A valiant effort by SAMCRO yields favorable results in stopping Stahl's RICO case in its tracks, but the collateral damage sends a particular member's love life—along with other things—down the drain.
General trigger warnings for this story: Language, smut, mentions of rape, abuse, drug use/overdose, violence/death, racism/gang activity.
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CHAPTER 65: DOWN THE DRAIN
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"Cars are still out front…" Jax commented wearily from where he sat in the van with Opie and Unser, eyeing both Stahl's silver Volvo and Hale's wagon still parked in the lot across the street.
"Dispatch is in a separate office. If we get to the cells through the back door, she won't hear us." The Chief assured him.
Jax nodded, turning to be sure that Opie was on board, but instead of feeling reassurance when he saw his friend, what he felt was dread. His worried blue eyes cascaded over the same sight that he'd seen the day that they'd killed Hefner; Opie, trying his damnedest to hype himself up enough to be able to do what he was about to do.
"Ope?" He snapped his fingers in front of the bearded man's fallen face. "You here, man?" He asked firmly, unable to keep the frustration out of his voice when Opie couldn't even handle the non-violent job that he'd already had to pull strings to get him on.
"Yeah." Opie decided with a nod, trying to pull his head from his thoughts, and put it back into the game where it belonged.
"That's our cue." Unser nodded as the final squad car pulled out of the lot, sirens blaring.
"Stay here." Jax made a decision of his own, throwing the door open and exiting the driver's seat.
"I thought you wanted me to—"
"Just keep your eyes open, dude." Jax scoffed as he slammed the door. He wished that he could feel the relief that he'd so badly wanted to feel as Opie's reluctance become more apparent, but it was a reluctance that had come only days too late as the part of him that thought wishfully began to fade as he stepped into his role as VP, and the VP could see clear as day that the only thing that would ever be able to pull Opie away from the club, was death, and death would come quickly if he continued to try and live half in, half out. It had been Jax's job as a friend to try and pull him away, but now it was his job as VP to keep him close.
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Cherry paced back and forth in the tiny cell that she'd been placed in, tugging at her shirt and pulling at her hair as the anxiety consumed her. She was going to jail. She was actually going to jail, and with each minute that passed by, the more that reality set in, the more she realized that she wouldn't allow herself to accept that fate. Not after everything that she'd done not to have to accept it; the name change, the weeks she'd spent in sketchy motels until Indian Hills finally scooped her up, Kip. No. She couldn't let that happen...
That was when she heard it, just in the nick of time before she did something she regretted; the unmistakable sound of a key in a lock. She whirled around to see Jax holding his finger to his lips, looking around for any stray guards, or the sign that another prisoner may give him away. She ran to the front of her cell, gripping the cold bars as she tried to wake herself up from what she knew must be a dream...
"Holy shit…" She widened her eyes as she realized that it was real, that he was actually here to break her out.
"What are you doing here?" Luann exclaimed as she awoke to the sound of the gate rattling, her bloodshot eyes landing on Jax as a scowl came to her face, wondering if the extended time behind bars was starting to get to her.
"We think the feds are pressing Otto." He stalked directly up to her cell, trying to convey as much seriousness to the older woman as he could in the short amount of time.
"Something is going on…" Luann nodded thoughtfully as she began to put the pieces together through her haze. "They're letting me see him tomorrow."
"You gotta get a message to him, Luann." Jax was finally able to breathe that sigh of relief through the adrenaline that was coursing through his veins. They were actually going to pull this off. "They're trying to use the RICO Act against the club. You gotta tell Otto that he can't give them any info, okay? Nothing. No matter how small, or old."
"Shit… Okay." She nodded shakily, her frail hands beginning to tremble as she realized that the fate of the entire club was now resting on her.
"I trust you." Jax nodded softly, squeezing her hands.
"I'll tell him." She nodded more confidently this time.
"Alright." Jax nodded back, heading for the gateway where he had entered.
Cherry felt panic constricting her throat once again, forcing a pained cry through her lips as her last chance, the chance given to her by fate, slipped away. "Jax!" She croaked, shaking her head as he approached her cell. "You gotta get me outta here..."
"What are they asking you?"
"Take me with you, man," she begged through the desperation that had her unable to even comprehend what he was saying to her. "Please!"
