#Kacey Calhoun

[jacksonroseroth]

Welcome To The Neighborhood Epilogue

A/N: You guys...it’s me. Did you really not see this coming? XD Anyway, here’s the epilogue and the FINAL FINALE of mine and @badwolf-in-the-impala​‘s Welcome To The Neighborhood. Hope you enjoy it!

Warnings: Issues with pregnancy, angst, sibling angst

Words: 2,059

Moodboard made by @badwolf-in-the-impala​, none of the pictures are ours.

Previous Chapter

~

A week or so passed and everyone quickly reverted to how things were before. Now that Nico was dead and Bastien, Kacey hoped, was dead somewhere too, her fears quickly faded and she threw herself into her life with Opie and the club. Harper, on the other hand, couldn't shake the events that weighed on her. Following an argument with Jax, Harper told him that she needed time and she couldn’t be with him anymore. While it hurt Jax to hear her say it, he agreed to give her a little space, not thinking they would actually end things.

After getting the news that she was pregnant, with Jax’s baby, Harper was reduced to nothing more than a bundle of frazzled nerves. She needed someone to turn to, but she wasn’t quite ready to tell Kacey about it all. Instead, she turned to Gemma, hoping she could offer some advice that would make her feel better.

~

Harper knocked on Gemma’s door and waited, chewing her lip and picking at her nails. The door finally swung open and Gemma smiled, pulling her into a hug. “Hey, sweetheart. How are you doing?” Gemma asked, leading her in before she shut the door.

“Um, I’m okay.” She said, rather unconvincingly. Gemma looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

“What’s wrong?” Gemma asked, leading her to the couch where they sat down. Harper sighed and bit at her nail.

“S-Something happened and I can’t tell Kacey yet. I can’t tell anyone and I feel like I’m slowly losing my mind.” Harper blurted out, desperately wanting to get it all out but still worried. Gemma shifted and said, “Harper, honey, just tell me what’s going on. I can’t  help if I don’t know.”

Taking a slow, steady breath, holding it in for a moment before letting it out and turning to her, Harper said, “I’m pregnant.”

It took her a moment to process it all, while she was overjoyed, Gemma could see that Harper was shaken by it. Gemma sighed and shook her head as she watched Harper pull her legs up. She stood and took a few steps before she turned to her and said, “Jax know?”

Harper shook her head and stayed silent for a moment before she looked at Gemma and said, “Gemma, you can’t tell him.”

“Course not, darlin’. That’s your job.” Gemma said, with a small smirk. When Harper didn't share her amusement, Gemma’s smirk faded as Harper said, “No.”

She stared at the floor for a moment before she looked up at her and said, “No one is going to tell him. He’s not going to know.”

Gemma blinked and shifted, putting a hand on her hip and said, “Harper. You’re not thinkin’ of...You know...Right?”

Harper sighed and stood, taking a few steps away from her as she said, “God, Gemma. No!”

She sighed and pushed her hands through her hair, pacing slowly before she finally looked at Gemma and said, slowly, “I’m not staying.”

She fiddled with her fingers and nails, waiting for Gemma to respond, but Gemma merely stared at her for what seemed like an hour before she finally chuckled and said, “Okay, Harper. That’s-That’s a good one, babe.”

Harper scrunched up her face, confused and annoyed and said, “No, really, Gemma. I’m not staying. I-I can’t stay here in Charming and be with Jax after this. He-He wouldn’t want me and I wouldn’t blame him...And besides, there’s no way this baby could survive. I mean...Hell, I’ll probably miscarry within the week from the trauma!”

Gemma marched over to her, wanting to slap her straight, but decided to simply say, rather firmly, “Don’t you say that. You put it out there and it happens. Don't curse this baby because you made a mistake.”

“Gemma--It was more than a mistake. I almost got my sister and your son killed!” Harper shouted.

“Almost! And I know it happened for a good reason! It was an accident and they both survived.” Gemma said. “That’s no reason to run away and, especially, abandon your sister!”

“Well, I-” Harper took a minute, suddenly unsure of herself and said, “I was going to ask her to leave with me.”

Gemma blinked, tilting her head as she shifted her feet. “You’d take Kacey with you? Away from Ope? Harper, have you seen them lately? They’re in love. You cannot ask her to leave him like that.”

The words hit Harper like a ton of bricks and she realized, Gemma was right. It was almost as selfish as keeping Jax in the dark about her pregnancy. But that was something Harper decided on to not hurt Jax, even more, when she left. It was about time Kacey was with a man who treated her right and protected her, in a way Harper knew she never could. She was in love and Harper would be damned if she would be the reason Kacey lost it. Taking a breath and dropping her hands, letting them slap against her jean-clad thighs, she said, “You’re right. I can’t.”

With that, Harper turned on her heel and went to the table to grab her purse, digging around for her keys. Gemma was frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do, then she quickly followed after her. Grabbing Harper’s upper arm, Gemma stopped her and said, “Hang on. Harper...You’re not still leaving, are you? You cannot hurt my Jax like this. You need to stay and work on things and take care of that baby.”

Calmly, Harper pulled her arm from Gemma’s grasp and said, “Gemma, I love you and respect you so deeply. I understand that family is important to you. But I honestly don’t see this ending well.”

As Harper turned to the door and opened it, Gemma said, “If you leave, I will tell Jax.” Those words made Harper stop in her tracks. While she had decided to change her mind about Kacey, keeping this pregnancy a secret from Jax was something she wouldn’t. Harper looked back at her and said, “If I stay you’ll keep it a secret? Until I decide I want to tell him?”

Gemma nodded and said, “You’ve got my word, darlin’...But only if you stay.”

Harper gave a soft sigh and glanced away, weighing her options. Taking one last glance at Gemma, Harper walked out, hightailing it to her truck. Gemma sighed, listening to the beat up old Ford rumble to life and take off.

~

A week had passed and Harper stuck around but avoided Jax at all costs. She stopped showing up at TM and the Clubhouse and was absent from any and all events at Gemma’s. When Gemma didn't see the truck in the driveway that weekend, she had half a mind to tell Jax, as Harper seemingly didn't keep up her end of the bargain. But Clay told her that Harper had brought the truck in for a routine check-up and oil change, it ending up that she needed new parts. The truck was back in the driveway Monday night and Gemma saw Harper leave for her shift at the diner the next day. She was satisfied that Harper had taken the time to think things over and decided to stay; That is until Kacey came running down to Gemma’s that night, screaming that Harper was bleeding out on the bathroom floor. They rushed her to the hospital and stayed with her until she was discharged and Kacey brought her home.

Gemma was heartbroken when Kacey relayed the news that Harper told her, only to Gemma, that Harper had a miscarriage. Kacey herself was shocked that her sister was even pregnant. She was hurt that Harper told Gemma and not her, but she understood her sister’s thinking. Dealing with everything that happened, Harper kept herself locked in her room until Kacey took the hint and spent a few nights at Opie’s, swinging by Gemma’s on the last day before she went home.

~

“Hey, darlin’!” Gemma said with a big smile, opening her arms wide as Kacey walked in with her bags, setting them down before she embraced Gemma. “Oh...So…”

Gemma sighed as she grabbed one of Kacey’s bags, helping her inside before she closed the door and turned to her. She smiled and said, “How’s your sister? Have you talked to her at all?”

Kacey’s smile faded into a sad frown as she shook her head. “No. She’s not answering any of my calls or texts.” She said, slipping her purse off her shoulder, sitting down at the table as Gemma went into the kitchen to pour them both a cup of coffee. When she came back, handing a cup to Kacey, she asked, “Is Jax still gone?”

“Yeah. But he’s kept in touch. Said he’s headin’ back down from Tacoma today.” Gemma said, taking a sip out of her mug once she sat down.

“Did he sound any better?” Kacey asked. While Jax and the rest of the club were kept in the dark about Harper’s pregnancy, Jax was still broken up about Harper ending things with him. With Clay’s blessing and Bobby taking over his VP duties until he came back, Jax rode up to Tacoma and stayed there for a few days to clear his head.

“A little. He’s still upset, but I think he’s doin’ better. The trip seemed to help.” Gemma said. Kacey sighed and gave a small smile, picking up her cup and bringing it to her lips and taking a sip. Outside, they heard the rumble of a motorcycle and the two women looked at each other, confused. Answering Kacey’s unspoken question, Gemma stood and said, as she went to the front door, “That can't possibly be him…”

Kacey took a big gulp of her coffee before following Gemma out the front door to look down the street, only to find Harper’s bike riding off, a backpack strapped to her and two bundles on either side of her Harley. Kacey’s eyes went wide and she screamed for her sister, running down the street in an attempt to chase her. Gemma whispered a soft ‘Oh, shit’ before quickly walking down the sidewalk, watching Harper get smaller and smaller until she disappeared around the corner. Kacey made it to their driveway before the realization hit her that Harper probably wasn’t coming back and she collapsed on their front lawn. Tears streaming down her face by the time Gemma caught up to her, Kacey covered her face and sobbed. Gemma pulled Kacey to her feet and held her close, her own eyes filling with tears.

“Shh...Shh...It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.” Gemma said softly, consoling Kacey as she rubbed her back. Faint flapping caught Gemma’s attention and she looked over to Harper’s truck. A paper trapped under the windshield wiper flapped in the breeze. Gemma let go of Kacey and made a beeline for the truck, snatching it from under the blade and reading it over. Her heart nearly stopped and before she could stop her, Kacey ripped it from her hands, reading it with a tear-blurred vision that only got worse with every word.

Kacey. Gemma.

I know I promised Gemma I’d stay in Charming, but I just can’t anymore. Please tell Jax this isn’t his fault, but mine. I love him too much to stay this close to him and still be hurt. Kacey, I’m leaving my truck for you. I know you hate it and will probably set it on fire like you promised, and that’s fine. I left some money for the house on the counter. I don’t know if I’ll come back, but I don’t want you to lose the house because I left. Gemma. Please do not tell Jax about the miscarriage. It’ll only hurt him more to know that I kept it from him and lost the baby. I promise I’ll stay out of trouble, if I can. Please take care of Kacey or at least make sure Opie will.

I’m sorry.

As Kacey screamed, crumpling up the paper in her hands, Gemma caught her as she began to fall, sobbing into Gemma’s chest. Kneeling to the ground with her, Gemma gasped for breath while fighting her own tears. She knew Harper was hurt and needed time, but she never thought that she’d actually leave.

~

Hope you guys liked it! Feel free to drop a comment! If you want to be tagged in future fics/chapters, let me know! I’ll add you to the list! 

@tephi101 @shieldmaiden25 @staystrongsoa @badwolf-in-the-impala @captstefanbrandt @imgoldielikehawn @grungyblonde @courtrae89 @romanchronicles @crazyanonymous4u

[thatesqcrush]

Valentine’s B!ngo!!

To keep the merriment going after kink bingo & holiday bingo, I now present Valentine’s Bingo! Like all others, there will be a prize to someone who participates! Disclaimer: I will be choosing the winner of holiday bingo shortly, so stay tuned!

Still have your attention?! Wonderful, lets move along...rules under the cut!

PRIZE: A custom fic of your choosing! 

Rules:

1. Start date: 2/1/21. End date: 2/28/21. No posting before 2/1 please!

2. Pick a square! Pick a row! Fill the whole card. Up to you. No pressure - this is supposed to be fun!

3. All works of art welcome. One shots, drabbles, moodboards, whatever your fancy. If your story is more than 500 words, you must use a keep reading. One square per fic (note: multi-chapters can use more than one square, but it must be one per chapter). Fics can be smutty; angsty/whump; fluff; whatever your heart desires. Just put appropriate warnings (i.e.: dubcon).

4. Wait - there’s a song listed - what am I supposed to do? The song is the prompt! I encourage you to listen to the song (obvs you do not have to). You must use 2-4 lines from the song into your fic. They need to be in bold so the reader can see what you used. Lines like, “oh, oh, oh....” or “la, la, la... “ do not count.

5. FREE SQUARE: You can do whatever you wish - but you must use a prompt or song from the honorable mentions list (below).

6. You must  tag me in your story. Also you must send me a DM with the links to your stories. You must also use the hashtag: #thatesqcrushvdaybingo

7.Characters allowed (**can be reader insert or OC)**

Rafael Barba

Jackson Neill

Nevada Ramirez

Frederick Chilton

Jonas Nightingale

Kevin Mulrooney

Dennis DiPalma

Bryan Kneef

Sonny Carisi

Mike Dodds

Nick Amaro

Elliot Stabler

Odafin “Fin” Tutuola

Alex Cabot

Casey Novak

Olivia Benson

Kim Greylek

Amanda Rollins

Rita Calhoun

Kat Tamin

(If someone isn’t listed and you want to write them, just DM me).

8. No RPF/real-person fanfiction. No underage character (incl. reader/OC).

9. You do not have to participate but a signal boost is always nice!

HONORABLE MENTIONS LIST: I want to thank everyone who took the time to message me with suggested songs, whether on anon or off anon. But especially to: @tropes-and-tales @prurientpuddlejumper @delia26 @barbasimp @teamsladsandgents @the-baby-bookworm @beccabarba @itsjustmyfantasyroom @madamsnape921 @law-nerd105 @darkheart-brightsmile @madpanda75. You are all kick ass rockstars! 

Songs/Prompts for FREE SQUARE

Prompts: pining; unrequited love; candy; flowers; soulmates; sex pollen.

