For the first time in years, all Charming residents find themselves riding smooth alongside each other on the way to their goals, but how long will it last before somebody falls out of line, and brings down the entire group?

General trigger warnings for this story: Language, smut, mentions of rape, abuse, drug use/overdose, violence/death, racism/gang activity.

Playlists are available on Apple Music (mssierraalexis), and Spotify (M.S. Alexis), links can also be found on the ARAC Tumblr (aravenamongcrows). Be sure to follow where ask and submissions are open, and m. s. alexis on Instagram (tracking #aravenamongcrows), for exclusive photos, updates, and more!

CHAPTER 61: HEADWAY

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His prospect. Sydney slowly made her way back to Tig's room, dragging her feet as she smiled at the ground while replaying Clay's words over and over again—the exact words that she'd needed to hear in order to shake off all of the worry that had accompanied her injury. His prospect. She took a deep breath as she reached the end of the hallway. His prospect. Her hand found the doorknob as she wiped the silly grin off of her face, she was ready to recover.

"I'll be out in a minute!" Tig called from the bathroom, a statement that barely registered as her focus instantly drifted back to the reassuring conversation. His prospect. She wandered over to the dresser, staring distantly at the photos on the mirror while her mind was off in another world; a world that, until now, she never realized just how impossible she thought it would be to truly become a part of.

"Hey," Tig nodded as he exited the bathroom with a backpack over his shoulder. "Babe..." He winced as his eyes landed on Sydney standing in front of the dresser, groaning playfully as he walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist, guiding her down to the bed and off of her leg.

Sydney ignored his efforts, resting her hand over his to keep herself upright. "When did you put these here?" She asked as she leaned forward, her fingertips tracing the strip of photos from the fair.

Tig smiled once he realized what it was that she was looking at, having completely forgotten that she hadn't known the photos had existed in the first place. "After I got back from Nevada." He grabbed her hand, pulling it up to his lips as he looked at her through the mirror. His smile grew as he thought back to that night at the fair... The night that she had first told him that she loved him, the night that she had shocked him—and everyone else—by cutting the balls off of the scumbag (which had firmly secured her ownership of his heart), the night that she had made him harder than any woman ever had, the night that they had fucked until they passed out...

"Let's get goin', I got another surprise." He patted her bicep.

"Another one?" Sydney looked up at him incredulously.

"Yup." Tig grinned. "Come on," he nodded out the door.

"Okay, now I'm not worth it." She scoffed, letting him usher her down the hallway.

;

Juice sat on the couch by the door with his feet up, and a beer in his hand as he sifted through forum after forum on the dark web, searching for a link to the coveted new DMV hacking software that he hoped he could get his hands on before it became inactive again. He tipped his Bud Lite back, enjoying a hearty swig as he thought about how much he was looking forward to a quiet night; a night with no club business, a night with no emergency hospital trips, a night with no interruptio—

"Get all of that shit out of the back of the van."

"W-What?" He was startled by a commanding voice, flinching when a set keys landed in his lap, looking up to see Tig and Sydney on their way out the door. "Dude," he shook his head incredulously. "That's bitch work."

"Exactly. Get goin'." Tig nodded.

Sydney chuckled as Tig continued his stride, ignoring the bald man's protests as he led her out of the clubhouse with her hands clutched tightly around one of his.

"Come on, man…" Juice groaned as the pair disappeared.

Sydney felt her eyes being drawn to Tig's bike as they walked towards the much less exciting tow truck, her pace slowing significantly as she stared longingly at the black Dyna while he stopped at the van to grab her flowers. It hadn't even been a full day since she'd last been on a bike, but she would've given anything to be able to take the bitch bar, over the passenger seat.

"You'll be back on the bike soon, baby." She felt Tig's soothing voice in her ear, patting her butt softly before he continued guiding her towards the truck.

"Packer let me on the back of his…" She looked up at him hopefully as he opened the door and lifted her into her seat.

"No." Tig shook his head, pulling away as he placed the bouquet on her lap, and shut the door—the conversation shutting with it. He didn't even want to think about letting that demon ruin their outing the same way that he had let it ruin the first one.