"I can't." He scowled as if she was crazy.
"That bitch wants to send me back to Nevada." She squeaked. "I'm gonna do hard time, like... A hundred goddamn years. I can't do that!" She shook her head rapidly as the wall that she'd spent years putting up, came crashing down. "Your mom's right! Okay? If I stay in here, I'll rat!"
"Alright, shut up." Jax snarled, shoving the key into the lock on her cell before yanking the door open, grabbing her arm and pulling her out as she thanked him profusely. "You gonna be okay?" He asked Luann before they left, glad to see her nodding eagerly. At least one of the women could be counted on.
"Woah, woah, woah!" Unser began whisper-yelling from where he stood by the back door as Jax approached with Cherry, looking between them with wide eyes. "Where the hell are you going with her?"
"Whole point of this was to get rid of a rat..." Jax answered bitterly as he locked up the gate. "Hap's coming up tomorrow to smuggle Cameron back to Ireland, he can take this one with him." He nodded to the persistent little brunette.
"Hey… Aren't you the Chief of police?" Cherry scowled as she looked over the old man.
"I got no idea what the fuck I am anymore." Unser sighed with a roll of his eyes, and a shrug of his shoulders.
"He's a friend." Jax assured her before she went ratting about this too. "Put her in the van, I'm gonna check your office and see what I can find." He nodded to Unser before taking off down the hall.
"Uh…" Unser looked around awkwardly. "Come on, little girl… Before something else bites me in the ass."
Jax crept around the police station, following the muffled sounds of what he swore was moaning, all the way to the cracked open door of Unser's office where Stahl was sitting at the desk with her head in her hands, and Hale's head between her legs.
"Didn't think this was your kind of thing." Jax's moment of amusement was cut off by a raspy voice in his ear, almost falling backwards as he tried to catch his balance from the scare.
"Jesus Christ, man." He laughed as he caught his breath, shaking his head at Tig, who must've slipped through the back door.
"He looks pretty good..." Tig grinned as he watched Hale's muscular back flex while he pulled the uptight woman undone beneath him. "Aight, let's go." He nodded down the hall. "Bobby's outside, Piney went back to the clubhouse."
"Aight. I'll get him to take Cherry up to the cabin."
"Cherry?" Tig scowled.
"Yeah..." Jax sighed. "It's a long story."
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Tig waltzed up the pathway to Sydney's house with a throbbing eye, a bloody nose, and a giant grin. The fight had been so good that he hadn't even minded Piney's reckless diversion from the original plan, because it had been exactly what he'd needed end off the successful day.
"If I knew you were gonna come home lookin' like that, I'd send you out on the job more often..." Tig looked up to see Sydney standing in the doorway with her lip between her teeth.
"Duty calls, baby." He grinned as he trotted up the steps, his arm circling her waist where he immediately dipped her backwards and kissed her, smiling against her giggling lips.
"I still wish I got to see…" She stroked her hand down his bicep as he held her in place.
"I'll make sure you get a front row seat next time." He winked, straightening them back up.
"I hope so..." She grinned as her eyes slid over his form, her fingers trailing across his chest and down to his hand where she led him inside.
Tig followed her with lust-coated eyes as she led him through the dimly lit house, those perfect hips swinging back and forth until they stopped at the dining table where she turned on her heels, sliding her hands up his chest until she was gripping the lapels of his dark blue button-up, pulling him towards her. A smirk came to his face when she pressed her body against his, his hands finding her hips as he leant down to her lips so that she could reach his, but she didn't kiss him.
Sydney held her position where her lips hovered just a hair away from his as she inhaled his intoxicating scent, quickly spinning him around and sitting him down in one of the dining chairs.
Tig gasped as he felt himself being knocked back by her the same way that he had earlier in the day, but this time, the way that she situated herself in his lap the second that he was seated, did nothing to help him catch his breath. He blinked a few times, widening his eyes as he tried to decipher his third ambush of the day, but the sight before him was too captivating as he watched her slowly slide the black dress up her body to reveal the sheer, white lingerie that she had on underneath.
"Wh—" He cleared his throat. "W-what's this for?" He stuttered as his hands rested on the exposed skin of her thighs, just above the white knee socks that she had slipped on in his absence.
