Sandbox belongs to Kurt Sutter & SM I'm just having fun with their creations

You know how love stories always start with girl meets boy, girl falls in love with the boy and they live happily ever after.

Yeah, I never liked those either. This is not one of those stories. The two of us have had an interesting road.

Maybe I should start at the beginning.

I moved to Forks, Washington during my sophomore year of school when Renee, my mom and I use that term loosely, remarried. Surprisingly to a nice guy. Knowing my mother, that she wouldn't be happy staying in one place with me while her husband traveled for work, I decided that I needed to go live with my dad.

It would be good, a chance for us to reconnect. Renee and dad divorced when I was young, around five, so for the last few years I was spending my summers with my dad, being able to be a kid while taking care of my mother the rest of the time. I never let him know how bad it was. I don't think he ever would have forgiven himself for not trying to get me from her.

I will admit that I was stupid during my first eight or so months there. I got sucked into the world of Edward Cullen.

Fuckward was my first boyfriend. I let him take over my life, which was beyond stupid. I became one of these girls that I had always despised. I allowed him to control me. The fact that he is a vampire just added to it. I think he and his family saving me from James, a psychotic tracker, made me think that I had fallen for him even harder.

Fucker was a vampire, a predator, everything about him was to draw you in. I was a lamb being lead to the slaughter, I just didn't see it. Glamouring, its a royal bitch.

I stayed with him, pretty much ignoring the few friends that I had started to make and my dad, while he and his so-called family took over my life. Well they did until my seventeenth birthday when a simple paper cut actually saved me.

Jasper, one of his 'brothers' tried to attack me since he was the newest one to the vegetarian life style. Meaning they ate animals instead of humans.

A few days later, he dumped me. He couldn't even do it in the house, no..he had to take me for a walk into the woods and disappeared after the dumping. Told me I was nothing but a pet to his 'family', that none of them gave a damn about what would happen to me once they left. I am a klutz and terrible with directions, so of course I got lost and had to be found by a local boy from the reservation. Got sick as a dog since it decided to start down poring while I was trying to get back to the house.

I went through some sort of withdrawal when they left. Almost like an addict going through detox. Luckily I still had a couple friends that refused to let me disappear into myself, Jacob and Angela. My sun and my sanity. He brought me back to life while she helped me heal. I wish I had introduced them sooner, it would have made some things so much easier in the long run.

I even tried dating Jacob, which didn't work really but we were both too stubborn to admit it, until he suddenly ended our relationship and our friendship.

Pissed, I refused to let him walk away from me and went to his house to confront him...I would be damned if I was going to be dumped over a bloody test message, if he wanted to end our relationship and friendship he was going to have to do it to my face.

Sprained my wrist slapping him across the face and found out that my ex turns into a wolf.

I did not get back with him after I found out about the pack, seems there is this thing called imprinting. Which sucks ass in my personal opinion. I did get close to the pack but unlike with the Cullens they didn't take over my life. I had a family that I had always wanted and it didn't take over my life. I think it helped that my dad was best friends with Jake's dad. So I was able to balance the time I was with them better.

The pack protected me from the rest of that tracker's coven when they showed up almost a year after the Cullens left. Victoria, his mate, and Laurent.

Seems Victoria wanted mate for mate but she had her ass handed to her by the newest member of the pack, Leah Clearwater. Laurent tried to claim that he was there to stop Victoria, but his red eyes and trying to take a bite out of me made us not trust him so the pack destroyed him.

Want to know why I think imprinting sucks ass, Leah had this awesome fiancee until he phased and imprinted on her cousin, who was like her sister. Worst part she had no clue why he ended the relationship or why her cousin moved in with him barely a week later until she phased herself. To say she was pissed is an understatement.

Jake imprinted on my friend Angela, who took it pretty well after freaking out for a few weeks and hurting herself and Jake in the process. Funny thing was she was trying to fight the pull because she thought I still had feelings for him. I love her for that but Jake is like a little brother once I told her kissing him was like kissing a brother, she stopped fighting.

Sam, Leah's ex, was the Alpha of the pack so Leah went lone wolf. She has rejoined the pack now that Sam has stepped down as Alpha and Jake took his rightful place. Leah and I actually have a good relationship, she is my sister in all but blood.

I graduated from high school and went to college nearby so that I wouldn't be far from dad. I dated at college but none of them seemed worth letting into my pants and the instant they realized that I wasn't going to be easy, they would split. Even Paul, the man-whore of the pack, tried to get into my pants but it never went beyond a kiss or good make out session. Which was good when he found his imprint, Jake's sister Rachel. Knowing that he had been with most of the girls in the area was bad enough without adding imprinting to the problem.