Sydney was surprised by his seriousness about her riding, but she decided to save her bratty defiance for something lighter—especially after all of the hard work that he'd put into giving her a good day. She waited until he was settled in the driver's seat, pulling her feet out of her heavy boots and laying them across his lap where she hoped to brush away the awkward moment.

Tig smiled gratefully when she seemed to accept his answer—whether it was because she sensed that there was more to the story, or not; he didn't care, as long as it kept her from asking questions. He rested his large hand over her ankles, rubbing his thumb into the soles of her feet as he drove them out of the lot.

"What d'you got for alcohol?" He nodded as they turned onto Main Street.

"Oh… You wanna get me drunk, Sergeant?" She mused, playfully narrowing her eyes.

"Wouldn't be a perfect day if I didn't." He chuckled.

"Wine, dine, and sixty-nine... You really are a gentleman under here." She teased as she dragged her foot up the front of his kutte.

"Yeah, I am. Now tell me if I need to stop." He feigned impatience as they got closer to the liquor store.

"Hmm..." She theatrically tapped her chin until it was almost too late. "Yeah." She nodded.

Tig rolled his eyes as he slammed on the brakes, swerving the truck into the parking stall out front as she laughed, shaking his head with a smile before heading into the store.

;

Juice dragged himself out of the clubhouse to do as his Sergeant had requested; huffing, puffing, and cursing as he did so—dreading what kind of shit that he was going to have to clean up. He took a deep breath as he made to pull the door open, expecting to see a mountain of used condoms, dirty sheets, and sex toys, but he was pleasantly surprised to see no such thing. He breathed a sigh of relief, letting his lungs fill with air again as he got to work emptying the van of the harmless blankets, bags, and boxes.

Once he was finished, he reached for the final item; a black backpack that was stuffed behind the front seat, tossing it down to the ground onto the pile of things that he had to take to Tig's room, before he realized that the zipper had been open. He sighed as he hopped out of the van, locking it up before he leant down to pick up the green dress that had fallen out of the backpack, but something unexpected fell out as he plucked it off of the pavement—a dainty white pair of panties.

He felt his heart speed up. He knew that it was wrong, but he couldn't help himself as he rubbed the soft lace between his fingers. He grit his teeth as he looked around the compound to be sure that nobody had seen him, stuffing them into the pocket of his kutte once he was sure that the coast was clear. Maybe this errand hadn't been so bad after all...

;

Sydney sat cuddled up on the couch with Tig, happily sipping on the whiskey that he had bought as a steady buzz rippled under her warm skin. She grinned as he laughed at the movie that she'd picked, the alcohol dulling her senses enough to keep the smile plastered on her face long after he'd turned away from the screen, and was now looking at her with a knowing smirk.

"You good and buzzed yet?" He raised a brow, looking down to her nearly empty glass.

"Mhmm." She sighed contently.

"Good, let's go." He nodded towards the staircase as he reached for her glass, leaning over her and setting it on the end table. He let her hazy eyes follow his gaze down the hall before he abruptly scooped her up, grinning as she shrieked while he carried her to her room.

Sydney giggled when he tossed her down to the bed, stretching her arms and legs into the air as she sighed dramatically. When she finally pulled together the strength to open her heavy eyes, she saw Tig looking down at her with a predatory gaze that she immediate shrunk under, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth as she lowered her arms, closed her legs, and rolled onto her stomach.

Tig felt his lips curling up when she presented herself to him with just as much enthusiasm for the fifth time today, as she had the first time. He rounded the bed, grabbing her ankles and dragging her down towards him, chuckling as she squealed. He wrapped his arms under her, lifting her to her knees in front of him where he immediately pressed his lips to her bruised neck, and pulled at the shoelace wrapped round it.

Sydney shivered as the knot loosened, the rough material dragging across her skin in a harsh contrast to his soft lips, feeling his other hand doing the same to the one around her waist until she felt his fingertips at her thighs, pulling his shirt up and off of her body.

Tig took his time removing the oversized garment, making sure that he slowly slid it up her arms until she was in the perfect position, slapping the handcuffs onto her wrists before she had time to move.

Sydney's eyes flew open as a small gasp left her lips when she felt the cold metal against her skin, the shock sobering her up momentarily. She looked up at where her wrists had been secured to the beam above her head, her gaze moving to the empty bedpost by her nightstand where her handcuffs had been hanging.