"I need an excuse to dress up for my man?" She questioned with a coy tilt of her head, her tone laced with exaggerated innocence.
"When it looks this good? Yeah." He scoffed as he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth.
"You said that you wanted me to wear it for you." She answered simply as she stroked her hands down his forearms.
"Yeah, but I didn't think it would be this easy..." He blinked in disbelief, dragging his hands up her lace-covered sides.
"You deserve it." She dragged her hands all the way up his arms, and over his shoulders.
"I don't." He shook his head confidently as his eyes continued to roam over her perfect figure.
"You do." She assured him with a firm nod, leaning into his neck where she pressed her lips against his skin as she spoke. "You got me groceries, you defend my honour against scorned croweaters," she grinned as her fingers slowly began unbuttoning his shirt. "You noticed my nails." She added with a giggle.
"I do all of that because I love you." He shook his head. He was good to her because she allowed him to be, not because he wanted something from her in return.
"I know," She dragged her lips down to his now exposed chest where she placed butterfly kisses across his collarbones. "And I'm going to wear this while I suck your cock because I love you." She breathed into his ear before getting back to her feet, pulling him up and switching their positions so that he was standing as she sat down and got to work unbuckling his belt.
Tig felt his nerves pulsing with excitement as she peered up at him hungrily, pulling his cock free. "You're perfect…" He husked, reaching down to her neck where he held her in place as he leaned down to her lips, claiming her sweet mouth with his tongue. Sex, a fight, and head… Now it really was a perfect day.
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Half-Sack sat outside of the cabin in the tow truck, tapping a cigarette against the open window as he listened to the sound of crickets in the forest that surrounded him. He brought the foreign object up to his lips, inhaling deeply as he tried not to cough. He wasn't a smoker, but the fate that he now had to accept—and the men that he spent his time with—had driven him to it in hopes that it would help calm his nerves while he awaited Cherry's arrival so that they could spend what he never would've expected to be their last night together.
But that wasn't the only thing that was weighing on his mind. He had gone back and forth, wrestling with his conscience far before the devastating call from Jax to meet him at the cabin. He knew that it had been dangerous—what he'd done to help Sydney—and he tried as hard as he could to regret it; to feel scared, to feel like he'd made a mistake. But he couldn't, because in the midst of there being absolutely nothing that he could do to help his own old lady, it made him feel a tiny bit better to know that he'd been able to help somebody else's.
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"The hell do you think you're doing?" Sydney looked over her shoulder as she slid the patio door open, scowling up at Tig as he looked her up and down with a raised brow, and an armload of drinks.
"Going outside?" She drawled cautiously, wondering how she could've possibly misinterpreted the plan that they had formulated just minutes ago.
"Hell no you're not, not like that." He shook his head firmly as she stood in the lacy garment that left next to nothing to the imagination, setting the drinks down onto the table before reaching for her dress where it hung over the chair, slipping it back over her head.
"Can't handle the temptation, Sergeant?" She smirked, turning on the balls of her feet before walking out into the cool night air.
"You know that I can't." He chuckled, scooping up the drinks and following her out onto the back deck where he was shocked to see a brand new setup; a large, dark wicker outdoor couch with white cushions that wrapped all the way around a fancy table with a gas-powered fire pit built right into the middle. "When the hell did you get this?"
"In the hospital." She shrugged as she turned the knob, bringing the fire roaring to life down the centre of the table. "It was just delivered the other day."
"Doin' a little online shopping, huh?" He smirked as he placed their drinks down on the table and sat down, the water-repellent material creaking below him as he made room for her to settle into his side before wrapping an arm around her.
"Retail therapy." She mused with a smile.
"Speaking of therapy and hospitals…" He felt her tense up even under what he thought was a gentle approach to the sensitive subject. "How's it feeling today?" He nodded to her leg. "Sore?"
"Yeah." Sydney lied as she brought the glass of overly sweet wine to her lips. "I see the doctor for my follow-up tomorrow." She shrugged between sips, hoping that some minor indulgence would satisfy him enough to move the conversation onto the next topic.
