A/N: Dani said the L word! And Opie said it back! 3 yay! Thank you for all your support. I am trying to get back up to speed with my updates, but I am still dealing with this annoying ear infection so thank you for your patience. I would love to hear what you think of the story so far, please feel free to leave a review or send me a message to let me know what you think. To those who have reviewed, thank you, I adore you!
Ghostwriter- Thank you! So glad you liked this chapter! Yes, this was very cathartic for Dani. She had a real revelation.
KS- Breaking stuff can be very therapeutic, and Dani learned something valuable from it. I hope your mom has an otterbox to protect her phones from her frustrations! Lol
Hennele-rogue- Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed the chapter!
Khyharah- Who doesn't love some smash therapy, lol. And yes, I agree Opie and Dani's first time together was perfect for them, I'm glad you think so too. I'm getting better, slowly, thank you! I hope you didn't have much damage from the hurricane, I tried living in hurricane territory for a while, but it's too much for me. I will live in tornado alley for the rest of my life before dealing with another hurricane. OMG 2020 is like the worst ever… the only upsides I've seen this year are getting to be a first-time aunt to the cutest baby girl ever and finally having time to write, lol.
Time to get to another chapter, so here we go!
Chapter 25
"Mmmm." Dani mumbled as she woke up to the feeling of a kiss being pressed to her shoulder.
"Good morning baby," Opie murmured as he continued pressing kisses from her shoulder up to her neck.
"Morning," Dani replied and turned to look at Opie, who kissed her sweetly before pulling back and tracing her jaw with his fingers. The juxtaposition of such a strong, brute looking man gazing at her with such tenderness made her insides melt a little. Dani sighed and leaned into Opie's touch like a kitten leans into a head scratch.
Opie chuckled at her antics. "It's still early, but I have to get ready to go. I have to work today. You can go back to sleep if you want, but I couldn't get out of bed without kissing the beautiful woman in my arms." Dani flushed at his words and he leaned in to kiss her again.
"Sleep sounds good, but I should get up too. I don't know if I can find my way back to town without you," she told him. Opie nodded and got out of bed and started getting dressed. Dani tossed off her covers and went to the bag that Opie had brought in. She slipped on her bra and undershirt but winced slightly as she bent over to pull on her underwear. Opie caught the motion though and was by her side in an instant.
"Are you ok?" He asked as he guided her gently to sit on the edge of the bed.
"I'm fine," she assured him. "I'm just a little sore."
"Good sore or bad sore?" he asked, and Dani knew that he was really asking if he had hurt her the previous night
"Good sore. Sore like my sasquatch of a boyfriend who is, um, very well endowed was extremely thorough in providing satisfaction." Dani felt her face burning with a blush. She noticed Opie's smirk and the prideful glint in his eye. "Stop it." She told him but she couldn't help but smile.
"I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing you blush like that," he said, running the back of his hand over her cheek. Dani grabbed her underwear to continue dressing but Opie took it from her and slid them on for her. He grabbed her shorts and did the same.
"Opie, I'm not that sore, I can dress myself," she tried to protest. "I just moved too fast and wasn't expecting it-."
"I know you can," he told her. "Just let me help you." Dani stopped arguing and stood up as Opie slowly pulled up the lacy panties he had packed for her, running his hands over her thighs as he did so. He helped her into her shorts as well before kissing her neck and taking a step back.
"Thank you for your help, but for the record, it's more fun when you're taking my clothes off rather than putting them on." Dani informed him cheekily.
Opie practically growled as his eyes darkened with desire. "Don't tempt me, woman."
Dani turned back to the bag with their belongings but instead of the jacket Opie packed for her she pulled out the flannel shirt she wore to protect her from shards of glass and pulled that on instead, rolling up the large sleeves to her elbows. They made sure they had everything they came with and Opie walked her to the truck, tossing the overnight bag in the truck before opening the door for her and handing her the keys. He stood there for a moment, just taking her in.
"What?" Dani asked.
"Nothing. Just like what I see. My girl, in my truck, wearing my shirt," he told her with a grin.
"I think the picture is missing something," she told him.
"What's that?" he asked.