"I knew that you wanted to get me drunk so that you could take advantage of me…" She purred as an excited smile spread across her face, pressing her ass back against him.

"No." Tig replied easily, sending her brows scrunching together. "You're gonna take advantage of me." He grinned before pulling away.

"What?" Sydney scowled, shaking her head in confusion. How was she supposed to take advantage of him, if she was the one restrained. "Tiggy..." She whined when she got nothing but the sound of him undressing behind her.

"I'm right here, baby." She flinched when she felt his voice in her ear, and his hands on her sides. The next thing she knew, she was in his arms, listening to the chain of the handcuffs screeching against the vertical beam of her canopy bed frame as he pulled her up the bed to rest on his bare chest.

"You didn't really think I was gonna let you off without another taste of this sweet pussy, did you, angel?" He questioned from where he laid under her, looping his finger into her bikini bottoms and pulling them to the side.

"I-I thought you'd had enough." She replied shakily while he spoke so close to where she was exposed, sensitive, and waiting.

"I could never have enough of you, baby." He shook his head, his hands roaming over her ass where he pulled her down to his face, flattening his tongue and licking a long stripe through her folds.

Sydney felt every muscle in her body tense up before instantly releasing the second that his tongue hit her bundle of nerves, a low moan leaving her lips as her eyes fell closed, and her head rolled back. She held her position as he licked her, but as soon as she felt his lips close around her clit, her hips began instinctively rolling against his face, and her hands began pulling at her restraints.

"That's it, baby…" He encouraged her as she began riding his face. It hadn't been part of his original plan, but the memory of their handcuffed escapade had given him the perfect idea to help her forget all about how her injury had hindered their earlier encounters—this way he could give her the excitement that she wanted, while being sure that he wouldn't hurt her.

Sydney let his words—and the alcohol—spur her on, completely surrendering as she rested all of her weight onto him, grinding her hips furiously, and moaning freely.

As usual, Tig felt himself getting painfully hard in yet another situation where teasing Sydney doubled as teasing himself. His hands pulled her hips down against his face even harder, sucking her clit harshly before letting her leave his mouth with a pop, smacking her ass as he guided her back to his chest.

Sydney's panting didn't stop even after he did, grinding herself against his chest to maintain the friction as he gazed upon her with lust-coated eyes. She bit her lip, waiting for her next instruction as she felt one hand trailing up her back, and the other up her thigh.

"Ride me." The command send a shiver through her as she suddenly felt his fingers teasing her entrance while he tugged on the string at the back of her bikini top—her tits falling free as it slid up.

Sydney did as she was told, easing herself down onto his fingers and grinding against his palm as his other hand landed back on her ass, guiding her hips as he prodded that perfect spot inside of her. She moved as fast as she could as the pleasure intensified, yanking desperately at the handcuffs as her toes dug into his sides.

As soon as her movements sped up, Tig couldn't take it anymore. His eyes began to flutter closed, letting his hand creep towards his dick in an attempt to keep his desire at bay for a just little longer.

"Tiggy..." She whined as soon as she felt his hand leaving her ass. His eyes flew open, looking up at where she had stilled on top of him with a pout on her face. Fuck. Busted. "I wanna watch..." She bounced against his chest.

Tig blinked a few times, trying to figure out if he had heard her correctly, but the expectant look on her face told him that he had. "My naughty girl wants to watch?" He smirked, raising a brow as he pulled his fingers out of her and sat up slightly.

"Mhmm…" She nodded with a devious smile, and her lip between her teeth.

Tig's smirk turned into a full blown grin, gripping her hips where he quickly spun her around so that she could watch him touch himself while he ate her out, smacking her ass the second that she landed before he dove right back in.

Sydney immediately felt ten times more sensitive than she had before, now that his mouth was back on her in the presence of such an erotic sight. "You see how hard you make me?" He growled from below her, grabbing a handful of her ass as he spoke.