Songs:

Undiscovered First - Feist

Bad Guy - Billie Eilish

FRIENDS - Marshmallo + Anne Marie

Love You to Death by Starset

Boop by Jeff and Casey Williams

Me w/o Us by Set it Off

Seventeen - heathers the musical

10,000 hours - Dan + Shay feat. Justin Bieber

From the Ground up - Dan + Shay

I heard Goodbye - Dan + Shay

Think of You - Chris Young and Cassadee Pope

Goodbye - Chris Young

Who I am with you - Chris Young

Tomorrow - Chris Young

I want Crazy - Hunter Hayes

Diane – Cam

Anachronism by Crywolf

Wild Horses by The Sundays

Never My Love by The Association

Your Song by Elton John

king of wishful thinking

All my life by K-Ci and Jo Jo

Unworthy of Your Love, ya know, from Assassins by the Stephen Fucking Sondheim

Sexy Lady by Shaggy 

Q (Best One of Our Lives) by Evans Blue

Pour some Sugar on me - Def Leppard

Let's hear it for the boy - Deniece Williams

Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi

Marry Your Daughter - BRKN RBTZ 

Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" 

Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire"

Young the Giant's "Silvertongue" 

Fleetwood Mac's "Dream" 

The Cars' "Just What I Needed" 

Billy Joel's "Matter of Trust" 

Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls 

Stupid – Kacey Musgraves

Love Done Gone – Billy Currington

Down Today – Jonathan Coulton

You Ruined Everything – Jonathan Coulton

There’s a Fine, Fine Line – Avenue Q 

Crazy - Patsy Cline

Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off – Fred Astaire 

Something’s Gotta Give – Fred Astaire

Buttons - Pussycat Dolls

Against All Odds  -Phil Collins

Come on Closer - Jem

Wish I Knew You - The Revivalists 

Potential Breakup Song (Explicit) - Aly & AJ

Criminal - Fiona Apple

**newly added songs as of 2021-01-17**

Blue Jeans - Lana del Rey

Nice to Meet You - Niall Horan

I Think Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish

Possession - Sarah McLachlan

Why Can’t I? - Liz Phair

Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

Let Me Love You Like A Woman - Lana del Rey

Undiscovered First - Feist

No Diggity - Chet Faker

Feelin’ Love - Paula Cole

Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene

Jar of Hearts - Christina Perri

I Wish I Was The Moon - Neko Case

Before I Ever Met You - Banks

Who Do You Love - Chainsmokers

Back at One - Brian McKnight

Easy - Emiliana Torrini

River - Bishop Briggs

Favorite Record - Fall About Boy

We’ve Got Tonight - Bob Seger

10. Any questions let me know. AGAIN HAVE FUN!

[ao3feed-sonsofanarchy]

Welcome To The Neighborhood

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2GzP2fT

by Among_Walkers_and_Angels, jackson_nicole

Words: 21850, Chapters: 5/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Sons of Anarchy

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Characters: Jax Teller, Opie Winston, Gemma Teller Morrow, Clay Morrow, Juice Ortiz, Tig Trager, Chibs Telford, Piney Winston, Half-Sack Epps, Bobby Munson, Kacey 'Taz' Calhoun, Harper 'One Shot' Calhoun, Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Marcus Alvarez, Nico Alvarez, Sara Alvarez, Bastien Morales

Additional Tags: Amber Heard as Kacey, Nina Dobrev as Harper, Some violence in the 5th chapter

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2GzP2fT

[jacksonroseroth]

Welcome To The Neighborhood Chapter 9

A/N: We’re only a day late! :D We hope you guys have been enjoying the fic! Here’s Chapter 9 of mine and @badwolf-in-the-impala​‘s collab!

Disclaimer: There is some Spanish used in this chapter. So we would also like to add that this is a second language for both of us. We did our best to do the research to make sure things we as close as possible to accurate. So if it’s not the best/correct, we do apologize. Any helpful pointers or tips would be appreciated. But please, no rude comments. <3

Warnings: violence, angst, implied rape, More angst…So much angst.

Moodboard made by @badwolf-in-the-impala​, none of the pictures are ours.

~

Kacey had cried so much on the ride back to Charming that she could barely speak, let alone function by the time they made it back to the clubhouse. Opie having to practically pry her off the back of his bike as she sat there, staring off blankly into the distance, as he picked her up so that they could head inside. The group silent as they stepped into the clubhouse, save for the whispers from a few of the Crow Eaters and some of the members. That silence was soon broken as Gemma came out of the kitchen, hell-bent on chewing some ass.

“I swear to God, Kacey Calhoun when I get my hands on you and your sister! What gives you the right to think you can run off--” Gemma stopped as Clay held up a hand and shook his head. “Where’s Harper?” Gemma asked suddenly as she pressed a hand to her chest; fear setting in.

“She gave herself up.” Kacey sobbed hoarsely against Opie’s chest. “Harper gave herself up to protect me!” Gemma’s expression fell as she stepped forward to embrace Kacey as Opie set her down. Pulling her close as she said, “Oh, Sweetheart...I’m so sorry.”  

“They’re gonna h-hurt her, Gem...and it’s all m-my fucking fault.” Kacey sobbed as she held onto Gemma. Opie still behind her as he squeezed her shoulder tightly.

“Don’t you say that!” Gemma said sternly. “Don’t you dare fuckin’ say that. This isn’t your fault, Baby, and we’re gonna find a way to fix it. We’ll find a way to fix it...Right, Clay?” Gemma added as she looked over to her husband, Clay at a complete loss as he shook his head. Not even knowing where in the hell they would begin, without inciting an all-out War, in trying to get Harper back.

“Well, we can’t just leave her there!” Gemma cried at him.

“You think I don’t know that?!” Clay shot back at Gemma. “We almost ended up in a Goddamn shootout over the issue. She went willingly. And Alvarez gave his fucking word, Gem. It’s not like we can just waltz in and take her back. Not without starting another fuckin’ war!” He added, rubbing a frustrated hand over his face. “We’ll find a way to get her back...But we need time.”

Gemma let out a sigh as she looked down at Kacey, pressing a kiss to her temple as she patted her cheek before pushing her back into Opie’s arms as she said, “Why don’t you go get cleaned up, Baby...Maybe have Chibs take another look at your arm? Looks like you may have torn your stitches.” She gestured to the bloodstain on the sleeve of Kacey’s shirt.

Chibs seconded the statement, patting Kacey’s shoulder gently before she tucked herself back into Opie’s side. The crowd that had gathered during the commotion parting in order to let them pass and head down the hall for the dorms. Gemma turning to face Clay and the rest of the guys once Kacey was out of earshot.

“Where’s Jax?”

~

Jax didn't know what to do with himself. He was more than ready and set to go and hunt Nico down, stake out his house and wait for them to get back, taking Harper with him. But as he rode home, his mind cleared, if only a little. On the way back into Charming, Jax stopped at a little cafe to rest. As they rode home, Opie, Clay, and Chibs saw him sitting outside and stopped to ask if he was okay. Jax waved them off, promising he wouldn’t do anything stupid, and they left him.

He sat on the side of the road, only a few cars stopping to ask if he needed help, and he had gone through half his pack of cigarettes as he sat just underneath the date scratched onto the rock. J.T. 11-13-93 Complete with the Sons logo. He leaned his head back against the rock and blew out the smoke from his last drag. He snubbed it out and stood, going to his bike and getting on, buckling his helmet before starting it and taking off down the street. He knew there would be questions as to where he went, what he did, but he didn't feel like answering to anyone. So with a quick text to Clay at a stop light, as he came back into town, Jax turned off, riding away from the club and going back home.

As it were, with Harper gone and everything good between Sons and Mayans again, the lockdown was over, the other charters leaving one by one. When Jax got to his house, Gemma was outside, getting out of her car. Jax sighed as he pulled into the driveway and cut the engine, kicking out the kickstand and taking off his helmet.

“I guess Clay didn't give you the message?” Jax asked as his mother walked over him.

“No. I got it.” Gemma said, giving him a look, stopping just short of his bike and putting a hand on her hip. “Why are you here at home, Jax? You should be at the clubhouse coming up with a plan to get Harper back!”

“You don’t think I know that, Mom?” Jax snapped, sauntering up to his front door and opening it. He tossed his keys into the bowl that sat on the alcove and went to the kitchen. Gemma followed him inside and closed the door behind her. Jax turned to her, twisting open the top to a bottle of beer and said, “There’s nothing we can do until an opportunity presents itself. She fucking gave herself over to them to stop any sort of war between the clubs because we refused to let them have her. What can we fuckin’ do?”

Gemma stalked over to him and hissed, “You can kill that son of a bitch who started this. Nico or whatever his fuckin’ name is. He’s the one who caused Alvarez to even want justice and forced Harper’s hand.”

Jax scoffed as he let out a short laugh and said, “Believe me, Mom. I want nothing more than to do the son of a bitch in myself. But he’s Alvarez’ fuckin’ nephew. I do that to get her back, it stops being about what they did and becomes a fuckin’ problem for us all.”

Gemma huffed at him and turned away, taking a few steps and bracing a hand on her lower back as her other hand reached up to rub her forehead, trying to think. Finally, she turned to her son and said, “Well, if you’re not going to find a way to bring her back, you better get the fuck over to the house and comfort Kacey. She’s a goddamn wreck.”

Leaving it at that, she walked out, jumping in her car and taking off.

~

Once Alvarez and his men had brought Harper back to the clubhouse, she was instantly on edge. All these men knew what she and Kacey had done and now she was forced to face them again. Or so she thought. As she slowly got off Alvarez’ bike, handing him the spare helmet, before she could even start to follow him inside, Nico grabbed her arm and yanked her over to his bike.

“Nico, what the fuck!?” Harper shouted. The back of his ringed hand sent her to the ground before he roughly hauled her up again, planting her on the back of his bike, not bothering with her helmet, and took off before Alvarez could even look back. As much as she would rather let go and take her chances with hitting the road, she clung to Nico, sobbing. Her only resolve was that she was going to figure out a plan to kill Nico herself and escape back to her sister, the club, and Jax.

When Nico pulled into his driveway, he grabbed Harper’s arm and tugged her inside, shoving her through the door so hard, she missed the step and tripped, stumbling to catch herself before she landed, sprawled out on the hardwood floor. With a whimper, she tried to pick herself up, settling for an attempt to crawl to the couch and hoist herself up. She didn't think Alvarez would let Nico take her, knowing he would lay down some beatings at some point, and she didn't think it would happen this fast. But when she rolled over on the rug, staring up at Nico and seeing the fire that raged in his eyes, she knew it was over.

“Nico...Please…” She begged softly. Nico snickered and nodded.

“That’s right, bitch. Beg. You think Bastien’s beatings were bad? Baby, you have no idea.” Nico said. He yanked her up and wrapped his hand around her throat, but before he could do anything, Harper’s absolute worst fear was realized when she heard Sara call from the back of the house, “Nico?! Is that you?”

“Yeah, Niña. Come see what I brought you.” Nico called back with a smirk. Harper shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut, tears seeping out of the corners.

“Nico, please. If I ever meant anything to you-” Her plea was cut off as Nico slapped her again.

“Went out the window the day that little bitch beat my sister.” Nico hissed. As Harper gripped Nico’s wrist, trying to pry it away, Sara emerged from the hallway, stopping for a moment when she saw Harper. A small smile spread across her face as she slowly made her way over.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Sara taunted as Nico turned her to face Sara, still holding her neck. Harper whimpered and looked at her.

“Sara-” Her fist connected to Harper’s face, sending her backwards over the couch. She whimpered as she picked herself up, trying to scramble away from the siblings as best she could. She managed to catch a glimpse of Nico’s gun stash and made a mad dash for it, grabbing one that she desperately hoped was loaded and turned on them, pointing it with unsteady hands.

“T-Th-That’s f-fuckin’ enough…” She sobbed, her hands trembling so bad she was afraid she would drop the gun as her finger lightly gripped the trigger. Nico chuckled and said, “Can you even see straight to do it in one shot, mi Amor?”

“Do you want to f-fucking test me, Nico?” She said, her voice trembling though she was quite confident in her skill. Nico smirked and cocked his head to Sara and said, “Sara, go down to Diego’s and get some food. We’re gonna need it.”

Sara glanced at her brother, giving him a look before looking back at Harper. “You think I’m leaving you alone with this stupid bitch? Que loco, Nico.” She said. Nico turned to her and said, “Sara, fucking get your skinny ass down there!”

He gave her a stern look, though his lips pricked up in a small smirk, and said, “And make sure they get the order right. Take your time.”

Sara pushed him away and turned, whipping her hair in his face and swiped her phone and keys off the table as she walked out the door. Nico turned back to Harper and said, “Put down the gun, Harp.”

“No! Fuck you!” She shouted, cocking the gun to show she wouldn’t listen. Nico took a step closer as he said, “You think if you kill me that they won’t go after Kacey? The Alvarez’ don’t die easy. It takes a perfect shot to the head to do it. Just ask Esai.”

Harper seethed as her hands shook even more. “I wasn’t fucking involved in that! I loved Esai like a fucking brother!” She yelled.

“And yet you’re sleeping with the man who made it happen,” Nico said, getting closer. “Put the fucking gun down, Harper. Now.”

Harper clung to the weapon, not sure she’d ever get this chance again, but she finally, still reluctantly, lowered and uncocked it. “Now, put it back where you found it.” He said. Harper took a breath, cursing her next movement as she turned her back to him, setting the gun back in its place. The second her hand left the gun, she felt Nico’s fingers dig into her hair, grabbing a fistful and throwing her across the room, to the couch.

“Now you’re gonna regret not giving us your sister.” Nico spat. Harper closed her eyes, wincing at the pain from everything. They shot open when she heard Nico’s belt buckle clink, widening in shock and fear.