I graduated from college and found a job Charming, California. After four nearly five years in Washington, it was time for a change. Everyone but Renee supported my decision to move. She made a huge fuss about it and it came out that she didn't want me to move there since her estranged brother-my uncle-Clay Morrow lives there. My grandparents disowned him years before and she agreed with them. Knowing how I feel about family, it pissed me off that she kept him from me. Dad looked into him and completely supported my trying to connect with him. Even after letting me know that he had problems with the law and was the president of a bike club...SAMCRO.

I think the day I got to Charming should be where I start.

"You have got to be kidding me." she mumbles pulling the truck over to the side of the road. "You make it all the way from Forks to break down now." She gets out of the car, thankful that she was in jeans and not the dress she had thought about wearing, slamming the door to open the hood.

Hell. Can already hear Jake saying 'I told you so' that the truck wouldn't make it.

She gets back into the truck and reaches into her bag, taking out her phone to call for the nearest garage. She nearly drops the phone when she hears the name Teller-Morrow Automotive Repair.

Taking a deep breath she calls and sits to wait for the tow to show up.

"You need the tow?" a thin guy asks as he knocks on the window. She notices that there is another guy waiting in the truck.

"Yeah." she says getting out of the truck.

Gemma looked up from the paperwork when she hears the truck pull into the yard. She is still thinking about the conversation she had with Wendy. She should be at the hospital right now but a call for a tow came in and none of those boys are going to mess with her files.

"Thought we were done for the day." Tig says standing by the door to the office watching as Half-Sac and Jax get out of the truck.

"Almost." she tells him. Hopefully this doesn't take forever. Today is the day her grandson comes home.

"Damn, hate to be the guy on the other end of that call." Jax mutters, chuckling a little, coming into the office to give her the paperwork on the truck they just towed in.

"Why?" she asks watching as the client, a girl, gets out of the truck talking on the phone. She is a pretty thing, young... maybe early twenties, long reddish brown hair with small braids that stops at her waist, pale skin and a body that seems fit. She can see the hint of a tattoo but it is covered by the jacket she is wearing.

"She actually growled before answering the call." Jax says with a smirk.

They all pretend not to be listening as the girl gets closer to the office.

"Jake... it just broke down...Yes, I filled the tank... If memory serves me right, you and Paul, fuck all of the pack, looked it over hours before I even got on the road...Jacob Ephraim Black! You will stop growling at me right now!...I will call Angela and tell her to take a sex sabbatical for the rest of her pregnancy...That means you and your hand will become better antiquated again over the next four months...You don't think I'll do it... Ask Paul how long Rachel put him on one when I recommended it to her."

Jax and Tig flinch and she just smirks. I like her.

"Do not threaten me! ... I do not need to be talked to like I am a mother fucking child...I will start calling you Edward if you continue to speak like that to me...When you act like him...I am hanging up...Jacob, I am not going back to Forks just because you don't..." the girl growls softly.

She shakes her head as Jax just stares at the girl as if she has three heads. Tig just watches as the girl starts playing with the beaded belt that she is wearing.

"I know... Yes, you are a the only one that truly knows my truck the best...You are the mechanic god...Uh huh...The instant I know what is going on I will call you. If I get a chance. I still need to find a place to stay until I can find something permanent ..Growl at me again and I am calling Angela... Love you too." the girl hangs up and turns to see that she has an audience. "Sorry about that."

"Mechanic God...?" Jax states with a smirk.

"Best friend and mechanic who doesn't trust anyone to touch my truck. Especially since he is the one that rebuilt the engine." she says shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, now I need to see if I can take the title of mechanic god away from him." Jax says as he leaves the office.

"Bella Swan." she says holding out her hand.

"Gemma Morrow." she says standing to shake the girl's hand.

"Morrow? Any relation to a Clay Morrow?" the girls asks with a smile on her face.

"My husband." she says barely keeping the snarl out of her voice. Another one? I am going to kill him. Tig straightens up ready to push the girl out of the office if need be.

The girl smiles softly. "Guess that makes you my aunt."

"Huh?" she asks dropping back into her seat.

"I'm Renee's daughter." she says sitting down.

"Tig, get Clay." she says with a glare at the man.

Tig just nods and all but runs out.

The girl, Bella, watches him. "I doubt that he knows about me. Last I knew my mom hadn't talked to him since before I was born. Even before their parents disowned him."

"I knew that he doesn't have a close relationship with his family but a niece." she mumbles under her breath. "How old are you?" she asks rubbing her head.