"Y-yes." She writhed against him, trying to stay where he wanted her, but she couldn't, not when he was so close…

Tig could tell by the way that her squirming increased that she wouldn't be able to hold out much longer before she started begging, and he didn't want to take it that far—not this time. He moved his hands to spread her wide open, lifting his head to push himself further against her as he made to move her down the bed, but he was surprised when suddenly she disappeared from his grip. He scowled, leaning up to see what was going on, but before he could even comprehend what was happening, he felt his breath catch in his throat, and his dick swelling as she slid down it.

"Jesus!" His hand flew to her hip, squeezing her with a bone-crushing grip as she looked over her shoulder at him with that evil little smirk.

Tig was quick to recover, not cowering under her or inside of her as she squeezed his cock with that tight little pussy. He grabbed her hips, lifting her up off of him and placing her onto her knees where he got to his behind her.

"Bad girl…" He smirked in her ear, rubbing her clit with one hand as the other trailed over her stomach and up to her chest.

Sydney felt her entire body quivering under his soft but calculated touch as he hit every single one of her weak spots. She tried to suck in a breath, but it was broken by uncontrollable, shaky, desperate moans escaping her lips.

"What's wrong, Princess?" He mumbled against her neck.

"You m-make me feel s-so good..." She pressed herself against him as hard as she could, needing every bit of his touch that she could find.

"You sensitive, baby?" He asked as he pinched her nipple.

"Y-yes." She squeaked as her entire body tensed.

"From what?" He removed his hands from her completely, brushing his lips over her shoulder.

"You." She finally let out the breath that she'd been holding.

"From me, huh?" He slowly spread her legs apart wider as he lined himself up with her entrance. "Sensitive from me fucking you all day?"

"Yes." She moaned, pushing her ass out in search of some more contact.

"Good. Cause I'm not done yet." He pushed inside of her harshly, tilting her head back and absorbing her breathy scream.

;

Tara walked tentatively into her bedroom; a simple action that still felt all too complicated, even the near week that had past since the incident. Jax was right behind her, but she was still hesitant as she felt around for the light switch, terrified that she would be faced with the sight of his lifeless body on the floor, as it had been just days ago. She squeezed her eyes shut, flipping the switch and quickly opening them to see that the room was perfectly made up, just as she had left it. She let go of the breath that she'd been holding, taking a few steps inside—just in case he jumped out...

Jax could tell that Tara still didn't feel safe, taking the lead as he carried her bags over to her bed. He looked around the room, a confusing mixture of both dread and satisfaction filling him as he thought back to the first time that he had properly killed in cold blood. He chewed the inside of his lip, his eyes landing back on Tara who was staring right where the body had been.

"I can stay…" He offered cautiously, knowing better than to let himself get his hopes up.

"No." Tara decided, shaking her head as she turned back around to face him. "I gotta just... Be okay here, you know?" She wrung her hands nervously.

"Yep." He nodded as she confirmed exactly what he had thought all along—that the end of Kohn marked the end of them. "I'm gonna go."

Tara grit her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut in frustration as she watched him walk away, but it wasn't frustration with him, it was frustration with herself. She hadn't wanted him to leave, all she'd wanted was to feel comfortable in her own home again, but clearly with all of the doubt surrounding the situation, he'd gotten the wrong idea.

"Hey!" She called after him, taking a deep breath as he turned back around. "What would've happened… If you'd left with me eleven years ago?"

Jax sighed, looking up towards the ceiling as he leant against the door frame. "I don't know, Tara..." He'd had a long, and stressful day, he didn't want to play another one of Tara's what if games. He knew that her hypothetical questions were just that, hypothetical—and he knew just how easy it was for himself to get caught up in those.

Tara felt all of her nerves pushing the words up her chest when he didn't answer, unable to stop herself. "Maybe I wouldn't have killed someone…" She whispered.

"You didn't." Jax shook his head, fighting the urge to laugh at both her dramatics, and his own naivety.

"Your mom says that I have to end this… That whatever we're doing here can't work." She floated the idea. If she was going to commit, she had to know that they were on the same page.

Jax scoffed. Of course this had something to do with his mother—which must've been what had gotten Tara so upset this morning when she'd almost run him down in the hallway. "You believe her?" He snarked. He already had enough trouble convincing Tara that she wanted to be with him on his own, he didn't anybody else planting extra seeds of doubt in her already doubt-filled mind.