“Nico. Nico-”

“Keep your fucking mouth shut. You know what you are, baby? A goddamn biker whore.” Nico said, rushing at her as she made her move to try and run. He grabbed her and pinned her down with one hand, while the other ripped down the shorts she wore. Harper whimpered and clawed at him. “And now, you’re going to get treated like one.”

“Nico, don’t do this!” She screamed, struggling under him. Another backhand from him silenced her. Even if he had held his hand over her mouth, she still wouldn’t have made a sound.

~

The week went by quickly without Harper, knowing where she was and not knowing what was happening to her. Kacey was distraught for three days, refusing to leave the house. Opie and Gemma made sure she had everything she needed, not knowing how long it was going to last. But as day four, turned to five, Kacey’s distress steadily turned into anger as she finally managed to climb out of the whiskey bottle she had been hiding in. Trying to bury her feelings in hopes that this was all just some messed up dream. But as reality eventually set in, Kacey was forced to pick herself up. Saving her pity party for a more convenient time as she threw herself right into the middle of trying to come up with a plan to save Harper.

And while Opie, Jax, and Gemma were more than supportive, happy just to finally see her out of the house and sober for the first time in nearly a week...Clay was a little less than thrilled. Especially by her impromptu sit-ins on any club meeting Kacey thought might contain discussion about her sister, which in turn only lead to more arguments and tension among the clubhouse.

Gemma did her best to keep things neutral with Clay, but with Kacey on the warpath, and Jax only adding fuel to the fire, she didn’t know how much longer it was going to last before somebody pulled a stupid stunt and managed to get hurt...Or worse.

“We have got to get this shit sorted out…” Gemma muttered to herself as she took another drag from her cigarette as the muffled argument between Clay, Jax and Kacey escalated behind the closed doors of the Chapel.

“Hm...And how do you propose we do that?” Opie spoke up as he set his beer down the bartop, turning his attention to Gemma who shook her head as she allowed another drag of smoke to trail past her lips slowly.

“Hell if I fuckin’ know...But if they don’t figure something out, and soon, I’m afraid your lil girlfriend is gonna give Clay a Goddamn coronary.” Opie snorted with a laugh but nodded his head in agreement, knowing Gemma was more than right.

“Yeah...She can be a bit, difficult, sometimes.” Opie added.

“Sometimes?” Gemma scoffed with a smirk. “Baby, that girl could bring down an entire nation if you pissed her off enough. I don’t envy you the first time you really piss her off.” She chuckled as she reached over to pat Opie’s cheek. “You’ve got yourself a good one, Ope.”

“Thanks, Gem.” Opie finished just as Clay came storming out of the Chapel, muttering to himself angrily as he headed for the front door. Kacey the next to emerge in a rage as she stormed off towards the dorms; leaving Jax who approached the bar, rubbing his forehead as he waved Half-Sack down for a beer.

“This is a fuckin’ disaster.” Jax sighed heavily as he leaned his hands against the bar. “If Clay would just listen--”

“I know, Baby.” Gemma kissed his cheek lightly as she moved around the bar. “But we’re gonna figure it out. And don’t you worry about Clay...I’ll deal with him. There’s gotta be somethin’ we’re missin’ that we could use to get Harper back. We just need to dig a little deeper.”

Jax let out a soft sigh as he took a large gulp from his beer, sliding onto a barstool next to Opie. Gemma combed back his hair a little before taking off to check on Kacey, mainly to make sure she wasn’t diving head first into another bottle of whiskey. Opie planted a firm hand on Jax’s back and leaned forward on the bar.

“How are you holding up, man?” Opie asked. Jax shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair.

“How are you supposed to deal with something like this, Ope?” Jax asked, softly before turning to look at him. “I mean, who knows what the fuck that bastard is doing to her!”

“She’s very strong-willed, Jax. She can hold her own.” Opie said. Jax shook his head and took another drink, draining half of it.

“Not against Nico. Did you see the way he fucking looked at her? He wanted to kill her, Opie.” Jax said.

“Hey. Don’t think like that. You start thinking like that and everything goes to shit.” Opie said, sternly. “We’ll get her back Jax.”

While he wanted to believe it was true, there was no light that Jax could see at the end of this unbelievably fucked up tunnel. In his mind, there was one way, and one way only, that he would ever have the chance to have Harper back in his arms, and it surprised him at just how ready he was to do it.

~

While the rape was a one-time occurrence, the beatings became regular, Harper becoming little more than a slave. Nico and Sara both seemed to take pleasure out of seeing the bruises on her face, her split lips and bruised arms. Whenever she dropped something or wasn’t quick enough in getting him what he wanted, a swift backhand was all he did, keeping him satisfied enough. At night, when he got drunk or had a bad run or whatever bullshit excuse he gave, he beat her. Sometimes just a few slaps before passing out, sometimes it lasted several minutes. Only once did Sara take full vengeance on the sister, slicing her up so bad they had to call the club medic to the house, Nico paying him off so it didn't get back to Alvarez. Though Nico already had the excuse of Harper falling off his bike on the highway.

Alvarez checked in on Harper often and Nico meticulously planned his beatings, making sure she was healed enough to use the falling excuse and Alvarez bought it. But it soon became too much for Harper and she decided to speak up in his presence, knowing Nico wouldn’t hit her until after he had left.

“Tío. What brings you here?” Nico asked, letting Marcus in, closing the door behind him.

“I wanted to stop by. I’m heading out to Lodi.” Marcus said, glancing around for Harper. Nico knew he really came by to make sure Harper was still alive, so he called out for her.

“Harper! Marcus is here!” Within seconds, Harper hustled down the hallway and gave Marcus a half smile. Marcus returned it in kind and lifted her chin, inspecting the new bruises she had.

“Those look bad, chica. Fall down again?” he questioned, raising his eyebrow, the excuse beginning to wear thin. Harper glanced over his shoulder at Nico, who had taken out his knife and played with it, his eyes never leaving her. Harper looked at Marcus and said, “I’m fine.”

Marcus nodded and released her chin, beginning to turn away, but Harper stopped him. “How is Alejandro?” She asked, making him turn back to her. “I-I couldn’t help but notice I haven’t seen him around lately.”

Marcus glanced at Nico and said, “You haven’t heard? Alejandro got shot by some fuckin’ Niners...Right after you left, actually.”

Harper’s lips skewed in a smirk as Nico took a step toward her. “Really? Cause from what I remember-”

“Harper, shut the fuck up.” Nico hissed. Marcus glanced at him and said, “Why don’t you shut your mouth, Nico, and let her finish.”

Nico stepped back, ready to bolt, as Harper continued, “The last time I saw him, was when I put a bullet in his head when he tried to rape Kacey.”

“You’re fuckin’ dead, you bitch!” Nico screamed, charging at her. Marcus turned and caught him by his Kutte and gave him a rough shake.

“What happened to the Niner, then, Nico?! You told me that stupid chato got a bullet in him too! That they took Alejandro when they killed him!” Marcus shouted.

“She’s a lying whore, Padríno! She’s a fucking liar!” Nico shouted as Marcus shoved him back, crashing into the table behind him.

“If I’m lying then why do I know you paid off the LKQ junkman to let him bury the body there?! Dangerously close to where we met you two weeks ago!” Harper shouted. Nico chucked his knife at her, which Harper easily avoided as Marcus grabbed him by his Kutte again and dragged him to the door.

“Well, we’re gonna see if she’s lying, aren’t we?” Marcus said. He turned to Harper and said, “Stay in the house, Harper. We’ll be back.”

Nico pitched a fit the whole way as Marcus dragged his nephew to his car and shoved him in. Harper waited until the tires squealed, Marcus peeling out of the driveway before she tore through the house looking for one of Nico’s burners and dialed the clubhouse, a number she thankfully memorized, not knowing if Kacey would be able to pick up. As the phone continued to ring, she slowly began to lose hope that anyone would answer and she only had a short window to get ahold of someone. Finally, the line picked up, not bothering to wait to see who it was, she screamed, “Let me talk to Kacey! Or Jax! Or Gemma! It’s Harper! Please, please let me talk to them!”

“Harper!? Hey, it’s Half-Sack, hold o-Jesus, Kacey, alright, alright!” There was fumbling before Kacey was on the phone shouting, “Harper!? Is that really you!?”

Harper instantly began sobbing as she smiled and nodded. “Yes! Yes! Kacey!?” She cried. Clutching the phone she sunk to the floor and sobbed.

“Where are you, Harper?! We’ll come get you!” Kacey said. Harper shook her head and said, “No, don’t. I mean not here. I’m at Nico’s. We-I have to get out first.”

“Well, you have to get out of Oakland! Where can we meet you?!” Kacey asked. Harper sniffed and wiped her face as she said, “I-I don’t know. I-I’ll find a way to get out. Um, what-what about Lodi? Have-have Jax reach out to the Bastards. Nowhere near LKQ. I-I told Marcus about Alejandro.”

There was a moment of silence where Harper’s heart dropped and she looked at the phone to make sure Kacey hadn’t hung up. “Kacey?” She asked.

“You-You told M-Nico didn't hurt you?!” Kacey screamed.

“No! Marcus grabbed him and they just left. Kacey, I need to leave now.” Harper said, beginning to shake.

“Okay, Harp-Yeah...Yeah. I’ll tell her, Jax. Harper?” Kacey called.

“I’m still here!”

“Okay, listen. I’m going to text you. Jax said to go to the Grim Bastards clubhouse in Lodi. Just go. I’ll text you. When you get somewhere safe, check it and meet us there!” She said. Harper sighed and nodded.

“Okay. I-I’m gonna leave now. T-T.O. knows I’m gonna be there? I’ll have to steal Nico’s bike!” Harper said.

“Harp, don’t worry! We’ll tell them! Just go!” Harper left the number of Nico’s burner and began to search around for the keys to his bike. As she grabbed them and turned, Sara stepped out from the bathroom, arms crossed and smirking.

“And where do you think you’re going?” She asked, with a sneer. Harper took a step back, bumping into the counter.

“Just let me go, Sara, You got what you wanted!” Harper said. Slipping a hand behind her, she felt around the counter for anything she could use to hit her. Her fingers closed around the handle of a knife and held it tight.

“Oh, no. I think you’re much better off here, mamí. Besides, if you run, we’re going to find you.” All the while she spoke, she inched her way closer and closer to Harper, until she was just within reach. Harper shifted, all pain replaced by adrenaline, she spat at Sara, “Well, I’d second guess that if I were you.”

Before she let Sara say anything else, she lunged at her, sinking the knife into her shoulder. Sara screamed and dropped, Harper rolling off her and shooting out the door. She didn't bother with the helmet, if she got picked up, she could still get away from Nico. She started the bike and took off, trying to figure out a way out of Oakland and on the highway to Lodi without being caught; By cop or Mayan.

~

Hope you guys liked it! Feel free to drop a comment! If you want to be tagged in future fics/chapters, let me know! I’ll add you to the list!

@tephi101 @shieldmaiden25 @staystrongsoa @badwolf-in-the-impala @captstefanbrandt @imgoldielikehawn @grungyblonde @courtrae89 @romanchronicles @crazyanonymous4u

[jacksonroseroth]

Welcome To The Neighborhood Chapter 7

A/N: YO I totally forgot yesterday was Monday? But here’s chapter 7 of mine and @badwolf-in-the-impala‘s collab! Hope you guys enjoy it!

Warnings: Depictions of violence, Gun violence, angst

Words: 5,745

Moodboard by @badwolf-in-the-impala, none of the pictures are ours

~

That day, Harper called in sick to work, one of the reasons she was up so early. Kacey was already set to do the same, but Harper convinced her to go to her shift at the bar and the garage. She wasn’t the one who was hurt and Kacey made her promise she’d go and see Gemma then stop by the clubhouse after her shift. Harper promised and even let Kacey take her truck to work. One Kacey left, Harper took a shower, carefully rewrapping the bandages on her hands, then made her way down the street to Gemma’s. Instead of knocking, all the adrenaline gone and her knuckles rather sore now, she rang the doorbell, causing a very confused Gemma to answer it.

“Oh, Harper. Hey, Baby. What are you doing here? I thought you worked the breakfast shift today?” Gemma asked, stepping aside to let Harper in. Harper made sure to keep her hair down and her jacket zipped up, not even taking off her sunglasses off until she stepped past Gemma with her back to her. Once Gemma shut the door, Harper tossed her curls over her shoulder and unzipped her jacket as she turned to Gemma, as she turned from the door. She began to say something else, but stopped when she saw the bruise on her cheek, fingermarks on her neck and her bloodshot eyes from barely being able to sleep all night, not to mention the ungodly hour at which she got up for the day. “Oh...My God, Harper. Sweetheart, what happened?”

Harper gave a soft laugh as Gemma came over to her, cupping her face, gently, and pushing her hair back to examine her neck, gingerly taking her bandaged hands. “Um...I kind of had a run in with mine and Kacey’s exes yesterday?” She said, looking up at Gemma from the floor she was fixed on. Gemma blinked and said, “Who? Sweetheart, we can have the guys here in a matter of minutes. They can-”

“No! Gemma. No. No, I, uh…” Fear shot through her at the mere thought of the club getting involved. Gemma blinked, confused, as Harper gathered herself before she became completely undone and said, “Um...Listen, Gem, I think we need to talk…”

~

Harper laid everything out to Gemma; Their past, their exes, their involvement with the Mayans, and the most crucial detail, the fact that Kacey beat the shit out of Alvarez’s niece, unknowingly, but still. While Harper spoke, not even bothering to touch her mug of coffee that Gemma gave her, Gemma watched the sister, intently. She made her snide comments about Sara, ‘Dumb bitch’, ‘Stupid slut’ to name a few. And when Harper was done, ending her story with how she told Jax and that Kacey had told Opie, a silence settled on the women, Harper scared for her life while Gemma seemed to be cool and calm. Finally, a small smirk spread across Gemma’s face as she took a sip of her coffee and cleared her throat.