"Twenty-one. I'll be twenty-two in September."

"Gem, what up?"Clay asks coming into the office.

"Clay, I want you to meet Bella Swan...Your niece." Gemma says watching the emotions going across him face.

"Umm hi." she says standing up.

"I...I don't have a niece." he says looking at each of them.

"You have a younger sister named Renee, right?" the girl in front of him says biting her lip looking a little nervous. Her hands once again go down to play with the beaded belt.

He just nods and swallows the lump in his throat.

"I'm her daughter, which makes you my uncle. If it makes you feel better, I didn't know about you either." she says softly.

"It helps..." he says looking at Gemma not sure what to say or do.

"Umm how long you in town for?" Gemma asks getting up and standing by him.

"I'm moving here. Just got hired at the elementary school. I'm going to be taking over for a teacher that is retiring at the end of the year." she says brushing a piece of hair behind her ear that must have escaped one of her braids.

"SO close to the end of the school year?" Gemma asks.

She just shrugs with a smile on her face. "They want me to see how she teaches her class. I'm going to be her aide for the rest of the year so it easier on the kids come next year."

"Ma, I need to head out. One of the other guys has taken over looking at your truck for the time being. It's going to take longer than I thought." Jax says coming into the office. "Umm, what's going on?"

"Jax, I would like you to meet Clay's niece." Gemma says.

Jax just stares at them in utter shock. "I...umm...I need to go get Wendy then we are going to get Abel." he says finally remembering why he came into the office.

"Okay." Gemma says watching him leave. I'll see him at the house.

"Abel?" Bella asked.

"My grandson, he's been in the hospital." Gemma says. "You know.. we are having a coming home party for him, why don't you join us?"

"I..."

"You're family. You should come." Clay says.

I went with them to Jax's house. Gemma caught me up on who was who and everything else that I needed to know. Introduced me to the boys as her niece. It felt nice being part of a family since mine was so far away because that is what they are. Family.

I instantly liked Piney, he reminded me of a combo of Billy and Old Quil.

Knowing that Wendy was a recovering addict and trying to change did not make me like her. She reminded me too much of certain pack moms, who cared more about getting high or drunk than making sure that the boys were taken care of.

Gemma and Clay were both surprised that I knew about the club and didn't care. Didn't like hearing that I was the daughter of a cop, a Police Chief at that, though.

We talked for a while and it became clear to me that Gemma was the Alpha Bitch or Queen and proud of it.

Clay surprised Gemma by offering me their spare bedroom, at least until I found something. Gemma even told me that I could use their garage for storage.

Jax and Wendy come in the door and everyone tried to surprise them but knew that they failed.

"He ready for his first brewski." Clay jokes and Jax takes the beer, which is a little hard since he was holding Abel.

"Give me that baby." Gemma says taking him out of his hands before sitting down. Wendy sits down next to her as Jax sits next to someone that Gemma had introduced as Tara, who was friends with Jax and Abel's doctor. No love there. Tara had glared at her the entire time Gemma had introduced them and now her glare was on Wendy. The Doc is kinda a bitch.

"So.. you're Clay's niece?" one of the women says coming over to her.

"Yeah." she knows that Gemma told her the woman's name but unfortunately she blanked on it for a moment.

"Donna. Opie's wife." she said pointing at the guy talking to Jax. "So did you come to Charming to reconnect with Clay?"

"Kind of. Got offered a job here and Renee tried to talk me out of and let it slip that I had an uncle. Sorry, it's warmer than I'm use too." she says as she takes off her jacket and turns to place it on a chair near her.

"That is beautiful work." Donna said seeing her back.

"Thanks, my friend Paul drew it." she says moving her hair out of the way so Donna can see all of it.

The tattoo was beautiful. It was a dream-catcher but the web was strange, on top was what looked like a small grey wolf. The feathers went down her back tied to the dream-catcher with what looked like bullet-shells.

"Damn..." Tig whistles as he and Gemma join them.

"What?" Gemma asks. "Oh my..." she whispered seeing that her 'niece's upper back was nearly covered with a tattoo.

"My friend Paul is an amazing artist and knew that I wanted to get something special for my birthday so he drew this for me. The web of the dream catcher is actual a symbol for the protectors, the spirit warriors of the tribe along with the small sleeping wolf on top. The feathers are crow and raven feathers. He also included bullets and shells. Something to represent all of my family. It took hours for his fiancee to finish it."

Opie joins them by wrapping his arm around Donna's waist.

"And your wrist?" Opie says motions with his beer to her wrist, which had a scar on it.