"I mean… What is this?" She gestured between the two of them. "Is it just about the Kohn thing?" She shook her head as she contemplated the perplexing situation. "What do you want?"

"I want you to stop listening to my crazy mom, and get some sleep." He nodded to her bed.

"Well we can't keep looking the other way, Jax… We need to think about this. What the hell are we doing?" She felt herself starting to whine.

Jax dragged his hands down his face as he tried to take all of this in; tried to figure out if she was serious, or if she was just covering her tracks—tried to figure out if this was just one of her impulsive episodes that she would grow out of, just as she had the first time.

"Do you love me?" He blurted out.

Tara was stunned by the boldness of his question. She had only been trying to put feelers out as she was only just coming to terms with her own feelings, this was not what she had expected to be considering—whether she had initiated it or not.

"It's a simple question, babe." He approached her slowly as she stood in front of him, wide-eyed and silent.

"It's not a simple answer…" Of course she loved him. She had loved him since she was a teenager. He was the only man that she had ever loved. But what she didn't love was everything that came with him…

"I know." He nodded understandingly. He knew that it wasn't a simple answer, and that not simple answer was also why he knew that this would never work.

Tara looked away from his painfully accepting blue gaze, staring at his bright white shoes as she tried to push herself further, but she couldn't. She wasn't ready to get on the back of the bike quite yet.

"Alright…" Jax nodded, taking her face in his hands and kissing her deeply before he took his leave. He could tell that she wasn't ready to make a decision, and for now, he would take that. Because maybe, just maybe, if she decided that she wanted him, this time she would be absolutely certain.

;

Once they had finished, Sydney lifted her heavy head to look up at Tig as he stood in front of her, properly removing her clothing before cleaning he could gently clean her up. He gathered the pile of dirty clothes, bringing them to the laundry hamper inside her closet before coming back out where he began searching her dresser for some pyjamas.

"You gonna leave me chained up?" Sydney chuckled where she remained suspended from her bed frame, sitting her exhausted body back onto her knees as she watched him root around her drawers.

"I just might if it'll keep you off of that damn leg." He smirked over his shoulder. "How come you never wear this shit for me?" He whined as he rifled through the top drawer, which was filled with lingerie.

"Because when I think about you, I think about taking my clothes off, not putting more on." She replied easily, smiling smugly at him through the mirror where she caught his wandering eyes.

"Touche." He chuckled, getting to his feet as he took his search into the closet.

"I'm surprised you don't know where they are, seeing that you seem to know where all of my other things are…" She mused.

"I've found all of the important shit that I needed to find, okay?" He retorted with his head poked out of the door before disappearing again, finally locating the correct drawer where he selected some baggy black sweatpants, and a pink tanktop.

"Tiggy, I'm gonna be too hot..." She whined when she saw what he'd picked out for her, rattling the handcuffs. Sweatpants were great for wearing around the air-conditioned house, not for sleeping in—especially when she was sleeping with someone like Tig, who kept her wrapped tightly in his arms all night.

"I don't care." He mocked her as he shook his head, tossing the clothes down onto the bed before he got to work dressing her. He hadn't cared when she was inebriated and begging him to let her strip down the night before, and he didn't care now. He was not going to let her get an infection, or rip her stitches open in her sleep over something as trivial as body temperature.

"Ugh." She groaned dramatically, now this was something that she could use her bratty act on.

"Enough." Tig smacked her ass before pulling the loose pants up her legs.

Sydney smirked when she felt the sharp sting spread across her skin, covering it up with a deep sigh, and a roll of her eyes.

"You rollin' your eyes at me?" He challenged as he narrowed his threatening gaze, pressing his puffed out chest completely against hers.

"Maybe." She rasped cockily, tilting her head up to meet his eyes as he stood over her.

"You shouldn't." He shook his head, trailing his fingertips down her side, making her tremble. "Cause I have the power to keep you here all night." He mumbled before descending his mouth on hers.

