldn't remember. Hopefully, she'd remember it at some point, she finished her breakfast, dropping some money on the table, she got up, leaving the diner.
Making her way to the car, she glanced around the parking lot, surprised a prospect hadn't found her yest. Maybe Clay had told her mom that she was being over protective. She opened the car door, tossing her purse in, she climbed inside, pulling out onto the road, she headed to Lodi.
XXX
She was leaving after a football game, Jax and Opie were suppose to make sure she got home alright, but they hadn't shown up. Which was no big surprise, ever since they turned sixteen, they'd been really bad about forgetting about her. She started walking out of the parking lot, carrying her pom poms, and cheer leading bag.
A woman approached her, she recognized her immediately, she tried to brush past her, but the woman grabbed her arm. "Tell Gemma I need some more money!"
"Get away from me!" She jerked her arm, away, trying to walk away.
"Don't you know me, I'm your mom?"
She spun around. "You gave birth to me, my mom is Gemma Teller, she's been my mom for the past ten years!" The woman slapped her hard enough, to knock you to the ground.
"She bought you from me, you little brat!" She grabbed her up by her hair. "You ungrateful little bitch!" Irene shoved her to the ground. Devon fell hitting her head on the pavement. She heard running feet coming towards her, Irene was gone. One of the football coaches were standing over her, along with the team medic.
"Teller, you okay? Can we call someone for you?" She pushed herself up from the ground, standing up.
"I'm fine." She slowly started walking for home, trying not to cry. The next day, she had a bruised cheek, when Gemma asked her about it, she lied saying it happened during the game. She didn't want to get Jax and Opie into trouble for forgetting her the night before.
XXX
She pushed the memory from her head, as she pulled into the parking lot of the store. She had decided to make a day of it, she had no reason to rush back to Charming. She went into the store, browsing for twenty minutes before she found exactly what she wanted. She paid for it all, making arrangements for it to be delivered the next day.
She walked down the street, visiting the little shops, buying different things for her house. She had sold a lot of her things with her apartment back in New York. Devon dropped off several bags at her car, then made her way to a cafe for lunch. She was sitting at the sidewalk seating eating her lunch, enjoying the sunshine. She pulled out her phone, to check for missed calls.
Happy had called her ten times, Jax five, Opie six, Gemma fifteen, Chibs and Tig a dozen times each, not a one of them leaving a voice message. She was dialed Opie, he'd be less likely to be pissy with her.
"Where the fuck are you?"
"Lodi, I'm shopping. What the hell is going on, that you guys are blowing up my phone?"
"Get you little ass back to Charming, NOW!"
"Geez, Ope! Calm down, I'm on my way back to the car..." The sound of gunfire filled the air, she dropped to the ground,, laying flat, her phone laying beside her. She heard the screeching of of brakes.
"DEVON! DEVON!" She groaned reaching for her phone, sitting up slowly, she picked up her phone, looking around.
"I'm fine," She dusted herself off, getting to her feet, she limped to the car. Climbing into the car, she tossed the phone into the seat, heading home, she'd take care of any scrapes she had then. She drove as fast as she could towards TM, she was met by an escort of SONS along the drive back. As soon as she was in the parking lot, her car was barely in park, when she was pulled from the car by Chibs.
"Where the hell have you been sweet girl?"
"What's going on?"
"Irene and Malcolm have been spotted in Charming. We've been worried about you when we couldn't get a hold of you."He pulled her in for a hug.
"I'm sorry..." She looked up to see Happy, storming towards them. He looked like he was ready to commit murder, Chibs released her from his embrace, turning around when he heard someone approaching them. He nodded his head towards Happy, before walking away. Happy pulled her into his arms, kissing her.
"Are you whole? Ope said he heard gunfire." His raspy voice held just the slightest hint of emotion.
"He did, I have some scrapes. I'm fine." She leaned into him, resting her forehead on his, looking into his eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't answer my phone..."