She turned her wrist to reveal a crescent-shaped scar with 'Memories never fade' written under it. "A controlling ex." is all she said.

Seeing that this was a subject better left untouched, Donna,removing herself from Opie's arms, pulled her over to sit with Wendy.

"His fiancee?" Donna asks.

"Yeah, Rachel. She moved back home after being away for school to open a shop in La Push. Myself and some of our friends were her first customers." she said with a smile.

"May I?" Tig asks kneeling behind her.

She nods and he slowly traces the web of dream-catcher as well as the bullets and feathers.

"How does the tattoo represent you family?" Wendy asks having heard most of the conversation. Her question causes Tig to remove his hand and move away from them to go sit next to Piney and Donna's kids.

"The protector symbol and sleeping wolf is for my pack." her smile goes softer. "My protectors. My warriors. Sam, Jared, Paul, Embry, Jake, Leah, Seth and Quil. The dream catcher is for my friends Kim and Angela. The Raven feather is for the my elders Old Quil, Billy and Sue. The bullet and shells are for my dad."

"What about the crow feather?" Donna asks.

"It was added not that long ago...when I found out I had an uncle." she says softly looking over at Clay who was talking with some of the boys with a small smile.

"How come there isn't anything for your mom?" Gemma asks sitting down with Abel.

"She might be my mother but she hasn't been family for a long time."

Gemma just nods, understanding. She was pleased that the girl had added something on her tattoo for Clay, a man she didn't even know and nothing fo the woman that raised her.

"But she raised you?" Wendy says confused.

"No." she says sternly. "I raised me. I made sure that there was food in the house, our light bill was paid and that I kept my grades up. I was the adult from the time I was seven until I moved back with my dad at sixteen."

"I'm sorry..." Wendy starts.

"It's okay, you didn't know. Don't get me wrong I do love Renee but Sue has been more of a mother to me in the last few years than my own in my entire lifetime."

"Sue?" Donna asks smiling softly as she watches her kids.

"My dad remarried a few years ago. She's a nurse and member of the tribal council for La Push. She was one of my biggest supporters when I said that I wanted to move out here by myself."

"I hope to meet her." Gemma says rocking Abel.

She just bites her lip and smiles, thinking of two female Alphas being in the same room and not killing each other.

The party had been going on for awhile and she was talking to Donna, Gemma, Luann and Wendy when she saw Wendy's face fall. She turned to see that Tara is planting a kiss on Jax. Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me.

She shocks everyone by going over and grabbing Tara by the arm, digging her nails in and pulling her out of the room.

"Are you fucking nuts?!" she yells the instant she pulls her into what she guesses is Abel's room.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Tara snarled pulling her arm out of her hold.

"Oh please, I learned from the best so don't even think about trying to out bitch me. Honey, I'll give it right fucking back and make your fucking head spin. I don't like people fucking with my family especially spiteful dried up shrews."

Tara just glares at her rubbing her arm. She looked down and noticed that she had nearly dawn blood from digging her nails into her arm.

"Do you fucking think trying to claim a man at his son's coming home party... in front of a recovering addict was actually a smart move? Do you want to be the reason that she relapses?" she knows she is yelling but right now she doesn't even care if everyone can hear her.

"I..." Tara tries to look annoyed but slight clarity comes into her eyes.

"Seriously, you should know better than most how easily it is for an addict to relapse. You're a fucking doctor! Are you trying to make it that Abel loses his mother completely by being a spiteful, spoiled bitch!?" she yells getting right in Tara's face.

"Excuse me..." Jax says entering the room.

"I'll let you deal with this." she pretty much snarls walking out and closing the door behind her.

Wendy just smiles at her when she rejoins them. Gemma smirks and nods, proud.

"Dealt with things like that before?" Donna asks with a grin as she sits down next to her.

"Kind of. My step sister, Leah, her fiancee left her a couple weeks before the wedding for her cousin. She had no idea things were bad and a week later Emily was moving in with him. What Tara just did is something that Emily has done more than once when the three of them are in the same place. Part of her knows that Leah still has feeling for him and likes to rub it in Leah's face that he is with her. It's one of the reasons I don't get along very well with her. I'm not big on girls that think they have to make a claim in front of the ex." she says softly. The rest of what she was going to say was cut off when they heard a slap.

They watched as Tara stalked out of the house, Jax not far behind. They watch as Jax motions to a guy near the door, Juice she thinks, to follow Tara. She just hides her smirk when Opie gives him a beer, shaking his head and laughing.

"Umm Donna..." she motions to her kids, who are slowly falling asleep on Piney.

"That's my cue." she says with a smile going over to Opie.