"You," was her simple reply. Opie leaned in and kissed her before confirming that she would follow him back to town and promising to see her later than night.
Dani started the truck and sat there waiting until she heard the roar of Opie's bike coming to life. She shifted into drive and started her way home.
Dani found herself frustrated to the point of tears by the time Opie came home that evening. Dani was sitting at the dining table with the prep books for the GED that she had bought, and she had her head buried in her hands.
Opie's demeanor as he came in the house immediately switched to concern when he saw her. "Babe, what's wrong?" he asked. He knelt beside her and gently pulled her hands away from her face.
Dani looked at him, red-faced, eyes brimming with tears. "It's too much," she told him gesturing to the books in front of her. "I'm never going to understand any of this. This math is insane, the history section is huge! I thought I'd be ok with the English section because I read so much, but I don't know half of what they're talking about. What the hell is a participle phrase?! I thought I knew enough, but I don't know anything." She said miserably.
"That's not true," Opie comforted her, speaking in a low tone as he rubbed circles on her back. "You're so smart, I know you can learn what you need to. It might take you longer than you wanted if you try and do it on your own. I'll help you as much as I can. Or you could take the GED course at the community college. I think they even have online classes if you don't want to go to an actual classroom."
"I don't see how a class will help. I've got the books here and it's just so overwhelming. It's going to take me forever to get this."
"You never went to school. They'll teach you bit by bit, build on what you learn so it makes sense. They'll teach you how to study for this, so it won't be overwhelming." He encouraged. "And you aren't someone who gives up. You can do this."
Dani nodded. "I know. I just… I wanted to think that I knew enough already that I wasn't really so far behind. Bur, you're right. I can do this. I just need help. Can you help me figure out how to take this online class?"
Opie agreed and pulled a chair up to sit next to her as she slid her laptop toward him. Opie helped her find the course but as he was looking over the requirements, he told her she might need to get a new laptop. The one she had was outdated and wasn't compatible with the program the school used. Dani said that was fine, she would use some of her money to pick up a new computer. Dani finished filling out the registration form, and when it was finished it took her to a payment screen for the tuition. Dani sighed and wondered if there was an option to mail in payment. Opie shook his head and pulled out his wallet.
"We need to get you set up with a bank account," he told her as he took his credit card out of his wallet. Dani started to protest but he stopped her, assuring her that she could give him the money for it and he would apply it to his balance. Sixteen digits later and she was registered to join the next class that started in two weeks.
Dani was excited as she climbed out of her truck. She was getting ready to start her first shift volunteering at the animal shelter. The same woman who helped her sign up, Susan, was again at the front desk.
"We're so happy to have you here." She told her. She handed Dani a volunteer badge to wear when she was in the facility and gave her a tour showing her where they kept all the animals, the pet food and litter. She was shown the area where they gave animals baths and told her that's what she would be doing today. Susan handed her a rubber apron to keep her dry and walked with her to get the first dog that needed a bath. Penelope was a medium sized terrier mix; she was white with large tan spots. One of those spots went around her right eye and up into her ear where the rest of her face was white. She was the most adorable creature Dani had ever seen. Susan had Dani open her pen and attach her leash. When they got to the bath station Dani followed Susan's instructions on what to do, Penelope stood still, except for her tail that was wagging furiously the entire time, the dog was loving her bath time. When Dani finished, Susan said it looked like she had the hang of things and left her to take care of the rest of the dogs that were due for a bath. Not all of the dogs were as receptive to bath time as Penelope ad been and struggled, often splashing Dani. By the time she was finished, her shirt was damp in spite of the efforts of the apron. Dani signed out and waved goodbye to Susan.
She made her way to the electronics store and picked out a new computer and some recommended software that the salesman advised her to get. Opie had told her to bring her new computer and her old one to TM and Juice would help get it set up and get any files transferred over.
When Dani arrived at the garage, she grabbed her things and, glancing around, spotted Jax and Opie working on a bike together. She walked over and kissed the cheek of them both.
"How was the animal shelter?" Jax asked.
"It was good." She turned to Opie. "You like dogs. right?"
Jax started laughing. "I told you she couldn't go one day without wanting to bring one home, man."
"Baby—" Opie started.