“Harper, what happened in your past doesn’t mean we won’t protect you any less,” Gemma said. “I mean, it would have been nice to know what we were getting into, but none of that matters right now. What matters is keepin’ you girls safe and makin’ sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Harper sighed and nodded, running her hands through her hair before bracing her hands against her scalp and staring at the table as she leaned on her elbows. “If I just picked a shop in like...Lodi or something...It all would have been kept quiet and no one would have found out...Fuck, I’ve probably ruined our birthday now, too…” She said. Gemma tsk’d at her and smiled, putting a hand on her arm and giving it a small shake.

“Oh, come on, now. I’m sure nothing is ruined.” Gemma said, making Harper give a small smile. “When are your birthdays?”

Harper sat back and chuckled, scratching her head before looking at her and saying, “Um, next week. We’re actually Irish Twins. A year to the day.”

Gemma blinked and said, “Well...that explains a lot.”

Harper gave a soft snort and chuckled. She shrugged and grabbed her mug, finally taking a sip off the, now cold, coffee and said, “Well, I just wanted to get her something nice for her bike and now…” Harper sighed and leaned on the table, hand shoved into her hair as she cradled the coffee cup close to her. “Everything has turned to shit.”

Gemma chuckled and said, “No, it’s not shit.”

Gemma chuckled and stood, going to the kitchen to make another pot of coffee. Harper followed her as Gemma continued, “We can have a party still. We can have it at the clubhouse.” She turned to Harper, who had an eyebrow raised in surprise at the suggestion. Gemma continued, “That way, if the Mayans or your exes try to get payback, then we’ll all be in a safer place. The guys will be there and we can close up the garage for the day if we have to.”

“Oh, Gemma….You-you really don’t have to do that. That’s a little much-” Gemma cut her off with a wave of her hand and shook her head, saying, “It’s nothing, baby. Anything for my future daughter in law.”

Gemma chuckled while Harper was left to do so, rather awkwardly, not entirely sure how her and Jax’s future really looked. But she played it off, not that she had to play it up much, as Gemma whisked by her to grab a notepad and begin to scribble down the supplies they would need to throw hers and Kacey’s party.

~

It was around 2 o’clock that afternoon when Kacey finally finished with her first shift at the bar, not at all ready for her next shift over at the garage. She heaved a sigh as she plopped down on one of the couches across the room from the bar, completely exhausted from the previous nights' events and being up so early; wanting nothing more at that moment than to go home and take a nap. But she still had to wait for Harper.

“You alright?” Opie chuckled as he moved her legs so he could take a seat beside her, placing her legs across his lap as he began to massage one of her calves gently, earning a groan of approval from Kacey.

“Yeah…” She replied, sitting up a little against the arm of the couch. “Just tired...and I still have my shift over at the garage still.” Kacey groaned and rubbed a hand across her face. “I would kill for a nap right about now.”  

“What times your next shift?” Opie asked curiously, ignoring the influx of noise as Tig and a few of the other guys rolled in to grab a beer; laughing about something.

“4…and only because I promised to cover for Juice’s dumb ass.” Kacey sighed with a small pout that made Opie chuckle softly as he leaned over to press a kiss against her lips. A low whistle came from the bar, making the pair break apart and turn.

“Oi, oi, oi! There’ll be none ‘o that!” Chibs called with a laugh.

“I was actually rather intrigued…” Tig joked with a coy smile. “Please, don’t stop on our account.” He motioned to the rest of the guys at the bar as Kacey rolled her eyes and sat back against the couch.

“In your fuckin’ dreams, Trager,” Opie called back as the room erupted in a brief fit of laughter before dying off as everyone returned to their beers as Opie turned his attention back to Kacey. “You still got an hour or so before your next shift…”

“And?” Kacey arched a brow at him curiously.

“And, I have a room…” Opie added in a low tone as he inched his hand up her thigh a little with a smirk. “I’m sure we can fit that nap in somewhere.” Kacey rolled her eyes at the implication and punched his arm, but otherwise left his hand where it sat on her upper thigh as she gave him a playful grin. A small squeal leaving her lips a few seconds later as Opie stood and snatched her off the couch as he started for the hall, the whole room suddenly filled with hoops and hollers.

“Watch out boys,” Piney said with a gruff laugh as he watched the pair pass by. “Looks like I’m about to get my first Grandkid!” The whole bar erupted in laughter again at the joke, as well as Opie yelling from down the hall at his dad before slamming the door to his room shut behind them. “Jesus, Pop!”

Piney let out a chuckle before going back to his beer and talking with the guys.

~

While Opie and Kacey cuddled and fell asleep, Opie having come out to ask his father to wake them for the start of Kacey’s shift, Harper showed up, quietly slipping into the clubhouse and going to the bar. She sat down and asked Half-Sack for a shot, or two. As she sat alone and quiet, not really wanting to get into any conversation about her scrapes with the guys, she looked up as Jax walked in from the garage, shrugging off his oil-stained work shirt. He stopped when he saw Harper sitting at the bar. She chewed her lip and looked down at the un-drunk shot sitting in front of her. Jax set the shirt aside, swapping it for his Kutte and went to her.

“Hey.” He said, softly, with a light smile. Harper glanced at him and gave a half smile.

“Hey.” She said, back. Jax slid his hand under her chin, turning her face toward him to check on her bruises. While she flinched, initially, at his movement, she allowed him to move her head and look, though her anxiety was growing rapidly as Jax was doing it around the guys. No one but the four of them and Gemma knew, and Harper had made sure to swear Gemma to secrecy until they were able to tell everyone all at once. Harper moved her chin from his grasp and turned away. Jax sighed and said, “How are you feeling?”

Harper gave a soft scoff and said, “Tired as hell.” She looked at him and quickly looked away again as she said, “I didn't really sleep last night…”

“Harper, I would have stayed, babe.” He said. Harper chuckled and shook her head.

“It wouldn’t have helped if they had shown up.” She said, looking back up at him once more. When Jax blinked, his brows furrowing together in confusion, she said, “Yeah. Um, Nico said they knew where we were. Alvarez saw us that day and...I guess he had his people do some digging...And they found us.”

Jax took a deep breath and let it out slowly, as not to freak Harper out the way he was. He shifted closer to her, sliding a hand around her waist, and said, “Okay, Harper, listen. I’m gonna take you home and you’re gonna pack a-”

Harper shook her head and downed her shot before she stood and said, “No. Jax. Keeping us on lockdown won’t help. They’ll still know to come here and then they’ll end up shooting up the clubhouse and we’ll have put everyone at risk.”

“Then...Half-Sack can stay with you. Harper, I’m not okay with letting you out there alone, right now.” Jax said. He lifted a hand to cup her cheek, moving a little closer, but Harper moved away from him.

“Listen, Jax. I have to go. Um...If you see Kacey let her know I stopped by and-and I’m okay.” She said, slipping her bag over her head, settling it across her chest. As she made her way to the door, Jax tailed her, trying to stop her.

“Hey. Harper. Baby, just talk to me.” Jax said, gently taking her upper arm. Harper turned to him, stepping closer and whispering, “Jax. Can we not do this here? I’m not trying to announce to the entire fucking club that we dated Mayans, okay? If you want to talk...Just…”

Harper shook her head and held up her hand, shaking it as well to wave him off. She deeply didn't want to continue this conversation, in fact, she was prepared to pack up and move on to the next town, but they had grown to like the life they were starting to build here. Despite being so close to their past, being in Charming made them feel miles away. Harper shook her head and turned on her heel, walking back out to her bike. Jax sighed and stayed in the doorway as he watched Harper start her bike and ride off the lot.

~

Throughout the next week, Harper made little appearances at the clubhouse, making sure to call ahead and see if Jax was around. With her bruises and cuts still healing, she didn't want to draw any unwanted attention to her just yet. While Kacey began to settle with her feelings and relationship with Opie, Harper began to question hers with Jax. Harper always protected her sister and if she had the power, she would make sure Alvarez saw their score as settled and left Kacey alone even at Harper’s expense. The week came and went and Gemma had everything planned for the sister's party that Saturday. Friday morning, Kacey jetted off to her shift at the garage while Harper lounged at home, enjoying a day off.

As she finished doing her nails, unplugging her LED dryer and putting everything away, a knock came at the door. For a split second, her heart dropped, petrified that it was a ploy, but she quickly pushed those feelings aside as she grabbed her gun, cocking it before she left her bedroom. Pressing the muzzle flush against the door, she cracked it, surprised to see Jax turn and step onto the porch, as he had started for his bike. He gave her a small smile, slowly making his way back to the door.

“Hey, Jax,” Harper said, setting her gun down on the side table before opening the door for him. Jax pushed open the door and walked in, closing it behind him, as Harper picked up her gun and stashed it on their bookshelf before heading into the kitchen and grabbed two mugs. She poured the coffee in silence, Jax taking a seat at the table to wait for her. She went to the table and sat across from him, sliding his mug of coffee over to him. He gave her a smile and took it, taking a sip, while Harper’s just sat there, untouched.

“How are your hands?” He asked. Harper slid her hands over the wood and gave him a smile as he slid his fingers over her nearly healed cuts. She chewed her lip and pulled them back as she said, “All healed.”

She picked up her mug and took a sip before sitting back. Jax sighed and said, “Harper, come on. You have to talk to me...You’ve been avoiding me all week.”

Harper sighed and stood, taking a few steps away toward the counter, before turning back and leaning against it, crossing her arms. “There’s nothing more to talk about.” She said. “You know my past.”

She gave a small shrug and added, “What more is there?”

Jax scoffed and stood as he said, “Maybe the comment about us not being able to work out long term? If you felt that way to begin with, what the hell have we been even doing the last few months?”

Harper’s eyes filled with tears as she looked away from him. “I...Was just trying to fool myself into thinking it was real.” She said. “None of my relationships ever worked out before, so...Why should this one be any different?”

“Because I care about you? I love you?” Jax said, moving closer to her, cupping her cheek and making her face him. His other hand slid around her hip while one of her hands gripped his shirt, the other latched onto his arm. She shook her head as she tried to fight the tears, but ultimately lost. “Is it because of Nico? That’s why you’re afraid of this?”

Harper sighed and pushed him away, moving from her spot into the living room, where she crossed her arms and kept her back to him. “I’m n-not scared, Jax. I-” She sighed and bit her lip. “I know it won’t work out. I’ve dated biker boys before and they’re all selfish and never wanted me for anything more than a pretty old lady and sex…”

Jax came up behind her, slipping his arms around her and holding her back against him as he nuzzled her hair. “I never wanted you for that, Harp. You’re worth more than that.” He said softly. Harper closed her eyes and let a small smile spread across her face, as she slid her hands over his and leaned into his touch. She couldn’t deny she loved the way he made her feel, but she refused to believe it could be anything real.

“It’s never worked, Jax...What makes us any different?” Harper asked, her voice breaking slightly as she gave a soft sniffle. Jax turned her toward him and cupped her cheek, pulling her closer.

“Because I love you, Harper.” Before he let her say another word, his lips claimed hers and he held her close, sliding his hand from her cheek into her hair. Harper let out a soft whimper as she slid her hands up his chest and wound her arms around his neck, trying to deepen the kiss. Jax pulled his hand from her hair and wrapped both arms around her waist, lifting her. Harper lifted her legs to wrap them around his waist as Jax tugged down the shoulder of her shirt, leaving a trail of kisses down her neck and across her shoulder. Harper sighed and tilted her head back as she pushed his Kutte down, off one arm at a time until it dropped to the floor. Jax felt around for her doorknob, twisting it and pushing open the door.

Jax laid her on the bed and tore off his button up and T-shirt while Harper tugged her shirt over her head and wiggled out of her jeans. Jax hovered over her, kissing her again as his hand slid down her side, hooking behind her knee and pulling her under him even more. Harper sighed and tilted her head back as Jax began to kiss down her neck, wrapping a strong arm around her.

“Jax-” Harper breathed softly. Jax pulled away and unbuckled his belt, pushing down his jeans and boxers. Harper scooted back onto the bed and Jax climbed on, inserting himself between her legs. Harper slid her fingers over his beard then his cheeks, tears still in her eyes she smiled, lightly at him and said, “I love you.”

Jax smiled and pulled her closer, kissing her deeply before he laid her back against the pillows, pulling her panties down, slowly.

~

Kacey was more than a little excited the next day as they rolled up to the club for the party, backing their bikes into their usual spots before climbing off and heading inside. It had been a very long time since she and Harper had a decent birthday bash, so when found out Gemma’s plan to throw them a party, she was more than on board. Especially since it would be a nice distraction from all the other bullshit going on in their lives right now.

Kacey had to reign in her excitement as she all but bounced across the lot to the clubhouse, ready to get her drink on and have a good time. Harper shaking her head at her sister’s antics as they reached the door. “Jesus, Kay, you’d think we’ve never had a party before.” She chuckled lightly.

“Well, it’s been a good long while since we’ve had a decent one at least,” Kacey replied. “So excuse me for being excited.”

Harper chuckled and shook her head, calling out to Half-Sack for a beer and two shots. If her sister intended on doing this, they were going to do it right. Taking the shots, the sisters held them up, in a toast, smiling at each other as they said, “Yay, sisters.” And downed their shots.