Tig nodded thoughtfully, shocked to realize that it had only been a week since she'd been shot—since he thought that he was going to lose her. So much had happened in the short amount of time since the incident, which only made him realize just how quickly she'd actually gotten back on her feet—which only worried him even more, but he was able to calm himself down with the reassurance that her visit to the doctor would give him all of the answers that he needed not to worry. Although something that did worry him, was the memory in the back of his brain that the conversation had ticked; doctor... Prescription... Gemma.
"Oh, hey, can I, uh… Can I ask you something?" He stuttered as he tried to find the right way to broach yet another sensitive subject while all of their collective wounds were still fresh—both metaphorical and physical.
"Mhmm," she hummed, trying her best to sound amused as he stumbled over his words—which she was—but she wasn't nearly as amused, as she was nervous...
"Uh, I was talking to Gemma… About her meds," Sydney felt herself getting more and more anxious as he steadily approached the one subject that she had been so desperate to keep him away from... "About going into menopause."
"Oh," she felt her muscles relaxing, raising a curious brow once she realized that what he was talking about wasn't even in the same league as what she was so worried about.
"Um, are you sure that you're not like, late or anything?" His thumbnail found its way between his teeth.
Sydney's eyes widened once the words finally left his mouth, sitting up abruptly. "Oh, shit…" She whispered to her freshly painted toes where they were propped up on the table, soaking up the heat of the fire.
Tig's eyes doubled in size, his hand dropping from his mouth as he too shot up from where they'd been lounging back, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face him, but his brows furrowed when the playful expression that he saw on her face didn't at all match the panic that had been in her voice.
"Just fucking with you." She winked.
"But… We..." He shook his head slowly as he desperately tried to make sense of the timeline. He may have been shocked to realize that it had only been a week since the shooting, but he knew for sure that it had been over a month since they'd started sleeping together.
"Fuck everyday?" She raised a brow.
"Yeah…" He nodded incredulously.
"And?" Her brow raised even higher, as did the corners of her mouth.
"Come on, baby..." He whined as she looked at him as if the answer to this mind-boggling conundrum was so obvious. "I don't know anything about this shit, okay? Go easy on your old man." He pleaded as he relaxed back into his original position.
Sydney chuckled, resting her head against his chest. "I get the birth control injection once a year, that way I don't have to deal with periods or pills." She explained, quickly looking away as she drained her glass.
Tig nodded, tipping his beer back as he took in the fascinating knowledge. He hadn't even known that there were different types of birth control, let alone one that only had to be taken once a year and stopped periods. Why didn't all women get that?
"You want another?" He nodded to her empty glass as she leaned forward to set it on the table, making to get up.
"No, I'm okay." She shook her head quickly, pushing him back down. She had learned her lesson with that the first time...
"You sure?" His forehead creased slightly, he'd never known Sydney to turn down alcohol.
"Yeah, I'm back in the office tomorrow." She gave the poor excuse, resting her head on his lap so that he couldn't look into her deceitful eyes.
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Once Juice was satisfied that he was finally alone in the clubhouse—and that nobody would be coming back—he made his way down the hall, and to the laundry room. He crossed the threshold, looking over his shoulder one last time, just to be safe, before he got down onto his hands and knees, crawling behind the dryer where he pulled out the small cardboard box that had once held lint sheets, but now held his dirty little secret.
He smiled as he turned the box in his hands, letting his fingers slip into the jagged opening where they grazed the smooth cotton, and textured lace—peeking his head out the door once more before making his way to the bathroom where a sigh of relief left his lips when the door closed behind him. After a close call the other day, he was ecstatic to finally be back in this position without having been caught. His heart skipped a beat, igniting a frenzy that had him savagely tearing the box open, rifling through the colourful array of undergarments that rained down onto the tiled floor until he found the one that he was looking for; the little white thong.
He wrapped it around his fingers, rubbing the lace between the calloused pads as he closed his eyes, and exhaled a cleansing breath. This wasn't the usual scratchy, cheap material that he was used to; this was nice, expensive, and worth every agonizing, risky second that he'd had to wait to be able to experience it.
As his hands brought the soiled material up to his face, he tried to stop himself; to tell himself how sick this was, how wrong this was. But as usual, it didn't work, and the fact that they belonged to Sydney had only made the urge that much stronger to fight. He rubbed his face with the lace as he turned towards the toilet, bringing it up to his nose and inhaling deeply, his eyes rolling back as he took in the sweet scent.