"She's so cute, and so well behaved. She's perfect." Dani interrupted.
"We'll talk about it." Opie said.
"Maybe we can go see her soon, so that you can see what I'm talking about." She looked at him with pleading eyes.
"We'll talk about it later." He repeated but gave her a quick kiss.
Dani gave him a smile and asked "Do you know where Juice is so he can help me with my new computer?"
They directed her to the club house, and she left them to get back to work. Entering the club house, she looked around, but only saw Piney at the bar. She walked up to the bar to stand next to him. "Hey Piney."
"Baby girl." Piney threw an arm around her and Dani reciprocated, tossing her arm over his shoulders. "My boy treating you right?" He asked.
Dani grinned. "Yeah, Piney, Opie treats me great. You have a good son," she told him. She asked if he had seen Juice and he told her he would be back in a minute. She sat down and chatted with him for a few minutes before Juice came out from the back. Dani grabbed her stuff and went to sit at a table with him. Dani handed over her computers and the new software she purchased.
Juice started up her new computer. "Its going to take a while to go though its initial set up," he informed her as he opened her old computer. "Do you have anything on here we need to transfer to your new laptop?" Dani shook her head. "No music, pictures, documents?" Again, Dani shook her head. "What do you use this for?" he asked.
"To Skype my friend Alice. I used to use the missing persons website to find my way here. But now I mostly use it for Google and Youtube."
"That's it?" he asked.
"Yeah. And the new one I'll use for school too. I mean, I haven't really needed it for anything other than that."
Juice nodded and turned his attention to the new laptop, going through the setup, installing the software she had purchased and downloading the program her school used for online learning.
When they were finished, Dani slipped both of her computers into her messenger bag and hefted it over her shoulder. She thanked Juice with a hug and gave piney a peck on the cheek as she walked out. As she stepped out into the sunlight she squinted and glanced around the lot and spotted Jax and Opie, as well as Chibs, Bobby, and Tig standing around looking at something by the garage. She caught Opie's eye who waived her over. When she got there, she saw they were standing around a bike—not a motorcycle, but a bicycle. It had an old-fashioned look to it and was a pale blue with a subtle shimmer to it. The seat, handlebars and the wheels were a cream color and the metal was all a rose gold color.
"What do you think?" Opie asked.
"It's cute, but it's not really your guys style." Dani joked.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I look gorgeous on this Bike." Bobby said as he climbed ol the bike and brushed his hair off his shoulder in an exaggerated motion. Dani joined the group in laughter.
"But you like it?" Jax asked.
"Yeah, it's adorable." Dani said.
"Good. Because it's yours." Jax told her.
"What?" Dani asked in surprise.
"It was on your list. Learn to ride a bike. You can't do that without a bike." He explained. "Bobby had it in his garage and brought it in. We all cleaned it up, gave it some new paint, made it girly as all shit."
Dani was overwhelmed that they all had helped her so much. She gave each of them a hug, and as soon as Bobby was off it, she climbed on the bike herself. "So, I just pedal, right?" She asked.
She looked around at them anxiously as they moved out of her way.
"First things first." Opie said, and grabbed a helmet similar to his motorcycle helmet, except it was the same shade as the seat and handlebars on her bike and it fit her head a little better. "Kick up the kickstand," he told her and gestured to the metal bar that was keeping the bike upright. She brought it up with her foot. "You want to keep your balance, like you do on my bike. There are no hand brakes, you pedal forward to go forward, but to break you reverse and push backward on the pedal. Don't do it too fast, or you'll jerk to a stop and can get get hurt that way if you aren't careful." Jax and Opie held on to the bike and walked her in a circle around the lot and had her test the brakes as they went until she was comfortable.
"You ready?" Jax asked.
Dani grinned. "I'm ready."
"Start pedaling. We'll help make sure you stay balanced til you've got the hang of it." Jax told her. Dani nodded and they each grabbed the underside of her seat as she started pedaling and ran along with her for a moment before they let go.
Dani felt a little unsteady but kept pedaling to the edge of the lot before making a wide circle and pedaling back towards them, she made a few laps, growing more confident and picking up speed as she went. Everyone watching could hear her almost childlike laughter as she successfully maneuvered the bike. She slowed to a stop as she approached the group and quickly put her feet down to balance herself once she was at a stop.