Once those glasses hit the bar, everything went off. Gemma walked in with Clay, Tig, and Chibs, the three men grabbing the girls and hoisting them into the air, hooting and hollering, as the sisters screamed and laughed, shouting at them to put them down. Gemma chuckled and slid a hand over Clay’s shoulder, silently telling him to listen to them. The girls were set down only to be mauled by Tig and Chibs hugging them, slinging their arms around their necks and calling for more shots.

“Hey, now,” Gemma said, giving them a look as she set her bag down on the bar, taking a seat. “Let’s not get too wild with the shots just yet.”

Kacey gave a small pout at Gemma’s comment. “Aw, C'mon...I’m not getting governed already, am I?!” She whined. “I’ll keep my clothes on this time...I mean, I make no promises, but I’ll try--”

“Jesus, Kacey!” Harper laughed. “Can we have one birthday where Taz does not make an appearance?”

Harper chuckled and shook her head, climbing back into her seat as she nursed her beer.

“Hey, the streaking incident was one time, ok! One time!” Kacey replied with a playful glare directed at her sister. Harper snorted and said, “Just because it wasn’t our birthday…”

Chibs let out a wolf whistle and said, “Yeh’ve been a naughty lit’le one, ‘aven’t yeh?” As he slipped an arm around her shoulders with a chuckle.

“Oh, Chibby...you don’t know the half of it.” Kacey chuckled as she patted his chest, trying to put on her best innocent expression before slipping out of his grasp, Harper simply rolling her eyes as she watched her sister skip over to Opie.

“‘Christ, ye lucky bastard.” Chibs shook his head as Opie let out a laugh before leaning down to kiss Kacey; wishing her a happy birthday. As he held Kacey closer, he looked up at Harper and smirked, saying, “And happy birthday to you too, Harper.”

Harper tilted her beer to him and chuckled. With a wink, she said, “Thank you, Opie.”

Tig put an arm around Harper’s neck and said, “So, Gem, baby, what’s the plan? Just a cookout? No fights, no competitive drinking? C’mon! Where’s the fun in that?”

“It’s not a party for you, Tig,” Opie said, causing a laugh from everyone else. Tig made a face, mocking Opie, then started chatting with Harper and Juice, as he joined from chapel, sitting next to Harper at the bar.

Kacey leaned over, catching Tig’s attention and motioning for him to lean closer. “Between you and me…” She stared. “I see no reason to veto the competitive drink.” Harper groaned as she overheard the comment. “Hey! I bet I could take him; easy.” Kacey added, directing it towards her sister.

“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” Tig chuckled. Harper shook her head and slid off her seat as she said, “Good Lord. Okay! Gemma. Can we get the fuckin’ grills going?”

Gemma chuckled and said, “Clay and Piney are gonna get those started once Jax and Bobby get back with the meats.” She got off her stool and held out a hand toward her, waving her over. “Come on, baby. Let’s get some of the appetizers ready.”

Harper polished off her drink and set the empty bottle on the bar, going to Gemma. They put their arms around each other as they marched off to the kitchen, Gemma tossing a look over her shoulder at Clay, to which he nodded and chuckled, patting a hand on Piney’s chest and said, “Let’s go, old man. We’ve gotta hunt down the goddamn charcoal. Jax and Bobby should be back soon.”

Piney chuckled and finished his drink, kissing Kacey’s cheek and offering the sisters a happy birthday, he stood and followed Clay out of the clubhouse.

~

By the time Jax and Bobby got back, unloading the bags from the van, Juice jumping in to help, Kacey and Tig were already on their 4th drink within the hour and showed no signs of stopping. Harper was in the kitchen cutting up fruits and veggies when Jax walked in.

“Hey, Mom,” Jax said, setting his bags down. Gemma turned to him and smiled, wiping off her hands before she kissed his cheek and dug through the bags.

“Did you get everything?” She asked, setting out the cupcakes and cookies before she grabbed the ground beef, taking it over to the stove. Jax chuckled and nodded as he said, “Yeah, Mom. It’s all in there. Everything on your list.”

He scooted through the small kitchen, over to Harper. He slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, kissing her slowly when she giggled and turned to him. “Hi.” He said. “Happy birthday.”

Harper chuckled and said, “Hi. Thank you.”

“What are you making over here?” Jax asked, sliding both arms around her and resting his chin on her shoulder. Harper giggled and shrugged him off as she said, “I’m making fruit salad and a veggie plate and your mom is fixing some chili.”

Jax glanced over at the huge, tall pot that sat bubbling on the stove and said, “Ooh, you are in for some spice, babe. Have you had Gemma’s chili before?”

“No. This is the first time.” Gemma said, giving her son a look and a smirk. “I thought it was only right that they have it at their party for the first time.”

Jax chuckled and kissed Harper’s cheek again as he let go of her waist. “I’ll see you later, babe. I’ve gotta help set some stuff up.” He said. Harper turned to him and smiled as he kissed her again. She slid her fingers over his cheek and kissed him again, softly, before he and Bobby left. Juice popped in to bring the last bag of groceries in, then the two women were left alone. Gemma glanced at her as she quietly cut up the watermelon and she said, “How are things going with you two?”

Harper glanced at her and gave a small sigh. “Good, I suppose.” She said. “He, um, stayed at the house last night, so…”

Gemma chuckled and said, “Well, that’s good. I noticed you kind of stayed away from the clubhouse this week.” She wiped her hands and moved a little closer to her, leaning a hand on the counter, she said, “Did you guys talk?”

Harper nodded and gave a small smile. “Yeah. We talked. Everything is fine now.” Harper said. Before Gemma could probe any further, Kacey swung around the corner, teetering a little. Both Gemma and Harper turned, with a smirk, and watched the younger Calhoun as she swayed and giggled.

“Harper! There you are.” She giggled, taking a few steps into the kitchen, then those same steps right out. Just before she fell backward, Tig showed up behind her and caught her.

“Whoa. Hang on there, princess.” Tig chuckled. Harper shook her head and looked at Tig, saying, “You let her get that drunk? Sober her up, will you? I really don’t wanna have to chase her through the streets again.”

Gemma chuckled and shook her head, going back to her chili as Kacey said, rather offended, “Hey!...That was one time...And I’m not drunk...Not yet.” Another giggle passed her lips as Tig led her back over to the bar, this time calling for a glass of water. Gemma gave the pot a quick stir then went to Harper, taking the bowl and knife from her. She nodded out to the bar and said, “Go on, sweetheart. I can finish this up. Go have some fun.”

~

The party went off without a hitch; There were drinking and games, a few fights for money broke out, but otherwise, it was just like any other SAMCRO shindig they had been to. Gemma made sure the girls knew about everything that was going to happen, but one. When everything seemed to settle, everyone snuggling up with their old ladies or a beer, or just hunkered by the firepits and talked, Gemma brought out a beautiful three-layered German Chocolate cake, Clay following behind and motioning for people to start singing. Harper sat in Jax’s lap, Kacey snuggled up next to Opie. When the singing started, both sisters jumped and turned, Harper turning a little flush as the singing got louder and Gemma brought the cake over to them. Jax and Opie pulled the girls up off the couch and stood behind them, singing along, as Gemma set the cake down on the table.

Just before the girls blew out their candles, an engine revving caught everyone’s attention and before they could react, three pickups burst through the gate, as they drifted into the lot, at least 4 men in each bed, they stood and pulled out their guns, beginning to fire. All at once, everyone scrambled, they had already begun to scurry into the clubhouse once the gate got broken down, but many were still caught in the crossfire as the club shot back, hitting a few of them. Jax and Opie pushed the girls over the couch, shouting for Gemma and Clay to get them inside. As Gemma grabbed their hands, pulling them over to the door, Kacey stumbled over one of the benches and went down. She quickly popped back up, making the mistake of glancing over at the trucks. She immediately locked eyes with Bastien as he smirked at her, aiming his gun right for her and firing. Kacey scrambled around, trying to avoid any bullets. Just as she got to the door, she felt a searing pain in her shoulder and her leg. She went down and Harper yanked her sister inside, holding her close as she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the gunfire to end. Tears seeped through her closed eyes as Kacey clung to her, screaming for Opie and Jax.

Finally, the shooting stopped and the sound of tires squealing echoed throughout the lot as the trucks took off. Half the club ran after them, trying to take down as many shooters as they could,

while the other half hauled the dead Mayans into the garage. Harper opened her eyes as Kacey was ripped from her arms. She started to shout at whoever took her, but she was hauled up herself, being crushed by Jax’s arms. She clung to him and burst into tears, Kacey burying her face in Opie’s chest and doing the same.

“Hey, hey. Shh. It’s okay. It’s okay, I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” Jax whispered in her ear, though his voice broke more than once as he did so. Harper shook her head and said, “This-This is all my fault. Jax, I’m so sorry!”

Harper sobbed into his chest as Jax called out to Clay, asking if anyone was hurt. There were a few members that had taken a bullet to an arm or a leg, but nothing serious. Jax sighed and kept Harper close, turning to ask Gemma if she was okay, but his words were lost as Kacey screamed, the pain suddenly hitting her and her leg giving out on her. Opie caught her and picked her up carefully, bringing her into chapel and setting her on the table. Harper pushed Jax’s hands away and hurried to her side, gripping her hand and crying. She looked over her sister as Opie cut away the pant leg that was soaked in blood. Chibs was on the other side of the table, pressing a towel to Kacey’s arm.

“What-What happened?!” Harper shouted through her tears.

“Dinna worry yerself, lass,” Chibs said, flashing a quick, reassuring smile. “No bullets. It only grazed her. She should be jus’ fine. Juicy! I need more towels, laddie!”

Harper shook her head and let out a choked sob, squeezing her eyes shut and pressed their clasped hands to her forehead. She looked at her sister and said, “Kacey, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.”

Kacey sniffed and shook her head, gripping her hand tighter. “Harp, it’s okay.” She sobbed, softly, trying to bear through the pain. Harper sniffed and watched as Opie tore off his Kutte and his shirt, pressing it to her leg, making her hiss in pain. Jax’s hand closed over Harper’s shoulder, his other on her arm, tugging her away.

“Let me go, Jax!” Harper shouted, pushing at his hands. Jax pulled her from the table as Juice rushed over with more towels, asking what else he could do. As Chibs told him what he needed to stitch her up, Harper stared at her sister, bleeding out on the table. Jax took her face and turned her to him.

“Harper. She’s going to be okay. Chibs can stitch her up.” Jax said. Harper shook her head, more tears falling.

“No! No, she-she has to get to a hospital!” Harper shouted, trying to break away from Jax’s grasp to go back to Kacey, but Jax had a strong arm across her shoulder to keep her still.

“Not ta worry, darlin’!” Chibs called, with a smile. “I was a medic in t’e British Army. I can fix her up. Dinna worry.”

Harper let out a soft whimper, wanting to believe him, but was more worried with losing her sister.

“Harp, she’s going to be okay,” Jax said again, a little softer this time. Harper looked at him as he moved his hands from gripping her upper arms and slid them around her waist. “You’ve gotta let them work, baby.”

Harper bit her lip and nodded, letting Jax pull her closer and she rested her head on his chest and cried softly as Juice closed the doors on Chibs’ orders. Gemma came over and led Harper over to one of the couches to sit her down and let her cry while Jax and Clay rallied the rest of the members and went on lockdown, making sure there would be no other attacks that night.

~

Hope you guys liked it! Feel free to drop a comment! If you want to be tagged in future fics/chapters, let me know! I’ll add you to the list!

@tephi101 @shieldmaiden25 @staystrongsoa @badwolf-in-the-impala @captstefanbrandt @imgoldielikehawn @grungyblonde @courtrae89 @romanchronicles @crazyanonymous4u

[jacksonroseroth]

Welcome To The Neighborhood Chapter 5

A/N: It’s Monday! This is the 5th chapter of mine and @badwolf-in-the-impala ‘s SOA collab! I hope everyone enjoyed reading so far and that you’re excited to keep following this story! As stated before, we will be alternating chapters, so previous chapter links will be linked below! New chapters will be posted EVERY Monday! Happy reading ^-^

Warnings: Physical Abuse, Fighting, Bit o’Fluff

Words: 4,131

Moodboard by @badwolf-in-the-impala, none of the pictures are ours

Previous Chapter

~

“Jesus…” Kacey sighed, completely spent as she rested her head against Opie’s chest. Her eyes slipping closed for a moment as she listened to the steady beating of his heart and the soft chuckle that rumbled through his chest as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders; pulling her closer. “Did we break the bed? I think we might have broken the bed.” She let out a small chuckle herself, nestling closer as Opie’s fingers traced over the patterns of the lotus and mandala tattoo sleeve on her left upper arm.

“Nah...Bed’s fine.” He replied as he rested his chin on top of Kacey’s head gently. “The rest of the house I’m not so sure.”

“Worth it.” Kacey chuckled as she shifted to lean over Opie, grabbing his jeans off the floor and digging around in the pockets for his pack of smokes and a lighter, sitting back against the headboard as she lit one and took a drag before passing it over to Opie.

“You wanna go offer one of those to my neighbors as well?” Opie joked, wincing with a laugh as Kacey punched his arm lightly.

“Well, if they didn’t know your name before, they certainly do now.” Kacey retorted with a smirk as she took the cigarette back, pressing a kiss to his lips, nipping at his lower lip gently as she pulled away and took another pull, Opie letting out a soft groan in response.

“You’re lucky I have to be back to the Clubhouse by 8.” He growled lowly, Kacey letting out a laugh as she leaned forward to check the time on the clock beside the bed.

“We still have time.” She replied with a sly grin tugging at her lips.