He sighed heavily, wishing that he didn't have to dispose of them; not of these ones, but he had to. Stealing panties from croweaters was one thing, but stealing panties from a brother's old lady was very much another. He rubbed his hands with the comforting material one more time, squeezing his eyes shut as he dropped them into the toilet with a wince, pulling the handle and flushing them away forever.
;
"Feel good?" Tig chuckled from where he laid underneath Sydney, his chest vibrating with her gentle humming as he massaged the tense muscles in her hips.
"Mhmm," she nodded lazily, not bothering to try and summon the energy to look up as she revelled in the intense relaxation that the blissful position had brought.
"I can tell," he smirked. "You ready for bed?" He'd finished the two beers that he'd brought out for himself some time ago, knowing that the late hours of the night had to be nearing the early hours of the morning by now.
"I like this..." She whined as she shook her head.
"Come on," Tig nodded with a smirk. "I got an idea..." He squeezed her ass before getting to his feet with her in his arms.
Sydney's eyes fell closed, resting her head on his shoulder as he carried her through the house, turning off the lights one by one. She ran her hands up and down the strong muscles of his back until she finally felt him lowering her down to the bed, cracking her heavy eyes open to see him tenderly looking down at her as his thumb stroked over her cheek.
"This reminds me of Bobby's wedding." She whispered as she reached up to touch his face, running her thumb across his moustache.
"I ain't gonna mess it up this time." He whispered back with a gentle shake of his head, his hand falling from her cheek as his fingers wove into the hair and brought her to his lips.
"You didn't mess it up," her head shook as their lips parted. "If anything, I messed it up," she smiled knowingly.
"You didn't." Tig shook his head as he brushed some stray hairs behind her ear. "I was a pussy for not making a move sooner."
"Well it didn't matter, did it?" She cupped his tightened jaw. "I already knew that I loved you by then."
"Doing right by you matters to me." He shook his head as he sat up.
"Tiggy…" She pouted as she grabbed his hand, tears of guilt pooling in her eyes as he worried that he hadn't done right by her, all while she was doing wrong by him. "You're too hard on yourself," she shook her head, unable to determine if he actually was being hard on himself, or if it was just her enhanced emotions tricking her into thinking that he was. But it didn't matter if the guilt was real or fabricated by her cloudy mind, because it all felt the same. "I love you so much. More than I've ever loved anything. I know that you would never do wrong by me." She managed to force the words out before her throat locked up.
Tig hadn't at all expected the single glass of wine to enhance her emotions this greatly, reaching for her hand. "Okay, baby," he nodded, bringing her knuckles to his lips as he let his eyes fall closed. "I love you."
"Come here," she gently pulled her hand out of his lingering grip, bringing him back to the blissful position on top of her. "It's okay..." She nodded as she took his head in both of her hands, pulling him back to her lips. "I love you, too." She whispered between slow kisses, smiling as she felt his lips beginning to move against hers as the heat returned to the embrace.
Tig felt a smirk twitching at his lips as the emotion faded, and she began to writhing underneath him, dragging her legs up his and wrapping them around his waist. "Get undressed and lay down," he mumbled against her lips, squeezing her thigh as he pushed it back down to the mattress.
"What are you up to, Sergeant?" She purred, grinning mischievously.
"I'm gonna give you a massage, if you'll let me," he chuckled as she continued to try and entice him into staying where he was, capturing his lips in another kiss.
"You gonna massage my pussy too?" She breathed out, arching her back off of the bed.
"Maybe," he blinked slowly, feeling his cheeks heating as she looked up at him with her lip between her teeth. He knew that he would get used to it one day, but for now, he still found himself in shock that he was the romantic one in their relationship.
Sydney's lips curled up as she watched him squirm under her predatory gaze, releasing the grip that she had him in between her thigh so that he could get up, watching as he began lighting the candles that she had displayed around the room. She sat up, pulling her dress up over her head before leaning back onto her elbows while she waited for him to return.
"I thought I told you to get undresse—" Tig whined as he turned back around, his voice catching in his throat as his eyes trailed up her calves where she sat on the edge of the bed, clothed in the tiny scraps of lace.
