A/N: Thank you so much again to everyone still reading. Its almost time to get to the new chapter but a shout out first to my loyal reviewers who i appreciate more than i can say. To all my readers please take a moment if you can and let me know what you think of the story.

Ghostwriter- As always thank you! you're awesome!

KS- Thank you! Clay hadn't really had any redeeming moments yet during the story... thought id give him at least this one, and then see if he is worthy of more later lol.

Ok, bow lets see whats happening with the gang now...

Chapter 31

Dani had thought the day she would finally get her cast off would be a fantastic day. Her cast was itchy, annoying, restricted her daily activities, and did she mention it was itchy? Most of all, she missed riding on the back of Opie's motorcycle, wrapping her arms around him as the wind ripped around them, through them, lifting them, carrying them. She also felt like Opie had been holding back with her physically while she had been recovering. That night in his room at the club was the closest he had come to losing control and devouring her, but Jax had interrupted them. She appreciated Opie's gentleness, he had always been so with her and especially since she had broken her arm, but part of her was yearning for more, for Opie to let go with her. She had told herself once she got her cast off, she would find a way to bring it up with him.

As limiting as her cast was, she had also grown accustomed to Opie helping her with little things. She absolutely loved the feeling of him brushing her hair for her, and she had gotten used to the way he bat her hand away as she struggled with buttoning a blouse to take over for her, or the way he would automatically cut her meat for her when they sat down to dinner, or the way he would automatically open a can of Dr. Pepper for her before she could even try. Depending on someone- allowing them to take care of her, trusting them—it wasn't easy for her, but it was easy with Opie once she had been forced to let go of her stubbornness. While she was looking forward to cutting her own food again, she had decided she enjoyed Opie's attentiveness to her and would happily allow him to continue opening her car doors and helping her bring in the groceries, and the other little things that he used to try and do for her that she had bickered with him about and reluctantly allowed him to do.

Depending on people, trusting them wasn't something. She had grown up only being able to trust herself and to keep all her thoughts inside her mind. With Alice, she had found the first person she could trust. The moment she was reunited with Jax, her connection to him was instantaneous. Her connection with Opie was also pretty much there from the start, before she even realized it, before she was even comfortable with it.

Having people she cared about, who cared about her, was not something she was used to. Alice, Jax and her mother were the only people she expected to care about. When her relationship with Gemma had started off on the wrong foot, and her relationship with Opie developed, she thought that that would be it, those would be the people she would let into her life. Even just those few people made her nervous.

But she had let others in, Chibs especially, but also Bobby, Juice, Piney, all of them really. When she had been faced with the reality that she had, without her noticing, developed an extended family, a home she had been equal parts happy and terrified. Happy because she had never imagined that she would be comfortable around so many people. Terrified because it meant she had so much more to lose. There was a part of her that, perhaps always, that would be afraid that one day everything and everyone that she had found would be ripped away from her. She shook her head to chase those thoughts away whenever they came to her mind—that wouldn't happen, there's no way it could happen.

Opie had appeared in the back yard as she was clumsily tending to her garden. "Want to get your cast off today?" he asked.

Dani looked up at him startled. "What do you mean? My appointment isn't for a few more days."

"We can get it off today." He held out his hand to help her up.

"Really?" Dani asked, taking his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She smiled up at him brightly. "When can we get it done?"

"Now." He told her.

Dani enthusiasm waned as the wheels in her head started turning. "What's going on?" She asked curiously. She didn't think that Opie would arrange for her to get her cast off early unless there was a reason.

"We're going to Tacoma today. You can't have a cast on when this goes down in case someone sees us. It stands out and could make it too easy to identify you." He told her. "I packed our bags already, so you just need to get cleaned up."

She was all nerves, suddenly. This was real, finally. She looked up to Opie nervously, instantly thinking of a million ways things could go wrong.

"Relax, we aren't doing anything today but making the trip. Everything will be fine." He said, his hands on her shoulders. He kissed her forehead. "Come on, lets get you cleaned up."

They washed up quickly and Dani grabbed her purse and followed Opie outside to his truck. The drive to the doctor was quick, and Dani didn't have time to even sit down before being taken to the back, clutching Opie's hand and pulling him along with her. They stopped and took a quick X-ray of her arm to make sure the bones had healed enough for the cast to come off. They sat waiting in the small exam room for what felt like an eternity before the tech came in and said the doctor had reviewed her X-ray and approved her cast to come off.

The woman showed her the tool she would use to cut off her cast and demonstrated how it couldn't cut her skin and made quick work of cutting her cast. When the cast was cut away, the tech encouraged her to extend her elbow out and bend it back in all the way. The first movements of her unused joint caused a hiss as the unused muscles tightened. Her left hand grabbed her right forearm and supported her arm as she helped it complete the movements. The tech smiled sympathetically and asked if she wanted to do physical therapy sessions. Dani declined, unsure of the costs without insurance, and the tech gave her a sheet of exercises, encouraging her to do them as often as possible so she wouldn't lose any range of motion.