“I still have to shower…” Opie groaned as he rubbed a large hand over his face and beard before glancing back up at Kacey who was now grinning like the Cheshire cat. “Christ, Woman, are you tryin’ to fuckin’ break me before Church?” He laughed.

“That’s never been an issue before.” Kacey snorted as she shifted to stamp out what was left of the cigarette in the ashtray on the nightstand, before she climbed off the bed and wrapped herself up in the sheet, heading for the bathroom. “Besides, if we do it in the shower, at least you won’t reek of sex when we get out,” Kacey added, innocently, before dropping the sheet as she stopped just inside the doorway, giving him a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.

“You’re gonna end up giving me a Goddamn heart attack.” Opie chuckled softly as he rolled out of the bed and quickly followed Kacey into the shower. He knew he’d get his ass chewed out if he was late for church, again, but God be damned if he wasn’t gonna make sure it was at least worth every bit of it in the end.

~

By the time Harper pulled back into the driveway, the rumble of Opie’s bike followed. As Harper got out of her truck, waiting in the garage, Opie pulled in and steadied his bike so Kacey could get off, trailing a hand over his back. She smiled and took off her helmet, handing it to him and placing a light kiss on his cheek. Harper took a final drag from her cigarette and flicked the butt away, raising an amused eyebrow as her sister walked over to her, a satisfied smirk on her face. When she reached her sister, Kacey linked their arms and turned to Opie, giving a wave and said, “Thanks for the ride, Ope.”

Opie chuckled and saluted the sisters with two fingers as he backed out of the drive, then took off down the road. Kacey sighed and turned to Harper with a sweet smile.

“And how was your afternoon?” She teased, practically bouncing inside the house, making Harper roll her eyes as she turned to follow her, closing the garage.

“I see you convinced him everything is alright?” Harper questioned as Kacey raided the fridge. She popped up over the door and gave her a look.

“Unclench, Harps. We smoked and drank. I always feel happy when I get...Happy.” She giggled. “Why do you think I have the munchies?”

Kacey held up a jar of salsa and a container of cream cheese, setting it down before scavenging through the cabinets for tortilla chips. Harper smiled and grabbed a bowl from the rack next to the sink, scooping in a generous amount of cream cheese before covering it in salsa. Kacey set the bag of chips down after grabbing one herself and digging into the concoction. Harper licked her lips and sat back with a smirk and a sigh.

“Damn. We haven’t had this in a long time.” Harper said with a chuckle, snagging another chip and scooping up more. Kacey chuckled and nodded, hunkering down in her spot as she nibbled on the remains of her chip.

“Yeah. Last time was...What? The day before we left? Polly was fuckin’ furious.” Kacey chuckled. Harper snickered and mimicked the words, “Do you know where we got that salsa?!”

“All the way from Spain herself!” Kacey continued. Laughing, the sisters said in unison, “Salsa España!”

They both laughed until they had to wipe the tears from their eyes and the silence settled over them as they dove into long lost memories. They took a few more moments before Harper stood and went to the fridge, grabbing two beers and said, “Yeah. Aunt Poll was dumb as shit.”

Kacey snorted into her bite and shook her head, accepting the beer from her sister. Harper sighed and sat back down, pulling her legs up and crossing them under her as she took a sip. Kacey sat back, licking some cream cheese off her thumb and sighed. After another sip of her beer, she nodded at her sister, pointing the bottle at her and said, “So, how’d it go with Jax?”

Harper nodded and said, giving her sister a look, “Convinced. Especially when I had to bullshit about you being paranoid and that’s why I locked up my bike and my truck.”

Kacey clicked her tongue, pointing a finger at her. “Got it.” She said. “I told Opie it had been a while since my last ‘attack’ and I was just on edge.”

“That’s perfect,” Harper said with a chuckle. Kacey smirked and raised her bottle, tilting it toward Harper and said, “Yay, sisters?”

Harper chuckled and clinked her bottle to Kacey’s and said, “Yay, sisters.”

~

When Opie finally rolled into chapel, he got a stern look from Clay, but otherwise didn't interrupt and the meeting kept going. Once Clay banged the gavel and everyone filed out, Jax stayed in his seat, giving Opie a look to stay behind as well.

“Everything okay?” Clay asked when he saw neither man had moved. Jax stood and nodded, giving him a reassuring smile and patting his shoulder.

“Yeah, man. We’re cool.” Jax said. Clay turned to Opie and said, “Next time you’re late-”

“I know. I know. Sorry, Clay. Won't happen again.” Opie said with a small smirk, knowing the most he’d get is an ass-kicking. Clay chuckled and patted Opie on the shoulder as he left, Jax following him to the door and closing it. Opie sighed and glanced back at his friend and brother before he said, “So, what’s up, Jax?”

Jax rounded the table and took his seat again, folding his hands on the table, leaning into it a little. “Kacey seem on edge to you? I mean it all happened when Alvarez showed up.” He said. Opie nodded and shrugged.

“Yeah, she said that she hadn’t had a panic attack in a while and that’s why,” Opie said.

“Do you believe her?” Jax asked. Opie sighed and shifted in his seat.

“I dunno. I want to.” Opie said, glancing back to the door then looking at Jax, leaning forward. “She has no reason to lie to me. What did Harper say?”

“Not much. But she put her truck and her bike in the garage. I’ve never seen it anywhere but the driveway. Like she’s proud to have it on display.” Jax said. Opie nodded and said, “I noticed that when I dropped Kacey off at the house.”

Jax smirked and said, “Yeah? Is that why you were late?”

Opie smirked and said, “Hey, man. That one has got some stamina. Next time I’m not here, it’ll be from a goddamn heart attack.”

Jax chuckled and shook his head, sitting back in his chair. He rubbed a hand over his chin and said, “Yeah...I know what you mean.”

Opie raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “You and Harper? Shit, we’re in trouble now.”

Jax chuckled and nodded. “How long have you two been goin’ at it?” He asked, causing Opie to make a face at him and shake his head while he chuckled. Jax snickered as Opie said, “It’s just a casual thing. I got the vibe she really doesn’t want anything serious.”

Jax nodded and said, “Yup. Harper mentioned some exes in their past. Probably the reason why…For you at least.”

Jax leaned forward and stuck a cigarette between his smirking lips, sparking up his lighter while Opie raised his eyebrows and tilted his head with a smirk. “Hang on...You and Harper...As in…”

Jax sat back and huffed out the smoke as his answer, leaving Opie to laugh and shake his head. “Shit, brother. Now you’re really in deep shit. Can you imagine what Gemma’s gonna do when she finds out?” Opie chuckled. Jax shrugged and dragged the ashtray closer to him, ashing the cigarette.

“Accept her and be overjoyed to have a daughter?” Jax said. “I mean, come on, Ope. They’re living next door, they’ve been at every party, every barbecue. They’re practically like family anyway.”

Opie shook his head and chuckled. “Just do me one favor?”

Jax smirked and nodded at him. “What?”

“Please, for the love of God, let me be there when you tell Gemma,” Opie said. Jax chuckled and shook his head while Opie laughed.

~

A week passed since the almost run in with Alvarez. Kacey was still a tad on edge, but managed to keep it in check and went about her work like nothing had happened. Harper kept an eye out for any newcomers in the diner, just on the off chance they were associated with the Mayans. It took another week before Harper felt safe enough to bring their bikes back out and start riding again, christening her poor locked up Harley with a ride into Oakland for some new parts for Kacey’s bike. With their birthday coming up soon, she wanted to surprise her with the new mod she had been wanting. When she found the few stores that would order the mod she wanted, she was careful to avoid any Mayan territory so there was no risk of running into Alvarez, or worse; Nico or Bastien.

Harper rolled into the parking lot of Alvin’s Auto and turned off her engine. With a sigh, she took off her helmet and hung it on the handlebars before swinging off her bike and walking inside. She browsed for a while, noting that there was only one salesman, and he was quite busy with how involved he was with his customer. After grabbing a few things for her truck and one or two things extra for Kacey, she went up to the counter and waited as the salesman rung up his customer and he left.

“Hello, there, Miss. Can I help you with something?” He asked, making his way down the counter to her. Harper smiled at him, setting her things down and added, “I spoke on the phone with a, um, Bob? He said my order was here.”

“Oh, right! You’re Miss…” The man, Bob, pulled out a small pocketbook and leafed through it, running his fingers up and down the pages until the right name stood out to him. “Calhoun? Harper Calhoun?”

“Yes, sir.” She said with a chuckle. Bob smiled and nodded, stowing the pocketbook away. He held up a finger as he took a step away from the counter and said, “I’ll be right back with your package, Miss Calhoun...Oh, I’ll be right with you, gentlemen!”

As Bob disappeared to the back of the store, a chill ran down Harper’s spine, not daring to look behind her as she heard the sound of boots clicking on the linoleum floor of the store. Harper kicked herself a thousand times for being too chicken to carry her pistol in her storage on her bike and never regretted anything more than that decision in this moment. She fiddled with her keys as the boot steps got closer, ready to swing if, whoever it was, decided to try anything. She prayed that it wasn’t Alvarez and hoped it was anyone but Bastien; She knew he’d be out for blood, didn't matter which sister. But as soon as she felt the hand on her shoulder, her heart dropped.

“Harpy. I thought you left town.” Nico said. Harper sighed and turned to him, freezing for a moment when she saw Bastien right behind him. With a shaky breath, she let out a broken, short chuckle and said, “I-I did. Um, I-This was the only place that, um, that had the parts I needed.”

Nico looked her over and smirked, glancing back to Bastien. He turned back to Harper and said, “You look good. It’s been a minute.”

Harper sighed and turned back around, not entirely capable of handling this while staring right at him. “Yeah. Well, leaving was the best thing I ever did...So…” She said, her voice dropping off at the end from the confidence it held at the start. Nico snickered behind her, making her cast a glare at him over her shoulder.

“You think that was a choice, baby?” He asked. Nico moved around her to lean on the counter and make her look at him, which she did if only a glance. “Mi Amor, we made you leave. And we told you not to come back to Oakland.”

She didn't know why, but finally being able to stand her ground gave her a snarky sense of confidence and she looked at Nico with a smirk and said, “Actually, what I believe Marcus said was never to be seen in Mayan territory again. And Alvin’s is just this side of Mayan so...Technically, I didn't break any rules.”

Harper held her satisfied smirk, if only for another second or two before it faded and she looked away from him. Nico chuckled and glanced over to Bastien, who merely gave a sneer before he said, “You’d better tell that bitch sister of yours that she better not show her face here. Otherwise, rules or no, she’ll get what’s coming to her.”

“Don’t fucking threaten my sister or you won’t have the balls to cheat on another woman again.” Harper hissed, gripping her keys so hard, she was pretty sure she had either bent them or cut herself, she wasn’t sure which with the amount of rage that filled her. Nico laughed as Bob came back out, carrying her package. He glanced between Nico and Harper as he set the box down and said, “Is everything alright?”

“Fine,” Harper said, grabbing the box. “I paid for this online. Thank you.”

Harper hugged the box to her side and turned on her heel to stride out as Bob called after her, “Hey! Miss!? Did you want to buy this other stuff?!”

Harper didn't answer and strode out of the store, stuffing the box into her storage compartment and grabbing her helmet as she sat on her bike. Her hands shook, making it harder for her fingers to buckle the helmet, even more so when she saw Nico and Bastien heading out of the store. She fumbled once with her keys before her engine roared to life and she quickly backed out, taking off down the street. She was so shaken, she realized she had driven straight into Mayan territory and needed to flip a bitch, fast. Once she did, she saw Nico and Bastien heading right at her, smirking. She swore under her breath and sped up, not much caring if she got pulled over, at least it would scare them off. But as her bad luck would have it, no cops showed up and Nico and Bastien began to gain on her, steadily, until they ran her off the road and made her lay down her bike in the dirt off the highway. Harper whimpered as she picked herself out of the gravel, crawling over to her bike.

Thank God Kacey made me wear my jacket. She thought, knowing otherwise her arms would have been scraped to shit. Just before she reached her bike, she felt a hand on the back of her leather jacket, yanking her to her feet. Harper gripped Nico’s arms as he hauled her up, holding her by her throat. She whimpered and tried to pull away, but he had a strong grip on her other arm, preventing her from escaping.

“You tell that sister of yours that you two had better watch yourselves. You think just cause you live in Charming now, that the Sons can protect you?” Nico hissed. Harper’s eyes went wide in fear. The gesture only made Nico smirk and chuckle as he nodded and said, “Yeah. Yeah, that’s right, love. We know exactly where you bitches are at. You think Marcus didn't see you two hauling your boney white asses back into the club? See, we couldn’t do anything because we were on the Son's turf and my uncle, for some fuckin’ reason, wants to be respectful. But I’m tellin’ you now, baby, you show your face around Oakland again, you won’t only be going home with a few scrapes and bruises.”

Nico released her and Harper gasped for air, but only had a moment before Nico’s hand struck her, hard, across her face, planting her right back in the gravel. Nico smirked and chuckled as he and Bastien made their way back to their bikes. Harper stayed down, listening to the rocks crunch beneath their boots and waited until the sound of their engines were far enough away before she looked up, crawling back to her bike. She checked herself over after she pulled herself up and righted her bike, grabbing her phone and checking her face. She was lucky she had the presence of mind to cross her arms over her face as she went down, though her hands were scraped up. She quickly stuffed her phone back into her pocket and took off down the highway, tears streaming down her face. She didn't want to go home and freak out Kacey even more and she’d be damned if Gemma found out and demanded justice be done for her. So, once she got back into town, she sped right over to Jax’s.