"I thought you could undress me instead," she looked up at him innocently as he approached, dragging her feet up his legs, over his chest, continuing until her ankles were resting on his shoulders. "Give me my money's worth for this outfit..." She drawled as she spread her legs wide open.
"Ain't gonna be no damn massage if I undress you," he scoffed as he smoothed his hands down her legs, trying to keep his eyes from popping out of his head.
"Exactly," she smirked as she slowly dropped her legs, running her hands up his chest. "How about we compromise?" She whispered at his lips, barely grazing them with her own as she spoke in a low rasp. "You watch me take it off, and then you can show me why I put it on."
"Deal." Tig blinked his understanding as he hovered over her, stiff as a board.
Sydney let her body press against his as she got to her feet, turning slowly on her heels, letting her ass grind against his crotch before she crossed the room to turn out the light, which instantly transformed the mood her bedroom as the warm glow from the candles bounced between each wall. She smirked as she turned back around to see him watching her—just as she had wanted—walking back over to him slowly, swaying her body with every step.
"You get undressed, too," she whispered into his ear as she sat him down on the edge of the bed.
"I thought that this was supposed to be me seducing you," he grinned playfully, grabbing her behind her knee and pulling her into his lap.
"Baby… You seduced me a long time ago." She smiled as she brushed her finger over his lips before pressing hers against them.
Tig let her take the lead, following her cues instead; if this was what made her feel normal, his hardening dick and hungry mouth were more than happy to oblige as she teased him with her movements, making a mental note to keep wine in the house more often.
Sydney let herself kiss him lazily for a few minutes, keeping her movements slow and expectant before she finally got up out of his lap, and presented herself before him. It wasn't lost on her that the last time she was in this position, it had used to humiliate her, but this time she had control. She placed a hand to his chest where she pushed him back, tilting his chin up to watch her every move.
Tig couldn't stop his eyes from widening this time as he watched her drag her hands up her body, over her tits, and around the back of her neck where she untied the halter strap of the bodysuit, gathering the fabric in her hands before slowly letting it fall to reveal her bare top half. He felt his fists balling into the sheets as she turned around, bending over slightly as she unhooked the strap behind her back before fully folding to slide the garment down her buttery smooth legs at anagonizing pace. He heard himself audibly gasp when she straightened back up, watching her hair whip against her exposed back before she spun around to face him, propping her foot up on his knee where she began slowly sliding her sock down.
"No," he choked out, reaching for her hand. "Leave them on..." He nodded, still starstruck as he shakily got to his feet, and guided her down to the bed. "Lay down..." He whispered.
"Like this?" Sydney drawled as she lowered herself down to her back, slowly dragging her foot up the inside of his thigh. Tig shook his head, trying to resist as he felt her getting closer to his crotch, releasing the breath that he'd been holding when she finally pulled her foot away. "What about like this?" She asked as she spun around, laying on her back so that her head was hanging off of the bed, and her lips were level with his cock as she dragged her hands up her naked body.
Tig bit the insides of his cheeks so hard that he thought they may bleed as he forced himself to shake his head once again, storing this idea into the back of his mind for next time. "Like this," he told her softly as he lowered his lips to hers, gently stroking her tongue with his before he guided her up.
Sydney caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror that sat atop her dresser, her lips curling up in a devious smirk as she pulled away from him and slid across the bed where she got to her feet on the other side.
"You gonna tell me that I was right?" She smirked as she slowly swayed back and forth in front of the mirror while he stood behind her.
Tig's scowled when he heard her cryptic words, slowly rounding the bed to where she was standing, taking her outstretched hand and allowing her to position him beside her so that he could gaze upon the same sight that she was.
"I'll tell you whatever you wanna hear, doll..." He told her dreamily as his hands found her waist, watching the beautiful reflection of his hands on her.
"It's better off than it is on, isn't it?" She raised a brow as she leaned back into his touch.
"Don't mean I don't wanna see you in it… Know that I'm the one who gets what's underneath," he shook his head as his hands found her tits, and his lips found her neck. "Is that worth your money?"
"Depends what you're gonna do with what's underneath..." She smirked as his goatee tickled her shoulder.
"Well I'm tryin' to show you," he chuckled as he nuzzled her neck.
Sydney giggled, pushing her ass back against him, which made him fall to the bed as the backs of his knees hit the mattress, landing with her in his lap. "You could massage me right here..." She ground herself into his crotch.