;

Sydney awoke the next morning to the feeling of the wind being knocked out of her. She gasped for air as silently as she could as Tig lay asleep next to her, her entire body seizing as the pain overtook each and every one of her. She clawed her way out of bed, no longer caring if she woke Tig up as she stumbled to the bathroom, slamming the door shut and falling to the ground where she gripped the toilet seat and began hyperventilating. She knew that she had been pushing her luck with the amount of walking that she'd been doing, but if yesterday had been enough to produce this kind of reaction, even with Tig policing her every step, then she didn't even want to think about what was to come...

Tig woke up to the blankets rustling around him as Sydney practically jumped out of his grip, scowling as his sleepy eyes and foggy brain tried to comprehend what was going on as he heard the bathroom door slam. He sat up abruptly, pulling on his boxers and stalking across the room, but he stopped himself, his fist hovering over the white-panelled door as he thought back to every other time that he had tried to smother her through her injury. He sucked in a deep breath, filling his chest to the brim as he knocked softly instead.

"Hey, babe? You okay?" He asked shakily.

Sydney flinched even under his soft knocking, her heart rate picking up once she realized that she hadn't thought to lock the door in her haste. "Yeah." She choked out, praying that he would get the hint to leave her alone.

"Okay..." Tig forced himself to nod. "I'm gonna head downstairs and make some coffee, you'll call me if you need anything?"

"Okay." Sydney released a shaky sigh of relief, nodding frantically through her blurry eyes. "Yes." She blinked through her shock, her heaving chest beginning to slow.

Tig knew that he had made the right call, but he still had to peel himself away from the door to get dressed, quickly leaving the room to give Sydney some privacy while he had the strength.

Once Sydney was able to regulate her breathing and get the blood flowing back through her leg, the pain subsided enough for her to be able to put on her poker face for the day. She pushed herself off of the smooth marble countertop, praying as she opened the door that she had just slept funny, and that this was not an indicator of the toll that walking—or moving around at all, for that matter—was taking on her. She stepped over the threshold, but as soon as she took the next step, she felt it; the sharp pain jolting through her leg. She knew at this point that she needed to mitigate every step possible, but she just couldn't make herself call Tig for help...

She took a deep breath as she took as few giant steps as she could to get out of her bedroom, counting nine until she had to stop at the top of the stairs to catch her breath. She gripped the banister until her knuckles turned white as she tried to fight off the pain, shaking her head in frustration before spitefully descending the stairs while grinding her teeth. The faster that she got on with her day, the faster that the healing period would be over.

"Hey," Tig stood as soon as he heard her entering the room, rushing over to her where he immediately brought her into his arms. "You okay?" He asked as he looked her over.

"Yeah." She nodded. "I thought my stomach was gonna betray me after all that fish and whiskey." She chuckled, hoping that the excuse was believable enough to bypass any questions.

"You want me to tell the guys that you aren't feeling well?" He pressed the back of his hand against her bright red cheek.

"No." She shook her head, pulling her burning hot face away from his touch. That was the last thing that she wanted, especially after she had just re-established her strength within the group. "No, it's okay." She answered softer this time, placing her hands over his. "We aren't doing much today, and Tara's bringing some more gauze and shit by the clubhouse for me."

"Okay." Tig nodded wearily, supposing that she was right; there wasn't anything big on the agenda for him to worry about her participating in. "I'm gonna head up and take a shower." He kissed her temple. "Coffee's hot," he pointed to the steaming coffee pot as he walked backwards down the hallway. "If you're hungry, I'll make you something when I'm done."

"I thought we wanted my stomach to feel better, not worse." She joked, raising a brow as she looked at him over her shoulder.

"Ouch." Tig shook his head, feigning offense before winking at her as he disappeared up the stairs.

The second that Tig was out of view, Sydney ran over to the closest surface that she could sit on, which happened to be the kitchen island—hopping up onto it and pressing her palms against the cold marble as she waited for the pain of walking to cease.

;

"Workin' on a Saturday?" Jax asked as he waltzed into the garage wearing his TM uniform; he'd needed a distraction from all of the bullshit going on inside of his head, and apparently Opie had too...

"Just tryin' to pass the time, brother." The bearded man drawled as he loosened a rusty bolt.

"When's Donna gettin' back?" Jax asked as he flipped open his toolbox.