"We'll talk about it later! He released her from his hold, going into the clubhouse, she followed after him. Gemma was pacing the room, when she walked in, she looked like she wanted to beat Devon.
"Baby girl, don't ever scare me like that again!" She hugged her, tightly.
"I'm fine Ma!" She turned to see the rest of her Uncles staring at her. Opie and Jax were standing next to Gemma glaring at her.
"From now on, you have a prospect or patched member with you at all times. Someone took shots at you!" Clay said coming out of chapel.
"I was in Lodi, it was probably just a drive by and had nothing to do with Irene and Malcolm."
"We're not taking any changes sis!" Jax said. "Until we find the two low lives." She closed her eyes knowing that she couldn't argue herself out of this. She took a seat on the bar stool, asking for a beer. She watched as the rest of the club, went into chapel, she knew she was stuck here until they were done discussing her protection.
XXX
She flopped down on the couch in the clubhouse, they'd been in church for two hours now, she was tired, hungry, and her body ached from dodging bullets. Her eyes slowly started to drift close, drowning out what little bit of noise there was in the clubhouse.
She woke up that morning, with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, she knew that something bad was going to happen today. She just couldn't put her finger on it, she tried to push it out of her thoughts but she couldn't. She got ready for the day, going into the kitchen, getting breakfast, and going through the motions of getting ready for school.
Jax was suppose to give her a ride to school, but once again he ditched her to be with his girlfriend Tara. She started walking to school, a black van pulled up, a man jumped out grabbing her, dragging her in the van. She dropped her bags, and fought, doing everything Tig and Chibs taught her, but the man was too strong for her. They pulled away from the curb, taking off across town.
It wasn't until midnight that night before anyone realized she was gone, the club searched for her for days before a tip led them back to the trailer she'd lived in when she was a child. She was found beat, and tied to a bed by Jax, Opie, and Tig.
She was curled up in her bed after being released from the hospital, Jax was sitting by her. "Dev, tell me what happened. Who did this to you?"
"Irene, and her new boyfriend. It isn't the first time she put hands on me."
"What are you talking about?"
"Two weeks ago, you and Opie were suppose to pick me up after the game..."
"Jesus sis..." She let the tears run down her face.
"You and Ope keep ditching me, I've been alone since Thomas died." He pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head.
"I'm sorry Dev..."
She woke up to someone shaking her, Happy was staring down at her, she blinked a couple of times. "You ready to go?" She slowly sat up, taking his hand, standing up from the couch.
"Did you draw babysitting duty?"
"I don't consider it babysitting duty." He pulled her with him out the door.
"Where are we going?" He pulled her to his bike, handing her a helmet.
"My place." She couldn't tell if he was pissed at her or what his problem was, he was on his bike, staring at her. She put the helmet on, climbed on the back of his bike, wrapping her arms around him. He pulled into the drive, parking the bike in the garage, he got off the bike, helping her off. Going inside the house, she still couldn't read his mood.
He turned on her, as soon as the door closed. "Tell me!"
"About?" She looked at him, not being able to decipher his two word conversation.
"Irene Main, her boyfriend Malcolm, your surgery, retiring from your career..."
She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. She opened her eyes, and started at the beginning, telling him everything.
XXX
She collapsed on his couch, looking at him. "Here's your chance to bail..." He laid down on the couch pulling her to him.
"I ain't going anywhere, I told you that already." He lowered his lips to hers, his hands going to her shirt. "Do you want to bail on me?"
"Not a chance!" She smiled at him, wrapping her arms around him. "Right now, I'm starving and need some food." She pushed him into the floor, laughing when he groaned. She got up from the couch, going into his kitchen, she opened the fridge. "All you have is beer? What the hell do you eat?"
He came into the kitchen, pulling her against him. "Take out!" She laughed turning around to face him.
"All the time?" He pulled out the phone, ordering them dinner, pulling her to his side. He ended the call, picking her up, wrapping her legs around his waist.