"Jesus," Tig laughed. "You've really never had a good massage before."
"That obvious, huh?" She giggled, looking back at him. "I guess you're just gonna have to be another one of my firsts, Sergeant," she rasped, catching his lips once again.
"First, and last," he looked deep into her eyes before standing up abruptly, flipping her onto the bed where she landed on her stomach. "Lay like that," he smirked, winking as he waltzed into the bathroom.
Sydney buried her burning cheeks into the white duvet, smiling against the soft fabric as she got comfortable, and waited for him to return. "You got any baby oil?" Tig called, his voice echoing from where head was underneath the sink as he sifted through rows of various body washes, scrubs, and lotions.
"What the—" Sydney mumbled as her face contorted in the blanket, lifting her head. "No I don't have any fucking baby oil," she shook her head incredulously, scowling deeply at him as he emerged with a bottle of coconut body lotion.
"You should get some," He smirked suggestively, walking over where he finally began shedding his clothes.
"You gonna show me why?" She raised a brow.
"One day, when you're ready," he winked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.
Sydney's eyes widened. "When I'm read— " She feigned offence, pushing herself up off of the bed before he pushed her back down.
Tig laughed as she giggled under him, rolling her onto her back where he wrapped his arms around her, and pressed his lips to hers. "I love you," he mumbled through a grin.
"I love you, too," she smiled back, kissing him again. "Now give me my damn massage."
"Yes ma'am," he smirked, rolling her back onto her stomach.
;
Half-Sack laid with Cherry draped across his chest in the king bed of the cabin, trying to ignore the heartache—and the fact that this was where Piney likely jerked off every night—as they spent their last hours together, tangled in the sheets as she played with his fingers while explaining why all of this was happening, what she had done, why she had done it. She brought his knuckles to her lips when she was finished, praying that, for the first time, the truth truly would set her free.
Half-Sack took a deep breath as he felt her lips quivering against his fingers, a feeling that, after tomorrow, he would likely never know again. "Is there anything else?" He forced out a chuckle.
"No," she smiled bashfully. "That's everything, I swear." She held her hands up in a playful surrender, the smile fading from her face as she retook his hand in both of hers.
"Well, I don't think I could ever get used to calling you Rita," he chortled.
Cherry felt the sadness creeping into the pit of her stomach. She had managed to keep her composure amongst the euphoria of being freed from ATF holding, and the relief of being able to see him one last time, but as her legal name slipped from his lips, she was reminded exactly why she was laid up with him right now.
"I don't want you to," she squeezed his hand as tears came to her eyes. "I'm sorry..."
"It's alright," he whispered, running his hand down her arm soothingly as tears flooded his own eyes. She heard him sniffle, letting her eyes spill over rolled as she wrapped her arms around him.
"Hey," he nudged her, taking her face in his hands as he looked deep into her eyes before kissing her softly. "I got something I want you to have," He rolled her onto her back so that he could remove one of the dog tags that was around his neck, taking her hand and placing it in her palm before closing her fingers around it, kissing her knuckles.
"Kip…" She shook her head slowly. "I can't take this."
"It's okay," he smiled. "That's why I got two of 'em," he pulled at the remaining chain around his neck.
"I got something for you, too…" She decided as she rolled over, digging through her purse for the one piece of her old life that she had always held onto; it only seemed fitting to leave it behind with the one piece of her new life that she couldn'thold onto.
"Cherry," he chuckled as she presented him with a dog tag of his own, except this was a literal dog tag, and it was one that he would wear with pride.
"I love you..." She whispered the three words that had been far too premature to say to him until this moment when suddenly there was no time left.
"Yeah…" Half-Sack felt his chest clenching. Nobody had ever told him that before, and now the one person who had, would never tell it to him again. "I love you, too."
;
For those of you SOA watchers who are very confused right now and clearly haven't seen the DVD extras, when Bobby complains about the toilet being backed up because someone is flushing panties, it is revealed in the deleted scenes that the panty flusher (and worshipper, apparently) was Juice :/ (Youtube i, I die every time). I feel like I was able to tap into Juice's panty sniffing mind WAY too easily, and now I am concerned :/
Song for this chapter
Ace of Hearts - Zella Day