"That was fun!" She said. "I know its kinda goofy for me to be so excited about this. I can't help it though." She said, smiling brightly.
"It's not stupid." Bobby told her. "Everyone is excited when they learn how to ride a bike."
"I think I'm ready to try it on the street." Dani said.
Jax turned to Opie "Do you think its safe to let her roam wild on the streets?" He joked.
"I don't know. I'm not sure she'll make it back in one piece." Opie replied to Jax.
"You guys are such assholes." She said, though she was still smiling before switching to a childlike voice. "I pwomise to check for traffic and to stay on the street. Pwease?"
They laughed at her antics. "Go get 'em killer." Jax told her and she head for the street, pausing to check for cars before turning onto the street. When she got to the end of the street she looked around and made a wide circle. She saw that the guys had come out on the sidewalk to watch and she pedaled faster, enjoying the breeze she was creating as her hair flew behind her. It paled in comparison to being on a motorcycle, but she could see that this was easily the childhood equivalent and she was taking joy in it as if she was a child herself. The guys were all clapping and whistling as she whizzed past them. She really was beginning to understand what Jax and Opie meant when they referred to the club as family. She knew they all had better things to do than watch a grown woman ride a bike for the first time, yet they were there, happily cheering her on.
She reached the other end of the street and made another loop to head back to the garage. Ash she pedaled, she saw the faces of her friends change from amusement to something else, they were yelling and waving but she couldn't understand what they were saying. She looked around her and as she looked behind her, she saw what was causing their concern. A brown van that had been parked up the street was zooming up behind her and the driver's eyes were zeroed in on her. Dani moved as close as she could to the side of the road, but the van had shifted as well. She turned forward and pedaled as fast as she could.
"Jump!" She hears someone yell, She didn't have time to figure out who it was, she just leapt from her bike as far as she could onto the sidewalk. She put her hands out to break her fall, scraping her palms bloody and sending a searing pain shooting through her right arm from her wrist to her elbow as she tumbled into the fence. She was dazed, and things seemed to be in slow motion. She heard the crunching of metal, she saw Jax running for her as he called her name. She heard several loud popping sounds and saw Opie, Chibs, Bobby, and Tig shooting at the van as it sped by. The others all ran back behind the fence line and she couldn't see them, but a moment later she heard several bikes roar to life. All except Opie. Opie had moved to the middle of the road and was still shooting at the van as it was getting further away. Whh=en he finally stopped he turned to head for his bike as well, as the others roared past him but hesitated as he looked over to Jax and Dani.
"Go! I've got her!" Jax yelled and Opie took off and was speeding out of the lot faster than she thought possible as he hurried to catch the chase.
Jax turned back to her as he was looking her over. "Are you ok?" He asked her as he spotted her bloodied hands. He grabbed them to try and get a look at them but has he tried to turn her right hand and get a better look at it Dani cried out and pulled away from him, clutching her arm to her chest with her left hand.
"I think its broken." She informed him as he helped her stand. She had scrapped her knees as well, he noticed. As he started walking her back inside TM, they were surrounded by Clay, Gemma, Juice, and Kip.
"What the hell happened?" Clay demanded.
"Some guy just ran her off the road. The guys went after him." Jax said.
Dani looked back at the street and saw the mangled mess that was her beautiful bike just moments before. "He broke my bike." She told Jax.
"Fuck the bike, he broke your arm," He said.
"Christ." Clay seethed. "Get her to the damn hospital." They started to move again when Clay stopped on front of her. "You fell off your bike. When they ask, that's all that happened. You got it?" Clay was harsh with his instructions.
Dani nodded. "I got it."
"I'll drive her." Gemma volunteered.
Dani almost protested, but she didn't. She and Gemma hadn't spoken in a while, and Dani was sure the ride would be awkward, in addition to painful, but she had to admit it made sense. She looked at Jax and nodded and he walked her to Gemma's car and helped her in as carefully as possible to keep her from jarring her arm. He ran to his bike as Gemma got in the car, and they were speeding off, accompanied by the remaining members of the Sons of Anarchy.