Opie helps Donna get the kids in the car.

"Donna, hold on a minute." she calls over the sound of one of the bikes as someone leaves.

Opie stops at the truck to see what's going on.

"Glad I caught you." she says coming to stand by the car.

"What's up?" Opie asks coming over to them.

"Sorry, I just wanted to give Donna my number before she left so that we can get together and talk some more." she says holding out a scrap of paper. Donna leans out the window and takes it.

"I'm glad you came to Charming." Donna says with a smile on her face that Opie hasn't seen in a while.

"Babe, why don't you stay and I'll bring the kids home." Opie says opening the door and giving her his car keys.

"Are you sure?" Donna asks.

"Yeah." Opie says kissing her before getting into the car.

"Thank you." she says as he drives off.

"I think the party is dying down. You stayed to help us clean, didn't you?" Bella says with a grin.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to grab some cleaning stuff cause I doubt that Jax has anything." Donna says causing both of them to laugh. She watches as Donna gets into Opie's car and drives off before heading inside.

She sits down next to Gemma, who finally gives up Abel.

"Donna ran to the store. She's gonna come back to help us clean up."

"Really?"

She nods as Gemma and Wendy get up to start collecting the cups and plates to work on dishes.

Clay sits down next to her and neither say a word. She opens her mouth to ask him something when his phone starts going off.

"I'll be right back." he says getting up and going outside.

Unser apologizes for interrupting Abel's party and tells him how Stahl set Opie up.

Clay pales and thanks him barely waiting before getting his phone out to call Tig.

"You okay baby?" Gemma asks when he walks though the door. He doesn't say a word just walks into the living room and sits down next to Bella

"Uncle Clay?" she says softly when he places his arm on her shoulders and just stares at the ceiling. What just happened?

Moments later, all the guy's phones start going off.

"What's going on?" Gemma asks seeing Jax pale.

"There's been an accident. Donna..." Jax says softly.

"Go." they says and all the boys pile out. Within moments the sound of bikes fill the night.

The three of them wait until Jax walks through the door.

Gemma just gets up and pulls him into a hug.

"What happened?" Bella asks coming over to them.

"Drive by. She didn't..she was gone..." he tells them.

"Opie...?" Gemma asks.

He just shakes his head. "You two should head home." he tells them.

"What about Abel?" Gemma asks.

"I can take care of him." he tells her.

"Gemma, I'm sure uncle Clay needs you." she says placing a hand on her arm.

"Oh...are you sure?" Gemma asks looking at Jax.

"It's time for me to be a parent." he says sure of himself.

She leads Gemma out of the house and takes them home.

Gemma instantly goes inside to be with Clay.

She sits down on a step outside and pulls her phone out of her pocket and dials.

"Hey little bit, how goes it?" Paul answers. She can hear the others in the background. Must be having a meeting.

"Is Leah around..I really need to talk to her." she says hoarsely.

"Bells, what's wrong?" he asks.

"Paul, please." she whispers.

"Bells, what's going on baby?" Leah says as she comes on the line.

"I ..oh god...How do I do this?" she says.

"Bells.. what's going on?"

"This girl I met tonight..she's dead. She ran to the store to get some cleaning supplies and was killed in a drive-by."

"Bells..."

"The truck broke down as I'm sure Jake told all of you about, and my uncle's company was the closest to tow it to their shop. I met my uncle and my aunt. Her son was bringing his little boy home from the hospital so they invited me to the party that they were having for him. I met Donna, you would have liked her... Lee-lee, she had a husband and two kids. She was part of this family...how..."

"Breathe. Be there for them like you were there for me and Seth when we lost dad. That's all you can do."

"I know...I just..." she whispers.

"Bella..." Gemma says coming outside.

"I'll call you later, Leah. Thanks."

"Anytime." Leah says before hanging up.

"You okay?" Gemma asks sitting down next to her.

"Had a little breakdown. Needed my big 'sister'." she says softly. "Clay?"

"Sleeping, I hope." she says as she wraps her arm around her and the two of them sit there looking up at the night sky, not saying a word.

Jax sits in Abel's room holding him. Wendy watches him from the doorway, her arms wrapped around herself.

Mary, Opie's mother, comforts Piney.

Gemma crawls into bed and Clay, not asleep, lays his head in her lap and breaks down.

Tig clenches the bathroom sink and stares at his reflection in the broken mirror, blood running down his face.

Chibs and Juice drink wordlessly.

Opie cries while his children sleep in the bed behind him.

Bella sits on the bed and looks though the photos on her phone that she had taken during the party, wiping tears from her eyes every so often.