"This afternoon." He chewed his lip as Jax approached, helping him unbolt the panel on the opposite side of the old Sturgis that he'd been working on. "You haven't said much to me since Oakland…"

"Don't got much to say, I guess." Jax grunted as he pulled the metal loose, avoiding his friend's eyes.

"Well, you were right." He nodded curtly. "I wasn't ready."

"It's done." Jax sighed through all that he could think to say. "You doing alright with all that?"

"I'm just a bit out of practice dealing with that shit, you know? I'll get it back." Opie spoke half optimistically, and half apologetically—hoping that he hadn't blown his chance to prove himself, because if he had, then the strain that it'd had on his family would've been for nothing.

Jax felt his heart skip a beat as Opie did exactly what Sydney had said he would do; throw himself in deeper to prove that he could hack the pressure. "Yeah…" He nodded. It wasn't that he didn't understand, it was that he did, and he knew how dangerous that was...

"Holy shit..." The tense conversation was cut off by Bobby's voice as he entered the garage, both men following his gaze out onto the lot and into the morning sun with heavy squints until they recognized what it was that they were looking at.

"Damn…" Jax whistled as Half-Sack rode his brand new Harley into the garage.

Half-Sack grinned as his mentors admired his new ride, the first motorcycle that he had ever owned; a sparkling white Dyna. It was much smaller than the other bikes, and the colour stuck out like a sore thumb; but he supposed that in the crowd of rough and tough bikers, he did too, and he was proud of that.

;

Tig made his way back downstairs after he was showered and ready for the day, finding Sydney sitting cross-legged on the countertop as she trimmed the stems of the yellow roses that he had gotten her the day before, placing them into one of the vases that had previously held a now shrivelling bouquet that she'd been gifted while in the hospital.

"Got enough flowers to last a lifetime." He chuckled as he scooped up the drying florals and tossed them into the trash for her.

"And yet you keep buying me more." She smirked, pushing the vase into the middle of the island once she was satisfied with how they looked. But as soon as her distraction was gone, she felt the weight of the nagging pain beginning to pull her back down. All she could hope for now was a new distraction to help her get through the day...

;

Tara walked up to the clubhouse with the makeshift first aid kit that she had assembled for Sydney, in hand. She did her best to look casual as she scanned the compound for Jax, coming up empty-handed as her eyes reached the fenceline. She wasn't really sure what it was that she expected to come out of seeing him, especially after their conversation the night before, but she supposed that had been the whole point; to figure out if she did want to see him.

"Hey, Doc." Sydney smiled from where she sat on the edge of Tig's bed, leaning back on her elbows as Tara entered the room, glad to be in the presence of someone that she didn't have to hide her pain from.

"Hey." Tara smiled warmly, feeling the effect of Sydney's infectious grin that she had seen penetrate anybody that the young girl came into contact with. It was impossible for her not to smile in the presence of someone who was so light and happy, carefree and confident—everything that she wasn't.

"Taking that grace period seriously, I see…" She nodded to the low-cut black top that Tara was wearing underneath her muted green military jacket.

Tara froze on her way over to the bed, looking down at what she had subconsciously done as her cleavage protruded from the tight top. She laughed as she looked back up to see Sydney's smug smile, shaking her head as she made her way over to the bed and unzipped the small cloth bag. "Okay, so," she began. "Nothing in here that you haven't seen before; gauze, tape, rubbing alcohol."

Sydney felt the throbbing in her leg getting particularly strong as Tara inventoried the kit, squeezing her eyes shut before she eventually couldn't take it anymore. "Can you shut the door?" She blurted out, cutting her off mid-spiel as her fist balled into the dark blue duvet below her.

Tara scowled, looking between Sydney and the door, seeing something behind the blonde woman's eyes that she hadn't seen before... Something serious, something vulnerable. "Uh, yeah, sure." She nodded, getting up where she padded across the room, and closed the door softly.

"Do you think you could take a look at this?" Sydney pulled up the hem of her grey t-shirt dress.

"Sure," Tara got to her knees and began gently unravelling the bandages. "Is everything okay?"

"No." As soon as Tara's concerned-filled eyes landed on her, Sydney knew that she'd begun to back herself into a corner that she didn't want to be trapped in—especially one in such close proximity of Jax. "No, I'm just paranoid." She softened her tone as she shook her head.