Still shaking, she hardly bothered with turning off her bike, gas prices be damned. She threw off her helmet and hurried to the door, knocking her bruised and bloodied knuckles on the wood, rapidly, pressing her hands against it as she panted, softly. When she heard Jax’s voice travel from the back of the house, she sighed, relieved. But her relief only lasted a moment. When Jax opened the door, happy to see her at first, his smile faded when he saw her face and hands and angrily demanded, “What happened? Who did this?!”

The tears started again, Harper unable to stop them. Jax sighed and hurried her inside, sitting her down at the kitchen table and rushing to grab an ice pack for her hands. As he laid the ice on her knuckles, making her hiss, he asked again, a little more gently this time, “Harper, what happened?”

Harper sniffed and shook her head, staring at the table. “Nico and Bastien...Mostly Nico...All that cheating scumbag Bastien did was snicker and threaten Kacey.” She hissed through her sobs. She was a bundle of emotions, still trying to get over the incident; Scared, pissed and hurt, she didn't know which way was up.

“Okay, hang on, babe. Back up here...Nico? Bastien?” Jax asked. Harper turned her head away from him, biting her lip. At first, the idea of going to Jax was a good one, she knew he’d take care of her, let her come back to sanity and she could do it without taking Kacey down with her, but she didn't think about the fact that she would have to tell Jax about Nico and Bastien, and that they were Mayan. Jax leaned a little closer, taking her hand gently and said, “Who are they, Harp?”

Harper sighed and pushed his hands away as she stood, turning away from him. “Our exes…” She said, finally. She took a breath before she added, “Mayans…”

Jax blinked and stood, slowly, saying, “Mayans? You-You and Kacey dated Mayans?”

While Harper stayed quiet, another realization hit Jax. He inhaled and shook his head before he said, “Is that why you flipped out when Alvarez showed up?!...Wait-Nico? As in his nephew Nico!? Nico Alvarez is your ex?!”

“Yes, Jax! Okay?!” Harper shouted, turning to him as she tossed her hands in the air. “Yes. Nico Alvarez is my ex and Kacey dated Bastien Morales, Nico’s best friend…” She took another moment before she added, “He’s the one...Who’s car she shot up...She caught him cheating on her and beat the shit out of the dumb bitch, then shot up his car.”

Jax sighed and rubbed his face with a groan, beginning to pace his kitchen before stopping to lean against the counter. He braced his hands on the edge and stared at the floor for a minute before he looked up at her. “So why were you two so freaked out by Marcus?” He asked, his tone very unforgiving. Harper chewed her lip as she shifted and said, “The bitch she beat up was Sara Alvarez, Jax! Nico’s sister, Marcus’ niece! Marcus found out and told us to get out of Mayan territory and stay out! Why do you think we moved to Charming?! Because of the homely small town feel? No!”

“So, what? You found out about us and just decided we’d be good protection?!” Jax asked, taking a few steps closer to her. Harper shook her head and scoffed at him.

“I can’t believe you’d say that to me, Jax. I didn't mention Alvarez because I never thought we’d stick around long enough for it to be an issue!” Harper shouted. She shook her head again and headed for the door, saying, “I never should have come here…”

As Harper turned to leave, Jax grabbed her arm and said, “No. Hey. We’re gonna talk about this, Harper! This is a big deal, okay? You dated his fuckin’ nephew, Harper! This information we should have known, I should have known!”

“Why, Jax?! Why?!” Harper shouted, ripping her arm away from him. “It’s not like this was going to be a long term thing anyway.”

Harper quickly walked out, leaving Jax alone with her comment. He rubbed his face and sighed, grabbing his keys off the table and going to his room to look for his Kutte. Despite her past, Jax cared about her, a lot more than he was willing to admit and with his own trainwreck of bad relationships, he was gonna make this one work. But by the time he’d gotten out the door, Harper was already backing out of the driveway.

“Harper! Hey!” Jax called. Harper ignored him and sped down the street, tears streaming down her face as she headed home. She just prayed Kacey wasn’t home. As she rode home, she finally noticed that Jax was trailing her, trying to keep up with her without running into the cops, always a few blocks behind her. Annoyed and hurt, she started going down random streets, trying to shake him off. Jax managed to finally come up alongside her and shouted, “Pull over!”

“Fuck off!” Harper shouted back.

“Harper! Pull over! Now!” Jax called. Harper only jammed the throttle and sped up, continuing to try and shake Jax, managing to lose him at a red light. Once she was sure he was no longer behind her, Harper slowed down and got back on the right route home as the sun started to set. She’d been gone all day and she was exhausted. But she prepared herself for another argument or a panic attack from Kacey as she turned onto her street.

Please, don’t let her be home.

~

Next Chapter

Hope you guys liked it! Feel free to drop a comment! If you want to be tagged in future fics/chapters, let me know! I’ll add you to the list!

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[jacksonroseroth]

Welcome To The Neighborhood Chapter 3

A/N: Here it is y’all! The third chapter of mine and @badwolf-in-the-impala ‘s SOA collab! I hope everyone enjoyed reading the first few Chapters, and that you’re excited to keep following this story! As stated before, we will be alternating chapters, so previous chapter links will be linked below! New chapters will be posted EVERY Monday! Happy reading ^-^

Warnings: Flirting, Kissing

Words: 4,494

Moodboard made by @badwolf-in-the-impala , none of the pictures are ours.

~

Previous Chapter

Just as Gemma and the sisters set down the last plate on the buffet style set up in the backyard, members and their families began filing in. Kacey and Harper stuck mostly to themselves, interacting with a few Old Ladies that came up to them, otherwise, they were with a few of the guys. As the party wound down, only Clay, Gemma, Jax, Opie, Half-Sack and Piney still there, Harper and Kacey joined the guys at the table after helping Gemma clear away the food. Clay and Piney sat inside enjoying a late night cup of coffee. Kacey had gotten quite comfortable with Opie and ended up in his lap as she sucked down the last of her beer while Harper sat next to Jax, an arm tossed over the back of her chair.

“Okay...One more and then you need to cut me off, Sis.” Kacey said, setting her bottle down a little harder than intended, making a loud clank against the glass table. Half-Sack jumped up and went to the cooler, fishing around for a few cold beers before he came back, sliding one to Kacey and two over to Jax and Opie. “Awe. Thanks, Half-Sack. I wanted my sister to get it...But thank you.”

Her voice turned honey sweet, a very sensitive drunk, she was. And wiggled in Opie’s lap as he took it from her, twisting off the cap and handing it back to her with a smirk. Harper took a drink from the beer still in her hand, tilting the bottle toward him a little, and said, “Yeah. By the way, why do they call you Half-Sack?”

Half-Sack chuckled and stood, a little drunk himself, he started to undo his belt as he said, “Well, I was in Iraq. Lost my left nut to an aper frag-”

A collective shout and protest erupted the second they heard his belt clank. With a sheepish smile, Half-Sack buckled himself back up and sat down, picking up his own beer and sipping on it. The girls giggled and exchanged looks and a shake of their heads while Opie and Jax merely chuckled. Harper took one last sip and set her bottle down as she stood.

“Well, as much fun as that would have been…” She started with a chuckle, looking to her sister, then Jax, with a sweet smile. “I think we should be heading home. Unlike some people…”

Harper gave her sister a look accompanied by a smirk and finished, “I got a few interviews today and we desperately need jobs.”

“Want us to walk you home?” Jax offered, standing up as well. Harper smiled and gave a small nod.

“Sure. Thanks.” She said, sweetly. Jax followed Harper inside to say goodbye and thank you to Gemma and Clay while Kacey giggled and slid off Opie’s lap. Opie kept a hold of her arm as she swayed a little, helping her back into her jacket. With a hiccup and a giggle, she said, “Thank you, Opie.”

Opie chuckled and said, “Let’s get you home, darlin’.” Kacey gave a small ‘hmm’ of approval as she wrapped an arm around Opie’s waist for support; tucking herself into his side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and urged her forward. Pausing a few times on their way through the house as Kacey said goodbye to Gemma, Clay and a few of the guys before they finally made it outside.

Opie was careful not to walk too fast, not just due to their height difference and the fact Kacey was more than a little drunk. But also because he wasn’t quite ready for the night to be over yet, especially since it was such a short walk from Gemma and Clay’s.

“Doin’ alright?” He asked, slowing down a little bit more as Kasey stumbled over her feet a little. Opie tightening his grip to keep her from falling, chuckling a little as she glanced up at him with a drunken crooked smile.

“Mhm...I’m good.” She sighed, leaning her head against his side. It was only a few more steps she was able to take before she missed the crack in the sidewalk and was suddenly gone from Opie’s side. Thankfully, Opie saw it just as she went down and scooped her up before she could hit the ground.

“My hero.” She snorted with a laugh, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as she tried to muffle the fact she had actually just snorted. Embarrassed when it happened a second time, and she buried her face against his chest in an attempt to hide.

“Let’s get you to bed, hm?” He chuckled as they started walking again, the vibrations of the laugh rumbling through his chest, making Kacey snuggle closer as she closed her eyes. The motion of his strides almost lulling her to sleep until he paused outside her front door. “Shit... I need your keys.

Kacey fumbled around in her pockets for a couple seconds before she finally found them, holding them up a couple inches from Opie’s face before getting herself comfortable again as he found the correct key and managed to get the door unlocked. Kicking it closed with his boot as he stepped inside and started hunting for a light switch; finally coming across a lamp near the couch and clicking it on.

“You still with me?” He questioned, shifting her around in his arms a little as he moved around the front of the couch.

“Yeah.” She nodded against his chest, sounding a little less than coherent as Opie lowered her onto the couch carefully. He was almost certain she had passed out when he felt the toe of her boot catch the side of his foot and take it out from under him, causing him to fall forward; his face a couple inches from hers as he caught himself.

Kacey bit her lip lightly as she stared up at him, Opie chuckling softly, meeting her gaze as he allowed his hand to move up and caress her cheek gently. Staring for a few more seconds before Kacey closed the gap and pressed her lips to his. Her own hand finding its way into his hair as she made a move to further the kiss, groaning as Opie’s phone started going off in his pocket and forcing them to break away so he could check it.

“Shit…” He muttered as he looked at the screen before silencing it, about to apologize when Kacey raised a hand to silence him.

“It’s cool.” She chuckled drunkenly as she sat up slightly. “Harper will be here soon anyway; I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?” Opie asked, the corners of his lips turning down slightly. “I can stay till she gets here if you want me to?”  

“Nah, I’m sure.” Kacey shook her head lightly with a small smile as she dismissed the offer. Knowing herself better than to accept an offer like that when she was this drunk. Not wanting to screw things up quite so soon. “I’ll be fine. Promise.” She drunkenly crossed her finger over her heart. “I’ve been left in a lot worse condition.”

“Ouch, guilt trip much?” Opie chuckled before pressing his lips to hers again for another kiss, half mumbling another ‘You’re sure?’ into the kiss.

“Mhm.” Kacey nodded.

“Positive?” He teased, pulling away briefly before pressing another kiss to her lips. Ignoring his phone that was vibrating again inside his pocket.

“Positive...that if you don’t leave soon, I’m gonna start taking my clothes off...and that’s not good for anybody.” She chuckled, finally breaking the kiss. “Besides,” She pointed at his pocket. “They’re jus’ gonna keep calling.”

“Valid point.” Opie sighed, pecking her on the lips on more time before he stood, grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch and laying it over Kacey as she laid back down and got comfortable.

“Thank you.” She smiled softly, closing her eyes with a sigh.

“Goodnight,” Opie said quietly as he moved around the couch and reached for the front door, glancing back at Kacey one more time as he opened it before stepping out. Making sure it locked behind him and descending the steps of her front porch.  

~

“Gemma. Hey.” Harper said as she approached the trio at the table. Gemma turned and smiled.

“Oh, hey. Are you girls heading home?” Gemma asked, already pulling Harper into a hug. Harper smiled as Gemma kissed her cheek and sat back.

“Yeah. I’ve got some interviews tomorrow and Kacey’s one beer away from running through the street.” Harper said. “Or at least getting the idea.”

Clay and Piney chuckled as Gemma shook her head. “Well, it was good to have you girls here. I hope we’ll see more of you. Don’t be strangers.” She said. Harper smiled and thanked Gemma and Clay again before heading out. As they walked, a cold breeze snapped past them, making Harper shiver in her shorts and curse herself for not thinking to bring a jacket. Jax saw the shiver, even though she tried to hide it as she rubbed a hand over her arm. Jax finished his cigarette and stamped it out before he stopped and took off his Kutte then his zip up. Harper turned to him and smiled as he put it around her shoulders and zipped it up halfway. He looked at her and smirked.

“Looks good on you.” He said. Harper stuck her arms through and smiled, taking Jax’s arm as they continued walking. It wasn’t a long walk, but Harper rested her head on Jax’s shoulder anyway. Her beers were slowly beginning to soak into her every fiber and she was feeling a little flirty. As they got to the start of her driveway, Jax called out to Opie, who sat on his bike, starting it.

“Hey, man. Uh, your sister’s in the house already. She’s a little drunk though.” Opie said with a chuckle. Harper nodded and said, “Thanks, Ope.”

“Hey, I’ll catch you at the clubhouse,” Jax said as Opie saluted two fingers at him and took off down the street. Harper gave a soft sigh as she took a step past Jax, heading up her walkway. As her hand trailed down his arm, she caught his hand and Jax stayed right along with her until they reached the door. Harper let go of Jax’s hand and dug through her pockets for her keys. Once she had them in her hand, she turned to Jax and smiled, letting herself move a little closer.