"We have twenty-minutes..." He carried her into the living room, laying her on the couch, kissing her. Someone knocking on the door interrupted them, she laughed when he glared towards the door. He got up going towards the door, pulling it open, Jax and Opie came inside.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" She asked.
"Gee, nice to see you too short stack!" She rolled her eyes, sitting up.
"Sorry brothers dear, whatever do you need?"
"That's better." Jax said, smiling at her."Just wanted to make sure you're okay after today."
"As you can see I'm whole."
"So Is Hap taking care of you?" Opie was grinning at her.
"Oh shut up!" She rolled her eyes at him, Jax started laughing.
"I heard he was sneaking in and out of your bedroom window this morning."
"Now I know what really goes on in church. You boys braid each others hair and gossip like high school girls!" She saw Happy smirk from the chair he was sitting in.
"Hey, we prefer gossip whores!" Jax laughed.
"Okay. Gossip whores it is then!" She shook her head, smiling at the men in the room. She got up from the couch, going to the bathroom. Hearing the three men laughing in the living room. She took her time cleaning up, by the time she came back out, Jax and Opie were gone, and their dinner had arrived. She curled up next him on the couch and ate.
Later that night, she was undressing for bed, she heard him let out a curse, as his hands moved over her back. "I thought you said you weren't hurt."
"It's just scrapes from hitting the ground..." He lowered his lips to her back, kissing her back. Causing her to shiver, He pulled her against him, his hands going to her waist. He walked her towards the bed, turning her to face him, his hands, cupping her face.
"You're mine." He laid her gently on the bed, climbing in with her. "I promise to keep you safe."
XXX
Malcolm drove back to the seedy motel in Charming, pulling up in front of their room, carrying in take out bags. He smiled at Irene, sitting them on the bed. "I rented a house out near the Streams like you said. It's the only house around for miles, no one will hear her scream."
"Good job baby!"
"When do we grab her?"
"We have to choose the perfect time, when she's alone. You just have to be patient."
Malcolm dug into his food, his mind racing over the things he wanted to do to her. He needed to make a lost of things he needed from the hardware store, he was going to have so much fun, when the time came.
XXX
She was accepted to NYU School of Performing Arts, she had gotten scholarships and grants to pay for her classes, she would work to pay for whatever she needed to cover the rest. It was time to break it to her family, truth was that she was ready to leave Charming behind. She broke it to Jax and Opie first, told then she was leaving. Of course, being typical older brothers, they acted like they really didn't care.
They were prospecting for the club, she was a little hurt by their reaction. She went to Clay and Ma next, at first she was told no. She listed the pros and cons, she did tell them that SAMYORK could keep an eye on her. Once they gave their approval, she moved on to Chibs and Tig.
They were the two hardest to tell, they had been her biggest support over the years. Coming to her recitals, watching her in plays, always being there for her, when she thought she had no one else. She had told them weeks ago when she was named Valedictorian, not telling anyone else. They were both so proud of her, when graduation rolled around, she saw their beaming faces in the audience. She saw the rest of her families too, but they were the two she looked for.
Now it was the night before she was suppose to leave, the club was having a going away party for her. Several charters were in visiting, she was leaning against the bar talking to Chibs and Tig.
"Promise you'll be careful sweet girl!"
"I promise!" She kissed him on the cheek.
Tig looked at her. "No dating any theater boys.."
"I promise only to date bikers and pimps!" She smiled at him."
"That's not funny! It's not too late to lock you up in your room!" She hugged him tightly, around the neck. She saw Happy walk into the clubhouse, she looked at him from across the room. The last time she'd seen him, was when he prospected ten years ago, when she was eight. He had changed, he looked hella scary, these days but hella sexy too.
She pushed those thoughts out of her head, he wouldn't notice someone like her anyways. She turned back towards the bar, grabbing something to drink. She usually didn't drink alcohol but it was a special occasion. She opened her beer, and took a drink. Tomorrow, she flew out to New York, and whatever adventures that were waiting.