After giving some final instructions not to use her right arm to lift anything over five pounds for the next week or so but could use it normally after that. Opie walked her out of the offices back to the truck. Dani's arm felt light, having grown used to the weight of the cast. Opie opened the passenger door for her but didn't move out of the way so she could get in. Instead he turned to face her and ran his hand down her right arm from her shoulder down to her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers and gently bringing it up to his lips and he gave her hand a sweet kiss. "I missed this," he told her.

"Missed what?" Dani asked teasingly. "My arm? My hand?"

"Being able to touch every square inch of you," Opie replied in a low tone, practically a growl, a fire burning in his eyes as he pulled her to him with a searing kiss. The kiss was demanding and possessive and left Dani feeling breathless and dizzy. "Come on, we have to meet the others," he told her as he helped her into the truck. Dani scooted over into the center seat, wanting to feel the steadiness, the warmth of him as her nerves once again spiked. As much as she had fought to be a part of this, she was nervous about this trip. Frightened, really. She would have to face things that she had fought so hard to try and let go, to never think of. But she knew what was at stake and she needed to be a part of it. It would be worth it. And Opie would be there to keep her safe. That didn't stop the nervous energy in her body to cause her knees to bounce, until Opie put his hand on them to still their movements.

Taking his eyes off the road for a moment, he glanced at her. "Are you sure you still want to come?" He asked. "You can change your mind and stay here where you'll be safe."

Dani shook her head. "That would be so much worse," she told him. "Not knowing what was happening, worrying about you." She sighed. "I'm scared, but I have to do this. I need to prove to myself that I can face this and not hide away while people I care about put themselves at risk because of me." She took Opie's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I know you'd feel better if I stayed behind, but I can't. I need to be there, and I need to be close to you." She spoke quietly, unable to keep the fear and emotion out of her voice.

Opie squeezed her hand back as he let out a sigh of his own. "You make it impossible to argue with you sometimes," he told her as they pulled into the Teller-Morrow lot. Parking the truck, he turned to her and wrapped his arm around her. "I won't let anything bad to happen. Stop worrying about everything that could go wrong. Just focus on one step at a time, what comes next, and remember to do what I tell you until this is over."

Dani nodded and Opie gave her a quick kiss before climbing out of the truck and pulled her along with him. He grabbed their bags out off the back of the truck and led her under the awning outside the clubhouse. The place was packed with leather-clad bikers getting ready to go. Opie led her over to Jax, who pulled her into a hug.

"How does it feel to have your arm back?" he said, lifting it up to inspect it. Dani pulled it back carefully but gave her brother a grin.

"Right now, it feels about as useful as a cooked spaghetti noodle, but it's good," she told him as she slowly stretched the limb out and back. "What's happening next?" she asked.

"Listen, we are gonna be leaving soon," Jax said putting a hand on her shoulder. "As far as anyone knows we are doing a charity ride ending up at the Tacoma charter for a celebration. Some of the old ladies and families are coming, so it won't look strange that you're with us. Tomorrow, during the party, we will make our move."

Dani nodded. "Ok."

"I don't want you driving all that way alone so I was thinking we can put you in the van with the prospect… or you can ride with Gemma." Jax said.

"Gemma's coming?" Dani asked.

"It's part of the cover. She'll be at the party."

"Why can't I go in the truck with Opie?" Dani asked, looking between Jax and Opie.

"I'm taking my bike," Opie said, gesturing to the line of bikes where his was parked.

"How did that get here when we took your truck?" Dani asked.

Opie winked at her. "Biker magic."

Dani just shook her head at him, though she couldn't help but smile.

"So, who do you want to go with?" Jax asked. "I know things haven't been easy with you and Gemma, but it seems like things are a bit better now, right?"

Things had been better. Gemma had brought over several meals while Dani was injured so she wouldn't have to worry about cooking. Their conversations, while not quite easy, were mostly friendly, and Dani had hopes that they would continue in the right direction. "I'll ride with Gemma."

Opie started walking her towards where Gemma's car was parked. Gemma was standing by her car talking with Clay.

"I wish I could ride with you," Dani said softly.

"Can't risk it with your- what did you call it? Spaghetti arm. As soon as your healed up a bit more, I'll take you for a long ride."

"Sounds good." Dani said.

As they got closer to the car, they saw Clay give Gemma a kiss before walking over to his bike to prepare to leave.

Opie put her bag in the back of Gemma's car, gave Gemma a nod hello and then turned to Dani and kissed her softly. "See you soon," he said.

The ride was long, but uneventful, the two women chatted a little bit but spent most of the ride in comfortable silence.

When they arrived at the Tacoma charter later that day, the members were greeting them enthusiastically. A party was underway, and while everyone she met was nice, it was a smidge too rowdy and crowded, so it wasn't long before Opie led her to the room they would be staying in.

Dani could hardly sleep that night, though she tried not to fidget in bed too much, not wanting to wake Opie. She must have fallen asleep at some point because she blinked and suddenly it was morning.

After a quick breakfast she was ushered into a dark colored van with Kip and Chibs. They were parked down the street from the building the others were infiltrating as she sat there.

After what felt like hours, Chibs got a call. He hung up quickly before looking at her. "You're up, lass." He told her as Kip put the van in gear.

Dani thought she was going to be sick.