“Thanks for walking me home. And for giving me a ride today.” Harper said. Jax smiled and pushed a few curls behind her ear.

“Anythin’ we can do to help. We’re all about the service, darlin’.” Jax said. Harper bit her lip and gave his Kutte a small tug, glancing down at his patches, moving a step closer. She looked up at him and lifted up on her toes to press a soft, light kiss to his lips. Once her heels clicked on the concrete, Jax licked his lower lip and smirked, slipping a hand over her hip to pull her closer. Harper giggled as Jax pushed a hand into her curls and pulled her closer for a longer, deeper kiss. Harper gripped the leather of his Kutte and sighed into the kiss as she pressed herself against him. The kiss would have continued if Harper didn't hear stumbling and a crash inside that made them break the kiss, Harper giving a small groan.

“Jesus. I need to get in there before Taz comes out.” Harper said with a chuckle, turning and unlocking the door. Jax snickered and said, “I thought it was when she got pissed?”

Harper tilted her head back with a small giggle fit. She glanced back at him and said, “You really think the Tasmanian Devil wouldn’t do the same if he got drunk?”

Jax snickered and shook his head. “Alright, well...I’ll see you around then?” He asked, shoving his hands in his jean pockets, biting his lip, slightly and giving her a quick once over with a smirk. Harper bit her lip and turned to him again, taking a step closer and kissing him once more.

“I’m sure you will.” She said, softly, her hand reaching behind her to open the door and slip inside. “Night.”

Jax nodded at her and smiled. “Night.” He said. Harper smiled and closed the door, leaving Jax to smirk to himself as he went back to his bike. As he strapped on his helmet, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Jax took it out and answered the call. “Yeah?”

“*Hey, Jax, we need you back at the clubhouse, man. We just got a call from Clay.*” Tig’s voice chimed in. Jax raised an eyebrow and looked back down the street at Gemma’s to see Piney and Clay heading to their bikes. Jax sighed and said, “Yeah, I’m on my way.”

He snapped his phone shut and waited until Clay got closer to fall in line behind him.

~

Harper turned, taking off Jax’s hoodie and watched as her sister hopped around trying to pull off the boot that was tied around her leg. She chuckled and shook her head before going over to her and pushing her back onto the couch.

“Hey!” Kacey shouted, then crossed her arms and said, “Fuckin’ rude.”

“You’re going to kill yourself doing that shit, Kacey. Or worse, break your ankle.” Harper said, unlacing her boot and pulling it off. Kacey furrowed her eyebrows as she watched her sister.

“How is breaking my ankle worse than dying?” She questioned. Harper looked at her sister and said, with a smirk, “Because if you’re dead, you’ll haunt me and I can’t kill you. If you’ve broken your ankle, I have to hear you bitch and I can kill you.”

“How is that worse?” Kacey asked. Harper threw her boot at her and said, “I didn't say it was worse for me.”

Kacey launched the boot right back at Harper, though she ducked out of the way, as she made her way into the kitchen. Harper stood in front of the almost empty fridge for a while before Kacey wandered over and hung off her sister’s shoulder. She grimaced at the limp lettuce and cheese in their fridge. “We need to go shopping,” Kacey said. Harper nodded and swung the door shut, turning to her sister with a smirk.

“Chinese?” Harper offered. Kacey’s drunk eyes lit up and she smiled.

“Yes!” She squealed with a clap, bouncing over to her phone and falling onto the couch. “Do you think they have a good Chinese place here?”

“I’m not sure. But we’re not too far away from the next city over. There’s gotta be a place that delivers.” Harper said, grabbing her phone and searching.

Within the next half hour, the girls had changed into just their panties and a shirt, Harper grabbing Jax’s hoodie to answer the door. She paid the delivery boy, tipping him a little extra for delivering so late, and brought the bag over to the coffee table, lounging in the armchair next to the couch. Kacey had fallen asleep just after Harper ordered, so with a nudge of her foot to Kacey’s knee that was hanging off the side of the couch, she said, “Hey. Wake up before I eat it all.”

Harper snickered as Kacey grumbled at her, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. Harper handed her a pair of chopsticks then asked, “Chow Mein or fried rice?”

“Chow mein. Duh.” Kacey said with a chuckle, Harper smirking and handing the box to her. Harper sat back with a box of walnut shrimp and set the fried rice on the side table next to her. Around her bites of food, Harper managed to ask, with a smirk, “So...Did Opie kiss you?”

Kacey nearly choked on the bite of noodles she had just shoved in her mouth. “Excuse you?”

Harper snickered and glanced at her as she picked her way around the walnuts. “You heard me.” She said, shifting in her seat, shoving another shrimp into her mouth with a little wiggle.

Kacey paused from taking her next bite as she narrowed her gaze at her sister; swallowing what was left in her mouth before speaking again. “Did you kiss Jax?” She replied mockingly.

Unfortunately, the smile never left Harper’s face as she looked up at her and said, “Yeah. Twice.”

“Hm…” Kacey mused with a small smirk before shoving another bite of chow mein in her mouth. “I beat you by two then.”

Harper gave her sister a mock scandalized look before giving a soft chuckle and picking up the fried rice. “Well...It was only cause we were drunk.” Harper said, picking through the rice, looking up at her as she added, “You’re not...Planning on letting it get any further...Right?”

Kacey cleared her throat awkwardly as she stared into her box of chow mein, not wanting to lie, but also not knowing exactly how to answer. “I don’t know…” She shrugged, picking at her food. Harper blinked and shifted in her seat, dropping her legs down from the arm of the chair. She gave a short laugh and said, “What do you mean, you don’t know? Kacey...We cannot get involved with them. I mean, come on! We barely got Marcus off our backs about Bastien and Nico. I don’t know about you but Clay scares me a little bit more than him. I don’t wanna fuck with him.”

“Quite frankly, I’d be more afraid of Gemma.” Kacey joked lightly, trying to lighten the mood a little. Harper rolled her eyes after delivering a death glare at her.

“Oh, yeah, sure. You can joke. Opie is Jax’s best friend, and Jax is Gemma’s son. Yes. Thank you for reminding me that I’d be doubly fucked!” she shot at her, picking angrily at the rice. Kacey snickered and didn't bother to hide her smirk as she said, “Technically, you’d be triply fucked, but...You know…”

Harper huffed as she set the box down in her lap, staring at her sister as she laughed into her chow mein. She flicked a piece of rice at her and said, “Just promise me if you do it, it’s the one time? Don’t get involved with them, Kace. I’m sure there are other nice guys in this town for us.”

“Yeah. That’s true.” Kacey said, nodding along in agreeance. She quickly looked at her and said, “If it weren’t for the fact we attract bikers.”

Harper rolled her eyes and sighed, shoving rice into her mouth and sinking a little in her chair. After a while, Harper sat up as Kacey grabbed the orange chicken and said, “Please just promise me it’d be the one time?”

“Yeah, yeah. I promise. I mean, I can’t guarantee it’ll ever happen, but yes. If it does, it’s the one time.” Kacey said, crossing her heart and rolling her eyes. Harper gave her a look but dropped the subject as she shook her head and dug back into the shrimp. A few more minutes passed before Kacey looked up and said, “So did you see that chick Tig brought along?”

Harper’s gaze pierced under her lashes at her sister, before her lips curled in a smirk and they both laughed, descending into their routine of breaking down the night.

~

Early the next morning, Kacey woke up and dressed for her shift. Last night at the party, Chibs and Juice managed to rope Clay and Kacey together and convinced Clay to let her come on part-time, if at first, in the clubhouse, and with a little help from Opie, Clay also agreed to let Kacey work on Harper’s truck. As Kacey walked out the door, having left Harper a note, she saw Half-Sack pull up in the tow truck, giving a wave. Kacey gave a nod and waved back as she hurried down the walkway and climbed in.

“Morning!” Half-Sack said cheerily as he put the truck in gear. Kacey cringed inwardly, but she held a polite smile as she tried to pretend she was at least somewhat of a morning person...and that her brain wasn’t about to pound it’s way out of her skull.

“Morning…” She replied.

“Sleep good?” Half-Sack asked, attempting to make small talk as they pulled out onto the road and started for the Clubhouse.

“Dunno if you can call three and a half hours of sleep good,” Kacey replied. “But sure. We’ll go with that.” She chuckled lightly and turned her attention to looking out the window, taking in the scenery as it passed by; Half-Sack rambling on about something completely random in the background as she attempted to tune him out. Any form of sound making her headache worse at this point. Her and Harper really needed to hit the store for essentials...Excedrin being number one on her list right now.

But as they pulled into the parking lot at TM, Kacey drew a deep breath and composed her thoughts. Preparing herself for all the information and learning that was about to go down...so early in the morning...while she was battling a hangover.

“So,” Half-Sack started as they approached the Clubhouse. “Can’t give you a key yet, Clays orders, but one of us is always around if you get locked out or something. And Gemma is usually one of the first people here and unlocks things if the guys aren’t up and movin’ yet.” Kacey nodded as they stepped inside.

“You got to see where most everything is at behind the bar, yesterday...that’s pretty basic. Cooler is back through here.” He took her towards the back entrance and gestured to a big metal door before pulling it open. “You’ll find everything you need for restocking in here. Kegs, bottles, cans, mixers; hard liquor is kept in a separate locked cabinet behind the bar.” He added.

“Pretty basic.” Kacey chuckled with a nod. Half-Sack nodded in return as they made their way back out front to the bar, right as Clay and Opie were making their way inside.

“Everything is pretty simple, cleaning wise and whatnot. Anything you don’t know or have questions on, I’ll show you as we go along. Sound good?” Half-Sack smiled and Kacey gave another nod.

“I think I can handle it.” She replied. “Either way, I’m a fast learner.”

“Glad to hear it.” Clay chimed in as he grinned down at her, motioning towards the door. “C’mon. We’ll show you around the garage real quick before you get started.”  

Kacey was quick to fall in stride beside Opie as they followed Clay outside and across the lot to the Garage; Opie giving her a grin as he slowed his pace a little, but otherwise remained quiet as Clay continued on with the tour, pointing out a few things along the way before they stepped inside the shop.

“It’s your pretty basic setup.” Clay motioned around the garage. “If you need help finding somethin’ just flag down one of the guys, or give a holler at Gemma in the office.” He added. “Aside from that, rules are simple; part time for now until we see if you’re a good fit. I’ll have Gemma make you a schedule. You’re free to come and go on your days off to work on your sister’s truck. Other than that, just listen and follow instructions and you’ll be jus’ fine...welcome to TM, Kid.” Clay grinned and patted her on the shoulder before steering her back in the direction of the Clubhouse, just the two of them as Opie got to work.

~

The morning breezed by as Kacey got to work; her headache eventually dulling as she worked alongside Half-Sack most of the morning as he showed her the ins and outs of the working the bar at the Clubhouse. Most of it was pretty simple and not much different than the last bartending job she had. Though she had to admit, the company here was a lot better and her favorite ‘customer’ by far had to be Piney; who as it turns out, was actually Opie’s father. Kacey becoming pretty well acquainted with the old man as he spent most of the morning sitting at the bar, poking fun of Half-Sack and telling her stories.

“Jesus, Pop, you’re not harassing the new bartender already? Are you?” Opie groaned as he and Juice came in for a beer later that afternoon. Kacey trying her best to hide her grin as she grabbed a couple of beers and opened them before placing them on the bar.

“As a matter of fact,” Piney stated in a gruff tone; turning to his son with a smirk. “We were talkin’ about you.” Piney chuckled softly, watching in amusement as Opie slunk forward on his barstool and took a sip of his beer.

“Don’t worry.” Kacey chuckled, meeting Opie’s gaze with a wink as he looked up at her; cocking an eyebrow curiously. “He only told me the good bits.” She teased.

“‘Cause that makes me feel so much better,” Opie replied sarcastically, though he was unable to stave off the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth and eventually spread into a smile. Kacey returning the gesture shyly before turning her attention to wiping down the bar and making Piney another drink. As Juice and Opie fell into conversation with Piney, the door swung open and Harper bounced inside, soon followed by Jax. Harper quickly sought out her sister and grabbed her hands, startling her.

“Jesus, Harper. Don’t make me break stuff on my first day!” Kacey chuckled. Harper shook her head and said, “Sorry. Sorry. But-I got a job! My very first interview today, and I fuckin’ nailed it!”

Kacey’s face lit up and the two girls let out a squeal and hugged. “No shit! Where at?” Kacey asked as Harper went back around the bar, her mission complete; To find her sister and tell her the news. She slipped into a seat next to Jax, who stood behind her, saying hi to Opie and the rest.

“The diner in town. Waitress.” Harper said with a shrug. “At least it’s something.”

Kacey smiled and slid both her and Jax a beer, before wiping down the bar. “Well, that’s great, Sis. At least now we have jobs.”

Harper held up her bottle and said, with a giggle, “Amen.” Kacey chuckled before moving off to grab more beers from the cooler, calling down to Half-Sack as he went down the hall to bring up another case. Harper turned to Piney and Jax, starting up a conversation with them. Throughout the rest of Kacey’s shift, and a few hours after, every now and then the sisters exchanged glances and a secret smile, finally having hope that they found their place in Charming and among the Sons.

 ~

Next Chapter

Hope you guys liked it! Feel free to drop a comment! If you want to be tagged in future fics/chapters, let me know! I’ll add you to the list!

@tephi101 @shieldmaiden25 @staystrongsoa @badwolf-in-the-impala @captstefanbrandt @imgoldielikehawn @grungyblonde @courtrae89 @romanchronicles @crazyanonymous4u