Tara could tell that she wasn't being completely truthful, and with the way that she had seen her strutting around the clubhouse, she knew why. She had to be experiencing at least some noticeable discomfort after completely disregarding her recovery plan, and it was clear that for someone like Sydney, showing that discomfort was not an option.

Sydney bounced her uninjured leg up and down as she anxiously awaited Tara's assessment, praying that she hadn't done more damage to her already damaged body...

"Everything looks okay…" Tara concluded as she examined her leg, noting that the bruises were fading, and stitches the were holding up well—pulling on some rubber gloves before she began redressing the wound. "When's your follow up?"

"Monday."

"You gonna be okay until then?" Tara looked up at her with a raised brow.

Sydney briefly wondered exactly what it was that Tara was suggesting with that knowing look behind her brown eyes, but she didn't let herself consider it any further. Being in Jax's debt was the last thing that she needed right now.

"Yeah." She nodded, blinking awkwardly as she cleared her throat. "Did Jax stay with you last night?" She changed the subject.

"No." Tara looked away as she gathered the old dressings, pulling her gloves off and shoving them into a plastic bag along with the other medical waste. "I wanted him to..." She admitted. "But I just… Needed to know that I could be alone." She sighed.

"I get that..." Sydney nodded sincerely. Maybe her and the brunette doctor had more in common than she thought…

;

Jax finally finished stripping the old bike that he'd spent the better part of the morning working on with Opie, glad to be done and away from the awkwardness that had formed between them. He rubbed the grease from his hands as he walked back towards the clubhouse, supposing that the encounter had served its purpose—distracting him from Tara… That was until his eyes landed on her car across the lot. He scowled, skimming the compound for her dark hair, but coming up short, which could only mean one thing...

His mind immediately went to the worst case scenario; Abel, Gemma, Clay. He dropped the towel that he'd been holding, racing inside where he frantically looked around the bar before taking his search down the hallway.

"What're ya lookin' for?" He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Gemma's voice behind him, turning around to see her leaning against the door frame of the kitchen.

"Oh, uh..." He widened his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to look casual. "Just an old manual... Working on that restore with Ope."

"Not like you to be much of a weekend worker." She scoffed. "What's up with that?" She asked as she hauled a case of beer out to the bar.

"Eh, just got a lot goin' on..." He sighed as he slumped down into a bar stool.

"Yeah." She nodded understandingly. "I know, baby." She touched his cheek affectionately before making her way back to the kitchen.

Jax stayed in place until she was gone, looking over his shoulder to be sure that she wasn't still watching him before he placed his head in his hands. "Hey." He snapped his head back into place when he heard the cheerful voice, his eyes focusing on the very person that he had been looking for.

"Hey." He nodded, looking down at the bag of bandages in Tara's hand. "Sydney okay?" His brows wrinkled.

"Yeah." Tara nodded. "Just bringing her some more material. As long as she doesn't move around too much, she should be fine."

"Thanks." Jax nodded, glad that he didn't have to worry about Sydney, or why Tara had been at the clubhouse. "You sleep okay?"

Gemma crept closer to the doorway, watching the encounter quietly. She hated to see that even after all of her efforts, Tara still wasn't budging—and she hated even more that she respected the hell out of it.

Tara felt a smirk pulling at her lips as she watched his twitch with one of his own. "Yeah..." She nodded, biting her lip as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah?" He flirted as his eyes dropped down to her cleavage, shocked that being alone with her thoughts hadn't completely diminished her interest in him. Maybe there was a chance...

"Yeah." She repeated as a full blown grin came to her face, her fingers trailing over the stubble on his chin.

"Everything okay with Sydney?" Gemma interrupted the moment, her power slip being restored the second that their faces fell, and they pulled away from each other.

"Yeah—"

"Yup—" They both nodded awkwardly, avoiding The Matriarch's eyes.

Tara flinched when she felt Gemma grab her face, blinking in surprise as she kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks, Doc." She forced a smile. If Tara really was going to stick around, she figured it was an idea that she needed to try and get right with.

;

Juice stealing the panties… iykyk

Song for this chapter

How You Want It? - Teyana Taylor (feat. King Combs)